Second Chance

Summary: Shikamaru, Gaara and Naruto go back in time. Only Shikamaru and Gaara make it to the past.

Chapter 33

It took weeks to finish up the last of the interrogations. The (now former) Root shinobi weren't being cooperative – some because they refused to be, some because Danzō had forced a seal on them that prevented them from spilling his secrets, even in death.

None of them had family to return to. Shikaku refused the muttered suggestion of having them all share Danzō's fate.

"What's going to happen to them after their... reeducation?" Fugaku's mouth curled distastefully around the word. It was difficult to find fitting terms for the puppets that had been raised by Danzō as much as they'd been trained by him.

The question had been causing Shikaku a headache for the better part of several weeks. "If possible, we'll let them decide."

Fugaku sent him a look. None of the people currently housed in their ANBU quarters were capable of expressing a food preference, much less a wish for an alternate career choice.

"We'll offer them the chance to leave their shinobi careers behind." Perhaps a simple life free of conflict was preferable for someone who'd lived under manipulation and coercion from a young age.

"And if they decline?"

"I see two options." Shikaku raised his eyes. "We can retrain them and add them to the ANBU roster after we're sure their reorientation has been successful."

"Or?" Fugaku's expression was sour. He wasn't scowling yet, so all wasn't lost.

"I was thinking," Shikaku said slowly, "that maybe it's time for more diversity within the police force."

Fugaku scoffed without heat behind it. He looked away, set his jaw and furrowed his brows into a look of intense consideration. "I will observe how well they adjust," he finally determined. "All members of the police force are hard-working and loyal. I won't accept anything less."

Shikaku's lips twitched. "Of course."

All the Root operatives reacted differently to the removal of their word-binding seal. Some jumped at the offer to build a new life. Some felt they had no other option with their leader gone.

Some had a sense of loyalty too strong to do anything other than follow Danzō into the grave.

"Get her out of here." Shikaku stepped away from the cell bars. "Inform Iruka-sensei. He'll want to know."

"What will he tell the students?"

Shikaku hesitated. "That's up to him."

Two shinobi carried Aiko's body out of the cell. Shikaku stood by with remorseless eyes.

Had she not played a considerable part in Danzō's plan to sway Shikamaru onto his side, Shikaku might have regretted that such loyalty had been aimed at such a despicable person.

In addition to the biweekly dinner dates she and her family honored with the Yamanaka and the Akimichi, Yoshino found herself regularly hosting the Uchiha for tea. Sometimes Mikoto came on her own, sometimes she brought her husband, and once or twice they'd taken their entire families out for dinner.

The mystery that had brought them together out of convenience had passed, but Yoshino refused to give up this new normal they'd crafted for themselves.

"How has Itachi been?" she asked, putting down a tray of sesame cookies on the table to cool.

"Much better." Mikoto had come on her own today. She accepted her cup of tea. "He's been spending more time at home. I'd noticed he was slipping away, but... I hadn't realized to what degree."

Yoshino had rarely felt as close to another person than now, bonding over the fear of losing a child. Were she a more positive person, she might have tried telling herself that everything that had happened had been for a reason.

"Have there been any more injuries?"

"None after Itachi," Mikoto said. "Nor have there been any more visions."

If they'd needed any more proof that Danzō had been behind the incidents, this would have been plenty. Nothing had happened since Danzō had met his demise in the forest – not to any of the Uchiha, nor anyone else in the village.

Even the unknown seals that had covered Shikamaru's arms only weeks prior were gone.

They weren't likely to find out how Danzō had done it. Yoshino didn't much care as long as it was over, though she knew it was driving her husband crazy.

"What about his eyes?" Yoshino hadn't caught another glimpse of them. She rather felt like once had been plenty. "Are they still...?"

"The Mangekyō is still activated," Mikoto admitted quietly.

She'd told Yoshino in curt terms what was needed to unlock it traditionally. She didn't want to imagine what Danzō had done to Itachi to have managed it regardless.

"Itachi has decided against using it. He won't be practicing its abilities." Mikoto paused. She twirled her tea cup absentmindedly in her lap. "He might not want to continue being a shinobi at all. It's been... difficult for him."

Yoshino hummed, prompting her to continue.

Mikoto didn't look up. "He told us he'd been working against the clan for months. He was convinced... with the coup in motion, he thought he had no other choice of preventing it."

Yoshino pursed her lips. She took a sip of tea to soothe the dryness in her throat. "What did Fugaku have to say?"

"Not much. He's... shaken."

Their situation didn't line up perfectly. Shikamaru was too young to be blamed for any of the things he might have done while under Danzō's control. They hoped that things hadn't progressed far enough to coerce him into doing something he'd regret for the rest of his life.

Itachi was older. It was more difficult to say how many of his actions he'd done out of his own volition, and to what degree his intentions had been warped by Root.

There was so much they'd never know. So many facts that didn't line up, but were impossible to clarify, now that Danzō could no longer give them answers.

Yoshino tried one of the cookies and, judging it safe enough to eat, nudged the tray closer to Mikoto.

"I've missed this," Mikoto said softly, reaching for the tray and balancing her tea cup on her knees.

Yoshino paused, a cookie halfway to her mouth. She considered how much more difficult it would have been to endure the past few weeks, had it not been for Mikoto and their freshly blooming friendship.

Her mouth twitched into a smile. "So have I."

Tsunade wrapped her shawl more tightly around her face. The wind was picking up. Sand blew into her face and found all the gaps in her clothing – she was Konoha born and bred. She wasn't used to dealing with this crap.

"This was a horrible idea." Tsunade scowled and spit out a mouthful dirt. The sun blinded her. The ground gave away under her feet and made every step more tiring than it needed to be.

She hated the desert.

"It was yours," Shizune said cheerfully.

"How are you in such a good mood?" If Tsunade weren't already narrowing her eyes against the sun, she'd be doing it out of irritation. "This place is a nightmare."

"You wanted to come here."

"I clearly wasn't in my right state of mind."

"For once, you were completely sober."

"Must be brain damage then."

Shizune laughed. Tsunade scowled. Suna's desert sun kept blazing.

They didn't bother entering the village through the gates. They'd only come for a brief visit – no need for any Suna shinobi to remember their faces.

"We'll have to stock up on supplies before we go," Shizune noted while peering into their traveling bag.

"I know. All I've got left is one measly bottle of Kusa booze."

Shizune grimaced. "Why did you buy it? It's disgusting."

"Just goes to show how desperate I am," Tsunade grumbled.

Suna was a decent enough place. There were plenty of bars and pubs strewn around the village. The people were friendly, though maybe just a bit eccentric. But there was no gambling hall within sight. All the booze in the world couldn't convince Tsunade to live here.

"Over there." Shizune lowered her voice into a hush. Tsunade followed her lead, tucked the fabric around her head tighter and ducked closer to the nearest earthen wall.

The sight in front of her was one Tsunade wouldn't have believed, had somebody else told her they'd seen it happen.

The Kazekage and his children were engaged in what might have originally been a training session, judging by the abandoned weapons lying on the sidelines. Gaara's fiery red hair stood out sharply. From the looks of it, training had evolved into a contest over which of the older children could – with Gaara's help – create the more impressive sand castle.

"Add a tower to mine! No wait, two towers! No, wait–"

"I'll dig a trench all the way around. You work on the western wall..."

"– and then we'll put the largest tower in the middle, and it'll have spikes and spires and–"

The girl gasped. "Can you put little statues on ours?"

"Oh! Yes! Ours too!"

"Kankurō! That was my idea!"

An unusual amount of civilians had decided that the space surrounding this particular training ground was – completely coincidentally – the best possible place they could be spending their afternoon. The odd ANBU perched on top of the closest buildings, though they looked to be watching the spectacle rather than keeping an eye out for danger.

The Kazekage's arms were crossed. Impassive eyes looked into the distance more than at his children. He made a curt hand gesture when he thought nobody was looking, and barely visibly spirals of gold embellished the girl's fortress and her younger brother's towers.

Tsunade almost missed the smile on Gaara's face. It made him look like his age.

"Come on," she muttered, tugging at Shizune's arm.

Shizune watched the family for a moment longer before she turned her back and followed Tsunade. Her expression rivaled Gaara's in its warmth.

"I'm glad we agreed to help." There was a skip in Shizune's step Tsunade associated with discovering a particularly gorgeous place in the Five Nations or several days Tsunade voluntarily spent sober.

"I suppose."

"It makes you want to–" Shizune cut herself off. She stole a glance at Tsunade, less bright than it had been earlier. "I was just thinking," she said, "we could..."

Tsunade pursed her lips. "Could what?"

"We've checked in on Gaara," Shizune said softly. "I was thinking we could check in on Shikamaru, too."

Tsunade steered them towards one of the places that sold alcohol. She'd memorized them meticulously on their way through the village. Shizune didn't comment. She kept throwing glances at Tsunade, waiting for an answer.

The silence became too tense for Tsunade's liking. "Maybe," she said curtly, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead.

She didn't need to look to know that a smile bloomed on Shizune's face, brighter than Tsunade had ever seen it.

Gaara turned his head. He'd felt eyes on the back of his neck, different from the citizens who'd decided to watch them. Gaara didn't mind the attention. It proved that the fear had all but gone from his people's hearts.

Temari's outraged gasp pulled his attention back. Kankurō had kicked sand into the trench she'd almost finished digging.

"You little twerp! Just admit you don't stand a chance without cheating."

"In your dreams," Kankurō muttered.

Rasa raised his eyes to the sky in a gesture of great exasperation. He stayed. Gaara's heart felt close to bursting.

Shikaku accepted his third cup of tea from his wife when footsteps sounded down the hallway.

It was late, even for Shikaku. They'd had many of them lately: nights that they spent talking more than sleeping. Nights that they used to make sense of everything that had happened. Nights that they spent reassuring himself that they'd made the right calls and brought their nightmare to an end.

Yoshino still battled the urge to peer into Shikamaru's bedroom hourly. Shikaku couldn't blame her. The fear that by morning they'd find it empty had yet to fade.

"What are you doing up?" Yoshino asked as Shikamaru made his way into the living room.

Shikamaru crossed the space between the doorway and the couch wordlessly and dropped in between Shikaku and Yoshino. Shikaku scooted to the side to make room.

"Couldn't sleep," he murmured, drawing his legs up onto the couch.

Shikaku shared a glance with his wife. Shikamaru's nightmares hadn't disappeared overnight. They hadn't expected them to – the scars Danzō had left ran deep.

Shikaku was worried about the lies Danzō had fed his son. During the first time he'd questioned Shikamaru, his son had been convinced that he'd been responsible for the injuries that had plagued the Uchiha – a notion as ridiculous as it was horrifying. Danzō must have meant to gaslight Shikamaru into doing what he wanted. Even with Danzō gone, the guilt would remain for longer.

"Bad dream?" Shikaku felt a nod against his side.

Yoshino leaned closer and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Shikamaru shook his head.

Shikaku didn't like how tight-lipped Shikamaru had been about his ordeal. He was getting better with each passing day, so Shikaku reluctantly accepted it instead of pressuring his son into opening up.

"Just tell us what you need," Yoshino said softly.

There was a pause. Shikaku tightened his grip around his son and his wife, following the overwhelming urge to be close to them. Warmth rose up in his chest, strong and intense like nothing else he'd ever felt. He loved his family.

Shikamaru turned his head to look at them. He smiled. "You're doing great."

Several weeks after their involuntary adventure had come to an end, Naruto almost gave Shikamaru a heart attack. Older Naruto did. Not his younger equivalent.

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru hiss-whispered. He tried feeling exasperated, but the smile tugging at his lips made it difficult.

"I wanted to see you." Naruto pulled him into a quick hug. He'd thrown over a loose scarf and long-sleeved clothing to cover the bulk of his bandages.

They were lucky his younger counterpart lived in a quieter part of the village. There weren't many people around who would find Naruto's presence alarming.

"You were the one who said it was risky," Shikamaru said.

Naruto's smile widened. "It was. Or it used to be." He bounced on his heels very much like his younger self did. "Guess what – I took care of them!"

Shikamaru needed a moment to puzzle out what he meant. Once he did, his eyes widened. "You finished off the Akatsuki?"

Naruto grimaced. "Not like that. Some of them, yeah. Some just aren't as interested in hunting down jinchūriki as they used to be."

Only Naruto. Shikamaru huffed a small laugh. "As long as we no longer have to deal with them."

"All done." Naruto beamed. "Though I suspect Jiraiya's started tracking me. I'm thinking about introducing him to the kids."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Your call." Gaara would likely support the idea. Jiraiya had been the one to save him after his run-in with Kisame.

"I'm heading to Suna, next. Do you want me to deliver a message?"

Shikamaru considered it. It had only been a few weeks since he'd seen Gaara, and yet... It felt odd to have the option after spending months on their own. "How long do I have to decide?"

"I might stick around for a few days." Naruto's expression softened. He looked around Konoha with the eyes of someone who hadn't been home in a long, long time. "I've missed it."

The look on Naruto's face was bittersweet. Shikamaru wondered whether it was bothering him to stand in the village that was once his home, knowing it would never be the same.

True to his word, Naruto stayed a handful of days before accepting Shikamaru's message and heading out. Even knowing that he would be back, Shikamaru doubted he'd ever get used to watching him go.

Naruto didn't mind the trip through the desert. It was long, but it was nostalgic.

"I'm not sure whether I should pit my ANBU against you or offer you some tea."

Naruto gave Gaara's uncle a lop-sided smile. "I wouldn't say no to tea."

Yashamaru didn't leave to get something to drink. He didn't flag down the nearest ANBU, either.

Far below their perch on one of Suna's highest buildings, Gaara and his siblings were crouched around an alarmed looking desert hare that had somehow found its way into the village.

"I love seeing him like this." Naruto leaned forward against a waist-high barrier.

Down below, the hare flicked its enormous ears. Gaara's sister let out a startled giggle.

After a brief hesitation, Yashamaru joined him. "Like what?"

"Like a kid."

Gaara's brother tried petting the hare. It leapt back, thumped its backfoot and stared at the boy looking as scandalized as a rabbit was able to look.

Temari's giggles swelled into laughter. Gaara's lips curved upwards.

"He does act like it." Yashamaru's voice was soft. He didn't take his eyes off of the kids.

All three of them looked happy. They looked careless. They looked like siblings who cared about each other beyond the bare minimum for the team they would unavoidably form once they were older.

"What do the villagers think of him?"

"They're getting better." Yashamaru allowed himself a fond smile. It made him look kind – nothing like the determined, fierce ANBU who'd been prepared to tear apart the five nations in search for his nephew. "Gaara has managed to win some of them over. Shinobi love to talk."

An entire village couldn't forget the fear of an out-of-control demon overnight. Gaara had plenty of time to win the rest of them over, as well.

"What about his father?"

Yashamaru's smile dimmed, but didn't fade altogether. "He tries."

Naruto waited for him to elaborate in vain. He supposed it was the best they could ask for.

Gaara would likely protest if he mentioned it, but Naruto was glad things had worked out the way that they had. He, more than Shikamaru – more even than Naruto – deserved a second go at his childhood.

Akatsuki was disbanded, its members scattered and no longer willing – or capable – of pursuing their original plans. Danzō was taken care of. The Uchiha massacre was no more, nor was Shukaku's reign of terror throughout Gaara's childhood years. The jinchūriki were safe and cared for, and Naruto would be there for them as long as they needed – or wanted – him to be.

When – if? – the next danger reared its head, he and his friends would be there to face it. They'd be together. They'd conquer it, just like they'd conquered everything else thus far. Naruto hoped that until then, Gaara and Shikamaru would get to spend several peaceful, happy years.

"Thank you." Yashamaru's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I told you before, but... Thank you. For bringing him back to me."

Affection burned in his eyes, so intense that Naruto couldn't doubt that he loved his nephew with all of his heart. As long as Yashamaru – as long as Gaara's family – was there, Gaara would be happy.

Naruto gave Yashamaru a smile that lit up his face and spread warmth in his chest. "Any time."

Naruto leaned against the railing. The desert sun washed over him and set the village ablaze. The future looked bright.

A/N: That's it folks! I'm honestly kind of amazed I actually managed to finish this story. I jumped into it with no plan whatsoever four years ago without ever having written anything before that point - it definitely didn't go anywhere I would have expected back then, but I'm super happy with how it turned out! Thank you so much for being patient and sticking around to the end. I don't think I could have managed to complete it without your support. :)

I hope you liked the ending!

My betas are To Mockingbird, Igornerd and PyrothTenka!

Let me know what you think!

~Gwen