A/n: I really didn't want to post this one, really, but this idea had been nagging me like hell, and won't even let me study for my Semesters! Can you actually believe it?! The day after tomorrow I have my Botany Paper, and here I am writing another story. God! Kill me now!

I honestly don't expect anyone to read this one. Chances are, I'll be leaving it for a while as soon as my mind gets off from this story, or maybe delete this one after sometime. So, have fun with it while you still can. I think I was inspired to write this one afer reading some pretty good Naruto, SI-Oc stories, as well as Second Time's the Charm by Reader06, and Déjà vu No Jutsu by Vixen Tail, and Iridescent by TalkingElephant.

Seriously guys, I'd recommend you to read these stories mentioned above, because God knows they are pretty amazing. I'm really in love with them.

Time Travel and Reincarnation fics are a bane for fanfiction writers, especially for Naruto stories. Ugh, why are they so darn addicting? You'd think after not watching Naruto for two years I'd get over with it, but No! even now I get excited like a kid on sugar high when I even watch those episodes for about a hundredth time. I'm so pathetic. Really.

Even though I'm kinda hating myself for publishing this story, I'd be happy if I get any favorites, follows or reviews on this story. And if I do, I'll make sure to update. I promise. (and if I don't, you can always nag me until I oblige, I won't mind at all. I'm just scatter-brained like that.

DISCLAIMER- Uh? Do I really have to do this? Ugh, fine! I don't own Naruto, happy now? *sulks in a corner*

WARNING- rated M for Language; Grammatical Mistakes; Some mistakes in Japanese honorifics since I'm not really used to them (If I make a mistake in them, please don't hesitate to tell me) Shikamaru-reborn-as-Cheiko; Er…. No guarantee for following cannon… much.

Oh, and Don't Like, Don't read.

PROLOGUE- A Dying Hope.

He failed.

…..And quite spectacularly too, at that.

He should be upset –really-but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything. Honestly, he was so darn tired that he was sure he couldn't even feel the sealing runes spread all over his body, glowing as they melted into his flesh –on the second note, it can be because his body was finally shutting down, which also means he was dying.

What a drag.

He watched the night sky with a melancholic look. Shame, that there was no cloud in the sky. He kinda missed cloud watching. How long has it been since he had laid down in the Nara Clan's Forests, relaxed, watching the Clouds drift carelessly –with no care in the world. How many times had he complained to Chouji about everything? Where had those troublesome -but joyful- days gone? Days when he could complain about everything being a drag; when Ino and Sakura used to banter about everything; when Hinata used to stalk Naruto like a shy –but crazy- fangirl; when calling Chouji a 'Fatso' meant an act of war; when Kiba and Akamaru always had to drag Shino for some socializing; when Neji had a superiority Complex above than everything; when Lee and his speeches of 'Youth' made everyone want to bash their head against the walls; when Tenten loved to throw her 'pointy' weapons at everyone any time she liked; when Sasuke was still the untrustworthy Leaf Ninja; when their personal ray of Sunshine –Naruto- declared every single day that he wanted to be the Hokage. Days spent with his fellow comrades from Konoha Eleven, their Senseis, his Mom Yoshino, his Dad Shikaku, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari…..

Oh God, Temari. He missed her so much. Ever since her death, he'd been feeling as if a part of him has been missing. And what was even worse was that, he couldn't even confess his feelings even when she lay there in his arms, dying. She had been looking at him with hopeful eyes, as blood gushed out of her torso, all the while he tried to muster up courage to confess to her.

But it was too late. She died before he could even say "I love you."

Pathetic… wasn't he? Compared to all he had endured, this ending for him felt almost merciful. He had failed so many people, that he had lost count. He was a loser of the worst category. He had failed his comrades. He couldn't stop Madara before he initiated Infinite Tsukuyomi on the World. He was really, really pathetic.

Naruto used to say that those who abandoned their friends are worse than scum. He hadn't exactly abandoned them –per se-but still, they had placed their hopes on his shoulders, and he had disappointed every single one of them. His Dad, his Mom, Ino, Chouji, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Lee Neji, Tenten, Gaara, Kankuro, and even Temari. Oh, his sweet, sweet Temari……..

The Fourth shinobi war had ended up in Disaster. Everyone tried their best –really! Hell! The Five Great Nations had even agreed on an alliance for Kami's sake! When the Fuck had that ever happened in the History of Shinobi? But everything had been for naught. At first, they had to only fight a bunch of White Zetsu Clones and a few Reanimated (Edo-Tensei) shinobi, but when somehow Madara Uchiha turned from a reanimated shinobi to a living one, everything went downhill. Even the Five Kage couldn't stand a chance against him! One by one, everyone was annihilated. Even with Naruto –and heck, even Sasuke!- joining their battalion, two Uchihas –one with ages old grudge against the World, especially the Leaf; and the other with unstable emotional state who was still mourning the death of his dead lover- and a Gedo maze was all it took to take out Ten thousand shinobi of the Allied Nations. Even with an extra help from the Four Reincarnated Hokages, nothing had changed. They still lost spectacularly.

Sounds impossible, right? But it isn't. It's the truth actually. Quite horrible, and gruesome, but eh, It's the truth- Believe it or not.

Even when Naruto somehow managed to knock some sense into deranged Uchiha's mind –what was his name again? Tobito? Tobi- No, No, it was Obito!- with his 'Therapy-No-Jutsu', Madara had somehow made the Ten Tails bloom and used the Infinite Tsukuyomi –the Ultimate Genjutsu on the World. Everyone had been caught in the Genjutsu –even Shikamaru!- and only Team Seven remained from it's effects God knows how. He doesn't know much detail, but he did somehow get to know that Madara had gone bonkers for sometimes, and turned into Kaguya Otsutsuki –another deranged person who also happened to be the Mother of the Sage of Six Paths- and somehow Team seven barely managed to seal her and that Demon Spawn Black Zetsu.

But all was for naught as Madara somehow got control of the ten tails powers, and this time without much resistance from Naruto and Sasuke –since both of them had been beyond exhausted as hell after somehow sealing the Rabbit Goddess- began to ruthlessly kill everything in his sight. Naruto and Sasuke, with their last breaths, undid the Infinite Tsukuyomi, hoping that somehow the rest of their comrades will be able to defeat this monster and bring peace.

How wrong they had been. Madara absolutely annihilated Every. Single. Shinobi. On. The. Battlefield. He kept fighting, even when all his comrades died one by one. He knew he had to survive, to fulfill his promise to them.

But alas, he was too late. After razing the Five Great Nations into ashes, Madara once again pulled the rest of the World into the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Even the few members who had survived the Five Great nations destruction had been caught again in the Genjutsu. Shikamaru doesn't know how he survived it, but he had a feeling that even in death his comrades are protecting him.

And that's why, here he was. After months of searching every scrap of knowledge he could find on Fuinjutsu –all the while hiding from Madara and Zetsu Clones, because Godammit! They are so darn annoying! Always tracking him in an instant! Che! Their senses are even better than Inuzuka dogs!- after going through millions of trials and errors, he constructed a seal, which was possibly the most insane idea he had ever had. It was a Seal that'd –possibly- take him back to a time where he can change things for the better.

It was his last hope- his last gamble. Sure, Shikamaru wasn't the one who usually gambles, he liked to dissect everything with his logic and analytical skills –thank you very much!- and he knew that there was only 0.0001 percent chance that something like this would even work. Why do you think there were no records of time Travellers? Because there hadn't been one. Most people usually never got to even halfway through a seal that could possibly make them travel through time. And even if by some miracle someone possibly managed to do that, it was a guarantee that the seal misfunctions at the end moment. And even if –by chance- it worked, the chakra taxing is so heavy that those people never made alive out of that journey.

And that's why, Shikamaru knew that this was an impossible task. But he never lost hope. Every time he wanted to just throw his hands up in defeat and give up, the nightmares of his comrades' disappointed faces would strengthen his will, and an hour later he would be back on working on the seal. In the end, he did succeed, after checking on his seal for about a thousand times, he deemed it –as he quoted- 'workable'.

But everything had a price, and Shikamaru knew that. One cannot cheat Time, he knew that. That's why he also knew that it was most likely that he would end up dying –much like others before him who had dares to even try to Travel through time- or maybe lost in space-time conundrum. Personally, he didn't care. Well, at least, he tried his best.

So here he was, lying on the ground, with black-inked seals burning into his body, glowing brightly as they practically melted into his body, devouring it. He glanced at the cloudless sky with a rueful smile. Guess his last attempt had botched as well.

He closed his eyes finally, succumbing to the darkness, with a heart heavy of guilt and regrets.

"I am so sorry, everyone, I couldn't protect the 'King' after all."

Whether it was because the Fates pitied him, or because Time himself was a sympathetic Lord, or because the Sage of Six Paths didn't want to end things like this- but somehow his prayers had been answered.

The clock rewound, and Fifty years earlier, in a Nara Household, a girl child was born –with eyes that spoke of Wisdom far beyond her years, and thus was named "Chieko Nara."

Fate really does have a strange way to spice things up, doesn't it?

Rising From The Ashes.

Shikamaru had always been known as a lazy genius. One who usually wasn't even motivated enough to do –well- anything. But when suddenly, when you're being squeezed out of a very narrow tube, and being man-handled and coddled –all the while you want to ram a kunai to that's jackass's spine who was trying to manhandle you, and at the very you realise that your limbs aren't working at all. And worse, apparently, your vision is shit, your senses of smell and hearing are absolutely mush, and when you open your mouth to scream profanities at the Universe- in general- your voice box decides to malfunction, and as a result, you have no other choice but to wail out loudly. Pray tell, won't you worried at all?

You don't even have to be motivated to freak the shit out!

However, he didn't get much time freaking out over this new –compromising- situation, or even to analyze what the fuck just happened, because the next moment, he got tired while faintly hearing a soothing lullaby, and feeling a warm presence holding him, and he snuggled into sleep.

Gah, everything can wait. He'll think about everything after…. He takes… a….. nap.. zzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Three months passed in a daze, he can honestly say that he doesn't remember much what happened during that time. And a good thing it did, because even thinking about the time he breast-fed, puked, dirtied his diapers made him want to shudder in disgust. It was a really good thing he didn't remember that time. At all.

And that reminds him of the main topic he had been avoiding for sometime. Apparently, he had been reborn. As a girl.

Kami, why hasn't the Ground swallowed him up by now?

Ever since his senses began to improve, he had been weirded out by how people around him behaved towards him. As soon as his vision turned slightly better, he could see his caretakers –but only when they would be in the vicinity of his vision, like about a meter or half in front of him, pathetic, right?- By their looks, they were obviously Naras, but they were not Shikaku and Yoshino. They insisted on introducing themselves as 'Father' and 'Mother' –And hadn't that been a shock? Not seeing his birth parents in their place, because he had been half expecting himself to being reborn back to his time, in his own body. Eh, maybe he should have expected this much. No two souls can be in the same body, or in the same timeline –or something like that. That's why, it's logical that he may be born in some random Nara family, and not in the Clan Head's family.

But still, it stung a bit, okay, a lot. He really missed his old man, and his nagging mother. He wished he could've gotten more time with them.

(More time….. heh, he's always complaining about that these days. He should be happy that got the second chance he had been wanting for desperately. So…. Why?

Why wasn't he really happy?)

And he hadn't even recovered from his first shock yet, when he got the next one, which made him black out almost instantly. Well, who knew he would be reborn as a girl?

Not him, certainly.

Sure, he had his doubts when almost everyone he met always added '-chan' to his name –even his new parents did so, and they coddled him, and made him wear girly clothes. He sucked it all up, thinking it was just a phase. Imagine his surprise when had looked down at his naked reflection when his new new mother was bathing him, and realized that he didn't have his balls anymore.

You really can't accuse a man of being wimpy and blacking out when he realizes that the most important part of his anatomy was, well, gone.

Oh kami, how was 'he' gonna adjust to the fact that 'he' wasn't in fact a 'he' anymore, and instead was a 'she'?

Ugh! This He/She shit is getting really complicated.

The first six months passed without much fuss- well except that major Existential Crises he had when he realised that he was no longer a man- and everything fell into a routine once he finally started accepting this new reality. It helped that every night before he slept he repeated the following words as a mantra about twenty times before falling asleep-

"My name is now Cheiko Nara. I am a girl. I was born on 15th July in Konoha, to Takeshi and Akane Nara. Takeshi happens to be a Jonnin Level shinobi, while Akane was a housewife. Both his –new- parents are distant members of Nara Clan, with only her father being a full Nara, while her mother being a Civilian Villager. I was born in the Village Hidden in the Leaves during the reign of the Third Hokage –Hiruzen Sarutobi. Both my parents coddle me way too much. I may be born into a loving family, but I have an obligation to the Future. I have to fulfill my promises, and protect the 'King.'"

And well…. That was it. It was brief, but it did wonders to hammer the situation into his –er- her head that she was now no longer Shikamaru Nara –the Clan Heir. Instead, He –Ugh!- She was now Cheiko Nara -daughter of some distant Naras who had nowhere near relations to the Main Nara family. And wasn't h- she so glad about it? It would've been so weird to find out that she was related to her Grandpa, or her old man, or worse –some alternate hi -her. Gosh, now that could've been a problem.

Thank Goodness he didn't have to be anywhere near them, or what a disaster it'd have been for him! Because honestly, he- er- she knew she won't be able to hold her tears if she ever came across them-especially if she had any alternate self. Yoshino wasn't any problem, since she remembered that her mother had been a civilian born Ninja whom her father Shikaku fell in love with some time during their childhood. She had heard quite embarrassing stories –well, embarrassing for them, it had been guilty pleasure for her to hear about their love story- from Uncle Inoichi and Uncle Chouza.

(He really missed those times. He wished he could be a little kid again, playing shogi with his Dad, hiding from his Mom while she went on a raging fest, playing 'tag' with Choji, sleeping through Ino's naggings and what not.

Why can't things be simpler like they had been once upon a time?)

She knew he had so much to do, but she can't exactly do anything right now other than planning, since she was practically a baby, and a baby had to start from the scratch.

But even after months of familiarizing him-er-herself with that name, it still takes a while to register it when someone calls her by her new name and not her old one.

Like her new Mother was doing right now.

"Cheika-chan!" It actually took her a while to realise that she had been called, and hence, she blinked and looked up from the rubber toy kunai she was chewing on. What? Come on, she was just a six months old girl who had just started teething! Do you even know how much that hurts? It's so distracting that she has to keep her mouth busy if she wants to think clearly about something.

Her mother's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Chieka-chan! Let's get you changed, shall we? After that we'll go grocery shopping!"

Kami this woman was cheerful. She was almost as bad as Yoshino –the big fat difference was that Yoshino used to yell at her all the time, while this one just cooes and coddles her like a Princess.

The woman took the toy kunai from her gently and placed it on the table, after that she picked her up and took her away from her beloved toy all the while gushing about 'how-cute-will-my-hime-look-in-the-new-dress-I-bought-for-her!'

All the while, she stared at her dearest toy kunai, mourning it's loss.

Cheiko pouted, with her cheeks puffed as she was strapped to her mother's chest, all the while they shopped –or in her case, her Mother did while she sulked for the loss of her beloved toy. Since she can't use weapons yet, that rubber kunai was only semblance of protecting herself that mentally sated her need to survive against all the odds –and after Years of living on run, as well as having nightmares after being reborn, you can't blame her for being paranoid enough. At least she was thankful for her toddler body, since it usually gets tired way too soon and always slumbers into a dreamless sleep. But every once in a while the nightmares would reoccur, making her curl up in her blankets and wail out to all the Deities in the heavens to help her out.

During the first two months of consciousness –which happened to be when she turned three months old- she was so paranoid of everything that her parents worried for her. She'd jump at slightest of noises, and would wail if she saw anyone other than her new parents. Her shinobi instincts were still honed in her, even when she was in a new body. It's a good thing that she had eased up after two months, though it had taken quite some time to assure herself that no, Madara wasn't coming to hunt her down, and the White Zetsus haven't infiltrated in her base, yet.

She knew her new parents were concerned, and she tried her best to sate their worries by acting like an adorable child, but sometimes, it wasn't enough. Sometimes, she'd feel like berating herself for being so weak, and she had a feeling her new father had noticed her mood swings as well. Well, Naras are quite observant, even though they come off as uncaring and lazy. Even though she herself is a Nara –one who has suffered through a gruesome war no less- she knew better than to deceit or underestimate another Nara. It only makes them much more curious, and a curious Nara is just as bad as a motivated Nara. So yeah, she let him figure it out all on his own. She bet that even being a Nara, he'd never think of a possibility of her being reborn once again. Heh, even she wouldn't have thought of this probability even if it had been staring at him right in the face.

….She was really way over in her head, wasn't she? Sadistically rooting for a fellow family member's for failure, wow, she had never been this desperate in her previous life.

Guess War does change people for the worse, after all.

Well, at least not as worse as all this coddling and cooing can get.

"Aw….. Akane-san, Cheika-chan is just so cute!"

"You're so lucky, Nara- san! Your daughter is an angel! You lucked out on this one, Akane-san!"

"Wow! Her eyes are so pretty! Like jewels!"

*pulls her cheeks* "Isn't she just the most adorable thing?"

Ugh, she already wanted to crawl back into her blanket and sleep. Seriously, what is wrong with woman these days? Always squealing and cooing as if she was a baby –oh wait, she is. Goddammit, she really can't wait to grow up.

… But not looking forward to puberty this time. Certainly, not!

"Ah Akane-san. Fancy meeting you here." A familiar regal voice said from somewhere near, and she'd have recognized it, if she had been paying attention at all. Sadly, she wasn't.

"Oh! Akira-sama!" Her new mother said in surprise as she quickly bowed down to the other woman, and Cheiko had to clutch to the straps of her mother's shirt tightly if she didn't want to tumble down –not that she'd have, with the straps and all, but still.

"No need to bow down to me, Akane-san, you know I don't like such stuff."

Wait… she knew that voice.

Thankfully, her mother stood up straight, and she managed to peak out from her straps, and her breathing caught in her throat as she recognized the person before her. It was her Grandmother from her previous life –Akira Nara- who looked very, very young. Akira's chocolate brown eyes fell on her, and she instantly smiled.

"Ah, this must be your daughter then?" She asked softly as she stared at her and cooed while tilted her head.

Well, fuck, her Grandma, her sweet, and kind Grandma looked in her twenties. Does this mean she had actually skipped farther than she imagined? So, what time was she in? No way was it around the Third Shinobi War, considering that her Grandma had fell sick due to a nasty poison during it's end. So, when was she? Somewhere around the Second World War?

"Yes, Akira-sama." Her new mother said as she held her with a beaming smile. "Her name is Cheiko Nara."

"What a beautiful name." Her Grandma –No, no! It's not her Grandma! It's not the same! She is the same person, yet she's different. She didn't know how to get her mind around that thought- her once- Granny said with a soft smile. "How old is she?" she asked as she looked up at her new mother.

"Six Months." Her Mother replied eagerly.

"Oh, she's two Months younger than my son Shikaku." Akira said with a smile.

Wait what?

It was only then she noticed a bundle in Akira's arms as well, cocooned in blue blankets. She stared at it with wide, amber eyes as small grey eyes stared back at her. Her once-Granny lifted up the blanket a bit, and revealed a baby boy of about Eight Months old, with tanned skin and black hair visible over his head. He had rounded face like all baby does, and a sharp nose. Kami-sama, his looks already resembles a lot like how he used to look in future. Oh God, It was her father….

…..Yet, it wasn't. She had no doubt he would one day grow up to be as sharp as her old man used to be, but her heart clenched when she realised that it won't be the same old man who used to quiz her every afternoon during a shogi game, taught her clan techniques after getting yelled at by Yoshino, pester her to make friends with his best friends kids and help her in creating strategies and thinking logically. This man can never be the Shikaku Nara whom she knew in her previous life.

Yes, it would be Shikaku, but not the same one who raised her.

It was like a splash of cold water had been dunked over her head, because suddenly she couldn't breathe. All these months while she tried to have a grasp on her situation, she never thought that nothing was same anymore. In her logical thinking and analyzing about how to make the future better, she had forgotten that her comrades won't be able to enjoy the better future she was working on. Yes, they'd be born again, but not as the people she used to know.

And it hurt to even think about that. When she had been working on the time travel seal in her past life like a maniac, she had just one hope that one day she'd meet her loved ones once again.

How cruel of this Universe to snatch that sliver of hope from her once again? Why had she even bothered with that seal at all? If her comrades won't be able to enjoy the fruits of her labor, what was the point anyway? She should've died, at least then she'd have been together with them.

A soft touch snapped her out of her trance. She blinked her eyes and found herself lying on a wooden floor. Huh, when did they move? Her new Mother and Akira must've decided to get a little snack in a tea shop nearby, as she can feel them staring at both of them in amusement.

She snapped her eyes back to the person who touched her, and found herself staring into mesmerizing grey eyes of Shikaku. He was staring at her akin to awe, and she stared with wide eyes as the boy –who had been crawling just a moment ago- patted her cheeks softly –well, as softly as an eight months old baby can pat- as if she was some fragile doll.

"Pwetty…." He babbled out as he stared at her in wonder.

Her mind was in an overdrive. She blocked out the two women's talking as they gushed over how cute their kids were, and she absolutely ignored the way how Akira Nara cooed over the fact that her son was not even seven Months old, and he was already falling in love. (Aah, Old Ladies and their Gossips! Eight Months Old babies can't even speak their names, how the fuck can they fall in love, you crazy women?!)

The awe with which he held her, the wonder and innocence with which he spoke that word, it clenched her heart. She didn't know why, but she wanted to protect it.

So what if her loved ones will not be here to enjoy the better future she cast for them? Hadn't they died so that others can have that luxury, which they couldn't? If she stopped now, it'd be like spitting on their corpses. It'd be like abandoning them, and she remembered Naruto's vibrant voice yelling somewhere in her memories about those who abandoned their friends were worst than scum. Besides, she had to keep her promise to Asuma, to protect the 'King'. And now when she had been given the chance to do so, would she back out now?

Oh hell no! She may be lazy, because of her clan's apparent behavior, but she wasn't ungrateful. She had her motivation back to a T, and she swear she'd save the 'King' this time.

She'd wait in the shadows and plot and analyse until it's her time to strike, and she promised to force a painful death to those who had destroyed her previous life. She would make a better life for her loved ones, even if they aren't her loved ones, per se.

Her eyes glanced up at the eight Months old baby Shikaku, and her lips blossomed in a beautiful smile.

Trust her Old man to cheer her up when she's down.

"Troublesome." She muttered, and she could feel her new mother freeze.

A moment later she realised the reason why. Apparently, hey first words as a baby had been troublesome, at age 'Six months' no less.

Ah, Troublesome Indeed.