A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a sequel to my NejiShika fic, Kindred, debuting tonight in honor of Shikamaru Nara's birthday. The events in this story take place a month after Kindred in the timeline. Aren't you excited? I am!

In this story, the genius ship experiences some major changes. There is also some collateral evolution involving Kiba Inuzuka, who returns for this sequel. And prepare yourself for a VERY OOC Hiashi Hyuuga. In this AU/AR the elder Hyuuga appears as a perverted high-paid lawyer who enjoys riding the fence, so to speak.

Warnings appearing at the beginning of each chapter apply to the chapter. I'm going for humor, so if I miss my mark please let me know in a review and of course, while reading Kindred first isn't necessarily a prerequisite, it helps.

If you've read Kindred and Indisposed, WELCOME BACK!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it beyond this fanfic. I do not profit either.

Warning: unbeta'd; language; implied yaoi; implied het

Hiashi Hyuuga walked toward a box installed on the wall in his nephew's penthouse and punched in a numeric code, silencing the alarm. He then removed his shoes and socks and slid his feet into one of several pair of slippers positioned by the door. He stood up then, whistling as he made his way into the spacious apartment.

Hiashi made a quick scan of the area before strolling into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of sake. As he drank, he tried to remember what time the cleaning crew normally arrived. There was something on the wind in there that didn't sit right with him, a scent that shouldn't be there. As he set his empty sake cup down on the counter he realized he could hear the shower running.

??

Who could that be? The man asked himself. He didn't see his nephew's BMW parked downstairs and assumed he wasn't home. The alarm had even been set when Hiashi let himself inside. Why would the alarm have been set if Neji were home and wide awake?

Hiashi walked slowly toward the sound of the shower, which happened to be coming from the bathroom in the master bedroom. As he tiptoed down the hall towards the bedroom, the shower stopped. Whoever it was, they were done and about to come out.

Hiashi waited.

Shikamaru froze the instant he stepped through the bathroom door. He sensed another presence in the penthouse. He theorized that it wasn't Neji since Neji would already have come into the bedroom and glomped him. Someone else was there with Shikamaru, someone the Nara did not know.

Stealthily, Shikamaru made his way to his holster and pulled out his .9MM.

There were only two ways to get out of the master bedroom: either by walking out of the bedroom door into the hallway, or via the balcony. Shikamaru was dripping wet and clad only in a towel, so he was going to try the bedroom door. At least his gun was loaded with a full clip; he could shoot his way out if it came to that. He only hoped Neji would forgive him for getting blood all over the pristine décor.

Shikamaru creeped toward the bedroom door, arms braced, gun ready.

He pulled open the door and raised his gun.

"Shit! Don't shoot!" a man shouted, eyes wide and arms raised in the air. "I'm not armed, I swear!"

Shikamaru stood facing a man who would have been Neji Hyuuga had he been about twenty years younger.

Hiashi Hyuuga stood in the hallway of his nephew's penthouse, face-to-face with a young man he could only assume was one of Neji's colleagues. There was an intensity etched into the young man's features that was disarming in itself; Hiashi could tell he wasn't kidding. Hiashi could also tell this man had gotten laid recently if the dark patches on his tanned chest and abdomen were anything to go by. He all at once wondered how far down past the barely-there towel draped around the man's lean hips the hickies went, and if his absent nephew was responsible.

The last thought made him smirk. It would explain the smell.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" the Nara asked in an authoritative voice.

"Hiashi Hyuuga," the man responded, "and I have a key."

That was enough for Shikamaru, who hesitated for a moment more before lowering his firearm. The man sighed deeply. "What a relief", Hiashi said, placing one hand over his heart for emphasis. He lowered his arms but he could tell the armed man was still skeptical.

"And you are?" Hiashi asked.

"Shikamaru Nara. I'm Neji's partner."

"Nara, huh? Well, I'm Neji's uncle. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Hiashi extended his hand and Shikamaru took it, warily.

They stood there that way for a few moments.

Shikamaru was aghast. It was a shocking look into the future to see the man in front of him, who stood toe-to-toe with Shikamaru but was broader, like Neji. His hair was the same shade of brown as Neji's, all one length and extended far past his shoulders. Hiashi wore his hair loose, and it lay against his shoulders like a dark curtain.

Hiashi's face was angular compared to Neji's but just as handsome. And those eyes…such intensity. Where Neji's eyes were like liquid pools, Hiashi's were like ice. Shikamaru had to admit that the Hyuuga men were just…alluring.

Shikamaru simply stood there staring, too stunned by the man in front of him to be embarrassed by the fact that he'd been caught in his lover's home wearing nothing more than passion marks and a towel.

Hiashi stood there wondering how frequently the man in front of him got to top his nephew.

He eyed this Shikamaru intently, taking in the thick, wet, wavy black hair that didn't quite reach his shoulders, the tanned skin punctuated by hickies, the nicely-defined musculature of a lean body and the intensity of those brown eyes in that handsome—and familiar--face.

Mmm, Hiashi thought, fighting an urge to lick his lips. I bet he's fun.

Hiashi deliberately allowed his gaze to roam down to the towel. Suddenly he was feeling the urge to snatch the thing away. He wanted to see what he suspected was indeed hiding under there.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. Hiashi lifted his eyes to meet the Nara's again.

"Partner, huh?" Hiashi asked, smirking.

"Yes", was all he got for an answer.

Hiashi wanted to ask the question, but under the circumstances didn't think it was wise. After all, the man was a stranger and he was still standing there with a loaded firearm in his hand. But dammit, what a sweet piece of ass. Hiashi understood a little better now why Neji never told him about any of his colleagues.

"Neji should be back shortly", the Nara told him.

Then, as if on cue, Neji Hyuuga entered the penthouse.

Neji Hyuuga entered his penthouse and rounded the corner to find his uncle standing in front of his lover, who was standing in the hallway wearing nothing but a damp towel and holding his loaded .9MM.

I'll bet I can guess, the Hyuuga thought to himself as both men turned to him.

Neji sought his uncle's eyes. He found mischief in them. It figures.

"I thought that was your car I saw downstairs. How are you, uncle?" Neji asked. He walked up to the man and extended his hand, never breaking eye contact. Hiashi took his nephew's hand in a firm grip.

Gods, this is like a wet dream, Shikamaru thought to himself, eyeing the exchange between the two men, except I'm wide awake.

"I certainly can't complain. I'm sorry to barge in, but I wanted to talk to you about a private matter, if that's all right?"

"Of course." It was Shikamaru's cue.

"Well, I seem to be a little underdressed. If you'll excuse me", Shikamaru stated. He turned and, with one glance at his lover, walked back to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Would you like a drink, uncle?" Neji asked, walking into the kitchen. Conversations with his uncle always mandated at least two cups of sake. Hiashi followed, wondering if Neji had a matching set of hickies on his torso. Neji reached into a high cabinet for a cup.

"No thank you, I've already had one." Hiashi leaned against the center island in the large kitchen, observing his nephew's movements and smirking. Neji seemed more relaxed at the moment than Hiashi had ever remembered the young man being. He was even wearing knee-length shorts, something Hiashi would have sworn the man didn't own if he wasn't seeing it with his own eyes.

Neji turned to find his uncle staring with an expression of mirth on his face. Here we go.

"What is it?" Neji asked, taking the bottle of sake and pouring himself a serving.

"Don't play coy, Neji, you're no good at it. Come on—out with it."

Neji drank. "Out with what?" he set his cup down and immediately poured himself another.

"Where on earth did you find that exceptional piece of meat?"

'Piece of meat?' Neji thought to himself, staring at his uncle over the rim of the sake cup as he swallowed its contents in a single shot.

"Must you be so crass? He isn't a ribeye, uncle, he happens to be my partner."

"Yes, he told me. Your partner looks like he lost a fight with the hose attachment on a Hoover." Hiashi's eyes danced with mirth. "So how long has this been going on?"

Neji sighed while setting his cup down on the counter. "We've been partners for two years. The—other stuff—" Neji couldn't bring himself to actually say it to his perverted uncle—"didn't happen until about a month ago."

Hiashi smiled. His nephew had spent the past month doing who knew what with another cop but he couldn't say the words? Priceless.

"So", Hiashi began, moving closer to his nephew, "is he any good with that thing?"

Neji glared at his uncle. He was certain the discussion was venturing into an area with at least a four-drink minimum.

"Uncle, please." Neji was clearly engaged in a discussion he knew was inevitable but still didn't know how to handle. "I wouldn't tell you if I knew."

Hiashi's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline this time. "Are you trying to say that you've never bottomed for him?! It's practically criminal!"

Neji eyed his uncle with frustration. "What would you know about it?"

"I know if he's anything like his father, then you're missing out on one of the greatest adventures of your young life."

Neji's expression changed. "What do you know about Shikamaru's father?"

Hiashi leaned back against the center island, arms crossed and a smug expression on his face.

"What do you know about him? What's he told you?" Hiashi asked.

"Not much. Just that his father is a chemist with a love of wildlife—deer in particular."

"His father is a chemist. He comes from a family of chemists. Ever heard of Nara Labs?" Hiashi asked his nephew.

Neji had heard of Nara Labs, which was to say he'd seen the name printed on the label of a bottle of supplements at the Vitamin Shoppe. Was his Shikamaru one of those Nara? Neji could hardly believe it.

"I've done some legal work for Shikaku in the past. Great guy—real pervert. Hung like a Palomino." Hiashi shook his head and sighed.

Neji glared at his uncle, but said nothing. What was the point?

"Unfortunately, although I suspect he's visited the other side of the fence at least once, I can't convince him to come back. He keeps playing the 'I don't swing that way' and 'I'm married' cards. Tch. What a waste."

"What has that to do with Shikamaru? Nara is a reasonably common family name."

"True, but Shikaku was always raving about his son the genius, who chose not to enter into the family's business; and I only had to look at your young man once to put two and two together in my mind. Really, he's a dead ringer for his father. I have to assume that remarkable similarity extends all the way from his head to his toes." Hiashi hesitated, hoping for some sign of acknowledgement from his nephew. "Am I right?"

Neji continued to glare at his uncle. The man was incorrigible. "I wouldn't know, uncle, I've never met Shikaku Nara."

"You've been balling his prized progeny for a month and you've never met him? Hardly seems appropriate. I'll have to do something about that."

"What are you planning, uncle?"

"Nothing crazy, just a small dinner party. Are you up to this? Shikaku's a hard sell. I should know."

Neji knew meeting Shikamaru's parents would have to happen eventually. He was a little worried about his uncle, but he would trust Hiashi to know where the boundaries were. Having lost his own father, Hiashi's twin brother, at a very young age, Hiashi was the closest thing to a parent that Neji had. This dinner party was…fate.

"I'm up for it, but we need to find out what Shikamaru thinks."

Hiashi smiled. "Your concern for his feelings is touching, Neji. I have to tell you I am enjoying this change in you." The elder Hyuuga moved close to his nephew again. "But you should know that you have an obligation to me to bottom for Nara, Neji."

Neji made a face then. "How in hell do you figure that?"

"Come on, Neji! It isn't as if you've never done it. The kid's got to be packing crazy heat! I won't let you pass on this!"

"This isn't about you, uncle!"

"Sorry to interrupt", Shikamaru stated, strolling into the kitchen. Two heads of long brown hair turned toward the sound of the voice, stunned into silence. The Nara wore a polo shirt and cargo shorts, his kanji necklace and his hair had been put up into its usual style.

"You look different with clothes on", Hiashi declared. And even more like your father, he thought to himself.

"Uncle", Neji spoke in a warning tone.

"Didn't you mention something important you needed to discuss with Neji?" the Nara asked.

"Indeed I did. Thank you for reminding me." Hiashi turned back to Neji. "I, actually, need to use your place for three days, over next weekend if I may."

Neji sighed again. The elder Hyuuga owned several residences and didn't use Neji's penthouse unless he was trying to avoid being found. That usually meant he'd committed the 'fuck-and-chuck', where some unwitting man or woman quickly fell victim to Hiashi's charms and then, just as quickly, found themselves out in the cold.

"Gods, uncle, who was it this time?"

The elder Hyuuga couldn't hide it if he wanted to. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, you may know her. Her name is Tenten."

Neji's eyes and Shikamaru's eyes both widened.

"Please tell me you're joking, uncle. Tenten Kire¹? Gods on a ship, she must be my age!"

"And she was delicious."

Neji had had enough. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. In the meantime, however, Shikamaru laughed out loud.

"You may need a hideout for a lot longer than three days, buddy." Shikamaru chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Hiashi asked.

"Let me paint you a picture of what he means, uncle." Neji was full of his frustration now. "Tenten Kire is a detective at our precinct, a very good one known for being able to hit her target, 100 times out of 100, from nearly any angle, using nearly any weapon. What he means is, if she finds you and decides to take out your left testicle, then you're as good as gimped."

Shikamaru laughed out loud again.

"Yes, well, she was kind of…intense afterward. I wouldn't have done it if I had known." Hiashi bit his lip then. "Listen, are you going to help me with this? Smooth things over with her?"

Shikamaru abruptly stopped laughing. "What, and risk being gimped himself? Hell no. You're on your own."

Hiashi ignored the Nara's comment. "Neji…you can use my yacht for the three days, the marina isn't too far to commute to work. How does that sound?"

Neji looked at Shikamaru, who was wiping the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard. Forgetting his uncle's folly, Neji thought it would be pleasant to have Shikamaru alone on the elder Hyuuga's expansive yacht.

"Shikamaru?" Neji asked. Shikamaru looked into those perfect pastel eyes, the ones to which he had pledged himself, and smiled. Neji turned back to his uncle.

"All right. When do you need us out of here?"

A/N:

(1) Kire is the Japanese word for beautiful. Kishimoto-san won't provide Tenten with a family name, so I have to get resourceful and besides, Tenten is beautiful.

So…Hiashi. That's a switch, eh? I don't think I've ever read a Hiashi so gregarious in a fanfic, so I thought I'd have some fun with him in this one. I gave him a close relationship with Neji and reversed their roles to reflect that Neji was the more responsible of the two Hyuuga men.

We also have a much more human Neji, no doubt a result of him doing 'other stuff' for the past month with his partner. Hey, if I were banging Shikamaru, I'd be a different person too, LOL.

Win, lose or draw? Please leave me a review with your thoughts.

Stay tuned!