A/N: LOL, writing about Shikamaru can be so fun but hard at the same time. Neji, too! w

Hayashi Monika is © to SubtleQuirks (on deviantART); Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji are © to Kishimoto Masashi's NARUTO (Shippuuden); Story is © to moi~

"Two souls but with a single thought... Two hearts beat as one." - Friedrich Halm

"How long am I gonna stay here with all this work? Man, this is such a drag..."

18 year-old Nara Shikamaru laid his head down on his desk. He hated living the life of a feudal lord, it was too much work. Staring at the clouds was more amazing than filling out paperwork. He wanted to live the life of a normal guy, to live without a care in the world.

He had that dream a few years back, when his father Shikaku had the title of feudal lord. The people loved him dearly and Shikamaru greatly admired his father. They spent a lot of time playing shougi or taking private walks.

Now that his beloved father was gone, Shikamaru had to go it alone. He missed his father, but he knew his father wouldn't approve of him slacking off. Not now...

Shikamaru groaned and stood up from his desk. He didn't care if it was raining outside, he only wanted to take his mind off of all the work piling up on him.

"I'm goin' for a walk," he moaned. "Maybe I'll regain my concentration after a little stroll around the house."

The young man stood up and made his way outside his office, outside the private quarters. He sighed and watched the rain pouring heavily. It was perfect weather for a game of shougi, if only he had an opponent that was worth his time.

Dad, why'd you have to go now? he thought, trying his best to keep a tear from falling. If you were here now, I wouldn't be so bored.

He took another step forward, only to encounter a dark figure. One flash and Shikamaru's vision became blurry and dark...

~ ღ ~

Hayashi Monika quietly stared outside her rain-covered window. She only wished she could get out and enjoy life outside. Being stuck inside doing chores was always so boring.

The ring of the doorbell snapped Monika from her daydreams, and she rushed downstairs to answer, yelling, "I'll get it!"

Once the door opened, she frowned at the visitor but showed him the way inside anyway. Unfortunately for her, it was Hyūga Neji, a member of the prominent Hyūga clan.

The two knew each other well, for Neji was constantly asking for Monika's hand in marriage. It was custom for a member of a pristine clan to marry a person from another noble clan. Because Neji was from a side branch of the clan, the members of the head branch chose a wife for him; the choice was Hinata and by marrying her, the Hyūga blood would be kept pure.

However, Neji refused the offer, insisting that he would only marry Monika. Hiashi, Hinata's father, greatly favored his nephew for his genius and decided to make a deal with him, much to the surprise of the Hyuuga elders: If he couldn't win Monika's heart in a 1-month period, then he would have no choice but to marry Hinata.

Neji accepted without hesitation. He had his heart set on Monika and would only marry her. For three years he had been trying to win her affection, so he wasn't going to give up now.

~ ღ ~

"So, Neji... What brings you here, especially in bad weather like this?" Monika questioned after handing her visitor a cup of milk tea.

The Hyuuga quietly sipped his tea before giving his answer, "My deal with Hiashi-sama is still in effect. I came here to ask for your hand in marriage, Monika-san."

Monika sighed deeply. She could never understand Neji's personality. When you meet him, he seems cold and uncaring, yet he can be very passionate and protective around people he cares for. She always thought of Neji as a good friend, so she couldn't possibly marry him.

Sitting down across from him, Monika made a small smile. "I already know your feelings for me, Neji, but you know fully well that I'm not interested in marrying you."

He frowned, an eyebrow raised. "And you know fully well that I don't intend to marry Hinata-sama."

"Look, Neji, you're a great friend and if I marry you, it might just ruin our friendship-"

"I will hear nothing of it! Monika-san, you're the only person I want as a bride. That is what I believe."

There was silence in the living room for a a few minutes. "Why don't you go now before the storm gets worse, Neji?" Monika suggested. "I'll even walk with you if that's all right."

Her offer seemed to perk Neji's spirit, though he didn't seem to show it. Grabbing her raincoat and a light blue umbrella, Monika escorted Neji from her home. It was a quiet path back to the Hyuuga estate. The two said their goodbyes and Monika left for her house.

Once she reached her house, she noticed a flyer nailed on the front door. But the strange thing was the seal of the feudal lord that was plastered in the center. Something urgent had happened.

Monika rushed towards the door, snatching up the rolled-up document and immediately slamming the door behind her. Her dark brown eyes scanned the printed words and widened at the new information.

The feudal lord had been kidnapped.

~ ღ ~

Hundreds of men searched frantically through the village. From small towns to largely populated cities, they searched far and wide for their beloved feudal lord. No one had any luck.

The feudal lord's guards grew more worried and tried to ask for the help of neighboring countries. Even the villagers volunteered to join the search. Monika had joined the search with a group of friends. She might not have known the feudal lord personally, but it didn't seem right to just stand around and watch.

It was the middle of the afternoon. Monika and her search party had decided to split up and search for any clues in the forest. They split up in different directions and begun their search.

Monika sighed, wiping her sweaty brow, her ebony-chestnut hair already clinging to the sides of her face. "It is too hot out here to be searching for anything. I really need to get some rest!"

She sat down on the ground to catch her breath, only to have a rock hit her in the head. Monika stood up, her fists ready to battle against any opponent that might be hiding in the shadows.

"All right, come out! I know you're hiding somewhere so spare me the tricks!"

Pure silence. The only answer she received was the whisper of the summer wind.

The girl's chocolate eyes searched the area for a single detail that might lead to the rock-thrower. Instead of a small child or even a squirrel, her gaze turned toward a large, rundown tower with a small window located in the top right corner.

In the window was a young man with a sleepy look on his face. Clad in a dark kimono and dark brown hair tied up in a upright ponytail, he sat in a meditative position, his hands formed in a strange circular gesture.

Moving closer to the tower, Monika stared intently at the young man's face. He looked... handsome. Who was he? she wondered, though. She noticed him open one eye and look down in her direction, an eyebrow slightly raised and a small smirk upon his features.

"Hey down there! What're ya doing?"

A crimson shade tinted Monika's cheeks as she moved closer to the tower, jumping into the trees until she was close enough to the window.

"I'm looking for someone," she replied. "Don't tell me you live here in this tower..."

She heard the boy chuckle a bit as he shook his head. "Nah, not my idea for a pad. I think I was kidnapped but I don't know for sure. I was knocked out." He laid his head back, his hands supporting his head and neck. "I'm Nara Shikamaru by the way. What's your name?"

That name... Monika's eyes widened and she jumped a bit, slipping off the branch she was sitting on. Her wrist was caught by Shikamaru's firm grip. He grinned as he pulled her back onto the branch, though she could see him wincing a bit.

"You okay?"

"U-Uh... Yeah... I'm okay, thanks."

The events that had currently happened were more than Monika could take; though she was surprised, she felt more than lucky to have found the feudal lord. And on top of that, she was quite taken with him.

"So you were kidnapped? By who?"

This question earned a lazy shrug from Shikamaru. "Probably some lamebrain who wants a big ransom. I'm still trying to figure out a way to escape but so far I've got nothing after racking' my brain for the past two hours."

"Why can't you get out?" questioned the brunette girl. "Can't you just climb out the window? I mean, you grabbed my hand when I slipped so it wouldn't be a problem."

Shikamaru lifted the sleeve of his kimono, revealing a few burn marks across his arm. "There's a chakra barrier surrounding the tower. If any part of my body goes through the barrier, I'll be scorched so much the pain becomes unbearable."

Man, that's harsh, Monika thought quietly. Who'd wanna do something like that to him?

"Does the barrier have a weak spot?"

"It does," replied Shikamaru, "though I don't know when it will show up. I know and have followed the pattern of the barrier's frequency - it usually happens at midnight - but when I try to break the weak spot, I always end up missing it."

Monika brought her hand to her chin. "We just have to find a way to penetrate the barrier," she muttered, half to Shikamaru and half to herself. Her dark-eyed gaze turned to Shikamaru. "I'll stay here with you tonight and we'll figure this out together, 'kay?"

Her suggestion made him blush a bit, yet Shikamaru nodded. "Uh... sure. That's fine."

Monika smiled, laughing at his cute - and slightly confused - face. "Awesome!"

~ ღ ~

The hours passed in deep conversation between Monika and the young feudal lord. They had grown close after that limited period and, to be honest, they had grown smitten with one another. Once nightfall had crept upon them, Monika and Shikamaru had created a full-proof plan.

Shikamaru turned his eyes to the old wooden clock that stood in the corner. A few seconds until midnight; both were prepared. Monika stood at the bottom of the tower, covered in a net of leaves. Meanwhile, Shikamaru kneeled in front of the window, his hands in the form of the "Rat" hand sign.

A small drop of sweat left their heads as they braced. 3... 2... 1...

The two heard an electrical surge as the chakra barrier's wavelengths became visible. Suddenly, a small dot of light could be seen at the window. Shikamaru didn't hesitate to release his shadow, through the hole and down the wall of the tower.

"Now Monika!"

"Right!"

In a flash, Monika ran up the wall and through the window, just as the small dotted light had begun to fade away. She quickly blanketed Shikamaru in the net of leaves and the two jumped out the window. But at the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure come into the room.

The two reached the bottom, throwing off the net and rushing off into the forest. Monika's eyes widened when she heard the angry voice behind them.

"Come back here with my ransom!"

With a low growl, Monika sped up her pace but stopped when she heard a thud. Shikamaru had tripped on a branch and now he was holding his left leg. Monika rushed to his side and quickly knelt down, scooping him up onto her back.

"Hey, come on! A man never lets a woman carry him on her back. Besides, I can walk on my own."

Monika rolled her eyes. "You wanna get away from that guy, don't you? And you can't walk on your own, genius, your ankle is sprained."

A light blush appeared on Shikamaru's face. "Fine, whatever. Just take that left turn into the forest and we'll lose him."

Nodding, Monika did as he instructed and took the turn. They disappeared into a deeper, darker part of the forest. Luckily, they lost the stranger.

However, Monika kept walking with Shikamaru on her back. She saw small glimpses of light that drove her to follow. Soon they had reached a large patch of grass, surrounded by trees that acted like a canopy, allowing small rays of light. Monika collapsed on the grass-bed and dropped Shikamaru on his derrière.

My God, that boy is heavy! she thought, panting from the running - plus carrying.

Shikamaru sat up, his eyes sinking in the beautiful surroundings. "What is this place...?"

"Dunno," Monika replied, taking a seat next to him. "But we should hurry you back to the village before everyone begins to worry even more."

There was another awkward silence before Shikamaru smirked, a chortle escaping his lips. He might not have liked the fact that a woman saved him, but he didn't mind having her company for a while.

"Nah, we'll stay here a bit."

Monika stared at him, confused. "Are you crazy? We need to get you treated-"

A pair of soft lips made their way to hers, immediately shutting her up. Shikamaru felt like letting out a laugh, yet he kept his lips to hers and caressed them sweetly. He pulled away from her, raising his eyebrow in a casual manner.

"Like I said, we'll stay here for a while. Besides, you have a medical kit in your pouch. You can treat my wound now."

The girl's face became redder at Shikamaru's smug face. How he knew that was beyond her... She lightly touched her lips with her finger and smiled slightly.

"Sure. We can stay here a while."

Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out the small, white box that was marked "First-Aid". She scooted closer to him and lifted his kimono sleeve.

"Hey, Monika?"

"Yeah?"

"Afterwards... we can watch the clouds?"

Monika smiled at his question as she wrapped up his injured arm. "Yeah... Sounds like fun~"