The Owl Princess

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. No copyright infringement intended.

Warnings: Fem!Harry, canon-typical violence, gore, dark themes (forced abortion), language, potential triggers...

Full Summary: Yoshino has died shortly after giving birth to Shikamaru due to an assassination attempt by Iwa. After nearly completing the standard mourning period of one year, Shikaku now must consider marrying again, hounded by fangirls, ambitious kunoichi, and his Clan Elders. (Although those are still much more relaxed and lazy than the Uchiha Elders.) However, this is a matter of safety, the safety of his son. Enter a herd of extraordinarily intelligent deer, an unexpected Owl Summons Clan, and one worlds-traveling witch in search of a new purpose to life. (AU)

Hanemi June = Beautiful Feather, Obedience+Bay/Tree Branch (June is the first name, Hanemi the last name. Just FYI.)

Hi!

I had this sitting on my computer for a while now, so I thought: why not post this? And here we are. I hope you'll like this, because this is most likely my last post until my exams are over (which will be at the end of July). I'm just too busy with uni/college and work to write anything semi-coherent.

Have a great day,
W

~1~

Nara Shikaku, newly-named Jōnin Commander of Konohagakure no Sato, Clan Head of the Nara Clan, one third of the feared Ino-Shika-Cho-trio, and Shadow Master, was sitting against one of the trees in the clan's forest. He was gently holding a sleeping baby in his arms and wondering what the hell he was going to do about this problem. For once, the infamous lazy strategist had no satisfying plan.

The leading deer, Shikata, lazily trotted over to the thoughtful clan head. What not many even within the clan knew, was that the Nara deer were descendants of the Deer Summon Clan the Nara clan had once allied itself with. Their Summons Boss once decreed that these descendants would guard their once faithful Summoners, their families and lands. In exchange for this protection, the Nara clan head at the time gave up the contract, so it may return to the Summons Realm. Nevertheless, the deer had close ties to their ancestors still, and some even learned to speak the human tongue, although that occurred less and less frequently each generation.

Shikaku knew all that. He had learned all the Nara legends at the knees of his father and grandfather when he was a curious toddler, before the Second War. "What ails you so, Shikaku-kun?" Shikata drawled in an uncharacteristic voice - for a deer, a majestic stag at that, anyway.

The clan head sighed a low 'troublesome' and began to explain: "The Elders pressure me into taking another wife, after Yoshino's death last year. They want me to enter into another arranged marriage, but none of the troublesome Nara women appeal to me. However, the Clan needs a Lady again, especially with my post as the new Jōnin Commander. Maru-chan needs a mother-figure, one that will protect him from any further assassination attempts. Even the Hokage's advisers are insisting I take a new wife or they will threaten me with the CRA."

Shikata sighed. He laid on the grass covering the forest floor in this section. "What a drag. So, what will you do?"

"Marry again, probably," Shikaku admitted resignedly.

Shikata sighed. Again. "What a drag. What do you want in a second wife?"

"Someone civilian that can protect Maru-chan when I'm gone. Preferably a woman with experience leading a clan, or at least some training for it. No one with ulterior motives. Maru-chan needs to be accepted as my heir. I don't trust some of the kunoichi, but can't stand the civilian fangirls either. Someone easygoing that I can live with," Shikaku told the stag.

Shikata sighed and muttered to himself. "Troublesome. Don't worry, Shikaku-kun. I will ask around if someone knows something useful. Get back to this spot in three days."
With that the majestic deer stood, trotting off into the thicker parts of the forest.

(two years prior to the above conversation)

June started when the monotonous white world she had been trapped in after Voldemort's defeat changed to resemble a forest. In the background, an impressive mountain chain loomed against the blue sky. As far as the eye could see, there were only lush, tall trees, the mountains and a few fluffy clouds in the sky.
Is this heaven? June asked herself, unable to believe her eyes. Especially when a beautiful white owl appeared in her line of sight, winging ever closer. Out of reflex developed over six years, she held out her arm as a landing strip. A moment later, a familiar weight settled on her shoulder, snowy-white feathers gently rustling in the quiet forest. Tears welled up in June's eyes.

"Hedwig," she breathed out. The familiar owl gently nipped her ear, claws carefully squeezing her shoulder.

"June-chick," an unfamiliar voice replied warmly.

"Since when can you talk?" The shocked Potter heiress blurted out before she could say something more profound. Or apologizing for how they had been separated in the first place.

Hedwig clucked her beak at her, the owl barking out a laugh. "For a while, June-chick. Now tell me everything."

So, June did. She apologized for the mess on the night before her seventeenth birthday. She described in as few words as possible what had happened during the summer, the Horcrux Hunt, robbing Gringotts, and finally the Last Battle. June knew that she was in a coma in the hospital and that her health had been declining slowly, because the span of time she had spent in the white dimension had lengthened little by little.

It comforted her to know that her friends and family were safe now. She had written her will in secret after their escape from Fleur's wedding. Kreacher's last standing orders from his new mistress had been to make sure - by any means he deemed reasonable - that the will was carried out and everyone got whatever they had been supposed to.

She had also written letters to everyone close to her heart and hoped they would be alright. Teddy had been the chosen recipient of five of her letters, each supposed to be delivered on certain birthdays or events. Kreacher had sworn to deliver them even if he had a new master at the time, in exchange for her killing the man that had been responsible for Master Regulus' death.

To this day, June regretted not having more of her godfather to remember him by. However, his letters had been a comfort even during the Horcrux Hunt. A reminder for why she was fighting this evil wizard three times her own age.

Hedwig didn't interrupt or commented, not even once. She patiently listened to her 'chick' and comforted her silently when it was required. When June finished her story, the teen was crying silently. Hedwig gave her a tissue from somewhere, so she could wipe away her tears.

"Am I dead, Hedwig?"

"No, you are not. But you are also not alive in your old world. This is the Summons Realm, where I live. I wanted to meet you and offer you something we have never offered anyone before. The Shinigami only allowed it because you returned his gifts to him," the motherly owl explained patiently. "I am a member of the Noble Owl Clan. The Elders have agreed to let you stay and live with us for a few years, but you will have to learn our customs and language in exchange. (Because of your age, you won't be able to sign the Summoning Contract we have.) Does that sound agreeable to you?"

Living with Hedwig and a clan of owls? It sounded interesting, stirring June's curiosity. She felt as if meeting her parents could wait a few years. Lying around, stuck in a coma, allowed one to think long and hard about one's priorities. June preferred those of the living variety and knew in her heart that her parents wanted her to live a long and happy life. Maybe even spawn a few kids to terrorize the Wizarding World with. June would have liked to do that, but it seemed she would go on a new adventure instead. This time, with Hedwig by her side.

"Yes, sounds good to me," June agreed, a small smile playing on her lips.

The owls that made up the Noble Owl Clan were in equal parts terrifying, patient, and wise. Each knew something interesting or important to teach - one only needed to ask. Hedwig had taken over as her personal mother hen in a family full of intimidating mother hen. They shared a small tree house, which June had built herself with the help of an architect-owl. It looked a lot like a dome-shaped nest with little hidden windows. Architecture was not the only thing June learned from the owls though.

She had morning-lessons in the language they universally spoke in this new world, a calligraphy tutor, Herbology, geography, history, politics, economics, and etiquette. None of the owls were slacking particularly, so none accepted laziness during their lessons. June completed her set tasks diligently with as little pause as possible.
In the afternoons, the owls allowed her to roam their territory as she liked, usually accompanied by Hedwig and whichever chick had wanted to hang out with her that day. They usually chattered away about that lesson or another, only furthering June's understanding of the foreign language. Occasionally, the younger ones asked for stories of her previous life.

The matrons invited her to tea every so often, checking her knowledge of this world's etiquette and helping her understand this or that new strangeness she had been taught about. Sometimes, those tea parties evolved into very ferocious debates too, which were always fun to watch.

When June was deemed healthy enough to spar, Noburo-san - a startlingly tall warrior-owl - insisted she learn at the very least how to defend herself until help could arrive.

Around that time, the owls received a visitor from the Deer Clan they were allied with. (Both apparently liked to trade knowledge and news of the Shinobi Realm. Besides, their leaders favored strategy games.) Shikada-sama, the leader of the Deer, asked for a demonstration of the Patronus Charm once Bài-sama had bragged about 'their chick' knowing it. To the massive stag's delight, the wispy, silvery cloud took the form of Prongs. (By this time, June had gotten somewhat used to speaking animals which could grow taller than [Privet Drive] Number Four. A ten foot tall, shōgi-playing stag that occasionally muttered something under his breath he got whacked for with Tono-sama's talon was just par for the norm.)

The rest of the meeting didn't go so well. Apparently, a village the deer were allied with was attacked and nearly destroyed not a month ago. Additionally, a team of assassins from Iwa had used the chaos in the aftermath of that attack to kill the allied clan's head's wife and also nearly killed their infant son.
June felt for the husband and son, but was relieved to hear that the child was unharmed.

In the midst of her ensuing contemplations of the Second Blood War, the young woman didn't notice the meaningful looks exchanged between Shikada-sama and Tono-sama. She would later regret this.

A messenger from Shikada-sama arrived at dusk when June was just trying to escape the beautiful new kimono Bài-sama had presented her with for her twentieth birthday. Hedwig stopped preening her mid-back length hair, also listening to the commotion at the gates.
Thirty minutes later, the two were summoned to Tono-sama and Bài-sama's nest. It looked like a very elaborate palace-treehouse-hybrid. A spindly staircase led upwards, so those of the wingless variety could also join the Clan Heads when required. June sat in her usual seat, wondering what this meeting was about. However, she had learned when to keep her mouth shut, so she remained silent for now.

"Shikada-sama has sent one of his messengers to open preliminary negotiations between the Owl Clan and the Deer Clan, in their allies' stead. As you know, Chick, their descendants guard the Nara clan in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The assassination of that clan's head, Nara Shikaku-sama, has now led to complications for him and his son. He must marry again, to keep his clan running smoothly, his child safe, and meddling Elders off his case. However, none of the available females, neither within his clan nor outside of it, appeal to him. He has doubts about his heir's protection and safety in the hands of any of them. He prefers a civilian wife to a kunoichi one, for several reasons. Yet he requires a potential wife to defend his son until help can arrive. If he should marry outside of the village, suspicion would be cast on his bride's character. After all, she could be a spy," Bài-sama told the speechless witch. "Nevertheless, he also requires a Lady, to help him address the worries of his clansmen, to represent their interests when he is on a mission, and to raise his son with."

June sighed. "And you think I am perfect for the position?" Hedwig gently squeezed her shoulder in a silent offer of comfort.

"Yes," Tono-sama confirmed firmly. "You were a Lady of two Clans in your other world, a leader - an unwilling one, perhaps, but still a leader - and you are capable of protecting this infant from harm. You have grieved for your chance of raising your godson and still desire a family."

June forcefully suppressed the flash of anger. Her temper had no place in this conversation. It could be her last, otherwise. "That is all true. But I do not know anything about this man or his clan. I don't want to bind myself to anyone incompatible with me, nor do I wish him to do the same. Besides, I do not know anything about raising infants."

Bài-sama hid an approving expression, but she still radiated with it. It had taken them a very long time to get June to argue her points in a logical, calm manner when her temper was riled.

"We could arrange for an exchange of information," the sole deer present suggested cautiously. "You would have to agree to a small talk with the T&I-head upon arrival at the village as well."

"If I would agree to learn more about this potential husband, would I still be able to decline any offer he may make?"

Tono-sama rubbed his beak thoughtfully. "I would think so, unless too much confidential information was exchanged by that point."

"I will accompany your messenger to Nara-sama and if he appears to be a good mate, I will negotiate in your stead, June-chick," Hedwig offered. The snowy owl was still quite protective of her witch.

Inwardly resigning herself to the marriage, June nodded gratefully. She could still blow this whole business off if Hedwig didn't trust the man to do right by her.

With that decided, the group dispersed.

Shikaku returned three days later, as instructed, carrying a sleeping baby in his arms. Shikamaru had had a bad dream during the night, mainly due to the teething thing he was slowly beginning, so the clan head was rather tired. Shikata appeared not too much later, carrying a small white owl on his back. Where that had come from remained unclear until the bird opened its beak.

"Shikaku-kun, this is Hane-san of the Noble Owl Clan. She acts as the representative of the Deer Clan's choice," Shikata explained quietly, in deference to the sleeping child.

Hane-san hopped off of the stag's back, placing herself directly before the sitting Nara. "Good day, Nara-sama."

"Good day, Hane-san," a nonplussed Shikaku replied. His mind was whirling with possible explanations.

"Is this your chick?" The owl inquired next with a - dare he say it - warm, motherly tone. Shikaku held his son tightly against himself, eying the bird with suspicion. "Ah, yes it seems he is. Your chick does look quite a lot like you. Healthy as well."

A bit confused by the compliment, the clan head wondered why the owl had really come.

"My chick also looks a lot like her father, but with her mother's eyes," Hane-san informed him proudly.

The deers wanted him to marry an owl?

"Don't worry, she is human. I adopted her when she was a fledgeling. Now, as the deer vouched for you, I will ask only a few questions to test your compatibility. Do you agree?" Shikaku nodded cautiously. "Very well. Would you ever strike a child or female when not in a combat-situation?"

"No," the Nara replied, horrified at the mere suggestion of intentionally hurting his son for no good reason.

"Do you think females are inferior to males and should be nothing but meek homemakers?"

"No."

"Do you expect your wife to serve you at all times?"

"No."

"Do you expect your wife to fulfill her marital duties right away or would you prefer to wait a while after the wedding?"

Shikaku couldn't help but blush at the rather candid question. From an owl. "Troublesome. No. It's her choice. But I would have to trust her first."

"Do you want more children?"

He had to think about that one for a while. Then he looked back at his sleeping son and subconsciously smiled. "It is an option once Maru-chan has grown somewhat."

Hane-san accepted that answer thankfully without comment or question. "Very well. Do you think any of your children are less important than the other? Which is not taking their ranking in the clan-hierarchy into account."

Shikaku sighed tiredly. "No. A child is a child."

He thought this strange owl approved of his reply. "So you would not treat them differently?"

"No."

"Do you want a large wedding?"

"No. I would prefer a small wedding, even just signing the papers. It's her choice, within reason."

Hane-san clucked her beak in what sounded like a suppressed snicker. "What do you expect your bride to bring into the marriage?"

"Troublesome. No debts, no feuds. No illnesses. Enough clothing, perhaps something valuable to keep the Elders quiet with."

"Alright. You may now ask me questions about my chick," Hane-san informed him primly.

Shikaku sighed. "Does she like children?"

"Yes. She had a godson and would like to have a family of her own."

"Where is she from?"

"Nowhere you have ever heard about. The Owl Clan has adopted her as an honorary member."

"Does she have any experience or training with the duties of a clan's Lady?"

"Yes. She has inherited two Headships through her father and godfather, but she is unfortunately the last member of those clans."

"How did that happen?"

"Two wars decimated the number of her father's minor clan until only her parents were left. They were attacked when she was a few months older than your chick and killed in an assassination. The man who was hunting them wished to eradicate her clan. He was killed two years ago, so there won't be any problems for your clan. Her godfather was the last direct male heir of his clan, but died fourteen years later by his cousin's hand when they were lured into a trap. Her civilian aunt and uncle raised her until she claimed her Ladyships at seventeen years of age."

Shikaku blinked at the veritable onslaught of relatively vague information. He definitely could empathize with losing one's parents, especially that young. His own son had lost his mother young as well. This owl is damn good. "What does she expect from this marriage?"

"Companionship, mutual respect, a family, perhaps even love. She is very lonely, although she tries to hide it from me. My chick loves fiercely and protectively, especially children. Your son will not be harmed unless she is killed first. And even then she might save him still."

Shikaku filed that comment away for later perusal. "Is she troublesome?"

Again, Hane-san barked out a laugh, surprisingly. "My chick is never intentionally troublesome. She has learned to take care of herself early on, so don't expect a spoiled, pampered princess. She is occasionally a bit lazy in her studies and mistrusting of another's motives. However, she is also very selfless, shy, kind, brave, and protective of those she loves. Beware her fierce temper. Once riled, she is not easily calmed. Usually, this does not pose a problem. If you tell her you may not talk about something, she will respect your privacy. Do not lie or patronize her."

"How can someone be unintentionally troublesome?"

"My chick was a trouble magnet in her chick-hood. This has calmed over the years."

Shikaku groaned inwardly. He imagined a curious kitten that stuck her paws into every woolen ball only to wonder what would come out. "Does she know how to defend herself?"

"Yes. She has unwillingly fought in a guerrilla war against the murderer of her parents. Other than what she learned herself, she is completely untrained though. Her chakra coils have never been activated either. However, I must mention that she does have a Kekkei Genkai which she will potentially gift to any chicks she has. On the other hand, this Kekkei Genkai may very well be overpowered by your own, because it is not chakra-based."

A Kekkei Genkai that did not rely on chakra? A fascinating concept. Shikaku smirked slightly. If they wanted to bait him with riddles, they were much more clever than he had anticipated. Which also meant the Deer had let a few things slip. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"My chick is a bit jaded. She has no one but the Owls left and is in desperate need of a new purpose. She likes to heal rather than break. She sacrificed herself in order to save her village and was in a coma for several months after. She has scars, both physical and psychological from this war. If you are patient, if you gain her trust, she may tell you. Don't pry until she is ready. You do not wish to have my chick as your enemy," the white-feathered owl cautioned. Then she cooed a last time at Shikamaru, perhaps even smiling if owls could do that. Then the strange bird dismissed herself.

Shikaku stared hard at Shikata. "What can you tell me about this?"

"Well... The Noble Owl Clan is a very valued longtime ally of the Deer Clan. They have never allowed someone to Summon them; none passed their test. However, Shikada-sama believes Hane-san's chick would very well have been their first choice as a Summoner. I heard that she walked to her death with her head held high, fearlessly, despite knowing her opponent had a one-hit-kill jutsu. There are also rumors she is from a different world, but I cannot verify or deny those claims. She survived the confrontation obviously. The most prominent story I heard of was that she endured the jutsu and killed the man who tried to kill her by somehow turning him into dust. Hane-san was right to caution you of her temper. It rarely is evoked, however, so do not worry overmuch. She would never harm children, no matter who may have birthed them."

With a lot more information to think about, Shikaku slowly wandered back to his house.

Three days later, the Nara met Shikata and Hane-san again. The owl had a sealed scroll in her possession, as evidenced by the rolled-up paper sticking out of her obi. Shikaku idly wondered why the bird had decided to dress in a miniature kimono for this meeting, but shoved the thought from his mind for the time being.

"I would like more information, please," the clan head told the two animal negotiators.

Hane-san gave him the scroll. "My chick has chosen to write you. She is not exactly thrilled we are suggesting this marriage, so please keep that in mind when dealing with her. However, she thought a personal letter may help you both to decide. After this, if you continue to pursue her, there will be no turning back."

Shikaku nodded respectfully, accepting the scroll curiously. He noted that his potential wife's handwriting blatantly showcased her uncertainty, although it was beautiful script. She also had chosen a strange crest to press into the sealing wax. It depicted a stylized bird in flight, claws clutching a sword which was crossed with a calligraphy brush. Amused, slightly, the clan head broke the seal. Her letter read like this:

'Nara-sama,

as I am unfortunately not sure how to begin this letter, or how to continue it, please forgive me any mistakes I may make. You wished to know more about my past, Hane-kaa-chan told me. Thus I decided to outline my life for you, although briefly, for the sake of your time and my hand. I was born to nineteen years old parents; my father a clan head, my mother a civilian or 'commoner'.

Shortly before my birth, a prophecy foretold the coming of the one to bring about the Dark Lord's downfall, a female born at the end of the seventh month. The society my parents lived in was prejudiced against females; only a rare few managed to break the mold and those were often subject to much malicious rumor-mongering. So a girl born to defeat the Dark Lord was a controversial matter.

My parents switched hiding places fairly regularly, however they were betrayed by one they thought a good friend. My godfather subsequently was imprisoned for this rat's crimes - without a trial - and I was sent to live with my only surviving blood relations. For the next ten years, I lived with my maternal aunt and her family, never learning of my heritage.

On my eleventh birthday, a visitor came to collect me for my education in the Kekkei Genkai my parents had also had. There was a school for children like me and I lived there for nine months every year, except during summers.

This continued until my seventeenth birthday. At the end of the previous school year, our headmaster, the leader of the school and a feared opponent of the Dark Lord, was killed. The governing body fell a day after my birthday. My best friends and I escaped captivity by a hair's breath, fleeing to my godfather's house. (He had written it over to me after his death.)

The headmaster was also the leader of the underground resistance and he gave us a mission to complete, so we could finish this war for once and all. Unfortunately, he had not calculated that the Dark Lord would mercilessly hunt us all over the country, placing a bounty on my head and publicly calling me the 'Undesirable Number One'. As you may surmise, trying to complete a secret quest while running from numerous minions is not an easy task.

Suffice to say, we succeeded as much as was possible and were then forced to infiltrate the school again. It had been taken over by the Dark Lord's forces. We got lucky, destroyed the remaining objects necessary for the completion of our mission and were then notified the Dark Lord had found us. The children were evacuated as quickly as possible, excepting those who wished to stay and were above the legal age of majority.

To summarize this tragedy: we fought all through the night to late morning, lost over fifty allies - which included my uncle and his wife, the parents of my godson - and I found out the true meaning of that blasted prophecy. The Dark Lord fell to his own hubris, arrogance and entitlement. I won't say more than that.

Shortly after our duel finished, my Kekkei Genkai malfunctioned, for lack of a better term. I had been supposed to die that night and yet I remained alive. For three or four months, our best medics did what they could to save my life, to no avail. I know it may sound unbelievable, especially without full knowledge of my Kekkei Genkai, but when I died, my favorite owl found me. She offered me a place in her clan, a second chance. So I followed her back to life.

Make of this what you will, I do not expect you to believe or trust me straight away.

I do not wish to take away your late wife's rights or to fill her spot in your or your son's life. I will respect whatever boundaries you have in mind and also accept to be interviewed by whichever interrogator you trust. Please note though that I am not entirely comfortable with someone entering my mind. I will endure such a thing should you find it necessary for your son's and your village's safety. The things I remember are not something I would share with anyone but the most trusted of your circle.
Hane-kaa-chan thinks that certain inventions of my world would pose a serious, and dangerous, temptation to an unsavory character.

As to my person: I do not have many hobbies. I like to read occasionally, listen to the debates of the matron-owls, learn more about herbs, play with the chicks here, and practice calligraphy. I am able to cook the dishes of my homeland well enough that they are usually edible and I have been brought up knowing how to tend to a garden or a house.

Both of my birth-clans liked to identify with animals; one with a lion, the other with ravens. They were on opposite sides of the political spectrum during their high points, but my godfather rebelled against his mother's expectations and single-handedly changed the inheritance laws so I could lead the clan after his demise.

As to your concern regarding my health, debts, and feuds... My Kekkei Genkai stabilized and gifts me with perfect health these days. If there are any outstanding debts, they are owed to me, not the other way around. As to feuds... I only ever was personally involved in the vendetta the Dark Lord led against me. As I am now considered dead, any I had no knowledge of should have resolved itself.

Hane-kaa-chan tells me I have to report any and all assassination attempts I remember. The first was on October 31st, when I was fifteen months old. That one cost me the lives of my parents. There were several more, once I turned eleven. I believe there to be eight or so in total, but I lost count after a while and honestly do not wish to dredge up the memories to check. Suffice to say, there was at least one attempt per school year, excepting the year I had turned thirteen. In the words of my professor: it was 'sheer dumb luck' I ever saw my twelfth birthday.

My only regret is leaving behind my friends, who were both sister and brother to me, and my godson, without getting to say goodbye one last time. [Teddy] was only about five months old when I died. I think my friends will be great heads of my clan, hopefully using my political clout (and gold) to better our society. Teddy will one day inherit my other clan's headship. His grandmother, my godfather's disowned cousin, will prepare him for that position better than I could have.

I hope this is enough free information for now. Please burn this letter after reading, as I do not want this to fall into another's hands.

A witch'

Shikaku carefully rolled up the scroll once again, handing it back to Hane-san. He had been given a lot of new fodder for thoughts to think about. "Will you wait so I may reply?"

The white-feathered owl nodded regally. "If you wish to."

Accepting the paper and ink she generously provided him with, the Nara began to write back to his potential bride, detailing his own expectations of their potential marriage, the most likely consequences she should anticipate if they did get married, and briefly outlined his childhood to his bride. When he gave the bird his reply, he simply said: "I accept."

Hane-san clucked her beak at him and practically began to radiate approval. "Very good. My chick accepts as well. How do you wish to proceed?"

"Troublesome. Drafting contracts," Shikaku replied lazily.

Surprisingly, Hane-san barked out a laugh. "We will provide a first draft for your perusal in three days. Will you be able to do the same?"

"Yes."

"Then we shall meet again in three days, at the same time. My chick may accompany us to that meeting. Will that be agreeable to you?"

"As long as no one sees her, she does not leave the clearing, and we will both swear a non-aggression pact for the meeting, then yes."

"Done."

With that the owl dismissed herself again.

~2~

June smiled slightly at the fussing owl inspecting her formal kimono. Despite having to put up with an arranged marriage in this life, she loved to be reunited with Hedwig. Tono-sama and Bài-sama smiled at the adopted owl, giving their approval of her appearance.

"You look wonderful," Bài-sama said with a warm voice.

"Thank you, Bài-sama," June replied, a little nervous despite herself. She wondered what kind of man Hedwig had approved of for her. Was he much older than her? Scarred horribly? (Hey, that Nara guy was a shinobi and June had heard horror stories about their battles.)

Tono-sama seemed satisfied as well. "As you are about to leave the nest, you will need a new name," he decided.

June was conflicted about that. On one hand, she wanted to be rid of everything her name implied; unwanted fame, numerous hyphenated alias she had no use for, and - worst of all - the fickle opinion of strangers. On the other hand, this name had been given to her by her parents and represented a connection to them even beyond death. However, she also recognized that a different world with a different language and alphabet probably also had different names. And if she didn't want to stand out horribly, then she would have to adapt to the new circumstances.

Tono-sama gave June a (no doubt expertly forged) birth certificate which listed her new name as: Hanemi June. She tested it out a few times, smiling at the small wave at her connection to Hedwig. June accepted the certificate with a small smile. Maybe she wouldn't lose all ties to her old life after all. "Thank you, Tono-sama," the newly-christened Hanemi June said with genuine gratitude.

"You are welcome, young one."

Then the small group met the ambassador of the Deer Clan. Everyone greeted each other respectively, before proceeding with this meeting.

June sighed in relief when the sensation of Reverse Summoning passed. Then she curiously took in their surroundings. Apparently, they had landed in a huge forest, not unlike the Forbidden Forest, with beautiful, tall trees. It was very peaceful, June thought. Then she followed the Deers to a small, hidden clearing.

A tall, brunette man was waiting for them there. His hair had been pulled up into a ponytail that loosely resembled a pineapple, oddly enough. He had expressive, dark-brown eyes and a perpetually lazy air about him, although looks could be deceiving. Especially in this world. What she noticed most prominently though, were the twin scars carved into his face.

Then June became aware of a blonde and a red-haired male, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder behind the Nara clan head. She guessed they would be the Akimichi and Yamanaka clan heads. Hedwig sat on her shoulder, proudly preening at the admiration her chick was receiving, although June didn't notice the looks of her future mate.

"May I present Lady Hanemi June, adopted ward of the Noble Owl Clan?" The Deer spokesperson said very formally. "Milady, these are Nara Shikaku-sama, Akimichi Chouza-sama, and Yamanaka Inoichi-sama."

Everyone bowed respectfully, as their etiquette lessons demanded. June kept her eyes open and focused on their task. She might think her future husband was physically attractive, but she wasn't here to ogle at him like some brain-dead bimbo. He probably wouldn't appreciate that either.

Hedwig hopped off of June's shoulder, landing on the mossy, grassy ground. Everyone took their own cue from the snowy owl, also sinking to the floor. "Nara-sama, this is our first draft, for your perusal. You may argue any changes you wish to make and we will discuss them after you read the contract. Is that agreeable?"

"Hai, Hane-san," the tall brunette replied with a small smirk.

The shinobi read over the offered scroll while June read over the Nara clan's first draft. She ignored the stares boring into her skin, as best as she could. June had been gone from human civilization for too long to be completely comfortable in their midst again. However, she was thankful her future husband had brought only two others along.

Shikaku observed his bride out of the corners of his eyes. She was unexpectedly beautiful, in an exotic way. Despite traveling to another world - were she to be believed -, she would not stand out too much in Konoha. Her long, black hair would help her to fit in, as would her pale skin. However, she had unexpectedly large, startlingly green eyes that could hypnotize a lesser man. What he could discern of her body underneath the elegant, formal kimono indicated a delicate, petite build. She had a few curves in the right places, but was still very thin. However, the toned muscles in her arms spoke of some kind of physical training rather than dieting (which he had feared, as this little hime was a civilian). Little brown spots were sprinkled over her nose and cheeks, lending her a younger, impish air. She moved rather silently and with unusual grace for a civilian, despite her unease with their current situation.

Apparently, he intimidated her. Or perhaps she was simply extremely shy? Her dark-green silk kimono indicated some wealth at the very least.

She would bring the Owl Contract into the marriage (although the Owls retained the right to turn away anyone they thought unworthy), as well as a sizable dowry. Which included: a number of very expensive kimono, unspecified medicine developed by her birth-clans, some gold, an amount of expensive heirloom-jewelry, a variety of other luxury items hard to come by in a shinobi village, and a potential Kekkei Genkai.
If tallied, her dowry alone would shut up all those busybodies demanding to know whom he had chosen as his new bride. To add the Summoning Contract and the mention of a potential Kekkei Genkai? Pure genius.

It would keep everyone from further protests, especially in his own clan. They had not exactly been happy with the discovery that their clan head intended to take a wife from outside of Konoha.

Shikaku knew the Owls had told him the truth about his bride being a civilian, despite the experiences she had endured in their civil war. The unnumbered, large amount of scars he could see, even when she was dressed, supported their claims powerfully.

"Nara-sama, your village wished to verify my chick's claims and character for themselves. I must insist that you keep what you shall see to yourself as much as possible," Hane-san interrupted his mental analysis.

Shikaku nodded lazily, curious what his friend and team-mate would find in Hanemi-hime's head. Inoichi stood and slowly walked over towards the quiet young woman. (Such a large contrast to Yoshino's brash, loud disposition...) Then he sat back down, softly explaining the procedure to the tense civilian. Hanemi-hime accepted with a single nod, closing her eyes in anticipation of the technique. Inoichi closed his eyes as well and concentrated.

A moment later, his body slumped in on itself in that unique way it always did when he used his clan's Hiden jutsu.

June tensed slightly when she saw the blonde shinobi walk over, towards her. She knew it was time for her interrogation. However, she also knew she didn't have anything to hide.

"This won't hurt," Yamanaka-sama assured her, in a futile attempt to relax the witch.

June very nearly snorted, but remembered the repercussions of misbehaving at the last moment. Either way, the memories would hurt. He explained what he wanted her to do and then activated his jutsu.

A moment later, they stood in her treehouse-nest-hybrid. A few books were cluttered all around the room, pictures of her friends and family decorated the walls, and a small shrine was placed in a niche.

Instinctively, June knew what to do. She confidently guided the Yamanaka over to the photo albums strewn all over the floor, gently scooping them up into her lap. Then, she opened them, plunging in like one would with a Pensive. He followed her example. Before her eyes, they flashed through her early childhood, showing him her parents. Their murder. Then they fast-forwarded through the first ten years at Number Four. She allowed the memory of her eleventh birthday to play out in full, proving the existence of the promised Kekkei Genkai. Then the Hanemi showed him every single attempt at her life, her friends, a few things she had learned to do, the ever-worsening civil war, glimpses of the DA, the adoption ritual she had voluntarily undergone in secret to truly become Sirius' heiress, his death, the death of Dumbledore, the various fights against Death Eaters and Snatchers she had been involved in.

Then she halted the flood of memories for a moment. "I would appreciate if you kept to yourself what you shall witness next. It is not something I ever wished to remember, much less show to another person."

The Yamanaka clan head nodded his understanding, but noticeably did not promise anything. So June allowed the full brunt of her memory of being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange to hit him. Before, she had shielded him from some of the effects some spells could have, and had had on her person, as well as her more volatile emotions.

She looked away from the gruesome scene, knowing each and every word by heart anyway.

When they had finished viewing that, she showed him the burial of Dobby, the Gringotts-robbery, their escape, and finally the Last Battle. In its entirety. With a glimpse of her comatose state and Hedwig flying towards her, their session ended.

A moment later, they reawakened in their bodies.

Shikaku detected it instantly; the moment he knew his friend had returned from June-hime's mind. Inoichi looked pensive as he considered the young woman in front of him. Then, with a respectful bow, the Head of T&I stood, returning to his previous position. Shikaku didn't need to ask if something had not matched up with the story they had been told. Inoichi's demeanor was testimony enough it had all been true.

When everyone had said their piece and argued their points for all desired additional clauses, the meeting had already lasted for a few hours. Shikaku was slightly surprised how opinionated his future wife became when she was adamant about one thing or another. She was unafraid to speak her mind in those moments, which turned her into a completely different person. Instead of the passive, quiet hime he had met first, she became a fiery, clever warrior-woman he could eventually learn to respect in her own right.

When the envoy from the Summons Clans had left, Shikaku turned to his blonde teammate and friend.

"What kind of woman is the Owl-hime really?" Chouza asked in the Nara's stead. He was still the de facto leader of their trio, although he was not their team-leader. (Which meant he had the most paperwork to battle out of the three of them. Alliances were wonderful things.)

Inoichi sighed. "She is the kind of female that rescues kittens from drowning and helps old ladies with their groceries. Even after the bastard - that killed her entire family and a lot of friends - almost killed her, she offered him a chance of redemption. Granted, true remorse would have killed him with almost 100% certainty, but she still offered. And the Owls either underestimate the hime or played things down. The murderer of her parents? Imagine Orochimaru with a Kekkei Genkai that can warp reality to the wielder's liking: conjuring things out of thin air, effortlessly switch between all five elements seamlessly, and kill with no more than two words. There's no reliable defense, no shield, except dodging to counter the technique," Inoichi reported quietly.

The idea of Orochimaru with such a bloodline limit? Not Good. Shikaku sighed. Well, at least he could trust her to keep Shikamaru safe until help arrived whenever the assassins came knocking.

Chouza looked thoughtful. "What else have you discovered, Inoichi?"

The blonde rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She was manipulated throughout her entire life following the murder of her parents. Instead of being raised as the heiress of two clans should, she was deposited on a cold doorstep one night and grew up as little better than a slave to very hateful relatives. They feared her abilities and despised her for that reason. Her aunt was her mother's sister, a jealous civilian who envied her talented, younger sister, and her male relatives can be best described as dimwitted pigs. While the hime was underfed and forced to either help around the house, from an entirely inappropriate age, or locked away in her bedroom, her older cousin was heavily overweight and pampered like a pasha."

Chouza looked slightly horrified. He probably imagined purposely starving a child of important nutrients and his Akimichi-blood rebelled at the mere idea.

Inoichi continued: "Her first kill was a sensei that attempted to murder her when she was eleven years old. It was accidental, but she never received counseling for the ordeal. She can also speak to snakes, although I am not sure if she retained that talent. Her Genin-teammates - or what would substitute as such - kept her sane enough. When she was fourteen, she was forced to go through a deadly tournament originally planned for Kekkei Genkai wielders of Chūnin-rank and passed legal majority. It killed a boy she liked. She was abducted by one of the other Orochimaru's minions and tortured. With some luck, she escaped a few hours later, even managing to bring back her dead friend."

Shikaku involuntarily raised an eyebrow. He was impressed. The Owls truly had not lied when they told him she would not be easy prey to anyone who wished her harm.

"A year later, her female teammate forced her to found a resistance group. Their Daimyō-equivalent had refused to acknowledge Orochimaru's return and used the public to belittle and humiliate her. She was even tortured in secret by a sensei in the name of the Daimyō. Said sensei was responsible for teaching survival skills and usually told them to read a chapter of their useless textbooks per lesson," this the blonde said with obvious disgust.

"Hence, the resistance group," Shikaku guessed.

"Exactly. Her female teammate organized everything, well enough for an inexperienced civilian. She even built in a secret clause that would immediately identify any traitor to the rest." Here, Inoichi couldn't quite suppress a chuckle. "It spelled 'traitor' on the victim's forehead in irremovable pimples."

Even Shikaku had to crack a grin at that. It was a strange idea, but to a teenaged civilian girl pimples had to be a nightmare. Especially ones that would not vanish after a certain period of time passed. The potential psychological side-effects on the victim were impressive.

"They trained in secret. Shortly before the end of the school year, the hime, her two teammates, and two other friends were lured into a trap. It's how her godfather was killed. The war truly broke out shortly after that incident. About a year later, the hime and her guard were attacked when she was moved to a different safe house. They lost their equivalent to a retired hunter-nin in the fight, and Hane-san died as well, but everyone else survived. Shika, you'd like the strategy they chose for this. She should tell you about that though..." Inoichi couldn't help but snicker a bit at his friend's unamused expression.
"They were attacked again a few days later, but escaped unscathed. Her teammate had packed everything they would need previously, so they were somewhat prepared. For around nine months, they were hunted by the opposition, while trying to destroy Orochimaru's anchors in secret. Your future wife is a formidable opponent in a fight, especially to anyone who underestimates her. When the hime found out something had made her into one of those anchors, she wrote a short note saying thank you and goodbye, explaining her reasoning to her two friends, and walked to her death with her head held high. She didn't even try to defend herself. Her only thoughts were on those left behind in the castle, protecting the younger children."

Shikaku interrupted - uncharacteristically though it was. "Hane-san mentioned something about the hime even trying to protect Shikamaru in her death."

"Her mother died for the hime, so she could live. Her mother's love actively protected her from any physical harm. Orochimaru couldn't even touch her without literally burning himself before he used her blood in a disgusting ritual to regain a humanoid body. The sensei that had tried to kill the hime at eleven had been possessed by him and burned to death."

That revelation shocked both Chouza and Shikaku into a contemplative silence. It was a terrible gift to receive, in their opinion.

"The hime wished to replicate those effects for her friends, so she made no move to defend herself. She walked right into their camp and didn't even flinch. I've seen Jōnin walk to their executions with less courage," Inoichi eventually added softly. "She's a very selfless, brave, kind woman. Her only true regret when she died was that she was never going to meet her godson in person or tell him stories about his late parents. She was vegetating in a comatose state for a few months before her death.
"Shika, this woman's deepest desire is to have a family of her own. She doesn't care about material gain, social ranks, or power. She will make an honest effort to ease the entire situation for you and Shikamaru, placing her own comfort at the back of her mind. The hime is loyal to the death once you've earned that loyalty and only murdering another of her loved ones will destroy that bond. She loves children and has dreamed of having two or three of her own after the war. She literally walked through fire to stop someone she suspected of aiding Orochimaru in order to protect her friends. The hime likes to help whenever she can, so expect a lot of strays in your future. She needs to feel needed and welcomed, so prepare your clan. Tell them that her previous clans were both obliterated by a mass-murderer and she has suffered extensive trauma. They will see her scars and leave the topic well enough alone. Shikamaru is probably safer with her than anyone else in the compound when you are gone. At the moment, the Owls are forcing her to work through her childhood trauma, so the hime is healing. Slowly. Her mental state could be a lot worse, but also a lot better. The same goes for her physical condition."

~3~

June sighed inwardly when she caught sight of herself in the looking glass mounted to the wall of her 'nest'. She was wearing her elaborate, creamy white wedding kimono. However, the witch had protested against wearing a wig or the heavy, traditional, white make-up. Despite everything, she wanted to look like herself on her wedding day, thank you very much. The Matrons hadn't taken that protest too well - until she had pointed out that her birth clans had their own little traditions as well. Which then led to a four hours-long discussion on the differences and similarities between said traditions. In the end, June wore white and had everything she needed: something new, blue, old, and borrowed.

Hedwig had given her a very pretty feather for her hair, gently placing it in her bun. Later on, the other Owls that wished to accompany her on the road to full adulthood also donated one of their best feathers. Therefore, June now appeared to be wearing a crown made up of gray to white feathers sticking out of her gleaming black tresses. She wore a light lipstick and some carefully applied kohl around the eyes, to emphasize their brightness. All in all, June looked wonderful. Like a princess. And despite everything, she still looked like herself.

In a surprisingly touching, formal ceremony, Tono-sama and Bài-sama officially declared June a fully-fledged adult, finally formally passed the chick-state. Then they bid her good luck and farewell. The Owls accompanied their nest-mate to the previously agreed-upon rendezvous point with the Deers.

Only Hedwig would join her chick in the simple ceremony the Nara clan head had organized with her tentative input. June was anxious, but also calm at the same time. She wanted to learn more about the man behind his lazy, uncaring front and perhaps meet Shikamaru. The little baby would certainly become the son she might never get to bear herself and that alone assured she would love him. As for the aforementioned baby's father...
June hoped he would be amenable to at least try for a real marriage. She would understand if he had problems in the beginning, especially so close to the murder of his previous wife. The Nara probably would not allow himself to get close to her emotionally, out of fear of losing her as well. Also, shinobi didn't trust easily.

Neither did witches. Or rather this particular witch.

Hedwig led the way to the meeting point with the team Nara-sama had arranged to safely escort June to Konohagakure for her first official visit. The team consisted of one woman and three males, all four of which were part of the Nara clan. All of them appeared utterly bored with their current mission, but June caught their covert assessing glances. "Good day, isn't it nice weather today? Such a beautiful day for a wedding," June commented lightly, flickering her hands in the agreed-upon code.

The kunoichi returned the code with a lazy smile. "Troublesome. Lady Hanemi?"

June bowed politely, identification now assured. "Indeed, kunoichi-san. Please take good care of me," the witch repeated the traditional, formal greeting. Her voice was soft and lilting with the persistent remnants of her accent. Unique in this world.

The Nara kunoichi smiled a bit more genuinely. "It would be an honor. Will you be able to walk the rest of the way to the village or would you prefer one of us to carry you?"

June bit back a groan at the mere idea of being carried anywhere. "Thank you for the generous offer, but I am perfectly capable of walking myself. In fact, I quite enjoy it. Hane-kaa-san will accompany us. Unless you would prefer a different arrangement?"

"No, you and Hane-san are welcome to do as you wish," the kunoichi assured June quietly. She had apparently been chosen as the squad's spokesperson.

June dipped her head in an unconsciously regal gesture. "Thank you."

Shikaku was cradling his son in his arms when his mother joined him in the study. She took one look at his outwardly completely relaxed form and sighed. "Shikaku, what have I told you about this unfortunate business? You said your future wife would not be a danger to Maru-chan and had already agreed to your rules. I'm not sure how much I believe of the rumors around the compound, but if Inoichi-kun thought this hime would be a fine addition to our clan, then I'm sure she shall be."

Shikaku sighed. "Troublesome."

His mother took Shikamaru out of his arms, gently cradling the lazy boy against herself. Then the return of the squad he had sent out yesterday was announced. It was too late for second thoughts anyway.

When the squad escorted his new wife to the official clan meeting room (after she had gotten the chance to refresh herself), Shikaku was quite possibly stunned by her physical beauty. June-hime had always appeared to be average in looks, although her startlingly bright eyes certainly could steal a man's breath. Now however, the young woman truly looked the part of a princess. She moved with a rare, graceful, subconscious elegance; an understated, unforced regal posture very few of noble blood ever exhibited. Somehow, she had managed to obtain it after waking in this realm.

If his clansmen had doubts about her claims, those would be severely diminished just by watching her move in that special way reserved for those with noble blood, no matter how diluted it may have become over time.

June smiled shyly at her groom. He tilted his head a few degrees, his lips twitching into a small smirk. It was as much of a warm welcome as she would likely receive.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds greeted their guests, Shikaku-sama introducing his new Lady to the clan. His mother went last, as she was currently holding her grandson. Little Shikamaru was simply adorable. He almost looked like a carbon copy of his father. Already. June restrained the urge to coo non-sensibly at him and settled for genuinely, warmly smiling instead.

The baby met her eyes with his own brown orbs, a little confused by the proceedings around him. Then he mustered the strange new woman his father had brought into their life. Shikamaru-chan smiled tentatively at his new step-mother, reaching out with his arms.

"Would you like to hold him?" His grandmother asked carefully.

June smiled. Something about her expression must have given her inner conflict away - deep-seated grief about her godson, adoration for the little guy in front of her, simple pleasure at the baby's smile, uncertainty about the whole situation, longing... - because her new husband subtly agreed.
Very gently, she adjusted her hold on the small child now in her arms. Shikamaru stared at the witch and reached out a hand to touch her silky black hair. It curled slightly, the hairspray-equivalent of this world already wearing off.

Then her new step-son put the hair into his mouth and closed his eyes for a nap, hugging the exotic beauty around the neck. June didn't care that she would crease her kimono or ruin her hair, she simply rubbed soothing circles in the little boy's back. With utmost gentleness, the young woman carried her new charge to the clan head's home, smiling slightly without noticing.

She was someone's mother now. A step-mother, perhaps, but still... And the baby seemed to trust her already.

It was a great relief.

Shikaku observed his newlywed wife covertly. All the clansmen that showed up for his comfortable ceremony were watching the hime. They knew she was a genuine noble, could read it in the way she expressed herself and walked. They knew her other - already diminished - clans had been slaughtered and she had only survived due to a fluke. They could detect the ever-present glimmer of grief and sense of loss in her bright eyes where others only saw the exotic color. They also discovered that she was not the spoiled, pampered princess his Nara had been expecting, despite his warnings to the contrary. They cataloged the scars and almost non-existent limp and suddenly everyone believed Inoichi's assurances again.

Shikaku could hear their mutterings. Some pitied her loss; unable to imagine the same happening to them. Others wondered why their clan head decided to marry her - outside of her pleasing appearance. An alliance with her clans was not possible, after all.

June-hime ignored their whispering with near-boundless aplomb and dignity which he had not suspected the timid, shy woman he had met seemingly so long ago to be capable of. Then his troublesome mother handed over his son into her care. Shikaku could see how much June-hime adored Shikamaru already, but even he had not expected her to soothe his son to sleep that easily. She even began humming something under her breath, subconsciously rubbing circles into Maru-chan's back.
His lady wife didn't even wrinkle her nose the slightest bit in disgust when his son put her hair in his mouth, nor when he began to drool into the expensive silk of her wedding kimono. She simply held him tightly against herself, gentle and firm.

Shikaku knew right in that moment that June-hime would be a perfect, fair mother. Not only to Shikamaru, but also to the other children he might deign to give to her. Such a kind woman deserved the chance to try. At least.

Life for the Nara clan returned to normal - finally. Their new Lady quickly introduced herself to every single member of the clan, always bringing along a little something when visiting. She quickly fulfilled all of her new duties, no matter how strange they might seem to outsiders. June-hime always remained polite and solicitous. She respected the clan's unspoken rules and laws, never interfering where she should not.
However, the household now ran much more smoothly. In fact, all the day-to-day activities were completed on time and without communication hiccups occurring.

There was a problem with the fence on the east side of the compound? Lady June bundled up Shikamaru, put on her sandals, and thoughtfully left a note for her husband in case he returned in their absence. Then she walked the entire length of the compound without once complaining or asking for faster transportation. She simply meandered along with the rest of the Nara that had come to her to ask for an inspection. After skillfully inspecting the fence, she would offer a temporary solution while mentally writing a D-rank mission request for one of the Genin-teams with a Nara.

On the way back, Lady June stopped by several others who had asked for a moment of her time, usually to take tea and discuss this or that problem. However, the new Lady always kept an assessing eye on Shikamaru. When he was done napping while the adults talked, she excused herself politely and returned to her own home.

June-hime was the exact opposite of Yoshino-sama. She never raised her voice or wielded kitchen utensils like very potent weaponry. She did not publicly berate anyone either, simply asking them to redo whatever they had done wrong or asked whoever it was lightly (but with a certain hint of steel) to do it better next time.

Lady June wore simple yukata with the Nara mon stitched on the back, uncaring if she got a little dirty or sweaty. She kept quiet whenever someone napped and gifted an injured shinobi or kunoichi with a healing cream to get better. Lady June always visited all hospitalized Nara, as far as she was allowed to, bringing something useful or entertaining, for the time they spent recuperating there.

She could also competently contribute to discussions on medicine production or deer, argue her point in general, and somehow managed to get everyone to feel welcome and at home in the compound. She always send something along to whoever had a birthday that day, usually cake.

However, her perceived mildness did not mean she put up with deliberate sabotage though. No matter who had perpetrated the crime, Lady June would see it corrected. Only once one of the merchants attempted to trick her into paying way too much. In retaliation, June informed him politely that she would be happy to take her business - which meant the entire clan's, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans' business - to someone else.
The way her bright eyes had sharpened dangerously was gleefully spread around the compound. Much to June's mortification.

However, slowly the Nara began to adjust to the new Lady and their silent adoration followed when her quiet acts of kindness became largely known within the clan. Soon, news swept over to the Akimichi and Yamanaka, who also began to treat Lady June with more respect and genuine welcome.

June sighed, looking over her share of the paperwork. She had even color-coded her calendar so she knew if there was a birthday coming up or another important event. There were different colors for something clan-related, Alliance-related, and village-related. (Believe it or not. Hermione would have been so disgustingly proud.) She always worked on that when not working around the compound or the house. Otherwise, she would never be able to keep abreast of the staggering amount of paperwork a ninja clan generated.

Shikamaru was sleeping in a little cot by her desk. Over the last few months, she had grown to love the little boy like her own. He was adorable, and lazy, but also astonishingly easy to raise.

As to her husband... Shikaku was nice to look at, true, but that was it for now. They had developed their own routine over the months.

June cooked for the family and prepared a cold lunch for him to take along when he went out for work, but stayed in the village. She mended his clothes magically and did the laundry for all three of them.

Currently, she was sleeping in an adjacent bedroom, close to the nursery. Whenever Shikaku was gone, June put Shikamaru to sleep in her own bedroom, anxious to be there when he needed her.

However, her husband was more than just a lazy bum. He worked hard on keeping in shape, developed strategies and improved the existing ones already in place. Shikaku always liked to know what was going on in the village and his gossiping best friend always kept him informed on the new rumors. June also took a half hour after dinner to tell him what had gone on in his absence and which problems some of the clan's members were struggling with a the moment.
Usually, he didn't get involved in the day-to-day activities of the clan and its Lady, at least after June had had worked herself into her duties properly. She took it as a sign of trust towards her, from him.

Sighing, and biting back a 'troublesome', the Lady Nara made herself go back to work.

About an hour later, the door to her small personal study opened, revealing Shikaku. He was dressed casually, apparently finished with his share of work. June smiled unbidden, amusement welling up inside of her. She knew why her husband had come: it was nap-time. Whenever he could, Shikaku took Shikamaru and laid down somewhere in the shades for an hour or so. Nara were very strict about their nap-time. Shikamaru was smiling at his father, sitting up in the playpen. (He was too lazy to stand up properly, apparently.)

"Would you like to come along?" Shikaku asked for the first time.

Uncertain, June bit her lip, green eyes mustering her husband. Was he sure about this? To a Nara, invitations to nap were very serious things and not given out lightly. "I would be delighted," she admitted quietly, abandoning her paperwork for now. It could wait an hour or so for completion.

Shikaku smirked a bit at her, gently carrying Shikamaru and offering her a gallant arm. June hid a happy grin behind a curtain of hair, feeling a soft blush spreading over her cheeks.

They ended up in a small clearing in the forest. Shikamaru curled up on his father's chest, contently falling asleep. Shikaku tugged his self-conscious wife close to his own body, putting an arm around her shoulders. June blushed, but smiled warmly up at him.

They fell asleep like that.

Months passed and soon, May returned. Everyone in the clan noticed that their Lady became a bit more closed off, falling back into a grief-fueled hole, the closer the month neared.
On May second, she tried to hide her tears, but Shikaku found her on the roof anyway, Shikamaru in tow. They settled down beside her, the little Nara heir crawling into her lap. "Why are you sad, Mama?"

That was their concession. He called her mama instead of kaa-chan because June refused to take Yoshino's place in his heart. (It didn't matter that he could barely remember her.)

"I - lost a lot of people I loved on this day," June explained quietly, trying to wipe away the tears staining her cheeks.

Shikaku simply pulled both of them in his own lap, ignoring her squeaked protest. "Let go," he commanded authoritatively. "You don't have to be strong at home, with us."

Suddenly, June couldn't help herself. She was sobbing into his chest, helplessly crying for the first time since it had happened. Occasionally, she slipped into her native language.

When she had no more tears left to cry, Shikaku gently guided her back downstairs. They ate leftovers from the day before, then went to the shrine together. June tried to hide her red eyes, but that endeavor was doomed from the beginning. Shikaku silently lit incense for his previous wife and his current one's family, speaking a quiet prayer for all of them. When they had returned home, June smiled wobbly at him.

"Thank you," she said later that night, shyly embracing Shikaku and kissing his cheek.

~4~

Months turned into years. June became as much part of the clan as she had secretly wished for. She liked her position as the Lady Nara quite a lot and devoted herself to make everyone feel as welcome as they had made her in the beginning of their acquaintance. Shikamaru grew in leaps and bounds, having developed a firm friendship with Choji, the Akimichi heir, and a somewhat brother-sisterly bond with Ino, the Yamanaka heiress. (She annoyed him to no end and he her, but they would fiercely protect each other. Although both would deny it to their dying day.) Their relationship was hilarious to observe.

June's own developing relationship with Shikaku progressed nicely as well. They had passed the awkward dating stage and begun the newlywed stage a year ago. Which meant they finally shared a bedroom. She knew she loved her husband, but they had not discussed their feelings yet.

That night, the three Alliance clans came together to celebrate the founding anniversary of the aforementioned alliance, this year the Nara clan compound would play host. The Akimichi always organized the food, while Yamanaka women took care of the decorations.

The first time she had seen their clan compound, June had had to laugh until she cried. Shikaku clearly wondered what the hell she found so funny or if she had cracked finally. Then - haltingly - his lady wife explained that they all looked exactly like the annoying boy who had taunted her all through their school years. Inoichi had heard the explanation and smothered his own grin. He had known what else that boy was responsible for and had feared she would associate them with his more unsavory activities. Either way, no one took offense in the end.

June smiled at the sleeping Shikamaru, tickling him gently to get him to wake up. Unfortunately, he would have to help around the house before his friends could arrive later with their clans. His room looked messy and he needed to bathe.

"Five more minutes..." The grumpy boy mumbled sleepily.

June bit down the urge to laugh. He was exactly like his father. However, Shikaku could be successfully persuaded to wake up and enjoy the morning with her. Shikamaru needed tickling.

After she had gently shooed Shikamaru into the bathroom, June went downstairs, preparing breakfast and steadfastly ignoring her nausea. In her experience, it would disappear soon anyway. Shikaku found her in the kitchen, slipping an arm around her middle and pressing a chaste kiss against her temple. June smiled warmly at her husband, closing her eyes when he used the opportunity to kiss her lips a bit more deeply.

Shikamaru joined them a moment later, sighing at his parents' touching display. He was the only one they had told about the pregnancy. To be honest, Shikamaru liked the idea of a little brother or sister. He wanted a little brother, but a sister would be fine as well.

June laughed teasingly at her step-son. "You are just like a teenager already, Maru-chan! Always sighing and so grumpy." Shikaku hid his smirk in her hair, knowing how rarely she showed her humor outside their own home.

Shikamaru grumbled playfully, but his twitching lips betrayed his true feelings. He knew that his birth mother had been murdered when he was a baby and his father had partially married again to provide him with a mother-figure. Nevertheless, Shikamaru loved June-Mama like any child loves his or her mother. Instead of retorting, he simply kissed June's cheek good morning. In the privacy of their home, the Nara heir didn't mind showing her his unconditional admiration.

Shikaku stole another kiss from his wife. Sadly, in that moment his mother arrived, smiling warmly at the small scene she had disrupted. "Good morning, Lady Kojika. Would you like to eat breakfast with us?" June asked politely, but with obvious fondness for the older woman.

"If it's not too much trouble, my dear," the grandmother replied with a warm, fond smile.

"No, it's never trouble. We all enjoy spending time with you," the ravenette assured her sincerely.

Laughing, the former Lady Nara helped set the table. She liked her calm daughter-in-law. Judging by the nearly unnoticeable smile on her son's face, he was falling head over heels for the dainty foreigner with those bright green eyes. June never expected anything in return for what she did for her clansmen nor wanted to be put in the spotlight. She was calm, soft-spoken, but with a steely backbone and a sharp mind. In short, the hime was perfect for her son. Plus, Shikamaru simply adored her.

June glowed happily in the circle of her new family. She loved all three of the Nara deeply. Soon, they would have a fourth member of the family with them. At that thought, her free hand subconsciously strayed to her belly, feeling for the small bump hidden beneath the kimono. A delighted gasp from her mother-in-law caused June to blush in embarrassment. Shikaku simply smiled reassuringly at her. His mother would have found out (soon) eventually anyway. "How far along are you?"

"About three months."

"Congratulations! I am so happy for you! Will you make an announcement later?"

Shikaku scrutinized his mother, but she didn't give anything away. "Troublesome. We had planned to do so," he replied in June's stead. 'Why?'

His mother subtly used the antiquated hand sings to tell him that there were false rumors spreading around the village about the hime and they could be defused quite simply tonight by their announcement. "Oh, I'm so excited! I have to tell everyone!" Lady Kojika exclaimed happily, running out of the door.

June stared after her, completely bewildered. "What was all that about?"

Shikaku sighed. "Someone has been spreading rumors about you around the village. Something no pregnant woman would be caught doing. Mother thinks our announcement will defuse the situation."

To his surprise, June frowned thoughtfully. "Oh. I thought I was being overly paranoid, but I felt as if I was being followed when I left the compound these last few weeks. That's why I didn't say anything."

At this, Shikaku frowned as well. "Keep your eyes open. Something fishy is going on. When you notice you're being followed again, tell me immediately."

June acquiesced easily, to both males' surprise. "I promise. If whoever follows me is not a friendly, the baby would be in danger," she explained quietly. Then her eyes flashed despite the unchanged lightning. "I'm still capable of kicking their butts long enough to wait for help."

The effects of the rumors could be felt by the rather cool greetings June received from some clansmen of the Yamanaka and Akimichi. All the Nara had heard over the course of the morning that Lady June was carrying another child for their clan head and knew she would rather stab herself than betray them. Especially if it jeopardized the baby.

Shikaku stood when everyone had something to eat, having squeezed his wife's hand subtly under the table in an effort to reassure her. "Lady June and I wished to share news of our child with you. He or she shall be born within the year. Thank you."

There was a stunned silence before June was suddenly swamped with loud Yamanka, motherly Akimichi, and curious Nara women. All the underlying coolness had faded from their voices. She was back in their good graces.

Shikaku graciously accepted the congratulations of his friends. Then he bend down to whisper to Inoichi: "My study, later."

Chouza, Inoichi and Shikaku assembled in the Nara's study, hidden behind a myriad of privacy seals.

"What is going on, Shika?" Chouza questioned worriedly.

A hard expression flickered over their teammate's face. "My wife detected a tail. She's been followed for several weeks if not months. But only ever when she's alone, not when I'm with her. I'm very curious if that is connected to those rumors no one told me about."

Inoichi sighed. "In my defense, I thought it was a spy or an infiltration specialist training for a mission. I've notified ANBU as per protocol, but so far no one seems to have taken action."

Shikaku frowned. "That should not be possible. I will go to the Hokage tomorrow and ask why he has not taken overt action. As June's husband and Jōnin Commander, I am granted a certain insight in those mission trainings. If it is indeed training."

Chouza sighed. "Why would someone be after your hime? She has proven herself loyal to the village and clan."

"Perhaps for the same reason as Yoshino was assassinated. Perhaps because they found out she's the carrier of a special Kekkei Genkai."

"She is?"

"A Kekkei Genkai which does not rely on chakra to work," Shikaku clarified for the Akimichi Lord. The implications of that were terrifying.

Chouza growled. He had a soft spot for young children and pregnant women. "You have our support, as always."

Shikaku nodded his head in thanks. This situation was growing more and more fishy. "What exactly were those rumors about? Your clans wouldn't have believed them without due cause."

Inoichi awkwardly rubbed his neck. He suspected his friend was in love with his wife and would not appreciate someone impersonating her and then flirting with other men. "Er... They may have been about your lady wife looking for greener pastures and drinking vast amounts of sake in public?"

Shikaku's eyebrow twitched. All his usual laziness was forgotten. He had some spy to kill.

June appreciated the help of the women, she truly did, but even her enthusiasm had limits. Out of the corner of her eyes, the witch noticed that her step-son had cleverly used the opportunity to vanish from sight like his father. Apparently both wouldn't be able to stomach these ladies all at once. At least her Nara girls were much more relaxed in their fussing. Everyone else would be forced to go home later, so she would grin and bear it.

When she slipped into bed that night, her husband dragged her close, holding her tightly. "I have organized a guard for you, just in case. Please don't fight me on that, you troublesome woman."

She sighed, but nodded. "As you wish."

He smiled slightly and kissed her deeply. She was comfortably positioned on top of him, one of his hands around her waist, the other buried in her long hair. She kissed him back, needing the reassurance to feel safe. And loved.

The following morning, Shikaku meandered slowly to the Hokage's office, visibly carrying the quarterly reports he was required to bring to the village leader. Sandaime-sama looked up from a stash of paperwork when he registered the underlying anger and tenseness in his Jōnin Commander. "Shikaku, what can I do for you?"

In response, the Jōnin Commander activated one of the converted privacy seal tags his wife had given him. "My wife is being followed whenever she leaves the clan compound. Furthermore, over the last weeks, she was repeatedly seen at a sake bar flirting with various men. However, she could not have been there. Inoichi has already notified the ANBU Division, but they have not been investigating," Shikaku explained tersely, anger burning behind his dark eyes.

The Hokage frowned. "I was not informed of such a thing," he stated calmly. "Are you certain it was an infiltration attempt?"

The Nara nodded. "Yes. June would not touch alcohol, especially at the moment, much less flirt with other men. She is devoted to the clan, Shikamaru, and me. There is no rational explanation for why she would suddenly jeopardize her position within the clan. Not to mention, she has airtight alibis for every single occurrence with several trusted witnesses."

Sandaime-sama's frown deepened. "I will personally look into it. The ANBU would not impersonate a clan's Lady, much less in their own village."

"I want to know what is happening, Sarutobi-sama. My wife is pregnant and the clan will react with lethal force should anyone approach her in a less than peaceful manner. The mistakes we made five years ago won't be repeated," Shikaku warned seriously, from clan head to clan head. It was a bold move, but he needed to get the urgency out of the way first.

The Hokage stared long and hard at his Jōnin Commander. He knew that where the Nara went, the Akimichi and Yamanaka would follow. He also scented something fishy going on, but he didn't want to paint the devil on the wall. Yet.

Suddenly, the whole Uchiha debacle going on in the background gained another dismal aftertaste. If someone was messing with one of the minor clans, it could be possible the same person was trying to discredit a noble clan of Konoha. Was there more to this than Sarutobi thought?

June's war-honed instincts increased her awareness and her magic reacted accordingly. Which meant, in basic terms, that her magic passively warned her of anything out of the ordinary, like a sixth sense. It had done this before, although June had never consciously acknowledged the fact. She had simply assumed her instincts were playing tricks on her.

Thanks to the security precautions, she never went anywhere outside the compound without an escort. It could be her mother-in-law and a friendly Nara kunoichi, or someone posing as her unwilling pack horse. She also left Shikamaru at home, in an effort to protect him from a potential attack or any backlash. If he accompanied her, she usually simply brought him to the Akimichi compound and left him in the care of Chouza and his wife. June loved the precocious little boy like her own son and would not stand to see him harmed.

As her pregnancy progressed, the vicious rumors finally died down, although the damage to her previously pristine reputation was done. Before, Lady June of the Nara Clan was a highly-respected civilian princess from an unknown clan. Now, Lady June of the Nara Clan was a tolerated foreigner who everyone in the village eyed suspiciously when they thought she wouldn't notice.

Endless pitying or compassionate looks followed Shikaku wherever he went, only serving to annoy the man even more.

Something was brewing under that facade and June was afraid to find out what.

Shikaku observed his visibly pregnant wife as she tried to get comfortable on the bed in one of the guest rooms available within the main house. Shikari - the most experienced medic of the entire Nara clan - gently examined June and her progress with the pregnancy.

"I can't examine your child more closely, something has wrapped around your womb as if in protection of the child," Shikari-sensei explained with clear surprise audible in her tone.

June smiled sheepishly. "My Kekkei Genkai will protect my body if it is within the limits. I heal from light injuries much faster and easier than a regular person as well."

Shikari-sensei smiled in delight (although one would only detect that after a lengthy association with the woman). "Oh, how interesting. What else does your Kekkei Genkai influence in regards to your body's health?"

"I am somewhat resistant to poisons and certain medicines due to a previous assassination attempt..." June admitted softly. "But I can sustain and survive injuries others would die from. Once, all the bones in my right arm had to be regrown with a special technique, which I am not capable of replicating. I also cracked my skull in an attack, but only lost consciousness and never suffered any unpleasant side-effects. Occasionally, I still have problems with nerve damage, but it usually abates quickly..." Her voice trailed off.

Shikaku sighed. His wife was much better equipped to be a kunoichi than a civilian. He suspected that she had suffered some obscure form of torture which Inoichi refused to detail.

Shikari stopped scribbling things down on her clipboard (encoded and in mirror-speak) when she heard the words 'nerve damage'. "When and how did you sustain nerve damage, milady?!"

June looked helplessly at her husband. "You don't know?"

Shikaku shook his head. "Inoichi only told me that you were tortured, not how or why."

"Oh. I should probably apologize to him then," June muttered contemplatively. When Shikari-sensei cleared her throat pointedly, the hime sighed. "When I was seventeen, my two best friends and I were being hunted by the man and his minions that had murdered my clan when I was a baby and ordered my family and me killed. We were also trying to get rid of him for good, but as untrained civilians we mainly got lucky a lot. Anyway, we were moving often, to throw off anyone following us. However, one day we were accidentally discovered by so-called Snatchers. They were bounty hunters of moderate quality and overwhelmed us in numbers," June explained rather blankly. One of her hands rested on her bump, rubbing it soothingly. "We were transported to the closest upper-echelon minion's home, a mansion with its own built-in dungeon. As I was disguised, so was my male friend, they decided to loosen the tongues of my friends by torturing an innocent bystander. Unfortunately for me, the T&I specialist of That Man was in residence. She tortured some of our best shinobi into insanity within only fifteen minutes and without leaving physical proof on their bodies - except that they obviously won't react to the outside world any longer. So, I got lucky with just some residual nerve damage."

Shikaku controlled his breathing tightly so he wouldn't do or say something he might regret later. His wife had not reacted as if someone following her around or impersonating her was such a big deal. Instead she had just shrugged it off as if she had expected something along these lines.

Shikari-sensei grumbled. "What kind of nerve damage are we talking about?"

"Well, involuntary muscle twitches, mostly. But I think they might have been phantom pains, because they are much milder than what I was used to... Sometimes, I also have problems with fine motor skills."

The medic-nin frowned and ran several diagnostics all over June's body. "I want to see you once every week for a check-up. We will have to find something to lessen the after-effects of the torture for you. Cramps are not good for you or the baby. The R&Ds will come for an interview sometime in the next few days. The more concise and detailed your report, the better they will be able to design an antidote."

June smiled slightly, disbelief shining in her eyes. "But - why? I mean, I understand, but I can live with it. There's no need to make such a fuss."

Shikari-sensei must have read something in those exotic green eyes because she smiled. "Because everyone deserves a chance to be free of the pain of their past, Lady June. Additionally, this might help others who suffered damage to their nervous system to recover. Also, I would be interested in what your clan developed to help regrow bones. They seemed to have been very advanced in medical pursuits."

June smiled and agreed. "Once I'm not pregnant any longer, I will show you what I know. However, we will have to adapt the recipes because most of these ingredients don't exist around these parts or have since been become extinct. The process is harmful to unborn children though, so it will have to wait, unfortunately."

Later that day, Shikaku caught his wife while she was beginning to write down recipes in her native language. She closed her eyes every so often, trying to recall a certain step or ingredient. June was sitting on the floor of the shōgi-room, against the light of the dying sun which beautifully illuminated her mother-of-pearl kimono. It appeared as if she was on fire, or glowing brightly at least.

For the first time Shikaku realized that he loved this beautiful, kind, brave creature and loved her deeply. She was his wife and carrying Shikamaru's sibling. He would gladly kill an entire army to ensure that all three of them remained protect and well. Whoever was attempting to mess with his family would experience the full brunt of his anger should something actually manage to harm his hime. There was a reason why he was so respected (aka feared) by his subordinates of the Jōnin Corps. Not one of them would risk his temper lightly.

~5~

June was eight months pregnant when she was abducted. Shikaku had been sent on a mission outside the village, so the witch sent Shikamaru on a sleep-over with Choji. Shikamaru loved to spend time with the calm young boy and liked their sleep-overs, so he wouldn't protest. Besides, he had reached that age where boys didn't like to be coddled by their mothers anymore, which meant he would pretend to be happy to get away from her. Although all participants knew exactly how much he actually loved her.

June had sighed, kissing and hugging Shikamaru just to enjoy the sight of him blushing and squirming in her awkward hold. Then she had wished him fun and a good time with his best friend, which had earned her his forgiveness. Chouza had promised earnestly to look after Shikamaru in Shikaku's absence.

On the way back, June had been alone with Lady Kojika. They were moving more slowly than usual due to the witch's progressed pregnancy.

Suddenly, they found themselves under attack. Kunai rained down on the duo, catching both women off guard. Blank-masked ANBU spew fire and wind and lightning and water was splashing everywhere. Within moments, the two Nara were encircled on all sides with no escape in sight - as June was unfortunately not allowed to use Apparation while pregnant. Kojika-sama valiantly attempted to defend her daughter-in-law and grandchild, masterfully controlling her shadows to attack the strange ANBU. However, the attackers somehow always managed to escape the swiftly moving black tendrils. June wielded her knife to the best of her abilities, fending off those who wished to leave a few more scars on her body. Frantically, the young woman was using her magic to set off the tags stationed by the compound-gates where a guard was certain to notice them.

Then she made the unfortunate mistake of meeting one of the ANBU's eyes and everything went black straight after.

Kojika regained consciousness very slowly. She was getting on in years, so that was not entirely surprising. Her body was quite battered, but to her surprise still breathing. She had thought that last kunai might have hit her lung.

"Welcome back, Lady Kojika," Shikari-sensei greeted the former Nara Lady softly.

With a gasp, the brunette grandmother sat up in her bed, panic flooding her veins like ice. "June! Is she alright?"

"Unfortunately, we have not found her by your side, milady. What is the last thing you remember?"

Kojika concentrated. "We were delivering Maru-chan to the Akimichi compound. June teased him a bit. Then we returned to our compound. Shortly before we were in sight of the gates, we were attacked by blank-masked ANBU. They knew exactly how to evade my shadows and used June's immobility to their advantage. Then I was hit by a stray kunai and blacked out."

Shikari-sensei nodded, an uncharacteristic frown still present on her features. "Blank-masked ANBU, you say? Inoichi-sama will look into the matter personally as soon as he returns. Lady June managed to set off the alarm tags installed at the main gate before she was taken. If she had not, we might not have arrived in time to save your life. That kunai went through your left lung, barely missed your heart and arteries, and even partially went through your back. We have notified the Uchiha Police of the incident and presumed abduction. Fugaku-sama is waiting in the hall. Do you feel up to answering his questions, Lady Kojika?"

The old(er) Lady nodded resolutely, almost insulted by the mere question. "The life of my daughter and grandchild are in danger. We have no time to waste!"

Again, Shikari-sensei nodded. "Very well. I shall send him in momentarily."

Kojika only prayed her daughter-in-law was still alive and pregnant when they found her. She also hoped that this would be achieved before Shikaku returned from his mission. He would be absolutely furious someone dared to harm his wife. Again. Especially if the oblivious boy had finally realized how much he loved his second wife truly. Shikamaru would be well-protected at the Akimichi compound, for the moment at least.

Shikaku stumbled once, out of the blue. He had suddenly felt an echo of painful agony which had definitely not been his own. He was slightly low on chakra, but otherwise fine.

Then his brain processed the implications.

With hard eyes, he turned to his best friend who had accompanied him on this mission. "Something is wrong with the hime," Shikaku told him darkly. "She's been hurt, I think."

Inoichi didn't bother wasting time asking redundant questions; he simply accelerated his pace without comment. Their mission had ended much earlier than predicted and they were only an hour or so away from Konoha.

Shikaku only hoped the rest of his family was fine.

As soon as they crossed through the gates, two ANBU approached them. Shikaku recognized them both, one of whom was Hatake Kakashi. His unique hair was fairly easy to pick out in a crowd. The Jōnin Commander could feel his stomach sink. However, he held himself in check.

"Uchiha-dono and Hokage-sama await your arrival in Hokage-sama's office, Yamanaka-sama, Nara-sama," Hatake explained lowly.

Without comment, both experienced Jōnin followed the ANBU across the roofs of Konoha. Shikaku fingered one of the few privacy tags June had given him for his birthday. He clamped down on the unease and fear, focusing his sharp mind. After this whole troublesome thing was cleared up, he would express his emotions. Sandaime and Uchiha Fugaku indeed seemed to impatiently expect their arrival.

"Sit," the Hokage ordered.

Shikaku sat. The unease began to spread further, bordering into panic. He didn't need that. Subtly, he activated the privacy tag.

"Yesterday, Lady Kojika and Lady June of the Nara Clan were attacked outside of the clan compound. Lady Kojika was in critical condition until this morning when she regained consciousness. She reported that they were attacked by blank-masked ANBU," the Hokage reported clinically. Shikaku's breath caught in his throat, inaudible to all expect those with enhanced hearing. "Lady June remained mostly unharmed during the attack, as we have not been able to find any blood matching her blood type. Lady Kojika reported that she was very capable in self-defense for a pregnant civilian. During the ambush, Lady June remained in possession of her faculties enough to set off the alarm tags and thus managed to save Lady Kojika's life. As of now, only you, Uchiha-dono, and Shikari-sensei are aware Lady Kojika survived and regained consciousness. We do not know where Lady June is being held, or how she fares."

Shikaku purposely controlled his breathing, the tension in his muscles, the Killing Intent he desperately wished to release, and focused on the task at hand. His princess required a calm, collected husband at the moment. He would later get to kill those fuckers properly. (Inoichi watched him warily for a moment. Then he released a relieved sigh.) "Is Shikamaru safe?"

"Yes. The two Ladies delivered him to the Akimichi as previously agreed upon. He remained unknowing of the attack until this morning when ANBU Dog collected him for me," the Hokage explained patiently. "He is waiting in the adjacent room, under watch of Dog's squad."

Shikaku relaxed a degree. Then he stared directly at the Hokage and Uchiha. "If my wife is no longer alive or pregnant, my clan will remove itself from the village. We have warned you several times of tails following my wife, even after I installed a guard for her. She has been repeatedly impersonated and her character discredited, despite her status as Lady Nara. If you condone the actions of a traitor against the village and its contract with the Nara Clan, I must assume you agree with his actions."

Inoichi inclined his head. "The Yamanaka will follow, as will the Akimichi. Our contracts with Shodaime-sama allowed that the clans may detach themselves from the village in case it is no longer considered safe for us to live here - without repercussions. Shikada-sama, the Nara clan head at the time, insisted on this clause."

The Hokage accepted the announcement with the grace expected of his station. The two clan heads were not contemplating treason, they were simply pursuing both options - and even giving him fair warning. "Very well. Inoichi, there is a captive in the Nara compound awaiting your arrival. Lady Kojika seems to have brought him down with her while she was felled. They would not release him to the ANBU detail due to rumors spreading throughout the village. Currently, the population assumes either a spotted infiltration attempt or sabotage," the Hokage concluded.

Shikaku nodded. "I will see to my son first. Then I will require what information you managed to gather so far."

Shikamaru jumped up and ran into his father's arms the moment he ascertained it was truly him. Shikaku held him tightly, glad his son had been spared from the drama for the most part.

"I love you, Daddy," he whispered in his ear, using the strange language June had slowly taught him when Shikamaru had asked for a translation of the lullabies she sang to him before bed. The hime didn't know she had also inadvertently taught her husband.

In response, Shikaku tightened his hold on Shikamaru. "I love you too, kiddo."

Shikamaru separated from his arms, staring his father straight in the eyes, deliberately using his most childish voice for their watchers. "Will you get Mama back home? Shikari-sensei always says she should relax more. Is Mama going to be okay? And my sibling?"

Shikaku solemnly held his son's gaze. "I promise to bring her back. If she or your sibling is not okay, then they will truly regret ever crossing a Nara. Don't leave the room. Don't talk to anyone but me, Inoichi, Chouza, and your Obā-sama. Don't go off on your own. If someone attempts to speak to you, take you somewhere or attacks you, use your birthday present from Mama. I give you permission to find out its true potential. Understood?"

Shikamaru nodded seriously. He was clutching a necklace in one hand and his father's jacket in the other. "I want them dead. Deader than dead, Oyaji. They took Mama and the baby."

"Don't worry, I won't forget." Shikaku noticed several shivers from two ANBU out of the corners of his eyes. Shikamaru hugged him once again, then stepped back. His little face was set in determination, and a mature understanding of the situation.

Shikaku was filled with pride for his son.

Chouza considered his two longtime teammates the brothers he never had. He was the ever-calm, self-assured one, balancing his two friends' personalities. Because most people underestimated his intelligence, Chouza could see things others did not.
For example, he knew that Shikaku's wife was pregnant weeks before they announced it to the Alliance. He also knew that his friend's wife loved her husband very deeply and would never even contemplate the idea of cheating on him. So, hearing reports of her drinking several bottles of sake in a bar while flirting shamelessly (and painfully inexperienced) with several other shinobi? Chouza snorted and quietly dismissed them. Most of his clansmen followed his lead. Of course, there were always skeptics, but one couldn't please everybody.

June-hime was perfect for Shikaku, especially after Yoshino's murder. She was a soothing balm to his insecurities, devoted loyally to the Nara clan, and yet possessed a backbone which managed to motivate her lazy-ass clansmen into doing their work in a timely fashion. June-hime was quietly looking out for and after everyone, bearing thoughtful gifts, assistance and assurance whenever necessary, without requiring anyone's thanks or attention. In fact, if she could, the princess would probably hide her acts of kindness from everyone.

Inoichi had been right to assess her as the kind of woman that genuinely wanted to help and needed to feel useful to someone. Said fact earned her even more goodwill from all three clans when it became known between them.

It had started with the unexpectedly sincere mothering she did over Shikamaru. June-hime truly loved her step-son unconditionally. She would likely cheerfully march through hell and back in case it was required to ensure Shikamaru's well-being.

Additionally, Choji loved his Aunt June-Mama and her special treats. That alone guaranteed Chouza's approval of any retaliation for this unprovoked attack on her person.

Now, knowing all this, Chouza also had been aware of what Inoichi had only recently realized: Shikaku loved June-hime as deeply and fiercely as she him. The Deer and Owl Clans had indeed chosen very well for their brother; Chouza even suspected that the second baby was not the much-lauded 'spare', but rather a quietly wished-for dream-child to cement the developing bond between Nara Lord and Lady.
After all, Inoichi had mentioned years ago that the princess would love more kids and Shikaku had never been adverse to the idea either, so it should not have come as a great surprise to find out they had procreated together. (In fact, Chouza had bet that they would spawn two children, at least, in case neither was killed.)

So he and his Akimichi clansmen would do whatever was required to bring June-hime back home to the two most lazy geniuses of their acquaintance. They were Ino-Shika-Cho. Inoichi would find them a target to lock onto. Shikaku would cheerfully plan their painful demise. (And probably rip a few targets apart while he was at it...) Chouza would protect their backs, as he had done since even before their Academy graduation.

Shikamaru was not happy. Not happy at all. He loved his June-Mama, despite her funny accent and the tickling attacks she launched at him in the mornings. He loved her cookies and native dishes and that she had chosen him as her son, just the way he was. She didn't order him around or tried to play his father against him. She was his Mama and she had chosen to love him as her son.

His parents had tried for a baby for months before it had worked - he had heard his step-mother cry when she thought he was asleep. He knew they didn't want to replace him or suddenly abandon him. Both of his parents loved their lazy son too much for that. Shikamaru had developed quite the liking to the idea of having a younger sibling, even if they were messy and loud and troublesome.

Besides, June-Mama was a good person. She always placed her own needs behind everyone else's. Shikamaru knew his mother had not had an easy childhood, so she was giving him the best she could. Although he had learned that his actions had consequences and riling up his Mama was not a good idea, she never once raised her voice in anger in his presence or attempted to hit him. She might curse when she thought he wouldn't hear, but that was the extent of her 'misdemeanors'.

The clan loved June-Mama too. Shikamaru had accompanied her and even helped voluntarily when she visited someone or prepared a birthday gift for them, so he knew this for a fact.

Someone was trying to take her away now. Shikamaru didn't know why, but neither he nor his clansmen would stand for it. Especially not his Oyaji. Because he loved June-Mama just as much as Shikamaru, only in a different way.

And Oyaji would make sure no one would ever think about taking her away again.

Inoichi knew things about people. It came with being a Yamanaka, Information specialist, and Head of T&I. Also, by being married to a former infiltrator/spy and fathering a daughter whose most serious (and sole current) ambition it was to become Konoha's Gossip Queen. At times, he knew more than he ever wished to. Other times, he wished he'd dug deeper, paid more attention.

Inoichi knew his teammates the best out of everyone. Everyone. They were his childhood playmates, his Genin-team, his longtime support - in all things possible. In turn, they knew him the best. They had so much blackmail material on each other, it was absolutely ridiculous. When he had walked through the mind of the hime for Shikaku, Inoichi had known she was perfect for his friend. June was kind, brave, loyal, exotic, powerful, enigmatic and a walking riddle. She would keep the Nara on his toes and love him unconditionally, given half the chance.
However, Shikaku was perfect for June-hime as well. He would allay her self-doubts and constant put-downs, protect her without smothering or coddling her, and eventually come to respect her for the things she had done. The formidable if introverted warrior-princess and the sometimes insecure if genius deer herder.

Inoichi had never told Shikaku everything he had seen in her mind, for example that her spiritual guide was a stag. Or that for almost a year, the hime had competently led a fraction of semi-inexperienced fighters in a civil war from afar. In secret.

Shikaku would enjoy figuring his bride out on his own, so Inoichi kept quiet.

He had watched as the shy, traumatized girl had slowly transformed into a soft-spoken, confident young woman, like a caterpillar developed into a butterfly. He had observed how she fell in love with first Shikamaru and then Shikaku, followed by the rest of the Nara Clan. He had seen how his genius friend fell in love slowly, bit by bit, and not realized it.

Inoichi knew that Nara only gave their hearts away once. If the hime died - the Gods forbid! - then Shikaku would never marry again. It wouldn't matter what anyone else argued or pleaded, he would hold fast. This time, the Nara Elders would support their Lord's case. After all, they had known exactly what was happening between the clan head and his lady wife.

That she was abducted not nine hundred meters from their gates? That would only add fuel to the fire burning brightly in each of the stoic Nara shinobi and kunoichi's faces around the blonde at this moment.

The Yamanaka Clan had a saying about their Allies: a lazy Nara is a manageable Nara. A motivated Nara is a dangerous Nara. But the most dangerous of all is a furious Nara. Don't ever anger them to the point they show their displeasure. It will be the last thing you'll ever do.

Kidnapping the heavily pregnant, widely beloved wife of the popular clan head, a Shadow Master and Head Strategist? Suicidal. There were no other words to describe it. Shikaku would rip anyone apart in order to save his princess and unborn child. With his bare hands if need be.
Angering an entire clan of highly intelligent, merciless master strategists, Shadow manipulators, and Information specialists? Insanity. Pure, true madness.

So, Inoichi delved deeply into the mind of the barely alive captive in front of him, collecting every little piece of intelligence he came across. The young princess his friend loved and his own clan respected required their assistance as soon as possible.

June wasn't sure how long it had been since the attack. She wasn't sure of a lot of things at the moment, foremost of them being her location, the time, why she had been taken, and if her baby was alright. When the witch slowly regained consciousness, she first thought she was back in Malfoy Manor. She carefully regulated her breathing, her heart beat and the tension in her muscles. Nothing would give her away.

Then, June remembered what had happened. She sent out a pulse of magic, wondering who and how many were in the same room as her.

Shikaku had suggested they test if she could control her magic like chakra. It was utterly unnoticeable to even Jōnin-level Sensors, thus posing a perfect weapon in a tight spot. June only had to painstakingly tweak the spells she knew to work to his specifications. The spell echoed the presence of two guards just outside of her surprisingly spacious cell, another in the opposite corner and a fourth figure presumably observing her from the doorway. All of them were very well-trained, at least Chūnin or Jōnin-level in terms of power.

June wondered why she had been abducted at all. To her knowledge, she had no serious enemies, nor accidentally made her magic known.

Faint footsteps and the tapping of a cane neared in the distance. It appeared she would find out a little more in a short while. The guards stepped aside for the fifth jailer without protest or comment. It must have been someone rather high up in the food chain then, June concluded thoughtfully. An injured person, or perhaps crippled, judging by the cane.

"Any changes?" A gruff, male voice asked authoritatively.

"No, sir," another male replied blankly. There was not even a hint of an inflection in his tone. Just plain blank.

"If the specimen is damaged due to your negligence..." The first male threatened darkly. June sensed immediately that every goon went tense wherever they stood. They seemed to fear this speaker immensely. Yet they obeyed his orders without question? Not even a hint of rebellion was to be found. "What of the child?"

"Healthy, sir. He does not appear to carry the Kekkei Genkai, a true Nara."

"Abort it. The specimen will breed true with the right encouragement. I have no use of a lazy child," the cold man ordered without hesitation.

At the mere thought of her long-awaited baby being killed, a stab of pure agony went through June. She would never allow them to take her child. Especially not so shortly before the estimated due date. They would learn why the Blacks were so feared. They would learn why Potters were so respected. And they would learn why she was called the 'Chosen One'. Killing her baby? That would not get them even a chance at being given quarter.

June's magic gathered, preparing for an all-out assault it hadn't been through for several years.

Shikaku diligently worked himself through the stacks of paperwork. His mind spun, adjusting to the new information. He calculated and plotted and planned relentlessly. Inoichi returned surprisingly quickly, reporting to the Hokage, Uchiha-dono and Shikaku what he had found in the now utterly broken mind of the captive.
It had shocked and shook all of them. To know one of the Village Elders was planning large-scale treason and leading everyone around by their nose? Not what he had been expecting. Not really. But Shikaku adjusted his plans and plots and moved on.

The Hokage had collected himself and given the order to take his old friend down. Immediately, preferably. They needed to take him alive, at least alive enough for Inoichi to break his mind. His teammate had been working on new techniques over the last two years. Something he had seen in June's mind had provoked a breakthrough of a sort. The technique was finished and thoroughly tested - as proven by the now vegetable of a former captive.

Inoichi would hopefully break through Danzō's protections as easily as that. The man couldn't have prepared a counter for all of the Yamanaka jutsu yet. Especially not new ones.

Still, Shikaku could feel the simmering rage beneath his reinforced concentration. When he had finished his report, the Nara closed his eyes and attempted to contemplate everything he knew about the situation.

Then, his eyes popped back open, a slightly unsettling smirk spreading across his lips.

June continued to listen to what her kidnappers were planning. She would need to know more to plan any half-successful escape for her baby and herself. The Cripple was ordering his minions to prepare something for her arrival, so they could kill her baby without too many problems. Besides, this was an unsterilized environment and might harm their 'subject'. She would rather kill herself than allow them to 'breed' her - whatever they meant by that exactly. June didn't want to find out.

So, the witch continued her pretense. Even when some minion picked up her unresponsive body, carrying her away from her cell. It didn't take long for them to arrive in some other room. This one was definitely larger than the first, judging by the echoing silence.
She was placed on a metal table, like the ones she had seen on crime TV-shows at the Dursleys. The Cripple apparently wanted to oversee the procedures, because he hadn't vanished back to where he had come from. It was creepy.

June wordlessly summoned a knife from someone close, hoping it would be shaken off as an unconscious act.

"Sir, the subject is arming herself unconsciously!" Minion X reported anxiously. He seemed to be afraid of her. Good.

The Cripple didn't say anything else, except: "Proceed with the abortion. She's a civilian. What good would a kunai do her?"

Originally, no good. Then Shikaku had taken a vested interest in keeping her safe, alive, and able to protect herself in a tight situation. You know, when he wasn't around to coddle her. So, he had taught both Shikamaru and June how to hold a live kunai and what to do with it in a fight. These days, June could wield it well enough to support her magic in a desperate situation.

While she was distracted, another minion had approached her unknowingly, injecting something into her arm. The shock had June lose her control over her own body. Unbidden, her eyes popped open, burning due to the bright light directly overhead.

"Subject regained consciousness!"

"Proceed!"

"Hormones to induce preterm labor injected!"

"Restrain subject!"

For a short moment, June was too disorientated to react to what she heard. The shouts were loud and jarring. Then she processed what the words meant and her magic exploded outwardly.

Simultaneously, alarms and klaxons were going off, red light casting absurd shadows around the creepy room.

Shikaku cursed when ANBU Neko accidentally tripped the alarms around the Root Headquarters. He would get back to that later. Now, he had a princess to save and a cripple to kill. They hurried through the corridors, ignoring the commotion as best as they could. ANBU Tora had barred the barracks and written on them in short, succinct words that Danzō was considered a traitor to Konoha for crimes against several clans and would be brought in for questioning to the Hokage. That kept most of those Root off their backs. Dog led them by nose, his senses more enhanced than anyone else's. Shikaku was third in line, but he knew they were heading in the right direction. The unique warm feeling he always got around his wife increased in strength the farther they went.

They arrived in a corridor which was guarded by several older-looking Root-agents. None appeared to care about the message Tora repeated for them. Instead they attacked.

Shikaku only heard a loud feminine scream cutting through the eerie silence, then a red film clouded his eyes. He was moving without conscious thought - for the first time in his life. His shadow exploded in seemingly every direction at once, impaling their opposition while simultaneously protecting their allies. Inoichi was the only one unfazed by the ruthless display of violence, simply manipulating the door to open without setting off any traps.

Dog and his second entered first, followed by Shikaku, Inoichi, Tora, and Neko.

Shikaku nearly vomited when he discovered his wife, legs restrained to a grotesque metal table, blood dripping from a small wound in her arm and down her exposed legs. He knew what that meant well enough. Someone had taken off her favorite green yukata, emblazoned with the Nara mon, and exchanged it for a hospital gown with an open back.

Rage boiled over within him. The few minions still alive in the room were quickly subdued by Dog's squad. Danzō didn't wait for them to die though. He Shunshined to the table, attempting to use June as a hostage. A meat shield.

Shikaku growled and attacked.

Inoichi inwardly winced when he saw what Danzō had done to the usually very dignified, calm hime. Her black hair was matted with sweat and blood. She was dressed in a very exposing hospital gown instead of her usual yukata. Tears ran down her pale cheeks, one hand clenching desperately at her distended abdomen. As if she wanted to keep the child where it was. (And not succeeding.) Blood ran ominously down her barely-covered legs, loudly dripping to the floor. But all that was nothing against the simmering rage, hatred, and fear brimming in her emerald eyes.

Inwardly, Inoichi despaired for his friend and the hime.

Danzō would die and not nicely, either.

June bit her lip so hard she could actually feel blood running down her chin, trying to keep her screams contained to within herself. Her contractions had suddenly set in with a vengeance. Another part of her rejoiced. Shikaku had come, for the baby and her. Shikaku had come to rescue them. He had not given up on them or allowed others to handle the situation.

Right now, Shikaku personally ended the bastard that kidnapped her, probably killing Lady Kojika in the process, and decided her baby was not worthy of living. A moment later, his dark eyes met her gaze. Suddenly, her lazy, genius husband was heartbreakingly uncertain - of his reception in her personal space. A strong contraction broke her concentration, a small whimper escaping passed her lips. Then, Shikaku was by her side, cradling her gently.

In the meantime, Inoichi-sama loosened the restrains, but respectfully kept his distance. Another ANBU approached slowly, carefully. June felt herself flinch and instinctively huddle closer to her husband. Shikaku soothed her gently, wrapping her reassuringly in his chakra.

"This is Neko. She's a field-medic," Inoichi-sama explained softly. "Will you allow her to check you over? We don't want to unduly risk you or the baby."

June cautiously studied the ANBU for a long moment. Her focus was only broken by the strong contraction wrecking her body. Then she nodded very carefully. Neko approached slowly, taking care not to make any sudden movements. She always remained in sight of both Nara at all times.

"Lady Nara is quite dilated, sir. She won't be available for transport until the baby is born. Otherwise you risk both mother and child," the masked female announced softly into the eerily silent room.

Inoichi exchanged a look with her husband. "I will take care of it. Personally," the blonde promised darkly. Then he vanished, alongside two others.

Shikaku wrapped his arm comfortingly around his traumatized wife, gently spreading her out on his deer vest, for a small measure of comfort. June clung to his hand like it was a lifeline. The Dog-masked ANBU was guarding them from the doorway. He had turned his back to them, so as to preserve her modesty as much as possible.
June decided she might like him.

Shikaku gently ran his hands through her hair, shushing the occasional sob and wiping away the stray tear. He also kissed her a lot. Chastely. June knew her contractions were speeding up more and more. Suddenly, she bore down, unable to suppress the urge any longer. Neko encouraged her gently, ignoring the flinches she received in the beginning.

An eternity later, June could hear the first soft cry of her baby. Almost all of her strength left her at once, letting her slump against Shikaku who had hopped on the table behind her. His reassuring warmth, coupled with the fact that their baby seemed fine after all, finally allowed her to break down into his chest. She was sobbing heavily against her husband who simply held her gently and pressed a kiss against her temple.
Then, ANBU Neko quietly neared with the newborn child Shikaku and June had created together. The relieved, exhausted mother held out her shaking arms, wanting to hold her child after everything they had gone through over the last two days. Her son was still bloody, unhappy with the proceedings and life in general, and absolutely adorable. He looked so fragile, so vulnerable, yet at the same time June recognized Shikaku in his little pudgy face and the soft tuft of hair. One day, their son would be a good warrior. Just like his father.

Shikaku gently wrapped both of them in his vest, cradling them against his chest. June knew he wouldn't fail them. Then they appeared in the hospital wing June had never been allowed into before. Everything was going to be fine now.

Shikaku observed his sleeping wife with one eye and the tiny baby lying in the bassinet by his side with the other. The hime had given him another son, a second child to love and protect. Shikamaru was excited and happy it had not been a girl, as they were all troublesome in his opinion. (Although Shikaku liked the idea of a little girl like June-hime. She would be a wonderful medic-nin. Besides, a daughter with his wife's eyes and nature, the Nara tan and hair... It appealed to him.)
Shikari-sensei had confirmed that the babe would be fine, as he had developed more than they had realized. June would be physically fine as well, once she woke up.

Shikaku gently traced his son's little face. He had been cleaned and vaccinated. Now, the newborn showed he was a bit paler than Shikaku, but had inherited hair a shade darker than his father's own. His facial features left a lot of room for interpretation, yet the proud father thought the baby had inherited his mother's lips and his eyes.

Shikamaru was allowed inside the room after a soft knock. He took in the sleeping form of his Mama, the small bassinet and his father's thoughtful expression. Then, he cautiously joined his father by the bassinet. Shikaku gently hoisted his older son up, settling him on his lap for a better view.

"He looks weird," Shikamaru decided quietly.

Shikaku snorted softly at his firstborn's ridiculousness. "You looked like that when you were born too."

"But he's so small," his little genius protested stubbornly.

The amused father ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "He's a bit early. Your Otouto will grow in time."

Shikamaru nodded, snuggling up against his Oyaji. "I'll make sure he's going to be okay, as troublesome as it's gonna be."

Shikaku bit back his amused laughter and smirked at his son. "Thank you, Maru-chan."

Shikamaru pouted up at him. He (officially) hated that nickname and all but June were forbidden from using it.

In that moment, Shikaku knew: life would be alright.