I have been on hiatus since last summer. To all the people who have been waiting I apologize and I hope you'll forgive me. I've decided to end this fic (the official story anyway) but there are a few requested AU's to it that will be in this chapter as well.

I've decided to not post anything else unless it's finished first to avoid this situation again… it's not fair to my readers.

Anyway… enjoy!

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New Beginning

Chapter Nine

A Strange New World

"I want to have another kid."

That was the first thing Kakashi heard when he walked into his home. "Ah… what?"

Haruka sighed, her husband could be so dense sometimes. "Another kid, you know… a small child that will come into existence through intercourse and love?"

She put down the knife she was chopping and leveled the knife at Kakashi. "You don't have a problem with that… do you Anata?"

The smile on her face promised death if he disagreed, not that he would but, "Ryou-chan is barely three, are you sure? Not that I wouldn't love more kids because any family with you is one I want."

Haruka smiled at Kakashi, she had decided to marry the man last year and had taken his name. "I have a dream," she said quietly, turning her back to him, "about Ryou growing up with at least two other siblings… and it makes me smile."

Kakashi wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and when his lips ran over her neck his mask was absent. "I can get Iruka to watch Ryou-chan for a few nights."

Haruka grinned.

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Despite their best efforts, and they really did try, little Ayaka wasn't born until Ryou was just turning six.

"She's tiny" A young voice said to her as she passed the nursery. It belonged to a little silver-haired boy leaning over the crib.

"That is what you're tou-chan said when you were born." Haruka chuckled, and scooped her son into her arms. "But, look at how much you've grown Ryou-chan!"

"Will my nee-chan get this big, too?" His eyes were curious, even if they never left the sleeping babe. "I want to teach her all about shuriken and tou-chan's ninken!"

Haruka kissed Ryou on the forehead, before setting him on the ground again. "You'll be the best big brother, I believe in you."

"Love you, Kaa-chan."

"I love you too, my beautiful boy."

END

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gmilena1525 requested: Would you mind doing a Shikaku X OC please or maybe a one shot of what if Haruka stayed dead and is reanimated in the 4th war and fights Shikamaru? Shikaku reaction and Shikamaru meeting his dad 1st love.

Um… I'll try?

New Beginnings

AU

(If Haruka was Reanimated)

Where am I? Was her first thought.

Nothing hurts. Was her first feeling.

Kill them all. Was her first order.

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Shikamaru was getting frustrated. The reanimated corpses kept coming and it was only so much that they could do to hold them off. His team was exhausted. Not just physically but emotionally as well.

They had just finished fighting Asuma.

"Shikamaru…" Ino said suddenly. "There's another one coming."

He sighed, and shifted into a ready stance. "Anyone we know?" Ino shook her head. "I don't think so, but she's here!"

The woman landed softly in front of them, and if it weren't for the black and red eyes that meant reanimation, he would think she was just another Konoha shinobi.

"Maa," She said slowly, "You're not Shikaku."

'Tou-san?' Shikamaru thought, then asked, "You know my father?"

The woman's eyes widened slightly, and then closed as if she were in pain, her head dipping slightly. "I should have realized that," she murmured. "Your chakra signatures are very similar."

Choji stepped forward. "Who are you?" he asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

The woman's head raised slowly. To Choji she said, "I am Yamasaki Haruka." Then her eyes fell on Shikamaru. "I am Nara Shikaku's fiancée… or rather, was."

The teenager's eyes widened, and Haruka slid into a fighting position. "I apologize," she began, "but I can no longer withhold… prepare yourselves."

Then she attacked.

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Shikaku was stressed. Well it was war, so of course he was stressed, but more so than that, he was worried. The reanimated corpses were getting out of hand, and more powerful opponents were being summoned.

His son had to fight his late teacher, and Shikaku would have done anything to spare his son that pain.

"Shikaku-san?" A voice behind him called. "Urgent message from the battlefield. It's your son's team."

The older Nara's eyes widened a fraction before he rushed over to Inoichi. "What is it? He asked roughly. "Are they okay?"

"They are for now." Inoichi said, his voice strained. "But, Shikaku… they're fighting Haruka-chan."

"Haru…ka"

Shikaku felt as if his feet had come out from underneath him. The woman he loved. The woman he lost, she was fighting his son. Haruka was reanimated and fighting his son!

"I'm going." He said, standing abruptly. "I need to be there."

Before he could turn though, Inoichi grabbed his arm. "Shikaku, we need you here." He stressed. "As much as it pains me… you can't leave."

The Clan Head cringed. He knew that, he knew, but he wasn't thinking rationally. What would he do if he was there. He was compromised. He wouldn't be able to fight her. Never her.

"Put me through to Shikamaru."

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Shikamaru was panting. They had just finished fighting their sensei, and now they had to fight this strange woman.

This woman who claimed to be his father's fiancée!

"On your left." The woman—Haruka-san—called out. "Watch you're flank, Ino-san."

Despite her helping them the fight seemed to be taking forever, and Shikamaru couldn't stop thinking about the fiancée thing! His dad was with his mom that's it!

"Shikamaru!" a voice called in his head.

"Tou-san! This woman—"

"I know Shikamaru, I know!" Shikaku's voice was rough. "Here's what I need you to do."

Team Ten listened closely even as they dodged the myriad of attacks Haruka was throwing their way. Once Shikaku had finished relaying their orders they moved into position.

Choji expanded and reached for Haruka, while Shikamaru's shadows moved to hold the woman in place. Haruka was expecting Ino to move in and try to seal her, what she wasn't expecting was the blonde girl to land in front of her, place her hand on her head, and call out a jutsu.

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When Haruka opened her eyes again, she wasn't on the battlefield fighting a team of teenagers, and Kami had the boy looked like her Shikaku. Instead she was in a white space, and wondered if she had died again.

"Haruka."

The woman spun around so quickly that she surely would have fell if she wasn't a shinobi.

"Shikaku!" She exclaimed, running to him. They collided in the middle, arms wrapping around each other tightly. "Where are we?" Haruka mumbled into his vest.

"It's a jutsu that can project someone into someone else's mind." He answered. "Inoichi created it a few years ago."

Haruka shuddered in his arms. "I-I'm so sorry, Shikaku."

"I know, Haruka, I know. I'm sorry too. I should never have let you leave me."

They stayed like that for a while longer, just holding each other, and basking in the others' presence.

"You have son." Haruka stated, looking up at him. "He looks just like you."

Shikaku smiled. "He acts like me too." Then he frowned. "I never wanted a family, unless it was with you, but…"

"It's okay, Shika." She looked up at him. "I understand. I was dead and I would have been pissed if you hadn't at least tried to be happy."

He wouldn't tell her then, about all the times he tried to unsuccessfully end his life, so he could be with her. Those thoughts were not for this moment.

"What's keeping you here, Haruka?" Shikaku asked quietly. "You can move on from this place."

The shorter woman ducked her head against his chest, before stepping away from him. "It was you." She smiled. "I wanted to know if you were okay… if you were happy?"

"I won't lie to you, Haruka." Shikaku said firmly, taking her hands in his own. "I wasn't not for a long time." He thought of his wife and son. "But then happiness forced itself on me, and I can say that while every now and then the pain comes… It doesn't stay."

The blinding smile that Haruka gave him was only marred by the tears running down her face. "Silly man," she laughed, leaning up to kiss him lightly. "You deserve all the world's happiness."

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Shikamaru watched as the still body of Yamasaki Haruka started to glow and flake apart. When her spirit rose from the body she had inhabited she looked directly at Shikamaru.

"Take care of him for me."

Shikamaru nodded. "Hai."

After the war Shikamaru would need to have a talk with his parents about this woman, he didn't like not knowing things.

However, that time would never come, as Shikamaru watched the Bijuu Bomb soar across the sky, and heard his father's voice in his head telling him how to win the war.

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"Silly man… I said I would wait, but I didn't expect you this soon."

Shikaku smiled. "I know, I'm sorry… Tadaima."

Haruka sighed, "Okaeri."

END

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This is the end of New Beginnings, but if there are any more AU's you guys would like to see I'd be more than willing to right them.

Thank you so much for your continued support, I hope you enjoyed it!

Till Next Time

Ja' Ne!