It was not surprising that death had finally come for Hayano Hibiki. Over his long years as the Daimyo of his small but prosperous country, he had accumulated a long list of enemies.
Still, He never thought it would end quite like this. With his guard dead around him, and his two small children sobbing in the mud, his form over them in a futile effort to protect them.
His leg throbbed where it had taken a deep slash with a sword, and he was becoming weak with blood loss. Desperation was all that kept him conscious.
"Please," he begged in a voice made harsh with pain. "They're mere children - barely four years old. They don't need to die."
The shinobi surrounding them didn't say anything, and he knew he had lost. They had been hired by dissidents who wanted to see his brother leading their country instead, and shinobi always followed orders.
"It's okay, my flowers," he whispered to his poor, sweet children. "It will hurt only for a moment, and then we will be together again -"
He was cut off as one of the shinobi grabbed his hair and yanked him away. He gave a hoarse shout as he was dragged across the mud, hand reaching towards the only thing in this world he loved.
"You are to know that they are dying because of your own misguided arrogance," an almost bored voice said behind him, and Hibiki shuddered when he realized part of their orders was to make him watch.
"Fruit Country will be taken care of in your absence."
Hibiki, who never cracked his serene expression, never raised his voice or gave anything away, choked out a sob, and begged for his children's lives. The pleas fell on deaf ears, and he watched, tears and snot mixing with the mud on his face, pride a long forgotten thing, as the other black-clad man raised the sword above his son's tiny, terrified body.
As the sword began to descend a voice called out something strange and incomprehensible, and a blue jet of light flashed across the clearing and hit the ninja, who stiffened before falling. Right on the hit's heels, another beam of light whooshed past Hibiki towards his captor, who pushed him away in order to jump back into the waving grass around them.
Hibiki crawled over to his children, who grabbed his muddied and bloodied robes and pushed up against him. Unable to run, he watched as the slim figure of a girl rose from the grass, hand gripping a stick and holding it out in front of her, steps light, but obviously not shinobi trained.
The shinobi made a few hand signs, and the girl's eyes widened as small rocks propelled towards her. With a slash of the stick, a blue shield popped up in front of her, stopping the projectiles with a crackle of strange energy before she pushed herself into a roll. The battle that raged next was a strange one, and Hibiki felt himself falling in and out of consciousness.
Finally, the clearing fell quiet, and then green, green eyes were peering into his before the world around him went dark.
000
Harriet Potter was screwed. This wasn't anything new and exciting for her.
Actually, the camping out in strange forests while avoiding enemies brought back some not-so-fun memories from a few years ago. The part where she had no idea where she was, didn't seem to speak any of the local languages, and kept being attacked by strange men and women with super-human abilities was new and exciting.
Harriet had selfishly wished more than once that Hermione had come along on this little adventure with her. Without her friend, she was starting to think she was stuck, and that was...well, that was bad.
The only real blessing in all of this was that she had been looking for their target in a copse of thick woods with her squad when whatever it was that happened...happened. Since she was the rookie, she had been stuck carrying their camping gear.
Harriet never could understand how she could simultaneously have such good and bad luck all at once.
The past few years after the defeat of Voldemort had been relaxing. She had gone back to school with Ron and Hermione for their last year, passed their NEWTS, then took some time off to help raise Teddy until he was old enough for preschool. She'd joined an anonymous support group with Hermione for survivors after the war, and focused on just being happy for the first time in her life. Harriet had gone to Weasley family dinners and been Maid of Honor and Best Woman at Ron and Hermione's wedding. She had babysat Fleur and Bill's child and for a while, it had been blissful. Until the restlessness settled in.
When Kingsley had come to her a little after her nineteenth birthday with a pamphlet titled Joining the Auror Corps, she had already known what she would say. The physical training and spellcasting had been easy. The rest had been difficult, frustrating, and also extremely fascinating.
She had learned how to pick up clues, both magical and mundane, from a crime scene. She'd discovered how to control her temper (something she still struggled with from time to time) while tracking and apprehending a suspect. Interrogation techniques, survival training, basic field healing and first aid...these were all skills that made sense for an Auror to have, but that she'd never really considered before.
Eight months of training, and then she'd been put on the Ministry's new Dark Wizard Strike Team as the rookie. It wasn't her first choice, despite the catchy name and the fact that she was basically working with the best of the best. The new team had garnered a lot of press and attention, as Kingsley had dubbed it the first defense against the rise of a new dark wizard.
The twenty-person team had been more than just heavy hitters - five of them were for analysis alone, led by none other than Hermione Granger. She had spent three years getting a degree in muggle statistics and criminology along with her Masters in Transfiguration and Arithmancy before joining the team. Harriet still shuddered at the memories of color-coded charts and time turners.
Hermione's team had used their numbers and research to set up markers that would help identify groups of people and individuals that seemed to be causing the same sort of problems Grindelwald and Voldemort had at the beginning of their reigns. It was all very complicated and over Harriet's head, but she understood enough to know it was groundbreaking.
Ron had been second in command of the whole squad - already a rising star for his strategies and steady hand. For once in their lives, it had been Hermione and Ron that were taking the spotlight, and Harriet had enjoyed it immensely. They'd only tried to put her in front of the press once, and it had been such a disaster that their squad leader, Hansley, had laughed himself silly for about thirty minutes before telling the higher-ups that they'd be going back to their original liaison.
So Harriet's fear of being nothing more than a poster girl finally abated, and after three months the rest of the squad had started to relax around her, see her as Harriet instead of the Girl Who Lived. It was refreshing, and she was as happy as she could be.
And then a dark wizard they'd been tracking for weeks had thrown that thrice-cursed statue at her right has she'd sent a stunner his way. When the two collided, there was a burst of light, then she was being squeezed and pulled, and it felt a lot like apparition except much, much worse.
When she had woken up, she was alone, it was raining, and the landscape had completely changed. Its most distinguishing feature was the rocks everywhere, with barely any vegetation in sight. For a few days, she had stayed where she was, waiting for a rescue team as she studied the now-cracked statue that she assumed had brought her there. She had sent out her Patronus with a message twice a day, but each time it returned unsuccessful. Harriet didn't even want to think about what that meant.
The statue had been in the shape of a lion but was now blackened and cracked down the middle and completely mundane. Harriet had used every diagnostic spell she had been taught in training, and it was without a doubt just a statue now - it must have either been a one use artifact, or it had reacted badly with her stunner. So, it wouldn't be taking her back home.
On the fourth day, she was attacked by large, muscled men yelling at her in an unknown language. Luckily, her wards had protected her from their massive attacks of fire, lightning, and water, but the amount of destruction they were capable of was completely mind-boggling. She had quickly packed up her belongings and then gotten the hell out of there.
They had attacked twice more before she'd given up on rescue and started putting Notice Me Not wards up at night.
The landscape had changed from rocks and mountains to flat, grassy land, and that is where she had come upon a man and two children being attacked by more of the superhumans.
There was no way she could watch them kill two small children while their father sobbed and pleaded for their lives feet away. So now she had two terrified kids and their half-dead father in her tent. The children's eyes had widened in disbelief when they discovered the inside of the tent was larger than the outside. It wasn't anything too fancy - a bunker, really, with five beds, a small kitchen, and a bathroom with three shower stalls and a sink.
Thankfully it was well stocked with first aid materials, and so after some quick cleaning spells, which made the children gasp in delight, she set herself to healing the man's wounds as best she could. He was older - probably in his fifties, and in fairly good shape, which was helpful. He didn't have the muscle definition to be a fighter, but he obviously did some form of exercise.
A blood replenishing potion was all she dared to give him since she wasn't sure of what could be paired with what without causing unintended side effects. Her healing spells were more for stabilization of a wound until somebody could be brought to a real healer, but she used them to stop the bleeding of the ugly gash on his thigh before she gritted her teeth and added stitches - something she'd learned at the muggle first aide classes Hermione had demanded their strike team attend.
Finally, she covered it with a paste to combat infection and increase healing speed and wrapped it before covering him up and turning to her two other charges. She knelt down and gave them a soft smile. They were adorable - obviously twins - with dark hair, dark eyes, and olive colored skin.
"Hello," she said. "My name's Harriet Potter. Who are you?"
The girl frowned, and they turned to each other and spoke softly in their language. They then turned back to her, and the girl spoke softly and urgently, but Harriet could only shake her head. Seeing that they were shivering from the rain and mud, she motioned for them to follow her. She went to a trunk and rummaged around until she found two large sweaters that she thought might work for them.
Their large, trusting eyes followed her, and she resolved to give them a stranger danger talk as soon as she figured out their language. Finally, she led them to the showers and turned one on. Their eyes widened, and she mimed washing, showing them the soap, then made sure they saw her pile some towels and the sweaters and socks on a bench.
The little girl gave a determined nod and dragged her brother into the showers. Harriet turned to give them privacy while they bathed, and moved into the other room to do her own cleaning up.
000
The children were adorable. They had done a name exchange, and she discovered they were Natsu and Eito. Her name had been difficult in their native language, and they had taken to calling her Hari, which worked fine - Hermione and Ron often shortened her name to Harry.
Their father had slept through the rest of the day and the night and woke around noon on the second day as Harriet was feeding the children. They rushed to his side, chattering at him in their shared language as they helped him sit up. He swayed but managed to straighten and whisper back to them in a rough voice.
"Natsu," Harriet said.
The girl looked up, and Harriet motioned to the glass in her hand, then to her father. The man was giving her a wary look, and really she couldn't blame him, so instead of approaching him, she let Natsu bring him the water. He studied it for a moment before he probably decided that if Harriet wanted him dead, he would be, and slowly sipped it.
Harriet decided he most likely wouldn't react too badly to her feeding them and served up an extra bowl of soup. She placed four bowls on a tray and slowly walked over to the bed. The whole family had gone quiet, and their identical dark eyes watched her approach, the children with adoration and their father with suspicion.
She sat down cross-legged on the floor and put the tray between them. She then grabbed her bowl of soup and proceeded to eat it, ignoring the family as she did so. After a softly spoken and earnest conversation, the man tipped his head and the children rushed to get their bowls.
His hands shook a bit around his own when Eito carefully handed it to him, but he ate it without apparent trouble, though they seemed confused and awkward with her spoons. After he had eaten about half and then handed it back to his son, Harriet decided to introduce herself.
She put a hand to her chest and said "Harriet."
She then pointed to Natsu and said her name, did the same with Eito, then gestured towards the man.
He hesitated, then repeated her name, having less trouble than Natsu and Eito had but it was still awkward. Harriet smiled and shrugged.
"Hari," she said so he'd know it was okay.
Natsu said something to him rapidly, and he nodded seriously.
He then gave her a bow and said, "Hari," and then something else she didn't understand.
He looked regal, even sitting on the bed, in a way that she'd only seen from the Malfoys. She wondered who he was - if he was rich, and if he'd possibly help her make sense of where she was. Though she couldn't understand what he was saying, she knew by the way he bowed and the tone of his voice, and a gesture at his leg and the children, that he was thanking her.
She shook her head, leaned forward, and patted his hand. He looked a little startled but didn't protest.
"It's okay. It's kind of my job," she said with a smile.
He raised an eyebrow, before putting a graceful hand on his chest and saying, "Hayano Hibiki."
Harriet blinked. That was...a long name. Then she realized he had probably included his surname.
"Hayano?" she tried. He hesitated, then pointed to Natsu and Eito in turn. "Hayano Natsu. Hayano Eito."
Her eyes widened in understanding. She pointed to herself. "Potter Harriet. Or Hari, I guess."
Over the next few days, as Hibiki healed, Harriet and the children made a game out of learning words from each other's language. She had never been book smart like Hermione, but if there was one thing Harriet could do, it was learning things on the fly.
One day Hibiki came and sat next to her, a serious expression on his face. After about half an hour of miming and gesturing, Harriet realized that he wanted to go home - and he was asking her to go with them.
Harriet sat back, thinking. She'd continued to send out her Patronus every morning and every evening, much to the children's delight, but so far it had returned every day without success.
The truth was, there didn't seem to be any choice. Hibiki, Natsu, and Eito were the only friendly faces she'd seen since she arrived, and if she wasn't mistaken, Hibiki probably had enough power and influence to help her look for answers. Finally, she nodded her head and smiled at him.
"Alright, I'll go with you."
Two Years Later
Hayano Hari sat next to her adoptive father in seiza, attempting not to fidget, as they awaited the delegation from Fire Country. While she would always be thankful to Hibiki for giving her a home and family in this strange world, she could do without all of the posturing and politics involved with being part of the Hayano family.
The Daimyo of the country was closely tied to their shinobi village - something that Fruit Country was too small to have, and didn't really need with their natural defenses, believed to be set up by the Sage of Six Paths himself.
Hari hadn't interacted with any ninja since her first week in the Elemental Nations, and she was curious what they were like when they weren't trying to kill her. From what she'd learned from her private tutors, Konoha was considered fairly peaceful and tame for a ninja village, but they were still ninja.
It was a risk to let them into the country at all, but one that Hari had agreed was worth it after discussing it with Hibiki. The Fire Daimyo was young - his father having died by assassination the year before - but their advisors assured Hibiki that he was intelligent and shrewd, and not to be underestimated.
Finally, they arrived, and Hari had to keep herself from leaning forward to get a better view. He was handsome enough, with light brown hair that fell to his shoulders in soft waves and brown eyes. His red robes made him look powerful and majestic, and his wife, a soft, blonde woman in a white kimono next to him, only added to the image of power.
Hari looked past them to the team of ninja that followed. They moved like they were dangerous. It was a team of four, and she was a little surprised by how young they were, even knowing that they began their training around six or seven years old. They couldn't have been older than seventeen.
Hibiki rose to his feet as they approached and Hari followed, though less gracefully. He introduced himself and Hari, who bowed and tried to ignore their interested looks - it wasn't every day a foreigner was adopted by the leader of a country, even a small one.
Of course, tales of her 'heroic' rescue and strange bloodline limit had apparently been spread through the nations. Which was not exactly great news, but she'd been forced to use her magic a few times to protect from the numerous assassination attempts on herself and her family. Hence the first meeting with an outside country to discuss trade agreements in almost ninety years.
Hari swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her attention to the ninja, who had stepped forward.
"May I introduce my companions. Uzumaki Naruto," Hari's eyes widened as the blonde boy dressed in a black and orange jumpsuit with a white haori lined in flames beamed up at them.
They had sent a famous war hero, the boy who was rumored to be the next candidate for Konoha's Hokage. They were serious.
"Yamanaka Ino," a beautiful blonde with her pale hair pulled back into a long ponytail bowed politely, "Akimichi Chouji," Hari had to stop herself from gaping at the huge man in red armor with spirals on his cheeks, "and their squad leader, Nara Shikamaru."
The kid was handsome, with his hair pulled back in a spiky ponytail. With his slouched posture and sharp eyes, she thought he might be a bit of a heartbreaker.
They had really sent in the big guns on this one. Hari and Hibiki had spent the past month learning everything they could about the clans of Konoha, and while not from the four noble clans, these ninja were from three highly respected and trusted ones of Konoha. Also, everybody had heard of the famous Ino-Shika-Cho teams from the latest war.
Hari tried not to show her hope and surprise but knew it was probably useless to try and hide it from them. She bowed and said all the right things, but inside she was reeling - because this was happening. In a few months' time, she'd be married to a stranger, living in a new land. And that was the best case scenario.
Hari ended up seated to the right of Aiko, the wife of the Daimyo, at dinner, and after half an hour already wished she was far, far away. Her grasp on the language was good after only two years, but she knew her accent was still fairly strong, and some people tended to think she was stupid as a result.
Aiko was one of those people. She wasn't cruel about it, but the way she talked to her in a loud, slow voice and purposefully used small words was getting annoying. Hari was foreign, not an idiot.
"How do you enjoy Fruit Country?" Aiko asked in what was edging into a baby-talk voice.
Hari was probably the same age as her, for god's sake!
"Ah, it is full of fruit," she answered, deciding to just play along for amusement, and ignoring Hibiki's sharp look from a few seats down.
"I enjoy fruit very very much!" she chirped and reveled in the woman's doubtful look at her plate which held not one piece of fruit. Hari gave her ditziest grin and popped a piece of roasted duck into her mouth. "
See, so good!" she exclaimed.
She heard a soft snort behind her and glanced back at Shikamaru, who was standing at Aiko's shoulder. His gaze was sweeping the large dining hall, but she noticed his lips were quirked up. His eyes met hers for just a moment, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Guess he wasn't fooled by her idiot act.
Finally, the torturous evening ended, and after a few bows and a promise to bring Natsu and Eito along to breakfast in the morning, she escaped. She had left her siblings in their warded room with the one other person she trusted outside her family to not try and assassinate them. The woman was getting too old to really handle them - she was over seventy, having been Hibiki's nanny when he was young, but she loved them and they loved her, so it was alright.
With a flick of her wrist, her wand disengaged from its holster and slipped into the palm of her hand. Motions hidden by her long-sleeved kimono, she chanted a few words in Latin before she felt the wards fall, and using her other hand, quietly knocked a rhythm on the door. It creaked open to reveal the tired, lined face of Taki, who gave her a kind smile and stepped back.
"Come in, child." she whispered. "The children are asleep, so keep it down."
Hari entered the room, her eyes zoning in on the two six-year-olds snoring in a tangle of limbs on the bed. She relaxed when she saw they were safe and accounted for.
"They were good for you?" she asked, and Taki laughed quietly.
"Yes, they behaved well, though as always Natsu was full of energy and Eito could not help but follow along."
Harriet let out an amused huff, and waved Taki off when she asked if she should stay.
The elderly woman left after a soft kiss to Hari's cheek, and Hari put the wards back up. She struggled through removing the kimono - she hated the things, but had promised to wear them at least through the talks - and finally collapsed on the bed on the other side of the room.
The last six months had been truly stressful. The constant vigilance and fear for the lives of her loved ones had weighed heavily on her. Without her magic, she knew that Eito and Natsu would be dead ten times over, not counting their initial meeting.
It was a sobering thought, and Hari was worried their luck would run out before the treaty was signed. It was on that cheerful note that she fell asleep.
The next morning Hari and Taki helped the two disgruntled twins into their formal kimono.
"I don't wanna wear it," Natsu said with a pout and a stomp of her foot.
"Well, if you don't want to meet the Konoha shinobi, I suppose you don't have to..." Hari said with a sigh.
Eito rolled his eyes and Natsu shook her head. "No! It's fine, I'll wear it!"
"You're so easy, I swear," Eito mumbled, as he silently and miserably let Taki put his hair into order.
Hari covered a smile with her hand.
They arrived just as the Fire Country contingent did. Natsu squealed, and would have run right up to an amused looking Chouji if Hari hadn't grabbed the back of her kimono.
"Manners," she hissed, before pasting a smile on her face and giving a small bow.
Natsu stopped struggling, and bowed past a pout, while Eito edged around her and gave a much more graceful bow.
"Allow me to introduce my brother and sister, Hayano Eito and Hayano Natsu."
"You must be so strong!" Natsu said to Chouji, eyes wide and cheeks a little red. "You're as big as a mountain!"
Everyone went still until a shocked looking Chouji threw back his head and laughed. Hari relaxed, and smiled at him in thanks.
Naruto, who had been whispering at a tired-looking Shikamaru, brightened and practically skipped to stand in front Natsu and Eito. He hunkered down and gave them a grin so wide that his eyes closed.
"Chouji is one of our strongest ninja, believe it!" he said. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, it's nice to meet you."
Eito looked a little overwhelmed, and Natsu demanded that he show her 'cool ninja stuff.'
"Natsu!" Hari scolded. "Don't be rude! I'm terribly sorry, Uzumaki-san, Akimichi-san. I promise, we did teach her manners. She's just forgotten them."
The cheerful ninja waved that off.
"And call me Naruto!" Chouji also insisted to be called by his first name as they all entered the smaller dining area.
Hibiki was already seated, and they all went through the greeting process again. Hari tried not to show how annoying she found it all, but a knowing look from the Yamanaka girl told her she was probably failing in that endeavor.
This time, at a signal from Hibiki, Hari moved to the closed door.
"Allow my daughter to put up wards to ensure our safety. As I'm sure you have heard, there have been many attempts on my life and the lives of my children in the face of these talks. This way, we can all sit around the table and eat freely without fear."
Shikamaru sent her a suspicious look. "Wards?"
Hari's eyes darted to Hibiki, and at his nod, she explained what they were. "
So, nobody can get in that I haven't specifically keyed to them," she finished. "Though anybody can leave at any time."
"And this is something you can do with your bloodline limit?" Ino asked, pupil-less eyes steady on her.
Hari nodded and waited patiently as the four ninja seemed to communicate silently. Internally she rolled her eyes.
Why in the world would she want to lock herself into a room with four of the strongest people in the Elemental Nations? The answer: she wouldn't.
Finally, Naruto shrugged, and said, "I trust Hari-san! She seems like a really good person."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes but relaxed, and the others followed their lead. Hari slowly let her sleeve fall back so they could see her movements, and flicked her wand into her hand, ignoring the way the ninja tensed. She felt eyes on the back of her head as she chanted and circled the room, the faint glow and the click of her magic falling into place the only indication it had worked.
She holstered her wand and then walked to the table, taking the seat between Eito and Shikamaru and reaching for the rice. After a few moments, Shikamaru's lazy drawl broke into her focus on her omelet.
"That...stick. You use that to activate your bloodline limit?"
She gave him a surprised look. Usually, she had to explain that part.
"In a way," she said slowly. "It's more a way to...focus it. I can do some things without it, but the more complex stuff..." she didn't really like to talk about it too much, in case people decided all they needed to do to incapacitate her was to take her wand.
She and Hibiki, however, had already decided they'd need to be upfront with their potential allies for their plan to work. Of course, the elder wand, always strapped to her thigh, was also a good backup.
It tended to show up no matter how many times she tossed it. Not even being sent to a different world would stop it following her. Shikamaru pulled her into a discussion on her 'bloodline limit,' and the other ninja shamelessly listened in while the daimyos discussed the schedule for the next week.
"What else can you do?" he asked, looking completely uninterested in the answer.
Her lips twitched. "Would you like to see some things?" she asked in a sweet voice, and Natsu perked up from her seat next to her brother.
"Oh! Aneki's magic is the coolest!" she gushed.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the word magic, and Hari shrugged.
"It's what my family called our bloodline limit," she explained.
At the urging of her brother and sister, Hari wiped her mouth, then took out her wand. Shikamaru tensed, and she hesitated.
"We don't have to do this here..."
She met his gaze, and the younger man studied her for a moment before relaxing.
"Maa, it's fine. Let's see what you can do."
He looked like he wasn't expecting much, and her eyes narrowed. Sure, she wasn't a superhuman who could move faster than a bullet or shoot fire from her mouth, but she wasn't completely without power.
With more of a flourish than perhaps was warranted, she pointed her wand at the bowl of rice.
"Wingardium Leviosa," she said and the table went silent as the rice bowl began to float.
She shot a surprised looking Shikamaru a smug smile before lowering it. She then proceeded to turn her teacup into a mouse, and changed the colors of the napkins and tablecloth to Gryffindor red and gold.
"Well. That's useful," Shikamaru said, and Hari grinned at him when she saw he no longer looked bored.
000
After breakfast, Ino and Chouji accompanied Hari, Natsu, and Aiko around the palace as Hari led them on a tour. Ino was chatting with Aiko about the latest fashion trends in Fire Country, and the children had somehow ended up riding on the shoulders of the large, kind-hearted Akimichi.
They were in the gardens when the enemy shinobi struck.
"Incoming - four, high level," Ino called, and Chouji and Ino went into defensive positions around them.
Hari had gone into a ready stance with her wand out, and her eyes widened when four black figures appeared and surrounded them.
"Missing nin," Ino murmured. "We could really use Naruto and Shikamaru..."
"I can get them a message," Hari said. "But it'll be obvious."
"Do it," Ino said in a sharp voice, right as the enemy moved.
Over the sounds of metal hitting metal, Hari drew her best memories to herself, and conjured her patronus.
The stag appeared before her, and the enemy nin faltered.
"Go, get Naruto and Shikamaru and lead them here. We are under attack."
Then she turned all of her attention to keeping her little group alive.
Shikamaru jolted out of his seat as the glowing deer burst through the wall in the small meeting room. In tandem, he and Naruto shunshined to stand between it and their two charges. Shikamaru's shadows passed right through it, as did Naruto's kunai.
"It's fine!" Hibiki yelled from behind them just as Hari's heavily accented voice came from the glowing animal.
"We are under attack."
It then turned on its heel and dove back through the wall. Hibiki was already darting around them towards the door, but Shikamaru didn't live through a war by accident. He was there first, making sure there were no enemy, before allowing the two men out of the room.
He had to admit, they were handling themselves well for civilians.
"Naruto, you take point," he said, and his friend immediately leapt in front as Shikamaru took the rear.
He didn't allow himself to think about the fact that they were following an apparition as they darted down the halls and into a garden - he'd moan about how weird this assignment was later. When they reached the courtyard, it was to the sight of pure destruction.
Ino and Chouji were struggling against three opponents, another one lying dead or unconscious on the ground, their charges huddled in the middle. Hari was darting around the two children and the Daimyo's wife, sending streams of light that the enemy ninja dodged fairly easily, and creating some sort of shield to stop any projectiles from making it through.
While she didn't have the strength and speed of a shinobi, the woman was obviously trained for combat. Her movements were sure, and her hands were steady as she sent a stream of fire at a black-clad figure that was trying to flank Ino, forcing him to jump back.
Then Naruto was in the fray while Shikamaru stood in front of the two Daimyo, creating a circle of shadows around them. Within seconds of Naruto joining, it was done. He breathed out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as the little girl let out a shrill scream.
"Eito!" Hari said, voice anguished as she dropped to her knees next to the little boy, whose face was deathly pale.
A kunai had made it past Hari, and was now embedded into his side, a red stain spreading from it onto his little green kimono.
"Aneki?" he said in a small voice, and Hari sobbed as she began to wave her wand over the area.
Ino flashed to their side, gently pushing her way in, Naruto a concerned shadow beside her.
"It's okay, I'm a medic," Shikamaru's teammate said in that calm assured voice she only used on the battlefield and while healing.
To Hari's credit, she moved to the other side of Eito, and took his hand. Hibiki joined her, his shaking hands moving to pet the hair from his son's forehead. The Fire Daimyo looked grim, and his wife was silently crying next to him, her hand over her mouth.
"It's okay, my son," Hibiki said when Eito whimpered with pain. "Konoha is known for their amazing medics. Be a good boy, yes, I know it hurts, but you must hold still..."
Shikamaru pursed his lips, then signalled to Chouji to help him secure the area. Naruto indicated with a sign that he would guard Ino's back while she worked, and the little family barely flinched as he created three more shadow clones to act as sentries.
Their intelligence had indicated that the situation in Fruit Country was dire, but he hadn't expected such a blatant attempt while his team and Naruto were present. The rebels were either stupid or desperate. Shikamaru was willing to bet it was the latter.
000
The next morning they met in the personal apartments of the Hayano family, agreeing that after yesterday they should stay behind wards, with all of their protection in one place. Ino looked tired, but satisfied - Eito would recover just fine, and was sleeping with his twin in the other room, who had refused to leave his side.
It was a grim-looking Hibiki who joined them for breakfast, Hari following him with a determined expression on her face.
"I'd like to apologize for the attack on your wife," Hibiki started with, looking over at Isao, the Fire Daimyo. "I truly did not believe they would try anything, but it seems that they have gotten bolder. Is she recovered from the shock?"
Isao studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.
"She is. Aiko looks delicate, but she is actually quite resilient. She was glad to hear that the child will live."
Hibiki let out a breath. "As are we all."
"I think," Shikamaru drawled from his seat, "that we should probably skip the pleasantries and get right to why we're here, and why exactly people are so keen to kill you."
Hibiki looked down at his hands. "Yes. I suppose we should. Fruit Country is in the midst of a silent, secret civil war."
There was barely a twitch from the ninja, though Isao frowned.
"My brother, Hisoka, feels that I am not the right person to rule Fruit Country any longer, mostly due to my insistence that I begin to slowly open our borders to other countries."
"Let me guess, he thinks he is the 'right person' for the job?" Ino asked, looking unimpressed, and Hibiki gave a small nod.
"It makes sense for us to open our borders - our culture is stagnating, falling behind in medical, cultural, and technological advances.
"As you know, three years ago two percent of our population was wiped out by a disease that would have been easily prevented in other countries. Our lush vegetation and huge amounts of livestock, plus our ability to create large amounts of silk, makes us self sufficient, and also an attractive ally for other large countries.
"Still, the founders had decided on an isolationist policy from the very beginning, wanting nothing to do with the shinobi wars, and despite the signs now pointing to a long-lasting peace for our world, there is a faction that is vehemently opposed to opening our borders." Hibiki went paused to let that sink in.
"What this faction will not accept is that there is also another reason to start making allies. The power that protects us from the outside world is fading. I doubt it will last for another five years."
There were a few shocked gasps at that. The reason Fruit Country had never been invaded was due to the land itself - it reacted with lethal force to unwanted invaders. Many believed they were gifted this land and its protections from the Sage of Six Paths himself.
It was also tied to the blood of the Hayano clan - only they could give permission to enter. Hisoka had been using that to let hired missing-nin in for assassination attempts.
"My brother will discover this when the land passes to him, and so he should accept any contracts I create with outside countries to ensure our protection." Hibiki finished.
"When?" Shikamaru asked suspiciously. "Won't the land pass on to your children? You're the main line, correct?"
Hibiki frowned and looked away. "You see the situation as it is. Even with Hari's unique abilities, we will not be able to keep the rebel faction from killing my family."
"So you're just giving up?" Naruto asked, distressed, and Hibiki shook his head with a small smile.
"No, of course not. I decided long ago that my children's lives were more important than who holds power over the land. And while my brother may be be determined to see me and my children die, he is also determined to see our people live.
"He will not make a bad ruler, I think. So Hari and I came up with a plan that will hopefully benefit both Fruit and Fire Country, and keep my children alive."
"And what about you?" Shikamaru asked, having a feeling he already knew the answer when Hari's fists clenched and she blinked rapidly down at the table.
"I expect to be dead within six months," Hibiki said in a calm voice.
"What?" Isao said. "Surely there must be a way..."
But Hibiki was shaking his head.
"I am ill," he said. "I don't believe I will live longer than a few months."
There was stunned silence around the table, and then Ino was demanding to have a look.
Thirty minutes later, Ino confirmed what he had said.
"It's too far along," she had said in a pained voice. "I'm sorry but...there's nothing I can do."
Hibiki looked almost amused. "It is okay, child," he said. "I have accepted this." Hari made a small, pained noise, but didn't comment.
"Will you let me explain my proposal?" he asked.
At the nods around the table, he smiled. "I would like to make an exclusive trade agreement with Fire Country. In exchange, I would request a marriage between my oldest daughter, Hari, into one of your ninja clans, with the agreement that my other two children would be adopted into the family, as well."
Shikamaru blinked slowly, feeling a little off kilter, before the reasoning clicked.
"You know that our clans offer protection to their members. If Hari and the twins marry into one of the larger clans, any assassination attempts would be met with the force of the village behind them."
Shikamaru watched Hari as he said this, trying to measure her reaction. Most women weren't exactly excited to be traded into marriage, but all he saw on her face was resolve.
Hibiki made a noise of agreement.
"Yes, that is the idea. Once Eito and Natsu are adopted into the family, the land will automatically pass onto my brother. The land will recognize your people as allies, even after I am dead, unless you break your side of the pact.
Hisoka will not try to back out once he realizes the power of our blood is close to breaking. And if he does, you can simply invade Fruit Country and place my children back on the throne."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, his respect for the old man increasing. Just because he hadn't been a part of international politics before didn't mean he was ignorant to how the outside world worked.
Fruit Country had been a pleasant surprise. There weren't many outsiders who were allowed in, though enough moved in and out for stories of the bountiful land and happy people to make it into the world.
It did, indeed, have many things to offer the outside world, and Shikamaru couldn't blame them for being so isolationist. The shinobi world was a hard one. Now that they would be forced to rejoin society, it was only smart of them to start setting up some form of protection.
"Let us go discuss this amongst ourselves. We will return tomorrow morning, if that is acceptable to you," Isao said, and Hibiki nodded his head, a small smile on his lips.
The man already knew they'd say yes, after all.
000
The next few days were a whirlwind of drawing up contracts and trade agreements. Hari sat in on some of the talks, and spent most of her time with a subdued Eito and Natsu.
Hari would forever feel indebted to Ino, whom she had become friendly with after she healed Eito. Watching the blood spread across her brother's kimono had only made her more determined to go through with the marriage.
She wasn't surprised when Shikamaru sought her out one day while she sat half heartedly reading on the balcony. She was horribly bored, as they'd decided it would be best to stay inside the warded apartments, but was also unwilling to wander far from her family.
"Hey," he said, leaning against the wall.
She raised her eyebrows as he removed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, but didn't comment on how he was a little young to be smoking. No matter how much she wanted to. After all, he'd probably been killing people since he was a preteen. Cigarettes were the least of the kid's problems.
"Hello," she said carefully.
If what she'd heard about his clan and his actions in the war was right, then he was smart - too smart to really bother trying to talk around.
"You don't seem too upset about being married off," he said bluntly, watching her reaction closely.
Hari's smile turned up a bit sadly at the corners, and she turned to look over the apple orchard that stretched out below the balcony.
"You know that I'm not from around here," she said, and he nodded. "My life has been full of hard choices, and I've...lost a lot of people. I'm okay with this marriage if it keeps my family safe." She looked down at her hands.
"Just say it," he said, and she smiled.
She liked him, and for some reason felt like she could probably trust him and his team. Which was probably stupid, she knew ninja were trained to lie and kill, but, there it was.
"I admit, I'm hoping for the best," she said in a small voice. "I'm hoping for a husband that I can...get along with, at the very least, and that respects me. I wouldn't mind starting a family of my own," she said almost wistfully, watching as a breeze moved through the leaves of the trees.
He hummed in thought.
"Well, the Hokage is putting together a list of men from the different clans that are willing to enter into the marriage. It'll probably be long, with the dowry your father is offering," he said in a wry voice.
"A list?" Hari asked, looked over at him in shock.
"Aa, so you can choose someone." he affirmed.
"Oh...I kind of thought I'd just get who'd I'd get, you know," she said nervously.
How was she supposed to just choose somebody from a list?
Shikamaru shrugged, then joined her on the deck, flopping down on a chaise and staring up into the cloudless sky.
"Well, do you have any questions about the clans?"
"You're...willing to give me information?" she asked tentatively.
Hari had been under the impression that ninja were kind of stingy with information like that.
"Hmmm, how about a trade," he said, and she rolled her eyes at him.
"What kind of trade?" she asked in an amused voice.
"You tell me something about where you're from, I'll tell you something about where I'm from,"
Though Shikamaru sounded like he couldn't care one way or another Hari knew he'd likely planned the whole thing out.
"Alright. What would you like to know?"
It wasn't her problem if he didn't believe her, after all.
"Where is this place?" he immediately asked, and she snorted.
Let's start with the hardest part.
"I'm not sure, exactly. I think...well, there was an accident, and I think I was transported here from another world, or something."
He looked disbelieving, and she grimaced and shrugged.
"There weren't ninja and I'm pretty sure there was no chakra. What I have, we called magic, and only a very small and hidden part of the population had it."
He continued to prod, and she told him a bit about muggle England, and the hidden magical population within. Finally, she turned the questioning back to him.
"Are all the Nara like you?" she asked in a curious voice, and he turned his face towards her, eyes half closed and unbothered by their discussion of other worlds.
"Like me how?"
"You know, really smart but...what's the word..." Hari said, struggling.
"Lazy?" he asked, amused.
She huffed, trying to grasp for the equivalent of the word she meant in the language spoken by those in the Elemental Nations.
"No. Like...relaxed? Um, but not physically...I mean you're that too..."
"Laid back?"
"Yes! That," she said.
Shikamaru shrugged. "In general, yes."
"But you're a genius among geniuses, right? The famous Nara Shikamaru," she said, and laughed when he flicked a cigarette butt at her.
"My dad's smarter," he said after a moment. "He still beats me every time at shogi, and always has the right advice for me."
Hari eyed him. "You sound like you have a lot of respect for him."
His lip curled up into what she thought was his version of a fond smile, and he sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you could say...I aspire to be like him."
"And your mom?" Hari wished she hadn't asked when he tensed.
"Sorry," she murmured. "You don't have to answer."
"She died," he said shortly. "During an invasion when I was twelve."
Hari winced, but didn't offer any words of sympathy.
"Mine died when I was a baby. My dad, too." She didn't look over, though she knew he was studying her.
"They were murdered by the leader of a... rebel group, I guess."
"Who raised you?" he replied, and she couldn't help but appreciate the lack of reaction - instead they just continued on with their agreement.
"My mother's sister and her husband," Hari said shortly. "They hated me, because of my," she waved her hand in a swish and flick motion, and he grunted.
"Who taught you?" he asked, and Hari had to admit he knew the right questions to ask. Genius, indeed.
"When I turned eleven I was accepted into a school that taught people with my...bloodline limit," she admitted, then decided it was her turn.
"Which clans do you think my family and I will fit in well with in Konoha?" she asked.
He shrugged, looking thoughtful.
"That depends," he said slowly. "The Hyuuga are certainly powerful, and have many strong ninja. But they are weakened by internal politics, and aren't fond of outsiders, so I wouldn't recommend them."
Hari watched his face as he thought. "The Inuzuka are a good choice - once you're part of the family, they'll fight tooth and nail for you. They have less political clout, something you'll probably need on your side."
She hummed to show she was listening. "The Yuhi are a bit wary of outsiders, as well - not as bad as the Hyuuga, but..."
"What about one of your clans? I mean, the Yamanaka, Akimichi, or Nara?" she asked, glancing over at him. "I mean, you three seem like good people, and strong ninja, and you don't seem to hate us," she pointed out.
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome. If I tell you to pick somebody from my clan, people will think I unduly influenced you. Same with Ino and Chouji's clans - they're my teammates and the heirs. Since the Nara are so close to them..."
Hari sighed and waved her question away. "I get it, I get it. Well, tell me about them, then. Why are you so closely tied?"
He spent the next forty five minutes telling her stories about the Ino-Shika-Cho history, and she couldn't help but laugh at some of them.
"They sound lovely," she finally said, and meant it, even if the Yamanaka were a little terrifying with their mind reading techniques.
She shuddered as she remembered her occlumency lessons with Snape. So, avoid the Hyuuga, Yuhi, and Yamanaka. That narrowed it down a bit.
"You know how to fight," Shikamaru stated, but she knew it was a question.
"Yes. I was a police officer for people like me, or well, I was training to be one. I was still kind of a rookie," she said with a grin.
They spent the next half hour chatting, and Hari found herself feeling more relaxed with somebody outside her little family than she had in a long time.
Because she had no filter, she found herself blurting, "Will you be on the list?"
She then blushed a bright a red, because rude.
"You don't think I'm a little young for you?" he drawled after a long pause.
Hari sighed, and continued looking up at the sky.
"Well, it's true that I don't exactly feel that way for you, but...I at least know you, and like your company," she said softly.
He hummed. "Ino and Chouji won't be on the list, because they're...involved," he said, and Hari quirked up her lip.
She'd thought so, but couldn't be sure - they were very professional while working.
"And while I enjoy your company, I'm afraid you're not my type," he said, and Hari's eyes widened with realization.
"Ooooh," she said. After a few moments of thought, she smiled. "So, do you have some lucky guy waiting for you at home?"
He scoffed, but when she glanced over she noticed his cheeks had taken on a slightly red hue. With a gasp, Hari sat up, squealing and clapping her hands together.
"Oh my god, you do! Tell me all about him."
His eyes widened a fraction and he held up both his hands as if to ward her off.
"Keep it down," he hissed, eyes darting to the open doorway. "And it's true I...have feelings for someone," he grumbled, "but we aren't together."
He slouched down into what might be a pout, and Hari tilted her head.
"Why not? Is he just not interested, or..."
Shikamaru sighed, and looked up at the clouds again. "He is, I think, but with his family it's...complicated."
Hari thought that over for a moment, then laid back down.
"You mean they're controlling homophobes," she muttered, and he snorted.
"You have no idea," he said.
Eventually, Shikamaru had to go back inside. He gave her a simple wave and then wandered in to face a scolding Ino. Hari eventually followed and spent the rest of the afternoon playing quietly with Natsu, who was getting restless - never a good thing - and Eito, who was still banned from strenuous activity.
That evening, while Ino braided Natsu's hair and Chouji read a story to Eito while Shikamaru attempted to teach Hari Shogi, there was a poof of smoke, and a toad the size of a dog appeared in the middle of the family room. Hari's wand was out and pointed at it before conscious thought hit, but Naruto had already jumped to his feet in excitement.
"It's granny Tsunade's reply!" he crowed as the toad disgorged two large scrolls and six large folders from it's stomach.
"Gross," Natsu breathed in wonder, and Hari wrinkled her nose and put her wand away as Chouji explained summoning animals to the Hayano family.
Hibiki returned half an hour later, and sat down with Naruto and Shikamaru to read through the amended treaty the Godaime and her advisors had put together while Hari put the two protesting children to bed.
When she returned, Naruto was beaming, Ino and Chouji looked as relieved as Hibiki, and Shikamaru was in a half doze on the couch. "So you've agreed to the terms, father?" she asked, a terrified lump growing in her throat.
Naruto, ever oblivious, grinned.
"Yep! Now we just have to choose your future husband!"
Hari's vision swam for a moment. Oh god, she was getting married to a virtual stranger. Abstractly she'd been ready to commit to this for the safety of her siblings, but as a reality, it was terrifying. Vaguely, she was aware of somebody leading her to a couch and helping her sit down. A gentle hand pushed her head down between her knees then moved to her back, gently rubbing.
"Breath, my child," she heard Hibiki's voice say from her right. "You're okay, just take a deep breath for me."
She forced herself to comply, and after a short amount of time her vision returned to her and she was able to sit up.
Mortification ran through her when she saw the concerned gazes of four elite ninja and her father on her. Shikamaru had sat down on her other side, slouched in a relaxed posture but studying her with sharp eyes.
Ino handed her a glass of water, and she gratefully took a drink. Finally, she sighed.
"Sorry about that, I guess I just got a little nervous..."
"A little nervous?" Shikamaru said in a flat voice. "That was a full blown panic attack."
Hari glared and would have snapped, but she realized that he was actually concerned, so took a deep breath instead of replying. Naruto walked over to her and knelt so they were at eye level, blue eyes solemn.
"You don't have to do this," he said, ignoring Ino's noise of protest. "We can find another way keep your family safe, believe it!"
Hari breathed out, and her terror and uncertainty went with it. If Naruto was the future of Konoha, then she could put a little bit of her trust into them.
"No, I'm ready to do this. I was just a little overwhelmed for a minute," she said, letting that old determination settle over her. "This is the best way to tie our countries together, and to keep my family and country safe."
The blonde studied her with a shockingly shrewd gaze before nodding and smiling.
"Great! Don't worry, we'll help you choose somebody that will make you happy."
Hari gave a small laugh. "Well, then, let's get started."
The folders were a list of candidates and a preliminary marriage contract from six clans: The Hyuuga, Yuhi, Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Nara, and Aburame.
"No Akimichi?" Hari directed to Chouji, who shrugged good naturedly.
"We're not really big on arranged marriages," he explained and she nodded.
"Well, let's start with the Hyuuga, I suppose," Hari said, without explaining that she wanted to get the ones she knew she wouldn't choose out of the way.
She immediately handed the contract over to Hibiki, trusting him to ferret out the fine print and give her a rundown of things she needed to know.
There were two candidates - a Hyuuga Souta, age thirty one, and Hyuuga Neji, age eighteen. Both of their pictures proved the rumors true that the Hyuuga clan were gorgeous with their long dark hair and lavender, pupil-less eyes.
"Do you guys know Neji or Souta Hyuuga?" she muttered, and was surprised when Shikamaru straightened and his eyes went wide.
"Neji's in there?" he asked, and leaned over her.
She turned the file so he could see, and watched his face closely as it shuttered.
After a moment of confused thought, her own eyes widened, then narrowed.
She whipped her head to Naruto and snapped, "I thought I made it clear that I only wanted willing candidates!"
The young man reared back in surprise. "W-what? They are! We made sure granny Tsunade knew..."
Ino snorted. "Please, like a branch member of the Hyuuga actually has any free will."
"Ino," Shikamaru said in a low warning voice Hari had never heard from him before, and the girl huffed and crossed her arms but didn't continue.
"I am curious about this branch family, and what exactly the seal is that they expect any children that would come from this potential union to wear." Hibiki said, gesturing to the contract.
There was silence, before Naruto gave a nervous laugh. "Well, it's something I plan to change when I'm Hokage, but..."
"It's a seal that was created to keep the Hyuuga eyes from enemy hands," Shikamaru said in a bored voice, though his hands were clenched into fists. "It's also used as a way to control branch members."
Hari stood, and threw the papers down. "Is this what I can expect from the protection of your village?" she hissed. "Will Natsu and Eito be in danger of being sealed and forced into an unwanted marriage once they're adopted into a clan?"
Naruto winced, and lifted his hands. "Hari, calm down, your hair is sparking."
Furious, hands shaking, she ignored the comment about her hair - nobody here needed to know it was an embarrassing sign of uncontrolled magic.
"This is slavery !" she exploded.
"I know that!" Naruto yelled, and to her surprise, his eyes were filled with conviction. "That's why I said I was going to change it."
"It's because of the laws that were written when Konoha was formed," Shikamaru said. "The clans were supposed to be able to govern themselves within the confines of Konoha law. It's difficult to reverse, but Naruto, along with the future head of the clan are determined to change the laws within this generation. So sit down already, you're giving me a headache."
Hari stared at him and realized that he was just as furious as she was.
"Well. If you need any help," she said, and sat down. "For now, we'll just give a solid no to anybody from the Hyuuga clan."
They moved on to the Yuhi, but Hibiki shook his head no after reading the first few pages of the contract. Not wanting to lose her temper again, Hari just nodded. The Yamanaka candidate was a handsome thirty four year old man with blonde hair cut short and eyes just like Ino's.
"Cousin Ido! He's very sweet, Hari, I think you'd like him."
Her eyes darted to Hibiki, who gave a small nod.
"Their contract is satisfactory. While he wishes for children, there is no demand. You would still have your freedom within the confines of clan rules and regulations, which we can go over if you think he might be a candidate."
Hari nibbled her lip nervously. On paper it looked okay, but...
"The mind reading techniques make her uncomfortable," Shikamaru said bluntly, and Hari winced and sent an apologetic look at Ino, who just shrugged.
"A lot of people feel that way," she said, and gave a small smile. "Though I assure you we don't do it to allies without their permission."
"Um," Naruto said, and they turned to look at him. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous.
"Granny Tsunade actually told me to ask you if you'd be willing to undergo a mind walk with Ino."
Hari froze, and her hands went shaky and damp.
"No," she said flatly.
Hibiki studied their uncomfortable-looking guests.
"May I ask the consequences of her refusing?"
"She'll need to spend a week with Torture and Interrogation being interrogated the old-fashioned way," Ino said bluntly. "It's standard procedure for foreigners marrying in if they don't consent to the mind walk. And even then, you'll probably always be regarded with a level of...suspicion."
"They'll wonder what I'm hiding," Hari said softly. "And as a result, they'll wonder what Natsu and Eito are hiding."
Nobody answered, and she closed her eyes, before reaching for that courage she was so famed for, and opening them again.
"I'm not hiding anything. I've just been...on the receiving end of something similar, and it was not good. Okay, do it."
Ino jolted in surprise. "What, now?" she asked, incredulous.
"Yes. I'm not...I'll just brood on it if we don't get it over with. Please."
Ino studied her for a moment before sighing and giving a small nod.
"Fine, let's do this."
000
Hari lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. In truth, the mind walk itself hadn't been that bad, but it had brought back...memories. Ino had been gentle, and as requested hadn't shown Hari what she was viewing. She didn't want to relive her life, she was just now starting to move past everything she had lost.
With a sigh, she gave up on sleep and padded out to the living room, where Chouji was standing by the door on watch. She gave him a small wave and he nodded back as she turned on a lamp and went back to the files.
A bit regretfully, she set aside the Yamanaka file - she just couldn't stomach being surrounded by what were essentially mind readers day in and day out, no matter how good hearted they seemed.
She picked up the Inuzuka file, and after reading through the contract without seeing any red flags, looked at their two candidates. One was the son of the current clan head, Inuzuka Kiba. She wrinkled her nose when she saw he was seven years her junior, and set him aside. Hari would already be fumbling through this, she should probably choose somebody who had some experience. The second candidate was a man named Hisao, and she couldn't help but be intrigued by the marks on his face and sharp teeth. He was twenty nine and a chunin.
Hari hummed and added him to the 'maybe' pile. The Aburame contract made her wrinkle her nose when she got to the part about how many children would be 'required' if medically possible within the first five years. Apparently, they were offering up one of their elite ninja, and if she was unable to provide him with heirs the contract stipulated that the marriage would end. Not exactly the loving family she had hoped to marry into.
Well, unless the Naras offered something interesting up, it looked like her choices were still slim. Her thoughts were interrupted by a cup of tea being placed by her elbow. She looked up to see Ino standing next to her, looking unsure of her welcome. Hari gave a small smile and motioned for her to sit.
"I'm sorry," Ino blurted, and Hari blinked at her in surprise. "I saw in your memories why you're uncomfortable having somebody in your mind, but you were placed in a position where you felt like you had to allow me in, anyway. I'm afraid between that and the Hyuuga contract, you probably don't have a great opinion on Konoha right now."
The other woman looked so distressed that Hari sighed, then reached out and touched her hand.
"I've found," she said slowly, once Ino's eyes were on hers, "that every society has good and bad. While it's true that I've seen some of the bad today, you and your teammates have already shown me the good. I don't believe Konoha could be such a bad place if it created people like you."
She gave her a half smile, which Ino hesitantly returned.
"Whoever you pick, you'll have our support and protection. Naruto likes you, and he tends to get possessive over his friends," Ino said. "And Ino-Shika-Cho is unbeatable as a team!" she finished with a short nod. "We'll protect you, too - from outside forces and your husband if he turns out to be a jerk."
Hari laughed, and rolled her eyes. "Do you know Inuzuka Hisao?" she asked and handed his profile to Ino, who hummed.
"Not personally, no. But if he's anything like Kiba he's loud, brash, brave, and loyal to a fault."
So a gryffindor, Hari thought to herself with an amused huff. "Their clan seems very open and free spirited. I wonder why any of them would be interested in an arranged marriage?"
Ino raised her eyebrow. "Well, like I said, they're loyal. If it would help the clan, they'd at least think about it. Also, I'm guessing there's a lot of boys out there clamoring for a chance to marry a princess," she said with a small laugh. "I read Naruto's report, and I think he said the words 'very pretty' at least four times."
Hari gaped at her, then looked down at her plain yukata. "Um. If they're expecting a sweet princess..."
Ino laughed again. "Nah, maybe the Hyuuga or Yuhi clans, but not any of the others. We're shinobi, after all. Though to be honest, you are pretty laid back compared to most shinobi brides. Quiet, you know."
Hari nodded. She had always been the quiet sort until she got to know somebody or was provoked into anger. Some people thought that it made her weak willed, but they usually found out the hard way that she wasn't easy to push around.
She picked up the last folder - Nara. She flipped it open and read through the contract, eyebrows raised.
"This is pretty cut and dried," she commented, then handed it over to Ino.
"Yeah, the Nara aren't exactly controlling. I know Shikamaru's mom chose to retire when she had him, but I doubt it was required in her contract," she said absently.
There was only one candidate from the clan. His picture showed a stern, good looking man that resembled Shikamaru so closely that they had to be closely related. Cousins, maybe? He had two scars running down his face and a small goatee.
"Nara Shikaku," she mumbled, and Ino started next to her in shock.
"What?" she squawked, and tore the paper from Hari's hands who looked at her in astonishment.
"This is Shika's dad!" Ino squeaked, and Hari's eyes widened.
"What?" she parroted, and looked over Ino's shoulder.
He was thirty seven, which meant he was pretty young when he had Shikamaru. That was fifteen years older than Hari herself.
"Why would he..."
"Oh my god, Shikamaru's dad is a total perv!" Ino crowed in delight, then slapped a hand over her mouth as if she had just remembered who she was with.
Hari burst into laughter, and Ino lowered her hand sheepishly.
"Er...that is..." the girl said as Hari bent over, tears on her cheeks.
"What's going on?" Shikamaru's voice asked from the doorway. "I heard my name..."
Hari, who had been starting to get ahold of herself, took one look at Ino's face and dissolved into mirth again. She shook her head and waved her hand at him. Finally, she calmed herself down, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.
"It's nothing," she said. "Tea?"
He gave them a suspicious look, then shrugged and made his way to the table, where he poured himself a cup and slumped down, eyes half lidded.
"So, Shika," Ino said in a sly voice as he raised his cup to take a drink. "You didn't tell me your dad was interested in marriage," and lifted the page with Shikaku's face on it to wave in front of him.
Shikamaru spewed tea all over the paperwork.
Later, when everybody was up and eating breakfast, Naruto brought up the subject. "So, Hari, have you narrowed it down at all?" he asked.
She hummed, and set down her chopsticks. "Actually, I was hoping to get your opinion on a few of the candidates."
She held out the Inuzuka and Nara contracts to her father, who took them and began to read, and handed Shikaku and Hisao's profiles to Chouji. Hisao was on top, and the large man tipped his head in contemplation.
"I did a mission with him once. He was a good tracker," he said, then hesitated.
"But?" Hari asked.
"Keep in mind this was a few years ago. He was a little...immature," he said with a shrug. "He's probably grown out of it by now."
Hari nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the reason Ino had given her for why some of the younger men might be interested in her, and her stomach clenched. Chouji passed the paper onto Naruto to his left, then made a choking noise when he saw the next one.
"Nara Shikaku?" he said in a faint voice.
"What?! Really?" Naruto said, and plucked it out of his hands. "Hey, he's really strong and smart!"
Shikamaru, over his shock from earlier, just leaned back and looked bored.
"Do you have any idea why he would be interested?" Hari asked, and he shrugged.
"I think the council was bugging him about remarrying, once I made it clear I wouldn't be procreating."
"So...he wants more heirs?" Hari asked.
Shikamaru hesitated, and his eyes moved to the rest of the group.
"Oh for goodness sake, it's not like it's a secret with us," Ino sniped. "It's not just that - the wife of the clan head is an important position.
"Since Shikaku-san is jounin commander and advisor to the Hokage, he doesn't have a lot of time to deal with the day-to-day of running a clan. I'm guessing he thinks that the daughter of a Daimyo would be a good choice. Also, I think he's a little lonely," she said bluntly, and Shikamaru sighed, which Hari took to mean he agreed.
Hari hummed, and tapped her fingers on the tablecloth.
"And the clans...which do you think my children would be more comfortable and safe in?" Hibiki, who had been silent up until then, asked.
Shikamaru looked away, not willing to get into the discussion. Surprisingly, it was Chouji who answered.
"The Inuzuka are physically strong, and their tracking and fighting skills make them an important asset to Konoha. They're easily provoked into anger and action, but won't really stay focused on it for long.
"They hate politics, which could be both good and bad for you. Good, because as the princess of Fruit Country you'll probably already be knee deep in politics. Bad, because they won't be able to support you much in that arena."
"The Nara are the opposite. They're strong, yes, but laid back. They won't be easily provoked, but when they are, they won't forget or hold back. They're smart enough to run circles around people in the political arena when they feel like they need to," he finished.
Hari bit her lip. "The intelligence thing...I'm not exactly stupid, but nobody would ever call me a genius, either. I was always more of the...what's the word...strength? No..."
"Brawn?" Shikamaru offered, and Hari nodded. "Right, I was always more of the brawn of our friends."
Ino snorted, and everyone looked at her.
"Please. I saw your memories, remember? You were the leader of a resistance! You might not be book smart, or a strategic genius, but you're no idiot."
Hari blushed, and Hibiki gave her an interested look. Obviously, Ino had already shared what she learned from Hari's memories with the others, because they didn't look shocked.
"Well, anyway," she mumbled. "I'm just wondering if the Nara clan would see me as some sort of idiot. There's no way I'd be useful as a...clan head's wife if nobody respected me."
"The Nara are too smart to dismiss you because you don't hold the same strengths as they do," Ino said in a firm voice. "You think Ino-Shika-Cho would work if they did? Besides, I wrote up an evaluation of you and sent it with Naruto's frog -"
"They're toads!" he protested, but she ignored him and kept talking,
"-and if Shikaku-san reads it and thinks you won't make a good wife, he'll rescind his offer."
"And the Inuzuka? Would they get along with me?" Hari asked, and Naruto snorted.
"Like a house on fire!" He said. "It they're all like Kiba, they'll think you're awesome."
Hari nodded and leaned back in her chair. "I'd like to take some time to think about it, if that's alright?"
"Of course," Shikamaru said. "Tsunade has sent a team to come and collect the Daimyo tomorrow morning. We decided it wouldn't be safe for him to travel with you, since you're being targeted," he said bluntly. "We'll be your escorts to Konoha."
Hari found Shikamaru on the balcony later that day. She nervously stopped in the doorway before taking a deep breath and moving to sit next to him.
"You've decided," he said.
"I...think so, yes. Though I wanted to talk to you about it first," she admitted.
"I don't mind if you marry my dad," he said with a shrug. "You're less troublesome than most women."
That surprised a laugh out of Hari.
"I guess you even know why I chose him," she said, turning her face into the breeze, which smelled sweet from the ripe fruit growing on the trees.
"Aa. Marrying into the Nara clan gives you purpose. Also, I doubt you want someone to marry you because they envision a sweet, beautiful princess gracing their bed at night."
"You missed the most important reason," she said easily, and her mouth ticked up when he tilted his head towards her in interest.
"I respect you. You're a good person, and you think your dad is pretty great, so..."
She was amused when his cheeks turned a little pink again.
"Also," she said airily, "Your dad is a very good looking man. I mean, those cheek bones -" Shikamaru moaned and slapped a hand over her laughing mouth.
"No, stop, you're killing me," he said.
When he lowered his hand, she chewed on her lip.
"You remember what I told you? About hoping this marriage could be good?" He hummed in agreement. "Do you think...that's something he'll want, too? I know I'm a lot younger than him..."
Shikamaru shrugged one shoulder. "I can't really speak for him, but...Ino was right. He has been lonely. And he and mom...they were never really close. Theirs was an arranged marriage, and she wasn't interested in making it...more. She was my mom, and I loved her, but..."
Hari nodded. "I get it. If it weren't for Natsu and Eito, I'd probably be pretty angry under the same circumstances," she admitted.
"I think they'll like it," Shikamaru said. "The twins...they'll like the Nara compound. There's a large forest available only to clan members, with a herd of practically domesticated deer. There's a lot of space, and the clan is pretty calm and doesn't stand too much on ceremony."
"And you?" she asked. "Will you be happy with some additional family members?"
Hari looked down at her fingers, folded into her lap.
He sighed. "Troublesome girl. As long as you don't make me call you step mother, it's fine. I like you okay."
Her lips turned up at the corner, even as his voice went stern. "Just be good to my dad," he said.
And that was that.
The next day, Neji's team arrived. He was a solemn, beautiful boy, and Hari almost laughed at the way he and Shikamaru interacted. Shikamaru was sweet, in his own lazy way, offering the other boy half of his peeled apple at lunch and giving him a tour of the grounds. Neji lost some of his stiffness around the Nara, and even blushed a bit at the offered fruit.
The moment Hari got close, however, he stiffened into formal politeness, and it took her about an hour to realize that what she saw in his face was terror. Finally, she wasn't able to take it anymore.
"Listen, you don't need to worry so much. I didn't pick you," she said bluntly when he actually flinched when she brushed by him.
Hibiki sputtered, and Isao raised one eyebrow.
"What? It's not like we can't all tell he was forced into offering," she muttered.
Ino burst out laughing, but Hari was relieved when Neji seemed to relax. Poor guy, she knew what it was like to have your whole life held in the palm of someone else's hand.
A week later, they were packing things into a trunk and trying to distract the distraught family with stories of the Nara clan - Shikaku in particular, since Eito seemed to want all the information he could get on the man.
Hari's stomach was churning as story after story of the man's accomplishments and exploits came out. How was she supposed to compare with a man who was said to be almost kage-level powerful? Iwa nin still shuddered at the mention of his name, even after he led their joint armies to victory. He was going to laugh at her. He expected some princess and instead, he was going to get a tiny, uncouth...
"I remember the time that elderly woman dumped a jar of preserves over his head when he was too lazy to carry her bags home," Chouji broke in, and Hari blinked at him.
"There he was, standing in the street with strawberry preserves dripping down his cheek, looking totally cowed as this tiny wrinkled woman took him to task," he said. "I think he still helps her carry her bags every week to this day."
Natsu and Eito broke into giggles, and Hari's shoulders, which had tensed, relaxed, and she found herself smiling in thanks at the large man as Ino scolded him.
"You're totally ruining his dignity, and they haven't even met!" she wailed.
"What dignity?" Shikamaru drawled, seeming to catch on. "Dad totally loses his cool when angry women or crying children are involved. Once I came home and he was being bossed around by my cousins as he huddled in a tiny pillow fort. He looked absolutely miserable, but he kept roaring like a dragon whenever prompted. Every time he almost fell asleep they'd poke him with a broom handle."
This time Hari did laugh, mostly out of relief. Maybe he was human after all.
000
Two Weeks Later
Nara Shikaku didn't do nervous. Anybody who saw the man leaning nonchalantly against the inside of the gates would guess that he was, at the most, a little apprehensive.
Naruto's messenger toad had informed Tsunade that his bride - his bride, gods - would finally be arriving this afternoon. All the little twerp had said for an explanation on why they were five days late was that they had "run into some trouble, some explosions and stuff happened or something..."
Shikaku was going to kill that stupid frog one day. Next to him, Kakashi was slumped against the wall, reading his ever-present book. Though he wouldn't say it and didn't look it Shikaku knew he was just as concerned about Naruto's late arrival as Shikaku was with Shikamaru's. They might not be related by blood, but Kakashi's team was his family.
Finally, Kakashi cocked his head to the right, and Shikaku glanced at him.
"Hear something?"
"Aa. A wagon. And one knucklehead ninja telling a much-abbreviated and not altogether correct version of Konoha's history."
Kakashi straightened to a stand, and strolled over to wait by the missions desk. Shikaku decided to stay where he was, slightly hidden by shadow, and observe.
To say he was surprised that Hayano Hari had chosen him out of all the candidates would be an understatement. Though at some level he could understand - if they were after protection, they could do a lot worse than living with the jounin commander and head of the Nara clan.
Ten minutes later a large wagon entered the gates, his son and Chouji walking beside it and looking worse for wear. Sitting in the wagon was an excited Naruto, an exhausted Ino, two dark-haired children dressed in dirty but high quality yukata, and a young woman.
Shikaku jerked a little when he saw just how young she was, but didn't react otherwise. Her black hair was pulled back into a braid that ended between her shoulder blades, though half of it had come out on one side. She was dressed in what looked like brown leather pants and a matching jacket.
Not exactly princess clothing, but Ino's report had indicated that she wasn't the normal sort of daughter of a Daimyo. In fact, it sounded like she had been part of some sort of war when she was younger, before she became displaced. And wasn't the news that she was from a whole other dimension shocking?
The two children were staring around them wide eyed, asking rapid-fire questions about the village that Naruto was happily answering. Shikaku frowned when he saw the way the princess stood, stiffly, with her arm bent and held close to her side as if she were injured.
He barely had time to wonder why Ino hadn't healed her when he saw Chouji jump into the wagon, which creaked with his weight, and help the girl to her feet. She swayed a little, but waved off his concern.
His eyes narrowed as Hari hurried down the steps first and nobody moved to help her, then turned and offered her hand to Ino, who took it gratefully. Chouji kept a large hand on Ino's waist to keep her from losing her balance. They were treating Hari more like a comrade than a princess. Interesting, and a little annoying.
The three had a short conversation, and Hari shook her head and waved them off, ignoring Ino's scolding as she turned to join Naruto where he was talking to Kakashi and the desk nin. Chouji tugged a protesting Ino off to the direction of the hospital, and Shikaku straightened and headed closer to where the group was conversing so he could hear them.
"...Looks like you ran into some trouble," the chunin at the gate said in an amused voice.
"Yeah! We were attacked four times on our way here!" the little girl said excitedly, and Kakashi made an interested noise.
"Onee-san said that it's because the Uzumaki and Potter luck combined to make our luck epically horrible!"
"Potteru?" Kakashi asked as Hari gave a pleasant, breathy laugh.
The girl turned to look at Kakashi, and Shikaku saw from her profile that her eyes were a bright, vibrant green.
"That was my surname before I was adopted into the Hayano clan," she said easily.
"In my original language, my name was Harriet Lily Potter," Shikaku blinked at the strange name as she continued, "but when I was adopted I legally became Hayano Hari.
"Pleased to meet you Kakashi-sensei, I've heard so much about you!"
She gave a bright smile, no less beautiful for the small amount of blood on her teeth - probably from the crack in her lip, and Kakashi swayed back on his feet a little.
"Maa, maa, my cute little students are too kind when they talk about me," he said, and Shikaku saw that he was blushing from what little of his face was showing.
He slumped a bit as he realized how much attention the princess was likely to garner from the opposite sex. So troublesome.
"What's this trouble, hmm? And while I don't doubt some of it was Naruto's fault -" "Hey!" "-I am surprised that he managed to find problems of his own on this trip."
"Well, first we were attacked by the ninja hired by my uncle," Hari said as if attempts on her life were an everyday occurance, "so we can blame that on the Potter luck.
"Then, a cult of...Black Zetsu...worshippers attacked us in revenge for their fallen leader. That's pure Uzumaki there," she teased as Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously.
Shikaku's shoulders tensed as she went on, "then, there were the Iwa nin who insisted I be brought in for questioning due to me accidentally trespassing on their land two years ago...that was right when I arrived, before father adopted me. Naruto gave them a very nice speech on the power of love and cooperation and they decided to let me go," she said.
"And then the idiot mentioned you were engaged to my father, so they changed their minds again ..." Shikamaru said with a sigh.
"But then I turned their leader into a turtle, and they once again changed their minds..." Hari said, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Naruto once again convinced them of the power of peace and love and Hari diverted a river to help with their drought, and we are assured of our continued peace with Iwa," Shikamaru said with a smirk.
The two nins at the gate were blinking in shock, obviously unsure whether they were serious or not. There were rumors, of course, of what Hari could do, but nobody had real confirmation yet.
She's going to be such a pain, he thought, and wondered if it was too late to back out.
"And then, my uncle's ninjas and the Zetsu worshipers joined forces," Hari continued. "They ambushed us in a gully. Chouji was injured when he protected Natsu and Eito from a falling rock," Hari said in a serious voice, and put her uninjured hand on the boy's head - Eito, probably, "and Ino spent most of her chakra healing him. That was yesterday."
"Yeah, but Hari and I kicked their asses with an Uzumaki-Hayano combo that literally blew them away, believe it!" Naruto interjected, and Hari laughed, then held out her hand for a fist bump, which he returned eagerly.
Unable to stay silent at this point, Shikaku stepped forward and said in what he knew Shikamaru called his 'scary voice,' "I see you brought my princess to me with some damage, Shikamaru-kun."
His son stiffened at his tone, but wasn't surprised that he was there. Naruto, on the other hand, jumped and spun around.
"Shikaku-san! Ehehe, how...how are you?" he faltered at the man's steady look.
"Well, that would be a problem if I was a box of goods belonging to you, but since I'm a person who's perfectly capable of making her own decisions on whether to fight or not, there's nothing left to say about it," a cool, steady voice said, and Shikaku's eyes shifted to Hari, who had turned around fully.
He blinked once, slowly, the only indication that he was surprised, and ignored his son's knowing look.
The princess was...very young, and very attractive, even with her hair a mess, a bruise on her jaw to go with her split lip, and her dusty traveling leathers.
Her pale skin, black hair, and large green eyes made an striking combination. The faded lightening shaped scar on her forehead made her delicate features even more interesting. She was short, her head only came up to the top of his shoulder, and slim. All in all, she looked almost ethereal, and he was infuriated that anybody had dared to harm her.
"Their mission was to escort you safely home," he drawled, and let his eyes linger on the arm she was favoring, not missing how she straightened despite her pain at his perusal.
"They obviously failed."
Shikamaru looked down at the dirt. "Sorry, father, I -"
"Without them, my siblings and I would be dead four times over!" Hari said, and Shikaku had to resist leaning forward at the way her eyes glinted at him. "I won't allow you to talk to them like that!"
Shikamaru's eyes widened, and the two desk ninja and Kakashi were both watching raptly. This would make good gossip material later, and Shikaku almost slumped at the thought.
"You're hurt. What do you think enemies of my clan will believe when they heard you were already injured and forced to fight for your life when our agreement is to protect you?"
He blinked twice in shock when she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please. What do you think 'enemies of your clan' will think when they heard my guards and I blew them and the surrounding scenery sky high when they aimed an attack at my siblings?" she asked, and he couldn't help but focus on the way her cheeks flushed when she was angry.
"And if you think for one moment that I should stand back while some trumped up twit tries to hurt my family, you should probably look elsewhere for a wife!" she snapped, and when he saw her eyes were shimmering with tears, his own widened as Shikamaru dropped his forehead onto his hand.
"Maa, maa, princess, let's just calm down," Kakashi said, bringing his book up to cover his face. "I think what Shikaku-san meant to say is that he was worried, and he's sorry he came across as a caveman," the man said, flicking his eyes at Shikaku.
"Right," he said after a moment. "I...apologize," he said stiffly, ignoring the dropped jaws of the two desk nin.
His reputation was ruined. This would be worse than the jelly incident.
"I didn't mean to imply that you're unable to take care of yourself...I was just worried when you were late and I heard you were attacked," he grumbled at the ground.
There was silence for a moment before Hari answered.
"I'm...sorry too, for losing my temper. I guess I'm just a little worn out from the long journey," she said with less grace than most nobles would use when apologizing.
"Well," Shikamaru said after a long, strained silence. "Naruto and I need to report in, and Hari, Eito, and Natsu should head to the hospital for a check up. Dad, you should probably come with us. Kakashi-sensei, do you mind..."
"I'll take them to the hospital," the copy nin said, then giggled at whatever he was reading, causing Hari to give him a suspicious look and the twins to give him an intrigued one.
Hari gave Shikaku a stiff bow, and he returned it. Then she turned to follow Kakashi while the gate nin assured Naruto they'd make sure the princess' things made it to the Nara compound.
Shikaku slumped in despair as Shikamaru gave him an amused look.
"An auspicious beginning," he said, and smiled at his father's groan.
000
Hari gave Shikamaru a sheepish look when he came to collect her from the hospital. The twins were asleep in the chairs, and she was halfway to a doze herself.
"So," she said as she followed him out of the hospital after he somehow maneuvered both twins into his arms. "How ready is your dad to kick me to the curb, and are you sure you're not willing to marry me?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing about my father. He moped all through the meeting, and I'm pretty sure he's expecting a message from the Hokage telling him you've chosen a Hyuuga instead."
Hari eyed him, and adjusted her arm in the sling, glad it was her left and not her wand hand. He tipped his head towards it.
"Just the dislocation?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Mm, a few cracked ribs, too. No biggie," she said. "I'm just glad I convinced them to heal my lip - I hate split lips, they take forever to heal," she said.
He snorted. "A dislocated shoulder and cracked ribs are fine, but you find a split lip annoying." She grinned at him.
"So, are we still on to be mother and son, or...?" he asked leadingly.
Hari sighed. "I...I don't know. He didn't seem to like me much," she said in a small voice.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Shikamaru said in a wry tone. "I didn't realize he was so bad with women, no wonder he's stayed single all this time."
Hari laughed, then winced a bit as it jostled her ribs.
"Ugh, I know they're worried about healing me too much with chakra until they understand my bloodline limit, but seriously. Maybe Ino will speed it along for me," she said.
Then she sighed and met his steady gaze, knowing after traveling with him that he expected an answer.
"I just don't want to be married to someone that will be constantly disappointed in me," she admitted as they stepped off the main, busy street onto a lightly wooded one. "Like you said, if he expects a sweet, soft-spoken princess..."
Shikamaru nodded.
"Well, you'll have to talk to him about that, but I don't think that's it," he offered. "I think he really was just panicked when he saw you waltz through the gates looking like you'd been in battle. Besides, he was right - we did fail when you got hurt. That's just fact."
Hari scowled at him. "Well, it's not like we expected that much trouble. Some of those ninja were really strong," she protested.
"And we're four of Konoha's strongest. As the team leader, I need to take responsibility for your injuries," he said firmly. "I chose to let you fight so I could protect Ino while she healed Chouji."
"It was the right decision," Hari said, and Eito stirred and opened his eyes.
"Shikamaru-niisan?" he muttered, and Hari's heart melted.
He hadn't called Shikamaru niisan before, and she could see he wasn't unaffected either.
"Hey, Eito. We're almost to your new house, okay?"
The little boy's face twisted into a mixture of grief and excitement. Nobody had been happy to leave Hibiki behind, but the twins were still intrigued at the idea of living with 'really strong ninja' like Shikamaru.
"Aa," he finally said, and pushed his face into the crook of Shikamaru's neck.
"I'll talk to your father," Hari said, that old determination to keep her siblings safe and happy rising in her chest. "I'll make it work."
The Nara compound was made of simple houses with large yards and a bordering forest full of healthy, green trees that stretched towards the sky, their massive trunks taking prominence in the scenery. The twins had woken up, and were staring wide eyed around them. Finally, they came to a large, low wooden house at the edge of the forest.
"Here we are," Shikamaru said, "open the door for me?"
Hari rushed to do so, relieved when she found the door unlocked. Shikamaru set the twins down, and somehow managed to toe off his sandals while they clung to him. She took off her own as well, and helped her brother and sister do the same, setting them in a neat row on the shoe stand.
Shikaku appeared in the doorway, looking unconcerned. Natsu glared at him and put her hands on her hips.
"Are you going to make Aneki cry again, because mmph - " Hari had slapped her hand over the girl's mouth.
"Enough, Natsu-chan," she muttered. "Don't be rude."
"But you yelled at him - " Eito said, but cut off at the older girl's glare.
"Nara-sama," Hari said, standing and executing as perfect a bow as she could with her arm in a sling and her ribs wrapped. "I'm sorry we didn't get a proper introduction earlier. This is my brother, Hayano Eito, and my sister, Hayano Natsu. Please, feel free to call us by our first names," she murmured respectfully.
Her siblings bowed, an automatic response for children raised in a noble family.
When she straightened, Shikaku was rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ah - it's nice to meet you," he said, and gave a bow of his own. "Please, call me Shikaku," he said.
"Are you still going to marry Hari? Because she thinks you don't want her anym-"
Natsu squeaked as Shikamaru grabbed her and put her under his arm.
"Right," he muttered, grabbing Eito in the same hold and ignoring their delighted laughter. "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms, where you can get clean - don't argue, Natsu, you stink, seriously - and then I'll take you guys into town with me to pick up dinner. How's that sound?"
Hari gave the three of them an impossibly fond smile - they'd really bonded on the trip - and moved to follow Shikamaru.
"I'd like it if we could speak after I freshen up, Shikaku-san. Would you be available in an hour or so?"
"I, yes, of course," he said, and she was amused when he fumbled his words a bit. "Though if you're tired from your trip, we could do it tomorrow..."
Hari gave him a small smile. "I'd...rather clear the air right away, if that's okay."
He nodded, and motioned for her to head down the hall.
"I'll make us tea," he said, and was rewarded with a bright smile.
He gave her a half smile back, and her heart flipped a little. He really was incredibly attractive - his picture hadn't done him much justice. He was tall - probably half a foot taller than her - and had broad shoulders and a slim waist and hips and long, long legs. His scars and earrings gave him a sort of rugged, bad boy look, and paired with that crooked smile...well.
"I...yes. Tea. Would be good," she stuttered, and edged around him to follow Shikamaru, blushing when her chest brushed his arm and pretending not to see his slow smile.
Her rooms were more like a small suite - three bedrooms off of a small sitting room, with a bathroom attached. They were spacious, with cushy chairs and a low table with pillows surrounding it in the middle. Each bedroom had a comfortable looking bed, desk and chair, and wardrobe attached.
Their trunks had been carefully set into their rooms, and Hari moved to rummage through them to pull out fresh yukatas for each of them, keeping an ear on the twins, who were splashing in the bathroom.
She joined them once she had their clothes sorted, smiling at their antics as she forced them to wash thoroughly before the three of them entered the bath. Hari sighed in relief, leaning back and closing her eyes and letting the warm water relax her muscles.
She got out much sooner than she wanted, and couldn't help but smile when her siblings solemnly helped her dry off. She slipped on underwear and a bra, and allowed them to clumsily rewrap her ribs and tie her yukata shut.
She sighed at the sling, but knew from their stubborn faces that Natsu and Eito expected her to wear it "All the time, you heard the doctor, Aneki!"
Finally, she let Natsu brush her hair out and put it into a loose braid that trailed over one shoulder. A look in the mirror had her wrinkling her nose. She'd certainly had better days.
There were bags under her eyes as a result of the long, exhausting journey, and there was still a slight discoloration on her jaw. Her blue and white yukata bunched where her arm was in a sling, and her skin was paler than usual. Hari made a face in the mirror, then shrugged.
If it wasn't the way she'd imagined meeting her future husband, well, that was just the way her life worked. Of course, he would look completely gorgeous while she was a total mess.
Giving it up as a lost cause, she headed back out to the sitting room, where Shikamaru had returned, also freshly showered.
"You guys ready to head out?" he asked, and Eito and Natsu cheered.
"Alright, alright, no need to look so energetic," he mumbled.
Hari fiddled with the edge of her sleeve as she followed them out to the main part of the house.
"We're heading out," Shikamaru called into a room off to the side, and motioned Hari to enter as he herded the children forward.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room, pausing to take in the kitchen. It was good sized, with nice new appliances, an island in the center, and a small table with six chairs at the end next to the window.
Shikaku was seated at the table looking half asleep, with a tea set in front of him.
"Yo," he said, eyes flicking quickly over her.
He'd removed the green flak jacket, and his blue long sleeved shirt stretched across his chest.
"Hello, Shikaku-san," Hari said, then moved to hesitantly take a seat across from him when he motioned her forward.
He poured her a cup of fragrant tea, and she murmured her thanks before taking a sip, savoring the warmth on her fingers and tongue.
"That's good," she sighed happily, and darted her eyes at him when he chuckled.
He was studying her intently, and she felt her cheeks warm as she carefully set the cup back down.
She looked away and concentrated on running her thumb across the flowers etched on the tea cup. Finally, Shikaku spoke.
"How did you find your rooms?"
"They're very nice, thank you," she said, then bit her lip before glancing up at him from under her lashes, and decided she may as well go for broke.
"I'd like to...apologize again for losing my temper. I'd like to say it will never happen again, but...I'm afraid I tend to do that sometimes. I'm not much of a princess, to be honest," she mumbled.
To her surprise he laughed, and a large hand entered her vision and grasped her own smaller one. He pulled it towards himself, then set them both on the table, rubbing at her pulse point with his thumb.
"It's me who should be apologizing, princess," he rumbled, and she looked up at his warm brown eyes. "I've been told in no uncertain terms that I made an idiot of myself, and should be prostrating at your feet."
"Oh?" she said faintly, distracted by his calloused thumb on her soft wrist.
"Aa. I'm impressed - Naruto and my son both said you acted admirably throughout the trip, and before. You've got a fan club," he smirked as she blushed a brighter red, and her eyes skittered away from his.
"And I can't say that I'm not happy to have a bride that would defend my son and his teammates so vehemently."
"I meant what I said," she said with a shrug, and tugged her hand out of his under the pretense of taking another drink of her tea.
"They went above and beyond considering the trouble we ran into," she said with a small smile. "Your son in particular made the transition bearable. Natsu and Eito were...distraught to be leaving. He and the others did a good job making them feel comfortable."
"And you?" Shikaku asked, sounding honestly curious. "How are you feeling about all of this?"
Hari looked up at him, tilting her head to the side, but as far as she could tell, he was honestly concerned about her.
"I'm feeling...overwhelmed, I suppose. And hopeful." she added on, cursing her red cheeks but keeping eye contact.
"What do you hope for, princess?" he asked softly, leaning forward to rest his chin in the palm of a large hand.
"I guess..." she faltered for a moment, then squared her shoulders.
Right, gryffindor. She could do this.
"I guess I'd like the chance to build a family with somebody."
Shikaku's eyes widened slightly, and her confidence faltered, her eyes darting to look out the window at the field leading into the forest.
"I mean, that is, if that's what you want. Too. As well..." her rambling was cut off as he again grabbed her hand, and pulled it to be held in both of his.
"I think I can live with that," he said gently, and Hari's eyes found his again. "But I have to ask, princess, why did you choose me? I know there were other men closer to your own age in that packet we sent over."
"Well...why did you include your name?" Hari asked, head tilting to the side.
"I asked you first, princess," he said with a small smile.
She huffed. "I have a name, you know," she muttered, and scowled when he just raised a brow at her.
"I guess...I admired Shikamaru already. He was intelligent, and kind in his own way, and the twins liked him. Before the list was sent over, we spoke about you a bit. He really respects you, you know. And I thought...if you could create somebody like Shikamaru, you must be a good man..." she huffed.
"That sounds kind of stupid now that I say it out loud but, I just already felt comfortable with you. And all the stories that Ino and Chouji and Shikamaru told about you after I decided only reassured me that you were a good man."
Shikaku hummed, but she could tell he was pleased with her answer.
"Shikamaru got the best of me and his mother," he said fondly. "He'll surpass me someday - in some ways he already has."
Hari smiled at him when she heard the obvious love for his son in his voice. "Okay, your turn - why did you put yourself in the pool?"
The man shrugged, and turned her palm over to study it, running a finger along one of the lines and making her shiver.
"The elders of the clan have been pushing me to find a wife," he began slowly, "but I didn't have anybody that seemed like they would work. None of the women that I could really stand to be around had what it took to help me run the clan. None of the suggestions from the elders were women that I wanted to live with."
"So I was a desperate last ditch plan?" she teased, but her heart had clenched at his answer.
He sighed, and tugged her hand until she looked back at his face.
"No. I'd heard rumors about you already - how you were the only reason the Fruit Daimyo and his children still lived. The beloved adopted daughter, accepted by not only your family but the people of the country as well.
"And Shikamaru and Naruto's reports spoke well of you. I knew you probably wouldn't choose me, but...I hoped," he said with a shrug, and looked uncomfortable.
Her heart warmed, and she gave him a shy smile.
"Okay," she said, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, hmmm?"
He released her hand to take a sip of his tea, and for awhile they sat in comfortable silence, drinking tea and looking out the window.
"I'd like to take the next few weeks to get to know you and your siblings better," Shikaku said.
"I have to work during the day, but maybe Shikamaru and I could take you on a tour of the compound when I get home tomorrow," he said, studying his tea intently.
Hari nodded shyly, pleased that he'd included Natsu and Eito in their plans.
"I'd like that," she said, and was rewarded with another half smile.
A few minutes later Shikamaru arrived with the food, and Hari couldn't help but laugh at his stressed out and ruffled expression.
"Oh no, were they horrible?" she asked, even as her stomach rumbled at the delicious smells coming from the bags.
"No, just...energetic," he said, and his eyes looked haunted.
"We got barbeque!" Eito said.
"Yeah, from Chouji-niisan's aunt. She was really nice, and I told her all about how Chouji saved us, and she gave us free brownies! But Shika-niisan said we couldn't have any until we asked you."
Natsu looked so aggrieved at that statement that Shikamaru sighed and muttered something under his breath.
"Well, he made the right call," Hari said brusquely, standing to help Shikaku pull plates from the cupboards.
He gave her an amused look that she ignored.
"You know better than to try and eat a brownie before dinner, Natsu-flower," she scolded lightly but without heat, using Habiki's nickname for the girl.
"Yeah, but I'm so hungry," Eito whined, and Shikamaru snorted.
"Well, we're about to eat, aren't we? Sit down, I'll fill up your plates," she said gently, recognizing that they were on their last legs.
They both did so, sensing weakness in her sympathy and giving her wide, sad eyes. Unable to resist, she patted and cooed at them as she fixed their plates, making sure they got plenty of vegetables.
"There you are, darlings. Now eat up, and you can have a bit of brownie before bedtime, alright?" She smoothed down Eito's hair, and he leaned into his touch.
Belatedly, she realized she had taken Shikamaru's plate and started to fill it.
"Uh..." she said, blushing red at his raised eyebrow.
"I like the pork buns and green beans the best," he drawled, and she stuck her tongue out at him before piling his plate high, including a few other vegetables as well.
Shikaku had his chin in his hand and was watching her unashamedly, and she faltered a bit when she noticed his regard.
"Aren't you going to fill my plate, too, Hari-san?" he purred, and she blushed bright red, but picked it up and made a questioning motion.
"I'm okay with all of it, all Akimichi food is good," he said dismissively.
She hesitated, and then put a bit of everything on his plate and handed it to him. Finally, she loaded up her own and sat down.
Hari had to stop herself from shoveling food into her mouth - it had been a long time since lunch, and they'd been eating rations for weeks. She wasn't able to stop her low appreciative moan at the taste of the pork, closing her eyes and ignoring the clatter of somebody's chopsticks suddenly hitting a plate.
"This is so good," she said, and opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at Shikamaru's amused face and Shikaku's blank one.
"Mmm-hmm!" Natsu agreed enthusiastically, and Eito nodded.
"Too bad the Akimichi didn't offer you a contract," Shikamaru drawled, snickering at his dad's glare.
Hari rolled her eyes and ignored him in favor of potatoes in some sort of brown sauce.
"You were so right Shikaku-san," Hari said with a happy sigh once she'd stuffed herself. "Akimichi food is amazing! Thank you so much for picking some up, Shikamaru," she said warmly, and he just shrugged, looking half asleep.
"I'll do the dishes," Shikaku said. "You four look half-dead." Hari tried to protest, and he waved it away. "Go on, off to bed," he drawled.
Hari had to admit she was exhausted, and could tell her brother and sister were doing no better. She thanked Shikaku profusely, then herded her siblings towards their quarters. She had to bully them into their pajamas and stand over them as they brushed their teeth, but eventually had them in bed.
Finally, she was sliding in between her own sheets, sighing in happiness before drifting into sleep. She woke for a moment when Eito and Natsu slipped into bed beside her, but their warm little bodies and gentle breathing lulled her back into slumber.
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Next time.
Shikaku and Hari get to know each other, and the twins charm the pants off of Konoha.