A/N: i do not own any characters here except for Inomaru xD

i re-write this because i really intended this to be a one-shot, so please enjoy!

Welcome Home

Ah~ four years already passed, and yes I'm going back now – going back to my homeland. Shikamaru thought as he lazily packed his things onto his bag. His four long years stay in Suna will end now, his mission on the Sand village had finished, he was grateful to it because finally he can now step his foot back in Konoha. Oh~ how he missed his homeland very much. Packing the last thing he remembered to packed, he slouch his bag on his back and he's ready to go.

"So, excited to get your ass out of here?" Temari asked the moment Shikamaru stepped out of his quarter.

"You can say that, after all four years is four years." He answered lazily as they both walked out of the quarter's area heading to the Kazekage tower for his last report.

"Yeah~ if I were on your shoes, I don't think I can stay that long I guess my limit is up to three days. You're really a responsible shinobi Nara." Temari stated Shikamaru took a glance at her and smile wryly, before he tilted his head to look at the passing clouds.

"Men and women are different in many ways." He said in no one in particular.

"It's true, but women can easily catch up to men nowadays." She replied as they stood outside of the Kazekage tower. "I'll wait here so I can walk you to the front gate. Good luck on the last report." Temari added as she strolled somewhere, leaving Shikamaru. The male shinobi nodded and headed his way up to his destination.

After three days of non-stop travelling, Shikamaru finally saw the front gate of the Village Hidden in Leaves, he sighed heavily feeling the freshness of the air together with the fresh smell of the leaves that joined the wind I guess it's a welcome home dance for me he thought. He never knew that he missed Konoha that much. Walking slowly, he enjoyed seeing the familiar places he didn't see for the past four years. The twenty-nine year old Jounin walked straight to the Hokage tower where his long time friend and the sixth Hokage, Naruto waits for his report. It's too troublesome to report my duty in the past four years, but do I have any choice? Ah~ I just want to lay my head on my bed and rest as much as I can. He thought until he finally arrived at the front of Naruto's office. He knocked twice before he heard the Hokage answered.

"Come in" Naruto said Shikamaru was greeted by a wide smile on Naruto's face "yoh~ pineapple head! It's been a while!" he exclaimed loudly enough to make Shikamaru deaf.

"Yeah-yeah and I guess these two scrolls will tell you how much trouble I've been through just to finish that stupid mission." He answered dryly as the Hokage picked the scrolls that he sluggishly threw in his table.

"Four years had passed and you're still you, lazy ass." Naruto snorted as he began to read the content of the first scroll. "I'll let you have a vacation. So wait for your next mission, alright pineapple head?" he said and that wide-annoying smile spread again on his face, Shikamaru sighed in response.

"seeyah." He said and walked out of the room.

"Oh~ before I forgot, you must go to Yamanaka flower Shop. I hear Ino has a surprise for you," he heard Naruto shouted, he didn't give him any reply. He just continued his way back to the town.

Shikamaru strolled back, nodding his head whenever he sees someone familiar to him until he finally found his next stop. He's not that interested to get the surprise Naruto had just told him, nevertheless, he will still be dropping by to that said flower shop to see his former-teammate, the blonde girl that never ceased to appear on his every dream when he was in Suna. The one he loved for so many years. He wondered what Ino looks like now, does she change that much or she still remain as the same? The anticipation slowly kills him that he didn't notice something, scratch that, someone bumped into him.

"I'm sorry." Said a little voice, when Shikamaru heard it he moved his head left to right , when he didn't saw someone he felt a stinging pain on his left leg that made him realized that the little voice was indeed a mere inches in his leg "You're such a bad man for not looking at my direction." The little boy about three to four years added as he made his way back to the flower shop. Shikamaru's eyes went wide in shock, couldn't believe what he just saw; a little boy was like a miniature of him. Reluctantly, he followed the brat that stormed his way inside the flower shop. And there he saw the boy, in his mother's arms, crying loudly.

"I-Ino" he stutter when he saw his female friend cradling the miniature version of him.

"Shika" Ino said as she run towards him and hugged him with one arm. Shikamaru became stiff in Ino's sudden contact. Their mini reunion was interrupted when the boy in Ino's arms complaint.

"'kaa-saaaaaan~~. "the boy shouted

"You little brat!" Shikamaru couldn't contain his annoyance but chose not to hurt the child on Ino's arms, that he just balled his fist to contain his annoyance.

"Stop it Shika~!" Ino stopped him, thinking that Shikamaru would hurt the boy. "He's your son"

"What?" he asked, bewildered at Ino's sudden confession. Ino landed the boy to the floor before he faced the older man.

"Yes Shika, he is our son. He's Inomaru." She said as she pinched lightly both of Shikamaru's cheek.

"Is it true 'kaa-san? He's my 'tou-san?" Inomaru asked as he looked at Ino then to Shikamaru.

"Yes dear, don't you notice your similarities?" Ino smiled as she adored her son's confused face.

"I'm much more handsome that he is." Inomaru said as he stomped his little feet towards the counter.

"H-how'd that. . . "Shikamaru, upon gaining his senses again couldn't form any sentence that left Ino no choice but to explain to him.

"It's a shame you didn't remember what happened to us before you left to Suna." She said, but a warm smile was still plastered on her face. "Don't you remember what happened on the night after your farewell party?" she asked. Shikamaru's face became tinted with red as he remembered the night were he and Ino confessed to each other and things led to something more intimate. "Oh~ I guess you remembered them well." She teased.

"uhm, yeah. Very well," He said as he scratched the back of his head. He pulled Ino into a hug. "I missed you, Ino" he said

"I missed you too Shika. And I'm thankful that you're here now." She replied as she wrapped her arms on his neck.

"ehem. Someone's here, you can save your little affection later when I'm sleeping, okay?" they heard Inomaru said, he's face were blushing when Shikamaru walked to him.

"You sure got my genes, young boy." He said as he cradled his son "but definitely got your mother's big mouth." He added, Ino poked him on the shoulder.

"You could say that. He's a genius just like you. Your father's very proud of him." She said

"Who wouldn't? He's my son and he should be just like Me." he said as he planted a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Thank you for the wonderful welcome home present, Ino." He said as he sealed her with a kiss on the lips.

After Shikamaru learned about Inomaru's existence, he became a more responsible man. He spent his vacation with his son and with Ino; he barely went to their own house, Ino noted that but didn't mind because she truly loved Shikamaru around their home. Inoichi approved on his daughter and Shikamaru's growing relationship, not as a teammate or friend anymore, but rather in a more intimate way.

Inomaru easily accepted his father, despite being physically absent from the time of his birth until a week ago, because his mother always told him that his father went away to fulfil a job that his Naruto-ojiichan gave.

"Tou-saaaaaaan~!" Inomaru cried, Shikamaru hurriedly went to his son's aid, afraid that the child might be hurt but the dismay crept on his face when he saw Inomaru's hands were just dirty.

"You called me just because your hands were dirty?" he asked, eyebrows were wrinkled but then, he cradled him and went to the kitchen sink to wash his little hands. "You really got your mother's behaviour, you like to boss around little one." He added, but a smile was on his face.

"Will you please stop complaining as to what Inomaru got from me? It's to be expected for him to act like me, I'm his mother right?" Ino's voice rang around the kitchen; Shikamaru became inflexible upon hearing her. "Scared now, lazy ass?" she taunted. Shikamaru turned around to see Ino leaning on the kitchen door, her arms were folded against her chest and a smirk was on her face as she looked at him.

"kaa-san!" Inomaru said and run onto her, she gladly embraced her son and kissed her on the cheek.

"How's your day with you tou-san?" she asked. "You've been good?" Inomaru nodded, Shikamaru walked behind her and snaked his arms on her waist. "You missed me too?" she asked when Shikamaru rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm going to play outside again so you two can freely do what you're doing right now" Inomaru said trying to annoy his father but Shikamaru paid him no attention. "tou-san!"

"You said you're going to play outside?" he asked, Inomaru looked at him, irritated "you're only turning four and you talked like a big man." He said, he heard Ino chuckled at his remark while his son's face didn't change at all.

"That was exactly what your mother told me about him and it frustrates me that he really got both of our traits." She said as she patted Inomaru's head. "You go play outside, call us when there's a customer, okay? We're just going to talk." She told Inomaru as the child nodded lightly before he walked outside going to the shop.

"He talked big, but he's still a child." Shikamaru said turning Ino so he can embrace her fully. "Ino,"

"Hmmm?" she asked as she looked at him in the eyes, her eyes went wide when Shikamaru suddenly knelt in front of her, pulling something on his pocket.

"I know, it's troublesome but. . ." he paused, feeling uneasy as to what he was going to do.

"You're making me nervous Shika" Ino said, she clutched her chest as anticipation was rising on her. Shikamaru sighed heavily

"Will you marry him?" they both heard Inomaru spoke.

"Why you're here?" Shikamaru asked as he immediately stood up, Ino looked unexplainably at her son.

"Because I didn't hear you talking so I guess you two leave that's why I check on you, and I saw you kneeling in front of kaa-san. I saw Neji-jiichan did that to Ten-ten-baachan and asked her if she will marry him." Inomaru explained, his own brown eyes darted on his father's brown eyes.

"Being genius surely has its pros and cons, troublesome." Shikamaru stated and looked at Ino, "you heard him right?" he asked, as he held Ino's left hand and secretly put in the ring on her left ring finger. "Marry me Ino." He whispered.

"Yes Shika!" she said and hugged him tightly. Inomaru smiled at them and let them have some private time together.

Six months had passed; Ino and Shikamaru got married and live together and away from both of their parents. Inomaru visited his grandparents whenever Ino and Shikamaru have missions to do and whenever he wants to. He was beyond happy that he has now a complete family, but then he still insisted that he wants either a baby brother or a baby sister but he preferred a baby brother.

"Girls are too troublesome to handle" he reasoned. Ino's temporal vein immediately popped out the moment she heard his reason that Shikamaru restrained her for harming her child, Inomaru laughed at his mother's actions.

"You want a baby sibling but you don't want if it's a girl? You're really like you father." She said as she held her belly. Both Shikamaru and Inomaru looked at her, confused. She giggled at their reaction. "We'll have to wait for about seven more months to see if your baby sibling is a boy or a girl." She finished her sentence. Shikamaru's jaw dropped at her revelation and Inomaru hugged her.

"You never cease to surprise me." Shikamaru said as he placed his hand on her stomach, felling the developing life in his wife's body. "Thank you." He said. He was happy that this time; he will come to witness the arrival of the soon-to-be additional member of the Nara clan.

FIN.

how was it? i hope you enjoyed reading this one shot. Reviews are loved =)