Author Note: Something that popped into my head. Will probably only stay a one-shot, though I might use this idea for other pairings. Enjoy.

"Shikamaru-niichan!"

The row of men sitting at Ichiraku turn in the direction of the high-pitched voice. A young boy, barely five, scrambles over to a dark-haired man, clambering up his legs and threatening to overturn his bowl of ramen.

"Shikamaru-niichan!" he cries again, the sound bringing endearing smiles onto the faces of the stand's other occupants. He shoves an object into the shadow-nin's face. A huge grin is splitting across his own.

"What's this?" Shikamaru asks, taking the object carefully.

It's a kunai, not as sharp as it should be, and etched with the Nara clan symbol. His half-lidded eyes narrow.

"Shikaku-jichan gave it to me!" The young boy practically bounces with glee on his lap.

Of course, Shikamaru thinks. It's from his father.

"Inojiko!" a voice calls out from a distance.

The boy in his lap freezes. He cowers in Shikamaru's embrace, and buries his face in the older man's chest.

Beside them, Chouji laughs. "It seems you aren't the only one afraid of Ino these days," he says in his husky voice before slurping at his food.

Ino arrives with an aura of anger radiating about her. She gives a loud huff as she stalks towards her old friend, hands on her hips. But the image before her causes her to pause, and the imperceptible softening of her features is only seen by Shikamaru, used to reading her every emotion. It's gone, in a flash, and her brows are furrowed in anger once more.

"Inojiko! What did I say about running off?"

The young boy in his lap turns his head, his cheek still pressed against Shikamaru's chest. He pouts, cheeks puffing out only in the slightest, his big, blue eyes widening in an attempt to earn his mother's good graces. It's a look Shikamaru's seen on Ino's face many times.

"But I wanted to show Shikamaru-niichan my kunai," he whimpers.

Ino can only sigh, knowing her son adores the man before her. And rightly so. She smiles, the anger gone from her face, and reaches out for the boy. Inojiko immediately brightens, having won his mother over again, and jumps into her waiting arms.

"Let's leave Shikamaru-niichan alone for now, okay? He only just got back."

Inojiko gives a noise of assent before calling out over his mother's shoulder, "Bye, Shikamaru-niichan!"

Shikamaru only waves before returning to his bowl.

"Cute kid, Shikamaru," Kiba says cheekily when they're out of earshot.

He merely grunts.

Finished with his meal, he saunters up to his favorite cloud-watching hill, and isn't surprised to see Ino reclining there herself. In the distance, Inojiko is hurling his kunai at a target a few feet away. He misses, and Shikamaru can't help but wince.

"You let him keep the kunai?" he asks as he lies down beside Ino.

"Why not?" she murmurs.

"It has the Nara clan symbol on it."

"I noticed," she says with a smile.

He sighs. "My father's always doing things like that."

"Let him be. He's a bit disgruntled by this whole situation. I don't blame him."

He throws her a look. He never thought the day would come when she agreed with his father. They lapse into silence. While Shikamaru cloud-watches, she daydreams.

At length, "I know this isn't how you wanted it to be," Shikamaru says.

"Hmm?" Startled out of her thoughts, Ino sits up to see him properly.

"This"—he waves his hand in the air—"ordeal. It's not proper."

Her eyes crinkle, as if she's inwardly laughing at him. "It's okay. It's what Konoha needs, right? And everything we shinobi do is for the benefit of Konoha."

He scrunches his brows at the morose thought. "You don't seem bothered."

"But you do," she says, studying him. "Why? You're not the one who has to raise a child."

"That's not it." He turns away from her prying eyes.

"Ah," she announces, a triumphant look on her face. "People talk. You don't like that, hmm?"

"Well, look at him," Shikamaru points in the boy's direction. "You even style his hair like mine!"

"I can't help it!" She frowns. "Do you know how thick and coarse your hair is? That's the only way I can tame it. If he had my hair, it wouldn't have been a problem." She flicks her pale, blonde tresses over her shoulder.

They continue to watch Inojiko. He had long abandoned throwing his kunai, and was now persistent in climbing up the tree the target was attached to.

"I'm sorry," she says suddenly, not meeting his eyes. "I didn't think this would come back to you. If I had known, I would've asked someone…less recognizable."

"Why'd you agree to it?" The words he had been meaning to ask when she first came to him with her request finally tumbled out.

She gave him a sad smile. "Would you have denied Konoha anything? If she asked for your heart on a silver platter, would you have even hesitated for a moment?"

He quiets. The answer is obvious.

"Likewise, when the Godaime asked me to bear a child to grow up trained in their specialized infiltration unit, I didn't even think twice before saying yes. It wasn't until I ran into you that I realized what I had gotten myself into, but it was too late. And I never back down."

He knew that to be true. It was a strange day when Ino had marched up to him and asked him to father her child. He was stunned to be propositioned in such a bold manner, especially in broad daylight, and told her so. She promptly smacked him over the head. She then explained her position, and he found he could not deny her. (It's not like he ever could.) Two weeks later, Ino was implanted with his seed, and she was pregnant.

Their parents were not happy, to say the least. But it was for Konoha, the village they had dedicated their lives to many years before, and though they could not fathom doing it themselves, they understood why.

Inojiko finally succeeds in climbing the tree. He reaches the largest, topmost branch, lies down, and straightaway falls asleep.

His mother laughs. "Like father, like son, no?"

"Does he know?" Shikamaru wonders, tentatively.

"No," she replies, her eyes still on the young boy in the tree. "But I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough." She looks at him, a devious twinkle in her eye. "Although, it did take a while for your genius to show, so maybe we have a few more years before he starts asking questions."

He snorts. Then, "How's his training?"

"Exhausting. Some days when I pick him up I have to carry him home since he can barely walk." She sighs, suddenly weary. "But he enjoys it, though. Says he wants to be as strong as Shikamaru-niichan." She gives him a somber smile. "I'm sorry they talk about us without knowing the truth."

"I'm not," he says immediately. She is stunned as he takes her hand in his and rubs his thumb in circles on the back of her hand. "Inojiko's a good kid. I'm just sorry it had to be this way."

"Does it bother you?" she asks.

"What?"

"That he's a Yamanaka, and not a Nara."

He hesitates for the briefest of moments. "No," he says at length, tugging her down to lie with him on the grass. She snuggles closer to him and he tucks her head underneath his chin. "I figure all my children will be half Yamanaka anyway."

She smiles into his chest.

Author Note: Thanks for reading. Check out my other story From the Flames for more ShikaIno goodness.