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The world is ending. Shikamaru has a rinnegan dream where he spends the day lazing about with Naruto.
The world is ending. Shikamaru has a rinnegan dream where he stood up for Naruto back when they were children and he and Choji become good friends with him.
The world is ending. Shikamaru has a rinnegan dream where Naruto is alone, using a swing in the playground at sunset, and he joins him on the swingset beside him instead of going home with his dad.
The world is ending. His first mission as a chuunin is a success, they retrieve Sasuke, Choji's skinny but doesn't end up in a hospital over it. The ungrateful jerk screams in Naruto's face until he's crying but Naruto hugs him anyway and smiles helplessly at Shikamaru over his shoulder. The curse mark is still on Sasuke's neck and Orochimaru is still out there but they're going to be okay. (Naruto doesn't leave for 3 years here).
The world is ending, Asuma-sensei catches him staring at Ichiraku's on the way to the mission office after an easy c-rank once, and starts giving him romantic advice, it's troublesome and embarrassing but helpful.
The world is- Naruto grins down at him as he lazily opens his eyes and points out a cloud that looks like a frog. (It does not remotely resemble a frog but arguing about it would be troublesome) Shikamaru lips quirk in a smile at the idiot despite himself.
The world is ending (is it?) the Yondaime is alive, the Uchiha are alive, there was never a Kyuubi attack. There's a blonde boy in his class who's supposed to be the son of the hokage but he never pays attention and keeps bothering Shikamaru to help him with his stupid pranks on the academy sensei so that rumour's probably a lie. They manage to stinkbomb everyone except Iruka-sensei - what is it with that guy? Naruto swears that they'll get him next time, which would maybe be admirable if he wasn't saying it directly to the teachers' faces when they're already in huge trouble. They get extra detention for the lack of remorse which they, typically, use to plan more pranks. The detentions are boring enough to warrant it.
The world. Naruto passes Shikamaru the next issue of the manga they're reading as he relaxes into the couch beside him. Sakura and Ino are hanging out on the porch gossiping about Ino's date with Sai (he's pretty sure Sai still has no fucking idea that he and Ino are dating but whatever, he's not bothered to explain that to Ino when she'll just get mad at him for it). Naruto perks up, "Eh? Sai's dating Ino?" Choji solemnly shakes his head and Shikamaru bursts into laughter at the grave look on his face.
It's an ordinary day (it's the night the moon shone red), the sky is blue and it's sunny out (the moonlight is bleeding, the world is dying), Naruto is sparring with Sasuke down by the creek to the west of training ground 10 while Shikamaru pretends not to mope about it. (Naruto is fighting a goddess and losing while Shikamaru stares sightlessly upwards along with thousands of shinobi, millions of other people caught in a genjutsu), Naruto wanders over to him after the spar and brags about team seven's latest mission, the world doesn't deserve him, (the world is depending on him), Shikamaru interrupts him and asks him on a date. Naruto goes bright pink and runs away without saying anything. It's hilarious until Shikamaru calms down enough to be worried, he goes to ask his dad (his dad is dead, he knows this) he goes to ask Asuma-sensei (he's dead too, and Shikamaru knows it deep down in the bottom of his soul, in a place the genjutsu can't touch) he goes, he goes to ask Naruto again. Because he's in love with him. He has been for years.
He opens the door to Naruto's apartment, and it's empty because Naruto is Rokudaime Hokage and Shikamaru is his advisor and husband instead of a nameless chunin with a boring wife and two kids.
He leaves because that's wrong, how are they supposed to be married when Naruto's still in that hopelessly unrequited love with Sakura and probably doesn't even know that boys can fall in love and date? But Naruto is leaving the village for his trip with Jiraiya tomorrow and if Shikamaru doesn't confess before he spends the next three years thinking about Sasuke and training to get him back then what if he does realise-
THAT'S WRONG. Shikamaru didn't know he was in love with Naruto back then. He was a self-centred baby-chunin with no fucking idea how much he already cared. He's only just figured it out, wait, when did he figure it out?
Naruto grabs his hand, it's a festival day and he's wearing a garish orange haori that weirdly suits him well and his pretty blue eyes are alight with concern, brows knit like he's trying to figure Shikamaru out, the full weight of his attention pinning him like a shadow in the Nara compound catching someone before they leave without their coat. His hand is warm, rough with callouses from handling kunai and Shikamaru loves him.
Naruto is good. Pure good, he's passionate and direct and strong, inside and out. If Shikamaru had grown up the way Naruto had, he would've hated everyone around him, he knows himself, he would've been bitter, he wouldn't have forgiven anyone, even the passive observers, he would've been angry till the day he died. Naruto moved right past forgiveness and decided to protect them all. He saved them from Gaara and then from Pain before anyone in the village who'd hurt him had done anything to deserve it. Unhesitatingly, unflinchingly, with everything he had.
Naruto's not a genius and Shikamaru's pretty sure he only knows two or three jutsu tops, but he's always been a thousand times cooler than a lazy genius who doesn't even bother to try for the people around him. Shikamaru changed himself because Naruto inspired him. He's the only reason he passed the chunin exams first try, he's the person Shikamaru wants to be hokage because Shikamaru trusts him, he'll always keep his promises, always do his best even when no one believes in him except himself, he'll always try, even for people who don't deserve it, even for people who hate him.
Shikamaru can't help but want to be everything he needs in return.
He looks down, awkward and self-conscious in the festival kimono that his mother bullied him into before shoving him out the door. Naruto squeezes his hand, and Shikamaru hurts with how much he loves him. (This isn't his Naruto)
The crowd jostles him as they move around the two of them in the street. The crescent moon is a sliver against the backdrop of a sky full of fireworks, (the moon is full, the world is dying).
Naruto is still holding his hand.
There's no purpose to life, but that doesn't mean there's no value in it. Shikamaru figured that much out when he was an academy kid, it's why he decided on mundane anonymity and a normal family for his life goals. The chunin rank makes up the bulk of Konoha's shinobi forces and there are a lot of happy chunin with much fewer happy jounin, a boring job where he could laze about taking b or c ranks as the mood suited him and going home to his family sounded as nice as it got, not a target for any more dangerous nin and not a thing to complain about apart from the daily grind. Besides, he knew their family made his dad happy and they were pretty similar people.
Shikamaru glances up at Naruto's face, and notices that now his expression looks more confused about Shikamaru's behaviour than worried for him. But, he's still not looking away from Shikamaru to watch the fireworks. He's dazzling. He's not traditionally handsome the way Neji or (ugh he hates admitting this) Sasuke are, but he cares in a way that takes Shikamaru's breath away and Shikamaru could watch him all day and not get bored. (It's why this dream just won't work. The real Naruto would've already done something Shikamaru could never anticipate by now.) A cheeky grin spreads across Naruto's lips, conspiratorial, like he and Shikamaru are on the same side.
This is their first date. They're still just friends but they've been separated from their teammates by the crowds. This is the day Shikamaru kisses him for the first time.
This is the day the world ends.
Shikamaru lets go of Naruto's hand and opens his eyes, he blinks once, twice. Then, he turns his face away from the moon.