Work Text:
(1)
In the center of the Konoha training grounds, a strange light flashed, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. Several small figures tumbled out of thin air, landing in a heap.
"Oof!"
"Ow!"
"Where...?"
"You're kneeling on my liver!"
As the light faded, the confused faces of unfamiliar children were revealed: a black-haired girl with red glasses, a boy with whisker-like marks, a boy with a pineapplish haircut and lazy eyes, and a pretty boy trying to pull the last one from the pile.
"Whoa! Where did these kids come from?!" Naruto, never one to miss excitement, yelled as he circled them. "Who are you guys? Where'd you pop from?"
The rest of the genins arrived, bewildered by the scene. Bringing up the rear was a yawning Nara Shikamaru, looking half-asleep and clearly dragged along against his will.
Before answers could leave their throats, a cold, emotionless voice echoed directly in their minds:
[Spacetime boo-boo detected.]
Rule: No talking about who you are.
Quest: Match every kid to their parents.
Warning: Failure or inaction will exacerbate temporal distortions
—Sent by the Spacetime Gate that ships just for fun.
Naruto: "So... charades? What does that mean, dattebayo! Can't talk? How are they supposed to tell us? Parents are among us? Who?!""
Sarada tried to push her glasses up and explain, but found her throat blocked. She shrugged helplessly.
Boruto stomped his foot in frustration, equally silent.
Inojin kept a polite smile, though his eyes showed a hint of helplessness.
Shikadai gave a huge yawn and rubbed his eyes, his entire demeanor screaming "What a drag"—a look that made Shikamaru's eyelid twitch involuntarily.
Shikamaru arrived last, saw the look-alike boy, felt his life-expectancy drop. His eyes swept the crowd in relief: Thank God, the biggest trouble wasn't here today. He tried to slip away quietly. A hand yanked him back.
"Smartest guy stays," Naruto declared. "You gotta help! It's a spacetime crisis!"
Shikamaru: I hate everything.
Naruto: Pure of heart.
Shikamaru: Purely wants to flee.
(2)
Ino, seeing Shikamaru's thwarted look, giggled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Since Shikamaru wants to run so badly, let's guess his kid first! He's clearly a Nara heir, isn't he?" She pointed directly at the pineapple-haired, lazy-eyed boy—Shikadai.
Tenten leaned in for a closer look. "He does look like Shikamaru, but... handsomer. Shikamaru always looks so tired."
Shikamaru: "...Hey." I'm right here.
Neji activated his Byakugan, observing carefully. "The bone structure... is indeed similar to Shikamaru's. The mother must be a beauty. Who could it be?" His gaze swept over the kunoichi present.
Ino immediately played detective, deducing by eye color. "Green eyes! Among us, green eyes... Sakura! Case closed." She whirled to face Haruno Sakura.
Hearing this, Shikadai didn't even protest. Instead, he found it amusing, putting his hands behind his head, a smirk playing on his lips.
Aunt Sakura's gonna be mad...
Seeing that smirk, Shikamaru's blood pressure spiked. His cheeks grew warm against his will.
No way... that expression... It's exactly like that troublesome woman!
Sakura waited for the smart Shikamaru to refute Ino, but heard nothing. She turned and saw Shikamaru staring at the kid, blushing (?!).
Oh hell no...
She loudly defended herself—and shot a death glare at the "guilty-looking" Shikamaru.
"The green is completely different! Mine are light green! His are deep green! And the eye shape isn't the same either! His eyes are upturned! "
Tenten chimed in, "Well, Shikamaru's eyes are a bit upturned too, even if they're sanpaku..." (Shikamaru: I'm right here, you know...)
Ino, loving the drama, fanned the flames. "Who knows? Maybe your eye colors mixed and created a deep green? It's possible~"
Sakura: Why do I know these people.
Sakura, furious, retorted, "For the aura and style, that little girl over there looks more like me!" She pointed at the quiet black-haired girl, Sarada.
Hearing this, Sarada silently took off her glasses.
"!!!" The crowd fell silent.
Without her glasses, her large, beautiful eyes and delicate facial features—her whole face was the spitting image of a Sakura!
"Wow! It really is her!" "Sakura's daughter!" "No doubt about it!"
Just then, the ever-passionate Rock Lee burst forward, a sparkle flashing off his teeth.
"Black hair! Naruto, you lose! This is clearly the proof of my and Sakura's youthful love!"
A bead of cold sweat dripped down Sakura’s forehead: "...Lee, what kind of conclusion is that?!"💧
Ellipses materialised above every black-haired head—Neji, Shikamaru, Tenten, Sasuke.
Tenten: "...Huh? Why am I included?"
Naruto whined: "...Why am I the only one excluded, dattebayo!"
Sarada, observing the chaos, smiled slightly. Then, she elegantly turned around, revealing the prominent red and white Uchiha fan emblem on her back.
Sasuke, who had been silent, was shocked: "!!!"
Silence. Everything was communicated without words. Sasuke and Sakura froze simultaneously, turning their backs to the crowd, the napes of their necks burning bright red.
Sarada, seeing her young parents so embarrassed, found it hilarious and covered her face to laugh.
Naruto and Lee hugged each other and cried. "Waaah! My Sakura!—" "Waaah! My youth—"
(3)
Ino, watching Sasuke and Sakura's awkward-yet-sweet aura, puffed her cheeks in irritation. Just then, Inojin, who shared her blonde hair and blue eyes, gently tugged her sleeve. He looked up at her with his big, watery, innocent puppy-dog eyes, putting on a full display of cuteness.
Ino's heart melted instantly. "Well... you're so cute. Even if you're not Sasuke-kun's child, your father must be a handsome guy, right?"
Inojin immediately nodded, a perfectly gentle, cloudless smile gracing his features.
Seeing this smile, everyone murmured thoughtfully:
"Hmm... so familiar..."
"This smile... where have I seen it?"
"It feels like a warm spring breeze..."
"Wait, no, it's a bit too perfect... fake, even."
Just then, a mild, smiling voice came from outside the crowd. "Ah, this child. He looks like he might be mine and—"
Everyone turned to see Sai, with his black hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and standard, nearly perfect smile, watching Inojin thoughtfully.
THWACK! Before he could finish, a red-faced Ino landed a precise, powerful straight punch, silencing him!
"Shut up! Who would have a child with you?!" Sai, maintaining his smile, slowly crumpled, clutching his stomach.
Inojin watched his fallen father: Dad... are you okay... respawn timer?
(4)
Next, attention turned to Boruto, who looked like a carbon copy of Naruto.
Tenten mused, "Hair, eyes, face shape, the marks... He's a photocopy of Naruto. That actually makes it harder to guess the mother..."
Shikamaru lazily said, "Maybe the idiot reproduced asexually."
Naruto looked confused. "Huh? Ase-what? What's that mean?"
Shikamaru sighed. "...Never mind."
Just then, Himawari, the short-haired girl Boruto had been carefully shielding, peeked out timidly. She had the same blue eyes and whisker marks as Naruto, but her hair was a deep shade of purple. Her pure, innocent eyes were fixed intently on her young father. Papa... was so cute as a kid...
"EEHHH?!?! THIS HAIR COLOR??"
All eyes instantly swiveled like spotlights towards the quietly standing Hyuga Hinata!
Hinata, overwhelmed by the sudden attention and the children's gazes, let out a soft "poof" of steam from her head, her eyes swirling into circles, and silently fell backwards—fainting from happiness.
"Hinata-sama!" Neji cracked knuckles. He glared furiously at the culprit, Uzumaki Naruto. "You damn loser—!!!" He assumed a Gentle Fist stance.
"Why are you hitting me again—?!" Naruto, still not understanding what was happening, screamed and ran for his life. The training grounds descended into chaos.
And the Amused Spacetime Gate... seemed very pleased.
(5)
Amidst the chaos of Neji chasing Naruto, an impatient female voice cut through the noise from the edge of the crowd. "Hey! What's all the racket about over here?"
Everyone turned to see Sabaku no Temari. Golden ponytail, giant fan, danger in heels. Shikamaru's soul left his body. The final boss is here.
Walking over with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. She'd clearly just finished a mission and was drawn by the commotion.
Shikadai, who had been lounging lazily, instantly went rigid the moment he spotted his teenage mother. Snapped to attention like a cadet facing a drill sergeant, the picture of obedient nervousness, as if facing his natural predator. But he couldn't help stealing glances at the young Temari, impressed. Young Mom... is so cool... but feels... even scarier than the one at home...
The other kids were equally affected by her presence:
Boruto & Himawari: Aunt Temari was this intense even as a kid...
Sarada: As expected of the Kazekage's sister...
Inojin: (Smiling, but leaning back slightly)
Everyone's eyes moved between Temari's sharp, upturned green eyes and Shikadai's identical—though currently "I am a good boy"—eyes. Finally, their gazes, filled with disbelief and respect, settled on Nara Shikamaru, who was trying to merge with his own shadow.
Their stares at Shikamaru seemed to scream silently:
You... no way...
The guy who hates trouble the most...
Dared to pursue this lady?! And succeeded?! And had a kid?!
You brave, brave man, Nara Shikamaru!
What youth!
Shikamaru, feeling the mix of shock, pity, admiration, and "you're doomed" looks from all sides, felt his face heat up instantly, turning crimson. His brain short-circuited.
Only one thought remained: ... I wanna die—maybe head-first into a pillar.
Silence fell; no one dared speak the obvious.
The teenagers seemed also muted by the Gate's rules.
Why is the whole court silent?.jpg
Of course, there was always one exception.
Bruised but unbeaten, Naruto flashed his biggest trouble-stirring grin."Temari! Perfect timing! This pineapple kid is supposedly your future son!"
Temari: "Ha?"
Frown in place, golden ponytail swishing, she strode over and stopped in front of the rigid Shikadai. She leaned down slightly, her sharp gaze scanning him up and down, lingering on those eyes so much like her own... Honestly, his whole face looked like hers.
Shikamaru and Shikadai both broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to breathe.
The air solidified—until Temari spoke, asking a question that took everyone by surprise.
"Hey, kid... In your time... is the world still at war?"
Shikadai blinked, clearly not expecting this. He shook his head seriously, then mustered his courage and gave his young mother a shy but utterly sincere smile.
Temari looked at the peace and warmth in his eyes—her eyes—and was silent for another moment. The tight line of her mouth softened into a faint, but genuine, smile. "...Good."
What she cared about wasn't gossip about who had a child with whom, but whether the future was the peaceful one she and her brothers fought and sacrificed for.
Shikamaru, hearing her words and seeing that rare, relieved smile born from knowing peace was secure, found himself staring, forgetting his nerves and shame for a moment. Something stirred in a corner of his heart.
That woman...
Ino, watching nearby, elbowed him. "Tone it down—stop mooning at your future wife, genius!"
Shikamaru snapped back to reality, his face flushing red again. "...Shut up!"
(6)
After all the chaos, Everyone pooled their brainpower—mostly hints the kids had dropped—and filled in the answers on a suddenly glowing board.
The board flashed.
[Answers confirmed. Spacetime Gate activating.]
A glowing door reappeared in the center of the training grounds.
The next-gen kids knew it was time to leave. They looked at each other, then turned to face their teenage parents and seniors.
Boruto, Himawari, Sarada, Inojin, and Shikadai stood in a row. Faces flushed, eyes shining, they shouted in unison:
"Thank you! Thank you for fighting now, for doing your best!"
"You made a peaceful era for us!"
"Goodbye!"
With that, the children turned and ran into the glowing door, their figures fading away.
The teenagers watched the empty air, smiled despite themselves, and waved. Even Sasuke's gaze softened for a fleeting moment.
(7) Bonus Scene
As the children ran towards the light gate, Himawari suddenly stopped and turned back. She beamed a super sweet, heart-melting smile directly at Neji, who was still glaring breathlessly at Naruto. Uncle Neji... goodbye...
Neji, caught completely off guard by this cute smile, was instantly smitten. But the next second, remembering that this adorable niece's future father was that Uzumaki Naruto, his face twisted in renewed indignation. "That... that idiot! How does he deserve this?!"
Tenten, watching Neji's flustered reaction, blushed slightly and asked in a small voice, "Neji... do you... not like children? Why... why isn't there a child for you in the future...?"
Neji started, turning to look at the blushing Tenten beside him. Their eyes met, and a subtle, awkward, yet somewhat charged atmosphere settled between them.
Just as the moment hung perfectly, Lee suddenly shot up between them, a sparkle flashing off his teeth, declaring in his most passionate voice the most explosive words:
"YOSH! Could it be that you're incapable, Neji?! Is this an obstacle of youth?! Do you need special supplements and extra training, Neji?!"
Neji's rage erupted: "AAAAH!!! LEE!!! WHAT EVEN IS TODAY?!!" The veins around his Byakugan bulged violently as he took off after Lee.
---
Safely back in his own time, Shikadai recalled his encounter with his young parents, feeling a mix of lingering warmth.
Back home, he looked at his dad reviewing documents and his mom polishing her fan. He muttered softly, without thinking, "Mom... even though you're scary sometimes... when you were young... you were really, really cool..."
Temari's hand stilled. She frowned, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she looked at her son. "...Hah? What did you just say? What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm not cool now? Or that I'm scarier now?"
Shikadai: "!!!"
Shikamaru glanced up from his paperwork. What did I miss? Please don't involve me...