HC PART ? (I've lost count) (I posted few on X)
Contrary to popular belief, Gaara and Kankuro never really hated Shikamaru that much.
Watching how often Temari transformed into a sane, young woman being giddy over her significant others (not that she would admit it yet) was such a rare sight for them. Both believed that Shikamaru was not your local, good-for-nothing womanizer who will take advantage of their sister like the usual princes they encountered in official banquets. Therefore, they silently observed as the relationship between the two began to develop into something more throughout the years.
Nevertheless, it was not Kankuro without his rage bait tendencies and Gaara, because of his utmost care for his siblings, decided to entertain his older brother by agreeing to the sinister plans he devised.
At first, they tested Shikamaru with the most random questions regarding their sister in the most unpredictable time, catching him off guard. The shadow wielder's reactions never failed to amuse them even though he could not see it—coming from the Sand meant your nonchalant composure would not falter in any kind of circumstances. As the years went by, they started pulling little ridiculous pranks on him (mostly Kankuro though, Gaara preferred to converse unhingedly with him). Temari always scolded them when she found out what they had done. She could sense that these pranks were indirectly directed to her; the poor guy did not deserve the puppeteer's atrocities despite how much she hated his lazy look (did she?).
That was why, after the Fourth Shinobi War, the brothers took a different approach to know the man whom Temari had been infatuated with since 6-7 years ago. Kankuro and Gaara claimed that they had matured, and so had Shikamaru, hence the pranks were not what they should resort to. Moreover, they did not have the heart to really test the guy anymore—he had lost his sensei, father, and had been chosen as the Sixth's assistant in his very young age (they're the same age but both agreed they got their positions now mostly because of their lineage). Oh, that was also the thing: they, even Temari, could barely see him nowadays since his workload kept him confined in office day and night.
However, one day, while the Sunan brothers visited the Ninja Academy to learn the management of it in order to advance their village's education, they did not believe what they saw.
On this sunny day, Nara Shikamaru, with his red headband, matching with Sarutobi Mirai who was now clutching tightly onto him in his back, sprinted off together with other parent-child duos as they all raced toward the finish line. As the youngest "dad" among the men there, Shikamaru won the race, and he cheered with Mirai, cheerfully throwing the little girl in the air before catching her back in time.
Kankuro and Gaara had learned from Kakashi few hours before their arrival here that today was Father's Day in Konoha, a holiday for everyone except the government officials. They thought Shikamaru's absence in the Hokage's office today was just him slacking off like how he usually was. It did not turn out to be the case.
When Kankuro and Gaara threw a glance at the two again, they realized that neither both of them nor Temari had ever experienced the joy of laughing with their own father—being completely unafraid to express any emotions currently overwhelming them. Dwelling in the somber realization, they felt a twinge deep inside their hearts but also a huge relieve at the same time. The sight in front of the siblings somehow healed a bit of their childhood traumas. It was vindicating to know that at the very least, not every man is like their father. Shikamaru, even better, was the exact opposite: he loved that little girl dearly and it was evident in every single thing he did.
In the end, Gaara and Kankuro firmly agreed that they had to start correcting people whenever anyone mistaken them for hating Shikamaru.
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