"Did you hear me cry-baby?"

Nara Shikamaru lifted his head from the trunk of the tree he had it rested on. The body in front of him caused a shadow to form in front of him; thus blocking out the sun. The annoyed look on his face seemed only to irritate his partner more.

"Troublesome woman. How many times have I told you not to call me that? Especially in front of guests?"

From her body language- hands on her hips- he figured he'd just hit a nerve. "Excuse me but that seemed to be the only way to get your attention. After all, you always listen to what I have to say; don't you?" Temari said in a sarcastic tone.

"I do." He said plainly as he placed the back of his head on the trunk again, this time tilting his head to the side. This way he could attempt to count the clouds that passed by since he couldn't currently see in front of him.

"You do huh? Then how many times have I asked you not to call me 'troublesome woman'?" She said as she crossed her arms.

"…" Shikamaru closed his eyes and prayed that this banter would end soon. Giving her an exact number is too troublesome. He thought to himself.

On an opposite blanket, Naruto looked in with much amusement. "Of course he does. You heard every word your wife said to you. Eh, Shikamaru?" He could have sworn he felt a killing intent from Shikamaru.

"Honestly Naruto," his wife began, "you should not interfere in their personal quarrels."

He laid back so the back of his head rested in her lap. "I'm just having fun Hinata." He paused as he looked over his free shoulder. "The kids must be having fun too. I haven't heard them argue or anything like that…yet." He commented to his wife.

"Tsurugia is playing with them. They're probably enjoying their time together being as they don't see each other as often." Hinata said.

"Explain to me again how you got stuck with Neji and Ten-Ten's kid again?" Shikamaru asked to take the attention off him.

"Their team was called away on a mission so Neji-niisan asked me to watch over her until they return." Hinata explained. "Being at the Hokage tower so often, we don't have much of a chance to see very many people."

"Please don't mention my office." Naruto griminced.

She was slightly shocked to hear him say that. "Why? The attendants do know where you are right?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Kinda." She gave him a skeptical look. "Oh come on Hinata. It's only a matter of time before someone realizes my kage bunshin is doing my paperwork so why not enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts?" He attempted to sound innocent.

Too bad she saw through it. "Enjoying the peace and quiet as opposed to you completing your work yourself?" She stated simply as she closed her eyes.

"Well when you put it that way…" Naruto made a slightly guilty face. "I'd swear Neji was rubbing off on you." He said a little lower.

That was all it took to bring Temari back to her earlier point. "That's what I've been trying to explain to Shikamaru's lazy butt for the past fifteen minutes!" Temari said as she turned to Hinata. "He keeps blowing off his duties and getting behind at work. That causes him to come home late and have to get up early in the morning to complete what he didn't finish the day before."

"So you're upset because I'm coming home late or I have to get out of bed early?" Shikamaru asked with a sly grin.

"Ha ha ha ha- ahem! Um…" Naruto stopped laughing as Hinata glared down at him. Needless to say, Shikamaru's grin also disappeared when Temari sent a death glare to him also.

Troublesome women… Both men thought at the same time. Unbeknownst to them, a raven-haired girl with ponytails heard the whole ordeal from behind the tree.

"I knew it! I knew it!" She sang to herself as she skipped into the clearing.

-o-o-

"You got it Asuma?" A little blonde haired-boy called to his friend. "It's not over here."

"Not yet." Four-year-old Asuma responded to his friend. "Oh! I found one Hadoshi!"

"I found one too!" Hadoshi held a toy kunai in his hand also. "Ima' look for more!" The four-and-a-half-year-old's blue eyes scanned the ground for more of their 'weapons'.

"'Kay'!" Asuma said as he also began his search again. He loved his family forest, but he didn't always like to play with his toys there. This particular day, the grass was a little taller than normal; as well as thicker. The kunais they brought would appear to be 'buried' in the grass at times. In reality, what he didn't like about the forest was to 'crawl' on the ground to retrieve his playthings. He doesn't see why his mom and dad wouldn't just buy him more kunais. That way he wouldn't have to take the time to do what his father called 'manual labor'- whatever that meant as far as Asuma was concerned. "So troublesome in the dirt…" He muttered to himself.

By chance his hand brushed across one of the toys. He had opened his mouth to call Hadoshi when he heard excited giggling. The next thing he heard was his sister saying "I knew it was true!" about five times. She knows what is? He thought of the prospect of her knowing something he didn't.

"I found some more ku-" Hadoshi went into 'ninja mode' as Asuma gave him the signal to stop and another to get down. He crawled on his stomach next to his friend and nodded his head to her girls. Pulling his ear, Asuma let Hadoshi know they were going to listen to what the girls were talking about.

-o-o-

"What took you so long Hatsune?" Tsurugia crossed her arms in mild irritation. She looked like her mother, but had Neji's eyes. Apparently she also inherited his temperament. "You said you were coming right back."

"And where is the string you were gonna get out of your bag?" Tsurugai's also six-year-old cousin asked. She looked just like Hinata, except her long violet hair was pulled into a side ponytail. It 'tickled' her shoulder everytime her head moved. "We can't play 'tie up the enemy' without string." She stressed by waving the freed Ken doll in the air.

"We don't need string to beat men Kiyoshi!" Hatsune proclaimed as she joined them on the ground. "We just need to use our head, and we'll always beat the man."

"What?" Tsurugia asked. "It was your idea to play 'tie up the enemy' Hatsune!" she pointed out.

"Nevermind that! Anyway, I was going to get the string but I heard our parents arguing and our moms outsmarted our dads."

"Really? How?" Kiyoshi asked with curiosity. Seeing as her mommy outsmarted her daddy too.

"This is what happened…" She paused as she used her 'props'. "Daddy was sitting under the tree here," She forced the Ken doll into a sitting position with its' legs straight out, "and Mommy was standing over him like this." She placed her Barbie standing in front of Ken. "She had her arms crossed and was asking him a lot of questions."

"What did he say?" Tsurugia asked, now intrigued.

Hatsune made a clicking sound with her tongue as if annoyed. "He acted like he didn't want to answer the questions. Mommy says it's a 'typical man' thing to do and not answer the question like a real man would. Then that's when Kiyoshi's mommy and daddy started talking."

"What did they say?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Not much. All your mom did was look at him and he spilled his guts." Hatsune said which caused her friend to smile proudly.

"Then what?" Tsurugia asked.

"My daddy tried to say something smart and got in trouble. Kiyoshi's daddy started laughing but he got in trouble too." They all joined her in laughter.

"How about we name this game 'interrogation'?" Tsurugia suggested.

"Okay." Kiyoshi agreed as she took ahold of Barbie. "Where were you yesterday at lunchtime? Answer the question jerk!" She waved the doll in front of the still seated Ken.

"I don't have to say anything because I'm a dumb man." Hatsune said in her makeshift 'man voice'. She twisted the head on Ken to make him appear to be shaking his head 'no'.

Tsurugia got Barbie from Kyoshi and began her interrogation. "Did you make your own lunch or did you have some help getting it done?"

"My wife and mom have to help me cook because I'm a man and will burn the house down because I'm stubborn man and won't ask a smart woman for help." Their laughing was cut short by toy kunai being flung at them. Asuma stood there before them with anger written in his face.

"Asuma?" Hadoshi began to whine. "You gave away our position!" He said while still on his stomach.

"But they're not playing fair!" He pointed to the girls as Hadoshi stood beside him. "And Daddy is smarter than Mommy!" He yelled to the girls.

"Is not!" Hatsune stood with her 'prisoner' in her right hand. "Women are smarter than men! They're stronger too! Mommy said so!" The six-year-old stressed by hitting the Ken doll in the back of the head.

"Nuh-huh! My daddy is the Hokage and that means he's the strongest!" Hadoshi stated.

"And Daddy works beside him as his planner guy. That makes him smart too!" Asuma also pointed out.

Tsurugia snorted a laugh. "Real smart for someone who can't say 'strategist'."

"Good one!" Kiyoshi gave her a high-five.

"Ha! Told ya so! Women are smarter and stronger than men! Why don't you 'boys' go play ninja or something while we finish our interrogation?" Hatsune dismissed them and turned back to her friends.

"Those two kids are really- ouch- hey! Stop that!" Tsurugia and the other girls yelled as they were attacked by the toy kunai.

"Stupid girls! Take that!" Asuma threw everything at his disposal.

"I said stop it!" Tsurugia said through her teeth as she shielded her face with her hands.

When she removed her hands, her face showed a little more than anger. Hadoshi stopped in his tracks as fear edged into his blue eyes. "We gotta run Asuma!" He said in a panicked tone.

"Retreat! We're attacking them! Remember? Why come?" Hadoshi grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward their targets.

"'Cause of that!" He pointed before running.

"W-Wait for me!" Asuma also took off running.

-o-o-

"This is more like it." Shikamaru said out loud.

"I actually agree with you on that." Temari said as she leaned her back into his chest. He in turn, wrapped his arms around her. "Peace and quie-"

"Ahhhh!"

Naruto lifted his head from Hinata's lap to sit up. "Was that Hadoshi?" He asked Hinata.

"It most certainly sounded like him. Asuma also." She stood up and looked around. "There are the boys now."

"Why are they running?" Temari also stood up with a tint of worry on her face.

"It...looks like the girls are chasing them?" Naruto said in a not too sure voice.

"Maybe they're playing a game." Shikamaru quickly dismissed. It's not like they're hurting each other. He thought to himself.

"I doubt it. Look closer at Tsurugia." Hinata pointed.

Byakugan

"I thought Ten-Ten told her not to use her byakugan outside of training?" Naruto said to his wife.

"You forget she has her father's temper." She looked back at her husband. "We'd better step in before one of them gets seriously hurt." She said to Temari.

She nodded her head to Hinata. Naruto moved to stand up, but Temari motioned with her hand for him to be seated. "They're getting closer and the girls are gaining on them." Temari stated as she crossed her arms and stood in front of Shikamaru once again.

Here we go again. He thought. "What are you looking at me for? Just tell them to stop."

"UP. NOW!" She pointed to him then to the sky.

He clicked his tongue and stood up. He calmly walked past her; ignoring the amused look on Naruto and Hinata's face. He looked up at the sky as a cloud passed by. Sighing, he placed his hands in the symbol of the 'rat' and began his technique. Kagemane no Jutsu. He thought as his Shadow Possession Jutsu reached out to the unexpecting children. "What a troublesome playdate."