I don't own the pictures
P.s thnx for 100 reads:-).
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"Oh, open ours first!" Said Yoshino excitedly.
Shikanai looked at the brightly colored box her aunt had thrust-ed upon her apprehensively, fearing the worst. With hesitant hands she gripped the flat medium sized box. Trying to guess what it was, she set it down to open it. Perhaps a dress. It sort of looked like a dress box.
She opened the box and was surprised to find what looked like some sort of board game. Made of ebony with tan markings on it. There were two sets of pieces beside it. On of ivory and one made of some sort of pinkish red stone she hadn't seen before. Shikanai looked at her aunt curiously.
"It's a Shogi board!" Yoshino said cheerfully.
Shikanai tilted her head in question.
"I've never seen a board like that before." Said Shikara.
"Isn't it cute!" Yoshino said. " at first I wanted to get her a cute dress but Shikaku insisted we get her a Shogi board. This was the compromise. I bought it off a traveler."
"Are you sure she's ready for a Shogi. It's such a complicated game." Said Fugaku.
"Right and she's only 4." Said Mikoto.
"What's Shogi?" Sauske asked his brother. Naruto looked at Itachi for an answer as well."
"It's a game of strategy. One person tries to take down the other's king." Itachi simplified it for the three year olds.
Shikanai listened to this explanation intently, while all the Auberames in the room sat silently, content just to listen.
"Shikanai can handle it. She's a quick learner." Said Shikaku, handing his niece a rule book.
The Uchiha couple had no choice but to take their village's stratgist's word for it.
"What type of stone are the pinkish pieces made of by the way?" Asked Mikoto.
"It's called Pink Agate. Isn't it pretty?" Said Yoshino.
"It's gorgeous!"

"Mama?" Sauske asked, grabbing the hem of his mother's dress. "Can I give Shikanai our presen?"
"Of course sweetheart, but you have to handle it very carefully, can you do that Sauske."
Sauske nodded his head in determination.
Mikoto gently placed the box in his hands and Sauske slowly and carefully walked to Shikanai with it. Carrying it as if it was a paper bomb. Itachi inconspicuously walked behind him just in case.
"Here you go Shikanai!" Said Sauske cheerfully.
"Thank you Sasu."
"Sasu?" He asked.
"That's your nickname. I won the game so we're friends now and friends call each other by nicknames." Said Shikanai.
"Shikanai's nickname is Nai." Shouted Naruto.
"Naruto's is Naru." Said Shikanai calmly.
"What's mine then?" Spoke Itachi causing Sauske to jump who I guess didn't know Itachi was behind him.
Shikanai thought for a moment.
"Itchi." She finally said firmly.
Naruto busted out in giggles while Sasuke cringed, expecting his brother to flat out refuse.
"Alright." Said Itachi.
Sauske's eyes widened at his brother's acceptance.
"It sounds like itchy." He muttered to himself.
That brought a small, amused smile to Itachi who had exceptional hearing.
Shikanai finally brought her attention back to the gift Sauske handed her.  She untied the bow and lifted the lid of the box.
"Do you like them sweetie?" Asked Mikoto with a gentle smile.
Shikanai nodded her head and carefully lifted them out.
"They're beutiful." Said Shikanai.
She held 2 intricately carved folding fans. They were red at the base and white at the ends. Making it look like the fan in the Uchiha clan crest.
"They're gorgeous." Yoshino gushed.
Mikoto gave a closed eye smile at them.
"Did you know that fans were used as weapons Shikanai?" Mikoto asked.
Shikanai's eyes widened at that.
"How would you hurt someone with these? Why would you when you have kunai and shuriken?" Shikanai asked.
"Well," said Mikoto as she got down to Shikanai's leval. "because long long ago, in ancient times, before chakra, people could only rely on weapons to defend themselves however, to avoid conflict and property damage, many places banned weapons from entry. This caused people to get creative. The quick opening of one fan would catch the attention of your enemy long enough to distract him from being jabbed by the other." She said cheerfully. Gracefully and enthusiastically miming the action with the fand. "Now a days, with chakra, the ways they can be used are limitless. Even if you don't have wind nature."
Fugaku looked at his wife in pride at the extent of her knowledge. The Shikanai, Sauske, and Naruto, though they know of or understand the concept of chakra yet,  looked at her in awe while Itachi donned a fond smile.
Shikanai took the fans in reverance and faced the Uchiha couple.
" Thank you very much Mikoto-San and Fugaku-san. I will treasure them." She said.
"You're girl has good manners Shikara." Said Fugaku approvingly.
"I am honored you feel that way." Said Shikara.
Naichigo beamed proudly at his little girl.
"I guess it's our turn now." Said Shibi.
Shikuru nodded.
"Both Shikuru and I created this. We hope it will be useful to you in the future."
Torune grabbed the small box and brought it to Shikanai. Shino followed close behind.
"Thank you." Said Shikanai as she grabbed the gift. Then she sat still and stared at Torune in cotnemplation.
"Everything all right?" Torune asked unsurely.
"Your nickname will be Tone" Said Shikanai."and your's will be Shone." She finished firmly, turning to Shino.
"Okay." They said.
Naruto and Sauske sweatdropped at their easy acceptance at the weird nicknames. Naruto recalled how she at first wanted to call him To. He shivered at the image of his hair and whiskers on the big toe of a foot returning to his mind.
Shikanai opened the box and pulled out the gift inside curiously.
"Ohh, it's so pretty!" Yoshino and Mikoto both cooed.
Shikara's eyes widened when she caught sight of what her daughter held.
"Is that--?" Shikara breathed.
"Yes." Said Shikuru.
"So your experiment was a success?" She asked. "Why didn't you tell me?."
"It just happened recently. That's the first working one we've made." Said Shibi.
"Care to enlighten the rest of us?" Said Fugaku. "I'm assuming it's more than a necklace by the way you're talking about it."
Shikanai looked at the necklace in her hands curiously, wondering what was getting the adults so worked up.
It was a pretty necklace. A thin gold chain with an iridescent scarab beetle about the length of her 4 year old thumb hanging from it.
"The beetle is alive." Said Shibi. "Sort of." He finished.
Mikoto and Yoshino, who had been admiring the sort-of creature before, immediately backed away while Fugaku, Itachi, and Naichigos' eyes widened in surprise.
"How can that be. It looks like some sort of stone to me?" Exclaimed Naichigo.
"It is right now. The scarab is in it's dormant state. It's alive when given chakra. That all the details I can give." Said Shikuru.
All the not Auberames nodded in understanding. Except the ones under 4.
"Shikanai." Said Shibi, getting down to her leval. "If you ever feel you're in danger, just channel your chakra into the scarab."
Shikanai, though she still didn't know what chakra was yet, nodded her head.
"I believe it's about time we take our leave." Said Shikaku. "It's our little one's bedtime." He explained eyeing Shikamaru who had snuck off into a corner of the room to sleep. Yoshino got up and grabbed him.
Just then they heard a tapping noise. Everyone was silent as Shikanai got up, her new necklace around her neck, and opened a window. In hopped a large barn owl that immediately went to perch on Shikanai's shoulders. Startling those who didn't already know of his existence.
"Soren's back from hunting then." Remarked Naichigo.
"Soren would be the large bird of prey sitting on your daughter's shoulders?" Fugaku questioned.
"Yep, that'd be him." Naichigo answered cheerfully.
"He's our gift to Shikanai." Said Shikara. " Don't worry, he's a retired ninja owl.
"We'll be heading out now, bye Kara, everyone." Said Shikaku.
"Bye." Yoshino waved cheerfully with one hand, clutching an agitated Shikamaru in the other.
"We'll be leaving too" said Shibi. Holding Shino's hand. Shikuru was by his side holding Torune's.
"And us." Said Fugaku, motioning for the rest of his family to follow. Mikoto picked up Sauske in one arm, and took Itachi's hand with the other
"Thank you all for coming, you honor us with your gifts."
"It was our pleasure." Said Fugaku.
"Shikanai's an exceptional young girl." Said Shibi.
"Thank you and good night." Said Naichigo. 
Soon the only one left was Naruto, who had been strongly quiet through out dinner and the gift opening. He let out a big yawn.
"I guess I'll walk home now." He said sleepily.
"At this hour?!" Nonsense, stay the night, I insist." Said Naichigo.
"Alright." Naruto said through another yawn.
Naichigo got out a futon for him, put it in his daughter's room, than layed him down in it. No sooner had he closed the door and walked back to his wife and daughter did they hear a nock on the door.
Who could be visiting this late. Thought Naichigo and Shikara. Naichigo's eyes widened when he saw their visitor.
"Hizashi?!" He exclaimed. And there he was, the head of the branch family holding a sleepy child on his back.
"Hello Naichigo. I apologize for coming this late, I hope it's not to much trouble but may I come in?"
"O-of course." Naichigo said.
Shikanai's eyes widened at the sight of the man's eyes. She had never seen anyone else who had the same eyes  as her father and her.
Hizashi set his son down on the couch.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Said Shikara dryly.
"Do you remember the attempted kidnapping of Lady Hinata by Kumogakure a couple weeks ago?" Asked Hizashi.
"Yes, Lord Hiashi killed the assailant if I recall correctly." Said Shikara as she picked up Shikanai, sat on the couch, then sat her on her lap. Soren had made his perch on the back of the couch.
"You are correct." Said Hizashi.
"And now they are demanding Hiashi's body as retribution."
"What?! That's outrageous!" Shouted Naichigo. Shikara shushed him to stop him from waking Neji.
"I am to go as his replacement." Hizashi finished.
Naichigo and Shikara were put in a stunned silence. Shikanai sat quietly in her mother's lap, confused about what was going on.
"The elders can't make you do that." Shikara finally breathed out.
"They are not. I made this choice on my own to save my brother and protect my clan. The first real decision I've ever made." He said.
"Why are you telling us this Hizashi." Asked Naichigo.
"For my son, Negi." He said.
Naichigo looked at him confusedly.
"I've left him nothing but a legacy of bitterness towards our clan. He doesn't know what I'm going to do. When he finds out, I want there to be someone he can go talk to. You are a branch member who has found happiness. He's pretty isolated within the clan. The only one eles near his age is the lady Hinata. And I can't he'll be too friendly with her after this. I was hoping your daughter could be a friend to him."
"I'll look out for him the best I can." Said Naichigo determidly.
Hizashi gave him a weak smile
"Well Shikanai," Shikara said. "Would you like to be friends with Neji here."
Shikanai had been utterly confused through out the entire ordeal, but making friends was somthing she understood. She had spent the entire day doing just that and considered herself and expert on it now.
"Sure." She said. Then she jumped off her mother's lap to go wake him up. She couldn't make him her friend if he was sleeping now could she.
"Hello Neji. I'm Shikanai, and from now on you're my friend." She stated firmly.
Neji could only look at her with sleepy confusion. Not knowing how to respond he looked to his father for help.
"It's all right Neji." Hizashi said gently.
With that reassurance, Neji gave Shikanai a shy smile.
"Does that mean we can play together?" He questioned timidly. The members of his clan were much to stiff to ever take time to engage with him.
"Of course, lets play right now." She said. Then she grabbed his hand and dragged him with her to the backyard. Soren flew after them to supervise. Naichigo eventually joined them and got to know Neji as well. Late at night, when it was finally time for Hizashi to take him home. Neji gave Shikanai a tight and enthusiastic hug, then left with his father content. Not knowing the tragedy that was about to hit him.

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I don't own Naruto.