"What's going on today?"

Shikimaru has dazed out once again!  Near the end of class, he once again fell into a haze. Shikimaru was seriously worrying Iruka by now.

"It's nothing. *sigh* this is troublesome."

"Well it's worth the trouble if it's going to effect your schoolwork. What's happening?"

Shikimaru sighed once more. Can't Iruka just let him leave? All he wants is to go relax with Akemi. Plus, what if she worries?

Not that it mattered to him.

"It's nothing, I told you. I just felt like I forgot something this morning, but I figured it out. That's all. Can I go now?"

Iruka was starting to piss Shikimaru off. Can't he just leave already? Talking is such a drag.

"Not yet. This is unlike you Shikimaru. You just don't faze out like that, it's not normal for you. Something has to be going on. I know things can be confusing, but I'm your teacher. If anything is really bothering you, you can tell me."

He thought about it.

"Something is bothering me."

Iruka perked up at this.

"What's bothering me is your persistence. Now let me leave."

He immediately deflated. *Sigh*, there's no getting past it.

"Mister and Misses Nara, you may enter."

Shikimaru's parents walked into the room.

And like any other parents would, they took him home.

"Come on, son. This isn't like you! Tell your old man."

He had indeed agreed that talking to Shikimaru was a drag, and that it was probably just one of those days, but his 'precious wife' (who threatened to kick his ass) wanted them to all talk.

"It's nothing, dad. I was just slightly more tired than usual."

That was a lie.

"Oh honey, just tell us! We're your parents! You can tell us anything!"

He was pushed to the point.

"No! Will you just leave me alone! It's nothing, I don't have any problems, I'm not worried, and there's nothing I want to talk about! Why won't you just believe me, and let me go!"

They were all wide eyed. Here he was. Cool, calm, laid back Shikimaru. And he just yelled.

I guess even a guy like Shikimaru could get pushed off the edge. But he's never acted like this before.

"Fine. But you aren't going anywhere. We're eating dinner, and you're going straight to bed young man!"

Now it was Shikimaru's time to be shocked. His eyes widened, and he was filled with worry. He didn't know why, but he was. Akemi would be perfectly fine, she didn't need him every day.

Wait. When did Akemi come into this?

Begrudgingly, Shikimaru followed his parents to the dinning room for an awkwardly silent dinner.