Song: Remember me this way
Chapter 1Ino was sitting on a bench when Sakura came around the place. After all, they were best friends before, aren't they now? It was just a bad timing for Sakura because Ino did not feel her presence at all.
"Ino-pig? Are you not over it?" she asked.
"Oh! Forehead-girl, you're here. I didn't know you already arrived. What was your question again?" she said glumily.
"I asked if you ever miss him?" Sakura repeated.
"Who?" asking although she knew the answer.
"You know who I mean Ino-pig! The laziest person in Konoha, of course. You're one and only, Nara Shikamaru! Do I have to point it out to you?" she sat near her.
"HIM? Of course not!" she denied.
"Ino" she sighed, "I know you miss him, A LOT. You don't need to hide that."
"Really! I don't miss him, forehead-girl. Now stop bugging me! Can't a person have a time of her own! You know forehead-girl, you are so TROUBLESOME—" she covered her own mouth.
Sakura smirked. "And… that is what you mean by 'I don't miss him', huh?"
Ino had no way out of this one. Not in the case, she is in. Shikamaru was sent on a mission, it was already 5 months, and had not yet returned. Ino was freaking out what might have happened to his teammate, best friend, or soulfully her lover.
"What could have happened to him Sakura? It has been 5 months but no sign of him." She started to cry.
"That is what I don't know Ino." Silence covered them. "But I know he is till alive there, somewhere." She smiled.
"But Sakura? Why is it that his elite comrades are already here in Konoha? How would you know he still okay in that wilderness." She cried.
'not all Ino…not all of them'
Sakura patted her back and gave her a friendly hug. "I just know it."
'He has to. He shouldn't leave her like this. When will you go back here Shikamaru? Ino is cold in talking to us especially to me because of your loss. Please head back to Konoha, Shikamaru.' Sakura thought.
-----Flashback-----
"Shika-kun! Get up there and come with me!" Ino insisted like a baby.
Shikamaru, who was lying on the grass and watching the paradise of his life, the clouds, just ignored her.
"Shika-kun! Are you ignoring me!" there were flames in her eyes, telling she might smack him on the head.
"…"
smack…
"Ouch! Ino! Can't a FREAKIN' guy have his own time?" Shikamaru just gave her a stare and looked back up into the sky, ignoring her.
"No! There is no time of your own for this day, Shika-kun! You promised me that you're going to come with me wherever I go this day. You PROMISED!" Ino wailed.
"You are so troublesome" he stood up and patted his shoulders.
"When are you going to finish patting yourself?!?" Ino shouted.
"Finish" he said nervously. There are times when he can't clean himself because of one reason…the angry Ino. There was one thing the Chuunin Exams taught him a very good-helpful lesson, and that is to never mess up with a very angry Ino…ore else you're dead meat.
"Finally!" she pulled him away from that place and she went to every corner of Konoha the whole day.
"There you are Shikamaru! Master Hokage has a mission for you. You better go to her office." Kotetsu panted.
"What the hell would the Hokage make me do? Can't I just back out this one? Ino just dragged me into the every corner of the village and now this! When will I ever get a rest!" Shikamaru retorted.
"Shikamaru! You're a Jounin now! You have a greater responsibility to the village! You should know that!" he reminded.
"Okay…okay" he surrendered, "I'll be right there. Just hold your horses."
"We're going to borrow Shikamaru for a while Miss Yamanaka, may we?" he asked politely.
"Um…okay. We're done in whatever we we're doing. It's fine with me." Ino showed him a fake smile.
"Thank you" then he left with Shikamaru.
-----End of Flashback------
"Is she still…okay?" Sasuke asked. It's awkward though, because a guy like Sasuke cared for a girl? Weird isn't it?
"She keeps telling me that she's fine in the start but in the end she ends up crying on my shoulder." Sakura drank a glass of water.
"Poor Ino-chan. What can we do to help her?" Hinata shyly asked.
"Well, Sakura, did you tell her about it?" Kiba asked patting Akamaru who is sitting on his arms.
"No, not yet Kiba. Why? Should I?" Sakura turned to see raindrops falling from the sky.
"I think you should, Sakura. We shouldn't put her hopes high. It might make her life miserable. Thinking that she is now miserable." Kiba closed his eyes and listened to the raindrops caused by the roof.
"You have a point, Kiba, but telling her about Shikamaru's mission could worsen her situation." Shino said wisely.
"and that could lead her to a dark path of life. We should revise a plan. A mission or somewhat" Neji concluded
"So should I tell her…or not?" Sakura asked causing up the group to be in silence.
"I think…you should not, Sakura-chan" Naruto said afraid to break the silence.
"And besides…Tsunade-sama told us not to tell" Tenten followed.
"Ino's spring of youth will be beautiful as the sunset again…one of these days, I suppose?" Lee started his phrase about someone's spring of youth.
"I just hope so" Sakura finished her glass of water and everyone parted their own ways.
Chapter 2'Ino' Shikamaru thought.
"Hey! Nara! What'ya thinking?" Shikamaru's female comrade asked him.
A/N: (Now I know why Ino felt that way)
"Nothing, Hiera. This is nothing." Shikamaru sighed
"Then you better get you're butt over there and plan an attack for the enemies!" pointing out a spot where his fellow comrades were sitting and talking about an ambush.
"Yeah. I'll be right there." He ignored focusing on the stars that night; they were brightly shining at that time of night.
Smack…There came a smack on Shikamaru's head.
"Ouch" he rubbed his head
"There is no time to waste Shikamaru! You're the leader of this squad and you should not forget that!" Hiera instructed, strictly.
"WILL YOU JUST QUIET DOWN FOR A WHILE, INO!" he got frustrated that he did not remember what he just said. A little bit of scrutinizing, everything rushed down to his head. Everything he said to Hiera.
"To add up to your information, dear leader of ours, I am not Ino!'
"…" Shikamaru zoned out.
'I miss you a lot, Ino' he sighed"Who the hell is that Ino! Wait!?" there was teasing in her voice, "she's you're girlfriend, isn't she?" she then began ran to her comrades.
Swish…Shikamaru's right hand grabbed her arms that caused her to bump into his body.
"Don't be troublesome, Hiera! Don't tell them I told you about Ino." Shikamaru told her.
"You're the boss, Shikamaru" she smiled and freed her own arm, which Shikamaru let go of without hesitation.
"Shika-kun? Where are you right now? Are sleeping cozily? Do you eat healthy food? You better come back…or else-" she was cut off by a familiar voice that she longed to hear.
"Or else what?" the guy gave her a smirk
"Shika-kun? Is that you?" she asked not believing her eyes.
"Who'd you think would it be? Ino?"
"Shika-kun! It's really you! I've missed you a lot!" she went near him and gave him a long-time hug.
Poof!"Shika-kun!" Ino exclaimed from her bed.
"Hey, Ino?" Chouji came in with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands, "May I come in?"
"sob…sob…sniff…sniff"
"I guess so" he went near her bed and offered her the cup. Then silence was among them.
"Chouji?" she asked between sobs.
"Yes Ino?" he turned to his teammate
"How is Shikamaru now? Is he still alive?" she didn't know why that question erupted on her frigid mind.
"Of course he is! He is a genius you know!" Chouji tried to cheer her up
"When will he return here? Return in my life?" she said blankly, "I can't live without him. I just can't"
"I know that Ino." He hugged his teammates and her a friendly smile, "He might be lazy but he is serious in---" Chouji cut of his statement.
"Serious in what, Chouji? In what?" Ino asked
'serious of his love for you, that is' he thought
"Nothing" he smiled
Ino did not bother to be naughty so she just kept quiet. She was not in the mood to bother anyone else, until Shikamaru returns to the village. She wouldn't bother anyone for a while. She just wondered there, what mission did the Hokage gave him? The only thing she could do is wonder.
"Hey Ino-pig!" Sakura greeted
"Hello" she said with misty eyes
"Don't tell me you're going to cry again and again!" Sakura complained
"I- better leave you two alone for a while" Chouji excused himself
"Thank you so much Chouji" Sakura smiled
"Thanks for the hot chocolate Chouji" Ino thanked him
"It's nothing. Enjoy it" and with that he left the two of them.
"SO?" she asked
"so what?" Ino also asked
"What did you dream about last night?" she expected her to cry with that question, and she did.
"Where is he right now, Sakura! I can't take this anymore. I need him more than anyone else. I need him everyday." she cried
She comforted Ino. "Do you really love him?" she asked suddenly which shocked Ino.
"…"
"I asked if you love him or not?" Sakura repeated
"I just can't tell him." She replied
"But do you love him?" she wiped Ino's tears
"Yes." She said shyly
"Then let's wait for his return and tell him you're feelings"
"Didn't you understand that I can't tell him?" Ino pointed out
"Are you willing to cry your feelings out in your bed, when if he returns, the two of you could enjoy your happy relationship together?"
"Sakura-"
"Listen Ino! Before you were a fan of Sasuke and now that you love Shikamaru, you should fight for that."
"B-but"
"No buts Ino. Now let's practice for that special day. The day when he returns back to your life."
"Thank you Sakura" she hugged her friend and indeed they practiced.
"What do you think is Sakura doing to Ino?" Chouji leaned his head more on the door
"I don't know" Kiba listened more
"Will you two shut up! I can't hear whatever they are saying!" Naruto hushed them
"Oh you should be the one to shut up Naruto!" Kiba warned
"Me? Hey dog-person! You should be the one who must shut up. LOUD-MOUTH!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Guys! Are we here to listen or to fight?" Shino asked them
"hmp! I'll listen more on to this side" Naruto moved a little bit farther from Kiba
"and I'll stay here" Kiba listened to the door.
"We are so stuck with loud mouths" Shino whispered to Chouji
"Yeah"
'I'm really sorry Ino. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about this kind of mission. But if ever I had a choice, I'd rather be with you. I want to hold you in my arms.' Shikamaru thought.
"Ya thinking about Ino, again?" Hiera sat with him and enjoyed the stars
"Hey, truth hurts"
"Ya really love that woman, huh?" she faced him
"Her? I think so?" he continued admiring the stars
"You just think so! Goodness!" she gave herself a light smack
"What would you want me to say then?" he turned to look at her
"hmp" she turned away
They enjoyed their stargazing.
"Shikamaru?" she leaned near to him to kiss him
"Hiera! What are you trying to do!"
"Kiss me, Shikamaru." She leaned more near to him
""Hiera! The only girl I'll kiss is Ino. Now get away from me!" Shikamaru shouted.
She laughed. "Now, that is what I want you to say"
"Y-you-" Shikamaru didn't know what to say
"Cat got your tongue? See? Now that means you love her. SO MUCH." She left him laughing.
"Hey Boss! Check out the plan we had made for the enemies. A whole new bunch." Cried one of his teammate.
He stood up and went near them. He approved on what they did.
"We'll do the last attack tomorrow sunrise." He said seriously
"What's the rush. Boss?" his comrade asked him
"Yeah?" Hiera agreed.
"I want to return to the village as soon as possible" he explained in one deep breath.
"Why? Is it someone special?" his comrades began asking him.
"Yeah! Someone very special" he said coolly
"Who?" Hiera also asked
'Yamanaka Ino. Who else?' Hiera thought.
"it's a secret" he smirked and slept ahead.
Chapter 3