I invented Naruto. No seriously, it was me. The whole Japanese pen-name was invented to fool you.
Disclaimer: If you believed the message above, you work on an entirely new level of stupid.
I was browsing through fanfics and I noticed: Only 4 pages of Choji and Ino? They don't get enough love. Even individually. Choji is just that fat guy, and Ino is just that angry fan-girl. There is more to them than that (probably)! And if they are together, it's just as a cameo role in another fanfic. Or even worse: It's Ino-Shika. Now, stop me if you've heard this rant before, but I'm a diehard Shika-Temari fan. Oh, I guess the rant wasn't long after all. I'm not even going to talk about all them fandom impossible pairings……
Anyway: Here is a Choji-Ino fanfic. squee
(P.S: High-fives all around to all the peoples who have written Choji-Ino fanfics)
Konoha in the spring. The air is bursting with the scent of flowers, BBQ, and… could it be? Is that the allusive hint of love?
"See-ya Ino!" yelled a pink-haired girl over her shoulder, "Don't forget, we have a large order of chrysanthemums that need to be delivered tomorrow."
Ino didn't look up from the black vase she was arranging flowers in, shifting a waxy leaf as she replied "Yeah I know. See you tomorrow, don't skip out on me like last time."
The girl, who had just reached the flower shop door, snapped her head around, causing her short pink hair to fall into her eyes, giving her a dangerous look. She smiled sweetly which somehow managed to make her seem more menacing.
"Shows what you know Ino-Pig, I was on a mission."
The blonde bristled at the offence, abandoning the vase to engage in a good barter of insults. "Of course a considerate person would have told her friend if she wasn't going to help deliver 3000 white roses to a wedding ceremony, Sakura. But you wouldn't know about anything like courtesy. Your huge forehead would probably explode if you tried to think about it."
Sakura moved closer to Ino until their noses were almost touching. Close distance shouting is always more fun. "You're a friggin ninja. Don't tell me you can't handle delivering a few flowers"
"You should be saying that to yourself, Billboard-Brow. You're the one that skipped out. Afraid of a few thorns?" Ino replied with enthusiasm.
"Ino-Pig!"
"Forehead-girl!"
Watching the two girls fight instantly brings to mind a game of ping pong. Albeit one with a lot more profanity than is traditionally expected.
Both girls stood, quivering nose to nose with anger, then- when all the usual insults had been used up- the door to the flower shop opened and in bounded a hyperactive black and orange blur.
Sakura's fist thumped the intruders head.
"Naruto, we were in the middle of something. Don't just barge in like that, besides the shops shut."
Naruto rubbed his sore head, the huge grin which was normally on his face, replaced with a grimace. "Sakura, the sign still says open, besides Granny Tsunade sent me."
At the mention of the 5th Hokage, the girls stopped scowling at each other to pay attention to Naruto.
"What does she say?" questioned Sakura, ignoring the part about the sign she hadn't got around to changing.
Naruto reverted back to his usual expression, "Granny Tsunade wants Ino in her office first thing tomorrow morning for a mission brief. She also wanted to know if you could bring her some sake when you arrive for your training. Good thing you haven't left yet or I'd be running all over the village relaying messages instead of catching up on some training myself."
"She was drinking sake when I left…. I thought Shizune was implementing an alcohol restriction."
"You mean hiding sake bottles? She was, but Granny Tsunade is having a bad day," Naruto pointed to a second punch mark on his head, "So she forced Shizune to dig them all out again."
The three ninjas stood together in knowing silence.
"Anyway," said Sakura interrupting the moment, "This means that you're the one skipping out this time Ino."
"Yeah yeah, whatever," replied Ino dismissively.
An outsider might be fooled into thinking that the girls were enemies however despite appearances they were both close friends.
--
Shikamaru stopped outside the BBQ restaurant. He looked up at the pale blue sky and sighed. So troublesome….. I was hoping to sleep in…. Pushing the door open resignedly he entered the restaurant. Early in the morning, there were only a few customers- BBQ not normally being a breakfast kinda meal.
Shikamaru sidled into a booth, lounging lazily with one arm slung over the back of the seat and his head against the window. His eyes tracked the clouds outside for a while before resting on the person seated on the opposite side of the table who was intently watching pieces of meat on the grill at the centre of the table.
" 'morning Choji."
Choji grunted a response as he flipped the pieces of meat over.
Choji was….. large. Whether it was because he inherited big bones like he often claimed, or because the Akimichi clan had a tendency to over eat (which is far more likely), it seemed to run in the family.
The two enjoyed the comfortable stillness that comes with years of friendship. In Shikamaru's opinion talking only gets in the way. Shikamaru stretched idly as Choji began to eat. He knew Choji would share if asked nicely, but there was something about his devotion to his food that most people didn't want to interrupt. Besides, Choji would probably be stingy about how much exactly he shared… especially after he just cooked them.
"Guess we'd better head off to receive our mission details." said Shikamaru as he stood up, being careful not to unbalance the stacks of used meat trays off the end of the table.
Choji looked regretfully at the grill, but having eaten all the food and spent all his money, nodded at his team mate. After this mission he'd have plenty of time and money for more BBQ.
Ino was already in the Hokage's office by the time Choji and Shikamaru arrived. The three together made up Team 10. They'd been together since the Academy, four years ago. The absence of Asuma, the leader of Team 10 stood out in each of their minds. He had been killed two years previously by a member of Akatsuki, and although Shikamaru avenged his death, it still hurt whenever they remembered he was gone.
Tsunade's voice broke the three out of their grim reverie.
"This is a fairly simple mission. Team 10 is to make a delivery to the Sand Village."
Tsunade reached under her desk and placed two scrolls on her desk.
Shikamaru frowned in thought.
"These scrolls must be important if you are sending us. This type of mission is normally allocated to low ranking ninjas. Is there anyone after these scrolls we should know about?"
Tsunade smiled. "They are important. They contain specialised medical knowledge known only in our village. Through our alliance with the Village of Sand, it has been deemed beneficial for both parties to exchange some classified data. To answer your question, I do not believe that there are any particular people after the scrolls, mainly because the exchange has been kept under tight wrap. However, one can never be too careful, especially with valuable items like these. Stay on your guard. Deliver them directly to the Kazekage, and only the Kazekage. He is expecting your arrival. You leave immediately."
Team 10 bowed in respectful compliance, and left the Hokage's office.
So that's the first chapter done! Hope it was enjoyable... don't worry, the pace will pick up in the next few chapters what with the mission and all...
Should be posting the next chapter...er...soonish...
