Wow, it's definitely been a while since I've submitted something resembling a story to this site. I haven't actually watched Naruto for the past 3.5 years and I've just recently been reading some fanfictions and watching a few episodes, so please forgive me if they seem to be out of character.

After watching the episode of how Chouji and Shikamaru met, I wondered how their first meeting with Ino might have been... Unless they have an episode of that and I missed it! Because they're so young, most of it is friendship, but if you squint you might be able to see slight romance between Shikamaru and Ino. Please ignore the fact that Konoha seems to have every type of flower, regardless of its climate and location. Because it's a magical place where all things are possible. Enjoy!

Shikamaru was suspicious. His mother didn't wake him up early or nag him to do his homework, and his father volunteered to escort him to the convenience store, where he kindly purchased three bags of barbeque chips. This, of course, caused Shikamaru to quirk an eyebrow. There were only two of them. Why were three bags necessary? And to top it all off, Shikaku took his son to the latter's favourite spot in Konoha. They ascended the staircase and found the seats empty, waiting for the usual visitors.

Any cynicism that arose from his parents' strange actions soon washed away when Shikamaru leaned back and fixed his eyes on the clouds. The thin wisps floated in and out of his vision, its translucency allowing rays of sun to break through, no doubt a sign of a good day. But the entrancing movements of the lithe clouds soon lost his attention as two sets of footsteps met the young boy's ears. He glanced quizzically at his father, who provided the rife look of nonchalance, but gestured for his son to sit up. With an unnecessarily loud grunt, Shikamaru did as he was told in time to see the guests.

A large man with a long red mane came first, followed by a chubby young boy. His full cheeks were decorated with swirls, something that somehow made Shikamaru think of pasteries, and grew even larger when a telling smile stretched across his face.

"Shikamaru!" the boy exclaimed, rushing over to his friend.

"Chouji!" Shikamaru replied with equal excitement. To the side, he let out a sigh of relief. If it was Chouji and his father (he was sure it was Chouji's father, because he had seen them together before, and the resemblance was uncanny), then Shikamaru didn't mind some company. He looked up gratefully at his father, who merely smiled nervously.

"Are we the first ones here?" Chouji's father asked. Despite his intimidating appearance, his voice was soft and, dare Shikamaru say, dough-like. It sunk gently into the air without any bellowing displacement, and molded back to its original placidity. That was how Shikamaru liked conversations. Calm and quiet.

Shikamaru caught his father making quick gestures as though to summon some sort of silence. When he caught his son's eye, he became very solemn. "Yes. But let's not talk about it too much. Chouji doesn't know yet, right, Chouza?"

The red-haired man nodded vigilantly. "I promised to keep it a secret. And Shikamaru?"

Shikaku allowed a mischievous smile to cross his face. "For once, I think he's clueless. And that's saying something." He reached over and gave his son a quick, reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Shikamaru was puzzled. Though he allowed it to slip by without much thought, he recalled his parents' actions and tried to find the connecting thread. There were trying to please him, that was for sure. But he already went to the dentist two months ago so he wouldn't be going back any time soon. Nothing was happening in school, at least he didn't think so. Sleeping through half the class proved problematic when trying to gather information of upcoming events. And it wasn't his birthday.

Suddenly, Shikamaru felt his gut drop. Fear of the unknown was almost as terrifying as his mother's rage. Almost being the operative word. And if placating him before the event was important enough that even his mother's nagging was subdued, Shikamaru had no doubt that it was something life-changing, something that years of intense therapy would find tasking to ameliorate. The feeling of a deer in the headlights was the only thing rooting his feet to the ground. He was so caught up in his thoughts that it took him a while to realize Chouji's thick fingers were waving in front of his face.

"Haah? Did you say something, Chouji?"

Chouji frowned slightly. "Are you okay? You seem out of it."

"Oh, I wish, Chouji." He realized he needed to inform Chouji of the looming threat, seeing as they were friends. He stole a quick glance at their fathers, who were conversing about a previous mission, then guided Chouji a few feet away. The latter reflected an inquisitive look but didn't probe until Shikamaru caught his breath to speak.

"Chouji, something bad is going to happen!"

"What do you mean?"

"Think!" Shikamaru tapped his head with one finger. "Did you parents do anything special for you today? Anything they usually don't do unless you're really good or something?"

Chouji contemplated the question with all his might. "Well, my mom did get up early to buy my favourite cereal at the grocery store... And now that you mention it, my dad promised to take me to the pet store to see the newborn kittens."

Throughout Chouji's recollections, Shikamaru nodded seriously, his eyes squeezed shut as though figuring out an incredibly difficult puzzle. Just as he thought! They were planning something. But what could be coming? Having already shifted through a few possibilities, he repeated them to Chouji, who agreed that they were less than likely. The two put their heads together to conjure the idea, but to no avail.

"It's okay, though, right?" Chouji asked earnestly, gazing at a confused and slightly panicked Shikamaru.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we'll both go through it together."

And Chouji's sincere smile and gentle words made Shikamaru really believe it. The idea of having someone next to him to face the same hidden demons felt...good. It alleviated any ephemeral fears cast over him. Or so he thought.

"Right!" Shikamaru extended a hand and Chouji shook it with surprising strength.

Both boys thought they were prepared for whatever they would have to face. Even when they heard the ascending footsteps, one pair very sturdy and sure, the other at twice the usual pace, as though the person was skipping. Two figures climbed into view. One was a tall man with long dirty blond hair tied into a high ponytail. His forehead protector clearly labeled as a leaf ninja, but there was something very familiar about him. With his quick mind, Shikamaru managed to place a name to the man. Inoichi Yamanaka. He, along with Shikamaru's father and Chouza Akimichi, were a close team, working off of each other's strengths and weaknesses to create a a formidable opposition.

But there was something unsavory about the surname Yamanaka. Shikamaru rolled the name around his head a few times before drawing a connection to a young blonde girl in his class; the surly girl with her hands fixed on her hips, her lips pursed in a critical manner, Ino Yamanaka.

Shikaku's yawn was exaggerated. "It's good to finally see you, Inoichi."

The tall blond smiled. "I didn't want to come too early. And Ino wanted to find the perfect shirt for the occasion."

Ino smiled a perfectly angelic smile, but Shikamaru knew there was much more than she showed. Not only was she loud, bossy and stubborn, but she was a girl! And now she knew where his favourite place in Konoha was. After this day, there would be no where to hide. Shikamaru felt all the courage he and Chouji mustered up was suddenly squandered with the dirty look she shot them on the side. Of course, their fathers didn't notice. Shikamaru sighed. Women.

Shikaku beckoned his son with a lazy wag of the finger. "Shikamaru, come here. Share these bags of chips with your friends, alright? And try not to get the little girl upset. Inoichi says she's just as vehement as your mother."

Shikamaru finally regretted not paying attention in school. If he had only learned the substitution jutsu, he would be out of there, racing home or, better yet, under a rock. But as it stood, he had to grin and bare it. Suddenly, a trip to the dentist sounded much more appealing.

The three children sat in a circle. Shikamaru tossed Chouji a bag of chips, which was opened and devoured immediately. Ino stared incredulously, and to snap her out of her disgusted trance, Shikamaru tossed her her own bag. She flinched slightly and shot him virulent daggers before moving the bag next to her.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka," she introduced. "Who are you two?"

She could barely decipher "Chouji Akimichi" through the munching of chips. Shikamaru provided his name in the most uninterested, perfunctory tone he could. Maybe if he sounded bored, she would stop. Much to Shikamaru's horror, she took it as a challenge to make him interested.

"What do you like to do?"

"Eat."

"Sleep."

Ino scrunched up her nose. Just her luck that she would end up with the two most insipid human beings in the world. A sigh fluttered from her lips as she allowed her imagination to wander wildly. Too bad her father wasn't friends with Sasuke's father. That way he'd have to talk to her, and she'd serenade him with her broad knowledge of flowers. But Ino-Fu-Cho or Ino-Shika-Fu didn't have that special ring to it. But Mrs. Ino Uchiha certainly did!

But these boys were obviously devoid of any female companionship, and Ino was determined to enlighten them on the basics.

"You guys don't know how to treat a lady, do you?"

Shikamaru, who was gazing up at the clouds, looked down without moving his head. "I don't see any ladies here."

Thwap! Ino's small hand contacted with Shikamaru's head, forcing it forward. A jolt of pain raced through his neck and he frowned. "What was that for?"

Ino crossed her arms and huffed. "For insulting me! Now listen, and you too, Chouji! Hey, don't take my chips!"

Chouji, who was taking advantage of Ino's distraction, was trying to sneak behind her and take her bag of unopened chips. He was quickly reprimanded with a rapid slap to the wrist. Recoiling, he rubbed it and moaned. "But you're not eating it!" he reasoned.

"I'm saving it for later! Ugh, just listen to me, okay?"

"Fine, fine!" Shikamaru exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. Unfortunately, she had the same attitude as his mother. No logic in her reasoning, and an eternal aversion to the truth. In fact, hearing it got her riled up. "Impart your wisdom, oh beautiful maiden."

His sarcasm was lost on her ears, as she took this as a sign of encouragement. She thought of all the topics she knew but evidently chose the one she was best versed in, flowers. Not only was there so much to talk about, but it was a universal interest! She had never met someone with a clear lack of attraction to nature's pride and joy.

"Since you two are as unrefined as barbarians, I'll tell you about flowers!"

Though Shikamaru saw no logic in this statement, he opted to remain silent. Don't coax the beast out of its cave unless you're prepared to fight to death, he always said.

"We just had a class on it, actually. All the kunoichi had to go out into the fields and prepare a beautiful flower arrangement. It was all about adopting to foreign customs, you see, and my bouquet was the best there. Everyone love it, especially the teacher!" She said this with the utmost pride as though she had won her first game of shogi. Shikamaru couldn't see the grand achievement's worth for the life of him, but inclined his head to prove he was still awake. Chouji, however, required some prodding before he quite eagerly asked for more.

Ino began to reel off different flower names and their meanings. Initially, she aimed to go in alphabetical order, but as the list grew longer and longer, some flowers reminded her of others and stories that accompanied them, and soon the names of flowers came at random. Both boys sat very quietly, staring intently at her when she glanced at them. Little did she know, the moments she looked away with the look of distant reminiscence, they looked past her shoulder, hoping their desperation to leave was palpable enough for their fathers to sense. But desperation soon turned to murderous intent, and their fathers remained blissfully ignorant to it.

Yellow lily, orange lily, tiger lily, white lily, why were there so many different colours for flowers? Shikamaru tried to remember even half of what she said, but the moment he latched onto one, she launched into five other ones, completely drowning out any of his thoughts. A yellow hyacinth meant jealousy, but a purple one meant I'm sorry, and a blue one meant constancy. What did constancy even mean? He managed to keep his intensifying fear and impatience at bay until she said something that caught even the well-guarded Shikamaru Nara off-guard.

"That's why I'll be arranging my own flowers for my wedding!"

"Wedding?" Shikamaru and Chouji chimed in unison, sharing fainthearted expressions.

"Of course! I'm going to have gladiolus for love at first sight, bunches of forget-me-nots, a white carnation in my hair, baby's breath scattered around the tables, and ooooh, anemone! They're so pretty. I wonder where I'll put them. Maybe in my bridesmaids' bouquet. I'll need something beautiful to compliment their rich violet colour, though."

Anemone, violets, what was she talking about! Shikamaru was overwhelmed, and try as he might, he couldn't suppress the anxiety to get out of there as soon as possible. "What a troublesome woman! Already thinking of getting married and planning it all out. I feel bad for your husband."

Ino shot him a death glare. After all she did for the two boys, informing them about one of the most important subjects in love and life, and they didn't look the least bit appreciative! Had she just wasted all her breath on them? To think they were interested.

"Who asked you?" she exclaimed shrilly, crossing her arms to hide her balled fists. "It's not like I'm getting married to you, anyways!"

"Good!" Shikamaru shot back. "I'm never getting married if women are all like you!"

He prepared his next retort to her words, expecting her to explode like a bomb. Instead, she did something else. Despite his high IQ, this girl managed to catch Shikamaru off-guard all the time. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over without warning.

"DADDY!" she wailed.

The three men broke their conversation and, after exchanging a strange look, walked over. Ino's father crouched down in time for her to throw herself at his chest. Amazingly, he managed to stable himself and began to stroke her hair, an affable smile on his face. Shikaku shot Shikamaru a disapproving look. Shikamaru merely shrugged and watched as Ino's sobs were replaced with unremitting sniffles.

"They were making fun of me!" she hissed angrily, refusing to look at the ungrateful boys in the eye. "I told them all about flowers and they weren't even listening!"

To Shikamaru and Chouji's surprise, Inoichi laughed. It was a good-natured laugh that held no contempt at all. "Oh, Ino, you can't expect people to be interested in everything you are. Did you ask them what they want to talk about?"

"They like to sleep and eat, daddy! Sleep and eat!"

This time, all three men laughed. "What simple boys," Chouza chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. Chouji looked up expectantly, searching his father's face for some sort of explanation. He uncovered nothing, and instead turned his attention to the fuming girl. She wasn't that bad, but then again, she wasn't directing any of her anger at him.

"Well," Chouza continued, standing up and dusting off his knees, "Chouji and I had better get going if we want to see the kittens. Say good-bye to your friends, Chouji!"

Chouji hesitated before looking at Ino, who had calmed significantly. Her eyes still had traces of recent crying, but her body seemed much more relaxed. He managed a whispered parting and gave Shikamaru a supportive smile before heading down the stairs after his father.

"We should be going, too," Inoichi said. "It was great seeing you again, Shikaku. We'll have to do this again sometime."

Shikamaru's jaw dropped. Again? If they wanted to get together, couldn't they do it without dragging their kids, too? Shikamaru was fine with Chouji, but that psychotic lunatic? Though he hadn't glanced at her since she stopped crying, he could feel her unrelenting glares boring holes into his skull.

"Yes," Shikaku agreed, "I'm sure the kids will warm up to each other after a while."

Yeah, maybe when hell froze over. But until that time, Shikamaru would have to prepare himself for any future meetings. That meant learning how to sleep with his eyes open. He wondered if she would bargain with him. She could talk all she wanted so long as he could lie on his back and watch the clouds cross the sky. Pleasing Chouji would be easy. A bag full of snacks would be more than enough of a trade for him. Besides, Shikamaru was sure that his friend couldn't hear anything over his loud munching.

Shikamaru managed to mumble something resembling 'good-bye' and tried not to flinch when the girl angrily stuck her tongue out at him before hopping away. The moment they were out of earshot, Shikamaru looked up at his father.

Shikaku shook his head. "Shikamaru, what on earth did you do? I told you not to irritate her."

"If I just breathe without her consent that irritates her! And you didn't hear her talking about flowers and her wedding. It was so troublesome."

Shikaku cocked an eyebrow. "Her wedding?"

Shikamaru nodded solemnly.

The elder Nara chuckled. "She's honest, I'll give her that."

"But anytime I try to be honest, she snaps at me like a dog!"

Shikaku crouched down and looked at his son, a paternal lesson just on the horizon. "Women can be like that, Shikamaru. But they can also be very sweet and gentle, as long as you treat them with proper respect. Can you honestly say you treated her properly?"

Shikamaru stuck out his lower lip in an attempt to pout. Why was his father taking her side? "She didn't treat me nicely."

"Sometimes you have to initiate it. I'm sure if you're nice to her, she'll recall those claws and show you her softer side. And you can start by giving her an apology."

Deep down, Shikamaru knew it was fair, but his pride prevented him from verbally acknowledging it. He looked past the balcony and searched the town from a bird's eye view, silently searching for something. The only indication he gave that he found it was his shift of attention to the floor.

"You're a smart boy, Shikamaru," Shikaku praised. "I bet you've already found a way to apologize, right?"

Shikamaru sighed loudly. What a bother this was going to be. "Yeah."

The only way to restore Ino's hurt pride was for her to surround herself with her successes. Therefore, it was only natural for her to head to her family's flower shop to create bouquets and adornments for an upcoming celebration. The only time she spoke was when her mother inquired how the meeting went. Ino made it quite clear that she was displeased and thought all boys (with the obvious exception of Sasuke) were stupid and unworthy of her attention. Her mother's ringing laughter did nothing to soothe her mood.

Ino took a fistful of purple hydrangeas and began to intertwine them in an intricate fashion, occasionally adding the rare rose for contrast. The small white vase her mother provided soon overflowed with both an aesthetically pleasing display and a thick floral scent. She inhaled deeply and set the display aside, preparing to work on yet another clone of it. She had finished twenty in record time, which would impress her parents with no doubt. She wasn't about to let a dumb boy get her down. She was Ino Yamanaka, after all.

But creating floral masterpieces was as easy as breathing for her, requiring next to no thought at all. So her mind wandered back to her two new acquaintances (she stubbornly refused to call them friends.) That chubby boy, Chouji, was tolerable. She wondered if he was only listening because he thought she would reward him with her bag of chips, but quickly dismissed it because he had done nothing else to annoy her.

But that Shikamaru Nara! Who did he think he was? He acted as though watching the overhead clouds was more interesting than listening to her knowledgeable speech on flowers. One day he would be grateful for her telling him all that stuff, she was sure. And when he realized it, he would come crawling back, an apology spilling from his lips, and she would make him pay. The thought of revenge brought a dangerous gleam to her eyes.

A soft bell rang, alerting Ino to the fact that someone had entered the store from the front entrance. She checked the clock and crinkled her nose. It couldn't possibly be the customers. They weren't scheduled to pick up their display for another two hours, and she still had to make five more!

"Ino!"

Ino looked up at the sound of her mother's voice, though the woman was present in the front room. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Someone's here to see you."

Ino tried craning her neck to see through the glass windows, but whoever the guest was, he or she was probably just tall enough to see over the counter. She didn't like having her work disturbed, but her mother's repeated calling told Ino she wasn't about to stop anytime soon. Sighing, she left her work, promising to return quickly.

"Who is it?" Ino asked, brushing a bit of dirt from her gardening attire. She didn't realize that her mother had left to go upstairs, so she was shocked when she heard a male respond instead.

"Hey."

Standing before her was Shikamaru. He looked up with a lazy blush on his face, almost afraid to meet her probing eyes.

"What do you want?" she said evenly through gritted teeth. "Have you come to make fun of me some more? Because if that's it, I'm very busy." She tried her best to make her business sound very important, even holding her head up high to further exhibit her lack of tolerance.

"No, hold on," Shikamaru implored earnestly, taking a step forward as though to corner her. Ino stood her ground, impatiently tapping her feet against the hardwood flooring before. After a pregnant pause, he continued. "Here."

He shoved something at her chest and Ino stumbled back, allowing herself to show mild interest. She took the gift and examined it carefully. The stem was quite short, adorned with only one flower. It was purple, its six velvety petals stretching out in a hexagonal formation. The yellow seeds inside contrasted beautifully and appeared almost golden under the ceiling lights.

"What's this for?" she asked cautiously. Seeing the boy's face flush a light shade of pink made her feel embarrassed, too.

"It's a purple hyacinth," he replied quietly. "At least, I think it is. You mentioned it, didn't you?"

Ino vaguely recalled talking about the different meanings for different colours. She mostly spoke of lilies but also briefly touched the subject of hyacinths. Being the expert she was, it took less than a second for her to recall the meaning of the flower.

I'm sorry.

Shikamaru found sudden interest in the mud he tracked into the store. He kicked at it, not caring about the scuff marks his mother would chastise him for later. "Anyways, I gotta go. My dad's waiting for me." He let his words linger in the air before making a hasty exit.

Ino watched as his figure joined a larger one, both of them turning to make for home. She absently twirled the flower around in her small hands. Her family didn't sell them, she knew that certainly. The closest place that had them readily available was the meadow past the outskirts of the village. And even then, there were dozens of different flowers. Pinpointing a hyacinth took time, especially for a beginner.

Ino smiled. Maybe she'd get to like this Shikamaru Nara with time.