"Shika~chan!"
Shikamaru couldn't seem to spend one day in this village without running into at least one troublesome blonde. There was Temari-who was here all too often- Tsunade, the goddamn Hokage, and Ino, who was the object of his annoyance at current.
He glanced over his shoulder only to receive a chakra intensified slap to the face. He hit the ground before he'd realized what had happened.
"What the hell, Ino," he groaned, sitting up. "What's your problem?"
Ino crossed her arms, turning up her nose at him. "That was for leaving me at the bar last night! What could have happened to me, little old me, surrounded by all of those men?" Shikamaru gave her his signature 'are you stupid?' look.
"You're a fucking kunoichi. I'm pretty sure you can handle yourself."
Ino shrugged. "Whatever! You're treating me to ramen anyway!" So, of course, as was the norm for anyone in their year, they walked to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop - which, reminded him of yet another troublesome blonde...
As Shikimaru and Ino walked up to the ramen stand, Naruto sat noisily slurping a giant bowl of ramen. "HOT HOT...mmm... HOT!"
Naruto heard a snicker behind him, Ino scoffed, "What are you doing Naruto! You're such an slob!" Shikimaru avoided the conflict and rubbed his nose.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "SHUT UP INO!" He continued slurping ramen while defending himself, "This", slurp, "Is", slurp "the best ramen!" He teared up a little, maybe from the heat of the broth or maybe because of his love for ramen. Most likely both.
Shikamaru sat at the bar and ordered for himself. He knew there was a way out of having to pay for Ino's food. Initiating strategy one hundred and four- Ino lifted a finger to tell the old man behind the counter what she wanted. "Beef specia-" Shikamaru coughed to cut the girl off. "What is it, lazy ass?"
He just shrugged. "Beef has a lot of calories, doesn't it?" Ino glared at him incredulously. "What are you trying to say?" He glanced at her stomach and gave her a look. "I'm gaining weight aren't I? Shit! I'm going for a run!" And, with that, she was gone.
Naruto was finishing off the last part of his ramen and was oblivious to the recent occurrence.
"Hey Shikimaru! I didn't know you liked ramen!" Naruto greeted Shikimaru then looked around..."Where'd Ino go? She usually gets the beef ramen...mm..beef ramen.." Naruto's stomach growled and he stared at his empty bowl. With hope he peered into his froggy wallet which let out an empy puff of dust.
The Ramen guy avoided looking at that pathetic face Naruto makes when he's out of money. That kid wasn't getting another free bowl out of him!
Shikamaru glanced at the blonde. "I don't really care. Food is food...how many bowls have you eaten anyway ?"
Naruto flopped onto the counter and blubbered "Only two bowls~ wahhh~ so hunrgy!"
The Ramen guy looked alarmed at Naruto's whining "I can give him just...one more bowl..." he reached for the noodles but then his hand slammed down "n-no! No more!" The ramen man cried and quickly closed the ramen stand, a little sign fell down saying "Gone on Vacation"
Shikimaru looked up in surprise(as surprised as Shikimaru could look). Naruto continued to whine, a puddle of snot pooling around him, not noticing that his hands got smashed under the shop door.
[Shikamaru wasn't...particularly sure what was going on, but this pathetic thing didn't really work for him- not on Naruto. "Stop your whining and have mine." He pushed the bowl over to him. He got up and started to leave. He figured Naruto would probably notice his hands being trapped under that door in 3...2...
"AHHHHHH! WHERE DID THIS DOOR COME FROM!?" Naruto flailed and tried to shake out his hands, suddenly he jumped up and grabbed Shikimaru by the collar, "It was you, wasn't it Shikimaru!?" Naruto spewed some last minute excuse as to why Shikimaru would do this. "You-You're trying to smash my hands so that I can't become hokage!"
"Naruto, I get it. You're hungry, so you're delirious. Just let go of me...go eat the ramen, and I'll just be on my way..." He lifted his hands, trying to calmly reason with the ramen deprived Naruto.
What Naruto heard Shikimaru say was..."Naruto, blah blah. Blah blah, blah blah blaaah, Blah...Go Eat the Ramen, blah..." Naruto perked up, "Whatever you say Shikimaru ol' pal!" He raced over to the ramen stand and clapped his hands together, a little painfully, "Itadakimasu!" Naruto picked up his chopsticks and began eating...he picked up his chop sticks and...he picked up…"GAHH! Why can't I pick these up!" Naruto fumbled with his chopsticks, his hands were pretty messed up from the door slamming on them.
Shikamaru chuckled a little as he walked away from the ramen shop. Naruto still amused him in the way that only Naruto could, despite being however many years older. Of course, he'd never voice any of this, but he was definitely glad that even after everything...Naruto was still Naruto.
Interrupting his thoughts, he remembered something important. If he wasn't mistaken, he was pretty sure that Sakura was having that party tonight. He knew he wouldn't be living much longer if he didn't at least pop his head in at the party and let a few people see him there.
Naruto plunged his face into the bowl of ramen…inhaling broth and noodles...this was what happiness was.
Suddenly he felt a smack on his back which knocked him out of his ramen wonderland and caused him to cough out a few noodles. "Bleh! Bleh bleh...!" Naruto held his throat coughing.
"Naruto! What are you doing.." a familiar voice said.
Naruto stopped choking enough to look up and identify the person. He wheezed out "s-sakura..?" a noodle was hanging out of his nose.
"You're such a mess Naruto! Did you forget you promised to help me set up my party?!"
He inhaled the stray noodle through his nose, "Oh yeah! That! That's tonight?"
"Of course it's tonight, can't you remember anything? Same old Naruto..." she said as she dragged him by the ear away from the ramen stand.