What is a Kunoichi?
Dis: Naruto has never belonged to me.
A/N: Here's an Ino/Shika one shot for everyone. Enjoy!
………
The day was slow and unusually hot. The ninjas of Konoha were all trying to escape the heat; even Tsunade had been spotted swimming.
Shikamaru on the other hand was going about his day as usual. For the moment he was sitting on his favorite bench admiring the clouds.
"Hey Shikamaru!"
The shadow ninja glanced over his shoulder to see Ino. "How troublesome," he muttered. He watched as Ino came to sit on the bench next to him. She seemed different to him and he knew it would probably be troublesome.
"Shika… What is a kunoichi?" Ino asked as she kicked her legs back and forth. Her blue eyes watched the clouds passing over head.
"A female ninja of course." Shikamaru sighed; he knew that wasn't the answer she wanted. When Ino asked questions with simple answers, she was always looking for something more.
"But what does that mean?" Ino asked.
"Ino you know the answer you're looking for. You always do. So why don't you tell me. What is a kunoichi?" Shikamaru replied quietly.
"We're supposed to be flowers; we're supposed to be masters of disguise and poisons. We're still supposed to know all the techniques and hand to hand combat. Why does it have to be harder for girls to be ninja?" Ino demanded. She slapped a hand down on the bench in frustration.
"You're already a ninja Ino. You've mastered the art of beauty and you've mastered jutsus. So why are you asking this?" Shikamaru asked. It seemed Ino always needed someone's help to work out what she was thinking.
"I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not knowing what I am, a woman or a ninja. And I know being a ninja should always come first but it seems when that comes first there's never room for me to be a woman." Ino replied as she closed her eyes.
"You're always a woman Ino, whether you're a ninja or not, you're a woman. You've proved this a hundred times to us. What will it take to prove it to you?" And that was a question Shikamaru would regret asking.
"Hey Shikamaru, close your eyes for a second." Ino said suddenly. Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply but Ino shook her head. "Just do it… please."
His eyes closed and reopened almost instantly as he felt Ino's lips on his. He steeled himself, knowing he'd get hit if he pulled away.
After a long minute Ino pulled back. "That's what it takes to prove it to me." She said quietly. She stood up and tugged on her skirt to straighten any wrinkles. "Hey Shika… thanks." She said as she walked away from the bench.
Shikamaru brushed his fingers over his lips once she was out of site. "You're welcome." He muttered to himself.