I'm back on guys, and I'm starting out with another 2 Part story; my explanation for my absence and not updating or writing much is on my Personal Profile. Yes, I know. I should be working on Chapter 3 of Unattainable. DON'T REMIND ME. I'll submit it as soon as I can.
Enjoy!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.
He Can't Make the First Moves
By Kunoichi Blossom
Part 1
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She slowly walked to her rival's house. Taking her sweet time, she sometimes found herself smiling. 'This is going to be great. We'll finally be able to be real best friends again after such a long time.' She involuntarily looked upwards towards the sky, 'I wonder how she'll react when I tell her the news...' She kept on walking and got closer and closer to her destination. 'It'll probably be a positive one.' She smiled at the thought. She quickened her pace, excitement overcoming her.
She slowed down as their house came into close view. She walked up to the front door and knocked on it several times. A few moments later, faint foot steps could be heard on the other side, getting louder as the person neared the door. It opened up to reveal her rival. "Good morning, Sakura!"
"...Ino?" Sakura asked, her face clearly displaying slight shock, "What are you doing here?" Ino actually seemed happy to see her. Normally, she'd be all disgusted. 'I guess this time is different?' Sakura said to herself unsurely. She noticed that Ino was even smiling at her. 'Okay...' Sakura was getting slightly freaked out now.
"...Can we talk?" Ino asked with slight hesitation, yet still managing her sweet facade.
"Well, I don't know..." Sakura began to debate in her head of what her answer would be. 'What if she just wants to insult me?' Her face faulted a bit. 'Geeze, even in my own house?! What a pig!'
Ino, sensing that something was going on in Sakura's head, quickly added, "I won't be long. I promise it'll be worth your while." Sakura still had an unsure look on her face. "I swear, Sakura." Ino knew she would give in now. Sakura knew that Ino only swore if she was serious.
Sakura sighed. "Okay. Fine. Come on in." Ino flashed a big smile at Sakura and Sakura couldn't help but flash one right back. She opened the door ajar and motioned Ino into the house.
"Thanks, Sakura." Ino said quite earnestly.
"No problem, Ino." Sakura lead the way, Ino following, and went into the living room. They sat on the couch and faced each other. "What did you want to talk about?" Sakura asked bluntly, tilting her head with a questioning look upon her. Ino looked away. Sakura raised one of her brows. 'Ino seems nervous. That's unlikely of her. It must be something really serious...' Sakura trailed off in her head.
"Idon'tlikeSasukeanymore!" Ino rushed due to her nervousness. 'What if her reaction is disheartening...' she thought glumly.
"What? I couldn't catch that. Speak slower." Sakura blinked.
Ino sweat-dropped at the sight of Sakura's face. She took in a slow, deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "I don't like Sasuke anymore."
Sakura was taken aback a bit as Ino's words registered in her head. "Are you serious?!" Ino nodded slowly, waiting for Sakura's reaction. She bit her lip and shut her eyes in anticipation.
Sakura's eyes widened to the size of big round saucers. She brought one of her hands to one of her forearms and pinched herself hard. She cringed a bit from the slight pain. 'This isn't a dream...' Her mouth gaped open in realization.
Ino, catching Sakura's little escapade, sweat dropped. "No, Sakura. This isn't a dream." She said, letting out a short, laugh. It seemed to lesson the intensity of the air.
Sakura just looked at Ino. They sat there, just looking at each other. They were there for what seemed like hours, but it was really just a few minutes. "What are your feelings on the subject, Sakura? Sakura?" Ino began to worry because Sakura hadn't really said nor done anything in response.
Suddenly, Ino was wrapped tightly into a warm, bear hug. Ino smiled as she hugged Sakura back. "This is great!" Sakura exclaimed. "We'll finally be able to be real best friends again after such a long time! Goodness. We're already fifteen as it is. Our lives are getting shorter by the moment." Sakura kept blabbing on and on; she was just so happy.
Ino sighed in relief. 'I knew she'd be glad about it. I shouldn't have worried so much.' Ino smiled as she listened to Sakura talk about nothing in particular. She didn't care, just as long as they were friends again, best friends to be exact.
"Wait. Hold on. You don't like Sasuke anymore, right?" Sakura asked, stopping her rambling for a moment.
"That's the reason I came here, just to tell you that." Ino answered. 'Where could she be going with this?'
A sly smile made its way onto Sakura's soft features. "Why? What's the reason? Is there a certain guy you've now set your eyes on? Hm? Tell me, Ino!" Sakura asked as if she were a reporter of a gossip column.
"Well..." Ino started, "Yeah. There is this one guy. He's the reason I don't like Sasuke anymore, too." Ino couldn't help giggling at the sweet yet innocent thoughts.
Sakura squealed in delight. "Come on! Tell me who it is!"
"I don't know. You might think its bad or something like that..." Ino gazed down and stared down at the carpet.
"Please, Ino! I promise I won't think like that! You have like, the best taste in guys!" Sakura pleaded and just to make sure, she put on her "face."
Ino couldn't help but give in. The sight of Sakura's face was just too charming. "Alright, I'll tell you! Darn your cute, little puppy face!" Sakura squealed again. "Stop squealing already!" Sakura laughed, but calmed down anyways. Ino inched closer, nearer to Sakura, and whispered something into her ear. Sakura's eyes widened to big saucers, just like before when she heard the news concerning Sasuke.
"Are you serious?!" Sakura asked in a disbelieving voice.
Ino just nodded. "To be totally honest, I think I've always liked him. I guess I was just too busy obsessing over Sasuke, a guy I didn't really like. I think I just liked him because you liked him." Sakura raised an eyebrow at that last statement, "It's stupid, I know, bust still true."
"Are you planning to do anything about him?" Sakura questioned Ino, unconsciously twirling a strand of her pink locks.
"Yeah, actually." Ino said, beginning to get up. "I'm going to go now, Sakura. I'll catch up with you later."
"Okay." Sakura got up as well and began to walk to the front door, "Good luck with him."
"Thanks, Sakura." They smiled at each other and hugged once more, before Ino went out the door, beginning to run off to her team's usual meeting place. Sakura smiled at Ino's retreating back and started to close the door, but instead she crept outside and silently followed Ino.
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"Good morning, Chouji!" Ino greeted to her pleasantly plump friend, reaching her team's usual meeting spot. She lied down on the ground and began to watch the clouds go by.
"Hey, Ino. You seem unusually happy. What happened?" Chouji asked, munching on a few potato chips. 'When did Ino ever watch the clouds?'
"Sakura and I are best friends again!" Ino exclaimed happily.
Chouji choked on a chip at that remark. "Are you serious?!"
"Yup!" Ino answered with enthusiasm.
"Weren't you guys fighting over Sasuke?" Chouji asked, who continued to munch on potato chips.
"Yup!" Ino answered, nodding her head.
"Wouldn't that mean one of you guys gave up on him?" Chouji grabbed more chips that were deeper inside the bag.
"I did! I don't like Sasuke anymore!" Ino admitted happily, smiling, all the while still watching the clouds go by.
Chouji had stuffed a handful of chips and had been munching on them gratefully, but when Ino said that, he spit them all out in a random direction. "Chouji, watch out where you spit your chips. One more step and I would've been covered in slightly digested pieces of food." Shikamaru came over and stood next to Chouji. "What did you hear that was so shocking that made you spit out a fist full of chips? It must've been really shocking news."
"Ask Ino!" Chouji said pointing at the chipper blond that was now skipping around like a little girl around the age of seven.
"What did you say to Chouji, Ino?" Shikamaru asked. Ino didn't seem to hear him and just kept skipping around.
"Ino!" Shikamaru said in a harsher, more urgent tone.
"Wha-What is it?! Did something bad happen?!" Ino started to panic frantically.
Shikamaru sweat dropped. He ran over to Ino and grabbed one of her hands firmly. "Ino, calm down. Nothing bad has happened. I just wanted your attention since you were too busy frolicking around to hear me."
"Oh." Ino said bluntly.
"What did you say to Chouji that made him spit out a fist full of potato chips?" Shikamaru asked when Ino finally calmed down, a bit at least.
"Chouji spit out a fist full of potato chips?" Ino cocked her head, "That never happens!"
"Yeah. He did Ino." Shikamaru sighed in exasperation, "It happened when you told him something shocking. Tell me. What did you tell Chouji?"
"I don't like Sasuke anymore!" Ino exclaimed.
Shikamaru just gaped at her. He was speechless.
Ino laid back down and started watching the clouds again. 'Hey. When did Ino ever watch the clouds?' Shikamaru shook away that thought and staggered back a little and landed onto a large, flat rock. He looked up to the sky. 'She doesn't like Sasuke anymore...' Those words echoed on and on in his head like a broken record.
Chouji lay next to him, brushing off the remainder of potato chip crumbs. "You know the reason I wasted a fistful of plainly good potato chips now. It's shocking, huh?" Shikamaru just nodded in response. He couldn't agree any more.
A few moments later, Asuma, their sensei, appeared. "We have no missions today. You can all just go home. I'll see you guys later." He left just as quickly.
Chouji and Shikamaru both got up and began to walk together towards their homes. "Shikamaru! Wait up! Can I talk to you!?" Shikamaru turned back saw Ino brush herself off and walk over to him. He looked back at Chouji.
"Go on; just catch up with me later." Chouji said, winking.
"Okay. I'll see you later." Shikamaru waved back at Chouji. He walked over to Ino. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Well..." Ino started. "IlikeyouShikamaru!"
"What? Speak slower." Shikamaru said.
"I like you Shikamaru!" and with that said, Ino ran off.
Shikamaru blinked as the words began to process in his brain. His eyes widened larger than that when he heard the news that Ino didn't like Sasuke anymore. 'Ino likes... me? Ino likes me?!' He couldn't believe it. He had always thought that Ino thought of him as a lazy, boring guy. 'I guess I was wrong...' He had to force his body to move, but with the shocking news he had just heard, his body gave out and he fell to his knees. 'What a weird day...' He could hear foots steps a little bit behind him.
"That was some shocking news, huh?" The person stepped out from behind a nearby tree.
"...Sakura? What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked.
"Hey, Shikamaru. I had a feeling Ino would do something like that." Sakura said, walking over to him. She helped him up and he dusted off his shorts.
"I just can't believe it." Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Don't tell her I told you this. Okay?" Sakura pleaded in a hushed tone.
"Okay?" Shikamaru said unsurely.
She looked around, still a little unsure; to make sure no one else was around. "She told me that she thinks that she's always liked you. She was probably just too busy obsessing over Sasuke, a guy she never really did like. She thinks she just liked him because I liked him." She said again with a hushed tone.
"I need to go home... I need to... think." He began to walk home, but was grabbed by a hand to his shoulder.
"Shikamaru, before you go, just think about or at least consider asking her out. Please? She really does like you and I think... you like her, too?"
Shikamaru said nothing and just continued on his way. Sakura sighed. 'I hope you make the right decision...' She began her way back to her house. She imagined Ino was already waiting for her at the front door, ready and eager to tell her of what had happened. She smiled to herself. 'I know her so well.'
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Shikamaru lay on his bed in his room at home. He stared up at his ceiling which had a neatly painted design of clouds. He sighed and closed his eyes. 'What should I do? I... I guess I do like her. I mean...' He sighed again. 'I have to admit it to myself already. I've always liked her. That's probably one of the reasons I didn't like Sasuke very much...' He sighed. 'I was planning to tell her I liked her today, so troublesome...' He flipped onto his stomach and faced the end of his bed. He looked towards his desk which lay various things that a guy would normally have on his desk in his room. He spotted his phone. It stood out to him for some strange reason.
"Shikamaru, before you go, just think about or at least consider asking her out. Please? She really does like you and I think... you like her, too?"
He pushed his face into his bed sheets, as if trying to bury it. 'This is too troublesome.' He reached his hand out towards his phone and was about to pick it up when it rang out of no where. He fell from his bed from the major shock. 'Who would be calling me?!' He asked himself aggravated.
"Hello?" Shikamaru managed to say into the phone, rubbing his sore butt.
"H-Hey, Shikamaru! C-Can we talk?" the person on the other side asked, stuttering slightly.
"...Ino? Hey. Sure, we can talk." Shikamaru began, "I was wondering-"
"Willyougooutwithme?" Ino rushed from her jittery nerves. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
"What?" Shikamaru said. He felt a bit disappointed because he had missed a good chance to take Sakura's advice.
He heard Ino take in a deep, slow breath before repeating herself, "Will you go out with me?" Shikamaru had already gotten back up onto his bed and was rolling side to side, from his stomach to his back. He lost his control after Ino had said those last words. "Shikamaru? Hello? Are you still there?"
He moaned underneath his breath, "Yeah, I'm still here Ino." He propped himself up and laid his back against his bed side.
"What's... your answer?" Ino took in a breath and held it in. Shikamaru could tell Ino was nervous and really worried.
"Yes, I'll go out with you." Shikamaru said with his voice barely above a whisper towards the end.
"GREAT!" Ino said in a loud voice. Correction, yelled into phone. Shikamaru groaned and pulled the receiver far away from his ear or else he would have gone partly deaf.
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I'll submit Part 2 soon! Please review!
Kunoichi Blossom