Disclaimer: Naruto and characters were created and belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Rating: M/R (Language, Themes, Violence)
Pairings: Ino x Kiba, Shikamaru x Shino, other minor pairings.
Darkness stretched across the sky, the pitch black of night enveloping empty streets. Wind powered through the trees, pulling bright green leaves and the scent of summer through the air. Bugs rustled and chirped, singing their songs from dew tipped grass, and a lone dog howled his sorrows in the distance.
A soft sigh escaped from parted lips. This would be the last time that she would lay eyes upon this town. She was absolutely sure of it. The thought, instead of bringing sadness, brought only hope. Never again would she feel inadequate. Never again would she drown in her despair. Never again would she live her life for anybody other than herself. Never again. She could already feel the weight from years of oppression beginning to lift and the bubbling of excitement replacing it. Another gust of wind whistled through the night, causing her long blonde hair to dance along her shoulders and her parted lips to pull into a small smile as she breathed in deeply. She couldn't help but feel as if this moment were perfect. She would remember this night, this breeze, this feeling for the rest of her life.
The sound of a car door slamming brought her out of her thoughts and she turned. The broad shoulders, long limbs and disheveled sandy brown hair of her longtime friend greeted her, his haunted eyes peering down at her small form. His light colored jeans and white button down shirt, rolled up to the elbows, stood out against the dark background. He rested his large hand on the open trunk door of his large red SUV as he studied her. "Is that everything, Ino?"
Doing a mental check list and satisfied that everything was accounted for, she replied "Yeah, Choji. That's everything."
He nodded and softly clicked the trunk shut, his eyes leaving her to search their surroundings until they landed on what he was searching for. Ino followed his gaze and gently laughed to herself. She strolled past Choji, across the street, onto the embankment and stared down at the lithe male form laying upon the grass. Long powerful legs clad in black pants lay flat against the earth while strong arms hidden by an equally black hoodie lay folded beneath his head. Dark brown hair was pulled up high, eyes closed and a cigarette was balanced precariously on his lips, smoke billowing softly around him. His image was the epitome of relaxed… but after years of knowing the man at her feet, she knew otherwise. The hard, thin line of his pressed lips and barely noticeable downward tilt of his brow gave him away. He was stressed, caught up in his thoughts, and just as ready as she was to leave this town behind.
The crunch of footsteps behind them caused Ino to cast a glance over her shoulder and one lazy eyelid to lift as they both watched Choji approach and settle beside them. There was a moment of silence between the three as they stared at one another. The silence continued to stretch between the friends, all three knowing that once the silence was broken, so too would be their ties to the past. All three knowing that this was a deciding point, that once the last step of this decision fell into place, there would be no turning back. All three knowing that it wasn't uncertainty, remorse, or fear that kept them quiet, but their determination to move forward. The trio remained silent because they were basking in the moment, drinking in the details, focusing on each other. Leaving nothing to be forgotten.
Choji inhaled deeply, held the air in his chest, and then loudly exhaled, effectively breaking the silence. He bent forward and offered his large hand, cigarette smoke floating up into his face but ignoring it. "It's time, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru's one open eye regarded Choji's hand only briefly before reaching up and grasping it, pulling himself up off of the ground. He patted his hands against his legs and back, dusting off any last remnants of grass. He gave a small grimace as his clothes clung damply to him. He took one last long drag from his cigarette, pulled it from his lips, and dropped it onto the ground. His brown eyes met Choji's dark orbs before locking onto Ino's light blue ones. He held her gaze as he slowly blew out the smoke from his lungs and lifted his boot, brutally smothering out the cigarette, the red embers crushing into wet soil. When the last of the smoke left him, his thin lips quirked into a frown and he said "Good. Let's get the fuck out of here."
OK! This is my first posting ever. I am insanely proud… and insanely terrified. Please review and critique. I am definitely interested in what you guys think and am open to suggestions to make my writing style better for everybody. :} This story, in my mind, is going to turn into a multi-chap.