Based on the film 'The Bodyguard' starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. I can just see Ino as the bitchy, bratty superstar and Shikamaru as the long-suffering bodyguard. XD It's going to deviate a bit from the original, but I'm sticking with the overall plot and backbone.
Disclaimer: I looked in the mirror this morning. I was not male, nor was I Japanese. I have an older sister and not a twin brother. Needless to say, I am not Masashi Kishimoto. I also do not own the movie 'The Bodyguard'.
Enjoy!
[Edit 20/10/07 MAJOR REVAMP. I re-read this and I wondered what the hell I was doing.
Shikamaru slouched his way through the office, hands deep in his pockets. A blonde head stuck outside of an office door.
"Shikamaru!" Tsunade hissed, beckoning to the scowling man. Shikamaru almost groaned out loud.
"Yes?" He asked cautiously, once he was in her massive office and she had closed the door for privacy. Hopefully she wasn't about to murder him for sleeping at his desk again, because those walls were soundproof and no amount of screaming could be heard (this was tested on a regular basis with Tsunade's mercurial temper and impressive voice box).
"So, Shikamaru," She said with a smile on her face. The lazy genius instantly tensed; a trying-to-smile-kindly-but-ending-up-looking-like-a-Picasso Tsunade was a thing to be wary of. "Oh stop looking at me like that." She snapped, finally abandoning the painful look and the familiar glint of steel ignited in her eyes again. "Since you are one of our best bodyguards, I thought I'd do you a favour and assign you to one of our most illustrious clients."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Who?" He asked, and Tsunade dodged the question. "They're willing to pay you four grand a week." Her eyes were trained on him. He almost staggered under the amount.
"Who's after them? God?" He snarked. Tsunade rolled her eyes. "This is a top priority, Nara. I can't ask Uchiha - he's off protecting his lover boy Naruto." Tsunade gave a wistful sigh.
"Isn't there a rule about bodyguards becoming involved with their clients?" Shikamaru asked, and Tsunade grinned.
"Not in my company."
"So who is it?"
Tsunade grimaced. "Yamanaka Ino."
"No." Instant reply. He'd been afraid of this. He tried to avoid protecting people in show business for this reason.
"You didn't even consider!" Tsunade cried, throwing her hands up. Shikamaru looked away. "I mean, I know a bodyguard has never stayed with her for more than three weeks, but she still pays a hefty sum on severing the contract!"
"I know that." Shikamaru grumbled.
"Yes I know you know that." Tsunade glared at his brain as if it was a separate being.
"She's in show business. You know how I feel about that." The bodyguard scowled for emphasis.
"Yeah, but you've guarded Naruto before! And he's just as big as her! She's got a lot of enemies and you know it; she's been monopolising the music industry the moment she debuted. She's won every music award invented, two of her songs are at the top of the United World Charts and she's been nominated, and most likely will win, an Oscar for her first film. She's got competition up to her eyeballs. She asked for the best, Shikamaru, and you are."
"No." Shikamaru looked away; Naruto had been a different matter. Tsunade narrowed her eyes into slits.
"There's another reason, isn't there?" Shikamaru didn't say anything, but the twitch in his tensed jaw told her a thousand words.
"What is it?" She pressed, and Shikamaru shifted slightly. "Shikamaru. Why won't you take this job?" Her voice was serious. He blew an exasperated breath.
"We… used to go to school together." He finally ground out, and groaned out loud this time when Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "And?" She prompted.
"She um…" Shikamaru coughed, and Tsunade's eyes widened; was Shikamaru, the most stoic and lazy man she'd ever known, getting embarrassed?! The brunette slumped into a chair.
"She used to chase after me in high school and college, okay?" He said in a rush. Tsunade was stunned speechless. Yamanaka Ino, one of the greatest performers to ever hit the stage since the legendary Whitney Houston, used to like this guy?
"And?" Tsunade nudged him again.
"I turned her down. Repeatedly." Tsunade winced, and Shikamaru winced along with her.
The busty blonde leaned forward in her chair. "I'm sorry Shikamaru, but you really are the best man for the job. Look at these." Tsunade opened a manila folder and pulled out several hardcopies and documents. Shikamaru reached over and scanned them, his eyebrows clicking together in a very angry scowl.
They were letters and pictures, the notes stuck together with words from newspaper clippings. The contents varied, but there was always one line "You have everything you took from me." The photos were of Ino, looking her usual amazing self, in various places. All the places where you would expect utmost privacy; a picture of her in her bathroom, applying makeup, or brushing her silver blonde hair in front of her vanity mirror in her bedroom.
"Whoever we're dealing with here, it's serious, and it's professional." Tsunade looked at him directly, and Shikamaru had that sinking feeling in his stomach that he would regret saying yes, and hate himself if he didn't.
"Alright, I'll take it." He sighed, and Tsunade smiled grimly.
XxX
Shikamaru drove through the crimson and gold maple forest, en route to the Yamanaka villa. He rubbed his face and took a gulp of his coffee, black and no sugar. Thoughts of that laughing, bossy girl surfaced in his mind again. They'd grown up knowing each other, from birth to kindergarten all the way to college. Their fathers were good friends, and they had been born within one day of each other. They were always in and out of each other's classrooms, but never in the same circles. She was the social butterfly, the girl everybody knew, whether they liked her or not.
Even back then, her talent shined; she joined and conquered every drama club, sang in the choir, jerked tears and tears of laughter with her speeches. He, of course, was the social recluse. Always hung about the back of the school, watching the clouds or sleeping, his best friend Chouji eating beside him. Chouji was a world-famous gourmet now; travelling the world to taste some of the finest foods the best cities could offer. At least he was enjoying himself.
The enormous cream-coloured mansion loomed into view; the roof a dark slate grey and the windows were lined with the same coloured wood. It all looked very ominous, in his opinion, except the gloomy thought was contradicted by the sunny day and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue (just like her eyes) Shikamaru shook away those sentimental thoughts.
You knew your place and you thought she knew hers; it was a clear line of friendship, until she blurred it with her flirty ways and stunning smiles. Shikamaru rolled the window down for fresh air; he'd always wondered why she liked him, of all people. She did have a large crush on Uchiha Sasuke though, back in intermediate, along with her best friend Haruno Sakura. They had a bitter row over it, but they'd made up and last he'd heard, the rosette was working for Ino as the blonde's personal secretary.
He slowed as he got to the gate. Reaching over, he pressed the button on the intercom. It looked shoddy and broken. A rude voice crackled over the speaker. "Yea?"
"Nara Shikamaru to see Yamanaka Ino."
"Who?" The speaker turned to static for a few seconds. Shikamaru wondered if the security really was that poor or if it was a trick.
"Masashi Kishimoto to see Yamanaka Ino."
"You have an appointment?" There were some scuffling sounds from the other end, and then some muffled profane obscenities.
"She's expecting me. I'm with Hatake Kakashi."
"Come on then." The massive black wrought iron gate swung open slowly, and Shikamaru drove his black, nondescript car up the driveway.
Adjusting his black suit - the tie missing, again, Shikamaru rapped his knuckles on the massive front doors smartly. A timid looking girl opened the door.
"May I help you?" She said, brushing her russet hair behind her ears.
"Yes, I'm here to see Yamanaka Ino. I'm with Hatake Kakashi." Shikamaru muttered.
"And you are?"
"Momofuku Ando." Shikamaru replied easily, and she nodded. "Please come in."
Shikamaru was led through several corridors before he finally saw Kakashi's silver mop of hair. The girl bowed and left him.
"Yo, Shikamaru." Kakashi said, as he turned around and greeted the brunette.
"Aren't you supposed to be talking with the client?" Shikamaru asked immediately. Kakashi acted as the liaison between Tsunade and clients. The blonde woman never had direct contact with the people who hire her bodyguards.
Kakashi scratched his head. "Well, I was going to, but then this absolutely delightful dolphin crossed my path and I just had to find out where he was swimming to!" Kakashi said cryptically. Shikamaru decided that he would never ask again.
"Well, wait here then." Kakashi said, and then disappeared into a room on the left. Loud music could be heard from the dim room, and Shikamaru could spot several people milling about in scanty costumes. A blur of green, and suddenly there was a man in tight green clothing that saluted him.
"Rock Lee, chauffeur for Miss Ino!" He said proudly. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"Nice to meet you." He said politely, and stuck a hand out. Rock Lee grabbed his hand in a ferocious grip and shook energetically.
Shikamaru extracted his crushed hand, and wondered why everybody's personalities were so extreme. "You're the bodyguard right?" Lee said suddenly, looking at him closely. Shikamaru took a step back, slightly impressed. "Yes."
"Your name?" Lee asked, and Shikamaru looked at the door and wished Kakashi could come out already.
"Takeshi Kaneshiro." Shikamaru mumbled absently, and Lee nodded. Then some deity decided to answer Shikamaru's prayer and the door opened. Kakashi stuck his head out and made beckoning motions with his fingers.
"See you around Takeshi Kaneshiro!" Lee cried with one hand at his mouth.
"Why did he call you that?" Kakashi said quizzically, glancing at the closed door. "I wanted to see just how lack security was." Shikamaru mumbled. The silver haired man grinned, grabbed his shoulder and manoeuvred him around the dancers. "Alright, time to meet our superstar princess!" Shikamaru groaned.
They came to a sofa seat that faced the stage where many performers were practicing for the video. Shikamaru found it hard to swallow when he saw that much-too-familiar blonde head and that characteristic high ponytail. She was talking animatedly with one of the male dancers, obviously in her element. Kakashi went around and knelt down to her level and talked to her, his voice too low to be heard.
"Honestly, Kakashi, I don't know why I need a bodyguard; I can take care of myself just fine!" Her loud voice cut through the throng. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. Kakashi talked with her quietly again. "Alright alright, I'll meet whoever it is." Too late, Shikamaru realised that they hadn't told her his name yet. He almost considered just getting out of there, dignity be damned.
"Miss Yamanaka? Meet your new bodyguard!" And Kakashi straightened from his crouch to beckon the reluctant man forward. Ino stood up from her seat to turn around. They locked gazes. The laughter and coy annoyance in her eyes disappeared instantly. He gazed at her patiently; comparing the woman before him to the girl-woman he had left behind years ago, crying and heartbroken.
Her eyes were that luminescent, sparkling sapphire blue, and her mouth was still set in that stubborn line. Her face was heart-shaped, several long blonde strands escaping the ponytail to frame her face. Under the dim fluorescent lighting her skin looked translucent and blue. She was taller though, and held herself better, standing tall and confident in her lilac halter and matching miniskirt. He spotted clear purple pumps on her feet; she'd always had an obsession with shoes, he remembered.
He straightened from his slouch, and her eyes followed him, as he became just that bit taller than her. Her mind was in chaos; she never knew he'd become a bodyguard, much less one of the elite. It clashed with his unenthusiastic attitude to life completely. To be a bodyguard you need to be forever watchful, keeping up a constant vigilance. And he was lazy, apathetic and always drowsy! She listed all of his bad points in her head, ignoring the fact that she'd found them cute at one stage in her life. She couldn't help but take in every detail of the man before her.
His eyes were that dark, calculating black, sharp and focused; his mouth in that ever-present scowl, except for when he watched the clouds. He was slightly tanned, his shirt white and unbuttoned at the top - tie missing - his black jacket open. And his stupid hair was still in that ridiculous hairstyle! But he was still just as gorgeous as he was then, and her traitorous heart had to start fluttering. Her body joined the mutiny when her stomach did flip-flops as his gaze took her in as well.
"So," She breached the electric silence between them, "We meet again, Shikamaru." He raised an eyebrow slightly; she always said his name with that little fluctuation in the second syllable. "You couldn't stand to be around me back then, and now all you do will be stand around me." She put one perfectly manicured and polished finger to her lips. "I like that irony." She grinned. Shikamaru was afraid it would happen; Ino was not one to take rejection lightly, much less several times. The bitter tone in her voice probably went by unnoticed by everyone except him. After all, she was a brilliant actress, and also a brilliant grudge-holder.
"Miss Yamanaka." Shikamaru bowed his head, and he knew she was irritated that he hadn't risen to the bait. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi looking surprised; obviously he hadn't known about their past either. Ino glared at him.
"Let's get Mr. Nara settled in shall we?" She snapped her fingers, and some harassed-looking servant/butler rushed up immediately. Shikamaru winced to himself; she only called him by his last name when she was pissed. "Show him the fifth room in the West Wing." She turned away, obviously a dismissal.
"Actually," He began slowly, quietly, and she turned her head to stare at him. "I would prefer to be two doors down from your room." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And why is that?" She asked nonchalantly.
"Obviously so I can reach you quicker should something happen." Shikamaru instantly regretted saying 'obviously' when Ino's eyes flashed. "Fine." She snapped, "Give him the third room in the East Wing." And she turned away again. Shikamaru followed the butler out of the room, Kakashi tailing him. Before the room closed, he looked inside again and saw Ino gazing back, her fists clenching and unclenching unconsciously.
So how do you guys feel about it? Reviews are much loved and fully appreciated.
Note:
Momofuku Ando was the absolute legend that created instant noodles. That's right. I can just imagine Naruto worshipping him. He died January 5th, 2007.
Takeshi Kaneshiro is probably one of the hottest asian guys you will ever have the fortune to lay your eyes on. Go on, search him in Google images. He acted in House of Flying Daggers.
