Come Hell or High Water:

A bunch of Team Ten/ Ino/ Shikamaru/Chouji-centered drabbles

First Installment: Stalking Sasuke

I disclaim Naruto because neither he nor the anime/manga series belongs to me. Sucky, ain't it?

A/N: What can I say? Team Ten weirdness. Love it. Appreciate it. In this fic, Sasuke's been accepted back into the village. Just thought you should know.

Pairing/groups: Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru, onesided sasuino (and if you squint, onesided sasusaku)

Rating: K+

Warnings: Um, none. Unless you think mentions of stalking needs to be here.

Stalking Sasuke


"C'mon, Chouji

"C'mon, Chouji! It's not like I'm asking you to sleep with him!" It was times like this when Chouji wished that he'd been put on a different team—preferably one without a loud-mouthed, insanely persistent kunoichi.

He glanced around the café where he and Ino were having lunch (because she wouldn't let him go to the BBQ place, which was, according to her, too "unrefined" and they'd eaten there too much already) to make sure no one heard her last remark, Chouji then proceeded to steal another french-fry off her plate. She didn't bother to stop him. "No," he said, half of his mouth filled with her french-fries, "you're just asking me to stalk him. As if half of the ANBU ninja don't already." As an after thought he added, "And I'm not gay."

Despite the drop (more like gallon) of truth in that sentence, Ino looked offended. "No!" she squealed like he had accused her of murdering Shikamaru, "I'm just saying that since you're a guy and all, that you'll be there when they all get together…and you could tell me what he says, you know, about me and Forehead." She took another bite of her lunch, "And I know you're not gay."

The sound of the door opening and closing made them both halt their conversation and turn to the entrance. A rumpled looking Shikamaru walked through the door and ignored the hostess' questions (before pausing and telling her to get her a coffee) as he made his way to their table. "Ino," he said, nodding at her, "Chouji."

"Hi, Shikamaru," Ino said brightly, beaming as he pulled out a chair for himself, "we were just discussing how Chouji's, uh, not gay."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as Chouji spluttered and tried to explain that his sexuality was not, in fact, the nature of their discussion. Shikamaru turned to his longtime friend, "Whatever she said, Chouji, don't do it."

Unfortunately for Chouji, the pleas of a woman (as well as the food said woman dumped on his plate) are much more irresistible than the warnings of a man—even if said man was your best friend. "Fine," he told her reluctantly, ignoring Shikamaru's mutterings of 'troublesome' in the background, "I mean, it's not as if I don't know how. After all, you dragged us along to spy on him nearly everyday when we were twelve."

The resulting shriek could be heard from across town.


End.