A/N: So I've been gone for years. But now I actually had a creative thought! Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Falling Into Shadows

My name is Shikamaru Nara, and I am an idiot. At least as far as I'm aware I am. Everyone else sees me as a tactical genius, as well as the head of the Nara clan. I don't mind as such, but everyone keeps bitching about me not have a wife yet. Kind of hard to do when you can't have the woman you want to be with… But they don't care. The other clan elders keep saying I should get back with Temari no Sabaku… That ship sailed a long time ago. It was a different experience when she asked ME out, of all people. I mean yeah, we had a good thing, but we both knew deep down that it wouldn't work out between us…

Thinking about her reminds me that Chouji is in Sunakagure… Not that he is with her, but because he had an idea for a new type of food pill that needed research. Sakura has been a bit depressed ever since, but she knows it's for a good reason. He does visit once every month and a half to two months though. Those two are inseparable when he is in town. I hope he gets to come back for good soon… Asuma sensei would be proud of him; of all of us. Of Ino…

Things haven't been the same since the war… Ino was a wreck for the first few weeks, due to the death of her father. She wouldn't talk to anyone for the first few days… Eventually she opened back up though it was obvious that she was different. I tried to deny it myself, but I knew she had changed. Yet, I didn't care. To me she was still Ino Yamanaka. Not Ino, Heiress of the Yamanaka Clan, or Ino, Prodigy of Interrogation. Just loud, bossy, troublesome, beautiful Ino Yamanaka.

Although she opened back up, she was quieter about what was on her mind. For a while she was seeing Kiba… I damn near did him the same courtesy I did for that moron Hidan when I found out he was seeing that one chick, Karui, from Kumogakure behind Ino's back. Ino was heartbroken, again, after she found out and as always, she came to me….. For some odd reason I can't wrap my mind around, she doesn't want to be with me…

That's right, I Shikamaru Nara, have feelings for, dare I say love Ino Yamanaka. Yet she doesn't want to be with me… Chouji keeps telling me that I should stop wasting my time, but I can't change how I feel… It doesn't matter how many times I try to push those feelings away, something happens to make them come back even stronger… I never expected this… Sakura isn't much help in the matter since those two have somewhat grown apart…

I'm envious of Hinata and Naruto when I see those two walking around. Tsunade-sama had to step down from her position as Hokage after the war because she damaged her chakra system during her fight with the other Kages against Madara Uchiha. Naruto was immediately picked for the position. Those two were married on the day of his coronation as Hokage. That was about 5 years ago. Those two have a four year old running around too. Hinata is lucky because her patience paid off in the end. If only I were so lucky.

I've liked Ino for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, although I'm labeled as a genius, I'm not good at showing how I feel… I usually just say 'Troublesome' and let it be at that… I also can't tell about others feelings about intimacy or such… I had no idea Chouji had a thing for Sakura until he asked me what he should do. Ironic to ask the guy who can't even get the woman he likes about relationship issues. What's worse is the advice I gave him worked. I told him to just be himself and he should be fine, and sure enough they went on a date that very night… I act like myself and I either annoy Ino or she doesn't catch on, or she does but ignores me…

I wish pops was here… I know he knew I liked Ino, but I never talked to him about it… I really regret not talking to him about it now… I have no idea how his lazy ass was able to get with mom, but he did it. I'll also never get to talk to Inoichi either…. Never get to ask his permission to take Ino out (not that I need to, but would out of respect). Or, if things somehow went down that road, ask for her hand in marriage…

So many thoughts… Why can't things just be simple? Things just keep getting more difficult with every passing day. I feel like any chances are slipping through my fingers. What happens if she finds someone else… Again… Or if she just shoots me down one day? Why does my mind have to bring up all the bad possibilities, instead of only the good ones?

I need to pull myself together. How can I even hope to be with her if all I can think about are the bad things? Not to mention here she comes from across the field…

"Hey Shikamaru." Ino greeted with a soft smile. "I should've figured you'd be here when you weren't at home," she replied as she sat down next to him on his favorite hillside. "Your mother said you had a troubled look on your face when you left… Is everything okay? I know you come up here when your mind is troubled. It's been happening a lot lately. That's so unlike you! What's on your mind, Shika?" she asked while poking me in the side.

"Tch. Troublesome… I doubt you'd understand…" I replied in my normal tone. "Oh, well sorry my puny little brain can't read your superior one!" Ino exclaimed. "I was only trying to see if you were okay!" she yelled as she started to get up. I quickly grabbed her by the wrist. "I didn't mean it like that, Ino… I just…" I stopped with a sigh. "You just what?" she asked confused. "I'm just really….. Confused…" I started, knowing full well that I was starting to blush. "I find that hard to believe, Shikamaru… What could YOU possibly be confused about?" she asked skeptically, but concerned. I looked her dead in the eye and said "You…"

She looked at me surprised and started to blush slightly. "Wh- What do you mean?" she asked quietly. "How I feel about you… Everytime I see you get hurt, I go insane inside… Even if I don't show it, because I don't want people to have to worry about me… I mean come on, you had to realize SOMETHING was up when I told Inuzuka that I would do the same thing to him that I did to Hidan…" I finished with a slight chuckle. "I guess…" she replied. "Look." I began again, "I know I never really said it, but I have… Feelings for you… The more I see you get hurt it's like my mind and my heart are falling into shadows. I keep getting negative thoughts that you won't ever be truly happy again… That you couldn't or wouldn't want to be happy with me…" I finish, looking away from her. "Shikamaru…" she whispers…