Firebirds

by Shameless Monkey

Chapter One

This morning Ino didn't come to training. It meant that I didn't have to suffer through another one of her lectures on how, even though I was meant to be getting ready for the jonin examinations, I hadn't stopped being such a lazy bones and so I was going to fail. It meant that there was no bang on my door when dawn rubbed sleepy fingers across the sky, and no smack upside the head while I waited for my coffee to brew in my kitchen, and for once, my only agenda was to get to the training grounds by ten am.

Training ground – somewhat obviously – ten. At ten. Ino had insisted on that time 'Because,' she had said, 'It means you've got no excuse to be late. Or lost.' And I guess it's okay, because it gives me a chance to sleep in when she doesn't have training (so she won't be at my house early, raising hell) sometimes. But she was meant to be there today, and getting there, and only finding Choji waiting, it seemed pretty damned ironic that Miss Perfect wasn't there herself.

"Where's Ino?" Choji asked me, his cheeks rosy from that morning's private training. Just about every clan in the village has their own training grounds, own techniques and family secrets, and we've all three – along with everyone else from the Konoha Eleven, minus Lee, Tenten and Naruto – been brought up from the cradle basically with weapons in our hands, even as they run through our blood. The Akimichi's wake up at four, eat breakfast, and then train for the next three and a half hours in the field behind their house. I shrug and Choji scrunches up his nose.

"But… is she… sick or something? I mean… she's… Ino."

"Look," I respond, trying not to let my impatience show too much (though it's useless to try anyway… this is Choji, and he gets me like no one else) "Maybe something's come up with the Yamanaka clan, yeah? Let's just get this over with." And because Choji gets it, he doesn't argue. Doesn't point out that if the Yamanaka's had something going on, then our parents would be a part of it too, and they aren't.

Six hours later and Choji heads home and I head up to Hokage Tower.

Sometimes I think that I should have just tried to win my chunin battle against Temari, from Suna. Because that way I could have avoided soooooo much trouble. Don't get me wrong, I like that certain events – trying to bring Sasuke back, avenging Asuma – brought those of us who were involved closer together, but sometimes I think that there's some admin god up in heaven who hates me for being disorganised and forces me into jobs like this on purpose.

So when I'm sat down in front of Tsunade-sama, and vaguely recalling my first visit to her office, four years ago, kind of ignoring her on principle, as a means to avoid the whole… responsibility kick, I miss what she says over her steepled fingers, the first time around.

"What was that, sorry?" I ask and she raises a delicate eyebrow, but instead of staring me down sardonically as per usual, she looks carefully calm, deceptively collected, and alarm bells go off in my head.

"Yamanaka Ino." She says, and the alarm bells abruptly fall silent. "Tell me about her."

So much for something important. I feel myself kind of re-slouch in my chair and I shrug. "Nothing much to tell," I drawl, enjoying the tiniest quiver of irritation at the corner of the most powerful shinobi in the village's mouth. "She's blonde, she's thin, she's a decent shinobi… stronger long range than short, as with most kunoichi…" the faintest lines in Tsunade-sama's forehead appear and I curb the sexism. "…of her…build, and… predisposition. From the Yamanaka clan."

Likes flowers I nearly add, but stop myself. It's unneccessary. Whatever's going on, I've put my neck out quite far enough. It's not that I don't want Ino to be in the Hokage's good books, so much as I'd rather she put herself there than me commend her efforts and pave her way. Tsunade watches me for a second longer, and it creeps me out a tiny bit, but I stick it out, stay slouching in her chair and eventually she nods.

"Thank you Shikamaru-kun. That will be all."

For a second I worry whether or not I've screwed things up for Ino by being so blasé about her, but probably not. Tsunade-sama knows what I'm like, and if she wants to talk to Ino, Ino's best bet is for Tsunade-sama to approach her in person, which is when Ino can really pull out her big guns, spring The Ino Effect on the Hokage.

You have to see it to believe. She puts a smile on her face and basically dances instead of existing, and people are completely dazzled by her. It's what made her first in the village in Kunoichi classes, what makes her such a good decoy now. Since the time in the forest when she tried so unsuccessfully to woo Neji, she's learnt a lot, and sometimes when we're walking down the street she just… walks in a particular way, and you can see people's – men's and women's – eyes following her silver-blonde head and slender figure. Unless you're me, and know better.

Oh, I know she doesn't do it for any sneaky mean sort of reason, she just likes being the centre of attention. If Obaa-chan (not that I'd call the Hokage that to her face) wants to take her on as a proper apprentice, in the way that Sakura is, Ino will only stand to gain from the lesson in humility. Not that the Hokage is particularly humble, but it's all about the way she shows her pride, I guess. And it will benefit us all, in the long-run, too. I suppose.

Even though it's been years now since Asuma died, we kinda haven't been as strong of a team as everyone wanted (including our own parents) since then, and if Ino becomes Tsunade-sama or Shizune-san's apprentice, well then, more power to her. Sakura stopped being such a twit (mostly) when she was taken under the Sannin's sleeve, and Ino will probably thrive under such guidance, too, having real powerful women to look up to. Instead of… oh, movie stars and girls who don't eat and stuff, I guess. Asuma used to be able to keep her in check, but Ino left to her own devices can be such an airhead. I wouldn't put it past her to have skipped training altogether to have… gone to those hotsprings outside the village or something instead.

When I get home, my house seems… quieter than usual, and I realise it's because Ino isn't there. She usually tails me home, hangs out with my mum and helps around our house and doesn't leave for hours in the afternoons, when she isn't working in her parent's shop, or squeezing in extra training sessions, or having girl-time with Sakura, but I guess if she wasn't at training, then maybe she's found someone else's house to invade. The dishes are stacked, cleanly on the bench, being drained of soap and water, and unusually I grab a tea towel and begin to put them away.

"So Ino isn't here today, huh?" I say, putting away the plates before moving onto the cups.

"She's just a bit tired." My mother replies and I roll my eyes when she isn't looking. I'm tired, but you don't see me being allowed to take a break. I don't say so though. Later, I climb up onto the roof to watch the night-time clouds, whirling grey and black across the blacker starry sky, and when I'm chilled to the bone I climb back down into my room, falling asleep quickly and deeply, the offness of the day finally gone with the rising of the moon.

But when I wake up the next day, she isn't there again.

End Chapter.

OMG I'M NERVOUS! D: FIRST FANFICTION! I'M NOT SHOUTING, I'M JUST STUCK IN CAPSLOCK! INSPIRED BY SAVING FRANCESCA BY MELINA MARCHETTA :)

PLEASE R&R! HELP A FIRST TIMER OUT :S WAS THAT OKAY? WOULD YOU READ IT IF I KEPT GOING? :S

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN IT. WHICH MAKES ME FEEL ALL… GRIZZLE-GUTSY :(
JK ;) ABOUT THE GRIZZLING, I MEAN, NOT THE OWNING.