Author's Note: Hey people! Here's another fic, courtesy of yours truly! It's InoShika, in Shikamaru'ss point of view, so basically, it's Shika-chan that's talking. Anyway, review please! Jealous Much? It's Neji's Turn! and next chapter of Voluntary Chaos coming up soon! Enjoy!
When I woke up, I shivered instantly. It got cold. Again. How troublesome. I looked out my window. Snow all over Konoha. I sighed. Very troublesome, indeed. I got ready for training, which would probably be cancelled. Still, I need to go, or kaa-san's going to be on by case for quite some time. "Kaa-san! I'm going to trining now!" I called out.
"Alright! Ja!"
I went to our trining grounds. As expected, nobody was there. Then I saw something. A piece of paper, with Asuma-sensei's writing on it. It was stuck to a tree with a kunai. 'Team 10, since it's snowing today, we don't have any training. Enjoy your day off, since it's only for today. Training starts again tomorrow!' I knew it. I sighed yet again. How troublesome.
I walked around Konoha, passing the time. I saw Neji and Tenten, sparring as usual. Don't those two ever get tired? Or cold, for that matter? Probably Tenten, but Neji. . . I may be a genius, but I have no idea. I guess he is, but sparring is his only excuse to be with tenten. Sheesh, why doesn't the guy confess now? Tenten would accept anyway, it was so obvious. He would be doing both of them a big favour by doing so.
I walked some more. I saw Gai-sensei and Rock Lee, hugging, crying, calling each other's names. . . I shuddered, and not from the cold either. What's wrong with the world these days? I swear something is.
I walked further. I saw Hinata, Sakura, Chouji, Naruto and Kiba having a snowball fight. Kakashi-sensei was nearby, reading the latest volume of his gruesome book, Icha-Icha Paradise. Pervert. Shimo was watching the snowball fight in the distance.
I started to wonder where Ino was, I haven't seen or heard her anywhere. I decided to check up on her. I went to their house. About 4 houses away from their own, I heardshouting and screaming. Something crashing. I instantly knew Ino wasn't there. I walked away.
I found Ino lying on a bench, partly covered in snow. I walked closer. I saw partly frozen tears on her face. I wiped them away. Heck, her face is as cold as Neji's heart used tobe before Naruto beat him up years ago. . . Matte, Neji's heart is still cold. Never mind them.
I carried her to my house. I saw her twitch. How troublesome.
"Kaa-san, could Ino stay here for a while?"
"Sure, segare. But let her parents know, okay? Thay called just a few minutes ago, looking for her. Turns out she ran away."
I looked at Ino. So that's why she was there on the bench. She probably stayed outside from last night up until I took her.
"Kaa-san, ould you change her clothes while I call her parents?"
"Of course, segare." I saw Ino twitch yet again.
"Ino, you can open your eyes now. I know you're awake." Her eyes fluttered open.
"Shika, don't! Don't call my parents! I ran away because. . . well, you know why, don't you? I wanted them to stop fighting. But if they wouldn't I can't just stick around and watch them. I just had to get away," she pleaded.
"Ino. . ."
"Please, Shika-kun?" she asked, giving me those puppy eyes and pout she knows I can't resist.
"Could I just tell them you're alright, and will come back soon? And don't call me that."
"Fine. . ." she complied, defeated. I gave her a reassuring smile.
I walked to the phone, and dialled Ino's home phone number. Busy. How troublesome. I dialled again. Still busy. The Yamanakas must have called everyone in Konoha. I went back to the living room, and saw Ino, changed, dry, and warm.
"Shikamaru, you and Ino go to your room. Our relatives are coming soon and you know how they can be," my kaa-san reminded me. My eyes widened.
"Hai, but they will look for me. What will you say?" I asked.
"That Godaime-sama called you for a last-minute mission that would last for until who-knows-when. Alright?"
"Hai. Ino, let's go. . ."
"Huh? Where?" Troublesome woman. She spaced out on me.
"Weren't you listening to me, troublesome woman? To my room," I replied.
"What for?"
"We're gonna have our relatives come over. . . If they see you with me, they're gonna pinch your cheek, think we're together, and other toublesome things I don't even want to think about."
"Why do you keep inviting them, then?"
"It's troublesomely inevitable and complicated."
"Oh, alright then. Where's you room?"
"Upstairs, second door to the left. Let's go, troublesome woman." I braced myself for a punch in the arm or in the gut, but it never came. I glanced at her and sighed. When we came to my door, I opened it and let her go in first. She sat down on my bed, and I lied down next to her, facing the ceiling.
"So, Ino. . .You gonna tell me what's wrong or soak my clothes with your tears?" I asked nonchalantly.
I caught her by surprise. She looked at me wide-eye, then changed her expressionto a frown with a cute pout. Wait, did I just say cute? Troublesome.
"Both then?" I asked again, cocking an eyebrow. Her lower lip quivered. Means only one thing. Then I saw tears at the corners of her eyes. I knew it. Troublesome.
"Both." I was surprised with her answer. "Shika-kun!"
"Ino. . ." I was even more surprised by what she did next. She glomped me. Then she cried. And cried. And cried some more. After she had had enough, she spoke up.
"My tou-san and kaa-san are always are fighting. I can't take it anymore. . ."
"Ino, you troublesome woman. . ."
"I mean, I guess a few arguments here and there are still acceptable, but it goes on for hours, even days! What's worse, they involve me in it too, even if it doesn't concern me! At all! What do I do, Shikamaru? I'm sick of it all!"
"Troublesome woman. . . Calm down, the whole crew's got your back. Not just Sakura, Chouji, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Kiba and Akamaru, but my kaa-san, my tou-san and all the other senseis are too, especially Asuma-sensei. . . And wether you like it or not, meybe even Neji and Shino. . ."
"Wow. Longest sentence you've ever said, without saying 'troublesome', no less! I didn't know you could talk that long. Are you alright?"
"Quit the remarks. You're the problematic onehere."
"Yeah. Arigatou, Shika-kun! I feel much better now. Demo. . ." she replied, but looked away.
"Nani? What's with the 'but'?" I asked, now confused.
"How about you?" she asked.
"What aboutme?" I asked back.
"Are you there for me too?" My eyes widened in shock. I purposefully left my name out of the list, since I thought she'd say something along the lines of 'What's with your name in the list. You were never there for me.' Guess I was wrong, ne?
"Hai, I'm your teammate and friend, after all."
"Oh. . ."
"And. . ." I started again.
"And?"
"I. . ."
"Hai?" she encouraged.
"Aishiteru. . ." I blurted.
". . ." This is troublesome. She didn't reply. What a drag. I waited on bated breath,but I decided to let it go.
"Forget about it, Ino. I don't mind if you don't answer. It's a drag, but it's fine."
"No. . ."
"Eh? Forget about it, Ino."
"No, you don't get it. . ."
"So what you'resaying is that I'm a stupid genius? You're so troublesome."
She frowned at that, but it disappeared pretty quickly. "Yeah, that's what I'm implying! You may have an IQ of 200, but with girls, you become pretty stupid. Maybe if you let me talk, you'd have a little more. . . knowledge. . . about girls." I cocked an eyebrow. Did she just tease me? I think she just did. I looked at her. Yeah, she did.
"Oh, really?"
"Okay, maybe not. Not about all the girls anyway. More like. . . a little more knowledge about me." she grinned.
"Okay, now you're making me look and feel stupid here. I've known you since our Academy days, what makes you think I don't know you?" I asked.
"Well, for one, you don't know I'm notinto Sasuke anymore," she said matter-of-factly.
"I know that already."
"Liar! How?" she asked, obviously not believing me.
"You and Sakura aren't fighting anymore, are you?"
"Not over Sasuke, no. . . Fine, I'll give you that one."
"I know you pretty well, after all," I teased.
"Demo, you still don't know one last thing about me,"
"And what might that be exactly?"
"That I. . ." she started. "I. . . I. . ."
"Eh? Troublesome." She frowned at me, then took a deep breath.
"Shikamaru. . ." she started again. This time I kept quiet, waiting for her to finish. "Aishiteru."
Now that's a shocker. My eyes widened ever-so-slightly in surprise. When I got over the shock, I yawned, then I smirked. She blinked.
"So, you wouldn't mind me doing this, then?" I asked, leaning in. I was planning on giving her just a simple chaste kiss, and pulling back to see her reaction. To my delight, though, she responded. My arms snaked around her waist, and her arms went up around my neck. Pulling me closer, she deepened the kiss. What was supposed to be a simple peck on the lips turned into a passionate French kiss, as I licked her lower lip, and she opened her mouth, my tongue battling with hers for dominance. As air became a necessity that couldn't be ignored, webroke away. I looked at her. She was smiling.
"Nope, not at all."
"Be my girlfriend?"
"Definitely." She hugged me, and before we knew it, we were making out again. But to my demise, somebody just had to interrupt.
"OI! SHIKAMARU, INO!" Way to ruin the moment guys. We ignored them, and kept making out. What can I say? Ino's addicting.
"WILL YOU STOP MAKING OUT FOR A SECOND?" Enter Sakura, Ino's best friend, the loudmouth of Konoha, besides Ino. Troublesome. "JOIN THE SNOWBALL FIGHT!"
"OOOR, LET'S GET SOME RAMEN!" Naruto. Male counterpart of Ino and Sakura.
"GOOD IDEA, NARUTO!" Chouji. My best friend. He likes to eat. He and Naruto get along mainly because of ramen.
"I KNOW, RIGHT?!" I broke away andlooked towards my window, under which they were standing and looking up, knowing we were there.
"COME ON, NARUTO!" Ino took hold of my attention once again by kissing me.
"YEAH! GUYS, WE'RE GOING AHEAD, OKAY?!" Ramen addicts. "ON TO ICHIRAKU! I'LL SAVE YOU A SEAT, SAKURA-CHYAAAAN!"
"Um, Kiba-kun, where do you want to go?" Wow. She didn't stutter. I guess being together with Kiba helped with her confidence. Good for her.
"Meh. Might as well follow the ramen addicts. Oi, Sakura!" I heard Kiba say.
"Hai?" Sakura answered.
"You might want to follow in ten minutes, fifteen, tops. You're the only one who can stop Naruto from inhaling twenty-five bowls of ramen in that time. Besides, if his froggy is thin today, I'm not paying up this time, I have a date with Hinata-chan."
"Hai, hai. I'll just meet you there at Ichiraku. Tell Naruto to wait for me, ne?"
"Sure thing."
"HEY INO-PIG! WHEN YOU'RE DONE EATING EACH OTHER'S FACES OFF, GO TO ICHIRAKU, OKAY?"
Ino broke away for a moment, and screamed. "SURE THING, FOREHEAD GIRL! JUST DON'T LET ME AND LAZY-ASS-SLASH-GENIUS HERE SEE YOU AND NARUTO MAKING OUT AGAIN, OKAY?"
"We'll see!" Then she ran off. Finally.
"Lazy-ass-salsh-genius eh?" I asked her, cocking an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh." She grinned. I gave her a quick nip on the neck, then a peck on the lips.
"So. . . Who's gonna tell the people who have tendency to freak out?" I asked.
"Huh?"
"The parents."
"Oh. Let's tell them together?"
"It's troublesome, but sure," I sighed. Ino laughed, I smiled. "Let's go?"
"Sure," she replied, taking my hand, a playful glint in her eyes.
17
Xanie
17
"Kaa-san, I have news for you," I started. "You might want to sit down for this one." Ino cocked aneyebrow at this. I shrugged.
"Doushite? Is something wrong?"
"Ino is going out with somebody already."
"Nani?! Oh, Shikamaru! I'm sorry, I really am! You must be crushed." Ino's brow went farther up. I blushed.
"Kaa-san, the boyfriend is me. We're going out now."
"Oh. . . Oh!. . . Oh! You two are going out now?!"Geez. Took her long enough.
"Hai, Yoshino-san! Shika-kun and I got together just, like, upstairs!" Ino grinned. My blush grew darker.
"Oh, you guys, I'm so happy for you! Ino, go tell your parents! They'd be very happy to know you finally got together of your own free will!"
"Eh? 'Own free will'? Could you elaborate on that, please?" Ino asked, intirgued.
"Nani? Did I say anything of thatsort? No, I didn't!" Great cover-up, kaa-san.
"Um. . . Okay. .. Eh, we better go now. Might as well tell kaa-san and tou-san myself." Ino said, looking at me. I shrugged.
"Ja, kaa-san," I said, after grabbing coats for Ino and myself, then going outside.
We walked to Ino's house, which also dobles as their store, since they live above it. To our surprise, it was pretty peaceful. "Ceasefire?" I asked hopefully. Ino just sighed.
"More like breaktime." We went inside. "Kaa-san, tou-san, I'm home!"
"Ino, sweetie, you're finally home! We were so worried about you!" They came running over. Then they saw me. "Shikamaru! Arigatou gozaimasu for bringing Ino here! Come in, come in!"
"Eh? No need, Inoichi-san. I came here with Ino because we wanted to tell you something." I started.
"Nani? Daijobu desuka?"
"Hai. It's just that. . ." I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
"Shika-kun and I are going out now. Just thought you might wanna know, since I know all about that arranged marriage thing. Since it's the two of us you're considering anyway, problem solved!"
"Really? Oh, that's good news! We needn't worry after all!"
"Hai! Oh, and, kaa-san, tou-san? Please don't fight anymore."
"We'll try our best youji hime. We''ll try our best."
"Arigatou!"
17
Xanie
17
"Arranged marriage? I'm totally in hte dark here." I asked Ino while walking to Ichiraku.
"I overheard my parents arguing who to arrange me a marriage with. they were considering you, so problem solved, since I love you anyway!" she explained, grinning.
"I love you, too," I smirked, giving her a chaste kiss. When I broke away, I realized we were in front of Ichiraku already. And Naruto and Sakura, and Kiba and Hinata and Chouji and Ayame-neechan.
Making out. Full time. especially Naruto and Sakura. Who knew Naruto would pick making out over ramen. Certainly not me.
"WHAT THE HELL? THE LAST TIME IT WAS JUST NARUTO AND SAKURA,BUT NOW KIBA AND HINATA AND CHOUJI AND AYAME-NEECHAN TOO? I WARNED YOU ALREADY FOREHEAD!"
"SO WHAT, INO-PIG? GO MAKE-OUT WITH LAZY ASS THERE, IF YOU'RE SO JEALOUS!"
"Don't mind if I do!"
Really, we don't.
17
-Owari-
Author's Note: Yay! I'm done! There you go, people, please review!
About the arranged marriage thing, it's like this: Ino's parents were thinking of arranging a marriage for Ino, and they were thinking about arranging her with Shikamaru, since their families are good friends and all. Stupid, I know, but I need a reason for Ino to run away, and that's the only thing I can think of at the time. Plus, I need a way to reconcile them, I can't just leave the family like that. Well, I guess that's it. Review please!