Her games, her rules. The game can only continue if all players participate. When a single players defies her rules, she has to set him straight.

A/N: Yes, yes, it is true. I live! I have been planning this one-shot for about 6~ish months, but lazy old me never got around to it. Finally I sat down at my great-grandmother's computer and wrote an outline, and then got to work typing it. Finished it in two days. A first ever. I love ShikaIno (as well as my others), so I wanted to do it justice because I read a NaruHina fic called A Demon's Rage (read it! It's pretty damn good!) and saw ShikaTem. I wanted to stab my eyes out, but I didn't. I did this instead.

Personally, I like this better. :]

The quote is what the Japanese say when they make a pinky promise/swear. Jan-ken-pon is rock-paper-scissors. Anmitsu is a Japanese dessert that Sakura happens to like.

Do I really need a disclaimer? I do? Seriously? How lame.

Disclaimer: I no own Naruto.

"Yubikiri genman,

Uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu,

Yubi katta"

Ino collapsed on her bed and sighed. She was mentally and physically exhausted. Not because of training, missions, caring for the flower shop, but because of him. Because one man constantly ignored her advances, overlooked her concern, wouldn't play her game. Majority of the young men in Konohagakure would bend over backwards for her attention…except for him.

Shika-kun…

She had realized her true feelings for the lazy genius after Sasuke had left and she mended her mangled relationship with her childhood friend, Sakura. In the two years everyone left to improve their abilities, Ino had strengthened her character and her growing attachment to him. Since then, she had tried and tried again to his heart, failing each time. She played with the idea of upping her advances before her life fell to ash.

The day Asuma-sensei died, Team 10 nearly fell apart. Shikamaru had shown so much emotion, so much anger, that Ino didn't know how to react. Asuma-sensei had left her with the responsibility of watching over her team and the young blonde didn't know how to protect the remainder of her past. Shikamaru had temporarily picked up Asuma-sensei's habit of smoking and when he settled the score and buried Hidan of the Akatsuki, the cigarettes disappeared; however, the faint scent of smoke clung to him once in a while. He had moved on in life, babysitting their deceased teacher's son and continuing missions. Shikamaru developed a new habit, though. Whenever one of his teammates got injured from a mission or out of pure clumsiness, he would overreact and become viciously aware. Now, years later with wounds healed, Ino began gentle advances, receiving an encouraging nudge and advice from Chouji, the third member of Team 10.

As always, the actions failed. Ino rolled onto her stomach, groaning in defeat. She was honestly at her wits end. She tried being bold, she tried being gentle and subtle. Nothing worked.

A jingle from the bell in the flower shop a level below alerted her. A soft whine left her glossed lips as she rolled onto her feet and stomped down the stairs. She wanted to be alone!

"Ino-chan! What's wrong?"

When the young Yamanaka reached the last step, her eyes connected with pretty lilac orbs. "Oh, Hinata-chan, I'm just tired," she sighed. Like all the females of their year, Hinata had become a real beauty with her curves and facial features. Ino looked next to her. Tenten and Sakura had come too. Each looked worried and Ino narrowed her eyes. She didn't want pity. "Stop looking at me like that!" she snapped, stressing each syllable with controlled fury.

Sakura looked at her knowingly. Each girl had been having an issue with the man of their interest—she with the returned Uchiha, Hinata with the always dense Naruto, and Tenten with the always stoic Hyuuga Neji. "He ignored you again, didn't he?"

Ino huffed and, turning on her heel, stomped back up to her room. The girls followed her, figuring it'd be better to talk in private. Returning to her position on her bed, her friends piled around her.

"So, tell us, what happened this time?" Tenten asked, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. The blonde resisted her tears and told her story of today's failed attempt. It was the same as every other time, Ino tried to be something he could like and Shikamaru, being either dense or an ass, she could never tell, ignored it and slurred some comment on her being "troublesome" before walking away to gaze at stupid clouds. Frustrated tears built up at the sides of her eyelids. Ino heard a sniffle from the female Hyuuga and she turned. Her three close friends mirrored her expression. Suddenly, she shifted positions onto her shins and pumped her right fist into the air, her eyes burning with determination.

"We are going to make this work!" she bellowed, surprising her friends with the outburst. She held responsibility for Team 10, but she also felt responsibility to take care of her friends. If she gave up, they all would. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

"I-Ino, are you feeling alright?" Sakura stuttered.

"Just peachy. I have an idea," she whispered. "On our own, we are failing. However, if we were to team up, we can make the men puddles at our feet! We can focus one at a time, and when we succeed, we move onto the next girl."

Sakura's brows knitted together in thought. "How do you expect us to pick the order?"

"Jan-ken-pon?" Hinata piped, tilting her head innocently to the side. Ino latched onto her arm in her excitement.

"You're a genius!" Ino exclaimed. They played three rounds. Ino won the first, Hinata the second, Tenten the third, and Sakura last by default. Not wallowing in their loss, the girls quickly got to work in devising a plan to make Shikamaru notice his female teammate in a new, romantic light.

After hours of planning and revising and editing, the girls had finally come up with a realistic plan. Ino was stunned and giddy on how easy everything seemed. Before the girls got off the bed to put the proposal into action, Ino stuck out her pinky.

"Wha…?"

"Let's promise to not stop until we reach all four goals," she announced, her voice firm. The girls seemed to think about it for a moment before interlocking their pinkies.

"Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu, yubi katta," they chanted, bouncing their interlocked hands to the beat. They smiled at each other before filing out of the room.

"Ino, you stupid pig!" Sakura screamed, throwing her smoothie at the attractive blonde. Ino had just purposely poured a soft drink atop her head. Their plan was a bit extreme, but it was the only way to get Shikamaru to come to them. Shikamaru reacted to injury, so if Sakura and Ino got in a fight and Ino just-so-happened to get hurt, she would have the genius tied around her little finger. Besides, the two girls had an infamous rivalry. It wouldn't be too unusual to see them in a fight, right?

"It's not my fault your forehead can be mistaken for a table!" Ino hissed, the cold of the smoothie sinking into her top. The audience around them whispered worriedly to each other, playing into their hands.

Hinata stepped between her friends. "Please, don't fight," she murmured nervously.

Both girls turned on her. "Stay out of this!" Hinata flinched, acting her part.

"Take that outside! I have customers to serve!" the owner of the anmitsu shop snapped. Tenten had, of course, forced the girls to tell the owner of their mischievous scheme, although the reason as to why was changed for the man. As far as he knew, they were researching civilian reactions to public fights.

Ino glared at the pink-haired girl. "Yes, let's."

They walked out as one, never taking their eyes off each other. Hinata exited a few seconds later, stepping in the opposite direction.

"Everything is going well, Tenten-chan. They are heading your way now."

"Good job, Hinata. Wait at the meeting spot while I set up the next scene. I'll join you shortly." Tenten's voice was clear in her ear. Hinata agreed before disappearing from sight.

Sakura let out a fierce yowl as she aimed a punch at Ino's face. The blonde quickly dodged, sideswiping her friend with a kick to the kidney. They had led each other closer to the training grounds, not wanting civilians to get involved accidentally. Sakura rolled on the grass, landing three yards away. Sakura charged, throwing punch after punch while Ino dodged them gracefully.

"You're going to have to let me hit you," Sakura whispered fiercely when she was close enough.

"Not yet," Ino mouthed. Sakura rolled her eyes before connecting a hit to the girl's abdomen. Ino fell over onto her knees, hugging her stomach. She staggered to her feet, panting for her lost breath. The pink-haired beauty rolled her wrist, chakra outlining her fist. "That was a low blow!"

Sakura shrugged. Ino had to look injured. If not, Shikamaru would know it was a fluke. Shaking in anger, Ino launched her. The fight continued; both wounding their opponent. Tenten watched from afar, sighing at the girls. She didn't have to worry about the fight looking realistic anymore… Swiftly, she turned and hopped through the trees, landing in front of Hinata like a cat.

"Ready?" she inquired. Hinata nodded. As if the world was about to end, the two girls sprinted down the streets. At this time of day, Shikamaru was eating BBQ with Chouji at their usual hangout. It wasn't long before they were bursting through the restaurant doors, spotting the pineapple-shaped head of Nara Shikamaru. Shikamaru looked over at the rushed girls along with the rest of the diners. Tenten was by his side soundlessly.

"Ino…" she panted, "…and S-Sakura are at-tcking each other at the grounds."

The genius male's bored expression never changed and Hinata silently worried that their scheme had failed before it began. She was proven wrong when the man quickly stood and rushed out, hopefully heading to Ino and Sakura before someone really got hurt.

"He's gonna really be pissed when he finds out you're lying," Chouji stated, tossing another piece of beef into his mouth. Panic reflected in Tenten's eyes.

"Was I that obvious?" She bit her nail nervously.

He shook his head. "No, it seemed real. Ino simply told me what she planned to do." The girls looked at each other before staring back at the shinobi.

"We should start following in case we are needed," Hinata suggested, giving Tenten a worried look. She had a tendency to overthink things. The brunette nodded, leaving Chouji to enjoy the rest of his meal.

Ino kneeled on the dirt grass, panting, bloodied and beaten. Sakura looked much the same; however, Ino guessed that the pink-haired diva didn't sport three broken ribs as she did. It pays to have monstrous strength. The wind had suddenly shifted, signaling someone's arrival. Before she could blink, Ino was pinned against a tree. Her ribs throbbed in protest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a baritone voice asked. Ino's eyes widened, looking up to meet livid brown eyes. Her eyes brightened for a moment in happiness. He actually came. For her. As quickly as the feeling came, it disappeared, leaving only fear. She shrunk away from his gaze. Shikamaru was rigid with rage. He opened his mouth to say something, but he froze. He searched her cerulean orbs for something. What's happening? We didn't plan for this. His jaw clenched and he backed off.

"You set me up," he growled. Without notice, Shikamaru walked away and didn't look back. Ino slid down the tree, the bark scrapping against her back. Tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't know what hurt more: Her broken ribs or her shattered heart.

The young Yamanaka sat curled in a ball on her shower floor, the hot spray of water washing dirt and smoothie from her body. Two hours had passed since Shikamaru had given her that look. It held so many negative emotions, Ino's head spun painfully thinking about it. She dropped her head between her knees. Sakura had immediately healed her wounds after Shikamaru's departure, not saying a word. She had failed. Again. Miserably. Not only had she gotten her teammate to hate her, she hated herself. She should have never taken advantage of Shikamaru's rare emotions. But that look! Fresh tears bubbled on her bottom lashes. It was a terrible look—a look one would give to an enemy.

No! It can't stay this way!

In a blur of yellow, Ino had turned off the stream of water and was dressed and out the door. She knew where he was. The sun was setting and he was Nara Shikamaru, the genius with an IQ over 200 and he liked to watch clouds. Reaching the open field, the blonde scanned the darkening hill, looking for his pineapple head. Taking one step at a time, she stood a yard away from him. Shikamaru disregarded her presence, his hands cradling the back of his head. A lit cigarette gave a fiery glow inches from his face. Ino's hair was down and still dripping, locks of gold sticking to her face. Holding her opposite arm, Ino's sapphire orbs glowed.

"I thought you quit smoking." Shikamaru ignored her. His focus was solely on the ruby-colored clouds. It was not the usual calm expression; it was hard and irate—a glare. Her eyes softened as she watched him. "Shika-kun…"

His actions cut her short. Gripping the lit cigarette in his hand, he snapped it in two and grinded the broken portions in his hand. The lit side of the cigarette burned his calloused palm before dying. As if he felt nothing, he released the dead ashes to be picked up by the wind. Ino was by his side instantly, a soothing green glow emitting from her palms and surrounding his injured hand.

"I-I'm sorry for what I've done, Shika-kun," Ino whispered, unable to look at his face. He pulled his healed hand out of her grasp and she didn't fight it. She had no more tears to produce, so she let her soaked hair cry for her. Minutes ticked by in the silence, and Ino finally gave up. She had lost any chance to have her love returned. If she was going to suffer, she wanted to suffer alone in her bedroom.

Bracing herself to stand, Shikamaru's deep voice froze her in her tracks. "Why did you intently hurt yourself?"

"I wanted your attention."

He looked almost baffled. "Why?"

Ino's face was flushed with anger, embarrassment, stupidity and every emotion in-between. "Because I love you, you dense oaf!" If she was any other woman, she would have covered her mouth and ran off into the night, but she did not. She sat there, waiting for his reaction.

"I know."

She didn't expect that. He gave her a side-look before giving the clouds his attention once again. Her head spun with the new information. He knew? He knew!

"Then why the hell didn't you saying anything about my advances?" she snapped, her emotions fried and stunned.

He gave her an annoyed look. "Is that what you were doing? I thought it was strange," he mused. A curious glint bounced in his eyes. Blushing a deep scarlet, Ino clenched her fists. He continued, "I've known for a while, Ino. You made it all but obvious. I figured if I didn't address it, you would stay by my side until I did. I am the jealous type."

Ino's eyebrows knitted together. "Then how do you feel about me?"

The jounin repositioned himself, his arm slung over a bent knee. He gave her his typical bored visage. "I just told you I'm the jealous type." Noticing Ino's blank expression, Shikamaru leaned over and captured her chin in his large hand. "You are my troublesome woman," he explained, each word dipped in significance.

Shikamaru pulled her face towards his and, before she knew it, she was locked in a searing kiss. His lips were thin and hard compared to her plump, soft ones. When he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, a jolt shot down her spine. Nothing had ever felt more right. Ino quickly responded to Shikamaru's prodding tongue and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. He never said that he loved her, but Ino suspected in his own little Shikamaru way, he proved it. That was enough.

For now.

Final Thoughts: :D Finished! Geez, it's been so long since I've posted anything on FF and I missed this place. Now, as for the other pairing stories, those will be one-shots as well. I wanted them to be loosely related, but I didn't want attached to this one only because they won't be ShikaIno. They will be written in the order of this, however. So, next is NaruHina, then NejiTen, and finally SasuSaku. Hopefully I'll write them within 2010. Sigh...

Anywho, I hoped you enjoyed it since writing it was fun and, surprisingly, easy. O.o Outlines really do help I've come to realize. R&R!

Update: Just making everyone aware that after this one-shot, it's the NaruHina one-shot The Kit in Us All and then the NejiTen one-shot Control, and the SasuSaku one-shot Causing Rain. And all of them are out! Woot! The quartet of one-shots are complete!