PLEASE NOTE! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN RENT THE MOVIE OR BROADWAY SHOW WATCH IT OR THIS MIGHT NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE!

(or go to and look up the summary of the film as well as characters for both the film and show because it will help you understand even if you haven't seen it. also listening to the music while reading is good.)

ALSO NOTE! I AM STICKING WITH NO GAY/LESBIANS PAIRINGS IN THE FANFICTION NOT BECAUSE I DON'T SUPPORT THEM, I JUST CAN'T THINK OF NARUTO PAIRING IT WOULD FIT!

Pairings: ShikaXIno, NaruXHina, NejiXTen, SasuXSaku

Plot: A new RENT is being filmed in the AU universe and the cast is composed of Naruto characters. The fanfictions will be of the backstage workings and relationships of cast behind cameras in a series of situations in daily life like fluff, and suspicious circumstances for romantically deprived anime characters in an anime pairing I like.

-start-chapter-one-

There's Only Now
There's Only Here
Give In To Love
Or Live In Fear
No Other Path
No Other Way
No Day But Today

Yamanaka Ino (0) sat on the couch wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She had seen this movie at the rental store and decided to see it. RENT, was one of the best movies she had ever seen. As the credits came scrolling down, her cell phone rang. Turning down the TV volume she answered, "Hello?"

"Moshi moshi (1) Ino-pig!"

Ino sighed. "Hey Sakura-chan" she said thickly. Haran Sakura was her best friend, but could call at the worst times.

"What's wrong with your voi-- Is that RENT in the background?"

Ino frowned. Sakura almost sounded... worried... excited? "Yeah I just finished watching it. Have you seen it?"

"Have I seen it? HAVE I SEEN IT?! OF COURSE I'VE SEEN IT!"

Sigh. "So why are you freaking out?" she asked.

"Because I just found out there are making another RENT movie, and I get to work backstage on it!"

Ino's eyes widened. "Another movie?! That's totally awesome! Who are playing all the characters?"

"They're keeping it a secret until the preview is released, but they still don't have someone to play Mimi"

Ino froze. Mimi was her favorite character, she thought they were so alike so... "Hey Sakura... Do you think...?"

"Ino... You're not thinking..."

Ino ginned like the Cheshire cat. "Why not? You always said I should get into acting, AND my 10th grade music teacher said I have a talent in singing!"

"Yeah, A LONG TIME AGO! You voice could have changed!"

"What's the time?/Well it's gotta be close to midnight/My body's talking to me/It says, 'Time for danger'" sang Ino into the phone.

There was silence on the other end.

Sigh. "Okay, I'll talk to the casting director. In the meantime, meet me in front of your house and I'll take you to see him"

-dial tone-

Ino screamed "YESS!!!!" She hung up the phone in the socket, and running screaming through the house. After 10 minutes of this, she looked at the time. "Oh shoot!" I got to meet Sakura outside soon" She ran up to her room and dug through her closet. A couple minutes later, found Ino standing on her curb outside her house panting slightly. She was wearing a black 3/4 length undershirt with a dark purple tank top over it with cameo cargo jeans and black flats. She didn't have time to do her hair so she left it hanging in a blonde curtain around her face. Seconds later, Sakura pulled up to the curb in her white Nissan, and rolled down the window.

A pink head leaned out the drivers side. "Hurry up! I'm glad you're early 'cause we're going to be late!"

Ino opened the passenger side door and slid in. After fastening her seatbelt, she looked over at her friend. "You know of course that what you just said made no sense what-so-ever?"

Sakura turned to smile at her. "I know!" Sakura was wearing a light pink and white tee-shirt and black caprice. She could barely see the glitter of white flip-flops pressing the pedals as they sped through the street. They swerved around corner after corner so fast that Ino grabbed the armrests in fear for her life. Note to self: Drive on the way back. she thought to herself. They stopped in front of an large building with a large gate. Ino gulped as Sakura pulled up to a small black box, and said, "Hello, It's Sakura Haruno, Stage Manager, requesting North Gate." She sat back into her seat from leaning out the window, and looked at Ino.

Ino looked back at her and mouthed, "North gate?" Sakura shrugged, and turned back to the box as the voice of a security guard came through it, an obviously bored one.

"Okay, come on through"

The gate slowly opened in front of the car, and Sakura thanked to the box, "Thanks a bunch Shino"

As they drove through, they heard Shino reply, "Well, it's my job right? And don't call me -kun!",and they both laughed.

They drove on through until they got to a large building surrounded by trailers. As they drove past the trailers, Ino saw the warehouse up ahead sporting a big banner of 'RENT: Now Filming'. She tensed up in excitement, but it was suddenly struck down. She had no acting experience to her name, and her singing wasa little rusty. The Casting Director might see her as a desperate woman in search of any old job, and may want someone with experience. Her fears were dispelled when they pulled up in front of a door by the side of a building, and Sakura pointed, "There. That's the guy you need to talk to. The Casting Director."

Ino looked over to see a large man dressed in a red and off-white suit. He had bright red hair, and strange red swirls on his cheeks. Ino grinned broadly. "CHOJI!" she screamed shrilly.

The man turned and grinned also. "Ino! Hey! It's good to see you!" Ino jumped out of the car and gave Choji a bear hug.

Sakura followed Ino out of her car with a confused look on her face. "So wait... You guys know each other?" she asked.

Ino nodded. "We've know each other for as long as I can remember. We grew up together!" she said happily, giving Choji another squeeze. "I haven't seen him in so long! This is great!"

Choji looked down at the blonde hugging him around what she could reach of his waist. "It is good to see you too Ino. So you're the one who wants to be Mimi huh?" Ino nodded fiercely. He laughed and squeezed her again before letting go.

Ino stepped back. "So what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"You should sing a couple stanzas from one of Mimi's songs, or from any song, then… I don't know about acting though. Everyone here is new at acting anyway." explained Choji.

Ino took a deep breath, and started to sing just as another person came out the door. "The heart may freeze or it can burn/The pain will ease if I can learn/There is no future/There Is No Past/I Live This Moment/As My Last/There's Only Us/There's Only This/Forget Regret/Or Life is yours to miss/No other road/No other way/No day but today"

The man who had come around the corner, stopped and stared in amazement. He was still gaping in amazement when Ino finished. He muttered under his breath. "She's perfect…"

Ino smiled at Choji. "So….? Was I good?"

Choji was staring at her in amazement. "Well duh! Of course! You are amazing! You're on!" he said.

Ino squealed, and glomped Choji, who hugged her back, and then went to hug Sakura. Her and Sakura danced around screaming, "Ino is Mimi. Ino is Mimi. Ino is Mimi! INO IS MIMI!!!" Ino started laughing so hard, she fell to the ground. She rolled around until she hit someone's feet, and looked up. A man was looking down at her with an amused/annoyed expression on his face. He was dressed in a green and brown tee-shirt, and black pants. Ino stood up with help from the man, then bluntly said, "Your head looks like a pineapple."

The man scowled. "..Troublesome woman..." Ino's eyes narrowed, this man seemed so familiar... Choji came up behind them, and clasped a hand on Ino's shoulder.

"Ino, this is Nara Shikamaru. He will be playing Roger." said Choji gesturing to Shikamaru, and then to Ino. "This is Yamanaka Ino. As you may or may not have heard, she will be playing Mimi."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck with a hand before commenting dryly, "I think a deaf person would have heard that. How troublesome."

Ino had been studying him closely, and when he repeated the word 'troublesome' she knew where she knew him from. She clapped a closed fist into her palm, and announced, "That's it! I figured it out!" she yelled happily.

Shikamaru and Choji winced at her tone of voice, as Sakura came up behind her. "What? That being blonde might not be the best career choice.?"

Ino scowled slightly, but recovered by dramatically pointing a manicured nail in Shikamaru's face. "You're my dad's drinking friend's son! You used to come over all the time, and just sit there and stare blankly at the sky." she said brightly, obviously proud of herself.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he gaped at her. "So that means you're that annoying blonde girl who wouldn't leave me alone growing up!" he exclaimed. He looked her over and smirked. "I see you grew up well" (2)

Ino's eyes darkened as she blushed, and she swung an arm up to hit him, and he caught it easily. He smirked, and when she smirked back, his expression turned to confusion, then pain. Ino had brought her knee up to his groin, and he groaned in pain, knees bending as he fell to the ground on his knees. Still smirking, Ino commented smugly, "Better than you'd think".

Choji and Sakura rushed over to Shikamaru's aid and Sakura glared at Ino. "Ino-pig! Why would you do that?" she scolded.

Ino's face contorted with anger as it turned a darker red. "Did you hear what he said? He was sexually harassing me!" she practically screamed.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. She a shrewd look at Shikamaru before slowly standing up to join Ino. "Oh yeah... I forgot..." she said coldly.

Choji chuckled at the antics of the two women before sighing in defeat. "He'll be fine. Sakura, take Ino around the set, and introduce her to the cast." he instructed.

Sakura saluted him. "Hai!" and dragged a protesting Ino towards the building.

Just as they entered the building, Choji called after them, "Try not to break anything... or anyone!"

A loud shattering and a quick scream followed his request. A pale Sakura stuck her head around the edge of the door. She gave him a shaky, "H-Hai" before pulling the door shut after her head.

Choji chuckled lightly before pulling Shikamaru none to gently to his feet. "Come on, lets get you back to your trailer," he said comfortingly.

Shikamaru groaned as they started walking, but not from pain. "What were you thinking Choji?! That woman is crazy!" he said fervently, trying desperately to get his point across. "I don't even think she'll ever let me live this one down. This so won't work..."

Choji burst out laughing as they drew near to Shikamaru's trailer. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure she'll get used to working with you..." The trailer closed behind Shikamaru and Choji grinned. "If she doesn't kill him first..." he muttered to himself as he walked away.

-end-chapter-one-

(0) In Japan, you say your last name first. It used frequently in this fic so get used to it XD

(1) Moshi moshi hey in Japanese (kinda like 'hey what's up')

(2) I've always imagined Shikamaru with a dark, seductive side XD...

Now to explain everything in this chapter... In this fic, it's an AU (alternate universe) and all the Naruto gang are out of college and not everyone knows everyone before the movie. At the beginning of this fic, I start with the ending of the RENT movie that Ino is watching at her house... or apartment... The last couple stanzas of this is of the song "Finale B" of RENT sung by the cast. I'm pretty darn sure they aren't making another movie but I needed a plotline. (And we'll all pretend they can sing) The part that Ino sings on the phone, is the first part of "Out Tonight' sung by Mimi. The song Ino sings for Choji o get the part, is the first part of Mimi's solo in the song 'Another Day'. Ino-Shika-Cho is also together, of course, so Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru grew up together although Ino and Shikamaru forgot each other, and apparently so did Choji... If you notice, Inochi (Ino's dad) and Shikaku (Shikamaru's dad) go drinking together with Chozi (Choji's dad) in the manga/anime, I decided that would be sufficient. It was either that or business partners (which is part true) but I thought this was funnier) Ino is also not a preppy because it's my fic and I feel like it. You will find out the cast later in the next chapter... I will try to keep them all in character as much as possible, but I'm trying okay!

Chapter two is half finished as I am typing this so expect chapter two relatively soon, but keep in mind school stuff!

Preview:

His tirade was cut short by a pair of scissors flying close to his head, and embedding themselves in the wall behind him.

and

"UZUMAKI NARUTO YOU GET DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW YOU HEAR ME!"

and other crazy stuff!

R&R!

P.S. If you are reviewing from DeviantART, if you can leave comments on the devianation page on DevART please I'd appreciate it!