Dear Readers...

Even though I only got seven reviews when I asked for 10, I will still write out of enjoyment. :)

xoxox

CAT10

Disclaimer: this is all purley fan made, and I SADLY don't own the Naruto Series :)

Chapter 2

Challenge Me

"I do love Ino, Don't I?" Shikamaru whispered to himself. He could feel himself get a heat rush all over his body. "God this is stupid!" Shikamaru screamed, quickly regretting it.

"Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, looking behind the building he hid behind.

"Oh. Hey Sakura sorry I was thinking of a technique and I couldn't remember so I—I shouted with out knowing sorry..." he stuttered, putting his hand behind his head.

"All right, then... Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Um. Sure..?" He and Sakura never really talked together. They just were friends with the same people, and said hello to each other occasionally. "What about?"

"Were you just listening on our conversation?"

"Who, me? No. What?"

"You are a terrible liar."

"I am not!"

"You are lying right now!" Shikamaru glared at the pink haired girl. Stupid woman.

"So what If I was?"

"Help me set her up."

"No. I am not going to be your little follower and help you devise a plan to bring to people together."

"So you were listening!" Shikamaru groaned, running his fingers through his hair.

"Well. yeah. But I am still not helping you. Naruto and Temari would not be a good couple. She needs someone smart, good looking, always be there for her. You know? I'm her best friend. I know her."

"Someone like you, you mean?" Sakura smiled, smuggly.

"Yeah...I mean NO NO." Shikamaru quickly bit his lip. 'Shit he blew it.'

"Okay." Sakura turned grabbing his hand. "Lets go find Naruto!"

"Did you not just listen to a word I-"

"I know. I know but everyone already has someone except for her and Naruto... soooo they match! Lets go!"

"Wait, what about Ino?"

"Ohhhh. She should come!" Sakura dropped his hand, and quickly ran back to the resturant.

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes, and looked up toward the clouds.

"How did I get myself into this?" He whispered.

"Into what?" Temari asked, from beside him. He jumped, and looked toward her. Her eyes weren't red from her crying, and her face did not look sad. How could she hide it so well.

"From what?" She repeated.

"Oh... Well I'm helping Ino and Sakura go shopping and stuff."

"Why?"

"Cuz."

"Wow, you must really be a LADY, Shikamaru." She smiled, winking at him. "Come sit with me." She laughed, patting the empty place beside her. He sat next to her, but not too close to make it awkward.

"Why were you crying?"

"I wasn't crying." She was covering up her embarrassment, and she was really bad at it. "I never cry!"

"Hehe. That's my Temari-chan!" Shikamaru quickly regretted his words. Temari turned bright red, and so did he.

"Why are your faces so red?" Sakura asked, pulling Ino by the hand. Ino's face was a mixture of anger, and confusion.

"Yeah, why?" Ino asked. Her tone harsh. "Did she do something to you?" Ino a hiss on she.

"No!" Temari said, calmly. "And if you excuse me, I'm going to go see Tsunade-sama. You three have fun shopping." She gave an icy look toward Ino, then headed toward the center of Konoha.

"Shopping?" Sakura guffawed, looking at Ino.

"It was the first excuse that came to my head, okay?" Shikamaru raised his hands defensively.

"Real creative." Ino growled, crossing her arms. She glared at the ground.

Shikamaru quickly wrapped his arms around Ino's waist.

"What wrong, babe?"

"Nothing." She giggled. "I just like your attention." He smiled at her, but it felt wrong. "Why all of a sudden that I don't feel amazed by her touch? Why does her smile not make me hot anymore?" He thought to himself. This was stupid. He loved Ino. He did. His heart ju-, wait., that was gone now too.

"Hey lovers. Lets go find Naruto." Sakura interrupted to moment, quickly braking up their embrace. Shikamaru felt fairly happy.

While they walked down the streets of Konoha, Shikamaru noticed things he had never noticed about Ino. She was rude, when Hinata asked her for her hair pin back, she was disgustingly mean when Kiba said she looked pretty, and she didn't help sensei when he ask her to carry his books for a few blocks.

Shikamaru decided to ask her about it.

"Hey Ino?"

"Yes, Shika-pooooo?" She giggled. He almost barfed. Shika-poo? SHIKA-POO? What the hell was that pet name. He felt comfortable with cutie, okay with babe, but Shika-poo?

"Why were you so mean to Hinata?" Ino blinked at him remark, and began to laugh.

"Who cares about Hinata's feelings? She's just a nobody." She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. "And why do you care? I'm always a bitch. I thought you liked when I'm angry. I get real aggressive." She smiled sexily, and let her hair down. Shikamaru looked away.

"Just don't be so mean." He didn't like the way she said aggressive. That was it.

"Listen Ino can we talk?" He asked pulling her arm.

"Yeah Shikap-"

"Don't call me that. Ever." He cut her off angrily.

"What the hell is your problem?" She yelled angrily. Sakura stopped in her tracks, to gaze at the fighting couple. Other people began to stare.

"You're being mean to other people, especially my best friend, and you joke about it as if it doesn't hurt other people's feelings! God you are such a pain!" He shouted at her. "Listen I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean- mean it like that." He reached out to touch her arm. She quickly slapped his hand away.

"Don't be sorry. If you think I'm such a horrible person then why do you love me?"

"I-I...Listen Ino, people are staring. Lets talk about this in a quieter place. Please?" Shikamaru smiled. But Ino kept glaring at him.

"You already shouted it to the rest of the village. It's a little late for that! We always get into fights but you always say you still love me? WHY WON'T YOU SAY IT?" Ino began to sob, and people began to stare again.

"Ino?"

"Shut up, and less you say that you love me! SHUT UP!" Ino pounded on his chest with her fists. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes. "Do you love me?"

"I-I don't know. I-" Before he could finish his sentence, she bounded off down the street, in the other direction. "Ino!" He began to run off, when Sakura caught his arm.

"Don't. It'll make things worse." She whispered. He looked at Sakura then back at Ino's direction, not knowing what to do.

Temari was drinking some tea, when she heard the screaming. She bounded down the street and noticed Ino, crying behind the building, sobbing.

"Ino? What happened?" She asked, setting herself next to her.

"Go away. I especially don't want to see you." Temari didn't feel any pain towards the girl's words. It was just Ino, after all.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Please?" Ino looked up from her knees, and looked at Temari with glossy, red eyes.

"Shikamaru said he didn't love me anymore. HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW!" Temari winced at her scream.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't love you anymore. He's just. Messed up. At the moment." A lie. She tried to sound like one of Ino's friends. But she couldn't. Because she wasn't one. She didn't want to be.

"He's never been like this to me. Never! Even when his dad died... he still was there for me telling me he loved me. What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing is wrong with you." Another lie.

"Is my hair not pretty anymore, am I not a good kisser? Do I have a pimple?" She cried. She began touching her face to find any dents, or cuts.

"Maybe its not your outside features. Maybe it's what you have become on the inside." She sounded like a corny mother, telling her daughter all the guys want to go out with her, but their too shy.

"What? Did my boobs, get smaller?" She grabbed at her chest.

"NO! God are you stupid? Inside your body!" Ino looked at her and began to cry again.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" She shrieked. Well, Temari did the best she could. And she wanted to leave.

She muttered a,"Feel better." and bounded down the street. Happily.

In her head the same words repeated. THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS OVER.