The Virtuosic Fool

Chapter 3: Burned

Ino stood, at the edge of the forest with her two -what seemed like- lifelong partners. It was their last break before they would be leaving the cover of the trees and Ino was embracing the shade for as long as she could. "I think I might be regretting this." Ino said, glancing to her white arms.

Shikamaru gave dry laugh, "It's a pity, we wouldn't want that beautiful skin of yours to get burned, would we?" He tucked his hands in his pockets as he stared at her with a bored expression. "Come on Ino, you're not going to lose the pale tone you've strived so hard for."

Ino glared at Shikamaru, "As if you would know, you're so tan you practically look like you grew up on the sun." Subconsciously she rubbed at her bare arms, "Tan lines are not attractive on me Shikamaru."

There were a few moments where Shikamaru debated what he would say next. "Well, that's too bad because there's nothing me and Choji can do." Whining, nagging, screaming, is that all women can do?

Ino's gaze hardened on Shikamaru, "What's with you? You've been really mean ever since we left the gates."

Shikamaru's shoulders pinched up to his ears and stayed there for a few seconds before dropping down. He rolled his neck as he said to her, "I'm tired."

Ino let out a long sigh and looked at Shikamaru with a slightly annoyed expression. "As soon as we get to Sand then, you're taking a nap. I can't take any more of this snappy Shikamaru. It's bad enough when you're actually being you."

Shikamaru shot her a nasty look from the corner of his eye, but he said nothing. He was happy to be allowed to sleep by the princess.

Choji spoke up, "I'm actually pretty tired too. Can I take a nap when we get there too?"

Ino grimaced; she'd wanted a nap herself. "Yeah sure, I'll make sure everything gets done."

Shikamaru noted her slightly upset face, "Choji, I think your nap will have to wait. The princess wanted some beauty sleep once we got to Suna." His brown eyes flickered as he watched for her reaction; he chalked it up to being ornery without sleep. To provoke a wild pig was dangerous, and he would never do so when his thoughts were lucid.

Ino ignored him, when she knew that he was deliberately provoking her, it was best to not respond- Shikamaru was one of the few men she knew that could actually hurt her feelings. Maybe it was the fact that he was bound to be promoted to Jonin soon or maybe it was the fact that he never showed what he was actually feeling- either way, when Shikamaru scolded her she felt it three times heavier than when Asuma had. The only man that could rival Shikamaru's scalding irritation would be her father.

"Oh really Ino? You should've just said so, I'm not that tired." Choji said, "You can take nap if you really want to."

Ino turned to Choji with a look of endearment, "That's fine Choji, I can wait. You don't need to stay up just because I want to sleep."

Shikamaru looked between them with a look of irritation. Choji answered Ino with, "Oh really, it's fine. I don't mind at all, someone as pretty as you needs your sleep, unlike me." Shikamaru let out an annoyed scoff at that and rolled his black eyes to the heavens. That was just ridiculous and totally uncalled for. They were wasting time.

"Oh Choji! Really its fine, you said you wanted sleep first." Ino said, looking at him with a look that said 'You are too sweet!'

"No, no, no, you're a lady." With that slight jab, Choji glared at Shikamaru. Shikamaru responded by quirking an eyebrow. "Ladies needs come first."

"Really Choji- its fi-" Ino started before she was abruptly cut off by Shikamaru, "I'm sorry to interupt your yuck-fest, but we do have somewhere to be."

Ino glared at Shikamaru before huffing and turning to Choji, "You ready to leave?"

Choji nodded his head and Ino smiled in return, setting back out as the leader of their small group. As soon as Choji thought she was out of ear shot he turned to Shikamaru.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Choji asked, slightly irritated with the vested Chunin.

"I had weird dreams." Shikamaru said in a disgruntled manner. Really, he thought to himself, why does everyone always side with the princess? His hand came out from his pockets and he played with the lighter he always kept there. Tossing the lid up and down, before tossing the lid up, flicking at the knob, and hitting the lid back down, he repeated the motion constantly.

"Bad ones?" Choji asked, immediately concerned for his friend.

Ah, Shikamaru thought, that's more like it. I like you better when you're not more concerned about girls. "Ah, no not really." came Shikamaru's answering grunt. "Just bothersome."

Choji nodded his head in understanding, "The kind where you wake up feeling nagged?" He got those all the time; his dad said it was from eating vegetables.

Shikamaru only made a noise of approval as he started off through the forest, they were far enough from Ino that they couldn't see or hear her, but could still feel her chakra signature. A small smile flit across his eternally irritated face.

"What was it about?" Choji asked quietly.

Shikamaru let out a huge gush of air; he'd thought their conversation was over. "Nothing too life changing, my mind's just preoccupied with the chunin exams and that stupid scroll I'm supposed to give Ino."

"You said it was courteasan right?" Choji paused as he scratched at a barely noticable five o'clock shadow. "I still don't like the idea."

Shikamaru grunted, his face showing no sign of any emotion aside from irritation. "Ino will love it."

Choji didn't answer his friend, choosing to let the conversation fall. Suddenly, and idea occured to him. Shikamaru had said he'd had dreams of the chunin exams...

Choji watched Shikamaru with appraising eyes, "Do you really not want to go?" his face twisted as he asked, almost as though he couldn't imagine it.

Shikamaru gave Choji a dull look, "Of course not."

Choji gave him an exasperated look in retaliation, "Of course not what?"

Shikamaru raised an arm to scratch at the back of his neck, "Of course that's not it."

Choji looked at Shikamaru with a confused expression, "Then what's up?"

Shikamaru didn't answer for a long time and Choji thought that the conversation might've been over. Closing his eyes to rub at his eyelids Shikamaru sighed and tried to think of how to respond, "You know I don't like to talk about my feelings. It causes nothing but trouble in our line of work."

Choji tried to cover his smile, "I knew it. I knew that you liked Temari." Choji's voice was quiet, dripping with self-satisfaction, and entirely to irritating for Shikamaru to handle.

"I already told you, it's not like that." The wind was whipping Shikamaru's hair out of his ponytail, it was only another thing added to the already long list of troublesome things that were happening because of this trip.

"Oh really, then what's it like?" Choji said, now teasing his teammate. Shikamaru didn't appreciate the joking tone.

A hand fell down Shikamaru's face in a show of annoyance. "Not like that, I don't like her."

Choji only bellowed a laugh, "Well, you know Ino is going to try and get you two to 'go out'."

Shikamaru cast Choji a questioning look, "Ino is going to make me like Temari?"

Choji hummed his response, a closed lip smile lighting up his face. She would try her best, although Choji was fairly sure Shikamaru already liked Temari, just not in the way he liked other girls.

Shikamaru looked at him like he was crazy, "And why would she do that?"

Choji snickered and looked at Shikamaru, "You know Ino, she can't keep her nose out of anything."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in agreement, tilting his head to the side. "That's true." He turned his head away so that Choji wouldn't see his expression. Stupid Ino, meddling wherever she can, sometimes I wish she would just leave things alone.

Choji caught his movement; it wasn't rare that Shikamaru tried to hide things that bothered him, Choji had grown accustomed to the barely noticable shift in emotions from him. Enough to notice when things were sincerely bothering him. Looking back on their conversation Choji tried to piece together what it was that had upset his friend. With a sudden ringing clarity he felt he knew. He had been fairly sure before that things hadn't changed since their Genin days but he hadn't known. "Come on Shikamaru, you can tell me, I'm pretty sure I already know."

"As soon as I say it all hell will break lose." Shikamaru said, his face twisting into an ugly expression.

Choji sighed, let down, the high he'd been on a few minutes ago completely gone. "If you ignore it, it'll never go away."

Shikamaru grimaced in response, "Maybe not, but it may simmer down."

Choji didn't answer his friend, he was too caught up in the fact that Shikamaru was still hung up Ino.

"I can't stand her." Shikamaru said, glaring daggers at the teammate who was somewhere ahead of him and Choji.

Choji only sighed and ruffled at his long, auburn hair. "You can't stand the situation." he corrected.

Shikamaru only sighed and glanced at Choji, "This is why I don't like women. They cause nothing but trouble."

Choji could only cast his friend a supporting smile.


A few hours later, after the scalding sun had set, the trio arrived at their final destination. Shikamaru leading the way, as Ino and Choji had never actually been to Sand. It was normal for them to follow him blindly, so when Shikamaru took the lead they didn't even think about it.

"This is Suna? I'll tell you what; I never would've found it." Choji said, looking at his dark haired friend.

Ino frowned, pressing fingers to her red cheeks, and tried not to hiss at the pain on her shoulders as her clothes shifted over them. Right, she totally wouldn't burn. She cast Shikamaru a dirty look and in return he frowned at her. "It's your problem, not mine." he said simply. He thought it was what she deserved for being so vain.

"Can we just get inside? All this wide open space is making me nervous." Ino said, pouting.

Shikamaru sighed as he walked up to the Sand Gates, a few minutes later he motioned for them to walk forward and stepped in, leaving them behind. His two friends watched him silently, both wondering how to tell the other what they were feeling. Ino decided to speak first, the silence had grown too unbearable for her, she needed to ask Choji if he felt the same way as she did.

"Why is it that all of a sudden I feel like things are going to get seriously screwed over?" Ino asked Choji, her voice small.

He looked over at her, shocked; it was a day when pigs flew that Ino ever sounded so unsure. "Shikamaru is friends with the Sand Siblings, I'm sure it'll only be awkward for us for a little while."

Ino looked at Choji, her eyes slightly unsure. "Really? Shikamaru's been angry at me this entire trip, and now I feel like I'm going to be following him around."

Choji smiled reassuringly in her direction, "You'll make plenty of friends Ino." He didn't know how she wouldn't; everyone loved Ino wholeheartedly back home. Then again, they'd all grown up falling victim to her antics- they were used to her.

There were a few beats silence as Ino studied the Sand. Choji watched her openly, knowing that Ino was definitely not finished speaking. Suddenly Ino turned to him, a determined expression on her face, her smile blinding, "That's right! If Shikamaru can make friends, then I know I can!"

Choji laughed at that and nodded happily. "Of course."

Shikamaru turned to them from a few hundred feet away, "Guys! Aren't you coming? They need to close the gates."

Ino's bright smile dropped as she turned to Shikamaru, her shoulders dropping, irritated. "We're coming Shikamaru! Geez."

Choji ran forward to the gates, while Ino walked slowly behind him. Faintly, she could see the outline of three people standing behind Shikamaru. Her heart beat fast in her chest, talk about intimidating. Two Sand Jounin and the Kazekage were her welcoming party. Sure she knew them, but not well.

As Choji caught up to Shikamaru and the three Sand Nin, Kankuro turned to him. "You're teammate is hot." Choji choked on a laugh, surprised at his bluntness, as Shikamaru sent him the 'Are you crazy?' look. Gaara stood silently beside his brother, his eyes trained on the blond ninja a short distance away.

Temari, stood next to Shikamaru, her hand cocked on her hip in a show of femininity while the other rested over her fan. The two were strongly aware of the other standing next to them, though they didn't show it. Shikamaru sighed, annoyed, and called to Ino, "Ino! Pick up the pace!"

Ino stopped in her tracks. "Why don't you make me Shikamaru?"

Kankuro snickered, "Geez Nara, can't even keep control over your team."

Shikamaru sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. "No one can keep control of her. She has got to be the most irritating girl on the planet."

Gaara turned to the leaf Chunin, "Anything new in Konoha?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "Not anything that's worth making international news."

Temari glanced at him and asked quietly, "What about changing team dynamics?"

Sharp eye, Shikamaru thought, nothing new with her I see. "Eh, not really. Ino's about to start more espionage training."

Gaara looked at the stiff kunoichi standing in place adamanantly. "ANBU?"

Choji paled and quickly shook his head 'no', "If we're correct, Ino won't even start training until we get back. ANBU isn't anywhere in the near future."

Kankuro turned his head from Shikamaru to appraise Ino, "I'm sure she'd go far though." Choji coughed.

Temari cast her brother an annoyed look, "Keep your pervy thoughts to yourself." She turned to Shikamaru, "Why should you be worried? If it's what she wants, it's what she wants. You won't be able to keep her from doing what she feels she should, and she most likely will feel she should. If I've heard correctly Konoha is in desperate need of Courting Kunoichi." she consoled, her stone-hard voice soft to Shikamaru. Shikamaru couldn't help but think to himself, bothersome woman.

Choji laughed, "Not only that, but you have to consider her pride. You guys don't know Ino like we do, there's no way she'll turn down Lady Tsunade's offer. She'd take it just to rub it in Sakura's face."

They all laughed, they remembered the pink haired Kunoichi from their many exploits with Naruto. "Do they not like each other?" Kankuro asked, his eyes had yet to leave the still unmoving blond a few hundred feet away.

Choji answered him, "Au contraire, they're best friends."

Shikamaru cast Choji a dry look, "Not to mention Inoichi, who'll be so proud that his daughter's on the ANBU watch-list."

Choji groaned, "Our dad's will go crazy, they'll make us start training like there's no tomorrow."

Gaara looked at them blankly. Shikamaru told him, "Our dad's were all on the same team-"

"I'm very aware." the Kazekage cut him off.

Shikamaru kept his bored look, while Choji looked vaguely surprised. How did Naruto make friends with people like this?

"Gaara let him finish." Temari scolded her brother.

"And they never stop giving Inoichi a hard time about having a daughter." Shikamaru said, smoothing the hair in his ponytail.

Kankuro asked him, "So if - Ino right? - Joins ANBU, your dad will be pushing you to-"

"Become Hokage." He pulled at the skin on his face tiredly, "I can't get in Naruto's way, Kami knows if I even tried to become Hokage Naruto would set so many pranks on me, and I just wouldn't be able to live with the guy. I'd probably be arrested for attempt at murder before either of us could become Hokage."

Kankuro laughed, "Are you going to get your teammate, or do you want me to? She looks like she's not going to move."

Shikamaru sighed, casting a tired look in Ino's direction. "Have at it."

Kankuro clapped his hands together, "Goody."

Kankuro left them for the blond Kunoichi, a few quick flirtatious comments coming to his mind, he pushed them aside distractedly. He would do this right.

Shikamaru watched the puppet master with raised eyebrows, he turned to Choji. "You think he'll be able to get her to move?"

Choji just sighed, a happy smile on his face. "Props to him if he does."

Temari turned to Shikamaru, after watching her brother for a few minutes trying to convince the girl to come inside. "She seems stubborn."

The sound of a loud slap rang through their ears, louder than Shikamaru had expected. It seemed Sakura had taught Ino a few things about super-strength.

Stepping forward to pull his teammate through the gates by her hair he responded, an unhappy scowl on his face. "You have no idea."


haha, I'm guessing you get that Kankuro likes Ino. 'nuff. I've decided the Sand Siblings will each play a part in a Love Hexagon. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's about to get interesting! :) hahahahaha anyways, review responses...

Tracy!- You get really happy when I update quickly, and I get really happy when you review! :D I hate fast-paced stories SO MUCH, I'm like 'Okay, life does not happen this quickly.' and it just pisses me off so much when things jump from event to event in a series without making any sense at all, so I'm very pleased to hear that you don't think I'm going to quickly! Also, I've decided to use Sasuke as a love interest for Ino (as per your instruction) as well as Gaara. At first I was like... 'Sasuke hmmm, Sasuke... well she starred his name so obviously she really wants Sasuke... oh god that'll be perfect! I can't believe I forgot that Shikamaru hates Sasuke... *slaps forehead* not mention billboard brows jealousy.' So, yeah, hahaha thanks!

Indigo Yamanaka- you'll get to see Ino with- count 'em- TWO of the Sand Brothers... hahahah gahh :) your review made me smile! You were my tenth review- I'm so sentimental about things like that... hahaha it's not even that big of a number.

KukiRew- You told me everything that I wanted to hear! :) I just hope I can tell you everything you want to hear...

To the people who alerted me, but didn't review *cough, Haylin-Chan, Lina-Granger, rawr-tiffy, cough* you'd all best review! Thanks though XD

Also, now that I've decided to actually bring Sasuke into the story I'm like "daaaaaaaaaaa, how should I bring him in?" I mean, Sasuke is Sasuke... he's not just going to show up out of nowhere... so I'm 'thinking' (pretty sure) I'm just going to have characters talk about him...

And it seems I have NO ShikaTema lovers? Odd, I thought I definitely would. Pretty much everyone who has reviewed has been 'I hope Shikamaru and Ino get together! They're my all time favorite!' when I thought people would be like 'I hope Shikamaru and Temari get together! They're my all time favorite!"

I really liked the end of this chapter, Kankuro cracks me up. We don't see much of him in the Anime/Manga so I feel pretty much open to use him in any way that I like, and he strikes me as the flirty type. Which will be SO much fun to play with, Shikamaru and Ino wise... Gahh I already love him. This chapter pretty much sealed the nail on the coffin for him, he's going to be Ino's other main love interest I think... idk though so don't chew me out yet, Gaara will also be in there, just in smaller increments.

I gotta give myself a hand, this many updates in such a short time has got to be record for me. Not to mention the fact that I'm wrting all of this in the middle of the night- I turn nocturnal in the summer.

Pray for me and my ankle, I tore the ligaments falling out of a scorpion stunt at cheerleading practice. -.- out for a few months, and started P.T a couple of days ago. I just hope I won't miss the competitive season.

Gahhh- another long Author's Note. I need to learn to talk less.