Author's note: Thanks to the FEW of you who actually reviewed! I appreciate it and please keep the reviews coming! I have a good story line/plot for this fan fic so please show your interest and support me because I know you'll all enjoy it! Das Leech: "sauske" was a typo on my part since it's not in Word's dictionary and I didn't catch it. Keep on reading and you'll get the plot. Grengo: Shika/ino parings make me want to puke (seriously)…they're so wrong for each other. But if you like them together that's fine, no hard feelings (yet;)). I know Gaara was more talkative than usual, but I had to have him talk somewhat at that point in time otherwise the scene wouldn't have been that interesting. Also, I think I did mention (don't remember…too troublesome (actually, I'm just lazy) to go check if I did) that the monster in Gaara had already been controlled; or something like that.

PLEASE REVIEW! (I hate begging…it's troublesome :S)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

The clouds are nice

Chapter 4

Once again everyone was at the barbeque restaurant for lunch. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Sakura sat on one side of the table and Ino, Naruto, and Kiba were on the other side. They had just arrived so there was no food yet to be cooked. Shikamaru leaned on his hand and began to think about what happened earlier that day.

The sun was already starting to rise and the morning air was cool. Shikamaru stood by Konoha's Main gate waiting. The feelings he had were now crumbling beneath him.

This is why I never get involved with women. It's too troublesome. Shikamaru sighed and thought. He remembered Temari telling him yesterday what time they were leaving, and since Shikamaru had to see her once more he went.

Several minutes went by since he arrived and Temari and her team still weren't at the gate. Shikamaru looked up at the huge clock by the Hokage's place and it read ten after eight. Did they leave already or are they running late? He hoped for the later.

Right when he was about to give up all hope there finally came Temari walking down the road. Shikamaru smiled and ran up to her. He expected the rest of her team to be behind her but they weren't.

"Where's the rest of your team? I thought you guys were leaving today?" Shikamaru asked puzzled even though he didn't want Temari leaving.

"We were. But not too long ago we got word that there was another mission that your Hokage wanted us to do. So we're here for another week." Temari smiled back at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed in relief. Maybe she isn't so troublesome anymore.

"Shikamaru…SHIKAMARU!" Naruto shouted across the table. Shikamaru had zoned out.

"Not so loud Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she punched Naruto in the face.

"Huh?" Shikamaru said when he came back to reality from Naruto and Sakura shaking the table.

"Ow! That hurt Sakura-chan!" Naruto complained in pain."Anyway, the food is here. You might want to get some before fatty over there eats it all." Naruto evily grinned while he grabbed some of the meat that was already cooked.

Chouji stopped what he was doing and glared at Naruto with fire in his eyes. "Put that meat down!" He growled.

Shaken, Naruto slowly placed the meat back down on the grill and it was immediately consumed by Chouji.

Shikamaru on the other hand laughed at his best friend. Normally he gets nervous when Chouji gets pissed about being called fat, but Shikamaru was unusually calm about it today.

When Kiba reached over for some meat his dog, Akamaru, barked. "Is that so?" Kiba said in response to Akamaru.

Everyone stared at Kiba and Akamaru. No one ever understood how Kiba could understand his dog when it barked. They waited for Kiba to say what Akamaru yipped about.

"What did he say, Kiba?" Ino, who was next to him, asked.

"He said that there's something weird about Shikamaru. He seems actually happy and motivated today." Kiba answered and then shoved some barbequed meat into his mouth.

How could he tell? Shikamaru looks the same to me. Naruto thought. Shikamaru was still leaning forward with a somewhat bored look on his face. "I don't think so! He looks the same to me." Naruto blurted out.

"Idiot! Can't you see? Shikamaru's actually eating the barbequed meat, which he doesn't like, and also, he's smiling for once. It's different from his normal unmotivated disposition." Ino snapped at Naruto.

Naruto stared at Shikamaru again. "Nope. Still don't see it."

Everyone, but Shikamaru of course, at the table sighed. Kiba folded his arms and snickered.

"I still think it's that Temari girl who's got him all weird now." Kiba commented.

"How so?" Sakura asked.

"He's been like this ever since the Chuunin main match. Don't ask me why he started liking a girl like her, I don't know. Don't you remember how he was the last time we got together here? He was this same girly way too."

Sakura nodded in agreement. Shikamaru started to turn red as his friends continued talking about him.

"Hey, Shikamaru." Chouji whispered to him.

"What?" Shikamaru stayed where he was and ate more of the food that was on his plate.

"Don't look now, but I think someone is getting jealous."

"Huh?" Shikamaru looked up and saw Ino starting to fume. He raised an eyebrow. What's with her?

"I stand corrected. You're jealous Ino." Chouji stated as he was trying to prove that he was right from the last time they were together.

"I AM NOT!" Ino shouted back.

Akamaru barked to join the argument. "I agree," Kiba started. "It's written all over you, Ino. You're jealous because Shikamaru likes another girl."

Ino started getting red and clenched her fist. Sakura knew it was a perfect time to launch her attack.

"Well, Ino-pig. I guess that since you like Shikamaru, Sasuke-kun is all mine now." Sakura glared at Ino.

Ino quickly picked up on Sakura's statement and threw her attack. "I don't like Shikamaru! Sasuke-kun is still mine, forehead girl!" Ino slammed her hands on the table and glared at Sakura. Sakura did the same towards Ino and sparks flew between their glares.

Shikamaru was actually taking everything in as he sat back as far as he could in the seat. He was scared half to death of the two girls. Why do women always have to be this troublesome? He asked himself as he moaned in mental torture.

The rest of the guys as well sat back in fear of what Sakura and Ino could possibly do.

"You're going to have to choose one Ino." Sakura sneered.

Ino was too fired up to come up with a comeback. "KIBA! Move!" Ino barked.

"Y…yes…ma'am!" Kiba stuttered as he scrambled out of the bench seat. He didn't want to get in the line of fire. Akamaru hid inside Kiba's jacket from fear too.

"Looks like I win this time!" Sakura gave a peace sign and stuck out her tongue.

Ino's only response was a deadly glare back at Sakura. She finally turned away and stomped off. Before she made it to the front entrance she abruptly stopped. There stood Temari in the doorway.

Ino scowled at Temari while she herself kept a nonchalant appearance. Ino couldn't do anything again and huffed past Temari. She shrugged and walked over to her destined table.

"What's with her?" Temari asked when she arrived at where everyone was gathered.

"Ino? Oh yeah. She's-" Chouji began to answer before Shikamaru grabbed him and covered his mouth.

"Temari! I'm glad you came. Don't mind Chouji." Shikamaru covered himself as a sweat drop ran down his forehead. The last troublesome thing I need is to deal with two girls at once.

Temari blankly looked at him. "Right." She gave her alluring smile again and made Shikamaru all mushy inside again.

Without thinking twice about it, Shikamaru moved over to make room for Temari. Chouji moved closer to the other end and in turn squished Sakura between himself and the wall.

"Cho…Chouji! I can't move…let alone breathe!" Sakura strained to say from being stuck.

"Sorry, Sakura. I can't help it. Shikamaru pushed me down here." Chouji whined.

Men are such idiots. Sakura said to herself. She didn't want to do it, but she had to otherwise Chouji would kill her. Sakura luckily was able to slip underneath the table and come up on the other side where Naruto and Kiba were.

Sakura sighed in relief as she repositioned herself between the two. "Ah…that's better."

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto said with his goofy smile.

"Keep your hands off of me." Sakura warned and shook her fist at Naruto.

"N…nani!" Naruto cowered in panic.

Temari laughed to herself at the sight she was seeing. Shikamaru was smiling and laughing as well.

Sakura looked over at Temari and Shikamaru and instantly changed her mood. "Hello Temari-san! It's good to see you again. I heard that you and your team were still in Konoha." She said with a now friendly smile.

Temari pleasantly grinned. "Yeah. We were supposed to leave today but the Hokage gave us another mission at the last second. So, Shikamaru here invited me to lunch with you guys." She winked over at him.

"So you finally grew some balls and asked her on a date." Kiba began to tease again.

"He…hey! That's not fair!" Naruto whined. "Sakura-chan! Lets go on a date so we can double with Shikamaru and his girl!"

"NO!" Sakura yelled and punched Naruto again.

Temari blushed a little and stared blankly at Kiba and Naruto.

"Hey hey! For the sake of all things holy! I would hardly call this troublesome group a date." Shikamaru groaned.

"But I thought it was a date, Shikamaru-chan?" Temari winked. She caught on and now was playing along with Kiba.

"Eh?" Shikamaru perked up.

"I like this girl now. She's just what you need, Shikamaru my man!" Kiba grinned widely.

"Ugh." Shikamaru moaned. Things are really becoming troublesome. Clouds never have to deal with such troublesome things.

"Actually, why would I want to go on a date with such an idiot?" Temari said and looked at Shikamaru. He glanced back and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, I should get going." Temari mentioned and got up from the table.

"But you only just got here Temari-san!" Sakura said in surprise.

"Yeah, but I have to go meet up with Kankuro and Gaara to start our new mission. I only had enough time to stop by. It was good seeing you all again." Temari smiled.

"I have to get going myself." Shikamaru coincidentally added.

"Oh really? You can't get enough of Temari-san can you?" Naruto chimed in this time.

"Hey hey! It's not like that! It's troublesome, but Ikura-sensei asked me to assist him with teaching at the academy."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sure..." He wasn't convinced. Shikamaru sighed.

To prevent Naruto from saying anything else, Sakura covered Naruto's mouth with her hand. "Take care!" Sakura said in response to Temari and Shikamaru leaving.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Kiba smirked.

"Right. I already did. I have a girl and you don't." Shikamaru remarked.

Kiba, Sakura, and Naruto all were amazed as their eyes grew wide at what Shikamaru just said. Temari was even a little surprised herself. Chouji didn't react at all and was calm. He's becoming like his father; whipped. He thought.

Temari and Shikamaru both waved and exited the restaurant.

"Do you really have to teach at the academy or was it just one of your ploys to get away from them?" Temari questioned Shikamaru while they were walking down the road.

"I actually have to teach. It's troublesome, but what can I say?" Shikamaru sighed and looked up at the clouds in the sky. Temari smiled and grabbed his hand to hold.

…Hiding in a small alleyway, Ino listened to the rest of the conversation with everyone she was previously with in the barbeque restaurant. She couldn't take it anymore. Ino was starting to get furious.

Secretly, Ino liked Shikamaru, but because of her grudge with Sakura she couldn't let Sakura get the most popular guy in Konoha. So because of that Ino played the part of liking Sasuke and made everyone believe she liked him and not Shikamaru.

Since Temari came around during the Chuunin exam, Shikamaru has been all about her. Ino now saw her as a threat. But since everyone was convinced Ino was all for Sasuke, this situation now was going to be hard on her. How was she going to get Shikamaru back when no one, except for Chouji for sure, knew she liked him? It would be too weird to suddenly come out and express her love for him. Plus, Ino didn't want Sakura winning Sasuke.

In the midst of her thoughts, Ino heard footsteps coming towards her. Since Ino didn't want to get caught she stood as close as she could to the building she was next to. When the people finally walked past she saw who they were. It was Shikamaru and Temari and they were holding hands.

Ino wanted to go over and strangle Temari. Instead, she held back and stayed where she was. What does he see in her? She's pretty, smart, and an extremely good fighter. Ino stopped her thoughts and realized what she said. It was everything she wasn't. What the hell! I may not be the best fighter and I do come up with some good plans since I'm the leader of our team. But most of all I'm way prettier than she is! Ino clenched her fist and growled. I'll get Shikamaru even if it means loosing Sasuke to Sakura. She was now serious.

At her last thought Ino jumped out of the alley and into the middle of the street. "Hey sand bitch!" She yelled out and pointed her finger in front of herself. "Huh?" Shikamaru and Temari were no where to be seen. Some of the locals stared at Ino from her outburst. "What the hell are you looking at?" Ino shouted and stomped off. She felt like an idiot.

Ino spent the whole walk home thinking about Shikamaru and how she could possibly get rid of Temari. As she turned the corner it hit her. Actually, a small rock flew and smacked her in the forehead. Ino stopped where she was and looked around to see who threw the rock. No one who seemed like a possible suspect was around.

She sighed and continued on her way. Suddenly it hit her like an oncoming train as she approached the entrance to the flower shop that her family owned. "I got it!" Ino sneered and ran inside.