Once at the house, the three were met by Kankuro telling them that there have been some sleeping-arrangement changes.
"Once we got here, Temari and I found out that the main house was being used as a hotel since everyone living near the gates is defenceless and wanted to move in closer." Kankuro explained.
"So that means that Ino and I can stay in my room and the boys can stay in Kankuro's." Temari descended the long staircase as she explained the new arrangements. "Hey, Blondie, let's go then. I have my own bathroom, it totally rocks."
"I want my team to stay together, if you don't mind." The shadow-manipulator announced.
"Why?" Temari asked.
"Yeah, why?" Chouji and Kankuro questioned, confused.
"I want to talk to them about how they play into my plan against the Sound shinobi. It would be easier to brief them if we stayed together." Shikamaru replied wistfully, hiding the fact that his reasoning came out of his butt.
"Touché, Shikamaru." Temari grinned, thoroughly enjoying the situation. "Alright, you three can have my room."
He knew it was a mistake to divulge to the older blonde his feelings. It must be some sort of lapse from being on missions. The best way to ensure his dignity till the end of his mission would be to end it and get back to Hidden Leaf as fast as possible.
Having nothing left to say, Temari retired to her brother's room followed by Kankuro himself. Ino and Chouji took Temari's directions and raced towards her room. Ino called the bathroom first. Shikamaru walked slowly to his team's room. Now, he would have to come up with a plan all the more faster.
"Oh my gosh!" Ino shrieked behind a heavy door.
Suddenly frantic, Shikamaru ran down the hall and opened the door, ready for a fight.
"You guys, would you look at this room? It's as big as my house!" Ino announced completely in awe.
Chouji looked like he also couldn't believe the size of the room as well. Once inside, Shikamaru observed how the room was impeccably clean and left no sign that it was being used by someone, let alone a girl like Temari. It was like they were in an inn or resort.
"Wow, you should check out this washroom, it's huge. No showers tonight that's for sure." Ino supplied. "Sorry, boys, but I'm taking a nice long bath. I'll try not to use all the hot water, though."
"Aww, but Ino, that's not fair!" A disgruntled Chouji whined. "It'll only take me a few minutes. Let me go first!"
"No way, Chouji, I called the bathroom first!"
"I'll fight you for it!"
"No way, I'm tired."
"I'll race you for it, then."
"Are you sure, Chouji, it'll be pointless, you know?"
"Yeah, I'll beat you, Ino." Chouji said.
"Bring it on, chub—Chouji!" Ino caught herself; she didn't want Chouji riled up, after all. "Shikamaru, you call it okay? We'll race around the building."
Ino and Chouji exited though screen doors leading to an outside walkway and got into a starting position. Shikamaru held up a hand and then sliced his hand through the air in a downward motion before saying 'go'. Ino didn't give Chouji a slow start for she wanted to win that bath. It wasn't like she couldn't beat the fatty, but she didn't want to give him any chance at all. She started in an unrelenting pace. Once around the building was nothing. She looked behind her to see where Chouji was. He wasn't even close!
But, a moment later, a flash of red passed her by. It couldn't have been Chouji, could it? Ino ran faster until she reached the finish line only to see Chouji already there and a smirk on Shikamaru's face. How could it be that Chouji of all people beat her in a race?
"But how did you?" Ino babbled incredulously.
"By using my new technique, that's how." Chouji grinned.
He then used his expansion jutsu on his legs to make them longer, making him about two feet taller.
"You see, it's pretty easy to win races if you have longer legs. I don't even have to try to run as fast, either. But it's just as tiring, it's hard to keep up the chakra flow for a long time."
"But, that's cheating!" Ino snapped, stamping her foot.
"No, it isn't. There weren't any rules about not using jutsus, were there, Shikamaru?"
"No, there weren't any rules against using jutsus, Chouji." The lazy ninja replied.
"See, told ya, Ino!"
Chouji released his jutsu, grabbed a towel and scurried into the bathroom. The sound of rushing, hot water filled the rest of the room. A low base sound could be heard; it was Chouji singing or maybe humming?
Ino, finding it hard to find her inner peace with the situation, slammed open the closet and pulled out a futon.
"You don't have to spaz about it, you know. You're still going next. Besides, there probably wasn't enough hot water for a bath anyway. We are in a desert and water doesn't come by much here and there's a house full of people sharing the water." Shikamaru reasoned.
"Ah, cold, it's cold, COLD!" Chouji wailed from the bathroom.
"See, told you so." Shikamaru pulled out the other futon and placed it down on the other side of the room, parallel to Ino's. He comfortably laid down on it after taking off his Jounin vest.
Ino gazed at him, unaware that she was, in fact, staring.
"See something you like?" Shikamaru teased without opening his eyes, feeling her unbridled stares on him.
"Actually, yes," Ino uttered without a thought, "I do."
Shikamaru opened his eyes at the unexpected answer his heart pumping for all it was worth. Could it be that she...?
Just tell him the truth, Ino, how bad could it be? Really bad, idiot! You're on a mission for goodness sake!
"That," Ino pointed in Shikamaru's direction. "I want your futon, it's thicker than mine. It looks more comfortable, too."
Shikamaru blinked once, and then twice at the answer; his heart rate increasing for a totally different reason than before. Frustrated, angry, and embarrassed, he got up and dragged his futon to Ino.
"Here you go, Ino-hime." He said mockingly. "Your wish is my command."
Ino got off of her current futon and allowed the spiky-haired ninja to exchange it with his.
Great job Ino, now he's mad at you for making him walk all this way! What kind of thing possessed you to say that? That was so lame!
Ino silently berated herself for being an idiot at such a time until Chouji entered the now-tense room. She then quickly grabbed her pack and bolted out of the vicinity of Shikamaru's angry aura, mindful of not slamming the door in haste as she entered the bathroom and closed it behind her.
"Why do I do this to myself?" She sighed against the locked door. "I don't need him. I don't. Really, Ino, what do you see in such a lazy-ass...freak?"
As Ino deluded herself in the washroom, Chouji and Shikamaru started to talk about the pending commencement of the mission, at nightfall, the next day.
XXXX
"So what do you have planned, Shikamaru?" Chouji brought out his own futon and placed it beside his friend.
"Well," Shikamaru replied. "I was thinking that since these shinobi involved are sound ninjas and their current aim is to kill off people, it would be best to set a trap for them using a decoy. Maybe Kankuro will lend us his puppets."
"But, sound ninjas can tell if the decoy's human. They use their sound waves, right?" Chouji said thoughtfully, remembering his battle with Zaku during his first Chuunin Exam.
Shikamaru had thought of that, but didn't expect Chouji to see though his faulty reasoning. He needed more time to think of a working plan to his liking. Between keeping Ino away from Temari and being distracted by Ino's antics, he simply hasn't had the time to think of a plan for the mission. It wasn't that he didn't have a plan in mind yet, it was more because of the fact that he didn't like his current plan.
"You're right Chouji," Shikamaru sighed.
"What if we use one of us as the decoy? We could probably dress up one of the girls as a villager and use her as bait."
Since when did Chouji get a brain, Shikamaru thought. And why, of all the times, now?
"That's what I had in mind, but we need Temari for the attack plan I had in mind."
"Then, it's settled then, Ino's the decoy. She can't use too many attacks without you. And we need you to direct us. But then again, if Ino doesn't want to be the decoy, I could be the decoy. You know, surprise them with a quick smash in the face!" Chouji laughed at the thought.
Now that the plan that Shikamaru had in mind was out in the open, he couldn't help but try to buy some time before he had to reveal it all; and, also without making Chouji feel that he was too stupid to follow it.
"No, it has to be Ino." He said. "I need her to use her technique. This may get us the advantage for an attack. I'll elaborate on it tomorrow, when everyone is present."
"Whatever you say, Shikamaru, I'm going to sleep."
After saying this, Chouji turned away and started to snore lightly, already asleep. A moment later, Ino exited the bathroom wearing loose shorts and a tank-top. It wouldn't have bothered anyone else if they saw her in her current attire, for it was quite modest compared to her usual taste, but it made him uncomfortable. He had always thought she was pretty, but it was all too easy to see her beauty when she was only a few meters away. It did help him that Chouji was laying between them.
"Are you done?" Shikamaru queried.
Ino nodded yes and slowly walked to her futon. Her mind was consumed with the thought that only ten minutes ago, Shikamaru had been laid out on it. She sank into it, it wasn't warm anymore, but she could faintly smell his scent on it.
Shikamaru, assuming that she had fallen asleep, walked inside the bathroom with a towel. Ino turned off the lights in the current room, so Chouji could sleep more comfortably. Ino couldn't sleep. She couldn't when her ears were too busy listening to her surroundings and her eyes were glued to the bathroom door. Five minutes later, Shikamaru came out of the said door, a towel hung around his waist. He'd forgotten to take his pack with a change of clothes with him to the washroom. He was now trying to dig though his pack for his clothes in the dark thinking that his teammates were asleep, thanks to Chouji's loud snores.
Ino couldn't see him clearly, but she could make out his lean figure in the dark. Tiny rays of light from outside, displayed small strips of his skin to her. From the little that she could see, he had a few scars on his back and arms. She looked up to avert her gaze from his body, but instead made a grave mistake. He hadn't tied his hair up yet. His thick strands brushed against his cheek and clung to the back of his neck. Ino closed her eyes in hopes of erasing the image. It was too late; it was burned to the insides of her eyelids. She clenched her eyes closed as Shikamaru put on his clothes. Ino could hear the rustling of clothes and the pad of his feet moving on the floor.
The sounds of him were keeping her awake. It wasn't until she felt a finger brush against her face that she realized that he was now crouched beside her. What did he want?
"Ino," he whispered.
Her throat closed, no voice would come out.
"Are you asleep?" he tried again.
Her body locked, frozen in place.
"Go to sleep, Ino." He said simply.
"Okay," Ino replied, finally able to sleep.
A/N: Again, thank you for all those who reviewed this time around. I am absolutely grateful for your comments and critisms. I want all of you to know that I do try to take everything you say into consideration and I take all comments seriously. I am enjoying writing this piece as much as you enjoy reading it. So, please continue your feedback: I read every one.
