A/N: Hmm, I'm rather disappointed with the lack of reviews on the last chapter. It's a little disheartening, but eh, even if there are only two people enjoying this thing still, I'm having fun writing it so I won't stop. Anyways now it is time for chapter 4. Let's get thing rolling, enjoy.

Disclaimer: … (I don't own Naruto)

Shikamaru Nara gave a lazy yawn as he got to his feet. Today was the day he found out what his unfortunate destiny would be. He calculated his possibilities. Temari would act hostile to him but would come around quickly. He knew that girl was quite attached to him and would stay so, even after his "momentary lapse in memory." Ino on the other hand was liable to take it to heart, go crazy and do something stupid. Still, Ino was his friend before she was his lover, so he figured that bond could be repaired as well. It would mean several weeks of the most troublesome nature but Shikamaru figured everything would be all right in the end, minus some unfortunate but unlikely possibilities.

"Hey Shikamaru, you're up. Hmm… Is Temari not with you?" Came the grizzled voice of a Shikaku Nara in greeting of his son.

"No not today…" Shikamaru replied with a sigh.

"Oh, I thought I saw her in town last night…. Guess it was someone else…" The man said with an idle tone.

"And where in town would you have been seeing young girls last night?" Yoshino Nara said with a dormant rage as she entered the room.

"Uhh, nowhere, just around…." Shikaku started begrudgingly.

"Liar, you were at that bar again last night, weren't you?" The man's wife started accusingly.

"Well possibly…" Shikaku acquiesced.

"So Temari went to the bar then… that's unusual." Shikamaru thought aloud.

"Shikamaru that is not the issue at hand here." Yoshino started in again with furor.

"Yeah, I thought I saw her there... sharing a table with Inoichi's girl… I hadn't realized they were friends." Shikaku continued unflinchingly as his wife leered at him.

"Neither had I…" Shikamaru said with a slight fear beginning to spread in his brain.

"Oh well I suppose that is troublesome… I mean you told me you didn't want everyone finding out about you and Temari right away right…" The man replied with a smug look as if he was enjoying the act of ignoring Yoshino.

"Yes very troublesome… I'll have to investigate this…" Shikamaru said with a dead-serious look.

"Is there a reason why it would be bad if Ino and Temari knew each other, son." Yoshino replied catching her son's worried glances.

"No, nothing I can't take care of anyway." Shikamaru lied as he left his home in search of answers.

"Hey…" Choji said trying to hold in a smile as he approached his friend.

"Hey Choji, what's up…" Shikamru said noticing his close friend.

"Nothing…" Choji said with an awkward expression.

"Really… that's good then…" Shikamaru said ignoring that his friend was clearly withholding information from him.

"Actually… I've got some bad news for ya…" Choji said somberly.

"Oh… I figured as much. It's about them, about Temari and Ino right." Shikamaru said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah… rumors say they were together all over town yesterday." Choji said with a sigh.

"I suppose dad wasn't drunk out of his mind and seeing things then." Shikamaru said with a painful smirk.

"So you already heard as much then…" Choji remarked calmly.

"It's troublesome. I never pictured them meeting and becoming friends. Meeting and killing each other maybe, but friends this really is troublesome…" Shikamaru replied still looking halfway bored despite his pain.

"It could be even more than that though…" Choji added nervously.

"What do you mean by that?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"I saw them last night… it was late and they seemed to be heading in the direction of Ino's place, Ino was holding tightly to Temari's arm…" Choji struggled to say.

"I doubt there's anything to it. They likely both hate me now so Ino was probably putting Temari up for the night and since Ino can't hold her liquor it makes sense that she would need to be supported." Shikamaru thought deductively.

"Yeah that's what I figured, but you know there is that possibility that it could be more. You know as well as I do, that in the past Ino has expressed an interest in that sort of thing and … well, even if their just friends this means bad news for you…" Choji spoke averting his eyes.

"Choji, the idea that the two women I was consecutively dating would meet up in the woods suddenly and decide to hook up with each other is a little… I don't know ridiculous. Stuff like that doesn't happen in real life, just in cheap, second-rate internet fanfiction…" Shikamru said in his usual carefree tone as he fought back his worry.

"Yeah you do have a point there, but this still means you've lost both you're women…Although I suppose you can't be too disappointed, you didn't seem all that interested in them anyway." Choji said trying to laugh it off.

"Choji, as troublesome as it was, having two beautiful girls like that, definitely had it's advantage… I can't say I'm happy about this." Shikamaru replied with a look of melancholy.

"Oh, well eh, sorry…" Choji said with a meek smile as he and his friend continued on their way.

---

"I'm sorry again, but I promised my parents I'd help with the shop today. I didn't know I'd have someone so interesting to play with…" Ino Yamanaka said in a apologetic tone as she found her way behind the counter of her family flower shop.

"It's no big deal. I'm perfectly fine with just sitting here staring at the beautiful flowers…" Temari chimed in in a suggestive manner.

"I wonder how many more flower metaphors will be used…" Ino started off.

"What!?" Temari said puzzled.

"Nothing. It's so cute that you want to stare at me, but don't you think customers might find it odd to see you here like this." Ino started in a patronizing tone.

"I was under the impression you were the type who didn't care what others think." Temari spoke in a cool tone.

"Oh? What would give you that impression?" Ino asked teasingly.

"I suppose I could help you with your work then." Temari sighed.

"Alright." Ino replied simply.

"So what do I do exactly?" Temari asked genuinely.

"Help the customers purchase the perfect flowers for their situation." Ino explained.

"Umm… Okay." Temari said with a repressed look of uncertainty.

"You don't know anything about flowers, do you?" Ino said with a slight frown.

"There really aren't many flowers in the desert…" Temari acquiesced.

"Ohh, I suppose a desert flower like you must be lonely then. Fine you can work the register, I'll help the customers." Ino said with a lightness about her.

"Okay…" Temari said with a blush as she took up her station.

An hour or so passed with no customers until the figure of a familiar girl entered the quaint shop. Sakura Haruno made her entrance and proceeded to examine the displays intently.

"May I help you?" Ino chimed in earnestly.

"No, I can handle this myself, Ino." Sakura answered flatly.

"Oh well then, miss, may I ask for whom you are shopping today." Ino started in amused.

"I said I don't want any help from you Ino." Sakura said shaking her head.

"Fine then, I won't help you. I was just curious is all." Ino said in a tone of faux anger.

"I'm curious as to who you think I would buy flowers for…" Sakura said humoring her old friend.

"Well I mean, it could be for Naruto, it could be for Sasuke, it could be for Lee, it could be for that flying flower eating ponybear that lives in that crazy guy's attic down the street, it could be for me, or maybe it's for making a dangerous explosive poison so that you can secretly assassinate the warlord of your rival ninja clan so that you can finally become one with the true inner voice of your resonate shinobi spirit…" Ino said in an unnaturally excited tone.

"Is something wrong with you Ino, or have you contracted some sort of mental condition while I wasn't paying attention." Sakura said with a confused look on her face.

"No I'm fine. I was just examining all the possible scenarios." Ino said with a smile.

"Yeah, except the last three were ridiculous." Sakura said coldly.

"Maybe, but then let me hear the real reason." Ino said with a smile.

"I'm gong on a secret undercover mission. I need the pollen from many types of flowers in order to create a sleep inducing toxin, so that I can infiltrate the enemy war base and retrieve the ancient holy talisman of enlightenment." Sakura said in an exuberant manner.

"Wow. Really!?" Ino replied excitedly.

"Uh, No. Tomorrows my mom's birthday, and I'm looking for a nice gift." Sakura said with a laugh.

"Oh… Well in that case, might I suggest these. They're rare in that they only bloom around this time a year, and are the most beautiful of colors." Ino spoke as she signaled the flowers that had been picked the previous day.

"Those are pretty… I think I will take a bouquet." Sakura said with a smile.

"Alright then." Ino said before shouting out a price to a rather bored looking Temari who gave a slight jump at the call.

"Temari!? What is she doing here? Why would the sister of another ninja village's leader be helping you run your second-rate flower shop?" Sakura asked in a confused manner.

"After the great battle, I found Temari on the verge of death without signs of her dearest memories. Single handedly I addressed her wounds and nursed her back to health. Over the months to follow, we formed an unbreakable bond of friendship as we painstakingly weaved the threads of new brighter memories." Ino spoke in a dramatized way.

"Is that so…" Sakura said in an unbelieving way.

"Hell no, it's not.' Temari said in an angry tone.

"Why, would you be jealous at the thought that I might have a new best friend, Sakura." Ino teased playfully.

"No, why would I. Who says you're my best friend anyway?" Sakura said in irritation.

"Well, you don't have to worry. Temari isn't my friend." Ino said with a smile.

"I'm not! But, just yesterday didn't you say that we we're friends." Temari said confused.

"But stuff happened, and well you know how it turned out." Ino tried to explain sided.

"But just cause of that doesn't mean were not friends as well." Temari said with a blush, now that she was attached to Ino, she didn't want her feeling pushed aside like that.

"Oh, so are you or are you not friends with Temari, Ino?" Sakura asked in a now thoroughly confused manner.

"Well it's complicated. I suppose it's a yes, but it's not a kind of friendship you want, Sakura." Ino said with a reluctant sigh.

"Oh, why would that be?" Sakura responded, in a still clueless way.

"Simply put, me and Temari are a little more than just friends…" Ino said in a highly suggestive tone.

"Oh. Ohhh… Wait… R-really? But you're not like that. Are you? I mean you always fought with me over Sasuke, and weren't you dating Shikamaru… I mean this isn't…" Sakura looked around at the two girls in shock, looking for some signs this was another exaggerated lie of Ino's but the look on Temari's face suggested otherwise.

"No I'm being completely serious. Me and Temari are totally into each other… You know she can do some really amazing things when she's in the right mood…" Ino spoke in a sexual way.

"You sick pervert! I'm embarrassed that I even know you…" Sakura yelled unbelievingly.

"Maybe you're just jealous after all. Perhaps deep down you want me." Ino suggested, playing off of Sakura's shock and disgust.

"Here. I'm taking these and leaving." Sakura said as she handed Temari her money and took her flowers in arm, and proceeded to stomp out of the shop.

"That girl… she was just a friend right?" Temari said as he turned to Ino.

"Yeah, though believe me I tried for that one. She's too stubborn to give in to me. A nice girl though." Ino said in an offhand way.

"Oh that's good." Temari said with a smile.

"Looks like you're the one I made jealous. That's cute. I bet it's just eating you up inside thinking about who I may have loved in the past." Ino said playfully.

"N-no. I don't care about stuff like that. And how can you say that I didn't have many others before you as well." Temari responded lightly.

"I think it was obvious from your reaction to last night that Shikamaru was all you ever had before me." Ino gave a short laugh.

"Well… I…" Temari started.

"There were several others before you. I gave many guys and girls test runs before settling on Shikamaru." Ino said conclusively.

"Oh so there were a lot then…" Temari said in a concerned tone.

"Well let's see, there was Hanako, Minabi, Shino, Ayaka, Hana, Iwashi, Miyu, Raido, Maya, Akane, Hinata, Chihara, Misa. That's thirteen unless i'm forgetting somone." Ino said in deep thought.

"I didn't mean for you to name them off like that." Temari responded softly.

"Oh? I thought that was what you wanted…" Ino said smiling.

"Although now, I'm really curious, as to why… or how it is… that when at ten out of those thirteen names sounded like girls' names that you in the end decided on Shikamaru." Temari questioned, puzzled.

"You're perceptive. It's no lie that I like girls better, but back then I wasn't ready to admit that for a serious relationship. Shikamaru was too damn easy anyway, that I couldn't resist." Ino tried to explain.

"Really, and why is that?" Temari returned in question.

"One, he was on my squad, so I could fuck him even when I was on mission. Two, as you said he definitely has some good qualities when it comes down to it. And as for the third reason, Shika was so great; He expected absolutely nothing out of me in our relationship." Ino explained with a smile.

"And what's your reasoning for choosing me?" Temari asked in slightly bitter tone.

"Much the same. You were convenient, and have noticeable good qualities." Ino said with a carefree expression.

"And you think I have no expectations." Temari said accusingly.

"No, I just figure you're expectations and mine will be on the same level. To tell the truth until all that magic last night occurred, I saw you as just a rebound, but now I know it really could work out with us." Ino explained.

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind keeping you around as well. In fact I might increase the number of hours a week I spend in Konoha." Temari said reflectively.

"I'd like that." Ino replied lovingly.

"You're shop's not that popular." Temari said changing the subject on a whim.

"Well it's just that, no one buys flowers at this time of day." Ino replied defensively.

After another hour of intensely sparse customers, Ino's father arrived to relieve his daughter of her duty.

"Hmm, many customers today, Ino." Inoichi asked.

"Hardly any." The girl responded as her and the other girl relinquished their positions.

"So she decided to help you work as well." The man said noticing Temari's presence.

"I decided that working here for the day would be a way to repay you for allowing me to stay the night." Temari said in a kind tone.

"I really don't care what friends Ino brings home. It's not like I have any say in the matter anymore anyway." Inoichi said begrudgingly.

"She wasn't trying to repay anything anyway. Temari just enjoys my company that much." Ino said with a suggestive smirk as she grabbed hold of Temari's arm.

"Oh, eh... r-really? That's nice. Say, you talk to Shikamaru yet?" The father said showing signs of discomfort.

"Me and Shika are through. I can't forgive him on this one. Besides Temari's better anyway." Ino said still smiling.

"B-but she's just your friend, r-right?" Inoichi asked hopefully.

"No, Temari is my new lover." Ino said with wicked certainty leaving an expression of shock on the man's face.

"Ino, stop, you don't have to..." Temari started, now thoroughly embarrassed.

"Oh, but I thought you loved me, isn't that what you told me last night?"Ino played off the moment in a sexually charged tone.

"Yeah but, you don't have to say it... not like this..." Temari tried to make an argument.

"It's alright. Anyways, dad, I think the two of us are gonna go have some fun, see you later." Ino spoke with a smile as she looked back at her father who could still make no coherent speech, before grabbing Temari by the arm and stealthily exiting the shop.

"How could you do that? Just like that tell everyone about us." Temari asked still with blush.

"Well, would you rather I be embarrassed of you?" Ino said curtly.

"No, it's just..." Temari said with uncertainty.

"You should be honored that I think so highly of you, that I am telling everyone right away." Ino responded coolly.

"I suppose, but you're own father..."Temari started to say.

"Dad doesn't care about stuff like that. Sure it will take him a while to accept the fact that I dumped his best friend's son for a girl, but in the end nothing I say or do, will really have any sort of impact on him anymore." Ino explained.

"But still, we should watch who we tell right away." Temari said slightly.

"You're right we can't just tell anyone about our love now. It will only work if we tell the 'right people'."Ino said in a calculated way.

"That's not what I meant..." Temari responded softly.

"Let's see, I already got my dad and my best friend out of the way, I suppose the next logical target of confession would be the ex." Ino stated methodically.

"You mean Shikamaru." Temari said now showing a smile.

"Precisely." Ino smiled back.

"Now that could actually be fun." Temari said with a cool laugh as she followed Ino's lead.

A/N: Like I said before, I'm enjoying this fic. I haven't wrote a chapter that long in forever. For it's length it's a little slow, but it's dialog heavy so hopefully it's not too bad a read. I love how I'm characterizing Ino, I've somehow just completely warped he character and I don't know why. So anyways hopefully you all liked it. Even if you didn't, tell me what you think. Seriously the feedback I receive is one of the things that keeps me doing this. Anyways see ya next time.