I'm so sorry guys, its been almost like a year, I know, I guess I've had some bumps in my life I've had to smooth out, and I haven't had any time to write. My grades are falling again too, bleh, but thats not why I'm writing to you guys now.

PLEASE READ THIS PART OF THE AUTHORS NOTE

SERIOUSLY...

I'M BEGGIN YOU PEOPLE!

DON'T GO TO THE STORY YET DAMNET!

I'm sort of at a loss for ideas for this story and I know this chapter is sort of a filler, but please please please I am BEGGING YOU people to give me some suggestions or ideas or anything you would like to see happen so I can get to updating sooner!!!!!!!!

Thankyou for the cooperation and all of your input! *hugs all of you*

~Remyx~

Shikamaru sat in his kitchen brooding, like he had the past 3 days since he came home from the hospital. He had insisted that Ino stay with him for her own well being. She hadn't exactly detested the idea of being alone, in Shikamaru's apartment, with him, but she didn't want to be anymore trouble to him either, especially after he had come home from the hospital.

That put the dark haired man where he was now. He hadn't let her out of his sight for any reason, at any time of the day, except for when she had to go to the bathroom. Even then, he listened intently at the door for anything out of the ordinary. If the quiet tingling noise of water and the rush of flushing wasn't the only sound that reached his ears, he would immediately go into a panic. One time he had even burst through the lock on the door while Ino had been innocently going to the bathroom. He had heard a small clattering noise, and it was all he needed to go into near-cardiac arrest. The incident was shortly followed by him running out of the bathroom with a stream of apologies leaving his lips and Ino, throwing toilet paper at his head yelling a truck full of profanities. Whether she loved Shikamaru or not, she was still Ino.

The words, that Chouji had spoken were still echoing in his head as he sat and watched Ino eat her breakfast.

"He escaped."

"We managed to get a couple scratches on him before he left. Sorry man." Naruto shook his head guiltily.

"Is that all?" Shikamaru asked, his voice feeling strained and foreign.

Chouji shot Naruto a should-we-tell-him-look, before he started to explain. "No, he said that, he didn't need to deal with us, because he had plenty of people who would do the dirty work for him."

"D-dirty work?"

"He plans to…"

Naruto pretended to slit his throat with his finger sending the message to Shikamaru to what he was plotting.

"You and Ino…you're both in danger. Huge danger."

"Obviously, you can trust us." Naruto soothed. "But, until further notice, watch your back."

The usually flamboyant and oblivious blonde fox, now looked distraught to say the least.

"Thanks…" Shikamaru sighed running a hand through his hair.

"We'll help you two in any way we can buddy."

Ino snuggled into Shikamaru's chest and sighed. "I know…" he replied.

The genius shinobi was starting to get frustrated. Sasuke, for not knowing him at all, was pretty good, at knowing him all to well. He had single-handedly, threatened Shikamaru with something, that Shikamaru couldn't simply think his way out of. He didn't know who he could and couldn't trust anymore, he didn't know how Sasuke was supposedly going to kill Ino and himself, and he had no idea how he was going to keep them both safe.

"Shika-kun, can't you, you know, relax?"

"Hn."

She sighed in silent defeat. "You haven't slept since you came home…"

"That's the point."

"Pleeeease? Just come to bed… I'll even go with you."

It was a tempting offer but Ino's safety was at steak, and Shikamaru would have crossed hell and back again just to keep her out of danger. "I can't."

"Sure you can! You just follow me and off we go!" She giggled pulling at his hand.

"Ino…Ino I said no!" He yelled at her yanking his hand back.

She stared up at him stunned. He was angry, and at her. "You don't have to yell."

"Well then, stop being so careless!" He hissed.

"Careless? I'm not being careless Shikamaru, I'm concerned! You haven't slept in days, which I thought was impossible for someone like you, and you won't let me anywhere by myself!"

"You don't have to be concerned about me Ino." He said, his voice softening slightly. "You need to be concerned about you! Konoha's only Uchiha, who is right now, the most dangerous enemy to my knowledge, is out to kill you! Why doesn't that bother you?"

"You don't get it do you?" She sneered, gazing up into his curious deer like eyes.

"Get what?"

"You're letting him win. This is what he wants, for us to be torn apart at his hands. You don't even see it do you Shikamaru?"

"I-" he started, her words almost literally hitting his heart.

"You haven't even kissed me since we got back…" she mumbled, as tears trekked their way down her beautiful face.

"Ino…" Shikamaru reached out to her. She was right. He had been so set on guarding her life it had never occurred to him that she was hurting inside. "Maybe this is how Sasuke meant to destroy us." He thought. "From the inside, and then eventually, the out."

Ino backed away sniffling to herself. "N-no, you have protecting or whatever to do. You don't have time for that."

Shikamaru was to say the least, at a loss for words now. His heart ached, as much as his tired body and his worn out brain, as he saw her leave, and walk silently to his room. It hurt him all together even more when he heard her dry sobs from the other room.