AN: Deleted scene time! Haha, I have a couple of these short things lying around so I thought, hey! Maybe you guys would like to read them! They're kind of ridiculous, though...

Can't Be Good
Chapter 9: Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo Meet Ino - DELETED SCENE

Ino jumped as there was a large bang against the floor. What the hell was Shikamaru doing out there? Ino stared at her hands and sighed. She realized that the stem of a flower had snapped beneath the pressure of her fingers. Gently snapping the rest off, she threw the flower and the stems away. Chuckling softly at the irony, Ino noted the symbolic meaning of the yellow tulip. To throw it away almost hurt.

The unopened dossiers caught her eye. Maybe he had meant for her to read them before seeing them face to face. That was foolish. Ino wanted no preconceptions about who these people, or person, were. Tapping her heeled foot against the ground, she wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and fly home.

She pressed the intercom, "Shikamaru? Are you done?"

The door opened and Ino stared. The shock did not register on her face, but Shikamaru noted it when a raised eyebrow was directed at him. Sighing, he uttered a soft curse and left her stand to look properly at the three agents behind him. Out-sourcing reliable agents was a pain. He hoped she didn't send them packing after this meeting. Ino handed him the carton of Marlboro Lights from the desk and he took them, gratefully lighting up and opening a window.

Ino stalked up to them as they stood upright with hands behind their backs and looking straight ahead. Each wore black slacks and had silver hair. The one with the longest hair had a white shirt one with the collar flipped up and a black blazer on. Her demeanor was one of a lioness as she walked a circle around him.

"This one looks like me, Shikamaru, but silver," Ino gestured to him, twirling a strand of his hair in her fingers. Shrugging, he noted that this was a test. Usually bodyguards did not approve of her treatment of them. Taking her comment into consideration, he thought of all the reasons the silver-haired man was not like Ino.

Ino released his hair and moved onto the one with short silver hair. He wore a white t-shirt beneath his leather jacket. His slacks sat lower than normal. She looked at his face. In his eyes was a playful sort of look. He looked like someone Ino could get along with.

"You have the least blue eyes," she remarked, off-handedly. If Shikamaru had not been smoking he would have hit himself in the face. Ino was already either trying to work her charm or doing it subconsciously.

Prowling up to the 'leader' she assessed him briefly. Ino returned to her chair, flinging herself into it and smirked. "So, tell me about yourselves."

There was some sort of unspoken signal and the leader spoke evenly, "my name is Kadaj. My brother's names are Loz and Yazoo."

"Go on," she waved her hand in a smooth gesture.

Yazoo looked to Kadaj for any indication of what he should do. It did not seem like a bad idea to get to know their charge. "I am the middle child, Yazoo is the oldest and Loz is the youngest."

Kadaj thought Ino was being a pain. He should have known she would be like this. The counsel had been strict and asked many questions. Now, to be tried by this slip of a girl was annoying. Keeping down his annoyance he just stared blankly back at her.

Her bright blue eyes twinkled. A grin seemed to purr, "is that it?"

"Uh..." Yazoo was a little dumbstruck. She was just so pretty, after all the only females he had ever really be exposed to were his mother, but she did not count. This Yamanaka girl, she was genuinely not a whore or trying to kill him. He could handle himself around whores and prostitutes, but he actually thought that this Yamanaka woman was pretty. He felt Kadaj's ire behind him and winced. "I know how to wield a katana, but I prefer the modern gun."

Ino sighed, "really? I love your hair..." Yazoo shifted uncomfortably and Shikamaru cleared his throat. Ino drew back and stood in front of the oldest one with the short hair, "what do you do?"

Snorting, Yazoo grinned and that drew Ino's attention. It was kind of malicious and she wanted to smack it off his face. This was her game, not his. "He's the crybaby."

"Yazoo, do not speak ill of your brother," snapped Kadaj, tempers flared and tension started to build.

Sitting back Ino grinned at Shikamaru. He rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible to her. Chuckling softly she told him, "go, I can handle it from here on out. They've loosened up."

Shikamaru glared and stood when Ino tapped a fingernail against the wood desk. He tossed her the Marlboro Lights and she raised an eyebrow. Rolling his eyes he threw her his lighter, which she pocketed and turned her attention to the lightly bickering brothers.

AN: How'd you like my deleted scene?