The Naruto franchise is the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 11: Blonde Interrogations
"'He ran'? What do you mean, 'He ran'?"
"I mean he ran!" Sakura snapped sharply, ire flaring in her voice before dwindling down into an umbral depression again, "He hates me."
"Have you tried talking to him?"
"I haven't seen him," Sakura said miserably, "He can see through walls. There's no way I'll find him. He's avoiding me, I just know it."
"All right, that's it. We're gonna get you some help," Ino declared, slamming down the arrangement of flowers she was working on, "Shop's closed early folks! Outta here, go on, let's move it!"
The customers in the Yamanaka flower store murmured their disapproval but shuffled out obediently. Sakura was dragged forcibly out the door. She knew better than to try to oppose her blonde friend once she was on the warpath.
"Where're we going?" she asked glumly.
"To find someone who knows our stick-up-the-ass prodigy!" Ino announced, favoring Sakura with her million-watt smile.
~o x o~
"Ah... Ah... U-Um... Neji-nii-san i-isn't here right now."
"That's okay, that's okay," the blonde Yamanaka reassured with a toothy grin, "You're just the girl we're looking for! So, what's the down low on Neji?"
Hinata looked terrified, and rightly so.
"D-Down low?"
"Yeah, y'know," Ino said, ticking items off on her fingers, "What kinda girls does he like, how many has he kissed, what's the farthest he's gone, does he put out on the first date..."
Hinata's mortification grew with each new question until she looked as though she were on the verge of keeling over. Sakura was surprised she hadn't already. She shook her head vigorously, her pale Hyūga complexion beet-red now.
"N-Neji-n-nii-san doesn't r-really even look at g-guh... girls," she managed.
Ino's expression turned predatory.
"Ah, so he's like that, is he?"
Hinata resembled a trapped animal of some sort.
"N-No! It's n-not like th... that," she said, her pale lavender eyes searching for an escape route, "M-Maybe you should talk to Sh-Shikamaru-san or Tenten-s-san. They're the only p-people Neji-nii-san really talks t-to."
Ino hammered one fist lightly into her palm.
"Another lead!" she agreed smugly.
The incorrigible Yamanaka grabbed Sakura's hand once more, about to set off when Hinata interjected.
"Ah... Um... I th-think y...you'd be good for Neji-nii-san, Sakura-san," she chanced.
This seemed to take up the last of the timid Hyūga's courage, and with a strangled sound halfway between a yelp and a squeak, she buried her face into her long sleeves and beat a hasty retreat back into the safety of the Hyūga compound.
~o x o~
Shikamaru opened his apartment door, took one look at the two girls who stood before it and immediately tried to close it again.
"Oh no you don't!" exulted Ino, slamming the full weight of her body forward.
The door cannoned open, catching the lazy genius in the face and tumbling him unceremoniously to the ground.
Knowing he had been caught, Shikamaru sighed and rubbed at his injured nose.
"What a drag."
~o x o~
"I'm telling you, I don't know," Shikamaru repeated for what felt like the twentieth time. He braced himself against the ensuing screech.
"What kinda teammate are you, huh? You lazy bastard, I know you know something and I'm not leaving until you spill, so spill!"
"Look, I don't know. The guy keeps to himself. All I know is that he's been acting a bit strange lately."
Triumph made itself abundantly known in Ino's cerulean eyes.
"I knew you could do it! Strange how?"
Shikamaru shrugged.
"Why you...!"
Her expression instantly murderous, Ino hoisted the unfortunate Shikamaru up into the air by his collar and proceeded to shake him violently back and forth.
"All right, all right!"
The Nara collapsed in an undignified heap as Ino released her grip. He dug his pinky into his ear.
"Troublesome woman," he muttered.
Ino cracked her knuckles ominously in response.
"He asked me what I thought of Sakura, that's all."
Sakura swore she had never felt so light before in her life.
"And what did you say?" pressed the Yamanaka, all smiles again.
Shikamaru shrugged.
"Troublesome."
Ino smacked him in the head.
~o x o~
"Neji?"
Another shuriken thudded perfectly into the bullseye.
"Of course I know Neji."
Tenten turned to face the duo, hands on her hips.
"Why do you ask?"
"We need to know what you know," Ino shared conspiratorially, "For... personal reasons."
A sly glint made its way into the weapons mistress' eyes. She shrugged, lackadaisically.
"He likes meditating and doesn't like spicy food. His favorite ice cream flavor used to be vanilla..." Tenten smirked before continuing, "But he seems to have developed a soft spot for strawberry recently."
Sakura's heart seemed to have suddenly developed an affinity for skipping beats.
The weapon mistress' expression warmed into a genuine smile.
"Neji takes getting used to, but give him time," she reassured, "He'll come around."
~o TBC o~
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