A/N:
Ah, so here we are again. I finally have time to sit down and write yet another little chappy and I hope you guys will like it, I'll try to make it long for you!
...
Ino woke up to the soft sound of snoring and hot breath on her neck. For a moment she was frightened, until she remembered that Shikamaru had slept over. She blushed as she turned over and took in the sight of him. His hair was loose from his usual ponytail, and it covered most of his face. She smiled softly as she reached out and gently removed the strands of hair from his eyes, and noticed for what seemed like the first time that he had the straightest nose she had ever seen. She jerked her hand back as his long black lashes fluttered on his cheeks.
"Good morning." She whispered, looking away from his piercing eyes.
"Mhhhhhm," He groaned out beside her, reaching up for a long and clumsy stretch."Five more minutes.." His joints crackled as he curled back up in the sheets.
Ino smiled down at him and shook her head, pulling the sheets off of him with one large jerk. He immediately curled up on himself like a dying insect. "Don't you have to go to work?" She asked, walking over to the bathroom to start a warm shower for him. She sat on the toilet lid and counted quietly to herself,"3...2..1."
"Ughhhhhhh."
She smiled as his messy bed head thrust itself around the bathroom door frame. "I thought that would make you get up," She handed him a towel as she excited the bathroom, "I'll find you some clothes too."
She heard him mumble something like a 'thank you' as she walked out her bedroom door, the pads of her feet tapping against the hardwood lightly.
Ino walked slowly down the hall, her eyes burning through the door at the end. It wasn't that she completely ignored that part of the house, but she preferred to never go into her father's room. It was a sacred place for Ino, a place that she has only gone once since her father died. She thought that maybe if she never touched it then maybe he would open the door himself one day, but she knew that it wasn't very likely to happen.
With a swift intake of breath she grabbed the knob and thrust it open, musty air flying out from the sudden force. She took a step forward and flipped on the light switch, her eyes adjusting to the sudden increase and also the sight of the untouched realm of her father. It was clean and perfectly tidy save for the thick dust coating everything, and her feet left inprints that showed how truly dusty the room had become. She smiled sadly as she opened the closet, sliding the doors until they could go no further. Her eyes scanned the many items that hung before her, until they landed on a pair of dark grey pants, an old Chunin vest, and a long sleeved black shirt. She plucked each item off of the hangers carefully as not to disturb the other items. With a sigh she closed the doors again, staring at the cedar frame with misty eyes. She could smell him even though she smelt almost exactly the same. She could smell his manly-musky scent over the flowers and the must. She whimpered as she brought the garment to her nose and took a deep whiff, the tears falling from her eyes and her vision blurred.
She didn't hear him call out her name, or his footsteps as he walked up behind her. She didn't feel his arms around her, she couldn't feel anything. The smell just brought back too many painful memories of her wonderfully-awful overprotective father, and her heart felt like it was twisting up in a big knot. When her tears ran dry she finally looked up at him, and laughing quietly she pushed the clothes into his chest.
"You can wear these." She whispered, wiping her face and running her fingers through her bangs.
She watched his face soften as he grabbed the clothes, and he looked unsure.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure."
Ino's eyes opened wide in shock as he embraced her again, his lips pressing against her cheek softly.
Shikamaru walked with his hands pushed deep in his pockets, his brows furrowed deep in thought. A cigarette bud stuck out from his teeth, long since burned away and forgotten. He looked up at the sky and sighed..would he have enough time before his class to go visit his dad at the monument? And maybe he should go check on his mother too after work? He didn't know what he should do, but Ino's breakdown just moments ago was weighing on his mind.
He tried not to think that he was wearing her dead father's clothes. He tried not to smell the mixture of flowers and must, but he couldn't stop himself. Those smells held deep meaning not only for Ino, but also for himself. Memories of his father's laughter and the smell of sake, Inoichi chuckling as they whispered jokes to each other. When his father came home from a mission with Inoichi and he would stay over for a while and joke around, playing shoji while Ino bothered him. How could this smell be so powerful? So full of memories, hundreds of them that just flooded his senses? He understood how Ino could break down, it was hard to hold back the aching behind his own eyes.
Shikamaru spat out the bud end of his cigarette when he reached the academy, ignoring the excited and shrill voices of his students as he walked to his desk. Opening the drawer he pulled out a piece of chalk and began to write on the large chalk board positioned behind his desk.
"Today I will teach you the basic poses and hand signals to successfully complete the Bunshin no Jutsu," He turned and looked at his class, surprisingly all his students were actually present,"First let me explain that the name of this jutsu means Shadow clone doppleganger. This means that while you are making a copy of yourselves..it is only a copy. It cant be physically harmed because it is not real, and before you ask if it is a variation of my own Kagemane no jutsu; no it is not. You cannot control someone's shadow just because the name of the jutsu includes it, so put your hand down please Seiji."
The boy before mentioned groaned and reluctantly put his hand down, crossing his arms haughtily.
Shikamaru smiled, performing the hand signals slow enough the children could watch, and made a copy of himself.
"Now I want you all to form a line..oh and Seiji Inuzuka..you're first."
Shikamaru ignored the mumbled response of the boy and watched as each child performed the jutsu. It wasn't perfect, but for their first times they did pretty well. Before long the children gave up, realizing their sensei wasnt even paying attention. While he was lost in his own thoughts the children did as they pleased; sleep, eat, climb on the tables and draw on the walls. None of this caught his attention, and he stared out the right hand wall of windows for the entirety of class. What was Ino doing right now? Was she manning the shop? Or was she simply taking a day off? He wished he could just get up and go see. Shikamaru didn't seem to notice how fast time had flown, so when the bell rang to release the children he jumped up out of his seat startled. The class laughed at his expense and he told them to, "Get the hell out of here already".
"We will continue with our lesson on jutsus tomorrow so come prepared to learn." He said to his already retreating class, not noticing the person standing in the far corner.
"Nara Shikamaru,"A deep voice called out, causing Shikamaru to jerk around so quickly he dropped his things. The man behind a chuckling jackle mask gave an amused snort,"You've been summoned by the Hokage."
He handed Shikamaru a scroll and disapeared in a whisp of red smoke, leaving Shikamaru with his eyes and his mind very irritated.
"A summons by ANBU, huh?"
Shikamaru unrolled the scroll slowly and stared at the words, not believing his eyes. A mission? He hadn't been sent out of Konoha on a mission in a long time..and what was it with this strange summons?
"Looks like I won't get to visit dad..or mom." He mumbled to himself as he leaned over to pick up his things.
Shikamaru pushed the scroll into 'his' vest and turned to walk out the door, his body already weary before even hearing the details of the mission..
Eventhough I'm female I find it is easier for me to write as Shikamaru, weird I know. XD
So it wasn't too long but at least it was more than 1,000 words right? Next one will be longer. That's a promise.
Review please.
Sorry for any errors.
Tell me if you see any mistakes.
