Duh Bomb: Welcome back, glad you found the story again, but dang do you make wild accusations about what's happening to Ino...though...maybe another story

Czar Joseph: It has been awhile, a life moves fast and passes us by, but I really couldn't leave this story unfinished, now could I?

Bread Crumbs21: I don't believe I have written to you before now, but I appreciate your support and I hope that you will continue to read my story until its zenith.

AN: Hey to all of you! So up next is part two of Ino's part in this story and I hope that you can each find your own thoughts in some person's actions to connect with my characters.

AN2: On a second note, I, as many others, have ceased to watch Naruto and as such, am losing the inspiration to write new stories based on its characters. Now, while I love the Naru/Saku/Ino group the best and have many summaries and partial stories written with them, I am starting to lean towards changing my stories towards other series. What do you all think of 'How to Train Your Dragon,' with Hiccup/Astrid/Heather dynamic? Hiccup is innovative like Naruto, Astrid strong headed like Sakura, and Heather I feel is that perfect match in the middle. But I really want your thoughts on this as it IS a big deal for me. Thanks.

Just A Regular High School Life

Chapter 21: That was a Date!

The setting sun cast a gentle orange and pink glow upon the sidewalks of the open aired strip mall, and for a few minutes, people looked to the sun and basked in its warm, loving embrace for the people of the earth so loved it and its heat upon their ever frozen features. Spring was approaching the land of fire, and in the forests of Konoha, the thawing of the snow had already happened and gone were the days of snow and ice, but there was still a sudden chill every now and again, but the people of the forest city were so used to this that it did not matter and so they went about their regular days and evenings as they would in the future of summer.

Past the small parking lot where two girls had arrived by a 2015 purple and gold painted mustang, between the many small boutiques to either side of the enlarge walkway of the sidewalks, past the side bushes and benches made for children and couples, and finally one reached the center square of the mall where both were across from the local cinema and inside the best restaurant called the Lovers of Paradise.

Inside the restaurant and seated next to the window that could be seen from outside, two girls sat in the red booths and awaited for their partners for the evening to begin. Sakura was wearing a red skirt followed with black leggings and a simple black blouse that was a little tight around her now openly unbound exposed chest, while her hair was braided behind her.

And to the side of her was Ino, wearing the outfit that Sakura had picked out for her. Her violet top covered her stomach unlike what she was used to, and the mesh sleeves kept her feeling warm with the chills of spring that Ino, unlike many who grew up here, had never gotten used to. Her purple skirt, held up with a gold buckle and embroidery make her a bright vision that reflected much of the sunset, but Ino's face did not match the happy demeanor of those inside the sunlit restaurant.

Currently, Ino fidgeted in her seat, with the lengthy and spiced up lover's themed menu before her, covering her face from view to those around her table. Ino willed her body to stay quiet and not to make a peep, but still her stomach complained and growled outwardly for more food. Ino bit her lower lip in frustration as her ears told her that everyone heard her as other couples around the room laughed and giggled at her, holding the other's hands and pretending to be having their own conversations.

A gentle buzzing caught her attention, and Ino lowered her menu a bit to look over at Sakura whose hands had dropped from the table to below it as she read the text that had appeared in her phone. Not a moment later did she giggle at the written words and begin to reply with a smile that made Ino grow in envy did Ino speak up.

"Is that Naruto?"

Sakura looked over, her eyes in pure joy and shining with such intensity that Ino looked away in shame for not knowing such happiness anymore. "Yeah," Sakura spoke softly, and as Ino looked away, she cast a glance back down at the text she had just sent him. It was a great thing that Ino didn't like to peek at her texts, otherwise she would have seen that Sakura was telling Naruto to wait outside the restaurant behind one of the bushes and that she'd meet him once Shikamaru arrived.

"What's he saying?" Ino asked suddenly, and Sakura looked down at Naruto's words, and how even after such a serious discussion, he had still added that Sakura's outfit looked ravishing from the bushes.

"Oh, he's going to be a little late, but he's sending me little bits of flirty things. He's so…Kawaiiiii!" Sakura cooed and fidgeted in her own position, knowing that Naruto could see her as she looked out for a second to lick her lips and looked back to Ino. She knew that Naruto would get the message and no doubt kiss her for a minute once they met up.

"Right. So what he's saying is that he'll be a while." Ino spoke darkly, dampening the mood as her stomach growled for more food.

"I suppose." Ino heard her best friend speak softly before she heard the clatter of Sakura's phone hitting the table, and Ino looked back to Sakura, giving her attention from the noise given. Sakura was a silent person, and making noise was a signal that she was beginning to be serious.

"You know Ino, since we have the time right, why don't you tell me why you're so depressed lately."

At Sakura's words, Ino's eyes shifted back to the menu. What was she supposed to say to her best friend?! That She! Ino Yamanaka, the girl who used to be so classy and respected and sexually wanted! That she was Lonely, and that every time she saw a menu, she felt like her body was ugly, and she felt fat, and she didn't have a real boyfriend or anything or anyone that cared deeply and loved her! How was she to explain all of that?!

"N-Nothing is wrong." Ino sighed as she brought the menu up to cover her face. She couldn't tell Sakura. But her friend tried again nevertheless as her menu was pulled down to the table.

"Ino-"

"Nothing!"

"O-okay." Sakura sighed and looked away. She didn't expect to get through to Ino anyways, otherwise, this plan would not have been in motion. Another buzz vibrated along the table and Sakura leaned over to smile as the text said that Naruto had spotted Shikamaru coming over.

"Ino, could you step out for a second?"

"Huh? Oh right." Ino scooted over, fearing her own body would become stuck between the booth and the table before she stepped out and Sakura followed and stood up, and hugged Ino suddenly, but quickly as Ino looked at her funny as she quickly pulled back in confusion. "What was that for?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders innocently and Ino bought it as she sat back down. "Naruto is outside the strip mall, in the parking lot, so I'm going to go and meet up with him."

"Okay." Ino shrugged. It would be better for them both if Sakura did her make out ritual with her boyfriend outside of Ino's saddened and depressing eyes. Ino watched as Sakura left her all alone, giggling around a waitress with food and making her way outside. Only thirty seconds passed before Ino succumbed to her fears.

Ino's depressed eyes grew dull and foggy as she looked down at her hands, watching them grip the end of her skirt with such ferocity that it was trying to hold her body from crying out. Ino wanted to be just like Sakura was now; she wanted to be a dutiful girlfriend. She wanted to be the smart know-it-all that could somehow make friends with ones who used to be her enemies, and smile as brightly as she could now.

Ino had seen the major change in Sakura's demeanor, ever since Naruto came into the picture and took her from Ino's friend to someone worth knowing and talking to. Even her own squad had begun to talk about her, and how much she was in beauty, kindness, and smarts. Her team had grown to like Sakura, and Ino was plagued with the green infection of jealousy as Sakura became more and more popular.

It seemed to Ino that everyone liked Sakura now, and Ino's nails bit into the palm of her hand, making a heavy crescent tattoo inside it, and it was because Ino was being left behind. When this had begun over summer, it had been Ino in the limelight and she had stopped to help Sakura. But she had not grown in popularity after that. No, she had stalled and dropped to a pathetic third tier that she felt like she'd never climb out of it.

Ino's eyes looked out the window, to the sky above to the pale blue sky, and imagined getting lost in the clouds somewhere, like boys who used to get lost in her sky blue eyes. She was being forgotten in all conversations, and Sakura's light was sending her into a realm of darkness, and pushing her closer to an edge that Ino was flailing in tears before it as she struggled between regaining her footing and just letting herself go.

Ino's eyes though looked back down and pulled the menu back up to herself. And yet with Sakura's new popularity and the need for attention that Ino had always grown up with…she just wanted Sakura to stay friends with her, so that this friendship could continue. Ino knew that high school wouldn't last, and college was so far off, but she didn't want to be left behind.

And yet…even now, here Ino was, waiting to spend some time with her friend that she desperately loved like a sister. Sakura hadn't left her side, and as much as Ino voiced it, Sakura had never truly pulled away since her relationship with Naruto. Ino knew that she, not her friend, was the one pulling away from Sakura, pulling away from her friend so that Sakura would feel the disconnection and move on with her life, and so that Ino could be alone, and….just disappear. Oh God! She felt so terrible! She was a terrible human soul, wasn't she? Ino felt wetness on her cheeks and let the tears fall from behind the menu in front of her as she cursed and told herself to go die in a hole, which at the moment was better than what she was worth.

As soon as she turned the corner of the restaurant's window, Sakura ducked down and looked back to see that Ino was once again looking down at herself, and sighed. Ino was growing depressed, and Sakura had luckily seen the changes in what Ino bought and owned. She had begun to wear her looser clothing, and it didn't help as Sakura had seen Ino's breasts growing yet again and her body grew even more feminine ad beautiful. But her hips grew wider, and in a teenager's mind, they might think themselves fatter, and if rumors of Ino being fat were heard by Sakura, then Ino's ever curious ears would hear those rumors and take them to heart.

After all, Ino wore her heart on her sleeves, and though she tried to put up a good act of false happiness, Sakura had from day one seen her miserable and tentative state from her childhood. Sakura had heard and read case studies on teenage depression, and Ino was matching those symptoms. But ones with good friends rarely moved on to cutting themselves or worse, and Sakura's brilliant idea of going to the spa had assured her that Ino had not progressed that far.

As Sakura made a quick dash towards the parking lot, she knew that pushing Ino into a relationship was dangerous, but she had been fantasizing about Shikamaru for years before the depression, with happy memories and Sakura hoped that this would reverse the effects of depression. If it didn't work, then Sakura would just have to convince Ino to let her sleep off every night until she was healthy once again. Sakura wasn't going to lose her friend.

Sakura's eyes shined happily and relieved as she saw the black and red colors of her boyfriend's bike and then looked to the closest bench to see him waiting for her. Sakura practically skipped to his side and hugged him, nuzzling her cheek into his neck and chest. Naruto and herself had a lot of touching in their relationship, and though she spoke less, Naruto knew just where to touch her, to make her feel the love.

"Hello, handsome." Sakura smiled, before growing more serious. "So…did he come?"

Naruto nodded as he leaned forward, pushing a stray hair away from her cheek before kissing it briefly. "Yeah, he just walked past me. But it did take some convincing though."

"Oh? What did you have to say to convince him to spend some time with two girls and his best friend?"

"…I said you wanted to discuss strategy." Naruto shrugged casually, but Sakura's smile made him blush because it was a beaming smile of praise.

"Good idea. You didn't have to tell him that Ino was here. You are so smart." Sakura cooed as she fluffed at his ever defiant locks of golden hair.

Naruto, while bashful, smiled at his girlfriend. "Well, you taught me."

"Well…" Sakura's voice lowered as she leaned up and trailed her tongue along Naruto's ear, making him freeze in place, as he felt Sakura's arousal ooze out and contaminate his entire being, as Sakura pulled back and interlaced their fingers together with her left hand with his right. "Maybe if this works, then you can teach me something…just as special."

Naruto's grin matched Sakura's, as they strolled forward and back into the open air mall. He had easily gotten the hint, and unlike last week where she yelled at him for not understanding what she wanted, tonight would hopefully be better than before. Immediately, Sakura and Naruto stepped back into the center of the mall and seated themselves next to some hedges across from the window that Ino was seated at.

Sakura's stomach growled a bit and she bashfully looked to Naruto who grinned at her. "Sorry, Naruto. In my rush to get Ino ready, I guess I forgot to think ahead."

"Don't worry, Sakura-Chan." Naruto smiled as he pulled out a backpack that Sakura had failed to see that he had been carrying. "When you get focused, you lose your appetite. Luckily, your amazing boyfriend packed some sandwiches."

Sakura smiled gratefully and fully turned on as Naruto pulled out her favorite peanut butter and jelly on white bread sandwich. Sakura kissed Naruto's cheek as they ducked down behind the hedge. "Oh, you are so getting to feel them when we get home."

Naruto mentally cheered to himself for his chivalry earning him time on Sakura's upstairs and as they looked up, they smiled as a black haired teen approached the door. "There is Shikamaru."

"Oh, I can't wait for them to get together." Sakura sighed heavenly as she watched Ino look at the menu in front of her.

"Hey, Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"Will they know this is a date?" Naruto asked quietly, and Sakura smiled knowingly.

"I don't know about Shikamaru, but I mean, Come On! This is Ino we're talking about. She's so into drama and romance movies, she'll immediately see this as a date. I mean what else could it be?"

Unlike what Sakura was thinking of, Ino's mind was as jumbled as one's teenaged mind could be, and right now, Ino's mind and body was freaking out as sweat made itself evident on her brow. Ino's eyes cast back up to the door, and failed to see her friend coming back inside.

'Hurry up Sakura!' Ino thought worriedly, her mind and body growling madly at her. Ino looked down at her menu and let out sniffles of frustration. Sakura had better show up soon, or else…Otherwise, she was going to eat all the desserts on the menu! Ino's eyes crossed over the dessert menu and her mouth watered in wanting. Brownie Cake…Banana Split…and Ice Cream!

Ice Cream had become her main sustenance in her life as of late, and Sakura had no way of knowing that she had a whole pile of it inside her room. In fact, she had even bought a small freezer for them and had hidden them underneath her bed with a slight façade of a wooden door that kept itself a part of the covering that was the wooden curtains of her bed. All the same, Ino cringed as she realized once more that all of this was making her feel like she was a fat cow! With that, Ino sighed and closed her eyes as she set the menu down.

"Ino?" A voice called out from right next to her and Ino's whole body froze in stiff, unmoving fear. I-It couldn't be him, right?! She had not truly been alone with him since she entered high school, and only twice in middle school, when he kissed her cheek, and called her too troublesome for her own good!

Ino looked up in wide-eyed horror to see the boy of her teenage dreams, Shikamaru, the boy himself in a nice dark forest green dress shirt and black cargos, with his own mesh on his sleeves and thighs standing in front of her.

"S-S-Shika?" Ino's voice sounded so frail, and she wondered why until her eyes glimpsed what her subconscious mind had already figured out. Ino cast her eyes to her own mesh sleeves and…they were matching?! Ino blushed tremendously at that thought because Shikamaru had long ago said that he'd never be in a relationship with a troublesome woman, and she had clearly been labeled as troublesome!

"What are you doing here, Shika?" Ino asked allowed. 'Why HIM?!' Ino screamed inside her skull. When Sakura had encouraged her on this night out, she had not said anything about Shika being here! But then again, Sakura had not told her at all of Naruto's friend who was showing up with him. But why at this time? Not Now! Not when she was as miserable as she was, and in no condition to talk to her secret crush! But wait! Maybe he had just been walking around and hanging out with some others from school? Yeah! He totally-

"I'm here with Naruto," Shikamaru smiled casually, and Ino's heart flipped a complete one eighty. "I assume you're here with Sakura?"

"Y-yeah." Ino's tongue stuck out a second as she smiled like a complete retard! Ino wished that she could pull her flailing tongue back inside her mouth and stop smiling like a complete Barbie doll! So Shika was here! That did not mean that she was supposed to worshiped the ground that he walked on…it didn't matter that she really did worship him!

"May I sit down?" Shikamaru asked calmly.

"S-Sure." Ino stuttered as her eyes drew a red hue as her 'friend named Shika' sat before her, smiling slightly at her after a minute of looking around the restaurant. Ino widened her eyes at the smile and looked away, a red hue now adorned on her nose and cheeks. Didn't Sakura know how frazzled, off guard, and completely helpless she became when around Shika? Or for that matter when she was ALONE with Shika?!

Neither Shikamaru nor Ino spoke for five minutes, the first because he thought that Ino didn't like talking to him too much, and Ino because every time that she shifted her body to talk, her tongue would play twister with itself inside her mouth. So for five minutes, silence reigned. A ringing of Cherry Blossoms echoed out of Ino's purse, and she quickly looked to it gratefully for the break in the awkwardness and smiled as she saw Sakura's picture pop up.

Meanwhile, outside the window, Sakura had sighed not a moment beforehand and called her best friend, but quickly looked to see Naruto staring at her, and hoped that he would forgive her. SO thinking, her hand formed into a fist and embedded deeply as she punched her boyfriend in the stomach to get him to cough up the air that she needed.

"Hello?" Ino's static voice sounded on the other end?

(Coughing) "Sakura?" Naruto whined incessantly as he dry heaved onto the grass below.

"Shut up." Sakura whispered close to the phone purposefully before smiled an apology towards Naruto who thankfully smiled back through clenched teeth in forgiveness. "Hey Ino, um, Naruto just threw up. I don't think that he's feeling well, and he really shouldn't be moving around on his bike."

"Do you need me to take you home?"

"No, I'm good. Naruto taught me how to drive his bike a month ago if it was ever needed, and I'm sure that now counts for that. Anyways, don't worry about anything. Look, I already made the reservations and everything, and so maybe you can have fun with…whoever Naruto asked to come, you know?" Sakura smiled as she watched Ino paused fearfully and stared across from her, and Sakura, even from here could see the blush adorning her face.

She watched as Ino dived to the window and whispered urgently, and from her tone, a hopeful savior from her situation. Sakura paused in her plan. Ino should have noticed that this was a double date by now and the fact that she didn't worried her greatly. "Sakura…Shika's here!" Ino's deathly whispered carried across the line.

Sakura pet Naruto's hair as he finally got his breathing back under control. "Oh good! Not a stranger then! Have fun! It's all paid for by the way." Sakura rushed out and hit the end button before moving on to coo and coax her boyfriend back to health.

"Sakura…Sakura?" Ino whispered desperately into the phone next to her ear, her breathing shallow and erratic. Still, there was no answer, and Ino pulled back and saw that her screen had not just ended the call, but had returned to the main screen as well. 'God! Sakura and Naruto weren't coming?! That meant that it was just her and…SHIKA!'

Ino gulped back her nervous demeanor and sighed before looking towards Shika, and as she saw him looking at the restaurant around them, she grew even more depressed as she imagined his eyes staring at her soul. Every time she looked at Shika, all she could think was that he thought of her as useless; worthless. The way that he was so smart and intelligent and all she had to go on were her big breasts and widening hips. This way of thinking only served to make her feel like she was worthless in his eyes.

"What did Sakura say?" Shikamaru asked as he turned back towards Ino.

"Um…" Ino looked down and twiddled her thumbs underneath the table. "Well, um, Naruto's sick, so Sakura's not coming…You can go if you want, you know. I know you'd rather be somewhere else."

"….How do you know that?" Shikamaru chuckled and picked up the menu in front of him. "It only makes sense to continue with the plan, Ino. I mean, we're already here."

Ino's twiddling thumbs froze where they were as she looked up to see Shika nod to her confirming that he was going to stay around, and before long a lopsided smile adorned her face and she nodded back earnestly. But as Ino leaned forward, she held her stomach, as if nervous butterflies were flapping around and inside her intestines. "R-right. Continue with the plan. Yeah."

Great! Now she had a stomach angry at her, her emotions were in disorder, her facial expressions were the polar opposites of what she was really feeling, and to top it all off, her hormones levels were spiking, and she had not been intimate with a boy in a month, and here Shika was, and she was holding herself together by a strand of- Something!

She saw Shika make a motion with his hand, and was mesmerized by it, before cursing herself for the single action. A minute later, a waitress in a dark red blouse and black pencil skirt walked over, her ample chest and chesnut hair making Ino jealous, and yet the girl smiled at her for some strange reason.

"Well, you two look happy." The waitress commented, and Ino blinked. She was still smiling?! "Anyways. My name is Akiri, and I'll be your hostess this evening, would you two like anything besides the water in front of you."

"I'll be fine, Akiri-San." Shikamaru shook his head.

"I'll take some tea!" Ino rushed out and gripped at the stem of her cup, but as she did, her hand jerked and the cup went sideways on its way towards the waitress. The water inside of it sloshed around before jetting out of the cup and across the table and landed in the eyes, mouth, and shirt of one crush of Ino's, splashing him directly in the face.

"Oh god!" Ino rushed out as she set her glass down and reached over the table, her skirt raising higher than her ass as she flashed the table next to her as she pulled herself to the middle of the table with a napkin in her hand. "Here, Shika, let me get that for you."

Ino was almost at his face, but moved even closer than before, and a squelching sound erupted from the center of the table, as Ino's hand pressed down on the container of ketchup, its lid snapping out before a long line of red condiments spurted right into Shikamaru's hair and all over his shirt.

"S-Shika!" Ino bit down on her lower lip and retreated back to her seat, her hands clammy and tightened while ready to thrash around in self-hatred, as Shikamaru slowly stood up and stared at Ino's tearful, frightened face.

"I'm...going to um...freshen up." Shika spoke with confused eyes, before moving past oher tables where other couples looked at him sadly, thinking that he had broken up with Ino or had made a big mistake. And then as he turned the corner for the bathroom, the waitress, with shocked eyes stared back at Ino who sighed miserably.

"…Just water please." Ino sniffled miserably, as the waitress nodded in understanding and walked off. As soon as the waitress was busy with the other tables, Ino sighed and her emotions took over as she laid her head against the table…and raised it…and slammed it down…again…and again as she fought at her stupidity.

Outside, the sunlight was moving away and the streetlamps cast spots of glow around the mall. Safely beneath the bushes and hidden out of sight, Sakura and Naruto could only ooo and ouch and wince as they watched the glass and ketchup splatter all over Shikamaru. As Shikamaru left, Sakura watched as Ino's shoulders begin to shake and she lowered her head to the table.

"What's wrong with her, Sakura?"

"Well, I guess that she's nervous. She has told me that she gets this way when she's alone with Shikamaru. But-"

Sakura paused as Ino began to kick her feet and bash her head repeatedly into the table, drawing the patrons of the restaurant to watch the spectacle of a teenage girl throwing a tantrum as silverware flew up and landed all around her.

"Sakura?"

"I-I don't understand. She should have realized it by now."

"Well, it's not going so well."

Sakura shook her head towards her boyfriend as they saw Shikamaru sit back down and Ino rushing to set the utensils back to where they were before her flip out. "It was always rocky to begin with, Naruto, but they like each other. You and I know they do. They just haven't had time with each other, yet?"

"Neither did we, Sakura."

"Well…you being shirtless and helping me keep my dignity really helped to break the ice." Sakura smiled bashfully as well as Naruto as they remembered to how they first met.

"S-Shika…I'm really sorry about that."

"Ino, it's okay. I'm over it."

A minute passed between the awkward couple before Ino sighed and fidgeted in her seat, her eyes frantically repeating words in her head. "Shika, I really-"

"Ino, stop it. It never happened."

"How can you say that?" Ino asked as her eyes roamed his ruined hair and shirt, all because of HER. "It's all over you, and it's because of me!"

"Look. Ino, I-" Shikamaru began before their food arrived before them, which was a burger and fries for Shikamaru and a medium steak and baked potato for Ino. As the waitress left them alone, Shikamaru smiled at her, as Ino licked her lips and began to eat.

"I didn't realize that you liked such fatty things." Shikamaru commented as he took a quick bite of his burger.

"Huh?" Ino looked up, her mouth full of steak, and to her eyes saw the disgust on Shikamaru's face, which was in actuality a soft smile of amusement. Ino clenched her stomach to make it smaller, even though it was already hanging out for him to see, and smiled back. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Shikamaru shrugged as he took another bite of his burger. "Don't most cheerleaders try to stay really skinny?"

"Um…some? I…really…don't know the answer. I'm not really…smart." Ino winced and looked away.

Silence was the prime conversation as the two ate their food, and while Ino was cutting rather forcibly into her steak, Shikamaru spoke up.

"I think you're street smart…so in a way, you are smart." He mentioned, a blush on his face.

"HUH?!" Ino flashed her eyes up, and in that moment, the ceramic plate cracked as some of it fell from the plate's elevated circle to the table. Ino twisted her eyes down to see her knife cutting into the table itself with the two pieces of her old plate on either side.

"Uh…" Ino looked up and gaped at Shikamaru who this time stared at her in astonishment "…I-um…um…"

"…Ino?"

Ino's eyes teared up in embarrassment "…UM!"

"I need to use the restroom!" Ino rushed out before she jumped out into the aisle and cursed herself as her knee slammed into the bolted down table, sending the utensils flying as pain shook all across her body.

"Ino, are you alright?"

"F-FINE! Absolutely….Terrific." Ino wondered off down from the aisle to the back of the restaurant and into a small bathroom, which was luckily for single rooms. Ino's body took her to the mirror and sink and her hands gripped heavily to the ledges. Ino's legs quaked and threatened to collapse underneath her, and she stared straight ahead at her own disgusting reflection.

"What is wrong with me?!" Ino whispered madly at herself. She was the squad leader for Cheer; she was one of the richest girls in town; she was…shivering! Ino sniffled and saw her mascara beginning to run down her cheeks, and quickly pulled her purse towards her and took out her make up kit, and quickly went to work on reapplying it. But as she started, she stopped herself, because her hand was shaky and she quit as she couldn't keep it straight, and would just make it worse.

Ino sighed as she pushed her hands through her ponytail, to relieve her stress when she suddenly yelped as a rare knot had found itself into her ponytail. She never got knots in her hair! Dammit! Ino walked out of the bathroom and saw Shikamaru apologizing to the waitress and immediately wanted to run away. But soon, Shikamaru walked towards her and gripped her hand as they walked out of the restaurant and towards their next destination which was the cinema.

"Shika? I'm sor-"

"Don't worry, Ino. It was a cheap plate apparently." Shikamaru replied and Ino saw the way that he scratched his neck shyly, and blushed harder. He was lying, and was trying to make her feel better. But Ino smiled, as the butterflies returned. Maybe he did care.

Sakura and Naruto followed them into the theater with baseball caps and sunglasses at night to cover their identities. It was as they were standing near the wall where they paused to watch as Ino waited in the line to buy some drinks for the two of them, while Shikamaru waited next to her.

"I think Shikamaru has caught on, Naruto."

"Same here."

"Good, then maybe-" Sakura began to speak before the whole building shifted just as the employee behind the snack table had handed Ino two large sodas. Ino's grip solidified around the drinks, balancing them against her bulging breasts and she should have congratulated herself. But because she was currently weak in the knees, she fell backwards due to the earthquake's sudden upheaval and her ass hit the floor, as the caps for the cups popped up into Ino's face, her grip too tight as she squeezed them in irritation, and that was followed by two colors of brown and orange that mixed and merged upon Ino's face and absorbed into the golden locks of her hair.

Sakura gasped into Naruto's hugging chest, as she watched Ino slowly stand up, covered in sticky water with her hair a mix of orange and muddy brown. She smiled though as Shikamaru rubbed her shoulders, warming her shivering body up before she smiled pitying herself as they walked into the theater, followed closely by Naruto and Sakura. The blond and pink haired couple sat in the back, near the projector screen and waited to watch the movie and the couple at the same time.

In the middle of the movie, Sakura sighed at the boring comedy of a movie and look down to widen her eyes. Sakura patted Naruto in the stomach, who flinched from the past pain and together they leaned forward as they saw Ino and Shikamaru leaning in towards the other. They were inches apart, her eyes closing and-

BAMMM! But no! Sakura growled to herself and pulled at her scalp as the two had bashed their heads together and were now holding their heads in agony. Sakura sighed back and huffed throughout the rest of the movie, and as soon as it was over, the two followed the first two out of the movie and into the night sky.

Sakura was shaking her head at the idea that her master plan was failing when the suddenness of her end game played in her head. By now, they were at the edge of the mall, next to the parking lot, when Sakura gripped Naruto's limb and gasped.

"What is it, Sakura?" Naruto asked in worry.

"Remember what I had you do before you called me?" Sakura asked back in a monotone of worry before the event crossed acrosed his face.

"Oh shit-"

"Someone stole my car?!" Ino choked out at the empty parking space before her, with its white lines separating the empty space next to the light post and the two cars next to it. Ino's throat made sounds as if someone was choking the light out of her, and there was nothing Ino could do, as she finally gagged and burst into tears as she fell to the pavement, her mascara truly running down to her cheeks.

Ino felt Shikamaru's gentle hand on her back as he stroked it, and she nodded her thanks at the meager pity radiating off of her. "Ino, I'm sorry about your car, but we can report it later."

"I-I guess…"

"Come on. I can give you a ride home in my mom's car." Shikamaru insisted as Ino nodded as she allowed Shikamaru to pull her up as they started to walk towards the far curb to find Shika's mom.

Sakura and Naruto stared wide-eyed at the moment, and Sakura looked to Naruto accusingly. "Naruto, you Baka! I said to leave a note."

"But-but. Sakura-Chan, there is a note! It's glowing right there in the pavement!"

Sakura followed Naruto's pointing hand and sighed terribly for inside the parking space were bright green, neon letters in large print along the top of the space. "Hope you had a great date, ride home together, signed, Matchmakers"

Ino felt the car stop and looked up to see her house to the right. "I'm sorry, Shika."

"Hey, I had a great-"

"I'm terrible at talking to you, aren't I?" Ino asked rhetorically, not hearing Shikamaru's comments at all as her fears flowed out of her. "I'm sorry to ruin your night like this. I guess that I'll see you at school."

Ino left the car quickly as Shikamaru gaped at the girl before him before he sighed as his mother drove him home. Ino watched the car leave and sniffled to herself, and turned back towards her house in shame as she rubbed at her cheeks, stained with mascara and tears and sticky with the remains of soda. But as Ino lifted her eyes, she stalled at the sight of her mustang; perfectly aligned in her spot, and ready to go with a new wash smell.

Ino looked around herself before turning back quickly and saw a head of pink standing slightly behind the fence with a single emerald eye and half smile smiling towards her. Ino's life stalled right then as the whole night replayed in her mind. The spa to clean her up and make her pretty, Naruto being 'sick,' Sakura dressing her like a complete SLUT!

Sakura watched her friend stop at her car and smiled for surely Ino realized how much Sakura had done for her. And when Ino turned around and saw her, Sakura saw her eyes widen widely in recognition. She knew that her plan had worked…

And then Ino began to scowl and run full tilt towards the fence. Sakura's eyes widened as her eyes narrowed and the atmosphere burned in a deadly purplish glow.

"…uh-oh…" was all Sakura could utter before Ino tackled her to the ground, and began to scratch her with her sharp nails as Sakura fought back, Naruto not helping out in any way, as he watched the catfight ensure as Ino pounced on Sakura as they rolled around over another upon the grass. Finally, Ino had lost as Sakura sat on her hips and held her arms above her head.

Sakura smiled innocently at Ino, hoping to calm her down. "Ino! What's up? How was your time? Naruto is feeling all better and so I just wanted to stop by and-"

"You planned all this!" Ino screamed back into Sakura's face as the pink haired girl paused in shock at Ino's tear stricken face, her nose running as her whole body shivered. "It was all a date and I ruined every single part of it! That was my one chance and I blew it! And you didn't even tell me! You stupid, stupid friend!"

Ino's voice broke up into simple utterances and babbling as Sakura hushed her and hugged her tightly as Sakura signaled to Naruto that the two of them needed to be alone. After a little bit, Sakura coaxed Ino up and they made their way inside the house and to her room. Ino simply broke down in tears as Sakura helped to strip her out of her soggy and dirty clothes until she was naked before helping her into her pajamas as well.

The entire time, Ino just kept muttering, and Sakura bent down to kiss her cheek, which made Ino stop and look up. "Ino, if you want, I can sleep over."

Anger flashed in Ino's eyes and Sakura looked away. "I don't want to be around you, Sakura. Just…g-go away."

"Okay…I'll see you tomorrow." Sakura called out as she shut the door and Ino watched her go before throwing her face into her pillow and hoped that the sheets would absorb her eternal tears.

"…Worst date ever…"

AN: So many scenes that I've been wanting to write out for so long. Part three next time. And seven thousand words for you. CHA!