The A/N this time is in two parts.
To my old readers: GOMEN! I've left this fic for so long. I'm not surprised if you guys have forgotten it. But the good news is I'm finally catching up with Naruto. God, I missed so much! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! Here's the new chapter. I look forward to hear your feedback!
To new readers: Welcome! I'm so glad you give this fic a chance. I hope you guys will like it. Review, 'kay?
This chapter is dedicated to For The 19th Time for being my beta.
Chapter 29: Alive Again
For someone who was waiting, time passed unbelievably fast.
Shikamaru missed Ino the moment she ran up the stairs back into Sakura's apartment. The spot where her lips so lightly brushed his burned. Her body, which was so warm in his arms seconds ago was now gone, replaced by cold, empty air. Shikamaru stood frozen in front of the building, too stunned to leave. The confirmation that Ino loved him a great deal, returned his feelings equally maybe to the amount of love he had for her made his head spin. He just couldn't believe that when he was this close to her, she was going far away again. He thought of going after her, but he didn't.
Of course he didn't. He was a guy with many principals, although he didn't appear so. He always said he wanted simple things, and that only showed a simple mind, but in reality, his mind wasn't that simple. His mind was complex, more like a maze. His thinking ability was way beyond people his age. He knew if he went after her, he wasn't going to let her go. She would stay; maybe cancel the mission. And that wasn't good. Ino really needed some time to find herself again, to heal.
Shikamaru spent the night enduring the pain of missing her and the morning after restraining himself from seeing her off. Ino said she was going to cry if he saw her off, but he was afraid that he was the one who would cry instead.
He lived the day as any other day, and without him realizing, a week passed. He counted the days leading to week two, but his already hectic schedule became more hectic as the Chuunin Exam got closer and closer, so he lost count. A lot of things occupied his mind and his time; for example, Temari – she was leeching off of him more and more these days, and at the same time trying to bite his head off – so the pain of missing Ino was lessened a bit. But he still felt agony in his chest whenever he looked at the bright, blue sky, which seemed a lot like the color of Ino's eyes.
He wanted to see her face, her smile, hear her laugh, her voice; he wanted her warmth in his arms, and most of all, he wanted her company. But all he had was the memory he had of her, which was so strong, so powerful. He almost went to Tsunade many times to ask for permission to go to Suna, just for a visit. (Or perhaps he could stay there helping with the mission?)
Days tended to go slower after the Chuunin Exam ended. And soon after the closing ceremony, Sakura went to join Ino and Hinata in Suna. Naruto had protested a lot when he heard about her leaving, but there wasn't anything he could do. He wanted to throw a fit at Tsunade, but Sakura told him that the Hokage wouldn't make him a chuunin if he did. That shut Naruto up.
Shikamaru recalled the day of Sakura's departure. The timing was perfect, seeing as she would have company during the whole journey as Temari and the rest of the Suna-nins were heading back home. Shikamaru could tell Sakura was excited to go (and relieved to be free at last from Naruto's bitching and Sasuke's 'mournful' look), but she also appeared sad, when she bade him goodbye.
"Tell Ino I say hi, okay?" he'd said. He didn't mean to see her off, but sending Temari meant sending her, too.
Sakura nodded. Her face was hard. Shikamaru felt a tiny bit of sadness himself as he watched her with her backpack, ready for the journey. Sakura had been with them since Ino's first morning sickness. Now, she was going to leave, as if she was erasing all the memories of what they'd gone through the past months.
"I will," Sakura confirmed, taking in his dull face. "Will you be okay?"
Shikamaru chuckled darkly, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets. "Do I look like I don't know how to take care of myself? Don't worry, I'm alright."
Sakura finally smiled. "Maybe you should take a breather, too."
"You mean go on a mission? That's hardly a breather, Sakura. Too troublesome."
"But it could take your mind off things, rather than being stuck in this village."
"I don't have things on my mind other than the Chuunin Exam crap," he lied. "and thank goodness it's over now."
"Oh, really? But you do, Shikamaru. You miss Ino. I don't believe that the loss didn't have any impact on you. You just appear to be strong in front of her, right?"
Sure, he did feel some sort of agony (mostly from seeing Ino's breakdown), but honestly, he almost felt relief at the loss of their baby. But when Sakura pointed it out bluntly like that, Ino's broken-heartedness resurfaced in his mind. As he remembered the sound of her crying that night, somewhere far, deep inside his heart, a hidden feeling materialized.
Shikamaru felt a sudden lump in his throat. He swallowed hard.
"See?" Sakura eyed him carefully. "Take a mission or two. Get out of this village, far from here. Clear your mind and come back as a new person."
Shikamaru stared at her for a long time, contemplating. "I'll think about it," he finally said.
"That's best, trust me. Like Ino, you need to move on from this." Sakura patted his shoulder. "I gotta go."
They both saw a blonde jounin in black yukata was waiting at the end of the street, her foot tapping on the pavement impatiently. Her sea-green eyes were on them, her full lips pouted a bit. A few others waited behind her quietly.
Shikamaru focused on Temari's expression. "Hey, is she mad at me?"
"Why would she be mad at you?"
"I don't know…for stalling you?"
"Nah, Naruto talked to me for almost half an hour but she was cool with it." Sakura stole a glance at the Suna kunoichi and cringed. "Or maybe it's me."
But Shikamaru still felt uneasy. The sharp look was directed exactly at him and not Sakura, and he didn't know why.
Did Temari want a goodbye from him? Well, that would be weird, considering how they reacted to each other during the exam period.
"I'm delaying them," Sakura sounded worried. "I think I'd better go now."
"Wait!" Shikamaru half-shouted, and then pulled out his right hand to scratch at his neck. Temari was forgotten. His eyes didn't meet Sakura's when he mumbled, "…Tell Ino I missed her."
"What?"
"Never mind."
Sakura smirked at Shikamaru's sudden blush.
"Alright then."
"Alright what?"
"That you missed Ino. I'll tell her."
His blush deepened. "And remind her to behave."
"What do you mean?" Sakura shot him a confused look.
"Oh, she'll understand."
Sakura stared at him for a while, her eyes full of curiosity. But at last she shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. I'll pass on the message. Goodbye, Shikamaru."
The day was cloudless.
Shikamaru shielded his eyes. The blue sky was blinding him. The sun was high above his head shone brightly. It was unusually hot that day. Perspiration started forming underneath his clothes; he was wearing black, after all. With a sigh, he unzipped his green vest. Better.
It was his day off and he had been watching clouds (or rather, sky) since early morning. He didn't know why; it just seemed such a perfect thing to do. Clouds always cleared his mind, but not today, for there weren't any clouds present to watch. And the more he stared at the blue sky, the more his chest tightened as he remembered someone.
As soon as the bitter feeling reemerged, Shikamaru quickly eased it away. His mind instantly flew to the big gate of Konoha, which could be seen from his current place if he wasn't too lazy to get up. And that reminded him of the real reason he came all the way up there.
Today was the day. It was only a matter of time.
He knew about their homecoming a few days before their exact arrival. The Suna-nin had finished their work in Konoha almost a week ago, and now they were on their journey home. So, naturally, the team from Konoha was heading home as well. Shikamaru had waited so long for this day to come.
Not long after, Choji joined him, a bag of chips with him, munching as usual. He took his place on the wooden plank beside him and kept his gaze straight ahead.
"So they're coming back today, huh?" His eyes were busily scanning for familiar figures amongst the civilians that were coming through the gate.
Shikamaru nodded quietly.
"I wonder how she's doing. She's been gone for so long. I kinda miss her."
That, Shikamaru thought, was an understatement.
"No clouds today," Choji noted. The sun shone brightly up in the sky. It seemed like it knew Ino was coming home, wanting to welcome her with its bright rays. But the heat was almost unbearable. Soon, Choji found himself loosening the metal armor he wore. He turned his stare to the gate again and stayed that way, as he munched on his chips. After several long minutes (or perhaps it had already been hours), he suddenly tensed.
"Shikamaru…" He muttered as his eyes caught the sight of three familiar figures nearing the gate. "I think…I think they're here."
Shikamaru quickly jerked up and followed his best friend's gaze. He then let out a long heavy sigh.
Finally, finally, his patience was rewarded.
Choji got up from his seat and went near the railing. Shikamaru followed suit. From afar, he saw the trio walking into the village. They seemed to be greeting all the people they met. It was like when Naruto came back after nearly three years after spending his time traveling with Jiraiya.
He could see Sakura was leading the way, with Hinata by her side. They didn't seem to have changed much at all, except both had sun-kissed skin. Sakura still had the short pink hair and her outfit was still the sleeveless red shirt. Hinata was also the same. Her attire didn't change; only the heavy jacket was unzipped a little bit lower than usual because of the heat. Her dark hair was still long and straight. They both carried a medium-sized parcel each, which Shikamaru guessed contained samples of Suna's exotic herbs and plants, plus identical grins on their faces.
And behind the two was Ino.
Choji stole a glance at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Alive," Shikamaru muttered quietly.
That wasn't a lie.
Choji grinned and patted him on the back. "Let's go get her."
Without wasting time, Shikamaru hopped down to the lower roofs and to the ground, with Choji in tow.
From a distance, Ino looked just like she was before: hair in her usual ponytail and purple outfit. However, as he got closer, he noticed the changes.
Three years worked wonders on her. She was tanned, her skin flawless and glowing. She was not as skinny as she had been before she became pregnant, but her body was toned nicely. In fact, she looked more attractive with a little extra meat on her. Spending so much time under the hot Suna atmosphere had brought highlights to her blond hair, making the fine strands shinier. She looked really healthy, and judging from the smile plastered on her face, she was clearly happy. She was healed from whatever experience she had before and had come back a new person.
She came back as a better Ino, just like she promised him.
And seeing her was like seeing a thousand clouds on a warm sunny day. Shikamaru felt alive, restored, in a way that he never felt before.
"She looks great, doesn't she?" Chouji said from beside him.
"Yeah, she does." She really did.
She still had not yet sensed him. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had come to greet them, welcoming their female teammate, so Ino was stuck in their conversation. Shikamaru didn't know what they were talking about, but he got the impression that it was all about the three years in the desert village.
He and Choji halted, watching her converse animatedly with the others.
"Dang girl, you look great!" Kiba was eyeing Ino up and down. "How about we go on another date?"
Ino giggled and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "You're too fast, dog-boy."
"Aw…come on. We had fun last time, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but FYI, it wasn't really a date. We just happened to be at the same place at the same time."
"It felt like a date to me."
"You're not going to give up, are you?"
"Not a chance."
Ino looked at him amusedly. Shikamaru stiffened, waiting for her reply.
"Thanks…but no thanks, Kiba. Not now."
"Sure, Barbie. Any time you want then."
Ino opened her mouth to say 'there won't be any time,' but a sudden change in the air made her stop. Someone was charging at them in full speed all the way from the Hokage Tower. Shikamaru saw a flash of orange and black and he knew who was coming.
"Saaakuraaa-chaaan!"
And sure enough, as soon as Naruto came close, he didn't waste any time in knocking the breath out of the girl.
"Naruto!" Sakura sounded annoyed but happy at the same time.
"I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!"
"Geez…" Ino rolled her eyes. Her attention was no longer on Kiba. With a hand on her hip, she scolded the blonde. "You saw her last month, Naruto. You made a detour from your mission before coming back to Konoha, remember? Come to think of it, you visited us every chance you got. How come you missed her?"
Hinata smiled shyly at Naruto's presence and childishness. Her face turned crimson.
"I don't know. I just do! Konoha is not the same without her!"
Sakura tried to wrench out of his grip. "Naruto, you're too, too close!"
"Let her go, usuratonkachi. You're suffocating her." A smooth voice sounded from just above the nearest roof.
"Sasuke-kun!" Both Ino and Sakura greeted him cheerily.
"Hmmph, Sasuke-teme…" Naruto scowled, releasing Sakura. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the one who should be asking you that question."
Sai suddenly appeared beside Sasuke. When they were standing side by side, it was obvious they really did look alike.
"We're here to get you, Naruto." Sai said. "We have a mission. You ran away before Godaime got to the good part. She was furious."
"Oh, bummer."
Sasuke shot him a pointed look. "I'll brief you on the way. Let's go."
Naruto obviously wanted to spend some more time with Sakura, but he didn't object. With a last longing look at her, the blonde followed the two raven-haired men. "We'll celebrate your homecoming once I come back, okay, Sakura-chan?"
"Yeah, yeah…whatever." Sakura shooed him away. "Be careful on your mission!"
After one final wave to Naruto, Sakura turned back to Ino and Hinata. "That reminds me. We have to get these for Tsunade-shishou." She bent down to pick up the parcel she had dropped when Naruto hugged her. "I hope they're not ruined!"
"Well, we'll leave you for now." Kiba moved over, giving them space. "Hinata, come meet us after you're done, okay!"
Hinata nodded then proceeded to follow Sakura.
Ino turned slightly, starting to go after her teammates when she finally caught his eyes. Shikamaru's heart skipped a beat, wondering what her reaction would be.
Then her face lit up, her smile widened. She had forgotten about Sakura and Hinata and the mission report, because she was already running without even thinking. "Shikamaru!" She screamed delightedly. "Choji!" Then she was there, her arms stretched out as she enveloped him and Choji in a tight group hug.
Her warmth and scent awakened his senses, his feelings. It was unbelievable to feel her flesh against his after all these years. It was like being born once again, alive again. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her on autopilot, breathing her, feeling her.
Kami, how comforting. He wouldn't let her go ever, ever again. This was where she belonged.
"I'm back." She whispered, gripping them tight. "I'm back!"
"Welcome home, Ino." Choji gave one last squeeze then let her go. Shikamaru, however, remained intact.
Ino looked up to his face, searching. Now seeing her up close, Shikamaru noticed that her face was fresh, bare without makeup, unlike before. Her hair was no longer iron-straight, and was quite disheveled from the long journey, but perfect nonetheless. "I missed you so much! Did you miss me?"
Shikamaru laughed merrily, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in three years.
"You have no idea, troublesome woman."
…to be continued.
Tomorrow's my birthday so you better give me lots and lots of reviews! (glares)
Group hug with Shikamaru and Ino for: pinkatailmon, xxarmisteadxx, Ginriku, LixxyChan, Juniper11, Bella-Rose, Nemrut, Kiome-Yasha, Crimson Mystery, bluestrdrmr, Peach Tuesday's, tomboy14, MercyDawn, XFamousXLastXWordsX, sad little monkey, 93addict, ., nikole435, Lady Kenley, nazzy and jerkez, loaned, siny, tennisdork, aki-child, nelly101, LollyLilyRose, loves-emo-guys-with-hair, chidori532, UglyXXDuckling, xXxTrueXloveXisXundyingxXx, mieuwings, CrazyCLOUD!!!!!!!, Joy-chan, Christina, Little Queen Troublesome, mood ink, dramaqueen216, shyxvibrant-love, knotgrace, Gothic Queen, Elsie0o0, T34rSoFBloOd, Sonia, monikgrl and melissa.
Thank you very much for reviewing the last chapter!
