Shikamaru wanted to smoke.

A slow weekend for missions meant free time, and free time meant dinners with his graduating class (plus a few others).

As per tradition, if a majority of them were in Konoha, they met in the playground of their old school to draw straws, where the winner got to pick the restaurant they would soon plague.

Shikamaru couldn't even count how many times he had had to apologize to various store owners. He cared for his friends, deep, deep, down, but man, were they troublesome.

This time, Hinata had won. The girl had not had a choice of her own in mind, and ended up repeating one of the many names called out to her.

Choji was just lucky he was standing closest to her.

The dozen shinobi headed for Yakiniku Q, where they were split into two back-to-back booths.

Somehow, Shikamaru and his teammates ended up sitting across the updated version of Team 7.

He was sure Ino planned it so she could sit across from Sai, but he didn't see why he had to sit in the very corner.

Shikamaru groaned inwardly. Now how was he supposed to sneak outside for a smoke?

It was a bad habit, he knew that. But just one or two a day never hurt, right? Ino never seemed to agree, though, and maybe that's why he had been pushed all the way inside the booth.

He had already eaten his fair share of barbecue, and now he craved a cigarette.

Luckily for him, he knew from experience that Yakiniku Q didn't mind its patrons smoking inside. At least, the owner had never minded Asuma. Maybe the feelings would transfer over to him.

Shikamaru was still silently debating on the pros and cons of pulling out a cigarette when Naruto's voice got his attention.

"Hey! Lee and me were talking, and since we're all here, we should train together tomorrow!"

Shikamaru stayed silent as the others murmured their agreement. Group training had been much more common when they were younger and needed the experience, but it was still good practice now that they had all been honing their skills. Unfortunately, the senseis had been the ones who typically organized these group sessions, and since that number had been reduced by half, no one had felt any need to bring it up.

Either way, group training or not, Shikamaru was fine with whatever was decided - it didn't concern him this time. 24 hours from now, he was going to be far out of Konoha.

"What do you say, Shikamaru? Practice Ino-Shika-Cho against Team 7?"

Damn it. He forgot to tell Ino.

Shikamaru shook his head, digging in his vest for his pack. Thinking of tomorrow's mission only increased his need to smoke. "Can't. Got a mission to go to Suna."

"What?" Naruto questioned loudly. "Why Suna?"

Kiba popped over the small barrier. "Damn, Shikamaru's getting paid to see his girlfriend." He tried to look upset, but the excitement of teasing his friend was too much. "Must be nice."

Shino's deep voice floated over to their table. "Kiba. You couldn't get paid to see your girlfriend. Why? Because you have no girlfriend."

"Sh-shut up, Shino!" The boy barked back, flushed. "I'm just saying-" And with that his head disappeared behind the wall, presumably to argue with his own teammate.

Shikamaru scowled through the wall at the other booth, annoyed with Kiba's loud observation. Ino was giving him a look now, the kind of look that said I-know-more-than-you that he had been receiving since they were kids. He was a day older, dammit.

He sent his teammate a look of his own, narrowed eyes sending a wordless warning. Shikamaru hoped that would be the end of it, but-

"AW! Shikamaru!" Sakura clapped, dancing a little in her seat. "You and Temari, that's so cute! It's like that old story of star-crossed lovers, separated by warring villages."

Warring villages? Lovers?! Ridiculous.

"First, that doesn't even apply since Konoha and Suna are allies now. More importantly, Temari is not my girlfriend." Shikamaru snorted, sticking a cigarette between his lips. "She's an annoying woman that I work with. Because I have a job."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, Shikamaru. You, the laziest ninja, is gonna make a three-day journey to the desert to, what, deliver papers? Sure doesn't sound like a real mission to me."

"Don't remind me of my troublesome life." Shikamaru rolled his eyes right back, bringing the lighter to his mouth. "Can't exactly say anything back to Tsunade-sama, can I?"

Ino's blue eyes narrowed at the stick just as he was about to finally light it.

"Ugh, Shikamaru, stop smoking! Don't you know how bad this is for you?! You don't even like the smoke!" Ino growled, her hand darting out and snatching the lighter from him.

Shikamaru blanched immediately, previous annoyances forgotten. "Ino, give me back my lighter." His voice jumped on the last word, and Ino quickly realized her mistake.

Now with a more subdued glare on her face, she held out their sensei's old lighter, a little sorry at her actions. Shikamaru shoved it deep into his pocket, the unlit cigarette now clutched in his hand. Once he was sure he had his usual cool back, he blew air out through his teeth, grunting. "What a drag. You got anything else to nag me about, Ino?"

And it was only due to their long-standing, generational bond that she didn't immediately use any jutsu on him then and there.

Instead, Ino elbowed their third teammate on her other side. "Choji, help me out here!"

In between servings of beef, Choji managed to defend his best friend. "He said he can quit when he wants to, Ino."

"No, not that! Temari!"

"Oh." Choji blinked. "I wasn't really listening. So they are dating?"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Ino rolled her eyes, determination filling her words. "Yes, they are." She told the table. "I'm sure of it."

Damn woman, involving everyone.

"Ehhh?! They're dating!? " Naruto stared at his friend in earnest surprise. "Shikamaru, when did that even happen? And how come you didn't tell me? I even asked you!"

The hurt look on Naruto's face was the only thing stopping Shikamaru from rolling his eyes. And, it wasn't like he had a real answer to that question.

Unfortunately, Ino really had it out for him that day.

"Oh, didn't you know? Since, like, our second Chuunin exams!"

"No way!"

Naruto was a gullible idiot.

"Oh yeah," Ino nodded dramatically. "Those two were way too cozy together to be 'just friends'."

Shikamaru kneed her leg roughly, an action that was quickly returned. "You were supposed to be taking your damn exam." He hissed, more irritated than ever.

Ino gave him a smug look. "So, you admit there was something to see?"

He needed to smoke so bad.

The majority of the group has returned to their barbecue, stories of recent missions and mishaps taking over. Shikamaru joined in only half-heartedly, his mind still racing with thoughts on the previous discussion topic.

He didn't have a thing for Temari, and she definitely didn't like him like that either. In fact, she barely liked him at all most of the time. He was fine the way they were - as colleagues and teammates and somewhat friends.

Ino was just being nosy, hungry for gossip as always.

His thoughts were still on the troublesome blonde woman when he was jolted out of his brooding by the other troublesome blonde in his life.

"What's the matter? Thinking about Temari?" Ino elbowed him again.

Shikamaru grunted at the impact and rolled his eyes. "As if." He easily lied, eyeing his teammate suspiciously. "And don't try to read my mind - I'll know if you do."

"I won't if you just admit it-"

"There's nothing to admit, Ino." Shikamaru groaned loudly.

This was exhausting. He knew he shouldn't have skipped his afternoon nap earlier.

"Fine, Shikamaru. Prove it." Ino raised a challenging eyebrow at him, flipping her hair in Choji's face. "If you really don't like her, then tell us one thing you don't like about her-"

"Easy."

"-and one thing you do like." By now, Ino had the attention of all their friends, which Shikamaru knew was one of her favorite things to have.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath. "You sure you want just one thing I don't like? Because I've got plenty of those-"

"Stop stalling!" Sakura frowned, far too invested in this. "Just tell us!"

He could see Kiba and Tenten peeking over the back of the booth seats, and even though he couldn't see the others, he knew for sure they were all listening.

Tons of possible curses aimed towards Ino ran through his head, and with the smile on his teammate's face, he knew the girl knew it.

Shikamaru couldn't believe he was actually playing along and answering her stupid question. "What I don't like? She's such a drag. Always nagging me, and always keeps a grudge. It's too tiresome."

Sakura and Ino exchanged a glance before they slowly nodded. "Acceptable answer." The former said, with the latter adding. "For you. Now, for one thing you like?"

Shikamaru tilted his head back towards the ceiling, brow furrowed as he tried to think of an answer that seemed to have enough effort in it that it would get his friends off his back. Her strength? Too basic; Ino would see right through it, even if it wasn't completely false. Her personality? A straight lie. Her smirking grin, that had infuriated him when they were kids, even as she saved his life? Her eyes, that weren't just green or blue but such a unique mix that he couldn't help but stare? Her legs? The smooth, tan skin that would peek through the slit of her black kimono whenever she crossed her legs, and could never get out of his mind for the next couple hours. Or, that time she had leaned over his desk to grab a pencil and-

Shikamaru placed a hand over the lower half of his face as he felt it heat up, still thinking of something to say. Unfortunately for him, his silence had not gone unnoticed by anyone. And neither had his blush.

Sakura squealed. "He's blushing!"

The others laughed. Ino started to cheer, incredibly proud of herself, and even Choji stopped eating for a minute to laugh sympathetically at his childhood friend.

"Oh c'mon, Shikamaru." Naruto frowned. "She's your friend, and you can't think of a single thing you like about her?"

Sakura groaned, her forehead twitching, but before she could smack him, another hand reached down to lightly bop his head.

They glanced up to see Tenten's winking face. "Idiot. He just has sooo many things he likes that he cant pick." The older girl turned her knowing smile to the victim at hand. "Isn't that right, Shikamaru?"

The damn blush still on his face, Shikamaru struggled to rebut. "Tch. Go back to bothering Neji."

Tenten only laughed before sitting back down to do exactly that. She was quickly replaced with Kiba again, the top of Hinata's head just barely noticeable next to him. The quiet girl murmured something to her teammate, who repeated it loudly to the tables. "Hey, Hinata wants to know why you like someone who's always so mean to you?" Kiba grinned, baring his fangs. "See, Hinata, some people, like Shikamaru here, are just into that."

Kiba just narrowly dodged the chopstick that flew through the air. He laughed loudly, unbothered by the attempted attack. "Lee," Kiba called behind him. "What does Kazekage Gaara think of our resident genius dating his older sister?"

Instantly, Rock Lee stood up on his own seat, and, ignoring Neji's demands to get down, jumped over to stand on the boundary between the two booths. His hands on his hips, he proclaimed. "I do not believe he knows of this fact! But," Lee pointed a finger in the air. "I am sure he will be incredibly pleased to hear the news!"

The cigarette still in his hands was crushed as Shikamaru's jaw dropped. "No- what? There is no news." He said agitatedly. "Lee, don't tell him anything."

Ino nodded sagely. "Yeah, I'm sure they want to break it to him themselves. Hopefully the Kazekage spares your life, Shika." She teased.

"Really?" Naruto crossed his arms. "Gaara wouldn't hurt anyone. You should be worried about Kankuro instead."

This was getting too much for Shikamaru. He pulled the lighter out again, this time determined to use it. "What a drag. You're all troublesome idiots. I'm going to smoke."

"Fine, whatever." Ino sighed dramatically. "I hope for your addictions sake that Temari doesn't mind."

"It's not an addiction." Shikamaru scowled. "And actually, no, she doesn't mind."

If Ino rolled her eyes dramatically one more time, Shikamaru would pray they got stuck like that.

"Wow, a real match made in heaven!" She drawled, artificial joy dripping from her words.

Scratch that - if her eyes got stuck, there was too high a chance the same would happen to his. His life was a pain like that.

disclaimer i have not seen every ep of naruto but i hope they were all in character :)

also temari wasnt actually in this chapter but ! she's always there in our hearts 3