Declaimer: I don't own. I thought that would be apparent by now.

Note: This chapter is dedicated to no one but Ino-chan! Lovely Ino, the Golden Goddess. Ok, maybe she's not a Golden Goddess, but hey, Ino is kinda cool.

To Azi: Naruto's Twin Sister: Yes! That is a quote from Trigun. I LOVE that series. Best western anime I ever watched. But then again, I've only seen two. Trigun and Cowboy Bebop. Both are excellent animes. As for Invader Zim, I have no clue. I don't like that show. It disturbs me beyond all reason.

To Laura Buzali: Umm, quite a few of those answers will be answered soon! I promise I haven't forgotten about the letter to Sakura! In fact, that note plays a HUGE role in the next chappy. Promise.

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Chapter 8

Ino Has Problems Too

Ino sat in a tree branch watching the scene from far away. Too far to be detected by Naruto or Sasuke, but still close enough to get a good shot. She was grateful that her camera could zoom in a good distance. She was getting it all.

The lens zoomed in on Sakura. Her eyes were wide with shock. Kakashi was in front of her, winking. Naruto's eyes had narrowed in confusion and Sasuke . . . well, Sasuke was just watching them. Ino wondered what was happening. She couldn't hear very well from the distance she was at.

A small manly voice echoed threw the forest and in Ino's ears.

"Because I know what you're up to, and it won't work."

Ino gasped. Kakashi knew? He knew about the trick, the brownies, and everything? Ino began to break out in cold sweat. Her camera became harder to hold with the oils and sweat that had formed on her palm.

'Please no . . . please don't say that.'

She had to be dreaming. She wanted revenge on Sasuke for not noticing her before. She didn't want it all to be ruined by Kakashi! She didn't want their wonderful plot of revenge go to waste.

Then she realized, 'what is the point?'

Sometimes, she surprised herself. Why exactly was she doing this? She wasn't really angry at Sasuke, but sad. Why hadn't he noticed her before? Was it because he loved Sakura? Maybe if they had been on the same team she would have been able to get closer to Sasuke. But if that had happened, would Sakura hate her more than before they became friends and refused to talk to her?

Ino sighed. Why exactly did she give up on Sasuke? Maybe it was his eyes. When ever she met his eyes, he would either look away or ignore her. There was no love from him for her. Not even friendship. Was it that Sasuke hated her?

No, she was sure he didn't hate her. In fact, she was almost positive he didn't know she existed! Ino knew that Sasuke didn't like allot of things. It would be easier to just list off the things he did like. That would be an incredibly short list.

When she realized there was no love, had been no love, and never would be she was lost for the longest time. She didn't want to do assignments. She was slow, sluggish, and even lost a few pounds because of her depression. No one cared or came for her.

Except for that certain pony tailed team member. She remembered the day he asked her what was wrong. She began to see that he truly cared for her. Not only as a team member and person but a friend.

She started to gain the pounds she lost and her depression ended. She was so happy. She would look at Shikamaru whenever she had the chance. And when he looked back at her, she would find her heart beating so loud that she was almost positive that he could hear it.

Ino knew she loved Shikamaru more than anyone else in the world. Even "Sasuke-kun."

She was heartbroken to find out that he was moving on, leaving her behind. What was she to do? She no longer saw him as much now the he was a chuunin. Ino found herself going out of her way just to find him and say a friendly "hi!" to him. Except now that was becoming harder and harder to do.

What was a poor girl to do? Spy on him of course! Ino would peek in the keyhole or under the crack in the door just to catch a glimpse of him. Never had she gotten so many nosebleeds in her life! Only until that the first day she spied on Shikamaru, she hadn't realized how fast she really was. When someone came, she would hide. She always found a way to hide. That incident with Sakura and Hinata was pure accident.

Ino shook her head and tried to focus on her current mission. What was Kakashi saying? She couldn't hear anything. Ino leaned forward just a bit . . .

The branch quivered under her weight. Ino gasped and froze in her spot. The branch she was on was awfully small and thin. If she were just a bit heavier, the branch would have collapsed.

Ino let out a breath of relief, grateful that she wasn't going to fall. She gazed into the camera, trying to capture each moment of what was happening. She knew Sasuke and Naruto had eaten the brownies, but Kakashi was another story.

"I know you're trying to . . ." she heard Kakashi say. She couldn't make out the rest. She was giving all of her attention on the one brownie that Sakura held.

'Come on! Eat it! I wanna see you shit your pants!'

"Ino!" someone called down from below. Ino jumped and nearly fell off of her perch. She looked down and frowned.

"Chouji! What are you doing here?" She answered back down to the chubby boy below her.

"Asuma-sensei wondered where you were. He sent me to find you. We're all worried about you," He said.

"What do you mean by "we're all?" Who's worried?"

"Well, Asuma is thinking something happened to you and Shikamaru asked where you went," Chouji said between munches.

"Shikamaru is worried about me? Really?!" Ino put her free hand over her heart. She looked like she was in total ecstasy.

"I guess. Come down and get to practice!" he finished off his bag of chips.

Ino stopped her little daydream and scowled. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Just because!" she turned away and back to video tapping.

"If you don't come, then I'm going to get you," he said.

Ino giggled to herself. Chouji climbing a tree? As if! There was no way he could-

The tree rocked a bit. Ino looked down in surprise to see Chouji half way up the tree trunk. He was huffing and clinging on desperately to stray branches. Some of them snapped off, but most of them stayed, despite his weight.

"Chouji, stop! You'll break the branch you fa-"

"DON'T SAY FAT! I'M JUST BIG BONED!"

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Kakashi looked over in the direction of were Ino was sitting. He knew the whole time she was there.

"Besides, your little plan wouldn't work anyway!" he said very loudly.

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"What did he say?!" Ino tried to record what was happening, but the tree was shaking to the point that her body swayed.

"STOP IT BAKA!" she screamed.

Chouji was only a foot away from the branch she was sitting on. The tree was leaning slight downward because of its burden. Ino's weight and Chouji's was just a bit much more a slender tree like itself. The base moaned.

"I have you!" Chouji said triumphantly, clasping his arms around Ino's waste.

"No! What do you think you're doing? The branch will-!"

SNAP!

Ino was falling. Plummeting to the ground. Chouji was right above her, falling as well. She was going to be turned into a pancake!

'This is it. I'm going to die. Even if I survive this, Shikamaru would never accept my flattened form.'

But instead of landing on the cold hard ground, she fell on top of something soft, warm and . . . disgustingly squishy.

'Am I dead?'

Ino opened her eyes to see that she was not, infact, dead or a pancake, but rather on top of Chouji.

The wind had been knocked out of him, but he still managed to smile. "I didn't want to land on top of you," he wheezed, trying to inhale deep breathes.

Ino noticed that he was blushing. She realized why. If an elderly nun had just walked by, she would either scream or pass out because of the position they were in. Ino flushed and leapt off, acting as though nothing had happened. But sadly, her Inner Ino was screaming "Why him?! Why couldn't it be Shikamaru and I?"

Ino blinked and started to scream Chouji, who was still laying flat on his back.

"Where is it?!"

"Where's what?"

"The camera!"

"I dunno."

He shifted and sat up. Suddenly there was a loud crack and then silence.

"Uh oh . . ." Chouji muttered. He knew he was in for it.

"Chouji . . ." Ino said threw slightly gritted teeth. "Please don't tell me that was what I think it was."

"Um . . ." Chouji slowly stood up. The camera. A horribly broken-beyond-repair camera.

"You . . . you . . ." was all Ino could say. She knelt beside her beloved camera, holding out her hands as if she was going to pick it up, but she never did.

"It was an accident!" Chouji said. He could feel the impending feeling of doom.

"You wrecked it! You ruined my camera!" Ino wailed, clutching the broken item to her chest. "Do you have any idea how long I saved up for that?"

Ino broke down and cried. Her camera was ruined. The plastic case had been split open and the wires inside were torn from their original places. Her video tape had been smashed and flattened.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Chouji said, waving his hands.

'I save her life and all she thinks about is a camera?!'

Soon Ino's sobs had been reduced to quiet hiccupping. She reached out and gently touched a piece of the remains on her camera. That camera had been one of her crutches threw her depression. Now the only thing left of Shika-Spying.

A wicked grin spread across her face that Chouji couldn't see. 'Only Shika-Spying left . . .'

"Look, Ino, I know you're upset but we have to-"he was cut off by Ino.

"I'm not sad. In fact, I'm happy you broke my camera. Because now I can . . . I can . . .," Ino thought for a moment and raised her head. Now Chouji could see the insanely evil look on her face. "I can . . . well . . ." There was nothing that she could say to Chouji that wouldn't embarrass her. No more hobbies = an excellent excuse to spy on Shikamaru. So all she did was throw back her head and . . .

"Muywhahahahabaha!" Chouji stepped back. He had never seen Ino so frightening before. Had she finally snapped when her camera was broken?

"Uh, Ino, I don't mean to interrupt your maniacal laughter, but we really need to get to practice."

"NO!" she screamed. It made Chouji jump. Ino grinned and stretched.

"Ah, I feel better! Thanks Chouji. I would kiss you right now if you weren't so, well, fat," she smiled a heart warming smile and waved good bye, skipping.

"Uh, really?" Chouji blushed.

. . .wait a minute . . .

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT FAT!"

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Hiya people! That chappy was dedicated to Ino. How'd ya like it? Sorry for the ultra lameness . I AM NOT implying an Ino + Chouji relationship. InoCho, ChoIno? Doubt THAT would happen.

I am so very sorry for not updating. My lang. arts teacher is working my ass off and I just completed a 14 page TYPED story. It sucked all my writing skills out da drain. Next time I'll write shorter school assignments.