Naruto Primer: Shino/Ino
Photo Album
"Ino, I need your help."
Ino looked up from the counter as she stood behind her flower shop to see Shino standing in the doorway holding a photo album.
"Uh…yes?" Ino asked. "Are you looking for a particular flower?"
"No." he said, walking in the flower shop and putting the photo album down on the counter. There was no one else currently in the store, which was perfect for Shino.
"Then what?" Ino asked.
"I have an extremely personal matter I need to discuss with you." Shino said.
"With me?" said Ino, looking surprised. "You're not in love with me, are you?"
"No, I'm not." Shino said.
"Right, because I've heard from a few people that you've been going around saying a few pretty weird things lately." Ino said.
"It depends on your definition of weird." Shino said.
"Well…" Ino said, thinking back. "Hinata says that you told you were talking about ants in your pants."
"No, I was asking her for her opinion on why I was uncomfortable." Shino corrected.
"And Kiba said that…well, actually, never mind." Ino said. "Why would you come to me anyway?"
"Well, you were actually my last choice." Shino confessed.
"Oh." Said Ino, looking slightly offended.
"Let me rephrase that, not my last choice." Shino corrected. "Just the only person that was left after I eliminated everyone else."
"Eliminated?" Ino questioned.
"Yes." Shino said. "I didn't want to talk to Sasuke, Hinata or Neji because, as you've already mentioned, I have previously spoken with them on a different matter and I didn't think it was fair for me to bother them again. The same goes for Kiba. I didn't want to bring it up to Naruto because…well, because he's Naruto and I didn't think he'd be able to offer me very good advice. I don't really know Lee or Tenten very well because I didn't go to school with them so…well, that's it. I originally went to Shikamaru but he said it was too troublesome to help me with my issue, and he was hanging out with Chouji at the time."
Shino paused at that point.
"And?" Ino said.
"So it was between you or Sakura." Shino continued. "And I just so happened to know where to find you."
"Why did you let Shikamaru get away with just telling you it was too troublesome to help you?" Ino asked. "He'd help you eventually."
"But I needed someone who actually cared about my problem." Shino said.
"What IS your problem?" Ino said.
"Well, it's kind of embarrassing to say…" Shino admitted.
"Then why did you present it to me?" Ino sighed.
"Because I really need help with it." Shino said. "I've acknowledged the fact that I need help and I'm trying to get it."
"Does it have anything to do with this photo album?" Ino said as she went to open the cover but Shino reached his hand out and slammed the cover back down.
"You can't look in there." He said.
"So it DOES have something to do with this photo album." Ino said. "What is it? I can't help you if you don't tell me what the problem is."
Shino took the photo album off the counter and put it under his arm. "You have to understand that I don't usually do things like this." He said.
"What, talk to people?" Ino asked.
"No, the issue I'm discussing with you." Shino replied.
"We're not discussing an issue." Ino said. "We're talking about discussing an issue."
"Yeah…" Shino said.
"So, you have to tell me what the problem is." Said Ino, trying to get at least a little bit of information out of him.
"Okay." Said Shino, taking a deep breath. "I've been taking a lot of pictures lately."
"That's no crime, though I kind of gathered that you were taking pictures since you had a photo album and all." Said Ino after she waited a moment for him to continue, but he didn't. "You shouldn't worry about it."
"Not just any pictures." Shino said.
"What kinds of pictures?"
"…I don't know if I should say. It's awkward."
"You can't drag me into all this and then not expect me to want to know the full extent of your problem. If you want help, man I feel like I'm repeating myself, then you have to tell me what the problem is!"
"Fine…just look…" Shino said, putting the photo album back on the table.
Ino was a little worried at first. What could possibly be making Shino feel so uncomfortable? It couldn't be the ants in the pants this time around. It was something about this photo album and now she was opening it. Ever so slowly, she lifted the cover, but before she could, Shino slammed his hand down on it again.
"You can't." he said.
Ino gave a loud groan.
"Oh right…" said Shino as he took his hand off the cover. Ino opened the cover more quickly this time and looked inside as Shino turned his head away in shame.
The first page had four pictures of bugs. The next page had four more pictures of bugs. The page after that had four more pictures. And the page after that, and after that and after that.
"Shino, this book is filled with pictures of bugs." Ino said.
Shino didn't answer.
"So…yeah, I guess that's a little weird." Ino said, a little disappointed as she shut the photo album. "But I wouldn't exactly call it a problem."
"You wouldn't?" Shino said, looking puzzled.
"Not at all." Ino shrugged. "It's okay that you have an obsession with bugs, considering you're you and all."
"You think so?" Shino said, looking at the cover of the photo album and then back at Ino. "You think it's all right? But don't you think it's a little… I don't know… wrong?"
"No, not really." Ino replied, shaking her head.
"Oh." Said Shino. "Well, I guess I'll be able to sleep at night now. Thanks a lot, Ino. I owe you one."
"Don't worry about it." said Ino as Shino left the flower shop. Ino was left there to wonder WHY Shino thought that was such a problem. All she had seen was a bunch of pictures of bugs.
Little did she know, those bugs were…FEMALE bugs.
Okay. Hi.
Just so you know, the story officially ends at 87 chapters.
HOWEVER! We have 12 other chapters that we could potentially put up, making the chapters up to 99. And then we'd brainstorm for another one just as a bonus so it'll be 100! But…we need your opinion.
Are we dragging this on for too long or would you like it to be 100 chapters? We would appreciate your feedback!