Chapter 3: Again
Inside the Ichiraku Ramen House...
"Are you sure Naruto would get here? We've been waiting here for more than an hour!" Ino complained to Sakura who was walking back and forth in boredom.
"This is his favorite restaurant!" Sakura replied, but her face turned powerless. "I suppose he still loves ramen...I'm also hungry." She sat beside Ino and rubbed her stomach.
Tenten from the other end was calmly reading a newspaper. She has also matured into an attractive woman, they thought she resembled Chun Li form Street Fighter. Then Shikamaru and Chouji came, panting. Shikamaru laid the banner to Ino and Sakura, as Chouji placed the painting materials under the table and sighed in exhaustion.
"I thought we're late. Shika-kun can't focus his ideas." Chouji explained.
"What do you think Ino-chan? We're not born artists, but we've tried our best on that." Shikamaru said nonchalantly.
"Since when have I expected much from you?" Ino scorned upon seeing the messy artwork that says, "WELCOME BACK NARUTO!!!". It looked like a piece of crap that was irritating to the eyes of Ino. She stood up from her seat and walked him to the other side where they could tie the banner.
"Help me tie this one, Shika-kun." Ino ordered bossily.
"Yeah sure." He replied lazily.
Neji shoved inside that caught all their attention. He was really the aloof and serious buddy they knew when they were still genins. He still has his long hair that was tied at the end. He looked much like Hinata's father, only that he was younger and his clothes were in. He waved to them with a small smile and pulled a chair in front of Tenten.
"Where's Lee-san?" Shikamaru inquired as he climbed the stool.
"I don't know." He replied flatly and gripped the hand of Tenten. Sakura saw Naruto and Hinata through the window coming from afar.
"Naruto-kun is over there!" She yelled happily. Shikamaru has tied the banner quickly on the other end and stepped down the stool. "Wait, Shika-kun I can't tie this one it's slipping my hands!" Ino panicked. "Step down there, I'll fix it." He said with urgency as he stood below Ino. She pushed her foot down but twitched her legs and smashed on Shikamaru's body who was caught off guard. He barely lost himself, tumbled on his back with Ino on top of him. The string of the banner on the other side was cut off and it fell on them like a blanket. "Aghh!" he groaned with tightly shut eyes due to the pain he felt oh his back. Naruto pushed the door excitedly and saw their awkward position. Ino looked up from having a shock daze on the guy below her.
"H-How are you Naruto...It's been a long time." She greeted sheepishly.
"How troublesome!" Shikamaru cried, pushing himself up with his elbows. Everyone was stunned including Naruto that nobody initiated to help them. The two of them hurriedly rose, Ino rushed to the comfort room while Shikamaru managed to tie the banner himself.
"This is definitely a surprise!" Naruto blurted out with Hinata beside her.
Ino washed her face with running water. She looked at her image on the mirror and saw her extremely flushing face.
"That was too humiliating," She thought as she dried her face with tissues. "Idiot, Shikamaru." She whispered upon putting baby powder on her face to conceal the blush. Still the thought of it was causing her to blush even more. Why did she have to feel that way? She should not feel so humiliated, that was only Shikamaru. He has been her friend, and no malice has ever stirred between them over the years. This was non-sense so she walked out of the comfort room. It was too soon that everybody came on time. Kiba, Shino and Hinata together with Kurenai-sensei were on one table. Gai and Lee's table was adjacent to it. Asuma-sensei, Chouji and Shikamaru were together. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were also together. It was surprising that Iruka-sensi and Konohamaru's team was there. Sasuke and Sakura were sitting next to each other.
"Hey Ino! Why do you have so much flour on your face?" Shikamaru joked, while Chouji was busy eating ramen, and Asuma was lighting a cigarette.
"You idiot, you're a Chuunin right? I've expected you to have an agile reflex but you were still nothing but a bummer!" Ino sermonized. Shikamaru just yawned at that and rest his chin oh his palm.
"You're just jealous..." Shikamaru spoke unexpectedly, while observing Naruto bragged about his training with his ero-sennin to Sasuke and Sakura.
Inside the Ichiraku Ramen House...
"Are you sure Naruto would get here? We've been waiting here for more than an hour!" Ino complained to Sakura who was walking back and forth in boredom.
"This is his favorite restaurant!" Sakura replied, but her face turned powerless. "I suppose he still loves ramen...I'm also hungry." She sat beside Ino and rubbed her stomach.
Tenten from the other end was calmly reading a newspaper. She has also matured into an attractive woman, they thought she resembled Chun Li form Street Fighter. Then Shikamaru and Chouji came, panting. Shikamaru laid the banner to Ino and Sakura, as Chouji placed the painting materials under the table and sighed in exhaustion.
"I thought we're late. Shika-kun can't focus his ideas." Chouji explained.
"What do you think Ino-chan? We're not born artists, but we've tried our best on that." Shikamaru said nonchalantly.
"Since when have I expected much from you?" Ino scorned upon seeing the messy artwork that says, "WELCOME BACK NARUTO!!!". It looked like a piece of crap that was irritating to the eyes of Ino. She stood up from her seat and walked him to the other side where they could tie the banner.
"Help me tie this one, Shika-kun." Ino ordered bossily.
"Yeah sure." He replied lazily.
Neji shoved inside that caught all their attention. He was really the aloof and serious buddy they knew when they were still genins. He still has his long hair that was tied at the end. He looked much like Hinata's father, only that he was younger and his clothes were in. He waved to them with a small smile and pulled a chair in front of Tenten.
"Where's Lee-san?" Shikamaru inquired as he climbed the stool.
"I don't know." He replied flatly and gripped the hand of Tenten. Sakura saw Naruto and Hinata through the window coming from afar.
"Naruto-kun is over there!" She yelled happily. Shikamaru has tied the banner quickly on the other end and stepped down the stool. "Wait, Shika-kun I can't tie this one it's slipping my hands!" Ino panicked. "Step down there, I'll fix it." He said with urgency as he stood below Ino. She pushed her foot down but twitched her legs and smashed on Shikamaru's body who was caught off guard. He barely lost himself, tumbled on his back with Ino on top of him. The string of the banner on the other side was cut off and it fell on them like a blanket. "Aghh!" he groaned with tightly shut eyes due to the pain he felt oh his back. Naruto pushed the door excitedly and saw their awkward position. Ino looked up from having a shock daze on the guy below her.
"H-How are you Naruto...It's been a long time." She greeted sheepishly.
"How troublesome!" Shikamaru cried, pushing himself up with his elbows. Everyone was stunned including Naruto that nobody initiated to help them. The two of them hurriedly rose, Ino rushed to the comfort room while Shikamaru managed to tie the banner himself.
"This is definitely a surprise!" Naruto blurted out with Hinata beside her.
Ino washed her face with running water. She looked at her image on the mirror and saw her extremely flushing face.
"That was too humiliating," She thought as she dried her face with tissues. "Idiot, Shikamaru." She whispered upon putting baby powder on her face to conceal the blush. Still the thought of it was causing her to blush even more. Why did she have to feel that way? She should not feel so humiliated, that was only Shikamaru. He has been her friend, and no malice has ever stirred between them over the years. This was non-sense so she walked out of the comfort room. It was too soon that everybody came on time. Kiba, Shino and Hinata together with Kurenai-sensei were on one table. Gai and Lee's table was adjacent to it. Asuma-sensei, Chouji and Shikamaru were together. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were also together. It was surprising that Iruka-sensi and Konohamaru's team was there. Sasuke and Sakura were sitting next to each other.
"Hey Ino! Why do you have so much flour on your face?" Shikamaru joked, while Chouji was busy eating ramen, and Asuma was lighting a cigarette.
"You idiot, you're a Chuunin right? I've expected you to have an agile reflex but you were still nothing but a bummer!" Ino sermonized. Shikamaru just yawned at that and rest his chin oh his palm.
"You're just jealous..." Shikamaru spoke unexpectedly, while observing Naruto bragged about his training with his ero-sennin to Sasuke and Sakura.