Chapter 3
After their meal they relaxed, full and content. The fire was blazing. Its glow covered their forms in an orange hue.
Shikamaru leaned back against a rock, placing his hands comfortably behind his head.
"It's so hot tonight. Why do we have to keep this fire going?" Ino complained, fanning herself.
"Because, it provides light and lets wild animals know of our presence thus they will keep their distance to avoid a possible encounter," he explained.
"Oh..." She began to loosen her leg wraps, unwinding the white tape from around her thighs. "We'll I have to do something to cool down. Why do we have to do survival training in the summer anyways."
Shikamaru shrugged and glanced over at the girl. She already had most of one leg uncovered. His eyes shifted back up to the sky, then slanted back to the girl. Her hands moved slowly, re-rolling the tape as it came off. Round and round her hands traveled in between her thighs. He found the scene hypnotizing. Her legs shone golden in the firelight. Suddenly she stopped.
"Shikamaru?? What's wrong?"
He realized he had turned his full attention toward her direction and had be staring for who knows how long.
"I...uhhh...nothing. I'm fine." His heart skipped a beat as the blood rushed to his face. She's trying to tempt me, he thought. Why else would she be doing this in front of me?
He heard Ino giggle as she lay down on the ground looking up at the stars. With knees bent, she crossed her legs. Her dress slid farther down, revealing more than he knew he should be seeing. But, he looked anyway. He was startled out of his daze when she asked:
"Shikamaru....what made you decide to become a ninja?"
That's a good question, he thought to himself, because it certainly was bringing him things he didn't expect.
"Well......" he paused. "I guess it was because my dad graduated from the ninja academy. He fought in the battle against the Nine-Tails. Not being a great ninja, but not bad either, he decided that I should follow in his footsteps. When I was three......"
Half an hour passed.
"....and believe it or not, I'm actually starting to enjoy it. As troublesome as it has been so far. So I guess that's why I've sorta made it my goal to become a decent ninja. What about you, Ino?"
No answer.
"Yo, Ino...."
He glanced over at her. She had fallen asleep. Her body curled up on its side, facing him. He smiled, Geez, remind me never to tell my life story again.
He watched her breathe. She looked so peaceful. Not a care in the world. That's how he use to want to be. But now his life has changed forever with his passing the Chuunin exam.
I serve to protect those in the village. I am a shinobi. A warrior.
He looked down at Ino again.
I serve to protect you, Ino.
He sat up and crawled closer to her, taking in her scent. A sweet, fresh smell that reminded him of a field of flowers on a rainy morning. He studied her face. The soft lines that formed her nose and eyelids. The strands of hair that swept down along her face and neck. Her lips, moist and pink, beckoned him.
Will I ever get to feel the kiss of lips like hers?
He thought of Asuma. Single, no girlfriend. Iruka, single also, too obsessed with teaching to have a girlfriend. Kakashi.....well.....single to his knowledge. Shoot, he gets pleasure from reading stupid books, he smiled, but then his brow furrowed. Is this to be my fate too? Do women avoid shinobis because of their high death rate? Or is it because they devote all of their time to fighting and training? Calculating the current statistics he figured he had a one in fifty chance of getting married before he died.
"Mendoukusai na," he sighed, looking back at Ino.
Why had he never noticed how beautiful she was until now? Am I an idiot?
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the tent. He laid her carefully down on a mat, and draped a light sheet over her slim body. She shifted in her sleep, placing a hand on his foot. He slowly backed out of the tent, then paused.
"Good night, Ino," he whispered, and then closed up the tent.
Outside he lay down on his own mat and stared up at the stars wondering what lies ahead in his own life. He closed his eyes, enveloping the blackness which swept him into a deep sleep.