Chapter 7

Ino's body ached that night after training. She worked hard, and with Shikamaru's encouragement, she really started to believe she had a shot at passing the Chuunin exam next spring. I want to grow like he has. She thought back to last year and how Shikamaru used to complain about everything. He was always sleeping during the day in his spare time, which always made her wonder what he was doing at night?

She finished brushing her hair and slipped her legs under the covers.

He must have been tired too. They had eaten dinner then sat by the fire for a while before he said he was going to turn in for the night. Reluctantly she went to her tent, not necessarily sleepy but nevertheless exhausted.

She flicked her light off, hoping sleep would come quickly to bring forth a new day to spend with him.

Sunlight streamed into the tent upon Ino's face as she sleepily opened her eyes. A form stood at the entrance.

"Morning, Ino....time to wake up."

She yawned and sat up to stretch. "Ohhh.....ohhhayo...Shikamaru," she said with a lazy smile. Her hair was ruffled from sleep. Blonde strands hung down across her blue eyes. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

"Ohhh...!"she fell back down in bed, "Do I have to get up NOW? I'm still sore from yesterday," she said massaging her arms.

"A good ninja doesn't complain---"

"Oh, alright!" she said with a huff. "Just give me 10 minutes to get ready."

"I'll be waiting at the training grounds," and with that he walked off.

Hmphh...that's strange. We usually eat breakfast together. And he usually hasn't been getting up until at least eight.

She quickly put on her wraps and slid her skirt and shirt on. She grabbed a left over rice ball from last night and nibbled on it as she walked down by the stream to wash her face.

This is the last day of survival training, I hope he doesn't have some really hard drill planned, she thought with a frown.

She finished refreshing herself and headed for his location. She could see he was fully dressed, even donning his Chuunin vest. He stood with his hands in his pockets watching her arrival. A contemplative look crossed his features as the girl approached. His mood had her suspicious.

"Heheh....why so serious, Shikamaru-sensei?" she laughed uneasily, her hands were clasped in front of her. "Do I get to fight a log again?"

"No....." he paused. "I will be your opponent," and with that he casually tossed her a kunai. She caught it in surprise.

"What's this for????" she said puzzled, looking up at him.

"You will be fighting me today," he said as a sly smile spread across his face. "So you better start running...."

"WHaa?"

"Run....." And before she could question him again, she heard the familiar "KAGE MANE NO JUTSU" and his shadow darted from beneath his form towards her. Ino's eyes widened and she quickly jumped out of the way, but it continued to follow, like a snake racing across the ground. She kept jumping backward until she lost her footing on a rock causing her to tumble to the ground.

The shadow enveloped her, freezing her body.

"You're going to have to move faster than that," he called out to her. He released the shadow.

Ino got up and dusted herself off. Finally understanding that he was serious she clenched the kunai in her fist and nodded.

His shadow sprang forward again. She flew up to a tree branch. A rain of shurikens followed her but she was able to deflect them. Shikamaru appeared on the branch in front of her. She threw her kunai at him, which he caught and turned it against her. She safely dodged it, managing to get a few strands of her hair cut in the process.

"Hmphh!" She gritted her teeth and came at him using taijutsu. He blocked her punches and kicks all the while maintaining his balance on the branch. She backed up to grab her kunai which was stuck in the tree trunk behind her. In the split second she used to pry it loose, the dark shadow lunged at her. Ino gasped and escaped by doing a back flip off the branch.

Landing on her feet she prepared to attack again. Shikamaru followed and stood before her, hands on his hips.

"Ino, come at me..."

She narrowed her eyes and started running toward him. He sent his shadow out to meet her. At the last second she avoided making contact with it and jumped to the side throwing more shurikens at him.

He's not even breaking a sweat, she thought breathing hard. He's had the advantage the whole time. Well now I'm going to get serious.

She stopped and unwrapped a few feet of bandage from her arm, performing a seal he had not seen before. Her chakra encircled the wraps, making them spiral like a tornado.

Shikamaru's eyes widened. He didn't know where she learned this jutsu from. No matter...I will stop her and continue with my plan, he smiled to himself.

The tornado came hurling at him. He jumped out its path. As he continued to dodge the bandaged wrath he watched Ino control its direction. She's so focused on it that she won't notice if I send out my sha----"Whaa??" He looked down in surprise to see his right leg was wrapped with bandage. "Huh??" The cyclone was still spinning a few feet away, but now he realized that it had sent out one strand to catch him. Others fired out at him like strings from a web, mummifying his entire body. His form fell to the ground.

"Ah HA!! I caught you!" Ino cheered, dissipating the spiral as she ran over to the boy.

She stood over him, smiling at a job well done.

Suddenly a voice from behind said:

"No.....I caught you." She watched as the bandaged form vanished in a puff of smoke and a log took its place.

"The replacement technique!?" She spun around to the voice. Just as she turned to meet his gaze her body froze. His shadow had latched on to her.

"Kuso!" she mumbled with clenched teeth looking up at him as he stood a dozen feet away.

Shikamaru slyly smiled at her. "You fought well, Ino. But I have won this fight...." He casually said, raising his arm in front of him. She mirrored his movement. "....And now I will claim my prize." With that he motioned for her to approach.

Her eyes widened at his words. Claim his prize? What does he mean, she thought as they walked toward each other, her strides matching his. A grin appeared on his face. They came within five feet of each other when he stopped.

She waited to see what he would do next. He was still grinning, and she couldn't help but laugh. "What are you going to do with me now, Shikamaru?"

"You'll see." He reached up to his hair and found the band that held it up, pulling it out.

His hair fell down to his shoulders, as did Ino's. He ran a hand through his hair to straighten it.

He looks so cute with his hair down! What will you have us do next? Her mind raced.

They took one step closer to each other. He brought his arms to his vest unzipping it. She followed, unzipping only air. He took it off, letting it drop to the ground. Ino was still curious to see what he was going to do. Suddenly her eyes widened.

He had grabbed the bottom of his shirt and began to pull it up. She mimicked him, grabbing her shirt and pulling it up.

"You wouldn't!!!" she gasped, now seeing what his plan for her was. A look of embarrassment flushed her face.

"Watch me..." Higher and higher he pulled until his shirt was up over his head. He dropped the mesh to the ground and looked up at Ino. Now for the skirt.

He maneuvered his hands to make her slip off her skirt, but kept his own pants in tack.

Her clothing lay on the ground beside her. She was now only clad in wraps that covered her hips and chest. Her slender form was still breathing hard from the fight. A concerned look showed in her bright blue eyes.

Beautiful....he thought taking in the scene.

"Shikamaru...if you go any farther..." she trailed off as her hands found the loose end of the wraps that covered her chest. Several strands came undone, the wraps stretching to the ground.

The excitement inside him was building. This was going to be better than any dream. Better than any book or magazine, to see a girl naked, in the flesh, standing in front of him. But it isn't right, Shikamaru. He looked into her eyes.

"Tck..." he said lowering his eyes, stopping himself from going through the motion. Her hands stopped unwrapping.

"I can't go through with it," he said.

But it was such a brilliant plan...

He let his shadow seep back to his side. Ino collapsed to the ground. She looked tired and beat. She took a breath before looking up at him.

"I thought you were going to kiss me..." she said quietly. "I was hoping you were going to kiss me...." she paused. "But instead, you wanted to see me with out my clothes on?" her voice was rising. "Of all the stupid and selfish things to use a ninja technique for! I will get you back, Shikamaru....you...you....PERVERT!!"

He grimaced at the word. She grabbed her clothes and stormed off to her tent.

"Yo, Ino! It wasn't like that!" But his attempt went unacknowledged.

"Kuso, I went too far...." He sat down on the ground and put his head in his hands. "A whole day wasted."