Embrangle, part one.

I have not written multi-chapter fic in a long, long time. Fear accordingly.

He had gotten three hours worth of cloud watching before Ino came up and kicked him - a new record.

"Listen up, you dolt," she said, leaning over to purposely block the view. She looked like a hungry black Mamba looming across the sky. Not a good sign. "You've got to help me with something, okay?"

Shikamaru groaned and rolled over on to his stomach. Shit. From experience, he knew there'd be no getting rid of her. Move along, clouds, the day has been blown.

"It's Saturday," he whined. "Chores are done and my missions are finished -" and Shikamaru almost managed to Ino's impatient punch.

"It's important," Ino whined back. She didn't seem to be moved by Shikamaru's annoyed look and tender rubbing of his eye.

And as she began explaining, much to his chagrin, Shikamaru almost thought to explain to Ino that days off meant just that - days off from everything, including obnoxious teammates - but knew better immediately. Between the usual weeks it took to persuade Ino to leave him out of her schemes or to stoically - and unhelpfully - go along with whatever plot she had cooked up this time, the latter had always seemed to require the least amount of energy in the long run. Besides, Ino had managed to successfully punch him in the face once already, and pain was such a bother. And really, her plans were never usually that bad.

Belatedly, Shikamaru would realize that he had been a foolishly optimistic twit.

"And he actually came right out and asked for my help," Ino finished, looking exceptionally pleased with herself. It was probably the first time such a thing had ever happened, and for good reason. Ino was notorious for her horrible personal advice. Admittedly, she could turn "any frown upside down," but suitable, mild advice seemed just out of her reach. Like anything and everything else with her, it had to be done intensively, with working-to-the-bone work ethic, and preferably with much fellow teammate and villager torture involved. Her last plot had even involved the Hokage, three academy students, and a trapdoor placed right next to the market fish stall. Chouji had smelled like rotten seafood for days.

Reluctantly sitting up as straight as he was willing to, Shikamaru mentally shook his head. Having listened to her wanted favor, Shikamaru realized that he really had been stupid to go along with it, at least up to this point. He made a mental note to start putting in actual effort to avoid Ino from now on.

"I'm not helping you set them up," he muttered. "At least not that way. It would be useless and wasted effort. Sakura would never be fooled like that."

Ino wasn't listening. Sweeping her hair away from her face in what she thought was a world-weary gesture, she sighed. "Lee may be a total weirdo, but I just couldn't not help him!"

Double negative, Shikamaru thought absently, but didn't mention it. If one black eye was a bother, two would be downright unpleasurable.

With one recently manicured nail, judging from the shine, Ino poked him in what could almost be called an affectionately annoyed, manner. "Admit it, you want to help. He's been chasing her since FOREVER and she's finally showing some interest back. How can you resist? The timing is perfect!"

Shikamaru grunted and turned to look at a fascinating blade of grass. He honestly didn't care for blossoming teenage romances, and all though Ino had something that could almost resemble a point, he didn't want to be responsible for the creation of one. Maybe he could just let Ino beat him enough to slip into unconsciousness, then he'd finally get time off from her constant -

"Shikamaru!" Ino screamed, kicking at him again. "Dammit, think of a plan for me!"

Shikamaru stared at her for a second or two, then made up his mind and flopped back on to the grass. "Ow," he said, finally remembering to say it, and seeing Ino preparing to kick again out of the corner of his eye, he mumbled, "Fine, fine. I'm thinking."

"Oh," was all Ino said. She sat down on to the grass next to him and waited. If Shikamaru was thinking, then she could be patient. For a while, anyway.

Twenty minutes later, after even the slowest cloud had fully passed them overhead, Shikamaru had thought enough. "All right, this is what I have, and if you don't like it, tough."

Ino liked it. She left, satisfied.

Watching her swaying form slowly disappear, Shikamaru quietly apologized to everyone in the village and went back to his cloud gazing with mild worry weighing down his mind. Sakura, if she ever found out who had planned this, would murder him.