Sorry for such a delayed update, here's the new chapter! I tried to shorten it as best I could but I failed =(. It's going to be slow for a bit but I promise I'll try not to bore everyone in the next chapters. I also introduced a few funky paranormal concepts for the heck of it and cuz ShikaIno owns! Get ready for major ShikaIno and don't forget to flame for I am a horrible writer xD! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own the Uchiha child but the rest of the characters all rightfully belong to Kishimoto-sama.
Shadow of the Blue Sharingan
Chapter 4: Flower
Written by: teckno
"Don't jump into conclusions Inoshi!" The dark-haired jounin shouted as he tried his best to block the hands that threatened to strangle him, inside the hospital room.
"Shut up! He killed her! He killed my precious Ino! Your son is a murderer! I shall not forgive those that have betrayed me! I'll kill you both!" Inoshi lunged and delivered a fierce blow to Shikato's jaws, causing the poor jounin to stumble back and bawl in pain.
"Yamette!! Please, Stop it!" Sakura held her ears, screaming.
Choji stood by the door, still shocked and unable to move since he first heard newswhat Shikamaru was screaming about.
The baby began to shriek wildly.
"He killed her! He wanted revenge!" Inoshi pointed a shaking finger at the frozen chuunin who sat at the foot of the bed, completely drenched in blood, holding the red bed sheets in his hands.
"Inoshi." Shikato called out.
"How the hell can he sleep through THAT!? All you damn Naras are all the same! Go to hell all of you!" The blonde man charged at the older Nara once again and shoved him against the wall, growling and then delivering more blows.
"Enough!" cried Chomaru, "There is no point in fighting! The police announced many times that Shikamaru did not kill Ino. The evidence leads to the nurse."
"He's right, Inoshi." Shikato gasped.
"You're calling me a liar, Chomaru? Huh? Stop patronizing me, fool! How dare you support the filthy father of a murderder! You're dead!"
"Inoshi. She's gone." Shikato placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "She's gone." he repeated.
The blonde jounin shook his head violently in disagreement.
"No, not my princess, not my precious baby girl."
"Inoshi." Shikato said, pulling his long time comrade to his arms and patting his back.
Tears welled in Inoshi's eyes as he grabbed Shikato, falling to the floor, sobbing hysterically.
===
Drip, drip…
His eyes wandered to the window. Vibrant features of green, yellow and brown leaves circled in melodic formations across the sunny cloudless sky, whispering and singing something he did not understand. He gazed outside, content and almost smiling at the magnificent scenery that danced before him. A lonesome soft cloud caught his fixed attention, no, three. Clouds began to appear rapidly, sprouting and blotching themselves all over the sky, causing his mouth to form an "O" shape out of fascination and admiration. The leaves suddenly flamed and burned in mid-air, turning black and then to tiny specs of ashes. They vanished and the pleasant whispering stopped. An expression of confusion and turmoil seized the boy as the clouds split apart--bleeding. Hot blood trickled from the window, coating it in solid red, blocking the beautiful scenic image from the boy entirely. Glass slowly began cracking and falling to the ground by the pieces in silent splashes.
Drip, drip…
The crimson fluid reached his feet and eventually surrounded him, trapping and paralyzing his ability to move. He could only tremble helplessly and wait for the unconscious nightmare to end. Red tears ran down his chin, dripping and blending in with the dark pool beneath him. Was he dead? His eyes darted to the side to check if she was still there. She was gone. The bed was empty except for the fresh blood that soaked and stained the sheets, once clean and white. The air became arctic. Goosebumps developed and trailed alongside his arms.
Silence.
He felt wings, black wings brushing against his icy cheek. Could it be? The boy looked and witnessed the wings expanding outwards, revealing the tattered naked body that she once breathed through. Her skin was shredded and torn at all angles and the golden hair that use to shine and flow delicately over her shoulders were mere ghastly threads that hung loosely on her deteriorating gray scalp. Standing, she crossed her arms over her breasts and sinking ribcages, and gazed knowingly and sadly at the boy, her sapphire eyes pleading a response.
"Are you dead?" He asked, reaching out to touch her.
She nodded solemnly, making her way through the thick bloody pool to the boy until she felt the same warm arms wrap around her very being. That warmth, that devotion, that…love--true love. Despite her horrific figure, he held her firmly as always and kissed her forehead gently.
"Shikamaru." She whispered.
Not even death could change the way he felt about her.
"You're so troublesome, Ino-chan." He smiled calmly, biting back his sadness as they continued to hold each other against the cold air.
"Shikamaru, " She repeated. "Arigatou."
With that said, the black from Ino's wings began to melt away along with all the blood and broken glass that plagued the room. The red disappeared. The chilliness disappeared. Everything disappeared. He blinked and saw that everything in the room was back to its original color and setting. A small giggle came from the corner of the room where the Uchiha child's crib laid. He looked and to his astonishment, it was Ino but not the same black-winged one he talked to, moments ago. This Ino was…beautiful.
"Ino?"
The spirit nodded with a giggle. Lengthy golden strands of silk blonde hair and smooth clear skin were in place of the stringy hair and plummeting ribcages that he saw before. White feathery wings enveloped him as her gentle hands interlaced his. There was some sort of glow around the both of them that he could not describe. She was so beautiful. Transparent tears gushed from his eyes not out of sorrow but out of joy. He was glad that she was alright. He was glad to have spent a part of his life with Ino. He was grateful for everything.
Her fingers slid from his grasp as she began to slowly rise above the ground, her wings extending and flapping in a peaceful rhythmic melody. He caught hold of her hands, hoping she'd stay for another few minutes but she only giggled and cupped his face into her hands, letting him know that is was time to say their farewells.
"Don't go, I love you."
She released her hands from him once more and waved goodbye to the one and only person that stayed with her every step of the way, including her own death--Nara Shikamaru In a flash of light, she had already ascended from the window and out of his sight, forever.
===
A white carnation was handed to the motionless boy but Shikato took it instead and thanked Choji who gave the flower; in hopes of not disturbing the pale son that clung desperately to his father's built arms.
Not once in his life did the older Nara ever witness his son giving the slightest expression of asking for comfort or support. His son was too smart and lazy for his own good and any type of help or a request for a shoulder to lean on was highly unlikely. But today, at the age of seventeen, the resourceful, analytical, and confident strategist was a limp masterpiece of vulnerability and grief.
They both had been standing beside the coffin for the past half hour. The younger Nara just didn't want to let go yet. Shikato turned to the boy and placed a hand on Shikamaru's withering shoulder, a gesture to reassure his son that he was safe and okay. Dried and bloodshot, Shikamaru's eyes hadn't blink since he arrived and to look over his true love's dead body with them was unbearable. His hands shook as he tightened his grip on the folded piece of paper that Ino left behind on the hospital bed--her blood still stained the edges. He hadn't open the note yet.
[flashback]
His hands were tucked at ease inside the pockets. He was walking along the same path again. A content smirk approached him as the familiar shop came into view.
"You're late, Shikamaru! Why are you always fuckin' late? Is this your way of appreciating me?"
Crossing her arms, Ino stood outside of the flower shop door as she screamed out to her slow walking significant other. She held her slightly growing belly afterwards, calming it from all the yelling that she had created. It had been three months since Shikamaru had heard news of his girlfriend's pregnancy.
"Che. Mendokusee. I came here to see you didn't I?" Shikamaru reached the gardens in front of the shop and stood at a distance from the blonde, crossing his arms as well and raising one of his fine-lined eyebrows.
They began their usual glaring contest. Imaginary electricity shot in between them. That woman never stops bitchin'! Women are too troublesome! I'm stuck with the most troublesome woman! INO! MENDOKUSEE!
No matter how pissed Ino got, one glance at the devoted chuunin's twisted confusing face was all that she needed to forgive him for his actions. No boy had ever gotten so serious and agitated over her confrontations and bitching except Shikamaru. Other boys would have just left and ignored her. Shikamaru never stopped giving Ino his full attention since the first day they'd met in the academy.
Some things will never change! Ino's anger faded. She forfeited from the glaring contest and bent down to pick-up a small basket.
"Here, help me pick some carnations for the afternoon." She threw the basket and the chuunin caught it was a groan.
"Picking flowers? This sucks." The chuunin miserably dragged his feet to the nearest patch of flowers and squatted, eyeing the strange and spectacular rays of colored pedals filled with the sweetest aromas.
He began picking an appealing set of flowers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing! BAKA! Those aren't carnations! That's mother's-" Ino screamed before she could finish her sentence.
"Huh?" Shikamaru stopped picking and looked at his collection of nice gigantic tulips in his hands. Like he knew what carnations were?
"Do you know how expensive these bulbs are!?" The frantic blonde charged at the chuunin and yanked the basket off his hands.
"Geez, okay! Gomen!" cried the other.
Ino shot the boy a deadly glare and walked further down the garden until she came upon an enormous patch of blooming pink, white and red carnations.
"Over here, THESE are carnations!" Ino gestured Shikamaru to accompany her task with forceful direct pointing at the patch.
"Hai." The boy slowly crawled to Ino's side and watched as the blonde began picking all the white ones delicately with smooth fingertips.
They were silent .
It was one of those rare moments that the couple would share from time to time or else they'd be arguing otherwise.
Silence between them was a time where they'd both reflect not only on themselves but the person next them and their growing relationship, all the moments they've spent together, all the trouble and hardships they went through, their future, their families, their next date--life in general. The silence was an indication that their souls were communicating to each other and the couple enjoyed every last second of it.
"Carnations are my favorite flowers." Ino broke the quietness, holding a particular one in her hands.
She handed the long stemmed flower to Shikamaru, who was busy looking up at the sky. Ino slapped his shoulders and repeated the process.
"Oh." Shikamaru eyed the flower blankly. What's so great about flowers?
Knowing exactly how her boyfriend would react, the blonde rolled her eyes and started to explain her reasons and philosophy on carnations.
"Carnations, especially white ones are my favorite because they symbolize innocence and purity. Once they bloom in the spring, it's a chance for them to open up and move on from their difficult budding stage. You know, to forget their troubles and to begin a fresh new start as if they were reborn into innocence and purity again. Remember the carnations we got after we graduated from the academy? You had your chance to move on to a genin level and to forget all the trouble Iruka-sensei had put you through."
"Sou dane. A flower that symbolizes the forgetting troublesome things hm?" Shikamaru replied, a bit interested in the flower he held in his hands.
"Well, let's forget this troublesome task and-" Ino didn't finish her sentence once again and jumped on top of the poor chuunin, pinning him down onto the grass and straddling her legs over his hips as the basket of flowers spilled and decorated themselves all around the giggling couple.
Shikamaru tucked his arms under the back of his head, allowing his girlfriend to unzip his olive vest and to take advantage of him for the day.
Ino knelt down until her chest and nose just about touched Shikamaru's. Her blonde locks fell gracefully above his face as they gaze into each other's avid eyes; searching, probing, watching and waiting for their feelings to describe themselves in ceaseless passion. He wanted to gaze into her cerulean orbs forever. She was incredibly beautiful and everything he could ask for.
"It can't be helped, Ino. This feeling inside me, my love for you."
With his elbows, the boy closed his eyes and lifted himself high enough to capture Ino's tender pink lips into his own. They kissed slowly at first and then as oxygen became critical, the couple pulled away only to be pulled back into deep sensual kisses that led to gentle hair grabbing and playful shirt-tugging on both sides.
The blonde giggled as she blurted, "Your breath stinks, Shika!"
Teasingly, she rolled off her lover and into the grass, throwing carnation heads and pieces of grass into the chuunin's properly groomed ponytail.
"I-Ino!?" Shikamaru growled, shaking off the damned things in his hair. He snatched some carnations from the basket at his side and was about to get up and chase down the running witch but stopped and looked at the flowers in his hands, smiling. "We'll stay innocent and pure for a long time, just you and me Ino."
The chuunin checked to see if anyone was looking. The close was clear and he held a couple of the white carnations to his lips, barely brushing against the pedals. He whispered softly to the flower as if they had ears.
"Will you marry me, Ino?"
[end of flashback]
He knew she loved him regardless of the fact that she was obsessed with Sasuke. Any genius would have guessed but Shikamaru knew. That was why he hadn't left Ino's side, even after the Uchiha child was born. His lover's mind was too clouded over her obsession, unaware of the love she had expressed for the chuunin, all these years. Damn that Sasuke! By the time she realized her own oblivion, it was too late, Ino's portrait was now overlooking the many villagers of Konoha atop her elegant oak coffin.
Shikamaru's legs began to shake.
Nande.
Light droplets of water began to fall from the thick gray sky above and Shikato looked up.
"The heavens are crying with us." he said softly to his son.
No response.
The boy continued to gaze at the haunting portrait before him.
Nande. he repeated, almost reaching out his hand to touch her white face.
He quickly held back the urge and turned to his father.
"Give that to me, pops." Shikamaru looked at the ground as he asked, his voice cracked and dried, a result from lack of sleep and all that screaming he did after watching Ino bleed to death on the hospital bed, the day before.
The older man knew exactly what his son was referring to and handed one of the white carnations he had in his hands to the chuunin.
Shikamaru took it and nodded a small thanks at his father.
On the verge of tears again, the boy took a deep breath and began, holding the flower close to his chest.
"These were her favorite flowers. Once, she told me that they symbolized innocence and purity. The blooming of these flowers meant that it was a chance to move on, to forget the troubles of the past, to start fresh in innocence and purity, and to be born again." Shikamaru paused to calm his quivering tearless sobs. "N-Now is her chance. Now is Ino's chance to forget past troubles, to start fresh and innocent, to bloom, and to be free in Heaven. She is free. Yamanaka Ino is free."
Shikato could barely hear his son's voice but he was able to hear every word. He held the chuunin's shoulder's tightly as the boy tucked the carnation under Ino's folded hands.
A sudden breeze tore the piece of paper out of Shikamaru's strong grasp, lifting it into the watering air and blowing it towards the direction away from the funeral location.
"Oh my God! NO, INO!" Panicking, Shikamaru slipped out of his father's hold and recklessly chased after the flying piece of paper through the sprinkling rain as fast as he could. The piece of paper flew above him in a circular motion into the forest. It was the only thing he had left of his beautiful soul mate and friend. He refused to let this one get away. There was no way he was going to lose it. There was no way he was going to lose Ino's last message.
Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Ino!
Thinking he'd might have a better chance of catching the paper at higher levels, Shikamaru dashed about the trees, ripping through the forest at incredible speed. He didn't become a chuunin for nothing. Branches and leaves broke apart and fell to the ground as he'd land on them. Ino's flying note suddenly seemed to slow its pace down as if it wanted the chuunin to follow it.
Nani?
Was this a trick? Was this chase on purpose? Was it Ino? Was Ino doing this? Flashes of his winged beloved came to him, her beautiful wings, her graceful touch. Shikamaru hopped out of the trees and out of the forest. The paper was still waving and beckoning the boy to follow as it teasingly swirled and danced across the sky.
The soggy note glided into the empty village. This path was familiar. Wait, isn't this-Shikamaru gasped as the paper changed its pace and suddenly swept itself further into the murky clouds. What the hell? He began picking up his pace as well, turning through sharp corners, splashing across muddy puddles and leaping over bushes and rocks. The wet paper was still visible within the gray.
A last turn on a corner and the chuunin already knew. It was the same path.
I should've known.
He continued to run until the familiar shop came into view, Yamanaka flower shop. Out of breath and exhausted, the dark-haired boy stopped in front of the shop and watched as the paper floated lightly down into the gardens. The chase was finally over. A deep fatigued sigh escaped him. He made his way slowly to the farther end of the garden and there he saw the piece of paper caught within the pedals of the carnation patch--unfolded.
[flashback]
The close was clear and he held a couple of the white carnations to his lips, barely brushing against the pedals. He whispered softly to the flower as if it had ears.
"Will you marry me, Ino?"
[end of flashback]
His heart stopped.
Ino-chan…
Shikamaru fell to his knees as he read aloud the message that Ino had left him before she died that morning.
"I DO."
To be continued...
Uggh, Im so going to do some fanart on winged Ino and Shika. THEY OWN! I'd like to know what you guys thought about that part. Has anyone ever written ShikaIno in that concept? DOMO for reading =D!! I love you all!
Translation notes:
Nande= Why?
Yamette!=Stop
Sou dane=You are right.