Thank you, everyone who has reviewed so far. I'm sorry these last two chapters took so long to get out in comparison to my earlier speed—I lost my computer for about 3 weeks and could write nothing. And then school happened.
8 – New Developments
She came to him with an idea. A stupid, impossible, crazy idea.
I want to turn the Shintenshin into a battle jutsu, she told him. I want you to help me figure out how.
Shikamaru was never one for effort, much less anyone else's ambitions. Especially unrealistic ambitions.
I thought applying that jutsu to multiple people was impossible, because you send your whole spirit outward.
But Ino only grinned at him, her sexy, bossy grin, and let him into her confidence:
That's what I've been told, but I don't believe it. I think some part of me gets left behind to maintain a connection to my body; else why would loss of chakra affect me? No, it's very possible Shikamaru. And you're going to help me learn to do it.
Because Shikamaru could never say no to Yamanaka Ino for long, two months later he found himself standing in a grassy meadow outside the walls of Konoha, holding up the unconscious body of his former teammate and watching as Kiba and Hinata, the unlucky volunteers, did simultaneous jumping jacks a few feet away.
They jumped, they squatted, they turned in place. It was eerie the way their movements mirrored like dancers, an eeriness compounded by the ridiculous cross-eyed stare Ino was putting on their faces. The spectacle continued for a few more seconds before both members of Team 8 stopped with a jerk, a puzzled look replacing the clownish expressions. From her place leaning against Shikamaru's side, Ino stirred, lifting her head.
"Thanks guys," she said. "You can go now."
"Did it work?" Kiba asked.
"Can't tell, it's a secret," Ino replied with a wink. Hinata giggled, and Kiba shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever. Let's got get something to eat, Hinata!" As soon as the others were out of earshot, Ino rounded on Shikamaru, laughing ecstatically.
"Did you see that?" she squealed. "It worked! It really worked! Just like we thought!"
"Yeah, I saw," the chunin replied, bemused as always by her enthusiasm. "It was pretty good. You still couldn't make them act separately, though."
"Who cares about separate, Shikamaru!" she crowed triumphantly, throwing her hands up. "You could at least pretend to be impressed. Did you see what I just did? I've made the Shintenshin a battle jutsu! I've done something not even my father or grandmother could—"
Shikamaru grabbed Ino's face in his hands and kissed her before she could finish her sentence. He held there for a moment, then pulled away.
"Okay, what the hell was—"
"I'm showing you how impressed I am."