A/N: Sorry for the late update! It has been a month since I updated! my deep apology! Anyways, hopefully that this chappie will seem a little bit different for all of you. It is meant to be, anyways! Well, please- omg, now my mood went down too after typing this chapter! omg omg...please enjoy? or...please cry?

Chapter 8: The gap that lies between

I am like a falling star who has finally found a place next to

a lovely constellation,where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.

But forever? I am even unsure about my love for you. How will I be qualified to talk about 'forever' with you in any way?

That's right. She used to think that her 'love' for a certain Uchiha would last for eternity. But it did't. She realized how stupid and immature she was to think like that. It was just a childish act, not love. She pushed herself away from him. Although it is hard, I have to let go. She lengthened their distance by sitting up against the wall instead of leaning onto him. Maybe this time, it's only another childish act too... The girl took another glance at the boy. Maybe everything is just a dream...

Why not give up before I hurt both myself and him?

I am quitting.

The morning broke and his eyelids cracked opened. Other than greeting the sunlight with his orbs, his eyes greeted something else: an empty bed and an empty spot beside him. Where did Ino go? He pushed the blanket away and rose from the floor that he slept on for the entire night.

Shikamaru stretched his tense muscles and yawned out loud, as usual. So troublesome. He bowed down to pick up the blanket from the floor. After patting off the dust, he roughly threw the blanket onto the mattress. Then, he scratched his messy hair. He always hated to wake up in the early morning. Firstly, he had to brush his teeth and change into another set of clothing. Secondly, he had to cook breakfast and go to the Hokage office. Lastly, he had to face another new day.

But everything changed since you came...

The boy didn't have to find his toothpaste anymore in the morning because she got it ready. He didn't have to dig into the closet for an outfit because she did that for him. He didn't have to cook any breakfast because she was there to cook for him. Mostly importantly, he didn't have to walk to the Hokage office alone because she would walk with him and tell him it's just an exercise for her.

Shikamaru smiled. Everything doesn't seem too troublesome when you are here.

However, today seemed different.

The things that were suppose to be there weren't there. There was something that he was sure about. There is no more Ino pacing around downstairs... Without even brushing his teeth or cleaning up his appearance, he ran out of the bedroom and proceeded downstairs. As predicted, no one was there except for a cooked breakfast.

Now Ino, where did you go?

Shikamaru quickly grabbed his jacket and got out of his residence. Just when did I start to care about you this much? He dropped by at Ichiraku, "Old man, you saw Ino passing by?" A shook of his head, the boy kept on searching. Just why am I doing this?

"Asuma!" he caught a smoking man in the corner of his sharp eyes. Maybe sensei knows where she is. The boy panted heavily and sweat poured from his forehead, "Asuma, have you seen Ino around?" Shikamaru bent his knees and placed his hands on them just to provide himself some support.

"Ino?" The man took another inhale of the cigarette, "haven't seen her around that much lately," he raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I thought she is living with you for this month!"

The boy scratched his head lazily and sighed, "and I don't know where she went," this is so troublesome...but I care about it so much. "all right, I will ask around for her then," with that, he rushed pass his former sensei and began his searching again.

"Shikamaru,"

The panting boy turned his head and stared at the teacher, "what is it, Asuma?"

The man took the cigarette out of his lips and suggested, "why not going to the academy for a try? She is a young sensei after all," That idea brightened Shikamaru's brain a little. Oh, that's right! Then, before he could proceed to the Academy, the adult reminded him something very important. "Shikamaru, the three big taboos for a shinobi are alcohol, money and..." the man searched for his expression, "woman."

"Asuma," The shadow boy tucked his hands into his pocket and flashed him a I-would-care-less face, "Just what are you trying to-"

"I can sense that you are going a bit too obsess with Ino lately," the man coughed and stated once again, "and Ino is a woman."

Just what is he saying? Ino is... The shadow boy turned around and squeezed his fists until the knuckles turned white, "Ino is not just a woman," he looked into his sensei's eyes but faced the direction he was suppose to go within a split second. He refused to speak out his heart; he wasn't ready to let everyone know yet...

"Tsunade-sama, may I please skip today's teaching at the Academy for personal reason?" Ino politely asked for the Hokage's permission. That personal reason...she didn't know what is it. But she was sure if Shikamaru found out she wasn't in the house, he would come and look for her in the school. That's why-

"Ino, you are dismiss," Tsunade crossed her arms and leaned onto her chair, "It's not that I don't care about that personal reason of yours but I am sure you are mature enough to know what is right and what is wrong for you to do." The old woman smiled and continued on with her next paper assignment.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," The girl bowed politely at her before exiting the room.

Ino jumped from roof to roof, towards the direction of the Nara residence. It was not like that she wanted to jump instead of walking. It was because she didn't have the key to his house. The door should be locked, but... Then, she let out a small smile. I am sure Shikamaru is clumsy enough to leave the windows opened.

She stopped moving as she reached the nearest tree to the window of his house. As expected. Carefully and slowly, she pulled opened the window and sucessfully got into without breaking the glass and ripping the curtain. She landed onto the bed with her feet and noticed how messy the room was without her being there for only one morning.

Without getting the reason she came here for done, Ino made the bed and tidied the tossed clothes. I can't imagine how his life would be... Her lips curved downwards as she wondered...without me. She shook her head mentally and took a deep inhale, "there's no turning back now, Ino." When she was done making the room clean, the girl went to the closet and opened it, just to grab all her clothes and belongings back to her home.

She neatly folded her shirts and pants into the luggage. Grabbing her towel, her toothbrush, comb, doll and other important things, she slammed the luggage closed and locked it up. I guess this is goodbye. She stood up from the floor with the heavy luggage in her hands. She took one last look at the Nara residence and took one last sniffle at the smell of his room. Then, she left.

Completely.

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune yelled behind the closed door.

"What is it, Shizune!" Tsunade took notice of the medic's voice and raised to her head to look at the wooden door. Surprising, Shizune wasn't the person who rushed into the room. It was Shikamaru. Oh. The woman sat back and pretended to look calm, "Just when did Shikamaru turn into an impatient kid with no matter?"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune stood by the door and called out the woman. With a wave of Tsunade's hand, the lady was dismissed.

When the door was closed again, the Hokage looked at Shikamaru's flushing face and questioned the jounin, "Is there an important reason that you came here for me?" Then, she stared at his way of dressing, "and I can see that you are in a rush because you are not wearing what a ninja should be wearing."

Shikamaru slammed his fists onto the table and leaned closer to her. But not too close. He spoke between his heavy breathing, "I couldn't find her in the Academy," he wiped the sweat away from the back of his hand, "I couldn't find her at my house," the boy gulped, still breathing heavily, "do you know where she is?"

Tsunade smirked as she leaned back onto the chair, "who is the her you are talking about?"

He knew that she knew. Shikamaru looked away but looked back at the woman after a few seconds, "Yamanaka Ino."

"Ah-" The woman smirked again. She wasn't sure if he was blushing or not when he spoke her name. After all, his face was already flushed when he rushed into the office. How could she tell? "I dismissed her from working today because she had to leave the school for personal reason,"

"What personal reason?"

"She didn't tell."

Shikamaru slowly gained his normal pace of breathing and there weren't that much sweat matted on his forehead anymore, "then, did she go back to her house? Did she tell you?" The Hokage shook her head. The jounin nodded his head dumbly and whispered, "all right." With that, he turned around and walked for the door.

"Shikamaru, I don't think you should be behaving in the way that you are now," the woman tapped her fingers onto the table and smirked, "and I think you are smart enough to know what I am talking about."

The boy looked over his shoulder and replied seriously, "and I think you are clever enough to understand too, Hokage-sama," he turned around and stared at the woman, "Ino is not only a woman to me," he spoke out the words without blushing and without thinking another way of expressing his feeling, "she is a woman whom I love."

Tsunade smiled, "I wasn't expecting you to tell me that but," she stood up and looked at the window at the Konoha village, "follow what your heart speaks." Then, he smiled too. Looks like Shikamaru has finally become what he should... After one or two seconds, she heard the door closed quiety and followed by a polite knock.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune waited by the door with a pile of paper in her arms. The woman turned to look at the medic and nodded her head to signal her to continue, "there is another mission."

It was raining outside.

Ino unpacked her things from the luggage and neatly put them back into places. Her house seemed distance and cold for a second. But of course, she had been spending time living in Shikamaru's house for weeks and left her house occupied. Besides, she didn't close the windows yet. Clumsy me. She smiled slightly as she closed those opened windows.

She noticed how the rain soaked a section of her bedsheets. Troublesome rain. She removed the soaked sheet with a dry one. Suddenly, a fear struck her mind, which made her mind raced. Did I close Shikamaru's windows? Ino smacked her head to recall the time when she sneaked into his room. Shoot! I don't think I did!

Ino grabbed her raincoat and ran downstairs quickly. She was going to close those windows again. She slid onto her boots by the door and stood up when she was done. She held the freezing doorknob and swung the door opened. What was in front of her was him.

Shikamaru...

She wanted to shut the door but she failed to complete her mission. Before the door completely closed, his hand was already holding the door in place. "Ino, there is something-"

"Go away, Shikamaru!" Ino pushed onto the door, applying more forces onto it, hoping that it would closed, "I don't want to listen to anything that you are going to say or do! Get out of my house!" Because I don't want to fall for you again...

"Ino, please just let me-"

"Shikamaru!" She interrtuped him again, "Just why! Why do you have to keep coming back? Why?" She could feel tears swelling up against her eyeballs, and soon those tears would be scrolling down. Why do you and your face have to taunt my dreams! "Shikamaru, please-" The girl leaned her forehead against the door and cried out.

Shikamaru took the chance to grab her hand to pull her to his direction, "Ino, please-" he was stunned and speechless when he saw tiny tear drops fell from her eyes. Why are you crying? I thought you are strong. The boy held her shoulders and whispered, "please don't cry."

"Then, please leave me alone."

The shadow boy sighed in frustration and still held onto her arms, "I am not going to let you go!" She tried to struggle but unable to within his strong arms. Shikamaru shook her shoulders and yelled out, "I am not going to lost you and I don't want to!" I want you to be here with me...

"The problem is I am not going to stay with you forever!" Ino yelled at him, filling her eyes with tears, "I am not special and I don't want to be anyone-"

Just what happened? I thought we were... Shikamaru held onto her arm tighter, giving her a pain red mark, "You are not going anywhere..." Can't we just be the way we used to be? He swallowed the anger and frustration and fulled Ino as he walked away, "I am taking you with me!"

"Shikamaru!" Ino stood at her spot, which only frustrated the boy greater.

He turned back to look at the girl and yelled, "Just what-" Bad decision.

A hard and quick slap went across the side of his cheek. That slap, that heart-breaking slap, had cleaned his mind. He shutted his mouth and whispered softly as he released her from his grip, "is it all we can be?" he looked at her bowed head, "is this all we can do?" he withdrawn his hands to his side and asked once more, "is it where everything ends?"

Ino looked at him and took a deep breathe, "Yes," With that, she closed the door slowly, leaving the boy standing under the rain

alone.

End of Chapter 8

A/N: A sappy chappie...omg omg. i hate this i hate this! and this chappie seems incomplete in a way too! but hopefully that you are loving it! hahahahaha XD! hopefully there won't be another writer's block till the next update! thank you for everyone's patiences!