Bad Habits
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything in relation with it, be it canon-plot, characters, or copyrights. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
"You know, Chouji, I have a rather troublesome habit," Shikamaru said.
"Oh, yeah?" asked Chouji curiously between mouthfuls of chips. "What's that?"
"Well, it's kind of embarrassing to admit, but it involves…" – here Shikamaru winced – "…women."
Chouji was used to Shikamaru's chauvinistic remarks. "So what is it?" he prodded.
"It seems that no matter how hard I try to avoid them, I let myself be surrounded by them, and am forced to listen to them. And it can't ever be the nice, quiet ones. No. It always has to be the loud, pushy ones."
"The troublesome ones?" Chouji joked.
"Exactly. Ino, that girl from the Sand village…even the Hokage's a pushy old woman. What is this world coming to?" Shikamaru demanded. "Women have begun to overpower us, and we're not doing anything about it!"
"Nothing for it, I guess."
"How troublesome."
"So what are you going to do about this bad habit of being controlled by loud, pushy women?"
"I'm going to break it!" Shikamaru said determinedly, pushing away from the door he'd been leaning against.
"'Atta boy, Shikamaru!" Chouji cheered.
"I will no longer let women control my life!" continued Shikamaru.
Just then, Ino came by with a large bundle of flowers in her arms.
"What are you two doing?" she asked, looking blankly from one boy to the other.
"Nothing," chorused the males.
"Good. Then take these flowers and come with me. We need to deliver them to a house near the edge of the village, and I'm getting tired of carrying them."
"Now's your chance, Shikamaru!" Chouji whispered.
Shikamaru stared at Ino for a time. Ino stared right back, looking annoyed. Then, Shikamaru sighed and took the bouquet from her.
"What?" asked Chouji, bewildered. "What happened to breaking your habit?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Shikamaru muttered. With another world-weary sigh, he followed Ino down the street, leaving Chouji to shake his head in exasperated dismay.