Chapter Three: Beauty and the Beast
Ino opened the shop the next morning, she checked on the flowers and everything, she was surprised to see Shikamaru entering, "Shika? May I help you?" Ino asked confused, "Yeah…" Shika said embarrassed, slightly blushing. "They're here, for jounin business, I just thought.. That I could give her.. Um… something… " Shika said looking at the flowers, Ino smiled. "What do you think?" Shikamaru asked, Ino tapped Shikamaru's back, "It depends what is she to you?" Ino asked slyly. "A friend, a sister?" Ino asked. Shikamaru did his thinking hands. "Well?" Ino asked. Shika opened his eyes, "I've thought about this…" Shikamaru replied, "How do I explain it?" Ino smiled, "Let me guess" she began while spraying on the flowers, "You are not entirely close to her as a friend, but at the same time you look at her as someone who is a little more than a friend.. is that it?" Ino asked cheery. "Exactly" Shikamaru said, "Amazing", "Every girl could've solved that Shika" Ino said, "you were underestimating girls again", "Ino bent over with a cutter in her hand. "It would be better if you will feed her" Ino suggested then Shikamaru blushed. "I'm not ready for that kind of commitment!" Shikamaru said hysterically, "That's not what I mean!" Ino snapped in her usual tone. "What I'm trying to say is, show her around, girls like to go out and eat" "I see" Shikamaru replied, "What about those two brothers?" Shikamaru asked, "Don't worry I'll cover for you" Ino said as she stood up and gave Shikamaru and dainty, white, fragrant, jasmine that was already arranged. "Give her this before she leaves"
So that afternoon, Temari, Gaara and Kankuro stopped by the Yamanaka flower shop, apparently Temari was looking for a flower for her mother's grave when she comes home. "Oh it's you guys" Ino said, Kankuro nudged Gaara's shoulders, Gaara looked down with his arms crossed, "I was just looking around" Temari said, then she saw an arranged flower, it was very fragrant and little angel's breath were neatly placed. "How much is that one" Temari asked, "Stupid Shika!" Ino thought, "Well that already belongs to someone else" Ino said trying to make the cover, just then Shikamaru entered, "Ino, I think I forgot some…" he stopped, he was all red, "Well Shikamaru, Temari, we were just about to go!" Ino said cheerfully, pulling Kankuro and Gaara. "Goodbye, have a nice day!" She said as still pulling Gaara and Kankuro. "Where are we going?" Kankuro asked, "Let's just leave them alone for a while" Ino said as they stopped by under a tree. "No way" Kankuro laughed with a video cam, "I would love to see this" he said and disappeared. Ino sighed; "I wish nothing would go wrong" She looked at Gaara and smiled.
"How are you?" Ino asked, "Fine…thanks for asking, you?" Gaara replied, "I'm ok… Let's go for a walk, I guess we have a date of our own" Ino said as Gaara followed her. Ino was able to open Gaara up, he began telling her stories about his sister and his brother, Ino would tell him stories about Sakura and Shikamaru and everyone. Until finally they were seen by Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto was shocked, his eyes white with horror while pointing at Ino and Gaara who seemed to be enjoying themselves. "They are.. Going out?" Naruto asked, "No way!" Sakura followed while looking at Sasuke, he bit his lips and pretended not to care.
"That's like beauty and the beast" Naruto said, "Let's follow them!" he suggested. "Right on!" Sakura said, a bit worried about Sasuke, "What do you say Sasuke?" Naruto asked, Sasuke turned away, "I'm not interested" He sternly said, "I wonder what they would do, that Gaara might take her inside his gourd! And it was all a trap" "Idiot!" Sakura said as she boxed Naruto's head, Sasuke quivered, "Just a little more" Naruto thought, "Or what if Gaara kidnapped Ino and…" "Idiot! stop it!" Sakura said giving Naruto another punched, "Or what if they.. Kissed and embraced each other!" "Stop it already!" Sakura said giving Naruto a hard punch, Sasuke had Goosebumps, slowly he turned around, "Fine.." he said.
So they tailed them, they just continued walking and talking about things until finally they stopped, "You can come out now" Gaara said, "If you wont come out then I'll…" sands start to pour from his gourd.. And quickly pulled Naruto off a bush. Sakura and Sasuke came out of a tree, "Geez! Why are guys following us", "It's Naruto's fault!" she replied. "hmp!" was all that can be heard as Sasuke turned his head away, "What were you guys thinking?" Ino asked slightly laughing. "That you two are on a date" Naruto finished, and then Gaara commanded the sand to enter Naruto's mouth. "It's nothing like that, we were waiting for Shikamaru and Temari.. Now that's a date" Ino said, "Really?" Sakura and Naruto chorused with Naruto's mouth still with sands. "Yeah" Gaara replied as the sands enetered his gourd again. "Maybe it's about time we look for them" Ino suggested beaming at Sasuke who was furious.
Just then Temari and Shikamaru were talking about Gaara, Temari had told Shikamaru that Gaara has a crush on Ino for like 2 years, "Ever since he saw her in the Chuunin Exams" Temari recalled, "I see.." Shikamaru said, "Isn't he the Kazekage now?" he asked, "He is.. and he is required to get marry…" Temari said, "Hey, you are not thinking that he wants Ino.." Shikamaru said worried, "Exactly, he wants Ino to be his bride, it's not too soon, he is to be married when he turns twenty.. for now he just have to figure out how to tell Ino how he feels" Temari said eating her cotton candy. "Why can't he just tell her?" Shikamaru asked, "He doesn't have much esteem.. You know, with him dubbed as a monster all the time.. He is much too embarrassed" she explained. "So that's the real reason why you guys are here" Shikamaru said, "yeah.." Temari said. Finally Sakura and Ino's voices scolding Naruto can be heard in the distance. "How troublesome, they're back" Shikamaru said disappointed, Temari looked at him, "thanks I enjoyed myself, its been quite a while since I went out" she said appreciably. Shikamaru blushed, then he remembered the flower, he pulled it under his jacket. The white jasmine and handed it to Temari, "here" he said, Temari blushed, "..Thanks…" she said.
"Oiii! Shikamaru!" Naruto cried, and then finally they caught up with them and Temari, Gaara and Kankuro who turned out late has to say goodbye…they all said their goodbye as they watched them leave accompanied by jounins from their country. "I hope it turned out quite good" Ino said to Shikamaru, "Yeah" Shikamaru answered. Sakura then talked to Sasuke under the shade of the tree. "See, that's why you have to tell her soon, you'll never know.. Someone might have done the first move" Sakura advised, "tonight" Sasuke sternly replied.
So that night, for some unknown reason, Sakura was able to talk Shikamaru out for a treat in the Ichiraku ramen house of course Naruto wouldn't pass out for that, "May I come?" Ino asked, "No you can't!" Sakura and Shikamaru answered. "It's late!" Sakura said with her hands on her waist, "I've no money for more!" Shikamaru followed with his hands on his waist. "Well let's go eat you guys" Naruto said. Then finally Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto were running out of sight.