A/N: There. The second chapter. And it's weekend, whoo-hoo! And chemistry test on Monday and biology test on Wendsday. Oh, joy.
But that doesn't stop me from updating!Expect a new chapter of "Prophecy of Love" this weekend. And as always, please review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Shikamaru was collecting his most important things in his house. The books, the notes he made, their group picture of Team 10 and "Rookie nine", some of his personal stuff, clothes, his bracelet...
"Friends"
Shikamaru fingered lazily the beads, seven of them had a letter graved. Together, the word "Friends" was created. Rest of them was painted in random colors.
It was unusual for any boy to have such girly thing in his room. Especially, for a boy who claimed that all women were "troublesome".
Staring at the object in his hand, his mind drifted to the day he got it. He thought wistfully about Inoshi's daughter when, as a five-year-old, presented him with the same bracelet with such pride and excitement in her face... Soon, the view of his room was replaced by his old academy class when the same girl, this time ten years old, sat by his side with such sadness and regret burning in her eyes...
...This time, she was falling through walls, not damaging them even one bit. She recognized the academy building and soon saw her old class. It was break time and everyone was talking animatedly. Except, she noted, for a familiar blond girl sitting with a equally familiar boy who was wearing a spiky ponytail and the same, old fishnet shirt...
"Can't you do something useful, for once! Why are you always sleeping in-"
"Because I'm doing something useful. I'm saving my energy for the future. If you're such a good student, you should know that a ninja should always save chakra when it's possible. So, that..."
The boy's voice slowly died as a certain pink haired girl approached them.
"See, Ino-pig? Listen to someone who's smarter. In other words, listen to everyone except yourself."
After that comment, their classmate slowly walked away, chuckling to herself. Probably very happy that she could repay Ino for that comment she made about her dress this morning.
Meanwhile, the insulted one, obviously annoyed, stood up to run after the girl...
...and her expression changed.
Till now, the still transparent Ino, was watching it with mild amusement and disbelieving shake of head at her own stupidity. Now, she looked sharply at the still standing girl. Her pale face seemed even paler and her wide eyes even wider...
...and she was looking with her mouth open at the retreating girl's wrist.
Ino glanced that way and her expression turned the same.
She totally forgot about that bracelet!
She could remember, although not very clearly, that she gave it to Sakura on her first birthday since they knew each other. She could remember buying the beads and putting them on two pieces of string. After a few hours of work, one piece resulted to be a colorful bracelet with seven beads forming a word "Friends" in the middle. The second one, colorful as well, had the word "Forever" in the middle.
After remembering it, she looked back at her young self watching with slight regret and sympathy. She looked down just in time to see her own, younger hands slipping off a familiar bracelet. She saw it falling quietly on the floor and frowned,
"But I..."
And then, a blonde girl ran past her, yelling insults at Sakura. She looked back, only to see the lazy boy reaching for the object that just landed on the floor, all the time looking at the violet ninja uniform with concern and worry. He picked it up and fingered it, looking strangely older and wistful...
Ino blinked. It was only her imagination; after all, Shika was always more mature than the rest.
Before she could think about it anymore, she was suddenly standing in the academy library. At the table, a familiar person wearing red dress and pink hair was sitting, writing something.
"Perfect! I was able to do it in only 1 hour! I still have time to go see Sasuke..."
Excitement evident on her face, she started giggling and pressed the scroll to her chest.
Suddenly, both girls turned hearing slow footsteps approaching from behind.
"Shikamaru-san? Are you looking for something? May I help you?"
Polite and helpful as always, Sakura Haruno came nearer the Nara boy.
"Yes. I want your bracelet."
Except for paler skin, Sakura had the same expression s Ino just a few hours ago.
"Why do you want it? It's nothing special; I like to wear it only because it's pretty and matches my dress..."
"It is special. And it shouldn't be yours, so give it to me."
"Why can't you ask nicer? Maybe then, I'll let you borrow it for a while..."
Sakura paled just like Ino. The look that this ten year old boy just gave her, was enough to immobilize her throat.
Without any words, she gave the object on her wrist to the boy. Without any words, the boy turned and walked away.
Ino went after him, both startled and impressed at the force he just presented. It had to be a lot if he managed to shut up Sakura and convince her into giving him something she actually wanted...
Before she went, she used her family technique to read Sakura thoughts.
"He's either crazy or dangerous. Or maybe both. To make such ruckus about some girly bracelet...I have to be more careful around him, since now..."
Blocking Sakura's brain once again, she went after the boy.
He stopped by her house and threw something in the mailbox, after digging it out from his pocket. Then, slightly faster, went home.
Ino looked in the mailbox. She saw the familiar bracelet with the word "Forever" written on it.
"I knew that something seemed strange...I remember that I still have that bracelet; I couldn't bring myself to throw it away for the second time..."
She really wanted to know what did he do with the "Friends" bracelet. Feeling weaker, she ran to his house, just in time to see Shikamaru placing the bracelet on his windowsill, used also as a bed desk...then, there was blackness once again.
Shikamaru shook his head. He shouldn't think about such things when Ino was...likely to never wake up. He should go to her as quickly as possible.
Collecting the rest of his stuff, he quickly teleported to the hospital.