A Win-Win Situation

By Topaz Talyn

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related character

Chapter five: Ino

Ino sat in a trendy local café waiting for her date. She didn't particularly want to go out with Gaara but since Sasuke had left the village and Ino was a practical girl she figured she might as well explore her options. She sighed and looked at the menu if the date didn't go well she would at least get a free meal out of it. (Actually if the date truly went poorly the best she could hope for was a painless death but she was trying not to think about that.) She looked up just in time to see Gaara walking into the café, she waved to him and he came and sat down across from her.

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Outside the café Temari and a reluctant Kankurou were spying on Gaara's date

"Awww they look so cute together" Temari cooed thinking that she may have hit the jackpot on the first try "Those 500 dollars are as good as mine."

"I still don't see why I had to come."

"Shut up Kankurou."

"It's not as if there's gonna be any trouble."

"Shut up Kankurou."

"But I don't wanna be here."

"Shut up Kankurou"

"Women always make you do troublesome things."

"SHUT UP KANKUROU!" Temari finally shouted

"Uh Temari, That last one wasn't me."

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Things were going surprisingly well between Gaara and Ino. It was almost as if Ino were used to dating a genius ninja whose entire family excluding his siblings was dead, and who had an angsty back story. I wonder why that is? Gaara was actually enjoying himself. Mostly because not everyone in the Leaf Village treated him like a horrible monster. Gaara was used to girls screaming and running away whenever he tried to start up a conversation. There is only one other person in the world who knows that feeling, and oddly enough he was less than a mile away running 500 laps around the village border with his sensei. Conversation between the two was awkward but at least both were making an effort. Gaara was thinking, "She's cute not the brightest person but cute nonetheless." Ino was thinking, "Well if Sasuke-kun is still gone in six months maybe I'll call this guy up for another date."

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Outside things weren't going nearly as well. Chouji was currently cowering behind Shikamaru, or at least trying to. It was hard to do considering that Chouji was about three times as wide as the lazy ninja. Temari was just standing there emanating waves of pure hatred. Kankurou was slinking off trying to avoid being caught in the inevitable crossfire. Shikamaru was just looking at the girl thinking, "Do I know her?"

Kankurou sighed, things couldn't possibly get any worse but then they did.

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Naruto had been running around the village trying to find one of three people; Iruka, Sakura, or Jiraiya. Naruto was feeling hungry, lovelorn and bored, so he was seeking out the three people who could solve his problems. Then he saw something much more interesting. The sand trio or at least two of them were standing outside a café along with Shikamaru and Chouji. Temari was leaning in awfully close to Shikamaru who looked, as always, completely annoyed. Chouji and Kankurou looked as if they were trying as hard as they could not to get involved. Naruto instantly recognized this as a lover's quarrel. He felt that it was his duty as Konoha's coolest ninja to help solve this dispute.

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Temari and Shikamaru's conversation had of course not been a lover's quarrel but it was nonetheless a quarrel. Temari had initially been mad at Shikamaru for humiliating her in the chunin exam, she got even angrier when he admitted that he didn't know who she was. Her anger increased once again when he guessed that she was Kin from the sound village. At that point Temari lost it and started yelling at Shikamaru. Then it dawned on her. The reason that Shikamaru had been outside the café in the first place. He was trying to sabotage Gaara's date.

"You're trying to throw a wrench in my plan aren't you?"

"What?" said Shikamaru utterly confused.

"You're trying to sabotage Gaara's date with Ino."

"Why would I do a troublesome thing like that?"

"Why? I don't know. Unless. Unless YOU have a crush on the Yamanaka girl!"

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"…YOU have a crush on the Yamanaka girl!" Naruto heard Temari say as he walked up to the odd group of ninjas. "Ahh that must be the cause of this fight. Temari saw Shikamaru hanging out with Ino and being unaware that they are on the same team thought that Shikamaru was cheating on her with Ino." Thought Naruto, he decided that he had to explain the situation to Temari.

"Oi! Temari come here! I think I can solve your problem." called Naruto. Temari turned around noticing Naruto for the first time. The prospect of solving Temari's problem was obviously of interest to her so she abandoned the group to go talk to Naruto. After giving Kankurou strict orders to make sure that the rest of Gaara's date went un-sabotaged, that is.

"So you can solve my problem?"

"Yes, it's quite simple really." Naruto smirked.

"How did you even know about it?"

"Well I deduced it from that conversation you were just having with Shikamaru." Temari was quite shocked at this. Could Naruto actually find her a suitable boyfriend? She had to ask him.

"So, can you actually find me a suitable boyfriend?"

"Don't be hasty. Just because you and Shikamaru had a fight doesn't mean you have to break up."

"WHAT?"

"I mean lots of lovers fight. But if you can work through it you'll have a stronger relationship and I bet you'll even…."

Naruto never got to finish that sentence. At the mention of her going out with Shikamaru, Temari had pulled out her fan and knocked Naruto clear across the village. All the excitement had tired Temari out so she decided to go back to the hotel.

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When Gaara and Kankurou arrived in their shared room, Temari was eager to hear the details of Gaara's date. Gaara being Gaara however would give her no details besides that the date was "fine" After Gaara left to go to bed. Well at least to go sit on his bed at mope about his inability to sleep Temari cornered Kankurou.

"How did you deal with that idiotic saboteur?"

"Well I…"

"Did you use your kunai? Or shuriken? Did you stick an exploding tag on him?"

"Not exactly. You see he…"

"You used Karasu didn't you? Of course, that is your specialty."

"Temari, I didn't have to fight him."

"What?"

"Well after you left, he just said that he didn't care who Ino went out with because all women are troublesome and just walked off."

"WHAT?"

…………………………..

Naruto had been defeated. He was sad thinking that such a great relationship was going to end simply because of a misunderstanding. It couldn't end that way. He wouldn't let it. Naruto stood up and with fire in his eyes declared, "I WILL save Temari and Shikamaru's relationship if it's the last thing I do!" And in the hotel for the second time in two days Kankurou sensed that something terrible had just happened.