A Win-Win Situation

By Topaz Talyn

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related characters

Chapter Thirteen: The Set-Up

Temari was waiting patiently for this leaf shinobi, whoever he was to show up. She expected that it would be some low level chuunin who would speak with her about Konoha's economic interests in Suna. She was right about half of that.

……………………………………..

Shikamaru was making his way towards the park ever so slowly. Ino was following him silently. She was using all her ninja skills to tail him. She was silent, she was deadly. She was like a tiger stalking her prey. He would never know what hit him. She was invisible.

"Ino, I know you're there."

"What? How did you know?" asked Ino as she stepped out of the bush she had been using for cover. Shikamaru just sighed.

"Ino, I'm a ninja. I'm supposed to know if I'm being trailed. Now what do you want?"

"Nothing!" Ino said trying her best to smile and stay calm. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever. Just stop following me." Shikamaru shrugged and walked off leaving Ino both amazed and a little bit pissed.

"Well fine!" she shouted, "I'm going home!" and with that Ino stomped off towards her house.

……………………………………

"Is everything all set?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'm in position now."

Naruto was hiding in the bushes in the park watching Temari and waiting for Shikamaru to show up. He was going to see them together if it killed him. (Which knowing Temari, It might) Finally Shikamaru strolled into the clearing. The pair's first reaction was not what Naruto had hoped for.

………………………………….

"YOU!" yelled Temari

"YOU!" yelled Shikamaru

"What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously.

"Well I was told to meet a leaf ninja here in order to talk about the relationships between our villages."

"Oh I see what's happening." Shikamaru said, "Someone is trying to pull a prank on both of us. Well forget that, I'm going home."

"WAIT!" shouted Naruto jumping out of the bushes. Temari and Shikamaru just stared at him. He continued, "I know that you two had some sort of fight, but I don't think you should end your relationship because of that. People need to work through these problems that's how love is strengthened. Now why don't you two just kiss and make up?"

"Um, Naruto." Shikamaru said

"What?"

"Temari and I have never gone out together."

"…WHAT?"

"It's true. We didn't have a fight, I've just never been able to stand this lazy bum."

"Really?" Naruto was extremely confused. How could this be true?

"You mean I went through all that work to set you guys up for nothing?" Naruto shouted. Anybody else would have realized that that was the exact wrong thing to say.

"You've been trying to set us up?" Temari asked with flames in her eyes. Naruto immediately realized the grave peril he was in.

"Well other people helped too. It was really a group eff…" Naruto's sentence remained unfinished as Temari smacked him into the distance with her fan. Temari then turned to Shikamaru.

"Now as for you, I don't ever want to see you again." Temari said

"Works for me." shrugged Shikamaru

……………………………………

"Well how did it go Naruto?"

"Are they together?"

"Did they kiss?" The group was barraging Naruto with questions.

"Please, I have an announcement." Naruto began "We have made a grave mistake. We thought that Shikamaru and Temari were in love with each other but it turns out that we were wrong. There relationship will never happen and there is one good reason why."

Everyone leaned in to hear Naruto's reason.

"Because Shikamaru is in love with INO!" Naruto finished.

The group just stared at him. One by one they started to leave. They all felt very silly for listening to Naruto in the first place. Naruto meanwhile was swearing to help bring Shikamaru and Ino together no matter what.

……………………………………….

Across town in her room Ino felt something that has been felt by many people recently. You guessed it, Ino felt a sense of impending doom.