It wasn't a success...

It wasn't a success...

It wasn't a success...

Shikamaru's words echoed in Ino's mind rapidly, when Ino finally understood the meaning of it wasn't a success she dropped the glass vase on the smooth tiled floor and collapsed ontop of the broken vase piece. She should have felt pain when the broken pieces dug into her shin and knees causing her to bleed, but what her ears had just heard from Shikamaru was much more painful than cuts on knees.

Seeing Ino's legs collapsing on the sharp glass pieces, Shikamaru rushed beside Ino. By now he'd thought that Ino would throw konoha's biggest rampage against him but surprisingly she did nothing. She wasn't talking. She wasn't moving. And probably from suffering so much she wasn't even crying. But she did do one thing though, she was scaring the heck out of Shikamaru.

"Ino..." Shikamaru weakly whispered.

Ino still containued to be speechless but she slowly leaned her body against Shikamaru's chest and let out a soft whimper. Shikamaru felt that the whimpering was wet against his shirt.


"Shikamaru...I can't believe that he's gone." Ino finally spoke.

To Shikamaru hearing Ino finally speaking after the incident was one of the most simplest words to him...happy.

"Me neither, I just wished that we could talk to him again."

"You don't get it Shika! It's not about us! He was just so young, he had so much to live for!" cried Ino with teary eyes again.

Shit, please please don't cry Ino.

Aaaand the tears streamed down her blotchy cheeks.

Screw, I even said please. -.-"

"But Ino, I miss him just as much as you do."

"No! You miss him more! I know that I'd really miss him if he was gone but I also knew that you'd be the most sensitive one about this! When I walked into the emergency halls I saw you, and I knew imideatly that something was wrong. You looked horrible and you were a mess! I didn't know how you'd take it!" Ino painfully explained.

Shikamaru pulled her blonde head into a tight hug and whispered into her ears, "Hey, just think Chouji's in a better place now with all you can eat chips and dips." Ino struggled in his embrace and whispered back, "I don't know what I'll do if I lost both of you."

"You won't. And Chouji wouldn't be very happy to see you being so torn up like this." added Shikamaru while letting Ino go.

"sniff...I'll be...sniff...okay...sniff...for you and Chouji...sniff." Ino replied trying to pull up a smile.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Shikamaru said waving her a goodbye.

"Uh huh, I have to go er...deliever um some stuff. Bye Shika." Ino nodded as she ran towards the flower shop door and disappeared the other direction.


Shikamaru and Naruto has recieved a scroll for an escorting mission...but to where?

"Ohayo granny Tsunadae!" greeted Naruto jumping around.

"Ohayo." Shikamaru said in a lazy ass voice.

"Don't touch that Naruto! Sit down!" screamed Tsunadae tempting to beat up Naruto.

"Ahem, as you both know from your scrolls you're suppose to escort Shizune for an important confrence because I can't make it there in time after preparing Naruto's files for his hokage test. The destination is the sand village. When you arrive a couple of their ninjas will take Shizune to the confrence and you to a place to rest for the night. The next morning if all goes well, you will return back to Konoha with Shizune." explained Tsunadae.

"Does that mean we get that night to ourselves?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yes."

"Are there ramen shops in the sand village. If yes then where?" Naruto eagerly asked.

Tsunadae just glared at him.

"Shizune's waiting for you guys at the West gate. Don't forget to show the sand nins the premission scroll. Good luck gentlemen and get of out my office." Tsunadae finished while shooing the two shinobis out of her door.

They met up with Shizune but there was one last thing that Shikamaru wanted to do, "Wait, I'll be back real quick. In a sec."

Searching for what he wanted he finally found his blonde beauty, he went up to her and greeted, "Hey Ino."

Ino jumped by surprise and whispered, "Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, I'm going on a mission with Naruto and Shizune, if the mission goes well then I won't be back till tormorrow..."

"Oh, becareful-take-care-of-yourself-and-that-dobe-Naruto-I gotta-go-see ya-tormorrow-bye!" Ino commented and rushed off.

Geeze, what's with her?

Because they took the closest route to their destination, the mission went very smoothly and quickly until they entered the wind country area which started to heat up.

"...I haven't had rame for such a long time...so hot and hungry..." whined Naruto.

"Naruto-san, it's only been three hours." Shizune replied.

"But it is getting hot." Shikamaru agreed to Naruto's point.

Just then three tall figures appeared with one of them carrying a big gourd.

"Gaara." Shikamaru said.

"What's up Shikamaru, Naruto, and ...lady?" greeted Temari winking at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru just smiled lazily and showed Gaara the scroll.

"So you're the escorts..." Gaara gave Kankuro a glace then looked at them. "...Alright, let's go."