After their conversation, Ino and Choji pulled Shikamaru along for barbeque. Luckily it was a much lighter affair with the tension that had permeated the office dissipating quickly as they left.
The restaurant was familiar, in fact, very little had changed since he had last visited. For many years they had come here. The smell of cooking meat and smoke wafted through the air, wrapping him in a nostalgic embrace. Shikamaru half expected Asuma to be waiting for them, but instead he slid into an empty booth after a soft nudge from Ino. He felt the weight as she slid in next to him, somehow making it more bearable.
It didn't take long for Ino to begin regaling them with stories of her new boyfriend, Sai. A man she described as having "the mind of an artist"... whatever that meant. The topic was new but the company was familiar.
Eventually the conversation morphed into reminiscing about the stupid trouble they had gotten into together as they ate. Shikamaru found that, yes, it still hurt when Asuma came up - but it also felt good to remember him in their lives. Often long suffering (along with his wallet) when he would take them to the very same restaurant. Even trying, though definitely struggling, to find the right advice to give Ino and eventually him and Choji about the opposite sex… and any other tough subject that they didn't want to ask their parents, really. He was intricately woven into their pasts. His presence had made them who they were now.
They had been talking for a while when Shikamaru suddenly realized he wasn't experiencing the usual all consuming guilt - his chest wasn't constricting as painfully. He could see and understand now what Ino and Choji had been saying from the start - they didn't blame him. They never had.
Now there were moments when he could just forget… before the guilt of forgetting would pop up, renewing the pain afresh... but it wasn't in the same - not as strong. And these moments of reprieve were happening more often and lasting longer. Whenever it had happened before, he had hated it. It always felt like a betrayal and something he didn't deserve. But this time was different... there was something comforting about remembering Asuma beyond just the last moments of his life, especially with friends who knew him the same way. A way of keeping Asuma with him that didn't only bring pain.
I failed him and there are so many ways I have let him down since… but Asuma was… is more than the last moments of his life… he wouldn't want that to be the only memories that remained...
It was right after they left the restaurant that Ino stopped him on the walk to their cars, "This… today… was this possible because of the case?" Her bright blue eyes shone in the light.
Shikamaru took a moment to think, "I suppose so."
Ino's brow wrinkled as she scrutinized him closely, likely watching for any tells of a lie, "Is what you told Sakura true… Sasuke isn't cheating on Sakura?"
Shikamaru always appreciated Ino's dedication to her friends, and he wasn't surprised, "You know I shouldn't talk about any client's case, but since she already told you and you know… he's not. Not with Temari. Not with anyone… but that's all I can share."
"Alright." Ino gave a nod as she accepted his words. She knew he wasn't lying to her. She had known him for too long - she could tell, even if no one else could. This would be enough. She could let that subject rest here. She turned her brilliant smile on and poked him in the arm, "So, what is going on with you and Temari?"
It was a question he didn't really know the answer to or care to unpack, "Geesh, Ino..." he rolled his eyes, "We just have mutual interests. We're just working together… it's pretty much a business partnership." Shikamaru found his hand absently rubbing the back of his neck with Ino's interrogation.
Ino snorted, looking unconvinced, "It looked like a lot more than just business when we came into your office today."
Choji chimed in with a smile, "You could practically cut the sexual tension with the knife between the two of you. The way you were looking at each other..."
Shikamaru scowled, "Not you too, Choji? Nothing is or is going to happen between us. It would be nothing but troublesome." Choji chose to only respond with a chuckle and half hearted shrug.
"I'm not saying I trust her, but maybe she isn't half bad if half of what you said before was true. Points to anyone, really, who can put up with your sad mug." Ino laughed while Shikamaru as he scowled and fished in his pocket for his cigarettes and lighter. Ino continued undeterred, "Maybe she's even a good influence on you, seeing as you came out with us today. It has been a long time."
Good wasn't exactly a synonym that came to mind when he thought of Temari. Stubborn? Yes. Difficult? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. Smart? Yes. Sexy? Yes. Troublesome? God, yes. An image of Temari's blood splattered face with her practically feral smile at the warehouse popped into his head. Good influence? Good anything? Not so much, but when was the last time he'd liked anything that was good for him? She would be more like cigarettes or alcohol. She was probably more like a vice.
Whatever look Ino had seen cross his face was enough for her to let the subject go, "Well... just be careful, Shikamaru. I'll let you know what info and contacts I can scrounge up." Ino went onto her toes and kissed his cheek before playfully adding, "See you later alligator."
Choji's large hand patted Shikamaru on the back, "I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything that can help, and don't be afraid to come to me if I can help. I can still get information when Ino can't. I can do just as good as whoever gave you a once over, you know."
Choji didn't like roughing anyone up, but he could and had - and would sure as hell do it again if he needed to. "Tsch, I know... probably even better. And I will Choji... I will." Shikamaru nodded his head and placed a cigarette between his lips before giving a half wave in goodbye before lighting it, as his friends walked off towards their car.
"So, how did things pan out after I left yesterday? I don't think your girlfriend likes me much - but at least the other cat seemed sweet enough." Temari smirked as she flipped through the file in front of her, not bothering to look up.
It had been said as if it was a throwaway comment, but there was something in her words that still caught his attention. Why was she asking? Why would she care?
He stared across the table at her, watching her as she jotted down notes about things she found particularly interesting or helpful, before he chose his words carefully and to keep them intentionally vague, "You might be surprised."
He watched her closely, wanting to catch some reaction as she paused and her eyes lifted to meet his. "Is that so?"
"Ino's finding me information on a couple of the big time money launderers working out of Konoha. We might be able to use them to track down the other Akatsuki. She has a talent for information. She actually helped me find information on you and Kankuro too."
"Blonde and beautiful has connections?" Temari tapped her pen on her paper, before suddenly stopping and looking up staring at Shikamaru, "Wait… Ino… what's her last name?"
"Yamanaka."
"Is her family the Yamanaka's that have the gambling parlor in the basement of their flower shop?"
"One in the same."
"I've heard of her family… of her specifically, even." Shikamaru looked to Temari, an eyebrow raised in question which prompted her to elaborate, "We've been gathering information far before you joined us. We're not half bad either, you know. As for her... fellas like to talk about pretty girls. Though I've also heard that she's not someone you want to be on the bad side of and to avoid playing cards against her."
"That's all true enough." He felt his brow furrow at the memories of the men who had dared to mess with Ino's heart in the past. He didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for a single one of them.
"So, you on her bad side now?" She was teasing him, but he always liked catching her smirk and her apparent joy at doing so.
"Nah, though sometimes I wonder if there is all that much of a difference," he smirked.
Temari stared thoughtfully at him before returning back to the papers and her notes, surprisingly going quiet.
Silence settled between the two of them for several minutes before Temari spoke again, "Kankuro is reaching out to a contact we have in Suna that we trust to see if we can trace them through guns or money connections there."
He didn't say it, but knowing how things had turned out for her father, Rasa, in Suna… well, Shikamaru wasn't so sure whoever their contact was would have their best interest at heart. Once he'd started listening he had started to hear a number of stories about the guy. Many of those stories did not paint him as the type of leader to inspire loyalty in his men after his death.
Shikamaru had thought he was good at hiding his feelings and thoughts behind a blank (sometimes even bored) face, but once again Temari seemed to know his thoughts and chose to share more. "Yeah, he used to be one of my father's guys, but he pretty much raised us. We've been keeping in touch with him. Baki's also been keeping us updated on everything going on in Suna - he's how we know about Sasori and Diedra skulking around Suna recently. I trust him." He hadn't asked, but she had shared. She had included parts that could even be considered personal. He didn't need to know, but now he did.
Not to mention, he was pretty sure the number of people she would say she could trust were able to be counted on one hand. If what Ino had said was true, her brother Gaara was no longer even on that list. Though that was something that still didn't seem to add up. Whenever she had mentioned him, it never seemed that they parted on bad terms. Another thing to solve another day.
"Good thinking. It doesn't hurt to have a few options if we can. We'll see what avenue turns up results first." Shikamaru reached across the desk to once again look through the papers from the file she had finished going through and sat to the side. He had them memorized by this point but leafing through the papers gave him something to do rather than just stare at her as she worked.
"And, just so you know, Ino isn't my girlfriend." He didn't really know why he said it. It didn't really matter. So why did he want her to know? He caught from his peripheral as Temari's eyes widened briefly as she stared down at the papers in her hands.
Still she kept her eyes trained on the papers, not looking up, "I didn't ask... It doesn't matter to me." He could see how she had stopped reading, yet her eyes remained transfixed on the papers in her hands. She pushed a stray piece of hair back behind an ear, but still avoided looking up.
"But now you know. Ino and Choji are very close friends of mine. More like a sister and a brother - we grew up together. I trust them both with my life. And that's why I asked for her help." He reasoned, it only seemed fair to let her know the details of the relationship after she had shared her own with Baki. It made sense to want to keep them both on equal footing. They were partners in this whole thing now.
They worked the rest of the day together comfortably in his office until Temari headed to prepare for her shift performing at The Sound.
Shikamaru was met with a cloudless, star filled sky as he stepped out of his office later that evening. In his car, he caught himself headed to the very same lounge she was singing at. Something he could imagine Ino and Choji having a field day about, but it didn't mean anything. It wasn't unusual, really. After all, it was only logical since he wanted a drink but didn't feel like going back to his apartment. Wouldn't be more surprising if he didn't go?
