Now the moment a lot of you have been waiting for…and what most of you know is already going to happen. The answer the cliffhanger! Trumpets roar! Yeah…big whoop. I would have put the real title of this chapter in the chapter scrolly thing but I couldn't fit it all in. So I settled with the next most fitting name. I'll stop blabbing now. I hope you like!

Chapter 8

Lunchtime Part Two: It's about to be a what? Girlfight!

Ino stopped dead in her words as she saw just about the most depressing scene she's ever encountered. Sasuke, Neji and Naruto walked into the cafeteria, with Shikamaru behind them. However, he was not alone. His arm was around none other than…you guessed it, Temari.

"Huh?" Sakura noticed her friend's eyes glazing over and loosing life and followed the direction of her gaze. "Oh," she said quietly and sympathetically. Her friends noticed too, and began to pat her on the pack. The boys were clueless. Other commitments…

"Huh? What's up?" Kiba asked as he finally noticed Ino's usually cheerful expression falling. Shino nudged Kiba and pointed to Shikamaru and Temari who were now cuddling. Or should I say, Temari was cuddling Shikamaru. Shikamaru looked pretty bored, but to Ino's dismay, was not exactly shrugging her off either. Kiba's face twisted.

"That Temari just makes me sick." Kiba shook his head. Chouji was pretty oblivious to his surroundings and proceeded to chomp his lunch. "This is totally unmanly for me to do, but…" Kiba sighed, got up and gave Ino a hug. This shocked everyone.

"Sorry about that." Kiba sat back down.

"No, thank you," said Ino softly, smiling at him. He smiled back. Even though the hug helped, Ino still felt the clenching pain in her heart, as well as her ankle.

"Come on," Sakura lifted Ino out of her seat. The rest of the girls all got up too.

"We need some girl time," Tenten told the boys as they walked with Ino to the girls bathroom. The boys shared a look.

"Girl time," sighed Shino. "Best not to go into it." Kiba agreed and they returned to their eating.

"So that was him, huh?" Tenten leaned against the sink as Ino splashed some water on her blotchy face.

"Yeah," Ino choked. She was red and her eyes were glassy, but she never cried.

"I'm sorry, Ino," Hinata said.

"I know I shouldn't be this over the top about something as dumb as him having a girlfriend…but I just felt like we connected you know?" Ino slid down the wall to a seated position. Her friends did the same.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Tenten said. "That's sort of how I felt with Neji."

"And Naruto," added Hinata, regarding the sensation in her hand that Naruto had touched.

"And Sasuke." Sakura nodded. "But they didn't have girlfriends." She reminded her friends. Ino went on.

"He also helped me a lot." She said with more clarity. "There were two times where I was in trouble and he was always there to stop it. Almost like…"

"A sentinel?" suggested Tenten. Ino nodded as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"And her of all people!" she groaned. "It was Temari. The name just sends chills down my spine." She wiped her growing tears on her forearm. He friends comforted her more until she was completely composed. Together, they left the bathroom.

Unfortunately, something just has to kill the mood. As Ino, while looking at the ground, walked to her table, she saw a pair of feet intercepting her passage. She looked up and scanned the figure. Who knew? Temari.

"So, little miss Ino," Temari took a step toward Ino. Ino took a step back, and her friends came to a halt. They put their hands on their hips.

"Why can't you just leave her be?" Sakura said in Ino's defense. Temari shifted her eyes to Sakura.

"This doesn't concern you, pinky," she said as she pushed Sakura out of the way. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Lee stand up. She motioned him back down though.

"Anyways," Temari turned her attention back to Ino. "I heard from my brother that you were doing a bit of scamming on my boyfriend earlier today." Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Brother?" she asked as she folded her arms.

"Yes, brother. Kankuro." Temari said. Ino's jaw dropped. Kankuro? The same guy who had flirted with her and cornered her in a hallway and nearly sexually harassed her? He was this girl's brother? "Wipe that look off your face!"

"What makes you think I was scamming?" Ino retorted. Before she knew it, she felt a burning pain against her cheek. Temari had slapped her with much force. At this point, the girls had drawn the attention of everyone in their vicinity.

"Don't play dumb," Temari patted the cheek of Ino, who was still in shock. "I can tell when Shika has had an over friendly encounter. Especially when she's all he talks about between bells." Temari said the last sentence with a sneer. Ino slightly glowed more. He had talked about me?

"We just talked is all!" Ino sputtered, though she was secretly hoping that was not all. Temari grabbed Ino's collar.

"That's was they all say," she hissed.

"Before what?" Ino croaked.

"Before I fight them." Temari whispered back, a twisted grin growing on her face. Ino glowered. This is obviously one of those over-protective girlfriends…Shika, you gotta break this one off!

"So a fight is what you want?" Ino growled. "Over him?"

"Well that and," Temari slammed Ino to the wall and a collective gasp rippled amongst their audience (no teachers in this caf). "Let's just say you have gotten on my nerves from the minute I laid eyes on you." Ino rubbed the back of her neck and checked her hand. Blood…her ankle began to burn. No way…

Before Ino's thoughts could press on, she felt a punch to her other cheek and she flew into another table. The people sitting there scurried away in horror, not wanting to get involved.

Shikamaru, who was watching this whole thing, began to ponder his feelings for Temari. Why did I go out with her again? His gaze shifted to Ino. Ino, no. How could she do this to you? He gripped a fist.

Ino was now bleeding down her neck, mouth and down her arm thanks to the rough impact of the table legs. It was nearly impossible to hold back her urge to cry. You can't…not here...not now…not while he's watching. Survivors don't cry, survivors don't cry…

As Ino thought this, her anger began to rapidly increase. She stood up as easily as if she were never wounded. This surprised Temari, but didn't faze her. She held her ground.

"Trying to play tough girl now, are you?" Temari chuckled. "Even more interesting. All the more embarrassment to add to your defeat." Temari's chuckling instantly ceased as Ino began to develop a flaming aura around her self. I won't go through this. Not again.

"Guys!" Tenten cried, alarmed. "It's unleashing!" the other girls looked at Ino with fear. The seal on her ankle had turned a flaming red, and the lines branching out were growing longer and longer, as if trying to engulf her body.

Kiba noticed the change in the seal. That mark…it wasn't a tattoo after all! He ran to Tenten, Sakura and Hinata. "You guys have got to get her out of here!"

Sakura looked at her friends. "He's right. We can't risk the peak of our secret being revealed." Her friends agreed. They all ran after the angry Ino who was then advancing on Temari slowly. Temari, who was now faltering, backed backwards.

"So I'm the one playing tough girl, huh?" Ino raised her arm in Temari's direction. It began to glow, as if mustering power to its core.

"Ino, please!" Hinata jumped on Ino's arm to restrain her. "This isn't you!"

"Ino, you have to stop!" Tenten pulled Ino back. Ino looked at them in anger.

"But-" it was just then she looked at the standing Shikamaru. His face was filled with worry of Ino's state, and she instantly felt all the things he had felt in her heart when he first helped her once more. That was enough to calm her down. Her aura began to retreat, along with the lines of the seal. "I…I'm so sorry guys." She whispered before fainting in her friends' arms. They all shared a look of worry, and quickly carried Ino out of the caf while everyone was caught up in their discussions of what just happened.

Shikamaru ran to where Ino had been. "Ino!" he called out. Naruto, Neji and Sasuke began to run to the door of which the girls had exited through. Shikamaru was about to follow them when Temari emerged from behind him.

"Why are you so worried about that psychopath?" she asked as she walked up to him. He furiously turned to face her.

"It was all your fault." He said to her in unspeakable anger. Temari's eyes widened in surprise.

"I can't believe this," she laughed incredulously. "You're siding…with her?" she asked.

"At least she has a heart," he growled at Temari. She scoffed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

Shikamaru pulled a class ring off his finger (AN: I dunno why he has a ring, but it adds to the effect) and threw it at her feet. With only two words, prophecy unraveled. "We're over."

Climax! astrx:strokes chin:astrix. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! It took some time, but I'm glad I got it done before my homework hurricane hit. Hopefully alot more things are made clear, but much more will be when I get into the next chapters. Thanks for reading guys and thanks for your past reviews : )