Chapter 26

"Temari! Choji and Ino are here!" Yoshino hollers from the foyer after opening the door wider to welcome the visitors.

"Coming," Temari shouts from somewhere inside then there's a loud thud that can be heard even in the living room area. "Ass! Don't block the aisle...Let me pass!"

"Tch, it wasn't me who suddenly comes charging," retorts calmly by another voice, a male.

"Is that Kamaru?" Ino inquires from Yoshino, but not waiting for an answer and invitation, she goes towards the direction of the living quarters where Kamaru and Temari are arguing.

Shikamaru is pulling himself up from the floor. He's returning to his room after a visit to the washroom when suddenly Temari's room door opens and Temari comes charging towards him at a run. Considering that their rooms are beside each other and the aisle leading to these rooms is narrow, the accident is inevitable. The impact sends Shikamaru on the floor while Temari is able to regain her balance sooner by using the wall to break her fall.

"Kamaru, you're here!" Ino, happy seeing the Suna shinobi, suddenly embraces him.

"Ino!" Temari protests.

Ino let go of Kamaru and pouts, "I'm just welcoming him."

Temari glares at the other kunoichi.

Ino stares back, an unrepentant smile hovering around her lips.

Choji has followed Ino and witnesses the hug himself but he notices that Kamaru's arms are never raised to return it, they remain close at his sides. "Kamaru," Choji addresses the other male shinobi.

Shikamaru's lips turn up slightly towards Choji, obviously relieved to see the other male shinobi, someone he detects genuinely welcomes the sight of him without creating such a ruckus about his presence.

Choji smiles back and offers his bag of chips towards Kamaru.

Shikamaru shakes his head then turns his attention towards the two kunoichi. They are still glaring at each other. Ino he understands, Temari not really. Shikamaru isn't stupid to think that Temari is jealous. Probably she's mad since Ino acts really familiar with him in front of Choji. Shikamaru returns his eyes on the chubby nin, offering him another crooked smile.

"You have a mission?" Choji inquires, shoving chips into his mouth, ignoring the two female shinobis.

"Tch, I win a bet," Shikamaru explains and starts to walk towards the direction of his room. He is on his way there when all this started anyway. After all, these are Temari's guests, not his, he's not obligated to stay and chat.

Choji stares at Kamaru's retreating back, puzzled by his answer, but instead of inquiring about it he shouts instead, "Wanna join us in training?"

"Choji calls it training but we are actually going to just catch some deers," Temari explains, not wanting Shikamaru to join. "You should just stay here. It's not a job fit for the Kazekage's first son."

The dig isn't lost to Shikamaru. He turns around and mutters, "Tch, let me be the one to decide that."

"Oh goodie! You're coming!" Ino approaches and latches on Kamaru's forearm, dragging him out of the house and into the Nara Clan Forest before he has a chance to regret his answer and change his mind.

-o0o-

Temari is cutting the deer's horns that are to be used as medicine with a kunai when she can't help but glance towards Ino and Shikamaru. They are laughing loudly that it distracts her attention. Actually, it's just Ino that's giving that boisterous sound, Shikamaru just seems to smile...a lot. The ass doesn't smile around her, probably since he considers doing that in her presence troublesome.

Temari ends up pulling the horn a bit stronger than necessary that she snaps it in two. "Damn!"

"Need help, Temari?" Choji offers.

"No," Temari snaps, then noticing the baffled look on Choji's face at her tone, she mentions more calmly, "You've help enough catching them. Thanks."

"I don't mind." Choji reiterates his offer.

"Why don't you join them?" Temari gestures towards Shikamaru and Ino's direction.

Choji gazes at the two shinobis seated on the grass about twenty meters away. "You sure you don't mind?"

"Why should I mind?" Temari shrugs and returns her attention on what she's doing.

Choji joins in the conversation with the obvious disgust of Ino.

"Why are you not helping Temari?" Ino asks Choji.

Choji sits down on the ground beside Kamaru, offering him again his newly opened bag of chips.

This time, after wiping his hand on his shirt, Shikamaru grabs some and opening his fist, he feeds his mouth. After swallowing, he remarks, "These chips are tasty unlike those of in Suna."

"You shouldn't eat those, Kamaru. It will make you fat," Ino warns.

Shikamaru understands the underhand message from the warning. "Tch, I've seen Choji's father. His physique is the same as Choji's. I doubt Choji would get thinner even if he doesn't eat these chips."

Ino is astonished by Kamaru's not very subtle defence of Choji's unhealthy eating habits. She argues, "Well, he still should at least lose some weight!"

"From what I have seen of Choji's jutsu, I think it works better if he's heavier while you, I really don't see any advantage to your jutsu by being that thin." Shikamaru realizes he's almost being rude but Ino's obvious overfriendliness towards him is probably hurting Choji. Judging by the way the other male shinobi's eyes are plastered on his chips and the way he keeps shoving chips towards his mouth and almost forgetting to chew, Shikamaru knows he can't be wrong.

Ino gasps, offended. "You really are a jerk!" Ino accuses Shikamaru. "What? You prefer hefty women like—like Temari?"

"Tch." That attack came out of nowhere and years of training have enabled Shikamaru to hold Ino's gaze without giving any of his thoughts away.

"Well, too bad! She won't fall for you! Know why?" Ino pauses as she gloats triumphantly, "She already has Sasuke in her eyes. Have him in her sight even when we were just kids!"

Shikamaru continues to hold Ino's glare. "Tch, I don't like her either." Shikamaru answers steadily as he remembers Sasuke. Temari has only mentioned that name once as she compared them all those years ago. He's aware he did not come out as glowing as Sasuke. Shikamaru attempts to smile towards Ino. He can at least pretend that Ino's confirmation of where Temari's heart lay doesn't matter to him in any way.

Temari hears their conversation considering that they are not being quiet about it. Temari already knows that Shikamaru doesn't like her, not that way or any other way, probably not even as a friend. Temari frowns. She has taken everything from him after all. His father. His mother. This. Temari looks around at the Nara forest. All these should have belonged to him. He should be the one basking in her parent's warmth. The one growing up together with Choji and Ino and the others—Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shino, Neji and Lee. He would have loved it here but her existence has deprived him of it.

Worst even, knowing the truth, she still continues to deprive him of what is rightfully his.

Temari peeks surreptitiously at Shikamaru, noticing his poor attempt at a smile. He really doesn't have a reason to like her, not one bit...But all the reason to hate her.

Subconsciously, Temari's hand goes to her chest to rub it. She has felt it tighten momentarily. It's probably brought on by the fact that a while back, a deer's slender leg was able to land a solid kick on her ribs. That happened because instead of concentrating on the deer's movements, she shifted her attention and focused on watching unobtrusively her enemy. Now, Temari catches herself doing it again. "Stop it, Temari," she mutters to herself.

TBC

~3/9. 7/20/11AF~

A/N: Thanks for the reviews...haha who doubted that Shika would win?

Now their love will bloom ~winks at Love Is Only a Word~...or maybe not hmn...

Review?