Wheeeee, there are only 3 reviews when I started this new chapter, disappointing? Yes. But a couple of them were complimenting me and the other one was neutral, kind, so I just had to update ASAP, yeah I'm too nice but hey, I'm a guy writing romances, what can I say.

I figure it would be fun to dedicate each chapter to reviewer and this reviewer really made me choke up with glee, just cause I'm a sorry excuse for man, just because I guess men hold emotions in, don't choke up with glee, etc.…….or so I'm told….still evaluating on that one. Back to the dedication, it goes to:

Random Mongoose

Sorry to the other 2 people but hers was almost funny though. Well, here is the nest chapter, it may be a little longer and it is a little more interesting. Just so I don't get her hopes up, I'd like to tell Random Mongoose that there isn't going to be much fluffiness in this chapter but I'm working on the jealousy thing. I decided that I'm going to throw in some stuff from Shikamaru's Point of view a couple times in here…..but as I was saying, on to the next chappy!!!

Chapter 2: Forgotten Faces

Ino smiled as she saw a shadow connecting to hers. The shadow slowly disconnected itself as Ino followed it with her eyes back to the owner standing in the shadows.

"Shikamaru!!" Ino happily exclaimed as she jumped forward and embraced the figure in the shadow, knowing full well who it was, she recognized the voice even though it was a little deeper and who else used the shadow possession jutsu just to stop some one from jumping away on a common street. Ino pulled the figure out of the shadows as she continued to embrace him.

"Ino…your brea-" Shikamaru was not able to complete his sentence because Ino kissed him on the lips, as Shikamaru's eyes widened so large they looked like dinner plates. Ino, realizing what she was doing, ripped her lips off of Shikamaru's(even though she was secretly dieing to keep kissing him) and wiped them with the back of her hand. She turned red as Hinata around Naruto (Like when he was hanging upside down in front of her). Shikamaru just starred at her, I expression of pleasure? Ino couldn't believe it, but then she realized that it was an expression of surprise. (Or was it?…it wasn't.) Then Shikamaru said:

"Ino, did you just ki-" he was cut off before he could finish the sentence.

"NO, I'm sorry, I fell forward that's all!" she lied, blushing more intense than she had ever in her life.

"Ino, your face is really, really red." Ino watched as he almost laughed watching her face turn so red that you couldn't see her lips, as she felt her face reddening. Than Shikamaru broke out laughing! She normally would have punched him, but she had missed him too much. As she thought about hitting him or not she came upon the conclusion that she had missed him to much to hit him and her face became and even deeper shade of red, if that was possible.

"You SHUT UP!!!!" She screamed. When this happened Shikamaru stopped laughing and spoke.

"Good to see you too Ino. But I came because we have a mission together in a few days, or don't you know yet?" He lied, the true reason that he had come is because he wanted to see her and he was just using that as an excuse to come.

Ino frowned, 'He just wanted to talk about the mission…' she thought 'Kiss him again you wuss!' 'Who are you?' 'I'm your inner self idiot!' 'I thought that was Sakura's Deal?' 'Well it's yours too, now kiss him or I'll lecture you!' 'Wait why would my inner self want me to kiss Shika?' 'Because I say the things that you try to push to the back of your head!' 'What?!' She couldn't believe what she was hearing, she secretly wanted to kiss Shika! No Way! Then her Inner self jumped in. 'Yes Way!' 'No' 'Yes' 'No' 'Yes' 'No' 'Yes and that is final!!!!!'

"Ino!? Hello…anyone there?" Ino stirred from her argument with herself and realized that Shikamaru was trying to get her to get her attention.

"Um yeah, I was just heading to Sakura's home, want to come with?" She said, trying to ask calmly, but failed miserably.

"Sure, we can all talk together about the mission." Shikamaru frowned because he actually only wanted to talk to Ino, but he would take it if nothing else.

"Ok" Ino said as she began her walk towards Sakura's House, all the while memorizing everything new about Shikamaru from the corner of her eye. He had the same outfit except he had a chunnin vest and he was wearing a short sleeved shirt under it, and it was pretty tight on his skin exposing some muscles. He was about 4 inches taller than her now, she had to look slightly upward to see his face.

'WOW! Shikamaru got hot!!' Ino's inner self said as she whistled. 'What is this, I just find out I have a second personality today and now your jumping in every ten seconds?'

'I'm just saying, the reason I'm coming out is because I say all the thoughts that you suppress, like the fact that you don't really like Sasuke, it is just another competition. I think you should just plain seduce Shika right now! You know you want to! ' 'I DO NOT!!!! Shikamaru IS JUST MY FRIEND!!!!!' That shut her inner self up pretty fast.

They arrived at Sakura's house. Ino knocked on the door, then suddenly the door opened and Sakura was standing there smiling.

"Hey Ino, come in, a friend from the sand village is here. Even though the peace treaty hasn't been signed yet, she was able to come." Sakura said as she let Ino and Shikamaru in.

"Sand Village?" Ino questioned. Then she saw Temari sitting on the couch. Sakura she heard had conversations with Temari through bird messages for a while now, apparently Ino had been replaced.

Temari stood up and hugged Ino, then Shikamaru, but she seemed to linger when she hugged Shikamaru.

"Hello, I missed my friends from leaf….Kinda…" She said as she just smiled and went back to the couch and dragged Shikamaru and Ino back to the couch with her.

'That Little! I'll kill her!!!' 'Why?' 'Why, that was the dumbest question ever, even Naruto wouldn't ask that dumb of a question!' 'Cause she hugged me?' Her inner self frowned and sweat dropped anime style. 'No, move to left a little…..' 'Because she hugged Shika?' 'Finally the blonde catches on….plus she lingered there like she like him or something!' 'So that doesn't matter to me.' 'Have you not been listening to me for the past 20 minutes…let me give it to ya strait…YOU.LIKE. SHIKAMARU!' 'As a friend I like him..' Her inner self sweat dropped again. 'Let me rephrase that, YOU. LOVE. SHIKA!' 'I do not! I like him as a friend.' 'I see where they get blonde jokes from..' 'And what is that supposed to mean?!' 'See what I'm saying….hey you're being spoken to, by the Be-Otch…..' And with that her inner self trailed off as she came back to the real world.

"Hello, Ino…did you here me?" It was Temari trying to get her attention.

"No, what did you say?" Ino said, still kind of in a daze.

"I said do you have a boyfriend?" Ino cringed, 'What is she getting at?' 'Trying to get at Shikamaru, to see if she has any competition.' 'O would you go away!?' 'Fine but don't say I didn't warn you…'

"No, I haven't had time, training and all." Ino said, and when she did Temari frowned.

'Maybe that voice was right…' 'You bet I am!' 'Jesus Christ! I thought you were gone!' 'Can't get rid of me that easy.' And with that the voice disappeared.

"So, Temari, do you have a boyfriend?" Ino asked.

"No, but I'm planning on getting one here in Konoha." Temari said as she looked at Shikamaru who wasn't even looking towards them so he didn't notice, but he was listening to the conversation intently. But Sakura noticed and giggled. Ino saw this and without knowing it frowned.

'Told Ya!' 'Who asked you?!' 'Believe me now?' 'Fine you win, I sorta like Shikamaru…' 'Sorta?!' 'Ok…I love him…you happy now.' The inner Ino nodded in satisfaction. 'The first step is admitting it.' 'Shut Up…'

Whee, I thought that was a little more interesting, wasn't it, O well, be sure to review! As long as I get a few reviews, I'll start working on the next one in a couple of days. Hope you liked it!