Hey there. First of all I'd like to say, please don't ask how I managed to get this drabble out of the prompt. Ink Blotch? How in the name of Kami did I get this idea? I suppose I'll never know..
Disclaimer: OWNAGE NO JUTSU!! I now own Naruto.. Too bad it's a genjutsu... Damn illusions...

Ink Blotch

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Flowers are like people, according to one Yamanaka Ino. There are a variety, each with a different colour and texture and each with a story of their own. A flower blooms, becoming stronger and taller but as it ages, it weakens and withers, losing all of its precious petals.

"You can wait outside Shikamaru," said Ino, a friendly and somewhat frightening smile on her face as she pointed to his living room while she and Temari stood just beyond the kitchen door. Shikamaru sighed; he knew this day would come eventually.

Though he and Ino had their differences, there was no one more loyal when it came to her friends. She wanted to make sure that Temari was a suitable match for him. Not that that was a bad thing. It was just both of the most troublesome women in his life were under the same roof at this very moment and that was never a good sign.

He felt like his panic button had just been pushed and he ended up pacing the room for the agonising 34 minutes and 29 seconds that he was made wait outside. Ino emerged from behind the door first, head held high and a dazzling smile on her face. Temari followed soon after, a slightly dazed but confident smirk of her own.

Ino didn't say anything when she sat down on the opposite sofa, just across from Shikamaru while Temari sat next to him. He took her hand in his, waiting for Ino's verdict. Even though he didn't like to admit it, Ino was usually right when it came to girls he dated.

She kept records; he had seen them.

Shiho was marked with a large X because she was boring, obnoxious and has a lousy sense of humour. Things didn't last long with Shiho for the stated reasons. Another girl he had taken a liking to a little over a year ago named Yumi had come around to meet Ino one summer Friday afternoon. The poor girl left shaking in her boots. She was apparently annoying and over-bearing with great fashion sense. He didn't really understand the last one-or rather why Ino marked it down as a bad thing. Maybe she didn't want any competition? Ino handed him the newest entry to the records with Temari's name printed in bold writing on the front. He opened it slowly and Temari watched him over his shoulder.

There was a small sentence, not the paragraphs she usually wrote. He took that as a good sign. Temari smiled when she read it, one of her real smiles that showed she was satisfied.

"Damn straight," she mumbled, kissing his cheek lightly.

"You will never find a flower as rare."

I know, I know. You're thinking "WTF?"

I've been thinking that for a while now. I don't know where this idea came from or how I extracted that from the prompt... *sigh* Time to take another sanity test.. I think I'll fail this time :] Oh, and the disclaimer was kidnapped from a really great story I read the other day and can't remember the name of. If you're out there, thumbs up! I thought it was funny ^_^

Please review??