Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wonder if Seishi Kishimoto has ever pretended to be Masashi. Then he could say that he owned Naruto. That'd be awesome.
A/N: Sorry for what seemed like a long wait. I don't really like this chapter much because it's basically what happened before Shikamaru's birthday. I didn't have much inspiration, so sorry if it sucks! Happy Veteran's Day weekend!
Published November 11, 2006
Chapter 5 - All in the Past
One-and-a-half years ago…
One blonde kunoichi was in Konoha Park all alone. She had her elbows on her thighs, and head in her hands, sitting on a bench. She was looking down at the ground, sighing.
"What should I get…? Hmm…" Ino tapped her finger on her chin. "I could always…" She raised her finger in the air. "I got it! I'll…no, that's stupid. Maybe I should…no, that's even dumber." The kunoichi sighed. "Thinking of a present for Shika-kun is hard…hmm…what did I do last year?" Ino recalled Shikamaru's 14th birthday. "Oh yeah! I gave him a birthday party! Awww man! I can't do that again!" The frustrated girl thought longer. 'Maybe it's time that I…no…bad idea, Ino…he's too immature and wouldn't understand.' 'What do you mean he wouldn't understand?! He's a genius!' 'I guess you're right…but how am I going to tell him?' 'That…I have no idea.'
"Ohayo, Ino!" A 'big-boned' friend said, waving at Ino.
"Hmm?" Ino shook her head to stop talking to herself. "Oh. Ohayo, Chouji!"
"What are you doing?" Chouji asked politely.
"Thinking of a good present to give to Shikamaru…" Ino shrugged.
"Well, you still have time left. You'll think of something by then." Chouji tried to cheer her friend up.
"Actually, I don't. The Hokage put me on a mission last minute even though I scheduled to have the day off!" Ino started raising her voice to no one.
"Okay…" Chouji raised his eyebrow. "Well, I'll help you think then." Chouji sat down next to Ino on the wooden bench.
In an instant, Chouji thought of an idea. "I have an idea!" Chouji turned to Ino. "You know how the students at the Academy get school pictures now, right?"
Ino nodded. 'I wish I had school pictures when I was at the Academy.'
"Well, why don't you give Shikamaru a picture of you?" Chouji suggested.
"You really think he'd like that?" Ino raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah! He's a simple guy. He doesn't expect anything. And on the back of your photo, you can write a note or something to him, like the students do." Chouji proposed.
"That's not a bad idea!" Ino smiled at Chouji. 'Perfect place to put it…' Ino thought to herself.
"Great!" Chouji stood up.
"Wait!" Ino stood up as well. "There's nowhere in Konoha where they take studio pictures!" Ino realized.
"Just leave all that to me!" Chouji pointed at himself with his thumb. "Just come to my house exactly one week from today at…2 o'clock."
"Umm…okay." Ino shrugged. "Thanks, Chouji." The now happy teammate hugged Chouji. Once she let go of the hug, Ino started skipping away. "See you next week, Chouji!"
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"Hmmm…."
"Hm?"
"Nothing, baka (idiot)." Temari retorted at Kankuro.
"Someone's PMS-ing." Kankuro mocked.
"Shut up." Temari snorted.
"I think I know why you're so grumpy…you know, more than usual." Kankuro declared.
"Yeah, right." Temari said being sarcastic. 'He's too dull to know.
"You gonna miss your little Konoha?" Kankuro grinned widely. "Especially that one Konoha boy, right?" Kankuro raised his eyebrows, insinuating something. In reality, he didn't know who exactly Temari liked, but he could tell she found someone because she had changed.
Temari couldn't help but blush the slightest shade of pink. She brought her mind back on Kankuro. She snorted again. "Tch. Like I would actually like one of those immature Konoha guys. They're only a couple years younger than me, yet they act like a bunch of childish brats." Temari continued to go on about Konoha, boys, and Konoha boys.
"Okay, okay. I get it." Kankuro wanted Temari to stop. She kept on babbling on about Konoha. It was getting annoying. 'She must be hiding something.' He concluded due to Temari's nonstop talking. "I'm going to go out for a while."
"You gonna say goodbye to your little Konoha sweetheart?" Temari smirked at Kankuro. 'Got him back, easy.'
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Kankuro said sarcastically. "I'm going to get more weapons."
"Sure you are…" Temari mocked rolling her eyes.
Kankuro stomped and slammed the hotel door.
"And he says I'm grumpy! He's the one slamming doors." Temari mumbled. She sighed. 'Now back to him…what am I going to do?' Temari thought to herself as she looked out the window. "Hmm…" Temari looked down to see many stores and residents walking about. Her eye caught a familiar friend of a friend. 'Maybe he'll know what to do.' The smart kunoichi used her big fan to quietly float down to the ground. 'I hope I didn't make to big of an impression.' She thought to herself sarcastically.
"Temari?" Chouji asked, already knowing it was Temari.
"Hey…uh…you…" The blonde was smart but couldn't remember her friend's friend's name.
"Chouji." Chouji helped Temari out.
"Heh," Temari scratched the back of her head, trying to act normal. "Yeah, Chouji. So what are you doing here?"
"Umm…just walking around the neighborhood. And you?" Chouji asked back.
Temari shrugged as she crossed her arms. "Same." She was trying to act nice.
"Are you going to Shikamaru's birthday party?" Chouji asked randomly.
"No, I have to go back to Suna. There's some crisis or something that only my brothers and I can fix. Strange but true." Temari said like it was no big deal. She knew there was nothing to worry about. "I didn't get a present for the crybaby anyways."
"Did you want to give a present to Shikamaru?" Chouji asked curiously.
Temari shrugged. "No, not really. I was trying to think of a gift for the lazy-ass but since I'm going back to Suna, I don't have to anymore." Temari spoke the truth.
"Oh." Chouji tried to sound disappointed. He sighed loudly.
"Why?" Temari couldn't help but ask.
Chouji shrugged. "I was just thinking of a good gift you could give to Shikamaru. But you know, since you don't want to give him a present…" Chouji waited for Temari to take the bait.
Temari took the bait. She opened one eye. "What exactly were you thinking of?"
"Well, you know how the kids at the Academy get school pictures?" Chouji asked.
"Are you saying you want me to give Shikamaru a picture of me?" Temari raised an eyebrow.
"Yup. I think Shikamaru would like it. You are one of his friends. Also, you can write a little note or something on the back of your photo. It's a 'cute' gift." Chouji attempted to persuade the sand kunoichi.
"I guess that wouldn't be too bad of an idea. But I have never seen a photo shop here in Konoha and there's only one that I know of and it's all the way in Suna."
"Don't worry about that. When are you leaving?" Chouji asked.
"In five days. It's amazing how long we have to stay here before having to go back to Suna for an 'emergency'." Temari pointed out.
"Great! Come to my house four days from now, around 3 o'clock. Here's the address." Chouji handed, what looked like a business card, to Temari. It was a plain white card with Chouji's address, home phone number, age, and ninja rank on it.
"Umm…okay." Temari looked at the card.
"Okay! Well I'd better be going. Bye, Temari!" Chouji waved as he walked past Temari.
"Bye." Temari said plainly.
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Seven days later for Ino…Four days later for Temari…at Chouji's house.
Ino knocked on the Akimichi's door. There was no answer. She knocked again. There was still no answer. One more knock. "Chouji!" Ino shouted with impatience. She leaned on one side and tapped her foot. Her arms were crossed. She looked ticked off.
After 20 seconds of Ino's tapping foot, the door opened. "Hey, Ino!" Chouji smiled happily.
"Don't 'Hey, Ino' me! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to open the door?!" Ino raised her voice slightly.
"Sorry…what's up with you? You seem kind of frustrated." Chouji looked concerned.
"I'm just in a bad mood." Ino replied as she stepped into Chouji's house. Her mood changed quickly from temperamental to shock and awe. "This is your house?" Ino spun around in a circle to see every corner of the room.
Chouji lived in his own house. His parents decided it was time for Chouji to live on his own and start a life, though nothing has happened yet.
"It's not that great." Chouji scratched the back of his head.
"Are you crazy? This house is as big as mine…and I still live with my parents!" Ino couldn't believe the size of the inside of his house. From the outside, it looked like his old house, but on the inside, it was much more extravagant.
"So, should we get going?" Chouji interrupted Ino's fascination of observing the house.
"Huh?" Ino shook her head. "Going where?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Follow me." Chouji gestured his arm to follow.
Ino followed Chouji through a hallway lit with authentic gold chandeliers. She couldn't help but 'ooh' and 'aah' at everything around her.
"Here we are." Chouji opened a wooden burgundy door on the left side of the hallway.
Ino stepped inside before Chouji. The room was pitch-black.
Chouji closed the door and quickly turned on the light. One by one, fluorescent lights started to power on in a row. The room seemed to go on forever.
"This is the studio room." Chouji finally spoke.
"Wow. I didn't know you were so into photography." Ino was in wonder of everything in the room.
Chouji shrugged. "It's a hobby."
"What do we do now?" Ino asked, seeing many different cameras, props, backgrounds, lights, and other photography objects you would see in a photo studio.
"Well you can search through the backgrounds for one that you like. Then I'll choose the lighting and camera and all that other stuff. 'Kay?" Chouji said while looking for a good camera to use.
"Okay." Ino looked around at many different background colors, textures, and designs. "I pick this one." Ino picked up a plain lilac-white cloud background.
Chouji looked up to see the chosen background. "Okay. I got the camera." Chouji took his camera and stuck it onto a camera stand. Then he walked towards Ino and read a number on the back of the background. "82193." '82193, 82193, 82193.' Chouji memorized in his head as he walked towards a screen. He input '82193' into the screen and the lilac-white colors popped out in an instant.
"Now what?"
"Sit, stand, do whatever. It's your gift. You can basically do whatever you want." Chouji informed Ino.
"Okay…hmm…" Ino put a hand on her hip and tapped her chin. "Ah-hah! Okay…ready!" Ino sat down on the floor with her legs bent to her side, leaning on her hand.
Chouji took many snapshots of Ino. There was really no point in taking so many pictures of Ino, but Chouji wanted to make sure he had a picture of Ino because, really, no one has or had a portrait of Ino. Anyways, he had a whole hour before Temari would come over.
"Is that all?" Ino asked.
"Yup. That's it."
"Uhh…okay." Ino stood up. "So what? I just wait for the picture to print out?"
"Yeah. It shouldn't be that long." Chouji indicated as he input the camera onto the printer. "I have a really quick photo printer."
Suddenly, there was a 'ping' sound from one of Chouji's printers.
Chouji pointed a finger up the air. "Done!" He took out Ino's photo and showed her. "Here you go. That good?"
Ino looked at her picture. "Yeah, that's great! Thanks!"
"Here's a pen." Chouji took a pen from his pocket. "Give it to me when you're done. I'm going to put my camera away." Chouji informed.
"Mm-hm." Ino nodded. 'I have to make this good. I can't be too forward…ah! I've got it.' Ino started writing vigorously, still being neat of course, everything she was currently thinking. 'Now to end it…' The blonde closed the cap on Chouji's pen and took out a special pen she kept in her pocket just for a day like today. 'I have to make this obvious, yet not obvious as the same time.' She sighed. 'Done!' The kunoichi raised her head up.
"Done?" Chouji asked. He had been watching every moment of Ino's change of actions from vigorous to quiet and soft.
"Yup!" Ino smiled. She handed Chouji her picture. "Make sure Shika-kun gets this on his birthday, no earlier, no later."
Chouji nodded.
"Well, I guess I'll be going then! Bye, Chouji!" Ino waved as she walked towards the door.
"See ya!" Chouji waved goodbye.
Ino was about to leave, but stopped as her hand was on the doorknob. "Chouji…?" Ino said, not turning to look at Chouji.
"Uh-huh?" Chouji said looking at Ino's back.
"If you even think about looking at that card…you're dead!" With those last words, Ino turned the doorknob and quietly shut the door.
Chouji sighed loudly. "Scary…" He said out loud to himself. "Well, Temari should be here any minute."
On queue, Temari knocked on the other door in the studio leading to the backyard.
Chouji walked to the back door. 'I guess Ino didn't see this door.' He thought as he slowly turned the gold knob open. "Hello, Temari-senpai."
"Temari-senpai?" Temari raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. "Temari." She stepped in.
Chouji closed the door gently and turned around to Temari.
"Your card said to go through the backyard." Temari pointed at the white card Chouji had given her four days ago.
"Yeah. That's correct." Chouji pointed out.
"Okay…" Temari said awkwardly. She looked around the current room. 'Wow, big place he's got here.' "You into photography?"
Chouji shrugged. "A little bit. It's a hobby."
"Cool." Temari nodded, showing her comprehension.
"So…" Chouji said long, trying to get into a conversation. "…shall we start?"
"Yeah, yeah." Temari said. "Can I choose my background?" Temari pointed to a handful of background samples on the wall.
"Yeah." Chouji nodded. "I'll just get my camera."
"Okay." Temari crossed her arms as she walked towards the samples. "Got one. '82193'." Temari said, looking on the back of her background.
"Huh?" Chouji raised an eyebrow.
"I said 8-2-1-9-3." Temari said slowly so Chouji could understand better.
"I heard that, but where did that number come from?"
"I'm not stupid. I've done this before. Like I said before, there's one in Suna." Temari rolled her eyes. 'Konoha boys…so…ugh.' Temari thought. She couldn't think of one good word to describe all of them together.
"Sorry, Temari-senpai." Chouji mumbled sarcastically.
"Hey! I heard that! I don't like being called senpai; makes me feel old." Temari pouted slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. Just kidding." Chouji chuckled a little. "If you know what to do, put the number into the screen."
"Yeah, yeah." Temari flicked her hand in a 'whatever' movement. She kneeled and input the number '82193' into the screen. In an instant, the same background Ino used appeared.
Chouji chuckled again a little. 'Shikamaru's got two girls who think so alike.'
"What's so funny?" Temari glared at Chouji.
Anime sweat dropped from Chouji's head. "Oh, nothing!" Chouji waved his hand anxiously in front of himself.
"Hn. Whatever. Let's just get on with this already." Temari coldly said.
"Okay. Since you've done this before, just do whatever pose you want and I'll take your picture." Chouji set his camera onto his stand.
Like déjà vu, Temari leaned on one arm and had her legs bent on one side. She posed the same way as Ino, except in the opposite direction.
'Do they share a brain or something?! Freaky!' Chouji thought, but shook it off. 'Mere coincidence, I guess.' "Ready?"
"Yeah, yeah." Temari replied.
"3…2…1…" Chouji counted down and snapped a photo of Temari. 'This would be perfect to take pictures of Temari too!' Chouji thought. He quickly decided to take more pictures of Temari. The flashes of the camera made Chouji look like a swarm of paparazzi. Quickly after snapping shots of Temari for five seconds, he realized that Temari would kill him if she redistributed the photos, and stopped. "Okay!" Chouji said, slightly nervous. "That's it!" He walked towards the photo printer and inserted his camera.
Temari stood up and crossed her arms. "So how long's it gonna take?" Temari asked impatiently.
Another 'ping' sound was heard from one of Chouji's printers.
"It's done." Chouji took out the printed photo and gave it to Temari.
Temari grabbed the photograph from Chouji's hand.
"Here's a-" Chouji was interrupted with Temari's hand in his face.
"I got my own pen." Temari said with her eyes closed. She wrote down all of her words…everything she wanted to write and know about. "Here." She said quickly, arming her photo to Chouji.
Chouji took the photograph and crossed the room to put it next to Ino's, on a table, next to the printers.
Temari looked at Chouji…Chouji looked at Temari…
"So…" Temari also said long. "…I saw that Yamanaka girl skipping out of your house…May I ask what she was doing here?" Temari oddly asked politely.
"Long story."
"I have time. You have time. Might as well tell your story." Temari convinced Chouji.
"Okay. Well, Ino wanted to give a present to Shikamaru, as well. But she had to go on a mission last minute and couldn't think of a gift quick enough so I gave her the same idea I gave you."
"Uh-huh…" Temari nodded. "That's it?"
"Uh…yeah?" Chouji lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"
Temari rolled her eyes. "You did say it was a long story. I was expecting something more than that, that's all."
Chouji nodded slightly in understanding.
"So, Yamanaka still got a crush on the genius?" Temari asked.
"Uhh…I don't think I should answer that question, since you know, it's Ino's business, not mine." Chouji pointed out.
"Well, it kind of is your business." Temari shrugged. "If that girl tries hard enough, that crybaby might cave in. Then they'll start going out and, well, you'll be all alone. I'd try and stop her if I were you." Temari said wisely.
"Still, I shouldn't say anything Ino would kill me for, you know?" Chouji joked slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. I guess so." Temari said unenthusiastically. She looked kind of down.
'Does she really care about him or is it just me?' Chouji decided there was something he could do. "Well, there is something I can show you…but you can't tell anyone, anyone at all, got it?" Chouji said seriously.
"Of course. I'm a bitch a lot, yeah, but I can keep secrets." Temari insulted and complimented herself at the same time.
Chouji picked up Ino's photograph and Temari's photograph. He handed and handed both prints to Temari. "If you really must know."
'What the hell?' Temari noticed the similarities in the prints. 'Same background, same pose…'
"I didn't read the back. You can…but remember, you can't tell anyone about this." Chouji reminded. 'If Temari tells anyone about this, I'm dead.'
Temari flipped Ino's picture over to the back and started reading her writing. She quickly smirked. 'She definitely has neater writing than me.' After reading most of Ino's writing, Temari had to bring the print close up to her face and squint her eyes. 'I was right…just like a school-boy crush.' Temari slightly chuckled.
"Something funny intended in there?" Chouji raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. It wasn't intended. That's what's so sad about this girl. She's very immature." Temari armed both prints out to Chouji.
"Hey! Ino is not sad! She's a great girl!" Chouji retorted at Temari. He had to defend his teammate.
"You still like her?" Temari lifted an eyebrow.
Chouji couldn't help but blush madly.
"Why don't you go after her then? You know…take initiative." Temari suggested.
"Why don't you 'go after' Shikamaru? You seem to like him an awful lot." Chouji asked back.
"I am. I'm just doing it when the opportunity comes. I haven't had many opportunities; you have. Being her teammate, you should have all the times in the world to ask her out or tell her how you feel. Ninja don't live long…you should ask before it's too late." Temari enlightened. "But you know…it's just my opinion."
"Yeah…" Chouji said lowly.
"I guess I'd better go." Temari walked towards the backyard door. "Hey, Chouji?" She said, stopping in front of the door.
"Huh?" Chouji looked up at Temari.
"Don't miss your chance." Temari smiled genuinely. "I'm trying to be 'nice' so take my advice while it's still good." The blonde kunoichi turned to doorknob and closed the door softly. There was a slight pause of silence, until Temari's head popped back in from the door. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you something."
"Yeah?"
"If you even think of redistributing those snapshots of me…you're dead." Temari glared at Chouji with seriousness. "And…I'm not like Ino. You can read my note. It might just help you." She winced at Chouji and closed the door quietly again.
Chouji sighed loudly. "Girls…Shikamaru's right…they are troublesome."
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A/N: So, yeah. I started writing the 6th chapter as the 5th chapter, but then changed it so everyone could find out what exactly happened before. If you have an ideas or anything…message me or something about it. There will be romance as soon as possible! I'm sorry for all the delay!