Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I did find out that some of my friends are big Naruto fans just like me as well! I'm not alone!
A/N: Only one more day left and I have so many words to go! I seriously can't make it in time now! Unless somehow I can write faster than I can think, then sure.
Published November 29, 2006
Chapter 13 - Interference Is For the Best
There was a sudden ringing of a phone.
"Who could be calling this late?" Ino whined lazily as she rubbed her eyes and answered her phone. She yawned as she spoke into the receiver. "Moshi, moshi."
"Yamanaka Ino?" A voice asked.
"Yeah?" Ino responded, still yawning.
"You have been requested to the Nara house of Shikaku and Yoshino." A secretary informed.
"And you're telling me this now because?" Ino asked.
"It was an urgent message that had to be sent as soon as possible." The secretary said.
"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Whatever." Ino yawned again.
"You must meet at the Nara house at 9 o'clock in the morning. Do you need the address and directions?" The secretary asked politely.
"No. Oyasuminasai (good night)." Ino said as she hung up the phone. She laid her head back onto her pillow and started to doze off. "Oh, great. I have to get to…" Ino said before she shot up from her pillow. "…wait a minute! Shikamaru's house?!" Ino finally noticed. 'Does he want to talk to me that badly that he has to request it and have an urgent message sent to me? Oh man! It must mean that he likes me! He's going to choose me! Oh crap!' "Damn it! I can't go back to sleep now!"
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Another ring of a phone went off that very late night.
Temari picked up the phone aggressively. "Whoever the hell this is, it better be important!" She shouted into the phone.
"Temari-san. You have been requested to the Nara house of Shikaku and Yoshino." A secretary informed again.
"Okay. Is that all?" Temari said impatiently.
"Yes."
"Okay. Oyasuminasai (good night)." Temari said quickly right before she slammed her wireless phone down on her table. "Ugh…" She frustratingly said. "Time to get some shu-oh my Kami did that guy just say the Nara house?!" Temari realized. "No, no, no! Why does this have to happen when I don't like him anymore?!" Temari pouted. "This sucks!" She fell back onto her pillow weightlessly. She sighed. "How am I supposed to sleep now?"
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Later that very morning…
"I couldn't sleep a wink." Temari yawned as she ate some cereal. "I might as well go early…" She shrugged. "I have nothing better to do." Temari muttered. 'Hopefully, I can get this over with quickly and never talk to him again…he'd probably say it's too troublesome to get angry or emotional but I know he doesn't really mean it…' She slurped her last bit of milk from her bowl and threw her dishes in the sink.
As slowly as possible, Temari left her apartment. 'Maybe I went a little too early.' She thought as she saw the stores and shops just beginning to open. 'Good thing I'm sleepy as hell and can't find the energy to walk.' Temari thought as she trudged, wiping her feet against the friction filled ground.
"Ohayo, Temari!" A voice cheerfully waved.
"Ohayo, Tenten." Temari yawned.
"Wow, Temari, your eyes are barely open. I thought you were sleepwalking or something. Did you pull an all-nighter or something? What are you doing around town so early in the morning, anyways?" Tenten asked.
"I couldn't sleep yesterday. I have to go to…" Temari yawned again. "…Shikamaru's house."
"Uhh…really?" Tenten asked. 'Did Temari really say that? I thought she didn't like him that way anymore?' Tenten thought.
"Yup." Temari nodded faintly. "What are you doing out this early?" Temari asked. 'I have time to talk with my somewhat good friend.' She assured herself.
"I'm meeting with Neji and Rock Lee at the training grounds." Tenten sighed. "They never give me a break. Of all times they could choose to train it had to be early morning."
"Bummer." Temari said, half asleep, not paying too much attention to whatever Tenten was saying. "Well, I should get going." She just wanted this conversation to end already.
"Yeah, me too." Tenten walked past Temari. "Ja ne (good bye), Temari!" She said as she waved and looked back at Temari, while walking forwards towards the training ground.
Temari sighed. 'She can be so annoying sometimes. I wish I was Ino right now. She wouldn't have to go through any of this. She'll be happy with Shikamaru declines her as his date.'
It was a good thing Temari didn't leave on time. It took her almost an hour to get to the Nara house when it should have taken her fifteen minutes. She moved as slow as a slug if not slower. The hour after she left her house, Temari finally arrived at the front door. She knocked lightly on the door.
As the door opened, Temari wasn't at all surprised to see who she saw. "Ohayo gozaimasu (good morning), Nara-san." Temari said courteously as she bowed slightly.
"Call me, Yoshino." Shikamaru's mother put the tips of her fingers on her chest. "Come in, Temari. You're early."
"Mm." Temari agreed as she stepped inside the Nara house, straight into the living room. She quickly took a look at her surroundings. 'Nothing's changed. Everything in here looks exactly the same.'
"Would you like something to drink?" Yoshino asked politely, in the kitchen, noticing Temari with her eyes barely open.
"Yes, please." Temari said politely.
"Tea?" Yoshino asked.
"Hai." Temari nodded.
Yoshino came out of the kitchen with a hot cup of tea. "Come on; let's go to the dining room." She gestured her head towards the dining room.
Temari followed Yoshino and pulled out and sat down in one of the chairs. She quickly blew on her tea and took a sip of it. Once Temari swallowed her first sip of tea, she put the cup down. "Yoshino?" Temari asked.
"Yes, Temari?" Yoshino said as she watched Temari, still standing up.
"Where's Shikamaru?" Temari looked around and couldn't see him anywhere in sight. 'I don't even feel his chakra or anything.'
"He's at work. He's been doing very well at the Hokage's office." Yoshino smiled.
"But I thought he was supposed to talk to me?" Temari asked. If she wasn't so tired and not trying to be kindhearted, she would be throwing something big out the window and chasing after Shikamaru.
Yoshino giggled quietly. "Actually, Shikamaru didn't know that you were coming here at all. I arranged for you to come here." Yoshino pointed to herself.
"You did? But…why?" Temari asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about something…Shikamaru to be exact…" Yoshino explained.
Temari nodded.
"Well…" Yoshino started. "I wa-hey I think I hear the door opening!" She quickly changed the subject.
"Yoshino!" A voice shouted.
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"Didn't get a minute of sleep. I'm gonna look horrible for Shikamaru." Ino mumbled with her pouted lips. "Maybe he won't go out with me once he sees my face."
"Ohayo (good morning), Ino!" A voice greeted.
"Ohayo (good morning), Sakura." Ino said lazily.
"What happened to you? You look like you stayed up all night. Those bags are huge! You look like Gaara…except you know, with eyebrows." Sakura grinned.
"Yeah," Ino yawned, raising her arms up in the air. "Whatever."
"Well, where are you headed?" Sakura asked.
"Umm…Shikamaru's house." Ino rubbed her eyes.
"Really? Why?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like him anymore."
"I know bu-…wait just a second! I didn't tell you I didn't like him anymore!" Ino shouted.
Sakura laughed nervously. "Heh, heh…umm…gotta go now! Bye, Ino!" With those last words, Sakura ran as fast and far away as she could.
Ino would have never been able to catch up to her. Sakura had fear on her side. Ino didn't care anyways. She was happy living her life without a boyfriend and now that Shikamaru was out of the way, she could date whomever she wanted. She didn't care when or how Sakura found out about her feelings for Shikamaru, but it didn't matter. What's done was done.
Ino walked sleepily to the Nara house. When she finally reached the house, she almost fell asleep. She was about to knock the door and wait for someone to answer, but she was out of energy and dozed off quickly. The only reason she didn't fall asleep right then and there was because someone had tapped her on the shoulder.
Ino, with her quick reflexes, grabbed the hand and twisted the arm a full 360. Unfortunately, she attacked the person before she saw who it was.
"Oww…good arm, Ino." The man rubbed his arm vigorously.
Ino gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my goodness! Shikaku-san! Gomenasai (sorry)!" She apologized.
"It is okay, Ino." Shikaku said sorely. "I'm fine; just a little bruised." Shikaku assured. "You're going in…to see…"
"Yup." Ino said as she nodded, assuming Shikaku was going to say Shikamaru.
"Well let's go in then." Shikaku took out his house key and opened the front door. "Ino." Shikaku gestured for Ino to step inside.
Ino nodded as she walked into the Nara house. 'Wow. I haven't been here in ages. Everything looks exactly like it did the last time I came over. That brings back a lot of memories.'
"Yoshino!" Shikaku called out.
"What?!" Yoshino shouted. She sounded a bit annoyed.
"She's here!" Shikaku continued to call out.
"Hello, I'm right here. No need to yell." Yoshino said, waving her hand in front of Shikaku, as she stood next to him.
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Temari came out of the dining room, pouring tea into her mouth. "Who's h-Ino!" Temari almost dropped her cup and was very close to spitting out the hot tea in her mouth. Thankfully, Temari had a tight grip on her cup and was too sleepy to do act very surprised.
"Temari!" Ino's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? I'm supposed to be talking to Shikamaru."
"Actually…" Yoshino grinned.
"Don't tell me…she's here for the same reason I am?" Temari guessed.
Yoshino nodded. "You are correct! I knew you were a smart one."
"What are you two talking about?" Ino asked dumbfounded by Temari and Yoshino.
"I'll be upstairs." Shikaku said, walking, with a slumped back, upstairs. He was in his 'emo' mood again. When he arrived at his room he, again, sat in a corner and rocked back and forth.
"What's wrong with him?" Temari asked, looking up the stairs.
Yoshino shrugged. "I don't know. Men these days. You can't understand anything they do."
Ino and Temari both nodded in agreement.
"So, why don't we go to the dining room and talk some more?" Yoshino asked and answered herself. She walked towards the dining room and Temari and Ino had no choice but to follow her.
"Ino, would you like some tea. Temari, more tea." Yoshino asked, smiling. She had asked only because she noticed that Ino's eyes had bags as dark as Gaara's and Temari had already finished her first cup tea.
"Yes, please." Both girls said at the same time as they sat down next to each other.
Yoshino took Temari's empty cup of tea and quickly, like magic, brought out two fresh cups of tea. "Here you go." She put the two cups of tea on the table. Then she sat down across from Ino and Temari. 'Why are they sitting next to each other? I thought they didn't like each other one bit.' Yoshino asked herself in her head.
"Domo (thank you)." Temari and Ino said in unison again.
"Do itashi mashite (your welcome)." Yoshino said. "Now I know you're both wondering what you two are doing here when Shikamaru's at work."
"Shikamaru's at work?" Ino asked. She still didn't find out that Shikamaru never sent a message to see him.
"Hai." Yoshino answered. "I sent someone to contact you to come here today." Yoshino clarified. "I wanted to talk to you two about Shikamaru…together."
Ino and Temari both nodded in acknowledgement.
"Umm…why are you two sitting next to each other?" Yoshino couldn't fight the urge of asking.
"Umm…why wouldn't we be sitting next to each other?" Temari raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you and Ino weren't friends. Actually, I thought you two were…enemies." Yoshino admitted.
"Oh!" Ino said. "You thought we were fighting for Shikamaru, right?" Ino predicted.
Yoshino nodded. "Yes."
"Oh…we aren't fighting anymore!" Temari chuckled, waving her finger back and forth between herself and Ino.
"Yeah, we're friends now. We were rivals for a time though. But we worked it out." Ino added.
Temari nodded.
"I see…well that's good to hear. Now I know there won't be as much tension in the room." Yoshino smiled cheerfully.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Temari asked, getting right down to business.
"Well, I was talking to Shikamaru and he said he cannot decide who to choose." Yoshino started.
"That's great!" Ino's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "Am I missing something again?"
"Yeah. There's something you should know…umm…" Ino tried to say she didn't want to go out with Shikamaru anymore, but she didn't know how to tell Yoshino.
"We don't want to date Shikamaru anymore." Temari said splurged out quickly.
"W-What?" Yoshino was surprised if anything. "Y-You guys are kidding, right?" She couldn't believe what Temari had said.
"No…it's true." Ino said with her head hanging low.
"We only like him as a friend." Temari added, also with her head hung very low.
"But how did this happen? Shikamaru told me that you two both liked him. I was so happy when he told me he had a girl problem and what made me even happier was that it was about two girls, and two strong and fierce girls. Now you don't like him that way? How did that happen?" Yoshino asked, hurt that his little boy's only two possible girlfriends only liked him as a friend.
"Yoshino…we're sorry. But you would do the same if you heard our reasoning." Temari said quietly.
"We really did love Shikamaru and we still love Shikamaru. We've just realized that if he can't make a decision between the two of us, it means he loves us equally. We didn't notice it until everyone already found out we both liked him." Ino spoke softly.
"It's best if Shikamaru doesn't choose one of us over the other. If he chooses one, he will have a thought forever in his head if he chose the right girl." Temari still spoke quietly. "So you see…"
"…it's in everyone's best interest if we stay friends and only friends with Shikamaru." Ino finished.
"Okay…thank you girls." Yoshino said quietly with her head as low as Ino's and Temari's. Then, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Yoshino popped her head up and smiled. "Well, that's good! Now I don't have to talk to the two of you about Shikamaru's chores at his new apartment!"
"NANI (WHAT)?!" Ino and Temari shouted so loud, you would think there was an earthquake.
"Hold up! What did you just say?" Temari asked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"I said that I wouldn't have to speak to you two about Shikamaru's chores and new apartment?" Yoshino said, unsure of why they would care.
"New apartment? You said new apartment, right?" Ino asked excitedly.
"Yes, I did." Yoshino said calmly.
"Why exactly is Shikamaru getting a new apartment?" Ino asked.
"Shikaku and I were talking a couple of years ago when Shikamaru first became a Chuunin. We made an agreement that Shikamaru would be able to live in his own apartment once he got a girlfriend. He never found a girl so he never got his apartment." Yoshino said put in plain words.
Ino stared blankly to the wall. "Wow…" Ino was almost speechless.
Temari was staring blankly as well. "Yeah…wow…" Temari was just as in awe of it. "Shikamaru having his own apartment? Him, living without his parents to take care of him? Unbelievable."
"Exactly." Ino said. Temari took her words right out of her head. "So if Shikamaru got a girlfriend when he first became a Chuunin, you would have given him his apartment then?" She asked.
"Hai. That's correct." Yoshino nodded.
"I should've taken him when I had the chance." Temari continued to stare blankly.
"When you had the chance? What about me? I had plenty of chances and passed all of them. How dumb was that?" Ino continued blankly as well.
"We give a bad name to blondes. We've missed our chances." Temari said.
"Yeah, we sure have." Ino agreed.
"Not necessarily." Yoshino corrected.
"Hmm?" Both girls sounded.
"One of you still has a chance of becoming Shikamaru's girlfriend since Shikamaru hasn't learned that you only like him as a friend. And if one of you becomes his girlfriend, Shikamaru can move out and live in an apartment." Yoshino supported.
Ino and Temari turned to each other. They had a glare of fire in their eyes. If there was a staring contest, Ino and Temari would beat out everyone, including the glaring kings, Neji and Sasuke.
"Well, look at the time. I think you girls should be going now." Yoshino stood up and gestured the two kunoichis out of the dining room, into the living room, and out the door. "See you later…or at least of one you! Sayonara!" Yoshino waved goodbye.
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"Ino." Temari said angrily.
"Temari." Ino said back with just as much anger.
"I think we have a bigger prize to think about now, don't we?" Temari said.
"Yes, yes we do." Ino agreed.
"Well, for now then, we are rivals once again." Temari indicated.
"We are rivals until we can make a decision that will benefit everyone…or at least the two of us." Ino added.
"Deal." Temari stretched her arm out in front of herself.
"Deal." Ino reached her arm out to Temari's hand.
The two blonde kunoichis shook hands on their arrangement.
"Talk to you later then?" Ino asked.
"Yeah…later…" Temari nodded.
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Yoshino stood in her bedroom, looking out of her window, with the sun shining bright, casting a shadow over her face. "Perfect…" She said.
"You succeeded...?" Shikaku asked from the corner of the room.
"Of course I succeeded! Did you think I wouldn't?" Yoshino asked expecting only one answer.
"Of course I thought you would succeed honey!" Shikaku laughed nervously.
"Good." Yoshino said. 'That's the answer I wanted to hear from you.'
"But don't you think this is a bad idea…even a little bit…a tad…a smidget?" Shikaku asked, still rocking back and forth.
"Not at all! Don't you want our little boy to be happy?! If Ino and Temari only think of Shikamaru as a friend, Shikamaru will never get a girlfriend! I am not messing up my chance to get my little boy out of this house!" Yoshino scowled.
"Yes, dear." Shikaku agreed in fear.
"Exactly. Whoever Shikamaru picks will be happy anyways once they see what a great guy Shikamaru can be." Yoshino said. "It'll be perfect…just wait and see honey."
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A/N: Kind of creepy ending huh? Is Yoshino evil? What will Temari and Ino do next? How will I finish this before midnight tomorrow? Some of these questions will be answered someday…or maybe not.