As promised, here's chapter 4, yay! :D You can consider this like some sort of "Valentine's Day special", because... well, you'll see, just read it :p As always, reviews are more then welcome! Have fun :)
Ps: I do not own Naruto, bla bla bla... you know.
Chapter 4 : Dirty little secret
The next morning, Ino woke up with a nasty headache, but she was getting used to it. It took her several minutes to remember where she was. The young woman looked around in Shikamaru's room. There wasn't any decorative items, just naked walls with a huge library and a horrible mess all around the floor. It was all very Shikamaru-ish. Ino remembered what had happened last night in every detail and she blushed. That kiss wasn't her first, and would definitely not be the last, but it had something special. Maybe because she knew the person so well, and it wasn't expected.
Going in the tiny kitchen, the blonde had a very nervous feeling in her gut. Shikamaru was already sitting at the table, a cup of tea next to him while reading what appeared to be the local newspaper. Choji sat in front of the television with a bowl of cereal and some chips on his side.
"Hi guys"
"Good morning, Ino!" greeted the chubby boy without looking at her. "Slept well?"
"Yeah, I slept all right"
"I don't even remember coming home" he continued. "It must have been a tough night for you two!"
Ino looked up at Shikamaru who was also looking at her with curiosity in his eyes. The strategist got up of his chair and walked towards the girl. He stopped a few feet from her, his eyes in her own.
"Want some breakfast?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh no thanks, I don't eat in the morning."
"That's unhealthy…" Shikamaru said this picking up his cup and drinking some tea.
The young woman looked at his actions, mesmerized. He made drinking look so sexy, always keeping his eyes on her. She shook her head to get rid of the thought, and clapped her hands to look enthusiastic.
"Okay, so what are we doing today, guys?"
The shadow-caster put down his cup and showed off his new seductive smirk.
"We aren't doing anything today, we're off duty. You, on the other hand, have work at he hospital, and…" he looked at the kitchen clock, then leaned closer to the girl, still smirking. "Yep, you're already late for your shift."
It took her quite a moment to get a grip of this new information before squealing.
"OH CRAP!" and she was already running out of the apartment, not even taking the time to say goodbye. Shikamaru drank his tea, laughing. "God, I like messing with her brains!" he thought, smirking at his newly discovered favourite activity. "This is gonna be fun…"
Sakura glared at the panting blonde girl in front of her, lifting one eyebrow at her friend.
"I'm so sorry, Sakura! We went out last night and…"
"I really wish I would give a shit, but thanks to you, I just took an extra shift pro bono, so yeah, I don't care." the pinkette interrupted. "So go put your white coat on and please brush your teeth or something, you smell like a whole bar all by yourself!"
Ino headed to the changing room, her head down all the way. This was going to be one hell of a long day. She intended to a few lightly wounded patients, but the rest of the day she would have to be doing paper work for her and for Sakura.
The hospital was less crowded that day, thankfully, so the two women were off duty early that night. Sakura sat down next to Ino who was finishing up her last report. The pinkette was already in a better mood, as always when they could leave work early.
"So, what do you say? You, me and our other crazy girls at the hot springs tonight? I think we all need a night to relax, without any alcohol."
Ino looked up at her friend, her reading glasses falling on her lap as she did so.
"What, the others are back?"
"Yep" Sakura smiled. "Tenten told me she'd be home tonight and I met Hinata just this morning!"
"Oh hell yeah! Girls night out! Finally!"
They did a quick high five, and went to change their clothes.
Shikamaru's POV:
"Arrrrgh! I lost AGAIN!" Choji shouted, throwing his pillow at his friend's head.
They had been playing video games almost all day. Shikamaru thought it was pretty stupid, and preferred by far his game of "go", but he enjoyed winning against Choji. The guy was absolutely hilarious when he lost, and it was the only competitive game that didn't ask neither of them any effort. The Nara laughed at his friend's pitiful attempts to choke him with his pillow.
"Hey, you want me to let you win? It would make you a double loser!"
Choji made a very animal-like sound, something definitely closer to a bully than a graceful butterfly. He launched after the strategist, who jumped off the sofa and started running around in the apartment, laughing like a five year old. The Akimichi armed himself with a unmerciful pillow and ran after him. The apartment door opened (they never locked it, some ninja, huh?) and a very unaware Naruto Uzumaki entered the battle field.
"What the-.." was all he managed to say, as Shikamaru slapped his shoulder on his way, shouting:
"Naruto, RUN!"
Without a second thought, the blonde boy ran after him, only a few minutes later noticing the very wild Akimichi heir running after them. They continued like this for about 10 minutes, going through their hundredth lap around the apartment. The two fleeing cowards were so tired they almost couldn't laugh anymore. Almost. Choji didn't show any sign of fatigue as he continued his chase. Shikamaru tried to get some reason in this whole chase-pursuit going on. "Okay, Naruto…" he hissed through his panting. "We can't…continue like this…"
"Got a plan?"
"Yeah…I think so…can you attack him with some c-clones while I try to think of s-something?"
"Hell yeah, I can!" this said, the spiky-haired blonde composed his usual signs and three perfect replicas of him appeared. The four of them, the original joining in as well, jumped on their pursuer. It wasn't enough to take Choji down, as he struggled to make them fall down of him.
"Haha!" Shikamaru jumped on the sofa, prepared to make an impressive escape through the window nearby.
"Hey! Traitor!" Naruto shouted.
"You know what they say: all is fair in love and war-WHOA!" The shadow-traitor didn't have the chance to finish his crucial line, Choji launched himself on him along with the four Narutos on his back. The sofa turned over at the impact, the clones disappeared, leaving behind three exhausted fools spread across the floor. They all burst into a hysterical laugh, not even getting the chance to catch their breath.
Shikamaru took used this occasion that they were all calmed to pat the Uzumaki on the shoulder.
"Hey, it's great they finally let you out of the hospital, man!"
"Thanks, I was kinda going crazy in there!" replied the boy, passing a hand through his spiky hair.
"We need to celebrate!" exclaimed Choji, already licking his lips, thinking about the succulent dinner they would be having. Shikamaru was all in.
"Yeah, how about we go and have a drink with the others? I heard Kiba, Lee and Neji were back from mission!"
"Nah" Naruto frowned with a disgusted look on his face. "I'm not allowed to drink any alcohol for the next two weeks, and I'm supposed to take it easy…"
Choji got up on his elbows looking at his friends with a large smile.
"Why not meeting them at the hot springs? It's been an eternity since last time! Plus if we get lucky…"
"Oh yeah, the whole in the wall where you can see everything!" Naruto realised, remembering the little leak he had discovered in the wooden wall that separated the men from the women at the hot springs. "It's so on! I'll tell the others!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his friends. It wasn't like it didn't interest him, he had actually peeked through the whole with his friends more than once, but every time there were only old women. He even wondered if there wasn't a secret spot for the young, attractive women.
Naruto took off, all happy and jumping, leaving the other two on the floor. Choji looked at his teammate.
"We should clean up the mess we've made.."
"Choji, my friend, remember what I always say: 'Always leave what you're too lazy to do for tomorrow!'" and he folded his arms behind his head, in position to take a deserved nap.
Later that day, when the sun was slowly making its way far down the horizon and the village started its night life, a rather large group of young men met in front of the hot springs.
"Hey guys!" greeted Naruto. "I've missed you, it's good to be back!"
"Yeah, welcome back, just don't piss us off too soon, dork!" Kiba teased.
"It's good to see you, Naruto!" Lee patted the blonde boy on the back, showing off his nice-guy smile.
"Let's get going, we'll continue the sweet greetings inside" Neji invited them.
The group of men entered the changing rooms, taking their clothes off and only taking a towel with them. They jumped in the hot water without any hesitation, like a bunch of kids who have been banned from playing for far too long. After a few minutes of infantile fun, all men settled on the board of the pool, sitting down and enjoying the warmth of the curing water. The sound of young women giggling brought them back on earth, curiosity spreading across each male face. They were all silent as they listened to the magic sound.
"Oh come on, you've got to be kidding!" a very familiar voice resounded through, what appeared to them, an empty pool on either side.
Naruto approached their secret little peeking corner, which was just an inch above the water, so no one noticed it. He suddenly hissed, and whispered:
"It's Sakura-chan and her friends!"
"Who else?" asked Kiba on an equally low tone.
"Ino, Hinata and Tenten."
Kiba pushed him brutally to the side, looking through the whole. The others were just as curious, but they managed to keep it to themselves.
"Hey! Give them some privacy!" Lee was outraged by their attitude, but he still whispered like the others.
"Oh shut up, they all kept their towels" the dog-like ninja sounded disappointed.
A long silence followed, but they could all tell it was to hear what was being said on the other side. Kiba and Naruto sat back with the others.
A huge splash was heard, followed by some un-delicate cursing.
"Come on, girls! Take those friggin' towels off and come on the dark side!" it was Ino's voice.
Three similar splashes resounded, and suddenly Kiba and Naruto regretted not staying at their spying spot, but it was too late, all four girls sat in the pool, their bodies covered up to their collarbones.
"So, I was in desperate need of some good old-fashioned girls on girls sex talk!" the blonde woman spoke. "Tell me, please, who you did!"
"Okay, me first then!" the boys were surprised to hear Tenten's thin voice speak up. "On our last mission, I slept with Neji!"
"Oh, score!"
"Nice one, Tenten! How'd it go?"
All the guys looked at Neji in disbelief. He had his eyes closed, a proud smirk on his lips.
"Well, it wasn't bad… Although it was weird, you know, with the long hair all over my face and stuff.." this description was followed by a hysterical laugh amongst the girls, the boys tried to do it discreetly. Neji wasn't all that proud suddenly.
"Sakura, your turn! Pass on the 'speaking-brush', Tenten, please!"
"Okay, here I go.."
"No, no, you're supposed to speak into the brush like a mic!"
"That's just stupid, why should I…?"
"Just shut up and do it!" Ino shouted.
"All right then, as I was saying before I got rudely interrupted, you know I went to Suna the past month..?"
"Oh no, don't tell me you did Gaara!"
"Nah I wish!" Sakura paused then continued, a little pissed off. "The guy's smoking hot, and his not all that psycho as everyone thinks! Anyway, when I was about to come back home, someone told me Kankuro wasn't feeling too good and asked me if I couldn't heal him. So I went to his room, and…well, let's say he wasn't feeling all that bad."
There was a long moment when no one said anything, and the men on the other side were afraid they had been discovered. Then, a loud cheering was heard on the girl's side. Naruto and Lee were so shocked they couldn't even think straight. Shikamaru snorted, this was all so random. He had already heard them discuss their love lives on several missions, he couldn't care less who slept with who. By the disinterested look on his face, Choji was thinking the exact same thing.
"Hinata? You get the 'speaking-brush' next, tell us your darkest secrets!"
"M-me?" the boys could practically hear her blush and look down.
"Yeah, go on!"
"I…I d-don't…"
"Leave her be, Ino. She doesn't want to!"
"Tss, she's obviously keeping herself for that one person, ain't it right Hinata?"
"Hn.." was all the shy girl was able to say.
"Who are they talking about?" Naruto whispered, frustration all over his face. The others just looked at him as if he was the most idiotic person on the planet. Well, from the village at least, they all thought.
"I think it's not even worth asking you, Ino. You'll keep us up all night if you have to do the list, right?" Tenten laughed.
"Well, believe it or not, this past three months I've had only two men in my bed."
"Oh really? And whom would that be?"
"Izumo and Kotetsu." And there was a long silence before she added: "Not at the same time, you pervs!"
"I though you broke up with Izumo…"
"Yeah, but about two months ago he came back to me all pitiful, and I was drunk, so…"
"God, you're the sinner's queen!"
"But I hear there's someone special these times.." Sakura said with a provocative tone.
"Huh? Really?" Tenten asked.
"She's just taken too many bumps on her head in her sleep, don't listen to her. But really, what are you talking about, billboard-brow?"
"Not 'what' but 'who'" Sakura corrected "I think we both know who I'm talking about, pig!"
"Hey, you two are keeping secrets from us!" Tenten protested.
"Nah, she's delusional. I don't know myself what she's talking about.."
"Hm, denial. Sweet." The pinkette chuckled. "Okay girls, let's get going, the night's still ahead of us!"
The small group of women left the hot springs, leaving behind a bunch of knocked-out men, still recovering of what they heard. Shikamaru was now intrigued. So Ino did have someone in her life. He then wondered if the kiss that they had had last night even counted as one. The young man felt stabbed in the back, but the feeling was oddly numbed by another one that grew slowly in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling close to an ache, but wasn't all that painful, just slightly uncomfortable. But he loved this feeling. The strategist looked around to see that he was alone in the pool. "Bastards!" he thought. "They could've told me they were leaving. I know it can be impressive when I zone out, lost in my thoughts, but a little politeness, is it too much to ask?" The shadow-caster sighed, then headed out to the changing rooms.
Ino's POV:
Ino didn't clearly know what she was thinking while she was heading towards the men's changing room. She knew very well that the boys had been listening to their conversation earlier in the pool (she had sensed their chakra), and she wasn't really mad, more like curious. The blonde had told the others that she wasn't feeling too well and to go on without her. Arrived to the door, Ino rested her hand on the doorknob, hesitating, but then followed her instinct, secretly hoping it would be locked. It wasn't. The young woman entered the room with determination, even if she didn't quite know what she was doing. The lockers were all open, and hot water steam was all over the place that obviously wasn't often aerated. The pair of blue eyes found what they were looking for, and weren't disappointed by what they saw. A young man, stood in front of a locker, turning his back to her. His black hair that he was energetically drying with a towel fell to the top of his shoulders. Oh, and the said man was butt naked.
Ino stood there, watching Shikamaru getting rid of the water in his hair. She was mesmerized by the movement of the thick muscles under the skin of his back. A line in the middle of his sculpted back ran down between strong muscles to an absolutely perfect backside. His thighs were also decorated with impressive muscles, leading down to his masculine ankles. Ino's eyes ran across his large shoulders, then focusing on his biceps flexing and then loosening. This delicious movement was repeated many times, while veins were apparent on his forearms and his large, rough hands.
The kunoichi took a few steps towards the beautiful naked man, closing in a few seconds the distance between them. She ran a finger down his spine and spoke in a very calm tone:
"Didn't anyone tell you it is rude to listen to other's conversations?"
The other froze, not knowing what was most shocking: the fact that a woman had sneaked up on him while he was completely naked, or the fact that the woman was now touching his back. He swallowed hard, the odd feeling in his gut growing more and more intense. Shikamaru focused on keeping his breathing steady, while thinking about something to say, but the kunoichi behind him was faster:
"I knew you guys were listening. Did you find out something interesting?"
Ino was now sliding her fingers across one of his shoulder-blades, teasing the skin that got goose-bumps underneath her touch. The Nara slowly turned to face her, his eyes showing a bizarre mix of confusion and passion. His hair fell like a black curtain around his face. Ino lifted one of her hands to push away a few rebel strands that disturbed her in her analyse. Shikamaru found the courage to finally speak, trying to keep acting cool.
"No, nothing interesting. I'd rather hear it directly from you."
The blonde flashed him a ravishing smile, her pink lips showing her perfect white teeth. Her eyes were still intense while she continued her scrutinising. The girls gracious hand moved to the strategist's cheekbones, then on his lips, caressing their smoothness. He closed his eyes as she did so. Her wandering hand making its way down his distinct jaw line, down his neck and stopped on his collarbone. Ino's fingers gently tickled his sensitive flesh at the base of his throat, then travelled on his torso, appreciating every curve of his muscles. Her fingernails slightly dug in his abs, then caressing apologetically. The kunoichi's hand stopped just below his belly button, but her eyes continued the road down to his package. "Hum, apparently, not only his shoulders are large…"she thought, a nasty smile forming on her lips. Shikamaru had to concentrate very hard not to melt under her touch. It was all so new to him, never had a woman touched him this way, he'd never been eaten alive by eyes like those piercing blue ones. The feeling in his gut was getting so intense he was almost whining. His skin burning at every pore. The young man finally opened his eyes to meet her hungry ones.
Once again, Shikamaru pushed Ino against the wall, kissing her passionately. Her hands grasped his still wet hair as their lips moved in perfect synchronisation. His hands went down her neck, one stopping on her collarbone, the other untying the towel wrapped around her hot body. Damn, she was wearing beautiful lingerie under it, he wasn't expecting it. Shikamaru's wandering hand caressed her creamy breasts and continued down to her thigh. He suddenly took off both his hands of her. She groaned against his lips in protest, then she was suddenly lifted off the ground. His strong hands grasped her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him. Ino was getting that dizzy feeling again, and she felt as if she was burning alive. The Nara heir was getting a little too excited, and she felt it too. He broke off the kiss, embarrassed at his body's reactions. Ino looked at him with curiosity. He was just so adorable, looking away and blushing, but still holding her up against the wall.
The kunoichi thought it was time she'd take things in her hands. She pushed him away from her, and before he could protest, the girl pushed him down the long bench in the middle of the room. The young woman sat on him, straddling his hips and kissing his neck. Shikamaru's face was covered by a few blonde locks that smelled like strawberry. The smell was intoxicating, as was Ino. The room seemed to be turning around them, the air heavy and hot. The blonde sucked on a spot right under his jaw, leaving a huge hickey. The shadow-caster's hands went up her slender back, caressing her hair on the way up. Ino kissed him hard on the lips, her tongue taking control around his. He broke it off once again, and, panting heavily, tried to explain himself.
"Ino…I've never.."
"Don't worry, I have." And she continued kissing him shamelessly.
Sakura was hammering her fingers on the dinner table at the restaurant where she sat with Hinata and Tenten. The other two looked at her for a long time before Tenten finally spoke up.
"You don't think she was feeling bad, do you?"
"I don't believe a word of it, she's out there doing something stupid."
Hinata looked at both her friends, worried, when she suddenly saw someone she saw in the window.
"Look, it's Ino-san!"
The blonde entered the restaurant, her face red. She sat down next to the others without saying a word.
"Feeling better?" asked Sakura, raising one eyebrow.
"Yeah, I've just got this terrible headache…"
"Why don't you go home then? You've already missed dinner anyway.." Tenten interfered.
"And miss our girls night out? You crazy?" the blonde took her coat and sash off, and all three hissed at her.
"Ino, is that a hickey?"
"Look, there are more on the other side!"
Okey-dokey, so did you guys like the Ino on Shika action? :p I sure as hell loved to write it! I don't know when I'll be able to update again, so I gave you some lovey-dovey to chew on until next time :D
Thanks to all my supportive readers!
DarkDream93