Occupational Hazard: For Shikamaru, it's falling in love with Ino. XD
I updated on time! Hurrah! I have recently become very involved with Photoshop. Ah, the joys of being an equipped fan girl. Now I can tell the entire world just how much I love my fandom with pictures!
Anyway, I'm off for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows soon. Can't wait. Planning to finish reading it in a weekend. Such Writer's Block for Sylvan and Paperback Novel...
Disclaimer: Neither of these is mine, although I do belt out 'I Will Always Love You' and 'I Have Nothing' every now and then.
[EDIT 5/11/07 I can't believe Dumbledore is gay. With Grindelwald.
"Install cameras here, here, and there." Shikamaru murmured to the security worker, "and make sure to install floodlights at the front gate. Update the intercom too please." The man nodded, made some notes and hurried off.
Shikamaru rubbed his face; the security systems here were practically nonexistent. He pretty much had to remodel the whole place. Kakashi popped up beside him.
"So how's it going?"
Shikamaru grimaced, "It's worse than I thought. It's a wonder she's been safe until now." Kakashi shook his head.
"I wouldn't say that if I were you." Shikamaru turned his head sharply to regard Kakashi.
"What do you mean?" The brunet demanded.
"Well Iruka told me -"
"Who's Iruka?" Shikamaru interrupted. Kakashi frowned at him.
"Ino's manager. Umino Iruka." Kakashi smiled gleefully at the name. Shikamaru crushed the memory of the dolphin comment from yesterday. "Anyway, he told me that about a week ago someone had broken into the house and stolen her MP3 player. Iruka didn't want her to panic or freak out, so he simply told her that she must have lost it."
Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed; an MP3 player was a very personal item. "Kakashi. This is serious. How can they keep something like this from her?" Shikamaru asked, looking around at all the workers. They were confined to being outside, and only the very most trusted employees were inside the house. "They can't keep her oblivious of the danger she's in. I can't be responsible for her safety if she's not even aware of the danger." The white haired man shrugged.
"Ignorance is bliss." He quoted. Shikamaru snorted. "Then she must be in nirvana now." Kakashi chuckled. "Well said, Shikamaru. But Iruka told me she has a penchant for drama -"
"- And she'll probably want to confront the offender, I know." Shikamaru interrupted again. Kakashi gave him a level, measuring look. "She's been resting for a few weeks now, her doctor insisted she take some time off until its time for the charity event and the Oscars. But really, Iruka planned it so we could try and catch whoever is doing this."
"Smart man." Shikamaru murmured, and Kakashi grinned again. "Isn't he?" He chirped. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. The liaison furrowed his eyebrows. "So about you and Miss Yamanaka -"
"What are you doing to my house?" Ino's shriek came from near the entrance. Sighing, Shikamaru steeled himself; Kakashi patted him on the back before disappearing. "NARA!"
"Yes, Miss Yamanaka?" He asked quietly behind her. She jumped and spun around.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She stamped her foot. She hasn't changed from her spoiled, bratty ways. Shikamaru thought woefully.
"Sorry." He mumbled. She drew herself to her full height. "What are you doing to my house? I said yes, some adjustments could be made, not the whole thing!" She was spitting fire now.
"I had underestimated how bad security really was." He replied levelly, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"God! How am I supposed to have brunch with my friends when it's noisy as hell here?" She demanded.
"Have brunch somewhere else." He gave the totally logical answer, which was totally unacceptable to her.
"Oh really? And I thought I'll be placed under house arrest!" She was looking for a fight, and he was looking for a way to dodge it.
"It'll be done by the end of the week. We're doing all we can. Until then maybe you could have brunch somewhere in the city," He muttered.
She huffed and mumbled under her breath, casting him dark looks. "Alright. I'm going to go in half an hour." He nodded in acquiescence.
XxX
And because Ino was going out, that meant Shikamaru was going out too. He donned casual clothing of jeans and a white shirt with a black jacket, and hid his guns in their holsters.
Ino wore a scarlet strapless top with tight black pants and crimson Jimmy Choo heels. Like a crime about to happen Shikamaru thought wryly, his morbid humour arising. Her friends, consisting of Haruno Sakura, Hyuuga Hinata and Tenten, piled into the sleek black limo along with him. The three other girls sat opposite him, while Ino grudgingly sat as far away from him as possible. This did not go unnoticed by the other three.
Hinata was glad she'd discouraged her bodyguards, Shino and Kiba from accompanying her. It would have been quite a squeeze. Tenten glanced at Hinata, and wondered if she could somehow get the shy girl to get her cousin Neji to come along next time.
Sakura squinted at Ino's new bodyguard. His face was turned away, but that angle of his jaw and that particular hairstyle… She shot up in her seat and pointed a dramatic finger at Shikamaru. The lazy genius was startled slightly by the rosette's sudden movement, and stared at the polished pink nail at his nose.
"Aren't you Nara Shikamaru!?" She asked excitedly, her viridian eyes alight with mischief. Tenten's gaze snapped from looking outside to staring at Shikamaru as well. Hinata looked wonderingly at him too.
"Say it isn't so!" Tenten cried, and scrutinized him. Sakura nodded excitedly. "I'm positive it's him! He used to go to school with Ino and I! And -!" Shikamaru didn't like the spark of remembrance in Sakura's eyes. Her eyes turned as wide as saucers as she gasped. "AND INO USED TO HAVE THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON Y-Oomph!" Sakura struggled as Ino lunged at her and slapped a hand over her mouth. The pink haired girl flailed about, but Ino ignored her and turned an icy, murderous gaze on the other occupants. "Not a single word to ANY body, am I clear?" Tenten nodded, Hinata squeaked and Sakura gave a gasping agreement when Ino freed her.
"You didn't have to smother me, Ino-pig!" Sakura trilled.
"I'll smother you if I want, billboard head!" Ino retorted, and on they went. Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. Tenten gazed at him, and deeming Ino too caught up in the verbal war, Shikamaru leaned forward.
"Yes?" He inquired, and the Chinese heiress cocked her head.
"Well, it's just so amazing, I mean, the things that I heard she did and the stuff that she pulled back in high school to obtain your affections is still in the students' Hall of Fame and Infamy." Shikamaru nodded wearily; Ino was nothing if not a drama queen, and never hesitated to drag the poor sod (usually him) into the fray as well.
"She was pretty persistent." He replied, flushing a little. Tenten smiled, a dimple in her right cheek. "She is, isn't she?" The girl said casually, looking out the window again. Shikamaru felt that lead ball plummet into his stomach and suck all the breath out of him. Say it isn't so he found himself mimicking.
"What! Were you talking to him?" Ino gasped, her hair turning into snakes. She rounded on them. And in the end, only Hinata was spared Ino's wrath.
XxX
Lunch was a happy affair, once Ino swung back from murder to nice and amiable. Shikamaru sat at another table, relegated there after Ino said it was time for their 'girl talk.' He sipped at his coffee, cream and sugar this time, and kept an eye out for any suspicious persons.
A black jeep was parked opposite the café, the windows tinted. Shikamaru let his gaze slip over the car and cast it around.
"Oi, Shikamaru!" Ino called, and he turned his gaze to her. "Can you get me a chocolate brownie please?" She asked, sweetly poisonous. His left eye twitched slightly, but he sighed and got up, slouched over to the counter and paid for the sweet confectionery. He'd done worse, really, and if he didn't she'd just throw a hissy fit. The cashier over the counter smiled at him flirtatiously, her red-tipped fingers brushing over his as she handed him the plate.
He gave her a polite nod before turning around, feeling decidedly uncomfortable when he felt her eyes on his rear end. He walked over to Ino and handed her the plate.
"Here." He said quietly, and she looked up from some joke, and amazingly, favoured him with one of her bewitching smiles. "Thanks Shika!" She said, then instantly looked surprised at herself. He looked at her, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she used the nickname she'd dubbed him with two decades ago in primary school. She'd obviously forgotten she was supposed to hate me Shikamaru thought with amusement. Ino opened her mouth to say something, but was suddenly cut off.
"Hey! Isn't that Yamanaka Ino?" The flirty girl from before cried, her eyes obviously having trailed from Shikamaru's rear to the superstar's face. Some people swivelled in their seats; others stood up to have a better look.
Shit Shikamaru cursed in his head. "We should go." He said to Ino, but she threw him one rebellious look and jumped up. The crowd 'ooh'ed, "I loved you in that movie!" "I love your songs!" "Take a picture with us!" "Marry me!" Shikamaru raised his eyebrows at the fans.
"Hi! It's great to meet you all!" She said, all smiles and charms as numerous fans crowded around her for pictures or autographs. Shikamaru scowled, disliking that so many people were crowding around her. He kept a wary eye out for suspicious behaviour. He groaned when the commotion in the café drew more crowds. He pushed his way past the people to where Ino was signing and laughing with the adoration heaped upon her. A blue-grey haired man with round glasses passed a picture of Ino to her for signing, and she smiled prettily at him.
"To whom?" She asked. He smiled, a strange light in his eyes. "To an adoring fan." He replied, and she obliged him. Ino passed the picture back with a grin, and her eyes went to another fan immediately. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Something was not quite right with that man; that look in his eyes…
"We have to go now, there's too many people here." He raised his voice over the din. She pouted at him, but once she saw for herself, she nodded. She clasped onto his arm and he pushed and muttered apologies as they went. Ino was still waving to the crowd and blowing kisses, winking for the cameras.
Ino collapsed into the limo, laughing, as Sakura giggled over all the numbers she'd gotten and Tenten smiled; she'd gotten into the photos too, somehow. Hinata smiled quietly, blushing fiercely from all the hugs and photos Ino had drawn her into. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at the girls' infectious good mood.
Lee began driving, and Ino calmed down enough to lean her forehead against the cold glass, letting it cool her flush down. Shikamaru concentrated on the rear view mirror, and frowned when the black jeep he'd seen before weave in and out of the traffic, always drawing closer. He rapped on the driver's door; Lee rolled it down and glanced at him. "Yes, Shikamaru?" The guy hadn't minded when he found out Shikamaru's real name.
"Slow down. Then turn right at the next intersection." He ordered, and Lee gave a firm nod. Ino, finally sober, looked at him worriedly "What is it, Shikamaru?" He glanced at her.
"Let's just hope it's my imagination." He growled, and looked at the black jeep again. It was behind two cars now. They turned, and the jeep turned with them; it was right behind them, the front windshield reflecting the light and obscuring whoever was inside.
"Stay as low as you can." He said to the girls, and they followed his orders without hesitation. They crouched low with their knees drawn to their chest and hand over their head. Soon they got to the Yamanaka villa; Shikamaru motioned for Lee to call security to open the gates beforehand. Meanwhile, he took out his gun and kept his eyes trained on the car. They were nearing private property now. Just as the limo passed through the first gate, the jeep stopped; and began to reverse. Shikamaru cursed and flung open the door, slamming it behind him as the limo screeched away and the brunette, usually lazy, ran hard and fast. He took aim and fired, but the bullet glanced off the car, and with a squealing of tyres and the smell of burnt rubber, the jeep disappeared.
There was no car plate.
XxX
"Okay, what the in the world was that?" Ino said as soon as Shikamaru had appeared again. "I saw that jeep across the café, and then it began to follow us." He said. He had gone straight to Iruka and informed him, then went to notify security to look out for a black jeep.
"What if it was just some eager fan?" She said, her hands on her hips.
"An 'eager fan' would not remove the car plates, nor would they have bullet proof cars." He said slowly. Her eyebrows furrowed, but he didn't move. Finally, and with a frustrated sigh, she snapped at him. "What's the time?"
"Twelve thirty." He replied after glancing at his black Rolex. Ino tapped her foot and tapped her lips with her finger.
"I'm going shopping." She said with finality, and pulled out her phone to call up Sakura. Shikamaru grimaced, sure that she was torturing him.
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Exciting stuff, like a bit more into the thoughts of our characters on their (lack of) a relationship and some sexual tension happens next chapter.
Earthborne: Pimpin' it since 2002