Enjoy. It's a lot longer than I thought it would be but here's the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews and the many readers.

"C'mon and tell me already. I really want to know," Ino whined as Kankuro just laughed and shook his head. She pouted with shining tears in her eyes, reminding him of a little lost puppy he had found years ago. But he wasn't going to give in to her pouts just yet. He was almost done with his little surprise but not quite yet.

"You just got to wait a little longer, Ino. But I got to make sure nothing goes wrong to spoil it," Kankuro teased smiling at Ino who sulked with her sad blue eyes, "So I'll see you in a little bit."

With curious eyes, Ino watched as her boyfriend walked off and even though she was almost dying to know what the secret he was keeping, she made sure not to follow. At least not without giving him a head start. She snickered dryly to herself and waited until a few moments passed. And then she was off tracking Kankuro.

But it was a lot harder than it seemed. It was as if Kankuro had anticipated that she would follow him. Blond hair flying as she leaped from building to building, she eventually stopped and stomped her feet with agitation. She stood on her tiptoes to try to peek over the next building but it was as if he had vanished. Ino pouted and sighed.

"I guess it's gonna stay a secret isn't it?" Ino griped, as she hopped down and landed right next to a startled Kiba whose large dog barked a greeting.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba asked getting his heartbeat back to it's usual rhythm. He petted Akamaru and looked at Ino who eyed him with curiosity. Ino studied him, searching his face to make sure that Kiba was truly joking with her or not. He looked confused, but that could have easily been faked in order to hide his knowledge of Kankuro's plan.

"Do you honestly don't know? I mean, Kankuro must have mentioned the surprise he's planning to someone," Ino insisted, grabbing Kiba's shoulders and shaking him which caused his hood to fall backwards, "Do you know something or not?!"

Kiba suddenly realized what she was asking about, and smiled a knowing smile. He glanced over at Akamaru and asked, "Do you think I should tell her?"

Akamaru's soft brown doggy eyes looked towards Ino and he barked back. Kiba laughed and pulled his hood back into place and stared at Ino with a slight smirk, "Sorry Ino, but it's a surprise. But I bet you're gonna love it. Even Akamaru thinks so. Isn't that right, boy?"

Akamaru yipped and Kiba walked off with Ino staring after them with an evil glare. She stomped her feet and with impatience shouted after them, "Well he better hurry, because I hate waiting!"

Ino looked down at her feet and brushed away the blond strands of hair that got in her face. She couldn't help it. She was just so excited about what Kankuro was going to do. The bad part was she had no clue to what that surprise even was.

Choji had finally come back from some kind of cooking festival and Shikamaru was glad to see him, but he still didn't feel the same as before. Choji had noted this and would gently talk with Shikamaru and listen while he snacked on his barbecue chips.

"What happened when I was gone? It's obvious that you sigh a whole lot more nowadays," Choji asked carefully studying Shikamaru's sad expression. Choji had found out that Ino had new boyfriend but he was glad that she was happy even if he had wished her for his own. But Team Ten would always stick together even when they grow old and withered. Just like their parents. Well the parents were getting older anyways.

"Well, you know Ino and Kankuro got together. And Temari and I half-way got together," Shikamaru sighed once more playing with a blade of grass and avoiding glancing up at the clouds. That wasn't like him and he knew that his friend knew something was up.

Shikamaru heard a loud sounding voice, and his heart lurched with a spark of hope. But it faded when he listened a bit longer and discovered that it wasn't Temari's voice. There was a desperate plea in his heart and it ached so much to see her. Even if it was just for a moment. Without a single warning, one lone tear raced gently down his face but he didn't bother to swipe it away. Choji glanced over and noticed the tears that dripped from his best friend's face but he didn't say a word. It was about time for Shikamaru to finally to break down, for it wasn't healthy to keep all his sorrow bundled up inside him.

"You've noticed that lately I haven't been talking as much or saying my usual comments. It's because with every word I speak, I feel my throat clogging up and I don't want to cry," Shikamaru enlightened as he plucked a single blade of green from the meadow, "I love Temari and that's all there is to it."

"Well-" Choji advised as he chomped on a chip, " You need to go tell her. She might not know it. Who knows she might even admit she loves you too. After all I've seen you together before on when you were examiner and her guide. You just seem perfect together."

" You're right, as usual. But there has to be a actual reason to visit her, before Tsunade-Sama would even began to let me go," he responded trying so hard to keep his voice steady as Choji left him thinking.

"Well, I'll see you later. My dad wants to see me for something. Maybe a new Jutsu or something," Choji waved with a huge grin as he walked off. Those words made him remember a conversation of long ago, right after the Chuunin Exams. It was a simple little talk, but Choji thought the world of how Shikamaru cheered him up.

"You're a funny guy Shikamaru and you're smart. I know you're more amazing then that Neji guy," Choji remarked feeling all together gloomy as he talked with his best friend.

"Really? That never crossed my mind. I'm just me," Shika responded slowly glancing over at Choji and pondering over what was just said. He had truly had never really thought about it.

"Think about it. You're the only one who became a Chuunin after this last exam," Choji answered trying to show Shikamaru he was a lot better than some of those others and that he had potential to be great.

"But if we went at it, you might be stronger. Right? I might have given up if I went against you," Shikamaru lazily answered seeing that Choji was feeling disappointed in himself.

"But Asuma just told me all I do is eat!" Choji replied feeling despair at the thought. He frowned and shook his head.

"Like, I said, I'm me and you're you. Who's this or that doesn't matter. Don't worry about what Asuma said. Just be yourself," Shikamaru responded truthfully, staring straight ahead as Choji smiled and felt cheerful and happy once again. He felt like crying with such happiness but he didn't.

"I'll see you! I gotta go. Dad's talking about showing me some new move or something," Shikamaru walked off, leaving Choji thinking that Shikamaru was a good friend as he smiled joyfully.

Choji smiled at the memories and hoped that Shikamaru would be all right. He didn't like seeing his friend in such torment. He didn't think anyone would.

Shikamaru watched his best friend leave, and smiled as best as he could. But his heart wasn't in it. He truly did not want to cry but he couldn't stop himself. He broke down then and there and just couldn't stop even though he tried long and hard.

"I got to get a hold of myself," He sobbed, not bothering to duck his head in his hands. Tears dripped faster and harder and created a small puddle on the ground, turning the dry dirt into dark wet mud. He just didn't have the strength or the energy to even lift his hands up to his face. Shikamaru's heart was in that much torment and torture as he had visions of the time Temari had spent with him.