Hi! I'm finally able to write again after such a long time! Unlike the previous chapter which kinda crammed everyone into one chapter, I decided to elaborate one relationship in a chapter right now. At last, have fun and enjoy reading!

Fall was reaching to its end the first time Shiranui Genma met Yamanaka Ino. The young shinobi had just finished his very first S-rank mission with his teammates which consists of Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi and Yamanaka Inoichi, the leader of the mission who invited all of them for a dinner to his house the night after the mission. He was welcomed warmly by the graceful wife of Inoichi and were invited inside before she was gone to something that looked like a kitchen and that was when he met her, clutching at her teddy bear so tightly while studying three strangers at her doorstep.

"Who's that?" Genma asked his two companions in a hushed tone.

"The daughter of Inoichi-san, I guess?" Kakashi answered absent-mindedly as he took off his sandals. Genma strutted forward, getting him closer to the girl. He then extended his hand to hold up her small chin for a better look. Cerulean eyes bravely met his.

"Such a beautiful girl." He sighed in what sounds like a mix of awe and exasperation, "Grow up well and you can be my bride." It was a tease and he was hoping that the girl would blush out of embarrassment but she stayed still.

The cerulean eyes kept watching him before she finally said something.

"You are a womanizer aren't you?" She said in an all-knowing tone that successfully earned her stifled chuckle from both Kakashi and Asuma. Genma raised his eyebrows at the statement.

"Ah, womanizer's too strong of a word." He squatted so his height would level with hers.

"How old are you, little girl?" He asked in an old-fashioned tone.

"I am 6 and my name is Yamanaka Ino," She said, "And your senbon is almost pricking at my eye." It was then when Inoichi's voice heard along with his heavy footsteps toward the front step.

"Dammit Shiranui! Don't you start poisoning my daughter! " Genma raised his eyesbrows at the voice as he grinned at the blonde girl and stood up.

"What did you tell my daughter? Ino, what did he tell you?" Inoichi hugged his daughter in a protective stance. Genma was about to deny that he said anything but Ino looked up to her father with an innocent smile.

"Player-san told me that I can be his bride if I grew up well."

Inoichi's eyes went white with shock. "OVER MY DEAD BODY YOU DAMN PERVERTED SHIRANUI BASTARD!" His voice had echoed throughout the house, and the neighborhood, possibly.

Shiranui Genma never got a moment of peace from Inoichi's berating that night.

.

.

And then the years gone by like seconds and he found himself looking eyes to eyes with the very same cerulean eyes once again ten years later. It was amusing and odd at the same time that they hadn't had any direct contact for a straight ten years. They passed each other on roads, and it was always a slight nod or a civil smile, nothing more. There are some parts of him that was getting curious when he found out that she was in one of his closest friend's tutelage. Asuma's response had been rather secretive and dismissing when he asked about her.

"She's so bossy you won't want her to be your bride." Asuma had said while taking a deep inhale on his cigarette, grinning at him. It sounded just like a joke from an old friend but as he pushed on it, Asuma definitely sounded like he didn't want to be asked about Ino and Genma decided to back off and changed the topic. Unlike Kakashi who was not very protective to Sakura regarding her personal life, Asuma was rather protective like he was the second Inoichi. He didn't understand why, seeing Asuma was not even that protective toward Kurenai by occasionally daring him to 'steal her from him if he can' and God knows he can. It's not that it hadn't crossed his mind for once or twice- Kurenai was an exceptional kunoichi afterall- but he figured that he just loved Asuma too much that he might figuratively want to steal him from her instead.

Several years later, Sarutobi Asuma died and then, for the first time in such a long time he could no longer count, he stepped into the flower shop, wanting to appreciate his best friend. He knew that Asuma would have laughed if he was to give him a real flower at real life, but he had to. It was the least thing he could do for a deceased best friend. He was not expecting Ino when he came there. It's not that he didn't know that she worked at the flower shop; but his intent on coming there was genuinely for Asuma. Therefore, as the sound of the bell tingling softly when he opened the door, a feminine figure turned around while cheerfully greeting welcome. Their eyes locked and memories in the past regarding her flooded his brain.

"Genma-san. What a rare sight." She said sweetly, "How can I help you today?"

He had hesitated when he strode across the room and went in front of the counter to get closer to her. She really had grown up to be a beautiful woman.

"Rare indeed. I don't tend to buy flowers for people." He said. Ino chuckled.

"Seeing your streak with woman, I bet it's more to get and go, right?" There was a playful tone on her voice but that meant she had heard the rumor about him, which wasn't exactly wrong actually. Shiranui Genma wasn't exactly known with his monogamy and he hadn't cared about them. He was an accomplished shinobi, a part of the elite group of Hokage Bodyguard. He knew what he wanted, he took it, and he deserved it.

It was like that at least until Ino came into the view. He was not sure whether the attraction was really there or she was just a part of his ever so long list of conquest. Nevertheless, he wanted her. How could he not against those big beautiful eyes, unblemished pale white skin, rosy cheeks and pink lush lips?

"Red rose." He said, his mind already rapidly apologizing to his deceased best friend for being so easily swayed by a beautiful woman, his student to make it even worse. Ino raised her eyebrows in an amusement.

"For a girlfriend?" She had sounded thrilled at his request. He let out a small smirk for an answer.

" How big you want the roses to be?" She asked while searching for the rose pot with a garden scissor on her hand.

"Just one." He said. Ino looked at him.

"Oh, come on, are you just being cheap?" She said playfully as she did some quick work with the thorn. Genma watched her do her work while stifling a chuckle.

"No, I just know my way around the meaning of flower." He grinned. Ino smiled and handed him the flower.

"There you go; it would be 25 Ryo please." She said. Genma reached his pocket and handed her the money. She thanked him cheerfully and headed back to the counter. Genma followed her.

"So, Ino," He said, tapping the counter lightly to get the girl's attention. Ino looked at her.

"Yes?"

He handed her the rose and muster up his most charming smile.

"How about a casual cup of coffee this Saturday? My treat."

The silence after that was torturing and her giggle was a relief. She took the rose and smelled it like she wasn't the very one who cut the flower herself.

"Am I having the honor of being womanized right now?" Her smile had been bordering on turning into a smirk. Genma laughed softly.

"Well, it depends on how you like it." He leaned forward. "Do you?" He had asked those words in a low tone that was inviting with a light hint of innuendo.

Ino let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, I can't say that I'm not curious. Two can play this game, Genma-san. Let's have the coffee."

The promised Saturday came quickly and there he was, picking her up at the flower shop and after waving her goodbye to a genin girl, she walked next to him comfortably. No awkwardness whatsoever despite the ten years lost of contact.

"Is it okay to skip your duty just like that?" He asked, she had nodded and explained briefly that it was basically was not her duty. He offered her which coffee shop she wanted to and she said that it was up to him.

"So, why senbon?" Her question had popped up so suddenly while Genma was busy weighing the plus minus of each coffee shop in Konoha.

"Why not senbon?" He retorted with a smile.

"Well, not everybody bit their toothpick around all the time." She said.

"They should try, then. It's great with woman." Genma let out a sly smile and Ino laughed at his response. "How does it great?" She asked, now seemingly genuinely interested.

"It's a secret reserved for those who can handle the truth." He winked and when he saw that her lips curled into a pout, he added, "I'll give you a hint though; Women and their curiosity."

"Curiosity could kill, in fact." Ino said.

"Then aren't you here with me because of your curiosity?" Genma teased her, recalling their previous conversation. Ino lifted her chin up in vain.

"I can tread carefully around my curiosity as to not get killed." She said proudly. Genma smirked at her arrogance and patted her head.

"Now you get me curious too. You're right, Ino." He said, "Two can play this game, and let's see who get killed first."

XXX

"I can feel those envy looks from men right now." Genma joked as they sat down on the café by the roadside. Part of it was true, actually. People frowned upon them and he knew why. They must have thought that she was his newest victim of love. Other woman had been fine, but this was his best friend's student. The girl who was thousand years younger than him. And she was Ino and he was Genma; nothing could better elaborate the uniqueness of the situation but their identities. Genma knew that Ino understood this very well and yet she only looked at those people and looked back at him.

"Really? And how do you like it?" She asked, jovial.

"Fair enough." Genma smiled at her nonchalance. "But I'm serious." He added. Ino shrugged her shoulder while laughing. She was thinking that it was just a part of his charming flirting. Example was definitely needed.

"Now, now. Look at that Hyuuga guy who was frowning at me right now," He leaned in to her ear and said that in a hushed tone. Ino followed his line of sight to find Neji at the end of it. Ino chuckled.

"It's Neji, and he absolutely hates me." She said. Genma looked at Neji and remembered that he was the guy from the earlier chuunin exam who was beaten by Naruto.

"Hate is a strong feeling, Ino."

"Well, being stuck with a person you dislike for several months on a mission can develop into hateful feeling." Ino explained. Genma was about to ask more when he felt more menacing look toward him.

"Or that guy." He gestured to her with his eyes and Ino looked at his best friend.

"Don't you 'that guy' him, it's Shikamaru." Ino smiled.

"Shika!" She called out to him and Shikamaru shrugged his head from where his position was, acting like he hadn't watched them earlier.

"Yo."

"What are you doing there?"

"Patrolling around." He said simply but Genma knew that he was never out of the lazy genius' line of sight as he talked.

"Good luck then! And don't forget to have your lunch!" Ino said, her last sentence had been loaded with a mix of concern and nag. Shikamaru was about to open his mouth for some remarks but then closed it again; he gave Genma one more menacing look before he rolled his eyes.

"Okay." He said obediently and went out of sight.

"Don't you see that menacing look ?"

"He's not used to you, that's all." She said in an understanding tone that sounded like she had known Shikamaru for all her life. Which is probably true, anyway.

But really, was she that oblivious? Shikamaru and Neji was not the only one who had been watching them with hawk like eyes ever since they got out from the flower shop. No, Ino was much smarter than that. Deeper than that.

"You are very good at feigning innocence, aren't you?" He grinned at her who chuckled.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Out of small observation." It didn't take a genius or a long time to conclude that Ino had many people who was interested in her, solely judging from those staring eyes of men in a short time they were together. And once again, Genma thought that it was impossible that she didn't know about those. She was a very vain woman bordering on narcissistic; there's no way that she didn't see that.

"Innocence had helped me a lot in the past," she mused, "And I don't see why it wouldn't help me in the future and the now." She ended those words with a sweet smile that reminded him of the very smile she gave her father before putting Genma into a night of hell several years prior.

"Help as in made men do your bid as you please?" Genma teased her.

"I was referring to how it helped me in my earlier mission." She had said that in an amused tone. "I can't say that your comment was wrong though." She winked.

"Enough of me, now, Genma-san. Now tell me about your women. There are juicy stories all over the streets about you." She smirked and Genma chuckled. He didn't see telling his history with woman will help his chance on landing her, but landing her was not really his biggest objective right now.

"Okay, live story special for my lady." He said.

And the conversations went flowing topic after topic. They talked all day and when he took her back to her home later that afternoon, he couldn't believe that he felt enriched talking to her and it felt good.

"It was fun, thanks, Genma-san." Ino said sincerely.

"The pleasure's mine."

"So, when should you be …"

Free to have a coffee with me next time? He wanted to say.

"Your bride?" Ino teased him. Genma looked at her in a mixture of awe and shock before she bursted out laughing.

"So you did remember. And I was asking for some more coffee dates." Genma grinned. Ino chuckled.

"I'm just kidding. As for the coffee, well, let the fate decides. Bye, Genma-san." She landed him a kiss on the cheek before turning around and walking into the house.

Genma let out a soft chuckle as he watched the girl entered her house. Earlier when he thought that landing her was not his main objective now, he had really meant it. At the moment, he only wanted to know her much better, wanted to see the endless depth of her mind, wanted to see who she really was, wanted to see what she really was up to.

Curiosity had eaten him, and he knew Ino was willing to play the game with him. Two can play the game, she had said.

He just wished that he didn't get killed first.

How was the story?

And just for your information, since I feel that it's kinda unfair for those men who were in the previous chapter, I WILL post chapters about Ino's relationship with those who were in the previous chapter too.

What do you think? Please comment and review, it would help ^^