Chapter Five- Patience

Ino Yamanaka would not consider herself spoiled…she would just consider it as she gets what she wants. From the best dresses to the hottest personal trainers, she was used to getting anything that caught her eye.

And in her view, this should include Shikamaru Nara.

Over the years of high school, Ino had grown very fond of the lazy pineapple head. Unfortunately, her so-called friend Temari had done the same. Ino was no stranger to rivalry, having rivaled against many people for the affection of a guy. Sometimes she'd win, sometimes she wouldn't, but one thing was for sure, there was no way she'd lose this time! Especially not to Temari!

That's why Ino found herself shoulder to shoulder, and heel to heel with Temari as they frantically searched the grounds for their beloved Shikamaru.

Finally, they both came to a sudden halt as they spotted Shikamaru where else but with his best friend Choji at the food court.

Ino and Temari stared at the boy merrily for a moment, until they turned their heads and saw each other.

Ino immediately fumed. "Don't think you can win one over on my Shikamaru!"

"Your Shikamaru?" Temari hissed.

"Yes, he is." Ino responded with a triumphant grin.

"In your dreams, he doesn't even like you!"

"You mean he doesn't like you. I've known him longer!" Which was a true statement, Ino and Shikamaru had been in the same class since junior high; Temari just met him when she came to their high school.

"Yeah, long enough for him to realize you aren't right for him."

"Look who's talking! You practically cling to him during classes! No guy likes a girl who's clingy!"

"You're one to talk! Before you started liking Shikamaru you'd cling to any guy with good looks!"

"Tch, those boys were simply practice. Shikamaru is the only guy I'll ever have true feelings for."

"Yeah right, you say that about every guy you take an interest in! You once said that about Sasuke, but look now!"

"I was a child back then! I know now that he is meant for Sakura!"

"You said that stuff about Sasuke in sophomore year! That was two years ago! That's hardly a difference!"

"Yeah, well—holy crap, is that Naruto and Hinata dancing together!?" Ino exclaimed, and pointed in a direction behind them.

"Say what?" Temari jumped and turned around to look.

Ino grinned and silently snuck off to the booth Shikamaru sat at.

Temari looked around and gasped when she spotted Hinata and Naruto on the DDR machine, and it looked like Hinata was winning! She couldn't believe what she saw—and Ino's gone!

Temari whipped her head around, and stared, shocked, at what she saw. Ino had made her way over to Shikamaru's booth, and she was obviously talking to him.

"I am going to kill that little…!!" Temari mentally yelled before she started to stomp over to the booth.

"So, Shikamaru…." Ino drawled in a flirtatious tone. "You want to play some games?"

Shikamaru looked up at her with a bored expression on his face. "Do I have to?"

"Awe, Shikamaru, of course! That's why we're all here, isn't it?"

"I just came here to eat!" Choji stated as he devoured one of the three pizzas he had ordered.

Ino ignored Choji and kept her gaze on Shikamaru. "So what do you say? You want to play some mini-golf maybe?"

Shikamaru sighed, but stood up. Ino beamed happily.

Temari suddenly rammed into the blond, and knocked her to the side.

"Hey Shikamaru, where're you heading to?" Temari asked.

Ino came up from behind Temari and wrapped her in a headlock. "He's going to play mini-golf with me!"

Temari's eyes lit up. "Mini-golf you say? Mind if I join?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and began to walk out of the food court. "If you want to."

Ino released Temari and started to follow after him. She stopped for a second and looked back to Temari. "Do what you want, but I'll beat you in the game of mini-golf and love."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Give me a break; I'll be beating you in both." And she followed the two out of the court.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Down at the mini-golf course, the three stood at the first hole. Ino was up first, and carefully lined up her shot.

Temari sighed. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to do something?"

Ino scoffed. "Well sorry if you're in a hurry. I happen to be the master of patience."

"Master of my ass," Temari huffed.

"I'd rather not be." Ino retorted, and finally hit her ball.

The purple ball rolled down the green aisle towards the hole. Ino beamed, she thought for sure she'd get a hole in one. Temari glared at the ball, willing it to stop; there was no way she'd be beaten by Ino.

Suddenly, as if it heard Temari's threats, it curved off slightly and came to a stop.

Ino's jaw dropped. "What, that's not right! It was supposed to be a birdie!"

"Well, I guess you're just bogie material; now out of the way." Temari ordered.

Ino glared at Temari, and stepped aside. Temari placed down her yellow ball, and lined up her shot. She hit the ball, and it rolled right for the hole. It passed Ino's and kept going. Temari grinned, she would make it.

At the last second, however, it swerved around the hole, and came to rest just on the edge.

Temari stared dumbfounded. "What, but that was so close!"

Ino grinned. "Looks like you fit in the bogie category, too."

Temari grumbled curses at Ino, and walked away to let Shikamaru through. He had a red ball that he put down, lined up, and hit quickly. It rolled in a straight path down to the hole, and easily sunk in. He had a hole in one.

"Birdie!" Temari exclaimed.

"Oh, you're so great at this Shikamaru!" Ino giggled.

Temari elbowed Ino. "Hey bogie, you're up."

Ino shot a glare at Temari and went to her ball. She took her time once again to line it up, and managed to hit it in.

"What do you know," Temari jeered, "you may take forever, but at least you can stop ogling at guys long enough to aim for the hole."

Ino glared again. "At least I proved I have patience. Unlike someone else I know."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm just faster. This shot is mine."

With that, Temari walked over to her ball, and simply tapped it into the hole.

"So Shikamaru's in the lead, and me and Ino are tied." Temari stated.

Shikamaru nodded, got his ball, and made his way over to the next hole. Temari and Ino followed suit.

The game continued on for quite some time. Finally, the last hole was finished, and Shikamaru tallied up the scores.

"Looks like I won…." Shikamaru stated as he looked at the numbers.

"Oh, I knew you'd win, you're so great at this!" Temari and Ino said simultaneously before they turned to glare at each other.

"So who's second?" Temari asked.

"No one really…you guys tied." Shikamaru answered.

"What, tied?" They both exclaimed.

Shikamaru showed them the score card. Shikamaru had a twenty-two, and both Ino and Temari had thirty-eights.

Temari and Ino turned to glare at each other again. Neither was happy with the score.

"Well then, does anyone want to go where I want to right now?" Temari offered, not taking her glare off of Ino.

"Depends, where are you going?" Ino questioned.

Temari grinned. "I'll show ya, you want to come Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, whatever…."

Temari beamed and led them both off the course.

Ino stared at the place Temari had brought them.

"Are you serious!?" Ino asked.

Temari sneered at Ino. "What, are you scared?"

Ino scoffed. "Yeah right, this is nothing!"

Shikamaru huffed. "What a drag…. Let's go."

All three of them stepped forward, and made their way to the back of the line to a huge roller coaster.

And we end it here! I know, this chapter was entirely TemaShikaIno-centric, but we didn't get to see much of them in the last four chapters, so I had to do something! Next up it'll be back to a mix. It'll probably start with TemaShikaIno again, and then like…NaruHina or something. Whatever comes to mind! I am amazed…I'm typing while occasionally barely glancing at the board! (Random, yes, I know, but it's a random accomplishment!!) Anyway, eh…sixth chapter at some point. I will TRY to work on it quickly, but…as I said in my profile I'm reading a 50 chapter Bleach fanfic right now! And it's really good! Oh, and I also started up a new oneshot. It's laugh out loud funny!! And yet also soon to be romantic. Well, hope you people enjoyed! More coming soon!