Author's note: Hello again everyone! Another chapter for today! I am so bad with summaries and thinking up tittles... so sorry... But this story has been bugging me since "Camouflage"...
Please enjoy, my dears!
Disclaimer: If I am the owner of Naruto... my OTPs would be together already... sigh...
It was 6 in the morning when they reached the Konoha plaza. Ino and Shikamaru had quickly blended with the crowd. Many shinobi and civilians alike were attending the meeting; seemed like everyone was curious as to why the Hokage would call everyone on a meeting.
"Shikamaru! Ino!" Choji called out. The big man gestured for them to go to his position. The couple quickly went towards him. The rest of Konoha 11 and Sai were with Choji.
"Hey, guys!" Ino greeted with a wide smile while Shikamaru nodded his head as a greeting. The others greeted back to them as well.
"What do you think this meeting is about, Shikamaru?" Lee asked. Shikamaru had been the head strategist since his father died so it was normal that the others would seek him out about the Hokage's decisions and activities.
"I don't know. Tsunade-sama has not discussed this with me or the elders."
"How about you, Naruto? Sakura? Do you guys have any idea?" Ino asked. Both shook their heads in answer. Suddenly, Tsunade came with Shizune and Tonton in tow.
"Citizens of Hidden Leaf, Shinobi and civilians alike; I know this meeting is so sudden that even most of my advisors weren't notified, but this is important." The people were now listening attentively to her.
"I have realized that our village has yet recovered from the devastations of the last war. I, along with the other Kages, decided that we will move our citizens out of the villages for the rebuilding of the whole village. Only the needed ones will stay here to help," she firmly announced. The crowd grew joyous. Shikamaru was contemplating the announcement.
"Shikamaru..." Ino called out. She had noticed that Shikamaru was spacing out. "Is there something wrong?"
Shikamaru snapped out of his trance, "No. Nothing's wrong, Ino." He assured her with a smile. Ino smiled back at him.
Tsunade's voice boomed again. "The kunoichis, please lead the civilians out as I plan the activities with the shinobi. I believed Ino has prepared the needed supplies for this event. Help her distribute it to everyone. Ino, lead them, will you?" Ino nodded.
"Alright, you heard the Hokage. Let's get going." Ino commanded. The kunoichis ushered the others towards Ino and Shikamaru's home. But before she moved out with the others, she turned herself towards Shikamaru.
"See you later, Shika-kun!" And she pecked his cheek before trotting happily with the others.
As the male shinobis waited for the Hokage to speak, Shikamaru never left his sight on Ino even after she was out of sight. Then, right before the Hokage spoke, he started to murmur.
"What did you say, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked.
"I said you were lying." The shinobi who were present were shocked at the usual laid-back strategist. Shikamaru seemed tense, his posture stiff.
"Shikamaru..." Choji said silently reprimanding and understanding his best friend.
Shikamaru turned his face towards his the Hokage. "You were lying when you said the village was going to be reconstructed. There was something more to it, wasn't it?"
Tsunade sighed, "You are indeed a genius, Shikamaru. But how did you know?"
"Simple. The village has just been reconstructed two weeks ago; there is nothing wrong with the village. I was there when Konoha was reopened again, and I was also there when you were planning the reconstruction system. You even said it was better than it was before it was destroyed."
Tsunade sighed again. Everyone was just confused.
"Wait... if Tsunade-sama was lying... then what is the real reason that we are moving out?" Kiba asked.
"Or... we're not really going anywhere? Is this just a prank, baa-chan?" Naruto asked.
Tsunade sighed again, "It's not we, Naruto, Kiba. Just... them."
"But what does it mean, Hokage-sama?" Lee asked.
"Other villages have been forming a rebellion against the Allied Shinobi Forces. All the kage of ASF have decided to withdraw the civilians from the villages to protect them from the waging war. All the kunoichi and some shinobi will be going with the citizens. Shinobi and their leaders will stay behind to protect the village until it is assured that the villages are safe to be lived in."
"Who will stay here, though?" Neji asked.
"Chunnin, Jounin, special Jounin and ANBU will stay here... those Genin, except for Naruto and Sasuke, will be going with the citizens. We will all meet up at the Nara clan household and the leaving parties will depart through the Nara deer farms. Genins who are here will lead the others out." Uproar from the genin started to arise.
"But we want to fight and protect the village too." Konohamaru protested, voicing the opinion of most of the genin population.
"And you will. You will be protecting the village by protecting its citizens. Those people need you." Tsunade said, softening her voice. A deafening silence followed and a grave aura had circulated the shinobis.
"They'll be safe there, right?" Shikamaru suddenly asked startling the crowd. His gaze was focused in the general direction where Ino went off. Tsunade nodded.
"When will they leave?"
"Tonight."
"Can... can I... can I take the day off?"
"What are you thinking, Shikamaru?"
"I... I just want to spend the day with Ino. I... we... we don't know if we're ever coming back. I... I just want to spend the rest of the day with her; to spend the days remaining in my life if I ever would not make it back home, back to her."
"Shikamaru... you're only going to make things more painful for you and for her."
Shikamaru shifted his sight towards Tsunade, his eyes were piercing and pleading. "Can I just show her how precious she is to me for the last time, Tsunade-sama?"
Silence. The crowd was feeling the tension. Shikamaru and Tsunade were locked in a silent argument. Their eyes were the only ones speaking what was on their minds.
Suddenly, Ino burst in and the whole room looked at her except Tsunade and Shikamaru.
"Tsunade-sama, we have distributed every-" she noticed the tension in the room. The crowd was shifting gazes from her to the two people interlocked in a silent war.
"Please... Tsunade-sama." Shikamaru quietly pleaded again. Ino, hearing her boyfriend plead which was rare, quickly went to him and hugged him, hoping that she could ease his stiff posture and wondering what could her beloved be pleading about.
Tsundae sighed, "Okay, Shikamaru. But you only have until 8 in the evening."
Shikamaru bowed, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama." He then turned and smiled at his confused girlfriend.
"Come, Ino." And he pulled her out of the room.
"I hope he knows what he is doing." Tsunade said as she watched the couple go. Then she turned to the others, "Go and prepare." And sadly added, "Or you can also do what Shikamaru is doing."
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review... :)
So... I will try to update as often as I can because my goal now is to finish this before this month ends...
I have also come to conclusion that I have written two short, fluffy ShikaIno stories to prepare myself from this dramatic chapter-fic one... gwarsh! I really hope I can end this this week so I get to write another happy and romantic one... :)
PS: This is edited by OreosGoRawrEatMe... :) Isn't she amazing? :)
