!*!*! ATTENTION ... UPPMÄRKSAMHET ... கவனம் !*!*!
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto. All profits from Naruto belong to him as well. This fanfiction is mine, though, in all of its twisted and perverted glory. So, enjoy.
As soon as they got close enough to Ino, she put her hand out and said to Naruto, "Don't move."
Naruto blinked in confusion, but stood stock still while Ino walked around her slowly, nodding and muttering to herself.
Shikamaru didn't even bother to ask what she was doing. He'd find out and probably wish he hadn't.
After a full minute of staring at Naruto, Ino finally asked suddenly, "Naruto, what cup size are you?"
Well, that wasn't quite what he had been expecting her to ask, but he'd long since given up on trying to figure Ino out. Or most females for that matter.
Naruto scratched her head nervously and said, "Um… my what?"
"Your cup size. You know. What size bra do you wear?"
"I don't."
"You don't what?"
"I don't wear a bra."
Shikamaru's eyes widened, and he was pretty sure that his mind was recording this conversation. Ino seemed to be mildly speechless, which Shikamaru was sure had only happened three times before.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. See?" Naruto grabbed the edge of her shirt and pulled it up, showing her toned stomach and her chest.
Shikamaru stared, and then his brain processed what he was seeing. White cloth bandages had been wrapped around her rather abundant chest, barely covering them. He was pretty sure he was drooling at all of the smooth, tanned skin on display. And he was actually a little relieved that she hadn't been naked under the shirt, like he'd thought. He wasn't sure that he wanted to pass out in the middle of the street from a huge nosebleed. That, and the fact that Ino would never let him forget it if he did.
After Naruto had replaced her shirt, Ino shook her head and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…"
"Yes?" Naruto's voice was filled with trepidation.
"You need help, don't you?"
Naruto glanced quickly at Shikamaru. "Help? No, I don't think-"
"Oh, yes you do," Ino interrupted. "I now totally believe what I heard is true. I couldn't believe it at first when Kiba told me that you were a girl! But you are, aren't you? So, you obviously need someone to show you the ways of being a woman. You need someone to guide you and help you." As she continued talking, she seemed to get a maniacal glint in her eyes.
Shikamaru had rarely seen Naruto afraid. She was one of the bravest people he knew, but she was definitely cowering before the pregnant woman.
"Ino, that's really not necessary," Naruto said. "I'm fine, really. I'm still the same person, after all. There's nothing that I really need to change or do, right?"
Shikamaru's watched as Ino's eyes widened and prepared himself for the rant that he knew was coming. "Are you joking? Of course you need to change! You're a girl! Hello? You don't even wear a bra! Do you even own make up?"
"No…"
Then, Ino's mood did a one-eighty. Her lower lip started to tremble and pale blue eyes became misty with tears. "Or… do you just not want to go shopping with me because you don't like me? I know I was mean to you when we were younger, but I thought we were friends now… And… and…" Her voice trailed off into loud, rather violent, sniffles.
Shikamaru shook his head inwardly. The emotions of pregnant woman were not known to be stable. And, on top of that, it was Ino, who didn't have the most even moods to start with. It was a recipe for disaster, which was why Shikamaru had spent the majority of his time since she had gotten pregnant avoiding her. If he had to help her repaint the baby's room one more time… It would be for the eighth time, and even cigarettes probably wouldn't be enough to calm him down.
Naruto shot Shikamaru a helpless glance, and he said over the link, "Just agree to do whatever she wants. It's the only way to make her stop crying, and she'll get her way in the end anyway. She always does… Troublesome woman."
Naruto pouted at him, obviously not very grateful for the advice, and then turned to Ino, grimacing. "Ino. I didn't mean it like that. I'd be... very grateful if you showed me what to do and took me shopping." It sounded like she was in pain as she said it. "Sakura said that she's taking me shopping, so I suppose we could all do it together."
Shikamaru winced. That was not a good move. While Sakura and Ino were pretty troublesome and annoying apart, once they were together there was no stopping them. He actually felt sorry for Naruto and especially for what she was about to go through.
Ino stopped sniffing and jerked her head up to look at Naruto. "Really?" She was all grins, flowers, and rainbows now. "Great! We can start right now."
Naruto's eyes widened, as if she'd just been informed that all of the ramen in the village had been incinerated. "What? Now?"
Ino grabbed Naruto's had in a vice-like grip, most likely so that she couldn't run away. "Yes, now. The sooner the better." She paused and then let go of Naruto's hand, clapping her own together. "Oh! I've got it! We should have a party!" Then, as Naruto tried to edge away, her hand shot out and grabbed Naruto's hand again.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "A party? For what?"
Ino rolled her eyes, and said, as if it was patently obvious, "To celebrate the fact that Naruto's a member of the better gender, of course."
Of course. How could he have missed that?
She continued, "We should gather everyone and have a party. Oh! Down by the water. And Choji could barbeque! I am really hungry… Yep! That's what's going to happen. And we should do it today!"
"Doesn't it usually take a few days to plan a party?" Shikamaru pointed out at the insistence of Naruto's eyes pleading for him to do something.
Ino narrowed her eyes at him, moods switching once again. "Shikamaru, stop being lazy! It's not like I'm asking you to do anything, after all. I swear… You can just lay down and watch the clouds, okay? After you do one thing for me, that is. I want you to go find Sakura and tell her to meet me at my house. Tell her that we're going to take Naruto shopping." The words had a certain ring of doom about them. "Now!" And with that, she turned around, still holding Naruto's hand, and started to drag the unwilling Kyuubi's container away.
"Shika! Please don't leave! They're going to kill me! Death by girliness! I just know it!"
He shook his head. "Sorry, Naruto. Just don't fight it. It'll make it worse." He watched, wincing slightly, as Ino dragged a wailing Naruto away. It was official. There was nothing scarier than a pregnant Ino. It even trumped an angry Tsunade, which was saying something. He felt a little bad about not being able to save Naruto, but he'd make it up to her later with several dozen bowls of ramen.
He turned around and slouched off in the opposite direction. Time to look for Sakura so that she could join Ino in torturing Naruto. Employing his rather plentiful and superior brain cells, he went straight to the spot where he assumed she would be. He was right.
She was sitting at her desk, books and files piled high on her desk, almost obscuring her from view. He'd noticed it was what she always did when something upset her. She turned to books and knowledge.
He clearly his throat quietly as he leaned on the door frame of the room.
Her pink-haired head rose with a jerk, and green eyes turned to him. "Shikamaru? What's up?"
"Ino wants you. She's planning a party for Naruto, although I'm pretty sure it's just an excuse to go shopping and eat. She ordered me to come and tell you to meet her at her house to take Naruto shopping." He shuddered slightly at the way her eyes lit up. Women… So frightening. Except Naruto, of course. While she was still troublesome, she was… worth it. Kami. He really was getting mushy.
The pinkette nodded and popped up from the desk. "Okay. That sounds like fun."
To her, but definitely not to Naruto.
She walked to the door, past him, and then paused and looked at him. "Shikamaru. Walk with me?"
He obliged, surprised. Why on earth would she want him to walk with her? It wasn't as if they were close friends… or that close at all, really.
They walked in silence for a moment before she asked out of the blue, "So, how long?"
And if that wasn't clear. "How long what?"
She glanced up at him almost slyly. "How long have you liked Naruto, of course."
"What?" He was ashamed to say that his voice cracked, but the question was rather abrupt. How did she know? Was it really that obvious or was it a girl thing? Like Kotone, girls just seemed to know these things.
She was talking again, eyes fixed intently on his face. "So? I mean, did you start liking Naruto before you knew that she was a girl, or was it afterwards? Did you two fall in love on the mission? How far have you gotten yet? Kissed?" She waggled her eyebrows.
His eyes widened. There was so much wrong with this conversation that he didn't even know what to say. Were all women secret perverts as well? Hinata certainly seemed to be.
She seemed to take information from his silence, nodding sagely. "Ah, so you haven't gotten that far yet. Have you even let him – er – her know how you feel yet? Because you're probably going to have to be pretty blunt about it. Naruto tends not to pick up on subtblenesss. In fact, I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know the meaning of the word. I imagine if you went up and kissed hi – her, she'd get the point though."
Finally, he found the ability to speak. Unfortunately, all he managed to say was, "What?"
Now, she seemed to be silently laughing at him.
He carefully brought his thoughts into order before he opened his mouth again. "Haruno… I'm not sure it's any of your business what exactly I've done with Naruto."
She flushed at the cold tone of his voice, and he instantly regretted it. It wasn't that he disliked her… much, and he'd seen that she cared about Naruto. It was that… Okay, he knew exactly what it was. There was still a little part of him, a teeny, tiny part that was jealous. For years he'd thought that Naruto was in love with Sakura and part of him was jealous. Plus, he was getting a little frustrated that he hadn't gotten anywhere really with Naruto. Her words hit way too close to his manly pride.
"Sorry," he muttered.
She shrugged. "It's understandable. You're in love with her, huh?"
In love with her? He hadn't even really admitted that to himself. "I think so…"
She sighed. "Well, you're lucky. I wish I'd noticed how Naruto really was years ago. Although, now that I really think about it, that wouldn't have worked because she was a girl… I wonder what she would have done if I had liked her back? Anyway, Shikamaru. I think you and Naruto would be good together. You two balance each other out well. Now…" she stopped and turned around to face him. "There's just one more thing. I'm right in saying that you're a genius, but not necessarily in dealing with girls, right?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but she held up her hand, cutting him off before he even began. "Don't answer that. I think we both already know the answer to that." He glared, and it only seemed to amuse her. "I want you to make a move on Naruto. Today. At the party. I don't care if you profess your undying love for her or just give her a kiss, but you need to do something. And, in return… I'll make sure Naruto wears something nice, okay?"
By now, he had resorted to simply staring at her. He was to do what now?
She was walking away now, giving him a quick little wave. "I know what I'm talking about, okay? Just think about it!"
He watched her trot away. What in the name of clouds and shogi had just happened? Hadn't Sakura been upset and almost on the point of crying just half an hour before? Or less? And now she was scheming on how to get him and Naruto together? Was this her way of coping with it, or was she just that over it already? He would never, ever understand women. Except Naruto. And she didn't really count since she spent the first dozen years of her life as a member of the male race. And why on earth did Sakura think he would care what Naruto wore to the party?
Sakura disappeared around the corner, and he shook his head one last time. Women…
Ten minutes later, he was lying on his back on a grassy hill, a lit cigarette in one hand, staring at the clouds. Now this was how he would like to spend the rest of his life. A fluffy white cloud drifted over the clear blue sky behind it, shape changing in the wind far above and merging with another. He exhaled, a stream of smoke leaving his lips, and his eyes drooped lazily. Hopefully, he could spend a while like this. He'd just come back from a very important mission, so Tsunade probably wouldn't send him on another right away. There was sound except for the leaves rustling ever so faintly from the breeze.
He closed his eyes, relaxed, and let his mind wander. He'd had time to think about Sakura's behavior had had come to four conclusions. One, she, along with ninety percent of the female population, was mentally unstable in a way that they thought was normal but would never be understood by guys. Two, she really, amazingly, was okay with Naruto being a girl. Three, she was, for some reason that he couldn't even begin to fathom, rooting for him and Naruto. And, finally, four, she was going to meddle in his love life, if he could call it that. Bothersome… But, at least for now, everything was peaceful.
"Hey! Shikamaru!" a loud voice yelled.
Troublesome.
He cracked open an eye to see Kiba running towards him. He should have known something would happen as soon as he thought that. "What, Kiba?"
"Ino sent me to get you! Everyone's down at the water," the canine-like boy replied.
He shoved his hand in his pockets and slouched after Kiba as the other jumped around excitedly in a way that made him think of Naruto.
"Hey, Shikamaru?"
"Yes, Kiba?"
"You were the first one to know Naruto was a girl, right?"
"Yes…"
"How did you find out?"
Ah, that. Well, to tell the truth or not to tell the truth, that is the question. Naruto didn't exactly seem to have a problem with telling people. "She crashed into me after coming out of the shower," he said bluntly, watching as Kiba's mouth dropped open and eyes widened.
"You… She… I – what? You saw her naked?"
"No, she had a towel on."
Kiba was waving his arms wildly in excitement. He patted Shikamaru on the back. "I am so jealous. She's really hot, isn't she?"
Shikamaru just managed to refrain from laughing… or punching him. He wasn't sure which. Kiba obviously had no qualms about Naruto being a girl.
Then, the boy gave a long, regretful sigh. "I would totally go after her, but I'm with Hinata now. We had our first date two days ago." There was a soft smile on his face that Shikamaru had never seen there before, besides when the boy talked about Akamaru.
He'd been right then. Hadn't he thought that they would get together before too long? And, as an added bonus, that meant that Kiba wouldn't be interested in Naruto… And there was jealously rearing its ugly head again. He really needed to get some control over that. After all, he was a genius, and, if he really put his mind to it, he should be able to get control over his emotions. Emotions were governed by the brain… and all of this sounded good in theory at least. Reality was a whole lot different than theory, though. In theory, the idea of him fancying Naruto was preposterous. In reality, he did and Naruto was actually a girl. This just proved that reality really was weirder than fiction.
They approached the grassy slope that led down to the water, and Shikamaru's eyes flickered over all of the people present. There was Shino, in his usual coat, Lee, in a pair of too tight bathing trucks that left far too little to the imagination and were of green spandex; Choji was grilling food on a makeshift grill, and numerous others were at the water's edge. Three people he didn't see, however, were Sakura, Ino, and Naruto.
Choji glanced up from the grill, laden with roasting meats and vegetables, and gave a friendly grin. "Shikamaru! Glad you finally joined us."
He gave the big man a lazy smile. "Choji. The food smells great, as usual. Where's Ino?" The real question was "Where's Naruto?" Hopefully, Ino and Sakura hadn't killed her with death by shopping.
Then, as if the mere thought of Ino had summoned her, her cheerful, and loud, voice rang through the air. "Okay! Pay attention, everyone."
He turned to see Ino and Sakura standing close together and each grinning like the cat who got the canary. "You know that this party is in Honor of Naruto, right? Well, I'm sure all of you have heard the rumors, even if you haven't seen her yet. We are proud to present, Naruto Uzumaki!"
They both stepped aside, showing the figure standing behind them. And then there was absolute silence as everyone stared at Naruto.
Her hair was up in its usual high pigtails, but her hair had been brushes until it was smooth and shone like spun gold. Shiny lip-gloss drew attention to rose pink lips, and her bright blue eyes had been emphasized. A gauzy orange wrap around dress clung to her figure.
Shikamaru swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.
Ino glanced at Naruto, a smile playing around her lips. "Naruto, you're going to go swimming, right? You wouldn't want to get your dress wet."
Some part of Shikamaru's brain realized that there was something vaguely theatrical and planned to the way she spoke, but all rational thoughts went right out of his head the next moment.
Naruto's flimsy orange dress fluttered to the ground, revealing long lengths of creamy, tanned skin. Shikamaru's eyes widened. Naruto seemed to be wearing a bathing suit consisting of a few triangles of bright orange fabric and some string. High, mounded breasts were partially covered by two orange triangles and a braided orange piece of fabric tied around her neck and around her back. A bikini, tying in bows at the sides, matched.
Then, the silence was gone and the air was filled with wolf whistles, shouts, and several lewd comments.
"Holy… Naruto! You are smoking!" Kiba burst out, earning a slight glare from Hinata. He cringed under her gaze before wrapping his arms around her. "What? I'm a guy. Sorry. You know I love you, right?"
Pale eyes widened. "You love me?"
Now, Kiba looked flustered. "What? I mean… I…"
Shikamaru turned away from the gooey moment forming between the two and back to Naruto. He frowned when he saw who was talking to her. Neji. The long haired boy was standing far too close to Naruto, and he wasn't just being jealous. He'd always thought that Neji liked Naruto, and not in a strictly platonic way, and that was before he even knew Naruto was a girl.
He started to move towards them, only to be stopped by a very firm hand on his shoulder.
"We need to talk."
As if he didn't know who that dark, brooding voice belonged to. He turned around slowly, to come face to face with Sasuke, clad only in a pair of black swim trunks.
Why was the guy so pale? He looked like a vampire, and yet Shikamaru could still see girl's ogling him out of the corner of his eye.
He sighed. "About what?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow, although he already knew. Mostly, it was just to annoy the raven haired man.
A glower greeted that. "Naruto."
Obviously.
"What about her?" He just knew where this was going. He was actually surprised that the Uchiha hadn't shanked him yet. Did Naruto really have to say he'd seen her almost naked?
Sasuke hesitated, and then asked, "What are your feelings towards her?"
He blinked. That had definitely not been what he was expecting. Where were the threats and violence? Or at least a sneer or two. "My feelings… I don't see how they're any of your business," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.
In a flash, he was shoved up against a tree harshly. On instinct, a kunai found itself into his hand and hovered a few inches away from pale skin.
Onyx eyes glared at him. "It's my business because Naruto is my friend," Sasuke hissed. "He… She is my best friend, and if anyone hurts her I will disembowel them."
Well, that painted a pretty picture.
He continued. "I see the way that you look at Naruto. You like her. What I want to know is what are you intentions towards her?"
Oh, Kami… Why did he sound so much like an overprotective father? He supposed he better answer before the homicidal gleam in those eyes got any more prominent. "I… like Naruto, yes. As for my intentions…They're strictly honorable, I assure you." Well, not strictly honorable, but fairly… sort of. As honorable as a teenaged boy's intentions could be at any rate.
"They better be, because if they aren't… I will use you as a pincushion for kunai, cut out your tongue, rip out your eyes and shove them down your throat. After that, I'll use my Sharingan to make you relive the most horrifying moment of your life over and over again. You'll see everyone you love dying grotesque, painful deaths until you finally break because you just can't take it anymore." Deep, almost blood red eyes with slowly spinning black tomoes filled his vision. "Do we understand each other, Nara?"
Shikamaru looked back steadily at Sasuke. "Yes. I got it. I have no intention to hurt Naruto in any way." The phrase, "Unlike some people." Hung in the air, unsaid.
The faintest tinge of pink colored pale cheeks, and Sasuke glowered, eyes flashing.
Shikamaru glanced to the side, only to see several curious eyes on them. They must have made a little bit of a sight. After all, he and Sasuke didn't talk to each other, and now Sasuke was pinning him to a tree and he had a kunai ready to shove into the raven's ribs. The only reason they hadn't been interrupted was probably because no on wanted to be on the receiving end of Sasuke's wrath.
Slowly, the Uchiha let go of him and stepped back. Simultaneously, Shikamaru lowered the kunai, ending the standoff.
Shikamaru looked at him a moment longer. He had thought that Sasuke would see Naruto more in a romantic light. They were so close, but apparently it was more a familial bond. Like brothers… Or brother and sister. Good. Great, actually, except for the fact that Sasuke was going to be like fifteen over protective, possibly, make that definitely, homicidal, bastard fathers. He could just imagine him taking Naruto out on a date and coming back after a Uchiha-proclaimed curfew, only to have an angry Uchiha coming after him with fire jutsus. He shuddered. That was not something nice to imagine.
"So…" Sasuke now seemed slightly awkward, and Shikamaru knew why. He had just admitted that he cared about Naruto. And, therefore, that he had feelings, something he had been trying to convince everyone he didn't have. After a few awkward moments, and some more staring probably meant to be intimidating, Sasuke gave him a nod and turned and walked away.
Well, that was weird, but actually not entirely unexpected.
His eyes drifted towards Naruto again. She was still talking to Neji, but kept shooting glances over to where he was. And now that Sasuke was done threatening him, he could go talk to Naruto.
As he came closer, she flashed a smile at him before turned back to Neji. "I'll talk to you later. Okay, Neji?"
Neji gave a formal bow and a charming smile before taking Naruto's hand and placing a kiss on her it. "It was lovely to see you, Naruto. The real you. We will talk later," he said, eyes flickering towards Shikamaru. He gave him a polite nod of the head before walking away.
Naruto looked up at him. "What were you and Sasuke talking about?"
He paused. Truthfully, there had been some death threats and warnings about him and his feelings for her, but he really didn't want her to know that. He shrugged, a lazy movement. "Just stuff."
She looked at him pointedly, but he didn't elaborate. "It's nice to see that you're still alive after shopping with Ino and Sakura," he commented, changing the topic.
A shudder went through her. "Never… again. Never. I think they bought enough cloths for five people and all of this make up and just stuff! So much girly stuff. And the underwear! I really don't see how it even works. Something that tiny and lacy…" She trailed off, frowning, and apparently completely unaware of the effect her words had had on all of the young men listening.
Shino turned an amazing shade of red that previously Shikamaru had thought only Hinata could turn, and Choji simply stared into the distance, eyes slightly glazed, until Ino whacked him on the arm and he grinned sheepishly.
Shikamaru's imagination, on the other hand, was working over time. Naruto, laying back on silky sheets, black satin and lace contrasting with her golden, tanned skin.
Someone was snapping their fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention. "Shikamaru? Shikamaru!"
He blinked, "What?"
"You spaced out," Naruto said. "What were you thinking about?"
You more than partially naked. Yeah… She probably wouldn't react well to that. "Just that I was thinking about getting in the water."
Blue eyes widened, and her lips curled into a smile. "Yeah! Come on!" And then she proceeded to run to the water, and a dozen or so pairs of eyes followed her.
Bouncing, smooth, lovely, tanned skin… He smacked himself in the head. He would not become a complete pervert like some people he knew. There were too many Kakashi's and Kazuo's in the world already.
"Shikamaru! Come on!" Naruto yelled from the water.
"We can keep you company, Naruto!" Shikamaru heard several guys chorus. Great… Suddenly he was really wishing that no one but him knew that Naruto was a girl. There would be so many less hormone driven males after her.
Since he didn't have a bathing suit, he stripped off his shirt and vest and shoes, leaving himself in baggy pants, and walked down to the water, whereupon Naruto immediately grabbed his hands and dragged him into the water.
Up close, he could see droplets of water on her skin, trickling down… He really needed to focus. And now that her bathing suit, what little of it there was, was wet, it clung to her like a second skin. Wow…
She beamed up at him, and then he got a face full of water as she splashed him.
He sputtered, wiping the water off of his face, only to be confronted with a broadly grinning Naruto. "It's on." And then he tackled her into the water. It certainly wasn't because he wanted to be closer to her. It was only to get back for splashing him. A little voice in the back of his mind was screaming "denial".
They surfaced, coming up gasping.
Somehow, Shikamaru's arms had wound around Naruto's waist. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of pink. Sakura was giving him two thumbs up and mouthing the words, "Go for it." Right, she wanted him to kiss her or something.
Before he could even think about it more, a loud shout interrupted his musings.
"Holy shit!"
All heads turned towards the owner of the very loud voice.
Ten Ten stood on the grassy slope, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "Oh my…. It's actually true. You're a girl?" she asked, staring blatantly at Naruto. "I just got back from my mission and I heard the freakiest rumor that you were actually a girl. I couldn't believe it. But it's actually true. You're a hot girl."
Naruto shifted awkwardly under her gaze. "Umm… Thank you?"
"That is so cool! You really are Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja. This just proves it." After Ten ten had spent some more time staring blatantly at Naruto, she added, "Oh, yeah. And Tsunade told me to take these three to you. Apparently, they're new members of the village?"
Standing to the side and slightly behind Ten Ten were three familiar figures. Hikari, Keita, and Shota. They, like quite a few of the people present, were also staring at the scantily clad Naruto.
"You…" Hikaru seemed to have trouble getting her words out. "Why are you still wearing the henge? No… Don't tell me. You really are a girl, aren't you?" she exclaimed excitedly.
Naruto grinned almost apologetically. "Yep. I am."
The expression on Hikari's face was as if Christmas had come early. "I knew it!"
Shikamaru's grip tightened slightly around Naruto's waist. He just knew this was going to be trouble. It was painfully obvious that Hikari preferred a female Naruto, and she was blushing, eyes glazed slightly, as she looked at her.
Keita and Shota simply exchanged glances, grinned, and said, "Nice."
As the three walked hesitantly down to the water, Shikamaru knew that things were about to get troublesome. Call it a sixth sense or the fact that he was a genius, but, as Naruto slipped out of his arms and out of the water to go greet them, he had the feeling that in approximately… three minutes, give or take, someone was either going to be bleeding, he would be questioning his sanity, and someone would be screaming…. Troublesome.
Another day, another chapter. It has been a while since I last posted a chapter, but hopefully you'll all like it. The chapter's pretty long, too. I just couldn't find a place to end it, so it just kept going. Shikamaru understand a lot of things very well, but I don't think people of the female persuasion are one of them. Poor guy. And things are going to get even more difficult in the next chapter, probably. Cue evil laughter... here.
Ja ne,
Rumer Hasit
xbamsod: Yes, you really do have to be careful about the quiet ones. I mean, Hinata... Wow. I wonder if Shino will do anything surprising. A whole lot of perverted acts did happen, didn't they? They're just so much fun to write!
harlequin320: Ah. I'm so glad that you liked what happened with Hinata. She's awesome... and unexpected, isn't she? I suppose the kiss was just something that she needed to get out of her system. Writing Shikamaru's internal struggles are my second favorite thing to write in the story... after the random perverted acts, of course. Sasuke was a little more mature in this chapter... after he said all of those death threats, I mean.
tsuki107: Sasuke... Well. It seems that he's being pretty good about the whole situation, but I'm pretty sure that there are going to be several problems involving him and Shikamaru, though. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter! And thank you for reviewing.
the. stories. live. on: Doesn't it seem like something that Kakashi would do? To use his sharingan like that? And the groping... Yeah. That's totally him. But, anyway, it's wonderful to know that you liked what's happening in the story. I hope you liked this chapter as well.
Nero Strauss: A good way to start your day? What a nice complement to the story. Thank you. Aaand... You got to see Ino's reaction. Well, a pregnant Ino's reaction. She's a bit scary. And I just brought in Ten Ten. Thanks for reminding me. Anko might appear in the next chapter to spice things up a little more. And I'll be sure to give her plenty of dango.
librarycat9: That's right. A terrifyingly pregnant Ino. Run for your life. I'm pretty sure I choked when I read what you wrote about Shino. I mean... What! A threesome, really? And as for the whole Orochimaru/Michael Jackson thing... So, so wrong.
MegamiTenshiHime: Well, I'm certainly very glad that you like it. And I sincerely hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter as well.
Sillvog: I promise, Ero-senin will come into this shortly... and cause a whole bunch of trouble. Perverted trouble, of course. The most amusing kind. And I hope you enjoyed what Ino planned so far.
animeboylover: You loved it? Yes! Good. I do seem to be making most of the characters into slight (or major) perverts, aren't I? Eh. It makes things more amusing. And I look forward to the day when you post up some of your artwork.
Aquilon: You read this... in one sitting? That's actually rather amazing. And flattering. I'm glad that you like how I portrayed Shikamaru as well. I try to keep their personalities close to how they actually are in the manga and anime. He's one of my favorite characters as well. Maybe my favorite, period. You were wondering about if village mission will come back into play, right? Well, it will. I don't think they'll be going back there, but something to do with the place will definitely happen in the near future. Shikamaru and Naruto's relationship will continue to evolve, and there will be one big push that I have planned especially. And Naruto might not be quite as unaware of her feelings as it seems like. But, you'll have to keep reading to find out what I'm babbling about. Anyway, thank you very much for your review. I enjoyed reading it, and I'm very happy to know that you like my story so much.
meglepetes: Shino... Is Shino. I'm not quite sure what to say about him. But, I like him.
GILLIGFAN: I think Naruto will get the exam in a couple of chapters... And maybe The Great Toad Sage will appear in that chapter as well. Oh, jeez. The chapter is already coming together in my head. It's going to be awesome! Is my story really your drug? Oh, noes! You must be going into withdrawl! Hopefully a this chapter will help you. And as for my brother... He's sort of hopeless in math, so he does need a bit of help.
Shinigami's-Neko-Gaki: No, Shikamaru was actually pretty safe. He barely had to do anything. And yes. I think holy crap is appropriate here. Hinata did indeed kiss Naruto... and then she went back to being her shy self. I don't think it'll happen again, though. We'll see.
VampiricBloOdyRose: Did you notice that the two people who's reactions were your favorites were the two shyest people? You really do need to watch out for the quiet ones. It's nice to know that you liked the last chapter, and I do hope that you like this one as well.
TheBlackSeaReaper: Yes, so many perverts to kill, so little time. Wait, what? No! That's not right. You can't kill off all of the perverts! First off, you'd be decimating a large proportion of the population, and, secondly, that would probably include me. But, I will keep up the "wonderful writing" as you put it, as long as you keep reading.
Kanberry: Thank you for the unusual and wonderful review.
ComicGeek: Yes! I will write more of this story. And I think that Naruto does realize a little more of Shikamaru's feelings towards her than she lets on. But, all will be revealed eventually. Thank you for the review.
Dante Nastaran: Yes! I made you squeal! And you're a tom boy, which makes that feat even more amazing. And you have no idea how happy it make me to hear that this is your favorite fanfiction. I mean, it's like winning a prize. Sort of. You know what I mean. Anyway, I'm just so very glad that you enjoy reading this story so much. I hope that you like this chapter, too and that it makes you smile.
anie6142: Shikamaru lose his sanity? Yes, I think that's a definite possibility. And as for Ino traumatizing Naruto... I think there's more of that in store in the future, too. Glad you liked everyone's reactions and everything, too.
Fuyutaro son: Oh, well. I do suppose this could get a little confusing if you haven't read anything for a while, but I suppose you could reread the last few chapters to find out what's happening?
Juliedoo: I don't think that my story has turned you into a lesbian just for liking that scene with Hinata and Naruto... Or maybe it has. My story has supernatural powers! But really, it was just a fun scene. And Hinata was pretty awesome in it. I especially like the Shikamaru and Naruto pairing as well. They do complement each other well. Naruto is pretty adorable, isn't she? And.. Jeez. I hadn't even considered what would happen when Naruto met Shikamaru's parents... I can just imagine.
Mystia Katsuragi: I'm glad you like it, but I didn't really mean for Naruto to get a harem. It just sort of happened. I guess it works, though. And, yes, I could prevent weird things from happening and have them all lie normal boring lives, but... who on earth would want to read about that? The more weirdness the better!