It was beautiful, he supposed. Almost… serene. Moonlight breaking and shattering through the twisting branches, illuminating the jagged rocks that framed the dirtied pathway leading further and further away from the comfort of his village. Shikamaru sighed as he brought a cigarette up to his lips, snapping his fingers sharply to light the stick. The smoke blew out of his nose in ringlets, his breath strong as he inhaled deeply for yet another puff.

He needed to think. As it was a cloudless night, Shikamaru put aside his usual habit in favor of taking a walk outside of the village with nothing but his cigarettes for company. The quiet and serenity of the forest a perfect contrast to the turbulent thoughts whirling around his head. When he had first accepted the position of clan head of the Nara, he knew he would have to make some deep sacrifices during the rest of his career, his reputation as Konoha's strategical genius preceding him. However he never expected a sacrifice quite as bizarre as this.

Hiashi, after multiple reassurances, had finally left his apartment only an hour previous; his worries about the situation slightly eased due to Shikamaru's obvious confidence. Hiashi's visit made one thing clear however: the scheme had to proceed quicker than Nara had originally planned. If a clan such as the Hyuga's, one infamously famous for staying neutral in regards to Daimyo politics, was ready to risk everything for Naruto, it is only a matter of time before the other clans do something drastic as well. To minimize any potential backlash, Shikamaru had to act quickly.

The first step of his plan was quite simple; he just had to guarantee Ino would be around to witness what he was sure would be the gossip of the year. Once she has first hand proof of the sordid affair, the news would be across the village by the end of the day. By next week, everyone across the Elemental Nation's would have heard the tragic love story of the Hero, the Strategist, and the Prince who stood between them. Public opinion would immediately tilt to their favor, applying untold pressure on the Daimyo's court.

That is when his job would get complicated. Not only would he have to continue tricking his closest friends and family members into thinking he was in love with the local jinchuriki, he would have to find a way to guarantee Naruto's Hokage candidacy. While he no doubt that most of the shinobi council would gladly give the hat to the young woman who had proved herself time and time again, he knew many other members would be weary to give power to a girl tied so intimately with another fellow council member. One whose intelligence was widely acknowledged and feared.

While most people would see their relationship as one of fairytales and dreams, there would be others, the cynical and paranoid, that would believe this all to be a plot from the Nara; a way to control the village from the comfort of their shadows. Now Shikamaru was never the most sincere individual, he much preferred the hidden barbed politics under pleasantly honey coated words, however he knew that if there were ever a time for him to truly seem sincere, it was this.

He could only hope that his acting skills and general friendship with Naruto was enough to convince them.

"I love Shikamaru."

Naruto clicked her tongue as she stared at her reflection in her poorly lit bathroom. Her hair was tied back messily, highlighting the bags that have taken residence under her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot, pointing to her difficulty sleeping. She had been practicing for a while now, watching as her lips twisted and contorted in an effort to make this strange, almost foreign statement seem natural. So far she has had no luck. It seemed insincere, almost robotic.

"I love Shikamaru."

Now that stress on the word 'love' sounded fake even to her oblivious ears. Naruto huffed, she was never going to get this right.

"I love Shikamaru."

Nope. Still fake. And vaguely rude.

"I love Shikamaru."

No.

"I love Shikamaru?"

As if that would trick anyone.

"I love Shikamaru!"

Great. Now she was screaming. Her neighbors already couldn't stand her, she was certain this was not going to help her case. She slammed her forehead onto the mirror, the cool glass slightly easing the tension that had been following her for several days now. She took a deep breath, her chest rising slowly as she tried to calm her spiraling thoughts.

This was never going to work.

It was a statement she was afraid to utter out loud, but it was nonetheless true. While she had no doubt Shikamaru could play his role as a ninja in love, his acting skills coming as a startling surprise to the young blond, she knew that her own were precariously mediocre. While Nara was a diplomat, able to hold a poker face in even the most stressful situation, Naruto was a frontline fighter, her confidence and bravado and fears and worries painted across her features for all to see. There was no way she could convince everyone that she was actually in love with the usually apathetic strategist.

Sasuke, particularly, would see straight through her. She knew she wouldn't be able to tell him the truth, his acting skills fell even below her own, however she had no idea how she was going to convince the man who knew her better than she knew herself that she was actually in love.

But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't the type of girl who gave up. Shikamaru was risking everything; his job, his love life, his very own family, to help her. She wouldn't let his sacrifice go to waste. So it was with a determined grunt that Naruto pushed herself off her mirror, setting her features into one of practiced sheepishness.

"I love Shikamaru."

There was something wrong with Naruto. Sasuke frowned as he gazed at the blond who he called his best friend. For all appearances, Naruto seemed fine. She wore her usual hideously orange jumpsuit, was too loud too early in the morning, laughed at Sai when Sasuke predictably had him on his back only a minute into their spar.

But Sasuke knew Naruto better than anyone. Her jumpsuit was slightly crinkled, as if she put it on haphazardly and in a hurry. Her voice, while high pitched and grating as usual, had a slight edge in it as though she had to remind herself to be loud. And when she laughed, she didn't throw her head back in her usual careless manner, but kept it forward instead. And her eyes which usually twinkled with mirth were only hard in the face of the slapstick comedy that would have usually had her in tears by now.

Even now, as the Dobe was sparring against Kakashi, Sasuke could see that the blonds head wasn't completely in the fight. Her moves were telegraphed and delivered through muscle memory rather than the unpredictable gabs she was known for. The Uchiha was so focused on watching his rival, that he even missed the melancholic glances shot at him from his pink-haired teammate.

So yes, there was something wrong with Naruto. It was unfortunate, however, that she seemed quite determined to keep her current feelings to herself. Sasuke wasn't good with feelings, he had no idea how to get the usual approachable blond to tell him what was wrong. The Uchiha sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose; the Uzumaki was a constant source of his headaches.

The only thing Sasuke could do at this moment of time was wait until Naruto decided to tell him herself. Until that moment came, he would keep an eye on her. The idiot always managed to get herself in ridiculous situations, she needed him to make sure she didn't end up getting herself killed.

"Hey Dobe, let's go get some ramen." He called out. And finally, for the first time that day, a true grin broke out on her features, her eyes twinkling as she ranted about the wonder and splendor that was ramen. So no, Sasuke wasn't good at talking about feelings, but he would always try to make her feel better the best way he knew how.

No one noticed the look of utter heartbreak that passed the features of their team medic.

Shikamaru did not blink. Did not waiver. His eyes peered deeply into her own, his mouth drawn in a soft, loving smile. The moonlight poured through the window, reflecting perfectly off his well defined jaw and piercing eyes. Shikamaru Nara was attractive, of this there was no doubt. "Naruto Uzumaki, I am deeply in love with you."

Naruto furrowed her brows. She hesitantly opened her mouth to return the sentiment, her tongue catching in her throat as she watched the expectant eyes of her supposed lover. With a grimace, she snatched her hand away from his, running it nervously through her golden locks, "Yeah, no. Still too weird."

With a deep sigh Shikamaru let the exposed expression fall off his face, and threw himself on her couch, his arm rising to cover his face, "See, this is why I suggested we practice. We're never going to trick anybody if you can't keep a straight face."

Naruto frowned, taking a seat beside Shikamaru as she thought about their predicament, "I think, maybe the reason it's weird is because it doesn't feel natural."

Shikamaru moved his arm to look at the blond, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're here giving me this declaration of love, but it doesn't feel as though it's natural. Don't get me wrong, you're a great actor and anyone would believe you… but I don't know. It's almost like we're not comfortable with each other enough to do this." With a sigh, she continued, "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

Shikamaru sat up slowly, his body weight supported by his forearms, his mouth slightly curling upwards, "No, strangely enough you do make sense. It's not like we've ever been the closest of friends, it's only natural that this seems unnatural."

Naruto huffed, "Well I do sometimes have intelligent thoughts you know."

Shikamaru chuckled, amusement colored across his countenance. It was a deep sound, low and masculine. Well that just wasn't fair, Naruto thought. Really, Shikamaru had no business being that casually attractive. "Yes Naruto, despite being dead last in the academy, you do sometimes have intelligent thoughts."

Naruto blushed, her arms crossed in indignation, "How do manage to make everything sound like a thinly veiled insult?"

Shikamaru shrugged, his smile not fading, "It's a gift."

"So Mr. Strategist, do you have a plan to make this," She gestured between them, "Seem more natural?"

Shikamaru nodded, rising into a seated position, "The only way to make it seem more natural is to be comfortable in what we are doing and saying. And the only way to do that is to get to know each other better. Meaning all we have to do is spend more time together, and it'll all start feeling a little more natural."

Naruto tilted her head, "That's actually a smart idea."

Shikamaru snorted, "Yes I've been known to have those every once in a while."

Naruto turned red, "Oh shut up."

And just as Shikamaru started to laugh, a pillow smacked him right across the head. The Nara narrowed his eyes, "Oh, it's on."

Naruto shrieked as Shikamaru pounced, a pillow in hand and victory close enough to taste.

"You trust the boy?"

Hiashi nodded solemnly in answer. The elders were well within their rights to be skeptical, not many would easily put their faith in a boy half their age. Yet Shikamaru was unlike any of his generation, Hiashi knew this well. The Nara was smart, calculating, and utterly merciless. If there was anyone who would get Konoha out of this precarious situation, it were him.

One of the elders sneered, "The Nara is an official ally of the Hyuga clan. Certainly he would have told you the particulars of this plan, our villages current survival hinging on its success after all."

Ah. Now this was the difficult part. "Dear elders, in my many years of Clan Head, I have never led you askew. I ask that you once more trust the wisdom of my decision, for it is within our best interest to not interfere in the matter."

Another elder spoke, "Then you are unaware of the plan, I presume? How weak, allowing another clan gain the glory of controlling the jinchuriki's fate."

Hiashi smiled politely, "Trust in my decisions. That is all I ask."

The council of elders was dismissed fairly quickly following Hiashi's declaration. As the Head of the Clan stalked through the halls of his home, a small frown marred his usual apathetic countenance. Objectively speaking, Hiashi knew why Shikamaru had to keep the plans to himself. As one of Konoha's finest strategists, he couldn't afford to let anyone else know of his plans prior to execution. It would only skew the results, messing with everything he had prepared. However the Hyuga Clan was getting antsy.

Hiashi had secured an alliance with the Nara through Shikamaru, the first political alliance in Konoha that the younger man formally made. This, in theory, placed Hiashi in a plane of trust above his other allies. And while this was certainly true, Shikamaru trusted him enough to let him know that there was in fact a plan in motion, it wasn't enough to appease the elders. The Hyuga were notoriously famous for staying neutral in all internal affairs. Hiashi broke this unspoken political barrier by connecting himself to the Nara, albeit in secret. When he first brokered the deal, he did so against the advice of the clan elders, who warned him of the Nara's secretive and elusive manners.

However Hiashi waved away their main concerns, speaking candidly of the Nara boy's intelligence and potential to bring the Hyuga into the forefront of internal politics. It was common knowledge at the time that Naruto Uzumaki was going to be Hokage, and equally obvious was her choice for advisors: Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara. While tying themselves to the Uchiha would be ridiculous political suicide, making an alliance with Shikamaru seemed more and more like the best choice.

However now, with Naruto's candidacy being questioned, the Hyuga alliance with the Nara seemed to be in a precarious position. With the Nara not trusting or divulging the information of the plan to Hiashi, it seemed as though there was little trust towards the Hyuga. Meaning that if the plan were to succeed, and Naruto was once more in a viable position to claim the hat, all credit for success would go to Shikamaru. This placed the young man once more in perfect position to be named advisor, allowing the Hyuga family to influence him with their own opinions on foreign politics. Yet if the plan did not work, and the hat were to be given to another, then Hiashi's entire point for drawing an alliance with the Nara will be for moot point.

The Nara stood a lot to benefit from the Hyuga; the elder clans resources and fighting force were greater than the shadow dwellers. Yet outside of Shikamaru's own potential, the Hyuga had little reason to ally themselves with the smaller clan. If Shikamaru did not prove his worth, and soon, then the Hyuga elders will eventually question Hiashi's own decision making and rationality.

Hiashi sighed, he certainly hated clan politics. He just hoped young Shikamaru was as intelligent as he thought, for his very own position as Clan Head hung in the balance.

Naruto pulled her hair into a messy ponytail as she lazily sauntered out of her bedroom. Stretching her limbs above her head, she had to stifle a scream as she noticed the pale, amused countenance of Sai staring at her from his spot on her couch.

Naruto dropped her arms quickly, a scowl spreading easily, "Sai. What. The. Fuck?!"

Sai clicked his tongue, "Naruto, you really need to learn how to clean up your vocabulary."

Naruto felt a headache take root as she contemplated the wisdom of slaughtering her teammate, as annoying and boundary pushing as he obviously was. "Sai. You can't just break into my apartment. I thought we had settled this conversation already."

Sai blinked in mock confusion, his head tilted to the side, "You were serious about that?"

Yeah. That settled it. Naruto was going to kill the bastard.

The ex-Root agent chuckled, "It is much too easy to get a rise out of you."

The blonds eye twitched, "Perhaps that's because I don't like it when people break into my apartment. Couldn't you have, oh I don't know, knocked?!"

"And bothered you while you were sleeping? I believe that is considered to be rude."

"It's ruder to break into someone's apartment," Naruto spat out through gritted teeth.

The smug bastard had the audacity to shrug, "Semantics."

Naruto sighed, there was no winning this argument. "What do you want Sai?"

Sai grinned, his lips spreading thin and creepily across his pale features, "Come spar with me."

Naruto narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

Sai quirked a perfectly manicured brow, "Must I have a reason to ask for a spar?"

The blond laughed, "You're Sai, you have a reason for everything."

"Perhaps I have just missed your presence."

"We see each other every day. We spar almost every day as well. It's our first day off in about a week, and I am not going to spend it being made fun of." Naruto huffed. Not to mention, she thought to herself, Shikamaru was expecting her presence at his apartment pretty soon. After yesterdays impromptu pillow fight, they decided the best way to get comfortable around each other was too spend more time together. Considering how pressed for time they currently were, Shikamaru stressing that the sooner the rumors begin to spread the better, they had to spend every available minute together in hopes of developing a deeper friendship.

Sai shifted in his seat nervously, his eyes not meeting her own, "Perhaps there is also something I wished to speak to you about."

"What is it Sai? I really don't have time for this," Naruto called out as she walked to the kitchen, boiling a pot of water.

The effeminate ninja followed her, taking a seat at the counter as he watched his friend prepare ramen, "It's about Sakura."

"What about her?"

"She's in love with Sasuke."

"What?!" Naruto screeched, almost dropping a packet of ramen, "Still?! I thought she got over the Teme a long time ago."

Sai grimaced, "It doesn't look that way. I overheard her and Ino at the bar speaking about this very topic a few days ago."

Naruto glared at the boy, "Sai, we spoke about this. Eavesdropping and spying on your friends is not acceptable social behavior."

The ninja rolled his eyes, "I know, it was purely by accident, believe me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto placed her hands on her hips, "This is Sakura's personal business, and she obviously doesn't want me to know."

"Because it involves you," Sai spoke candidly.

"How?"

"Sakura is under the impression that Sasuke could never fall in love with her, because he is too busy being in love with another."

Naruto snorted, "Oh please, like the Teme could ever fall in love with a girl. The only thing that man loves is his own reflection."

"She thinks he loves you."

Naruto paused, her jaw dropping in shock, "What? That's just… that's just not possible. Is Sakura an idiot?! Sasuke doesn't love me, we're best friends. Just best friends."

Sai nodded, "I agree with you. As does Ino, for she told Sakura the same thing. However I just wanted to warn you. A jealous woman, especially one on your own team, is poised to do a lot of damage. I would tread carefully."

"Sai don't be ridiculous. Sakura would never hurt me, or do anything stupid. She's my friend." Naruto spoke, full of bravado. She trusted Sakura, and she knew the pink haired jonin would do nothing to inadvertently cause her harm.

"I am not saying that she would harm you," Sai spoke carefully, "On purpose, anyways. However jealousy is a powerful motivator. It could ruin our team dynamics if the tension continues."

"There is no tension. Sakura knows better then to think Sasuke and I are anything more than friends."

"I just wanted to warn you."

"Consider myself suitably warned. Now get the fuck out of my apartment."

Shikamaru listened carefully as Naruto continued to rant. He watched as she paced across his apartment angrily, her arms gesturing wildly, "So when the bastard left my apartment, I started thinking deeper about it. Why the fuck would Sai feel the need to warn me about Sakura's feelings towards the Teme? I certainly have no romantic feelings towards the idiot, and he has none towards me. So why does Sakura think of me as a rival?"

Shikamaru sighed. Really, this blond was just troublesome, "Sasuke is close to you. Very close. You are the only person who he can truly call his friend. In that sense, it makes sense for Sakura to jump to conclusions."

Naruto crossed her arm angrily, "Yeah, well Sakura is an idiot."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, quickly changing the topic before Naruto can start on another rant, "Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, remembering the situation, "Oh yeah! Why did you ask me to bring such random stuff again?"

Shikamaru caught the bag Naruto tossed at him, carefully taking out each item and examining it with meticulous attention, "If we are going to have anyone believe that we are in a long-term committed relationship, then we need proof of it to be littered across our apartments."

The Nara took out a pair of well-worn pajama bottoms covered in ramen and unicorns, raising a single brow at Naruto. The blond in question blushed, "You asked me to bring the pajamas I wear the most often, so stop giving me that look!"

Shikamaru just smirked as he continued, "We need to make it seem as if you spend more time in my apartment then you do in your own. So personal effects such as a toothbrush, pajamas, and at least one of your ghastly jumpsuits is a necessity if we want to trick anyone into thinking that you actually spend time here."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "What about stuff for the shower? Shampoo, conditioner, body wash?"

Shikamaru hummed, "We can get away with the idea that you use mine instead."

Naruto scrunched her nose, "Then wouldn't I smell like a man?"

Shikamaru smirked, a look that really shouldn't be that damn attractive, "I believe that's the point Naru-chan."

"Don't call me that," She bit out.

Shikamaru just chuckled, "We need to lay the groundwork before Ino can catch us in a precarious position."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we need to give the others a reason to suspect something is going on. That way when Ino eventually lets our relationship status slip, it'll seem more plausible."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

Shikamaru grinned, "Feel like taking a shower?"

Naruto smelled like a man. All musky and reeking of sandalwood. All she needed was a light coating of cigarette smoke and she would smell exactly like Shikamaru. Which, she supposed, was kind of the point.

Naruto huffed as she sat across from Shikamaru at his kitchen table, "I smell like a dude."

Shikamaru furrowed his brows, "That was the point Naruto."

"I know that," She said, gathering her wet hair into a high bun, "But seriously, you couldn't have purchased less masculine smelling toiletries?"

Naruto knew she was being an idiot. From the raised brow and slight smirk that grew on his face, Shikamaru knew it too. Before the lazy bastard could start making fun of her, Naruto spoke, "So now that I officially smell like you, what do you want me to do?"

"We can handle that in a minute. But first, I want to show you something," Shikamaru rose from his seat, gesturing for Naruto to follow him, "While you were in the shower, I started rearranging some of my drawers."

The Uzumaki followed him into his bedroom, taking in the sight of the most meticulously clean room she had ever seen. It was a bachelors room, of that she had no doubt, with sparse furniture and even less personal effects. Naruto rolled her eyes as she glanced at the bedside table, the bottom two drawers completely cleared out and filled with her own personal effects. As Naruto looked at them, she grew red, "You folded my undergarments?!"

Shikamaru withheld the urge to chuckle, "I did."

Naruto growled, "And that couldn't have waited until I got out of the shower and was able to do so myself?"

Shikamaru gave a wide-eyed, faux innocent look, "I didn't think you'd mind much, my love."

Naruto facepalmed, "Great. I'm 'in love' with a bastard."

The Nara couldn't help the chuckle that broke through, "It would do you well to remember that, Naru-chan."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Naruto! Hey Naruto! Over here!" The Uzumaki followed the loud voice to see the excited countenance of her fellow blond. Ino was standing and waving her over from her spot with the rest of her old team, so Naruto had little choice but to go over. After paying the man at the counter, and being told that her food would be ready shortly, she walked over to her friends.

Naruto grinned, "Hey Ino! It's been a while! Hey Choji, Shikamaru!"

As she took the empty seat besides the lazy jonin, she shot a grin at the other two ninjas across her. She took a deep breath, doing all that she could to hide her nerves. Shikamaru had prepared her for this, there was no reason to feel nervous.

"What are you doing here Naruto? We usually have to drag you to this barbecue restaurant," Choji spoke candidly, briefly pausing his feast to glance at the beautiful blond.

And she was beautiful, he noticed. Frankly, he'd have to be blind not to notice. It was an effortless beauty, he knew, and she was completely unaware of it. Naruto was his friend, however, he'd have to be an idiot to ruin a friendship because he found her attractive. But honestly, it was quite ridiculous how gorgeous the blond had gotten in recent years. As Choji glanced up to see where Shikamaru had his gaze locked on, he realized that the Nara thought so as well.

Naruto scoffed, her large blue eyes twinkling with amusement, "It's not that I don't like this restaurant, I just prefer ramen. But I already had 23 bowls today, which is my daily limit before I force myself to eat something with actual nutrients in it."

That was a lie. It almost physically pained Naruto to have to say that there was a limit to the amount of ramen she ate, but Shikamaru gave here clear lines to say, and she would not fail him. From the ghost of a smile that graced his face, she assumed she did well.

Ino huffed, "Naruto you really shouldn't eat that much ramen. It's completely unhealthy and bad for your figure."

Shikamaru couldn't have withheld the snort if he tried. Noticing that they all had their eyes on him, he explained, "Telling Naruto to stop eating ramen is like telling Tsunade to stop drinking. A bad idea for everyone in the immediate vicinity."

Ino crossed her arms indignantly, "Well she should at least cut back a bit. It's really not healthy."

Naruto rolled her eyes, flipping her hair casually to the side, "I think I'll be fine Ino."

The babbling blond, about to start another lecture on the importance of keeping a healthy diet, suddenly paused, "Naruto, did you change conditioner or something."

Naruto stiffened, her hand reaching for Shikamaru's knee under the table in panic, "I- I did. Do you like it?"

She was nervous. It was easy to tell. Shikamaru put his hand over hers, his thumb drawing slow circles over her skin, urging her to calm down. Showing a little nervousness was fine, as they were currently trying to keep their 'relationship' a secret, but it wouldn't do well for her to completely slip up now.

Ino scrunched up her nose, "Yeah… it's nice. Just a little… familiar."

Naruto's eyes darted wildly around the restaurant, never meeting Ino's, "Yeah, well, maybe someone else uses it? Oh look, my take out is ready! Got to go bye!"

Naruto sped away from the table and out of the restaurant as fast as she could without drawing too many eyes. Choji muttered in confusion as he stared at the retreating back of the gorgeous blond, "That was odd."

"Very odd," Ino agreed, "She'd hiding something."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes dramatically, "Ino stop caring about other peoples business. If Naruto is hiding something, she obviously doesn't want us to know. So let it be."

"But what if she's in trouble?" Ino asked, attempting to justify her nosey behavior.

"No offense, but I think Naruto can handle herself just fine."

Ino narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "And why do you care all of a sudden? You've never questioned my curiosity before."

Accusation was painted in her tone, everybody could tell. Shikamaru sighed as he answered, "That's because I tune your gossip out, and it's also usually about some random civilian I've never met. But Naruto is a friend, she doesn't deserve to be questioned about her personal life."

"Shikamaru has a point, Ino," Choji spoke up, "Naruto's a friend. Plus, I doubt she's hiding anything serious. It's Naruto, she couldn't lie to save her life."

Ino frowned, "I don't know… It all just seems too fishy. She smells like a man. And the craziest part is, it's a familiar scent!"

Shikamaru clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Ino, don't be a pain about this. Naruto's not the type of girl to be sleeping around with guys, I'm sure there's an innocent explanation to all this. Anyways, I'll see you two tomorrow. I have an early day tomorrow, and a stack of paperwork still waiting for me back home."

With a wave, Shikamaru departed the restaurant, feeling the glare that was shot at his back as he walked further and further away.

"Choji," Ino spoke slowly, carefully as they watched Shikamaru depart, "I think I recall why that scent is familiar."

Choji had yet to peel his eyes from the door his friend had walked through. With a big gulp, he softly replied, "Yeah, I think I do too."

Ino frowned, "You don't think..."

"No," Choji quickly interrupted, "There has to be some other explanation. It's just not possible."

"But what if it's true?"

"No. Shikamaru is in love with Temari. There is no way he would risk his relationship for some... some fling with Naruto. No. No way."

"But what if-"

"No Ino. It's just not possible. Shikamaru has told me himself that Temari is the only woman he will ever love."

"Then why hasn't he gone to Suna yet to beg for forgiveness? It's already been like three months, they should have reconciled by now."

Choji shrugged, "I'm not sure. But Shikamaru must have his reasons. He's a logical man, he rarely does anything without considering all of the variables."

Ino sighed, "I'm sure you're right. But something is going on, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Choji raised a brow, "How?"

Ino grinned, "I'm going to go talk to Shikamaru."