Current mood:	D:
Entry tags:	fic, incomplete, naruto, shikamaru/ino

[GRAVEYARD] Caught Up 1/5 - Naruto - Shikamaru/Ino
I skimmed through this as I was coding it for lj, and I have to say, it does smack of immaturity. I don't think I've improved much as a writer since I started this story, but the whole "wah wah Ino is jealous wah Temari is a bitch" plot device is pretty poor and the fact that I can recognise it has to be a good thing.

Title: Caught Up
Series: Naruto
Length: 4229 words, chapter one of five completed chapters, who knows how long the fic would have been.
Character/pairing: Shikamaru/Ino.
Rating/warnings: File created 19 June, 2006. Ouch.
Summary: Temari gives Ino an opportunity to prove herself and they make a wager between themselves. The terms: make jounin in three months. The prize: Shikamaru. What's a girl to do?



Prologue
Forsythia – Anticipation

----

There was a spider on her ceiling.

Ino's eyes followed the arachnid's halting movements, watching it traverse the plain white space for somewhere to build its new home. It had been deliberating for hours — she'd been staring at it since breakfast and it was still unable to make up its mind.

Just pick a corner, buddy, she told it dully. As it wasn't psychic, the spider ignored her and scurried around in the centre a bit longer, before finally coming to a decision and returning to the corner by the window, the very place it had started out. It let out a safety line of gossamer thread and lowered itself from the roof, then swung across to the wall where it began on the constructs of its web.

Her entertainment over, Ino sighed and rolled onto her side. Now what would she do to occupy her time? She'd tried helping out in the shop yesterday, but she'd been too jumpy, too anxious, running fretfully to the counter every time the door bell tinged. She'd ruined four arrangements by absently sticking in flowers that jarred the rest of the bouquet, and in the end her mother had asked her kindly but firmly if she'd rather be resting.

Ino hadn't particularly felt like being alone, but she was achieving nothing and could tell she was in danger of becoming a hindrance, so she turned and left without a word. She knew that in itself would worry her mother, but it didn't seem to matter — the emotion was irrelevant compared to the worry that ate at her own heart.

When would they be coming home? It had been a day now since Shikamaru and Chouji had embarked on their mission to bring back Sasuke, and ever since Asuma-sensei had told her they'd be facing Orochimaru's shinobi...well, suffice to say it had concerned her, at the very least. The last time they'd met with ninjas under his command was still fresh in her memory, and she repressed a shudder. Their teacher would have gone himself, but he'd been otherwise engaged, and he'd felt it best to let her know what was going on as soon as he'd had the chance. When he'd explained that Shikamaru had been chosen to lead the group she'd gotten a sharp pain in the pit of her stomach, and despite the time passing it hadn't gone away. Instead, it had grown bigger and hurt more as each minute passed and the boys still hadn't returned.

She'd had to do some soul-searching in that time. The fact that Sasuke, the boy she admired, had chosen to abandon his village and leave those he cared about shocked her, and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She'd known he distanced himself from them, that he was a genius — a prodigy — who didn't like to spend time with the rest of the genin, but he'd never seemed quite cold enough to become a missing-nin. She jumped on him and annoyed him, sure; but he put up with it, let her get away with it. That was why it had been so unexpected, this complete disregard for the people who'd cared about him. If he thought of them so lightly, if it was that easy to just desert them, then it was hard for Ino to remember why exactly she'd liked him in the first place.

But Sakura...

From the beginning, Ino had wondered if Sakura had seen in Sasuke something the rest of them had missed. Sakura's attraction to him had been consuming, and had become a personal mission of sorts. It was like she had a time limit, like she had been trying to save Sasuke from something.

And maybe she had been. Maybe she'd been trying to save him from himself.

Ino had never known. It still smarted that the girl she'd thought of as her most precious person was willing to throw away their friendship for the sake of a mere chance at something more. She'd been replaced by an ideal, a boy none of them could touch, and the dream of Sasuke's affection meant more to Sakura than the reality of Ino's. Hurt became bitterness and anger turned into regret, and at the time it had eaten at Ino's heart. Strange, now that her teammates' absence was making her feel the same way.

She was tired out from thinking these things. Ideas and possibilities chased each other around her skull and each lap of them drained her, weakened her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong and she'd never see one or both of the boys again.

It was ridiculous and irrational, she was well aware of that. Shikamaru was a chuunin, for goodness sakes, and Chouji was a big boy who could take care of himself. But she couldn't help but feel that without her there to look after them they would fall into some sort of trouble they'd be unable to get out of. Her fingers twisted the bed sheet beside her as she thought of Chouji's cheerful, earnest face and Shikamaru's cynical, unflappable one. No, she needed to have faith. Her boys would pull through; Shikamaru would make sure of that. He'd bring everyone home safely because that's what he did.

People thought he was lazy and unmotivated - and honestly, he was - but he was also steadfast, and loyal to a fault. He was a rare breed, a kind of diamond in the rough, and while she teased him unmercifully and made his life a little trying, she knew he'd give his life for her in a heartbeat. For Chouji too, and Asuma as well. He was a good ninja and had the makings of a great one, and all good ninjas knew the meaning of sacrifice. They knew their duty and would perform it if required, but she knew he'd only do it willingly for a handful of people, and it was almost heady knowing that she was on the list.

That's what he was doing, leading this mission. His duty. For some reason he'd never taken to Sasuke, as much as Ino had tried to convince him of the other boy's good points. Shikamaru just didn't like him, and yet here he was, risking his life for him without complaint. Actually, scrap that, I bet he had a bit to say on the subject. Her lips almost curled up into a wry smile, but then she thought of something else and her expression shifted back into the dangerous blankness she'd sported since she'd been told. Shikamaru is risking his life for Sasuke...but I have to wonder if Sasuke would ever do the same.

She rolled over on to her other side. This was stupid; she was stifled. She couldn't do anything and maybe that was the worst part. She was stuck here, twiddling her thumbs, unable to even work because heaven forbid, she was worried about them. Not that she could ever tell them, of course. She couldn't do that without losing face and she wouldn't give Shikamaru the satisfaction of knowing how much she cared.

In fact, no. She wasn't worried about them. She wouldn't think that. They were just her teammates; they would definitely be okay. She was wasting her time thinking they were anything other than capable shinobi. Sure, sometimes Chouji got hand seals mixed up and accidentally Henged himself when he was trying to do a Kawarimi no Jutsu. It was a bit disorientating when she was flying at him with a kunai and he transformed into Naruto. And sure, Shikamaru was a genius and all, but sometimes he thought too far ahead and went to block punches she hadn't even considered making, giving her an opportunity to sweep-kick him onto his arse. Also, they were such close friends that if she and Asuma-sensei ever teamed up and managed to get one of them down, the other would get distracted and could be overpowered more easily...

Damn. Maybe they wouldn't be okay.

She was back to being worried again. They were good shinobi and great friends, but could they do this? Were they the best ones for this mission? Were Naruto, Neji and Kiba the best teammates they could have had? No, they had to be, otherwise the Hokage would have sent another team. Surely.

A rap at the door. She'd ignored previous attempts by her parents at socialising because she hadn't wanted the company, but now she was sick of the direction her thoughts were taking. Besides, this knock had been more forceful, almost urgent. Maybe they had news?

"Ino?" It was her father. She got to her feet and padded across the floor.

"Coming, Dad," she called, but the door flew open before she could reach it. Her father burst in and stood there for a moment before grabbing her hand and grinning down at her. She blinked at him. What could have gotten him so worked up?

"They're back, Ino," he said, and her heart skipped a beat. "They're all back, and they're going to be okay."

Her tension melted and the dam burst, and she started crying, jumping into her father's arms like she was a baby again.

"Oh, Daddy," she sobbed, tears coming from nowhere. "I was so scared."

He patted her back. "I know, honey. I know."

She would have liked to stay in the comforting circle of his arms for a bit longer, as she'd basically ignored her family over her self-imposed exile. There were more important things to do, however, so after a moment she stepped back reluctantly and wiped the wetness from her eyes.

"Are they at the Hokage's office?" she asked, grabbing her sandals and sitting on the bed to strap them into place. He took a moment to respond and she looked up, catching the last of an uncertain expression as it disappeared from his face.

"They're in the hospital," he admitted, and she leapt to her feet, ready to run. He reached out and put a restraining arm on her shoulder. "Ino, honey, don't worry too much. Shikamaru is fine—" her heart relaxed "—and Chouji is injured, in a critical condition. I don't know the specifics, but be optimistic. Both boys are alive."

She blinked again, processing. And then a smile spread across her face and she beamed up at him, giving him another quick hug.

"Yes," she said, moving past him, out the door. "They are."

Then she raced out into the hallway and down the stairs, off this time on a mission of her own.

----

Ino had never been one for endurance. She was too impatient for long distance, but she was quick off the mark and quite enjoyed sprinting, and so she was halfway across the village in what felt like no time. It was only by chance that she glanced down the side road that led to the bridge and caught a telltale flash of pale pink hair.

She skidded to a halt. Sakura. Things had improved between them after the chuunin exam, and the other girl deserved to share in the good news. They'd been close once, and for the memory of that friendship and the tender promise of a future one, she deviated from her path and set off towards the bridge.

"Sakura!" she called, watching as the girl roused herself from some sort of stupor. She blinked and looked surprised to see Ino there. "It looks like everyone's back! Come on now, let's go to the hospital!"

The blank look fled Sakura's features as perception returned, and with it came delight and a sudden, fierce hope. "They're back?" she asked, her voice a dry rasp, as if it hadn't been used in quite some time. And maybe it hadn't, Ino mused, almost guiltily, remembering her own way of passing this awful, aching day.

"Yes!" she cried, aware now that she was wasting precious seconds, time she could be spending yelling at her teammates for going off without her. "They're at the hospital, so get a move on, we're going to visit them right now."

Sakura's eyes lit up and she pushed off into a sprint, running off down the street in the direction of the medical centre.

"Eh? Sakura? Wait up!"

As she sped off to catch up with her, Ino couldn't help but wonder if Sakura had been more worried than even she had. Shikamaru and Chouji could take care of themselves because their personalities complimented each other perfectly. How would it be for Sasuke and Naruto, who were as close and similar as night and day? It was hard to think about and painful to consider, and while sometimes she envied Sakura, right now, she almost pitied her.

----

They split up at reception, Ino telling Sakura she was off to visit Chouji first, since Shikamaru was apparently okay. The other girl had her blinkers on and said she would go see Naruto, adding Sasuke's name as an almost casual afterthought, but fooling no one. Ino waited for the usual surge of jealousy but the best she could muster was a weak interest in his welfare, and she wondered if his callous behaviour had completely severed her attraction towards him.

Either way, it was more important to check in on Chouji. Shikamaru apparently had only a broken finger and a few bruises; the worst wounds would be the ones to his ego, and if she had the opportunity, Ino would bet the entirety of her small savings account that Shikamaru was off somewhere, blaming himself for Chouji's injuries, regardless of who had actually caused them. He hated authority and despised responsibility, and that was why he was born to have both. He was a natural leader and she couldn't think of anyone more suited to the job. Power corrupted, it was true, but it only affected those without the capacity to look out for those below. He'll be fine, she told herself, rounding the corner to Chouji's room. I know it.

She paused a few steps later, surprised to see Chouji's father perched on the edge of one of the low benches, hunched over with his arms on his knees. He turned at her arrival, but relaxed upon seeing her, his tired features crinkling into a ghost of his usual smile. "Ino-chan," he greeted her, and she made her way to his side, suddenly concerned by his lack of zest.

"Akamichi-san," she replied, her worry returning. She'd finally convinced herself both her boys were going to be okay, and hearing Shikamaru was fine had, for some reason, caused her to assume Chouji was as well. But seeing his father so worried...

"Why aren't you in with Chouji?"

He sighed and rubbed his face wearily, running a hand through his unruly hair before letting it drop back onto his leg. "The medics feel he'll heal faster if he's kept by himself, for the moment."

She nodded, leaning back against the wall. "Ahh...we still can't talk to him."

He looked down at the concrete. "Yeah, but Tsunade-sama says he'll regain consciousness soon."

Tension she didn't know was there loosened from her shoulders, and she drew a deep breath. "All right, that's a relief!"

He said nothing for a moment, and the doubts resurfaced as he exhaled and hunched further down. "Tsunade-sama's return to Konoha utterly saved us. If she hadn't come, Chouji now would be..." He trailed off, making an awkward gesture with his hand. He didn't seem to have the words to cover what could have been, but Ino didn't mind. She'd always had an overactive imagination.

Her mind whirled. The fifth Hokage herself had treated Chouji? The greatest medic-nin Konoha had ever seen had needed to operate on her teammate? Her relief at having them back disappeared entirely and she slid down the wall, pushing her legs out and landing heavily on her bottom. She ignored the immediate ache and pulled her knees up, threading her suddenly trembling fingers together around her shins.

"Akamichi-san," she said, impressed by how steady her voice sounded. "Could you please tell me exactly what happened to Chouji?"

His father was silent for a moment before he got up and walked over to slide down beside her, chestplate jingling on the cornice, the noise loud in the quiet hall. He rested his hands in his lap and explained the situation in low tones, his worried eyes never leaving the door of her teammate's room.

----

Ino waited with Chouji's father for another hour before excusing herself on the pretext of getting them both something to drink. He had shaken himself as she got to her feet, and looked like he appreciated the thought, despite opting to stay where he was, 'just in case'.

She set off after memorising the wing and ward number, and glanced down each hall as she passed them, having forgotten where the drinks machine lived. She reached the end of one section and had moved out of the intensive care area before she found one, and after buying them each a can of juice, tried to retrace her steps. She took a few wrong turns almost immediately, and had just begun to curse her terrible sense of direction when she heard voices. Saved! She moved towards where they were coming from, relieved to find someone who could give her directions, before freezing as she recognised a familiar laugh.

That bastard. She walked faster, breaking into a jog as the laugh came again, rich and low. She knew this sound because it didn't come often, and she'd cherished it for its rarity. Only a handful of people could make him laugh like this; if he didn't like someone, the best they could get was a dry 'heh'.

So who was Shikamaru talking to, if she and Chouji were both otherwise engaged? And why was he having such a great time, when the rest of them most certainly were not?

She reached an unfamiliar junction and took the left path, ignoring the gut feeling that told her to go right. She was famous for her misdirection. Her mother joked she could get lost in a burlap sack, to which her father invariably replied he'd make Ino marry the man who got her into one in the first place. "He'd have to be one hell of a man to get my little cat in there," he'd say affectionately, and Ino had never felt more like an enraged feline than right now. Poor Chouji, locked away in a hospital room, his poor father, fretting in the hall, while Shikamaru was somewhere close, apparently without a care in the world.

She rounded another corner and found him, talking and smiling with that damned Sand nin, the one he'd forfeited to in the exam. The girl with the fan, what was her name? Temari? It didn't matter what her name was. What was Shikamaru doing? What was he thinking? For once he didn't seem to be thinking at all.

This was ridiculous. All her worry, all her concern — it had been wasted on Shikamaru. Seeing him so casually engaged in conversation, so cheerful in the wake of these unbelievable events, everything came together and accomplished what was thought by many as impossible.

Ino was speechless.

Perhaps her rage was palpable. Perhaps she exuded a tangible aura of fury. Either way, Shikamaru sensed her presence and got to his feet, a tired smile creasing his face. She ignored the various cuts and bruises scoring his features, overlooked the bandaged finger and bloodstained clothing. All she could see was him slacking off — again — while their teammate's life hung in the balance.

"Ino, when did you -"

"I can't believe you," she said, her voice cutting across his own. Her tone was cold, frosty, and he reacted to it only slightly, unflinchingly but getting a wary cast to his face. He didn't say anything further and waited for her to continue, as always patient, never rushed. His lack of response fuelled her anger further and behind him she could see the other girl turn slowly towards them, apparently interested in the coming exchange.

"I can't believe that Chouji is in intensive care and you're just sitting here, talking and laughing, having a wonderful time."

He looked at her and his face was unreadable, but his eyes were bright and she quashed a sudden pang at the thought that he may have been crying, might have been worried too. But no, that wouldn't have been the case, since he'd been so clearly chuckling away with Temari only minutes earlier. Ino steeled herself again as he stared at her calmly before speaking. "I was told Chouji wasn't allowed visitors."

"He isn't," she replied curtly, angry at both his logic and her lack of it. She was feeling irrational and this sudden fury had come from nowhere, surprising her with its vehemence. She wished the Sand nin wasn't here to witness the shouting and tried to ignore the other girl's presence as best she could. "But his dad could use some company; he's really worried."

His posture seemed to slump a bit and she felt bad again. Why did her temper always get the better of her? Why did she talk before thinking things through?

"I see," he said and walked towards and then beyond her, passing very close but taking care not to brush her arm with his own. She didn't turn but felt his departure like a slap, and averted her gaze to the floor, unwilling to meet the eyes of the Sand nin who still lounged against the wall.

Ino wondered how best to exit this increasingly awkward situation. She'd found Shikamaru and he'd presumably gone to see Chouji, so she'd served her purpose. Condensation gathered and slithered down the the drink cans still gripped in her hands, and she started at the cool water meeting the skin on her arms.

"That was rude," Temari said suddenly. "You didn't give him a chance to explain."

"What's to explain?" she countered, wiping her arms against her skirt. "His best friend is seriously injured and he was just -"

"He was just doing his duty." The older girl sounded bored now, and Ino looked up just as she jerked her head down the hall towards another room. "The blonde kid, the hyperactive one? He's down there. Shikamaru had to visit him, it was your Hokage's orders. And the Hyuuga? Almost died. There's some major medical thing being attended to for him and Shikamaru wanted to know how it went. The one with the dog is okay but he was badly hurt too, you know. So next time you come up with a mouthful of vitriol, do your homework. Your teammate's a good guy and he doesn't need crap like this getting him down."

"I wasn't...I don't..." She had nothing, and they both knew it.

"What did you expect from him?" A hint of scorn coloured Temari's voice. "He just returned from a dangerous mission, and you tear right into him without even so much as a welcome back. "

Apparently finished, she leaned back against the wall, picking up her fan and laying it across her knees. Her work was done, and done well — once again, Ino was speechless. His duty. Hadn't she only just been thinking about how loyal Shikamaru was? Of course he'd want to make sure his teammates were all out of danger before he went to hover at his best friend's bedside. In fact, now that she thought about it, Chouji's dad hadn't mentioned Shikamaru's absence so he must have gone to see him first, before anything else. What did you expect from him? She didn't even know herself.

Idiot. She berated herself for once again putting her foot in it. She'd have to apologise now — something she'd never been particularly good at — and though Shikamaru was the most easygoing person she knew, her tone would have affected him even if her words had not. She was very much in the wrong here, and it was up to her to rectify the misunderstanding. Her separation from Sakura had taught her that things needed to be addressed as soon as possible to avoid regret in the future.

She moved to go just as the Sand nin got to her feet, swinging her fan up and slipping it into the holster on her back. She walked purposefully towards her and Ino stayed where she was for the moment, not wanting to appear intimidated.

Truthfully, she was, a bit, but appearances were everything.

"It's Ino, isn't it." It wasn't a question so she didn't answer. Besides, it took all of her willpower just to meet the other girl's eyes and return her stare. It seemed to be enough because Temari gave a curt nod and continued, pausing again once she'd passed her and nearly turned the corner. "I said he's a good guy, and I meant it."

She left, and Ino followed suit a minute later, confused as to what exactly the Sand nin had been trying to say. The meaning was unclear but there was something almost propriety in the girl's voice, and from that day on - without quite knowing why - Ino regarded Temari as a powerful and personal threat.




Various readers included glance_inward, darkenedsakura, nushi_akubi, icarust and blackestfaery. I think.

IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, OKAY?!