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

[GRAVEYARD] - Caught Up 2/5 - Naruto - Shikamaru/Ino
THE OOC, IT BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURNS!

Title: Caught Up
Series: Naruto
Length: 7681 words, chapter two of five completed chapters, who knows how long the fic would have been.
Character/pairing: Shikamaru/Ino.
Rating/warnings: File created in July, 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?



Chapter one
Petunia - Resentment

----

Three years later

"So," Asuma beamed at them, striding across the training area, the obligatory cigarette balanced precariously on his lip. The former Team Ten blinked back at him, thought processes idle for the time being. Five in the morning was just too early to be awake and at 'em, and Ino for one hadn't gotten to sleep until late. Dreams had plagued her and had disappeared upon waking, fragments too elusive to gather in that shallow light before dawn.

"So?" she yawned, stretching loosely and knocking Shikamaru on the forehead with an outflung arm. He scowled tiredly at her and she yawned again, dropping her head onto his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled, trying to get comfortable. He stiffened under her cheek and pushed her off.

"Tch, Ino," he said, looking past her to Asuma. "I'm not your pillow."

"You're not a very good one, anyway," she retorted, trying to work the cricks out of her neck. She'd slept in an awkward position last night and had woken up aching, which was not something she particularly liked to experience before training. If she knew Asuma-sensei — and after four years, she rather thought she did — she'd be feeling a whole lot worse by the end of the day.

"Asuma-sensei!" Chouji greeted their teacher cheerfully. She gave him a dirty look and knew Shikamaru was doing the same. How dare he be so bright and chipper at this ridiculous time? Even the sun was still asleep, nestled behind a cloud. It was resting, why couldn't they?

"Hello Chouji, morning guys." Asuma reached them and towered above where they sat, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ready for some training?"

"No," Shikamaru replied, flopping back onto the grass. Ino followed suit and closed her eyes again. Yes, this was better. They could do some work later, when daylight came. It was too dark, too cold, too damn early to do anything other than sleep right now.

"I said," Asuma-sensei continued, his voice dangerously calm, "ready for some training?"

They were on their feet in an instant. They knew that voice and if they didn't heed the subtle warning, they'd be in for a world of pain.

"Yes, Sensei!" they chorused.

He gave them a wicked smile. "Good. Twenty laps around the village. Starting now."

Sighing, they pushed off. It was going to be a long day.

----

By the time they stumbled back, exhausted, it was past midday and Ino had retracted her earlier statement regarding daylight. It was far too hot to be working in these conditions and she felt a grudging kernel of appreciation for Asuma, for making them start when they wouldn't feel the sun as much. He was perched on a log in the middle of the training area, waiting for their return and she increased her pace slightly only to falter when she saw who was with him.

"Took you long enough," Temari said lazily, an amused glint in her up-tilted eyes.

Why was she here? I mean, I know why, Ino amended, glancing irritably at Shikamaru, who loped over to Asuma and flopped face-first onto the grass. In a remarkable display of non-genius cognition, he hadn't seemed to notice the other girl's increased interest in him over the last few years, and if Ino managed to get her way, he never would. Ever since that day at the hospital, she'd realised Temari was an unknown equation, someone to watch and keep as far away as possible. She had managed to get under Shikamaru's guard and that had bothered Ino for years, that in one day, in the space of an hour, the Sand nin had achieved what no girl apart from Ino had ever succeeded in doing. Their smiling faces haunted her and she wondered why. Why did she care who Shikamaru befriended? Chouji got along pretty well with Neji, and he was kinda freaky with those all-seeing eyes. What was it about Temari that made her feel so...threatened?

It annoyed her.

"Don't you have some liaisoning to do?" Ino snapped, crossing the clearing and sitting down in a huff. Chouji brought up the rear and settled himself between Shikamaru and Asuma's log.

Temari looked even more amused. "Are you always this feisty after training?"

"Yes," Shikamaru mumbled into the dirt. Chouji nodded in agreement before catching himself and giving her an apologetic look.

"Training makes Ino...determined to be the best," he said diplomatically.

Asuma laughed heartily around his cigarette and clapped her on the back. "She's a competitive one, our Ino."

Ino wasn't sure if they were complimenting her or not, but now the Sand nin was giving her a calculating appraisal.

"Is that so?" she wondered aloud. She leaned forward and grinned, baring her teeth in a catlike smile. "Well, why don't we make things a little more competitive? Since Ino likes to be the best, and all."

Don't bite don't bite don't bite...

"What do you propose?" Ino found herself asking. A little voice from within seemed to be telling her to ignore Temari, to swallow her pride and just hold her tongue, that the girl had some sort of game in mind, one Ino was certain to lose because the rules would just be made that way. But she made a point of ignoring that little voice as often as possible, because if she was ever going to learn from her mistakes she'd have to make them in the first place. Reason, she'd decided long ago during a particularly whimsical phase, stunted one's growth.

"Teams." Temari sat back, apparently done. Ino waited for her to elaborate because she didn't want to appear too interested in what the girl — the interloper — had to say. Luckily Chouji had been following the conversation and broke the silence for her.

"Teams?" he asked around a mouthful of chips. She was surprised somewhat at their appearance as she hadn't even noticed he'd squirreled them away for later. Unless their teacher had supplied them as incentive, something he'd done in the past to get Chouji to participate in group activities. He knew all their weaknesses, Asuma did.

"Yes," Temari affirmed. "We do this at home all the time. It's a form of training — mission emulation training. We'll split up into two groups of two and come out tomorrow night, using the forest as the 'hunting ground'. One team is the 'pursuer' and the other is the 'prey'. The game lasts until the prey has been captured or the pursuer defeated. It's good training for missions and stops you from nurturing weaknesses, because you are able to identify them in a combat situation."

Ino was still processing the we and two sets of two parts when Asuma let out another one of his deep belly laughs. "Sounds like a fine idea," he said. "It'd be good for you guys to get a bit of a workout during this lag between missions, and it's a chance to hone your individual skills as well as your group cohesion." He took out the dangling cigarette and stubbed it on the log beside his leg, then looked up at the sky, shading his eyes. "If we want to change the usual combos around, I'm putting Ino and Chouji together, which leaves Shikamaru to you, Temari, should you choose to participate?"

The older girl's smile widened and Ino felt nauseous. "I'd like that very much."

Something akin to a "Tch" came from where Shikamaru was still sprawled on the ground, and Asuma glanced over. "Any problems with that, Shikamaru?"

The boy rolled over with a sigh. "If we have to do this regardless, it's going to be troublesome no matter whom I'm paired with. Really, I don't care."

Chouji finished his chips and scrunched up the packet, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know if I've ever worked on a mission with just Ino before. She usually partners up with Shikamaru, since their abilities go well together."

He was right. Shikamaru was her fall guy, so to speak. They made a good team because they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and she trusted him with her life every time they entered into combat. She trusted Chouji too, of course, but his attacks required mobility and Shikamaru's did not. If either she or Chouji wanted to use a family technique, one of them was going to have to miss out because their skills were mutually exclusive. And, if she really had to admit it, Chouji's would probably be more useful in this mini-battlegame, since there wasn't much she could do to affect the outcome with her Shintenshin no Jutsu. Her command of that jutsu's older, meaner sibling was still weak, and it only worked in one out of every ten attempts. She'd probably use the easiest one, if she used one at all, since there wasn't much she could hope to achieve with it. Unless she took over Temari's mind and made the girl bash herself over the head with that big, stupid fan...

She supressed her concerns — and the intriguing mental images — then gave her partner a bright smile. "It's okay, Chouji. We've still been on the same team for years and we'll kick their asses in this training thing, for sure." She gave him an encouraging thumbs-up and after a moment, he returned it.

"Well, Shikamaru, I guess that leaves us together. Let's do our best as a team." Temari cuffed the boy lightly on the arm and he closed his eyes as if it wasn't worth the effort to respond.

Ino watched their exchange with irritation, surprised when the other girl looked up and met her eyes. Something crossed the Sand nin's face, then, and although Ino was hard-pressed to say exactly what it was, if she'd been asked, she would have said it looked a bit like...triumph.

----

The moon shone down through the leaves before her, illuminating a tempting path. It would be less difficult if she could just follow the light, rather than hiding in the darkness, getting scratched and bruised from unseen obstacles hindering her silent progress. She'd always found tracking harder at night because stealth was a double-edged sword. She'd prefer to go the easy way, but if she did that it would be simple for the enemy to find and attack her. All they'd have to do would be to wait in a likely spot and she'd walk straight into a trap. The absolute last thing she wanted to do here was let her enemy get out of this without doing any work - he was lazy enough in the first place. So, instead, she battled on through the inky night, trying to keep to the shadows...but at the same time, trying hard to keep them away.

Ino paused in her flight and rested, stopping on a sturdy tree branch to catch her breath. She couldn't see her partner anywhere, but if she couldn't hear him either then everything was going to plan. They hadn't really discussed how they'd go about winning the fight, but it was a matter of pride for her, and she'd asked him, pleaded with him to do his best. Chouji was a good guy and better yet, a good friend, so she knew he'd give it his all. Or as much as he could give, considering one of their opponents.

She repressed a grimace. She hated it when Asuma-sensei got one of his crazy training ideas. They always ended with someone getting hurt and since Chouji's eyebrows had been singed off last time and Shikamaru had somehow been poisoned the time before that, she reckoned it was probably her turn to have something go wrong. Most of the time their teacher was casual and laid back, and got them to improve through repetition by building upon skills they already had, but sometimes he got flashes of wild inspiration and they all had to suffer for it. And this time, of course, Temari had upped the stakes. Ino scowled. She hated Asuma's training, but she'd take it any day over something the Sand nin suggested. She wouldn't even be here now if the girl had worded her proposal differently, if it hadn't sounded so much like a challenge. She wouldn't lose this thing. She couldn't.

Something rustled in the tree beside her and she was off, springing from one branch to another, ignoring the twinge in one foot as she landed awkwardly, slipping on the rough bark. She couldn't afford to injure herself now. There was too much at stake. She had to prove that she was a good kunoichi and that her team had only improved over time, that they all deserved their chuunin status. It was a matter of team pride, but more that that, it was a matter of personal pride. She had to prove to everyone — to herself — that she was better than that girl.

She'd grumbled when Asuma told them about practice, but really she'd been secretly happy for the excuse to see the boys again. Shikamaru had spent the last few weeks overseeing the most recent chuunin exams and Chouji had been helping out at the academy, surprisingly well-suited to assisting Iruka with classes. Ino alone had nothing to occupy her time and whiled away the hours working at the shop, which was pleasant enough, she supposed, albeit rather dull. When they were together, she spent most of the time yelling at her team members, but when they were apart she had to admit she missed them. They'd known each other for so long they'd become three parts of the one whole and she felt a bit empty, incomplete, on those days by herself.

But now that she had entered the picture...

Ino gritted her teeth. Gah. Even thinking about her made the hairs on the back of her prickle. It hadn't been so bad when she lived half a country away but now that she was liaison to the Hidden Village of Leaf it was like they couldn't get rid of her, like she was hanging around Shikamaru all the time. And sure, she'd fought him a few years ago, but she'd fought Tenten in the same exam and Ino never saw her following the other girl around like a large, spiky-haired puppy. It was obvious, to Ino at least, that Temari had an interest in her teammate that went beyond the respect one would feel for an opponent, and she had a sneaking suspicion it went beyond friendship, as well. Not to mention that day at the hospital was still so very fresh in her mind...

It irked her.

She couldn't really say why — if pressed, she'd have to admit the Sand nin had never done anything to her, and seemed nice enough, if a little hard. She was powerful and talented, as evidenced by her jounin ranking, and had a quick mind and a cool head under pressure. In fact, Ino couldn't find a single thing to dislike about Temari, and maybe that was it. Once, she had been the loudest, bossiest girl (and only girl, if she was honest to herself) in Chouji and Shikamaru's lives, the closest thing either of them had to a sister. But now Ino's position was being threatened by someone who was everything that she was, and maybe just that little bit more. It hurt, being compared, and found wanting. She'd already been replaced in the heart of a friend, years ago, and while she and Sakura were close once more she really didn't know if she could go through it all again.

A shuriken whistled past her ear and she dodged reflexively before whirling, her eyes tracking its path to determine where it had been thrown from. They were behind her to the left, and possibly above. The projectile had a bit of a curve to it which most likely came from being spun underarm, a technique used to hide an attacker's whereabouts and disorientate the enemy. She wasn't very good at it, actually, and considering the weak throw, neither was her opponent. She sped up and veered to the right, finding another tree and slipping behind a veil of leaves. Her heart was racing and she was surprised to find it felt good to be out here, training again, working with her teammates and honing her shinobi skills. Working by herself or just with her father didn't have quite the same impact as battlegames and practice. It didn't let you ride the edge when you were by yourself. It didn't induce quasi-fear or breathlessness or heartbeats loud in your ear. It just didn't feel as good.

She slipped a kunai out from her thigh holster and gripped the handle, keeping her arm steady as she leaned forward, taking her bearings. They were close now. She wanted to be prepared. It was time to stop dwelling on annoyances and the past and all those occasions where the two became one.

More shuriken sliced through the air towards her. She ducked, knocking her knee on the branch and dropping her kunai from the jarring shock. The projectiles didn't wait, of course, and they hit the tree trunk, thudding into place just above her head. Her scalp tickled and she could only watch as a few strands of hair drifted down in front of her, brushing her face as they floated away.

"Give up, Ino," came Shikamaru's voice from somewhere nearby. He was close, very close, and she wasn't really surprised it was him who had found her. Of course he'd know her running pattern, could guess where she'd go to hide. She took advantage of his excellent dissembling skills every time they went on a mission; it was just a bit strange to be on the other end for once.

Her knee ached but she ignored it, getting up slowly and bringing a hand up to her hairline as if checking how much he'd lopped off. "I had no idea you were this serious," she said, making her tone deliberately shaky. Let him think he'd scared her, hopefully it would throw him off her actions and he wouldn't see her plan. She dropped her hand from the top of her head and rested it on her belly like she was trying to catch her breath.

"Tch. I've trained with you for three years, and watched you in the academy classes before that. I know your reflexes and I knew you would duck."

She could see him now, a faint silhouette in a tree directly opposite. "But what if I hadn't?" She knew his calculations had been correct, they always were, but it wouldn't hurt to distract him and maybe he'd get caught up in an explanation of sorts.

He said nothing. She let her hand slide further around her stomach, inching towards her hip. "Well, Shikamaru?" she goaded, waiting for a response. "What if the shuriken had hit me? How would you feel then?" Honestly, I'd have to be a pretty crappy ninja if they did hit me, but ignore my logic, Shikamaru, keep thinking, don't watch my hand.

Had he moved? She could still see his outline on the branch but he may have shifted slightly, she couldn't be sure. In the patchy moonlight it was hard to tell and even as they faced each other the light around them dipped and faded as the moon went behind some clouds.

"Sick." His answer was so quiet she almost missed it, almost lost it to the sighing of branches and the rustle of leaves that constituted forest noises at night.

"You...what?" That hadn't been what she was expecting. He wasn't supposed to take her question seriously; it was just a means to an end.

"I'd feel sick," he repeated. Her hand reached its goal and she pulled a kunai from the pocket on the back of her skirt. Finally! He continued. "I could never forgive myself if I injured one of my teammates, game situation or no."

Her hand stilled. That was one of the indirectly nicest things Shikamaru had said in a very long time. It was a given that he'd feel regretful if he'd hurt either her or Chouji because it was the same for all of them, but to have him actually admit it was almost...sweet. For a moment her anger dissipated and the years flew backwards — it was just them again, the three of them, together as they'd always been. Nothing stood between them and she felt secure in their friendship, happy and complacent with her lot in life. She smiled softly in the darkness. "You mean that, huh?"

He didn't reply. He doesn't need to, she thought grandly, satisfied beyond words with his honest confession.

And then it sunk in. "Oh," she said, the smile slipping from her face. "Your teammates. I guess that would include Temari, too, right?" Her muscles tensed and she sprang off, not giving him the opportunity to reply. The answer to that one was something she didn't need to hear, and she didn't want to, either.

He must have sensed her movement because he jumped immediately after her, a kunai appearing in his own hand. They reached each other and met midair, the sound of their weapons clashing loud in the still forest. She caught a glimpse of his face as he blocked her downwards swipe and saw that he was concentrating, no doubt calculating her next move — her next ten moves — and how to counter them all. It was annoying he could read her so easily and in a fit of childish fury she abandoned any planning and extended her leg, kicking him in the stomach.

It paid off. Whatever he'd been anticipating it hadn't been a crude kick to the guts, and her foot connected solidly. He let out a surprised 'oomph' and barreled backwards, flipping over before he reached the ground and skidding across the soil. He slapped down a hand to stop his movement as she dropped to the ground also, and they shared a moment of evaluation, sizing each other up while they both panted for breath.

Shikamaru straightened. "That was low, Ino." He sounded almost disappointed in her.

"But you didn't expect it," she countered defensively. It had been a low blow, and usually she'd be a bit more considerate. But she didn't want to lose this fight because she had suggested it, and it would be a cold day in Hell before Ino admitted defeat to her. Besides, her best weapon was rendered useless without Shikamaru on her side, and without her trump card, what did she have left?

"Only because I pegged you as a fair fighter." She couldn't see his face but she could imagine the disapproving cast to his features, judging by his voice. Her heart sunk. She couldn't remember the last time he'd looked at her like that. It was all wrong, it wasn't supposed to go like this.

"Well," he continued, "you can't get offended if I do the same, okay?" She had a moment of confusion before the cloud cover dispersed and moonlight returned to the clearing, shading his face and making half of it glow.

She blinked. Shikamaru was closer than she'd thought he'd be, standing only a few paces from where she'd landed. The other half of his face was still in shadow and what she could see gave nothing away.

"I can't get offended if you kick me in the stomach?" she asked, and he hesitated for a moment, before shaking his head.

She understood when her own head did the same.

"You bastard," she breathed. He'd never used the Kagamane no Jutsu on her before. It was a matter of ethics, for the same reason she never took over her teammates' minds and made them do ridiculous things, and also why Chouji took care never to roll over them and squash them into the dirt. Some things just weren't done, and it had remained an unspoken agreement between them since they'd formed the team all those years ago. Now their trust had been broken and she felt betrayed that he would even think to do such a thing.

He shifted uncomfortably and had the grace to look embarrassed. Goosebumps prickled her flesh as her tense muscles moved also, and she finally understood the horrified looks most of their enemies wore when they discovered they were under Shikamaru's control. There was something intensely personal and terrifying about not being in charge of your own body, and she could feel her heart beating erratically, frantic at this unfamiliar intrusion.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away. By default, Ino did too. "I'm only doing this so we can get this over quickly."

"What?!" She was incensed. "Geez, Shikamaru, your laziness has reached new levels. If you remember, this is an exercise to help us improve as a team. It's good that you're a genius and all but some of us could do with a bit of practice, you know?"

He opened his mouth to reply but a shaking of the ground drew his attention and he moved in the direction it was coming from, Ino's feet shuffling awkwardly as well. She wached the leaves on a nearby tree rattle and break off, drifting from the branches before coming to rest on the forest floor. I wonder what that could be?

"Dammit!" Hastily Shikamaru broke their connection and she wobbled for a second as feeling returned to her body. Her limbs felt oddly weightless but her head was as heavy as lead and it was going to take a bit of reacquainting to sort her muscles out. She rotated her neck and hoped the pins and needles would subside soon because they were really quite inconvenient in the middle of a fight like this.

"Ino, get out of the way!"

She looked at him uncomprehendingly. "Huh?"

He hissed in anger, then raced across the clearing and grabbed her arm, slinging it over his shoulder. Pulling her close he tensed and jumped, flying upwards and setting them safely on a sturdy tree branch looking down on where they'd been standing. From this perspective she could see what seemed to be a giant ball of dirt and leaves coming towards them, ripping through the forest and leaving shredded undergrowth in its path. Ino stared at it for a second before letting a grin take over her face. "Is that -"

Hoo boy, it was.

Chouji came rolling into the clearing, his limbs all but swallowed up in the great flesh ball of his signature technique. Their tree shuddered beneath them but she hardly noticed, too impressed by her partner's progress. She hadn't seen him attack with the Nikudan Sensha for some time and it seemed he could get even bigger now, while still retaining control over his spread and direction.

"Yeah, Chouji!" She couldn't help but cheer. Good for him! He must have been practicing a lot in his spare time because the improvement was noticeable, and her grin disappeared when she realised she hadn't been working as hard as she could have been. She had always taken solace in the fact she and Chouji were at a similar level skills-wise, but as she watched his spinning form tear the bark from trees she wondered if they could even be compared any more.

"He's pretty good," Shikamaru commented, looking down at Chouji's wild rotation.

She nodded and was about to reply when the back of her neck tingled and a voice came from behind her.

"I assume this means you've captured her?" Temari sounded less than amused and once Ino got over the shock of her sudden appearance it still took her a moment to figure out what the other girl meant. Shikamaru understood a beat before she did and hurriedly removed her arm from his shoulder, dropping his own hand from her waist as if burnt. She hadn't even known he was supporting her but without him there to lean on she tilted and nearly fell from the tree. Steadying herself, she glanced irritably at Temari.

The older girl looked like Chouji had made her work. She was flushed from exertion and one of her ponytails had come loose, hair spilling down over her shoulder. Even knowing she most likely looked the same, Ino couldn't help but feel a flash of malicious glee at seeing Temari unnerved. She was usually so cocky, so sure of herself and now Chouji had given her the runaround and it was beautiful to see. She made a mental note to treat him to a meal of his choosing next week. He'd definitely earned it.

"I assume this means you've captured him?" Shikamaru echoed her words and indicated Chouji's spinning bulk circling the tree below them. Temari's forehead creased and she bit her lip.

"Why don't we swap for the time being?" she suggested, and Ino detected a hint of coyness in the girl's tone.

Shikamaru continued to watch his whirling teammate. "That would be...troublesome," he said.

"That's too bad. I can't seem to beat him with my Kamaitachi no Jutsu because the force of the wind is countered by his rotating body. All I can do is run away, and we're the pursuers, if you recall, so that's not going to win us the game. You know his weaknesses so I'm leaving Chouji to you, and I'll take out Ino here."

She smiled cunningly and Ino was offended Temari considered her so useless she'd discuss battle tactics in front of her. "Awfully cocky, aren't you?" she asked, clenching her fists.

"Ino." She stared fiercely at the Sand nin, then tore her gaze from the girl's confident smile and turned to Shikamaru, who was still watching Chouji. Below them the boy seemed to be running out of energy - that, or he'd finally realised no one was on the ground any more. Either way, his revolutions were slowing and she guessed he'd stop fairly soon. "Can you move now?"

So he had noticed. She had wondered why he'd gone out of his way to pick her up and take her out of Chouji's path.

She laughed derisively. "Sure can. Enough to take out Temari here, anyway."

Shikamaru nodded, and if the other girl was affected by her scorn she didn't show it, instead rising from her crouch and unstrapping the fan from her back.

"Won't this be fun," she breathed, thumping the weapon down onto the branch.

Ino smiled and cracked her knuckles. "Yes, it will."

----

By an unspoken agreement they removed themselves from the clearing, moving to another one in which to have their showdown. Ino's skin prickled and she wasn't sure if was from anticipation or a delayed reaction from the jutsu before. Regardless, she was tingling and ready, almost excited to be facing Temari like this.

The other girl moved opposite, leaning lazily on the big fan with one arm. "How are you going to do this?" she asked, and for once she appeared genuinely interested. "I've seen your Transfer technique and it's pretty good, but your body just flops over, doesn't it? What if you miss?"

Ino drew herself up to her full height. "The aim is to not miss," she replied scornfully. "And yes, my body "flops over" because my spirit is no longer in it to keep it upright and aware. The Shintenshin no Jutsu is best used for information gathering in a team situation where someone can watch over my body until I return."

Temari looked quizzical. "That's a bit of a selfish jutsu then, isn't it? Making someone hang around doing nothing, just watching your unconscious form?"

Ino scowled. "That's why I'm on a team with Shikamaru. His dad looked after my father's body, and now he does it for me. And it's no more selfish than your technique, is it? Flapping that great fan around, blowing air everywhere and disrupting everything around you. I bet that wind thing goes down real well at home, surrounded by sand."

The girl grimaced and picked up her weapon, flicking it open in a practised gesture to reveal one violet dot. "Let's get this over with," she said.

Crouching, Ino looked at the fan. "Just one dot? I'm insulted."

Temari laughed. "Deal with it, chuunin. That's all I'm going to need."

"We'll see about that."

Ino ran. Her sandals slapped across the bare earth and she jumped up, aiming down and kicking at the girl from above. Temari stepped under her leg and spun, looking bored, bringing her fan around to tap Ino as she passed. She saw it coming and changed directions, managing to get one foot on the frame of the weapon and using it to flip herself backwards, landing a few paces away.

She straightened as Temari swung the fan back the other way, changing her grip so it pushed against the air vertically, instead of slicing across horizontally as she had held it before.

It made a rather big difference.

The force of the swing reached Ino before she'd had a chance to steady herself, and the wind knocked her already unbalanced body back into the surrounding trees. She flew backwards a fair distance, stopped eventually by the uncompromising trunk of a hardy oak, flinching at the impact. She got up slowly and drew the back of her hand across her mouth, unsurprised to see it come away streaked with red. Geez, Ino, get moving, don't allow yourself to be the victim here. This wouldn't do at all.

She set off again, pulling a kunai from her hidden thigh holster, tucked under her bandages. Temari watched her approach and remained standing casually, not even giving her the courtesy of going into a combat stance.

If anything pissed Ino off about this fight, it was that she wasn't even considered a serious opponent. She reached Temari for the second time and swept her foot around in a low kick, trying to knock the girl's legs out from underneath her. The Sand nin jumped easily and snapped the fan shut, slicing down as if it were a large and unwieldy sword. Ino rolled sideways and flipped upright, retaliating by thrusting out with the kunai. Temari blocked with the fan again and they both jumped backwards, neither one the victor yet.

"So you're all talk," the girl commented. Ino hissed and charged. Her kunai was deflected once more by the fan and she only just avoided another rush of cutting wind by slamming her hand onto the ground in an impromptu handspring, vaulting over Temari and landing behind her. The older girl turned, cutting a swathe in the dirt, and Ino jumped away, seeking safety behind a tree.

She was breathing heavily now. Dammit. At this rate she wouldn't be able to get close enough to injure Temari and all that her abortive attempts had managed to do thus far was tire her out. With the fan, the girl was nigh unbeatable, and Ino couldn't get near her because of it. Taijutsu wasn't going to be enough in this situation but she wasn't sure what else to do. C'mon, think! She was usually able to skip the planning side of things because she had the genius of Konoha on her team. It was strange thinking up attack and defence for herself, and she made a mental note to listen to Shikamaru next time he explained his logic, instead of tuning out like she usually did. Her inattention had come back to laugh at her, but she wasn't in a joking mood. Continuing to analyse her predicament, she figured there was only one thing she could do.

If she could use the Shinranshin no Jutsu, if she could manage to enter Temari's mind and get her to put down the fan she'd finally have an opportunity to fight her without the girl having the advantage. They'd be on equal footing and she'd have a better chance at winning. If she could figure out some way of incapacitating her it would make it a bit easier, too.

There was no guarantee it would work. She'd performed the technique correctly in the past but her control was imperfect, making it a bit hit and miss. Whether or not she could succeed here was uncertain, but the least she could do was try.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, channelling her chakra and preparing her reserves. The jutsu was a delicate one, requiring concentration and precision. She only had one shot at this, because if it didn't work she'd be vulnerable, her mind trapped in limbo for thirty seconds at the very least. She'd reduced the recovery time needed - she had to, after all those failed attempts - but it still took too long. If she lucked out here, she'd throw away any shot at victory. It was a gamble. It was all or nothing.

It was time.

She spun around the tree trunk and opened her eyes, fixing Temari in her sights. Her fingers flew and she felt her chakra connect, the reservoir open, ready to be drained and manipulated to her will. "Shinranshin no Jutsu!" she cried, feeling her mind lift out and pass through time and space, seeking Temari. A look of surprise crossed the girl's face and Ino almost laughed, she was nearly there, she'd done it, the Sand nin was going down—

And then Temari's bunshin disappeared in a puff of smoke. With nothing to latch on to, Ino's mind kept going and flew out of the clearing, veering out past the trees and away from her body. It would travel until it reached the extent of her limit and then fade back, but until then she was pretty much screwed. She gritted her teeth — the extent of the control she had over her body now — and waited for her spirit to return, locked in place, defenceless. She couldn't move but her senses were functioning, and she felt it when Temari dropped down behind her, moving her unresisting arms into her lap to fasten her hands together with wire. The Sand nin walked around and stood in front of her, shoving the fan into the dirt between them, then crossed her arms, sneering down at where Ino lay.

"Looks like you failed," she commented. "In the jutsu and the activity."

Her mind soaked back into her body and Ino stretched, rolling her tense shoulders as much as her bindings would allow. She scowled, unable to deny the other girl's words.

"You disappoint me, you know? Shikamaru always says you're so strong, so capable, but all you managed to do tonight was waste my time."

She was surprised, the slur ignored as she focused on the part about her teammate. "He says that?"

Temari frowned. "Never mind. Now, do you admit you've been outclassed here? You like to win but you've lost convincingly. Guess you're just not at my level after all."

Ino sputtered. "Your level? What, just because you're a jounin, you think you're so superior? It's just a rank and it has to be easy enough to get, since you're one, and all. You may have beaten me tonight but that still doesn't mean you're better than me." She really hated losing. It made her mouth run away on her - not that she'd ever been able to hold her tongue in the first place - but more often than not she said things without thinking and regretted them later.

Temari stared at her for a moment before her lips twisted up into a cunning smile.

"You think that, do you?" she asked. "That it's so easy to become a jounin?"

"Of course," Ino scoffed. "If you're one already, anyone can do it."

"Including you?"

"Especially me."

Her smile widened. "I'm glad you said that, because it just so happens that today I overheard something that might interest you. Turns out the next exam for jounin status will be held in Suna in three months' time. Care to make a wager on you attaining the rank then?"

Ino gaped. She hadn't actually meant what she was saying, it was all just an angry reaction and she'd hoped to piss the other girl off. "Uh, depends," she mumbled, clinging to the remnants of her false bravado. Her words had come full circle and she'd be forced to eat them if she didn't accept this bet. Unless...

Her eyes narrowed . There was still a way out of this. If the conditions weren't to her favour she could claim it wasn't worth the bother. "What are the terms?" she asked, feigning disinterest. She doubted there was anything the other girl could offer her that she really wanted. Ino didn't have much money, anyway — C-rank missions didn't pay that well — so she couldn't bet hard cash. From what she could see there was nothing in it for her, so the real question was what Temari wanted from her.

The girl picked at a fingernail. "I know you don't like me spending time with Shikamaru."

Ino winced. She'd been that obvious? Her parents always called her a drama queen, but maybe her acting skills could use a bit of polish. "What about it?"

"Your irritation annoys me. Shikamaru is often uncomfortable around me because he can sense your dislike."

Good! From now on she'd work harder and make Shikamaru more uncomfortable. He deserved it for using the Shadow Bind on her, for one thing, and it wouldn't hurt to further put a spanner in his annoying friendship with the stupid girl.

Temari was still going. "Why don't we leave it at this: I am so certain you will fail the jounin exam that if you take it in three months' time and manage to pass, I'll move back to Sand and stop following him around."

Well, at least she has the grace to admit she's nothing but a hanger-on.

"And if I don't pass?" Ino asked, intrigued already by thoughts of a Temari-free life. To get rid of her would be worth almost any amount of effort, and maybe she'd underestimated the jounin thing, anyway.

The nin stopped looking at her nails and stared her in the eyes. "If you don't pass, you will admit your failure publicly, to my satisfaction, and then take up the position of liaison to the Hidden village of Sand in my village for a minimum term of say...another three months."

"What?!" Ino could hardly believe her ears. She'd been to Sand on a couple of missions, and not once had she considered settling down there. She liked flowers, and greenery, and traces of life. Sand was pretty much bereft of all three, and if she lost she'd be forced to go and live in that dirty, gritty hellhole for three months? "That's hardly a fair trade."

Temari shrugged. "I think it's more than fair. If you win, I leave forever, but if I win, you only have to go away for three months."

Well, when she put it like that...

"But Tsunade-sama wouldn't let me leave anyway, not without a good reason."

The girl laughed. "You seem to forget I have connections to the Kazekage, who I'm certain could convince your Hokage of the benefits of such a trade." Ahh, that's right. The Kazekage. He was only her brother.

And now she was torn. So many things to consider, all hinging on a decision she needed to make right now. On one hand she was vehemently opposed to having to leave, if only for a season. Where would she stay, what would be required of her in such a role? But then, on the other hand...if she won, not only would she be a jounin, the highest general ranking a ninja could achieve, but she also would have saved one of her best friends from the clutches of the poisonous sand-weasel. It was an attractive proposition and she had to admit a grudging respect for Temari to have lured her in with a suggestion like this.

So the question was, could she do it?

Temari watched her consider the options. "I guess if you're taking this long to decide you really are worried about passing the exam."

"I'm not worried at all," Ino replied heatedly, the taunt making her mind up. "I can pass the test easily, and when I do you'll be sent back to Sand so fast all we'll see is a sandcloud on the wind."

The girl's smile widened and Ino felt suddenly overwhelmed, regretting her brash words almost instantly. Uh oh.

"Let's shake on it, shall we?" Temari uncrossed her arms and knelt before Ino, extending a hand. "The bet is for you to reach jounin status in the next exams. If you pass, I'll go back to Sand and won't bother you or Shikamaru ever again — barring of course, official business and the like, but if you fail you will go to Sand and stay there for a minimum of three months, without returning to Konoha in that time."

Ino stared at the girl's hand. "What's so important about this three months, anyway?"

She frowned. "That's irrelevant. Do you accept the terms of the wager?"

Slowly, Ino raised her bound arms and reached out for Temari's hand, clasping the girl's palm in her own. The Sand nin's hand was rough and calloused, and a sudden fear gnawed at Ino's belly. This was the hand of a jounin, an elite shinobi, and her own hand felt suddenly weak and soft, inferior to the other girl's. The chasm between them was evident in that moment, and it was up to Ino now to decrease that distance. "I accept," she rasped, her throat strangely dry.

Triumph flitted across Temari's face again, and Ino's regrets increased tenfold. She felt like events were spiralling out of her control, like she'd just entered into a deal with an oni.

A jounin, in three months? Who was she kidding? What was she thinking? And worse, yet...what had she done?




I really hope I've improved. ;_______________;