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

[GRAVEYARD] Caught Up 3/5, 4/5 - Naruto - Shikamaru/Ino
Title: Caught Up
Series: Naruto
Length: 4731 words, chapter three 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 two
Yellow Zinnia - daily remembrance

----

Ino was still wondering the next day, while helping out at the shop, why she'd accepted Temari's ridiculous proposal. She wanted to go back in time and hold her stupid mouth shut to stop herself from agreeing to something she honestly had no chance of completing successfully. She still couldn't do the Shinranshin no Jutsu every time and there was no way she'd be able to make jounin without it or some other awesome trick.

Idiot! If there weren't customers in the shop she'd smack herself on the head, but there were a couple of regulars browsing through the flowers and she didn't want them to go somewhere else just because they had to witness the poor Yamanaka girl go insane. Her mother would never forgive her, for starters. And while her mother had never been as...dominant...as Shikamaru's mum, her bite was just as good as her bark.

And worst of all, if she did go mad, she wouldn't be able to tell the medic-nins why. Temari had added a little clause to their arrangement last night just as Shikamaru appeared with a placid and apologetic Chouji at his side.

"Let's keep this between ourselves, shall we?" the Sand nin had said quietly, bending down on the pretext of undoing the bindings around Ino's wrists.

That suited Ino just fine, but she couldn't guess the other girl's agenda. "Why?" she asked curiously, but Temari only shook her head.

"It's not important, but if you agree, it must be kept a secret. It will now be another condition of the bet and failure to comply will constitute a forfeit; the one who blabs will be the loser. Sound fair?"

The boys reached them and Ino nodded stiffly, unwilling to even look at Shikamaru. In a lapse of sanity, she'd entered into this for his sake, and she could only hope she'd be able to follow it through.

"Miss?" A polite voice broke into her reverie and she blinked, surprised to see someone right in front of her. It was a girl — well, young woman, she'd have to be mid-twenties at least — whom she recognised by sight but didn't know by name. Her long indigo hair was very striking, but Ino remembered her because she bought a single yellow zinnia every day without fail. If she was mourning, and her unusual choice of flower seemed to indicate that she was, then she was very constant with her attentions.

"A-Ah," Ino replied, straightening from where she'd been leaning on the counter. "How can I help you today?"

It was a moot question and they both knew it. The long-haired woman would ask for a yellow zinnia and Ino would sell it to her. They'd been doing this dance for how long now? Her forehead wrinkled in thought and she was surprised to be able to pin something else on that fateful chuunin exam, because if she wasn't mistaken, the woman had been coming in since then. Funny that so much had hinged on the first chuunin exam. So much of her life had changed then. She'd attained her chuunin rank last year and could barely remember the trials she'd faced then. The first one...it had been eventful, to say the least.

Had the sad-faced woman's special someone been lost during that battle against the Sound? Many lives had been taken that day so she really shouldn't have been surprised, but it was extraordinary to have someone in every day without fail for over three years. It was beautiful to see such dedication, and a bit heart-wrenching as well.

"I'd like a yellow zinnia," the lady said politely, and Ino reached behind her to a small tub on the shelf. The flower was cut and ready, waiting in a container of water for its owner to come. She plucked it out and let it drain, watching the water drip back into the tub. When she deemed it dry enough, she rolled it deftly in tissue paper before repeating the process with plastic and tying it neatly with twine.

The woman had the correct money ready and they exchanged items, Ino accepting the coins as she gave up the bloom. "Thank you," they said over the top of one another, and Ino laughed as the woman gave a small smile, the first time she'd done so that Ino could remember. It transformed her face and it finally hit home that Ino had only ever seen her with a sad look upon it.

Still with that soft smile, the woman inclined her head and went to leave, and something prompted Ino to call out "Wait!" just before the customer reached the door. Impulsively, she ran out from behind the counter and grabbed the woman's arm, pressing the money back into her hand. Ignoring her surprised look, Ino glanced away.

"It's my offering to that person," she mumbled awkwardly, inclining her head at the flower, not really understanding her action herself. "No one should have to mourn alone."

They shared a moment of silence before the woman squeezed her hand in a wordless gesture of thanks, and then she opened the door, bell tinkling as she left the store. Ino watched her through the window as she walked serenely down the street with her shoulders bowed, and thought she'd been very selfish, concerning herself only with petty things like Shikamaru's choice in friends. She was locked into her stupid bet, thanks to Temari's cleverness and her own idiotic pride, but there were people out there with far worse things on their mind, and this interlude had both calmed and shamed her.

Did she care about anyone enough to buy a flower for them every day, to observe their departure in solitude and wish them back into the world? Or maybe that wasn't the question at all. Maybe the question was, would anyone care that much about her? Surely not the current her. The current Ino was so weak that she was getting taken advantage of by manipulative sand-weasels, and she needed to improve herself quick smart if she wanted someone to care.

She returned to the counter and served the other two ladies distractedly, still puzzling over strategies and how to get stronger. She learned something new about herself every day, and yesterday she'd come to understand she was far weaker than she had always thought.

----

The day passed without her noticing and she tuned back in halfway through dinner, to find her mother bemoaning a familiar topic — Ino's lack of motivation. At least there would be one person happy with her acceptance of the bet...or would be happy, if Ino was allowed to tell her.

"When I was your age—" her mother started, and Ino cut her off around a mouthful of broccoli. She knew this one by rote.

"When you were my age you'd reached chuunin and started dating the man you would marry. I know. It was a different world back then, Mama."

"No, it wasn't," her father said unexpectedly. Ino turned to him in some surprise and found he looked serious for once, and unhappy.

"What do you mean?" Dad imparting wisdom at the dinner table? Would wonders never cease!

He put down his chopsticks and sat back, lacing his hands together. "We were in the buildup to a period of dangerous living. Missions came hard and fast, uncertainty was rife and you never knew which trip out of Konoha would be your last. We're not quite at that point yet, but as Orochimaru gets more powerful and this Akatsuki group comes further into play...it looks like it's going to turn out like before."

She could only stare at him in horror as the weight of his words hit home. Her father was predicting dark times ahead? What were they doing sitting here, then? Why weren't they all out on missions, gathering information they could use against their enemies? Why weren't—

"Ino." Her father reached out and put his hand over hers; she looked down at it, turning her own palm over to clasp it back. His hands were calloused, and she pushed down the unwelcome reminder of Temari and her jounin status, equal to her dad's. "Don't worry. The days are coming, but they're not here yet. Enjoy your youth as much as you're able, because it only comes once."

"Not to mention," her mother chimed in, getting up to clear the table, "we sorted things out last time. The cost was great, but we triumphed, and emerged as a stronger village, more unified and proud. We've done it once, Ino, and we can do it again."

Giving her hand one last squeeze, her father let go and stood up also, pushing back his chair with easy grace. "I'm going over to visit Shikaku," he announced, picking up the last of the plates and taking them into the kitchen. Ino stayed at the table, still processing things, but glanced up as her father stuck his head around the doorway and gave her a quizzical look. "You don't want to come and see Shikamaru?" he asked.

She remembered the details of the stupid bet and flushed somewhat, covering it as convincingly as possible by bringing a hand to her face and feigning a yawn.

"Not tonight, Papa," she replied, grabbing her glass and joining her parents in the kitchen, pouring herself some water. She took a sip to calm her jangled nerves and gave him a bright smile. "I see him nearly every day, why would I want to talk to that lazy oaf tonight?"

Her father frowned. "Didn't you hear? They announced the jounin exams today, and from what I gathered from Shikaku, Shikamaru will be taking the test."

All the moisture ran away from Ino's mouth and she took a big swig of water to soothe her suddenly dry throat. "He's taking the test?" she echoed, and her father nodded, cheerfully oblivious to his daughter's less than enthusiastic response.

"Yes, and I have to say, it's about time. That boy made chuunin so easily I was surprised he didn't go for jounin immediately. He's had three opportunities already."

She started. Three, already? The jounin exams were held annually, unlike the ones for chuunin level, and she couldn't remember having gone to any in the past. They'd been held in the meantime, of course — Temari was one, as she liked to remind Ino, as was her brother Kankuro and the Hyuuga boy...Neji. Shikamaru had been better than all of them, back at the first chuunin exam, so why had he never tried to reach that next level?

She set down her glass and nodded at her father. "Give me a second, Dad, and I'll get my coat."

He was unruffled as always, accepting her decision without flicking an eyelid. "Change your mind?"

"Yeah," she called over her shoulder, going into the living room to grab her coat. She had to go. She needed to. Shikamaru had some explaining to do.

----

"Well, come in then," Shikamaru's mother ordered them as she opened the door. She smiled warmly at them both after they hung up their coats, and Ino smiled tentatively back, having witnessed the woman's mood changes in the past. She'd decided years ago never to anger the matriarch of the Nara clan. How had Shikamaru turned out so lazy, with a woman like Yoshino as his mother?

"Inoichi." Shikamaru's father ambled into the room and inclined his head; her father returned the gesture, before glancing surreptitiously around to make sure the lady of the house wasn't looking. Satisfied she was distracted, Inoichi pointed at the paper bag Ino noticed he'd been carrying on the way over, and gave it a little shake. The sloshing noise of liquid against glass brought a slight smile to Shikaku's face, and he jerked his head towards the back porch before moving across the room. Patting her on the back, her father followed him out the back door, and Ino was left in the lounge room, unsure of what to do.

"Shikamaru's in his room," his mother said, bustling back in from the kitchen and pausing to wrestle with the tie that held her hair in place. "Did you want me to call him down for you?"

"Ah, no. That's okay," Ino was quick to object; the woman had quite a formidable voice and she doubted Shikamaru would appreciate the verbal lashing.

"Well, you go and — oh!" Yoshino sighed as the tie snapped and her hair tumbled down, falling over her shoulders and across her face. "Now what did I do with the other one?" She pushed her hair back and hunted briefly around the room, but nothing appeared to catch her eye and she dropped her hands, resigned.

Impulsively Ino undid the band holding her own hair and reached out, offering it to the other woman. "Um, if you don't mind?" she said hesitantly.

The older woman looked surprised. "Why, thank you, Ino-chan. Are you sure you don't need it?"

Ino shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm only seeing Shikamaru so there's no need to look my best, right?"

It was a lame joke but one she thought his mother would share in, so Ino was a bit confused when a strange look came over the other woman's face.

"I see," she said, taking the band. "You go up and talk to him, now, and thanks again, Ino-chan." She moved off in the direction of the kitchen, but not before Ino caught the thoughtful cast to her features.

Still uncertain, and almost wishing she hadn't come over, Ino ascended the stairs to the second floor of the house.

----

Her feet tracked the path to his room automatically, and she suddenly remembered Sakura expressing jealousy at the close ties between Team Ten.

"You guys are such good friends," Sakura had said, a trifle wistfully. "Always hanging out and doing things together."

"You mean sitting around while Shikamaru and Chouji play board games together," Ino corrected waspishly.

Sakura shrugged, a faraway look in her eyes. "I wouldn't mind," she confessed softly. "I'd be happy to watch Naruto and Sasuke-kun play, as long as they played nice."

At the time she'd thought nothing of it, but now that she could reflect she figured she was pretty lucky with the team allocations. A new generation of Ino-Shika-Chou had been created, and their parents had been so happy. Chouji had been ecstatic since he was going to be with his best friend, and Shikamaru seemed fairly indifferent, but she could tell he was content. The only one who ever complained, Ino realised, was her.

Stupid Temari, she thought angrily. Stupid bet making me have stupid moral epiphanies.

She reached his door and knocked. Usually she didn't bother but something made her do it tonight, whether it had been the unidentifiable look on his mother's face, or the clenching in her gut when Temari had included him in their little wager...and then her surprise acceptance of the bet and the terms. She still didn't know why she'd allowed herself be bullied in to taking part in the bet. Was Shikamaru really worth it? What would she get out of winning, aside from his undivided attention?

There was a pause and then an audible sigh. "Yes?" he said, and she banished the unsettling thoughts from her mind before making her way in.

He was exercising, which almost floored her. She knew he had to — all shinobi needed to keep in shape — but he was so lethargic and unmotivated it had always been difficult to imagine him doing so. Yet here he was, toes and palms on the ground, body stretched taut in what appeared to be mid-pushup.

"Wow," she said without thinking. "Will wonders never cease?"

He scowled up at her and resumed training. "Did you come over just to annoy me, Ino?"

"Yes," she said, walking over to his bed and flopping down onto it. She rubbed her nose into his pillow then rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. Neither of them spoke for a moment, the comfortable silence punctuated only by the rhythmic expelling of Shikamaru's breath.

Unfortunately, she'd never been one for silences, comfortable or otherwise, and eventually she had to speak. Lead into it, she told herself. Be casual and not too obvious.

"So," she said, "I heard you're going to try for jounin."

Dammit!

He was on his way down, and seemed to give up halfway through, falling to the floor and landing on his stomach. "Who told you that?" he asked, and the drop must have winded him, because his voice was uncharacteristically harsh.

"Dad did," she replied, propping herself onto her elbows and giving him a quizzical look. "Was he wrong?"

Her hair slipped through her fingers and pooled onto the pillow, strands falling over her eyes and obscuring her view for a moment. She made an irritated sound and pushed it back angrily, and when she looked back at Shikamaru he was sitting up and staring at her, his jaw tense and dark eyes seemingly weighted with something she didn't understand.

"I'm not sure myself," he said, glancing away. "I'm not entirely certain I'll go for it and I don't like being kept to promises I didn't even make."

She nodded. As usual he made a good point.

"Will it..." she hesitated, then tried again. "Do you think it will be hard, the exam?"

He rose off his stomach and leaned against the wall, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his thighs. "Yes," he said finally, and her heart sank at his honest reply. No! Tell me what I want to hear!

"How hard?"

His eyes sharpened and he gave her an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you're thinking of trying for jounin, Ino?"

"Hah!" she countered, flustered as always by his insight. "As if I'd want to waste my time on something like that. I'd prefer not to get all those dangerous missions. I value my life, you know."

She laughed weakly but he seemed unconvinced. "It's not like the chuunin exam," he continued, still pinning her with that look. "It's a solo thing. You won't have any help from your team."

"Gee, thanks," she returned, insulted. "I'm glad you think I'm so weak I'd need my team to support me all the way through."

He sighed and scratched his head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. You just wouldn't be able to do this relying on your Shintenshin. To make the grade you'd need to master the Shinranshin or at the very least develop your other ninjutsu. You're a good kunoichi, Ino, but if you applied yourself, you could be a great one."

Shikamaru was one of the few people she could take criticism from, and though his words were almost hurtful, they only served to reinforce things she'd already thought about herself. She had average skills in most areas...and that was it. Her only specialisation was the Shintenshin, and she still didn't have much accuracy with the more advanced version. He was right, she either had to get the Shinranshin down pat and hope her mediocre skills would pull her through; or she needed to forget the hiden all together and improve her general talents. To do either option would require help, and that there was a big problem.

She needed to get someone to train her without revealing her motivation. As Temari had stipulated, to tell someone about the bet was to forfeit immediately, and if she was going to lose this thing, she was going to lose it her own way, and give it everything she had before she did.

"Are you going to get someone to train you?" she asked, tracing a pattern on the comforter.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't know who to ask. I guess Dad will help me out but I'm not sure what he can teach me."

Ino read between the lines easily and her despair increased. Shikaku couldn't teach anything further to Shikamaru because Shikamaru had already surpassed his father. Where was she in comparison to her own dad? He was certainly in no danger of being outclassed by her anytime soon.

"Ah," she replied. "You wouldn't see if Asuma-sensei could spend some time with you?"

He rolled his shoulders and she could hear them pop from across the room. "I don't know if I'm even doing it, Ino. I'll worry about training and such when I've made up my mind."

He sounded slightly irritated and Ino looked away, flopping back onto the pillow. She brought one arm up and lay it across her eyes, and only when she couldn't see the light or his face did she allow herself to be honest and speak as she would have had there never been any stupid bet.

"I think you should go for it," she said softly. "The village recognised you as the most deserving ninja for promotion years ago, and I think you're ready to take that next step. You're one of the best and smartest shinobi Konoha has ever seen and it would be a waste of your talent to just do nothing when you could be serving in a greater capacity."

He said nothing for a long moment but the silence was a thoughtful one and she knew he was just processing.

"One of the best, eh?" he said eventually, and there was a slight smile in his tone.

She grinned up at the ceiling, arm still over her eyes. "Don't get a big head about it, but yeah."

"As good as Neji?"

She snorted. "Please, you're way better than he is. What's that soft fist thing all about, anyway? I reckon he just intimidates them into bleeding."

He laughed. "As good as Kankuro?"

"Far superior," she joked back, getting into the swing of things. "You know he does nothing, right? Those puppets do all the work and he just stands there, playing with the strings."

"As good as..." he hesitated. "Sasuke?"

The silence was immediate and this time seemed tense. The playful mood had vanished instantly, and as the quiet stretched out between them she realised he'd sounded serious, as if it meant something to him to be thought as better than Sasuke.

Sasuke. She hadn't thought of him in a very long time. She'd had a crush on him for years but for the duration of a day she had come close to hating him, and even when that period was over she'd never been able to resurrect that childish love. There was no room in her heart for someone who would betray everything and everyone he was supposed to hold dear; the person deserving of her love would have to be loyal.

Besides, Ino hated to lose, and she was honest enough to admit that even if she could overlook Sasuke's turn to the darkness, Sakura was the only girl he'd ever let close.

She let the hand slip from her face and opened her eyes, sitting up again and looking down at Shikamaru. He returned her gaze with an intense one of his own and she wondered distantly why sometimes his eyes looked black and at other times like now they mellowed to a deep, rich, chocolate. And then she wondered why she was wondering that because she really liked chocolate and there was no need to liken Shikamaru's eyes of all things to such a delicious, sinful treat...

"You —" she started, only to be interrupted as the door was flung open and her father strode in, bringing the scent of sake in with him.

"Ino!" he cried, swaggering over to the bed and plonking down next to her, his cheeks flushed pink from the alcohol. "We better go home before your mother comes looking."

Shikamaru was still staring at her, and she was surprised Inoichi's entrance hadn't managed to divert his attention. Now that he was here she welcomed her father's appearance, and his slightly tipsy buoyancy lifted the heavy tension that had settled between them in the space of a weighted response.

"Ah, Shikamaru," Inoichi said, smiling down at the boy. "Do us proud in the jounin exams, okay? Ino will be there, cheering you on, won't you, Ino?" He turned his winning smile on her and she felt suddenly insulted. Maybe this bet had been a good idea after all, if no one, not even her closest friends and family members, believed for a moment that she might want to test her abilities as well.

"Sure," she said frostily, getting to her feet. "I'll be there, definitely."

Then she strode out of the room, her shoulders set, determined to start training her butt off first thing tomorrow morning. She was sick of being underestimated, and there was no greater incentive to Ino than the desire to prove other people wrong.

----

She didn't train the next morning.

She slept late and her mother shook her awake just before lunchtime, mild disapproval evident on her face. "Chouji came by for you," she said, bustling around Ino's room. "He's been called away on a mission and passed by to say goodbye, but you were dead to the world."

Ino groaned. She'd been awake half the night, unable to sleep, as every time she closed her eyes horrific visions of her bloodied self flashed before her. And yet those thoughts were preferable to the other ones that haunted her, which involved an absent Shikamaru and a fierce Temari who laughed maniacally and fanned her into the distance, where she was all alone and weak, and there was no chocolate but she hadn't eaten it for months now and why was she thinking about chocolate anyway?

She clapped her hands over her ears. Ugh, she could still hear that damn laughter if she thought about it.

Her mother frowned. "Is everything all right, dear?"

Relax, Ino told herself. It was just a dream. She lowered her hands and gave a quick smile. "Yeah, Mama, I'm fine."

"Good." Her mother nodded. "I want to duck out for a few things so I'll need you to man the shop. Kikyou-san has an arrangement out the back, and Yuugao-san's flower is waiting as usual behind the counter."

Ino threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge, brow wrinkled in thought. "Yuugao-san?"

Her mother looked surprised. "The kunoichi who comes in every day for a yellow zinnia. You didn't know?"

"Not her name," Ino mumbled. She thought of the sad-eyed woman and then her mother's words sunk in. "She's a kunoichi?"

"Mmm," the other woman replied, giving the dirty clothes on the floor a distasteful look. "ANBU, if I remember correctly. It was such a shame about her partner."

"Partner?" Ino echoed, sensing an answer to her idle question from before.

"Her lover," her mother clarified. "She was engaged to the man who oversaw your first chuunin exam, Gekkou Hayate, I believe it was. He was killed in the battle against the Sound, and she's been mourning ever since."

Ino's breath caught in her throat. How tragic. She remembered the examiner, a polite man with a soft voice and a hacking cough. He'd seemed a fair man, and hadn't deserved to die. She realised with a pang of self-loathing she'd never wondered why they changed examiners later on — it had just happened and she'd thought nothing of it, caring only for her friends and their victory.

She got to her feet and made her way to the bathroom, showering thoughtfully before heading downstairs. She put on an apron and moved to her usual spot behind the counter and leaned on the bench, noting the bright flower still in its bucket on the shelf behind her. Good. Yuugao hadn't been in yet.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the door bell tinkled, and the woman herself walked in, nodding at Ino as she reached the counter.

"I'd like a —" she started, but Ino interrupted, having been struck by an idea and immediately convinced it was a good one.

"Yuugao-san," she said, and the woman started at being addressed as such for the first time. "Yuugao-san, I'd like to improve my ninja skills, but I need someone to help me. Will you please train me, and make me strong?"



and in an attempt to save your f-list, here's the next part!



Chapter three
Bluebell – humility

----

The silence was immediate and lingered uncomfortably between them for some time. Ino felt her face heat after a minute and regretted her hasty words. What had she been thinking? Oh, that's right. She hadn't been thinking. She couldn't have been thinking, to blurt out something stupid like that. The poor woman had just come in for her flower and Ino had all but pounced on her, yelling out her ridiculous request without even letting her—

"It's Ino-san, isn't it?" Yuugao's voice was soft.

"Ah, yes. Ino. I'm Ino. And I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking and I do that all the time and—"

"Why do you think I could make you — or anyone, for that matter — strong?" The woman's face held confusion and, if Ino squinted, a trace of wistfulness as well.

"You're ANBU, right?" This was going to be really bad if Ino's mother had gotten her facts wrong. She was usually spot on, though. The shop attracted more civilian customers than ninja ones and housewives were generally more gossipy than kunoichi were.

Generally.

The other woman nodded, dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "Yes, I am. But my position, Ino-san...it means very little, I'm afraid." Something seemed to occur to her. "And what do you require training for, anyway?"

Ino swallowed. She really needed to come up with plans before acting on impulse with things. It was hard, being as impatient as she was. She could really do with some tips from Shikamaru. No! She didn't need anything from Shikamaru. He didn't even believe she could do this and that angered her like nothing else, because what were friends for?

"I want training because I am weak," Ino said slowly, banishing unwelcome thoughts about her lethargic teammate. She looked away from Yuugao and stared fixedly at the wall. A tulip print caught a beam of sunlight and she narrowed her eyes slightly against the glare. "My ninjutsu is average; my taijutsu is mediocre, at best. My genjutsu talent is slightly above par but I specialise in casting illusions and sometimes cannot break out of them. I rely on a simple hiden and struggle to master a more advanced one, and it goes without saying that I have little-to-no knowledge of weapons based combat."

Man, honesty hurt. It was hard listing all her faults like that, but it had to be done. She wasn't just admitting her failings to Yuugao — she was saying them out loud to educate herself. If she wanted to lift her game at all she needed to be aware of her shortcomings, the things that needed to be improved and addressed.

"I've given myself a personal deadline. I want to improve my skills over a few months. I'm sick of being beaten or simply outclassed by everyone, and I'd like to feel more secure in my talents before I go out and watch some of my peers try for jounin." And while I'm there, have a crack at it myself. It would be so much easier to give Yuugao the full story, but Temari's little condition had come up again to bite Ino on the bum. What an irritating clause. As annoying and inconvenient as the girl herself.

Yuugao's face didn't betray her thoughts. "You could ask anyone for help with this, Ino-san."

Hah, not bloody likely. "I don't know if I could. Asuma-sensei's going to assist Shikamaru, and most of the other jounin tutors will be working with members of their own teams. I'm sure my father will do what he can but it's not the same." She frowned. It was a big investment, time-wise, maybe she'd need to make it worth Yuugao's while. "I mean, I would pay you, of course. I don't have much mo—"

"I have no wish to accept your money." The woman's tone was suddenly cold and Ino concluded glumly that she'd said the wrong thing after all. "I'm mostly interested as to why you feel I'd be the best choice to tutor you when you have no understanding of my combat strengths or weaknesses or if I rely on a hiden as well."

Ino blinked. "Well, that's basically it. I don't know what your skills base is like, and it doesn't really matter. I told you before, I'm average at best. Anything you can teach me would be an improvement on my current state."

"It doesn't matter?" The other woman seemed surprised. "You have such little faith in yourself that you don't care what someone teaches you?"

Ino tried to swallow, but her throat wouldn't work. "Once, I had good all-round skills. I picked things up easily and mastered techniques in a very short time. But then everyone caught up to me, and then they passed me, and soon they were all far more powerful than I was, because I seemed to hit my limit and stopped improving." She rubbed at her nose with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry if I startled you with this dumb request. But really, forget about it. I was out of line, asking such a thing, and in your personal time, as well. I'll get your flower."

She turned and stepped behind the counter, removing the zinnia from its bucket and going through the wrapping process on auto-pilot, inwardly berating herself for her impatient request. Good one, Ino. Now she thinks you're a crazy person. Sakura's got two personalities and she's more normal than this. Next time think before speaking, idiot.

The last thought sounded suspiciously like something Shikamaru would say, so she squashed that particular debate and freed her mind, returning with the flower to where Yuugao still stood. They exchanged the item and money then remained fixed in place, Ino feeling more awkward by the second.

"Really—" she started, just as Yuugao spoke.

"I'll need time to think over this, Ino-san." Her face was impassive but the lack of emotion didn't bother Ino.

"You'll think about it?" she echoed unbelievingly and the other woman nodded slowly.

"Are you free this afternoon?"

Ino nodded. "Mama will be back in a couple of hours."

"Very well. If you meet me at the fourth practice ground at three o'clock? We can figure this out then."

She nodded again, a grin threatening to split her face. "Ah, of course, Yuugao-san! I'd be happy to!"

The edges of Yuugao's lips turned up in what Ino suspected was her regular smile. "I'm not promising anything, Ino-san. But I can't give you an answer until I see your style and the areas you need to improve. If you want to improve yourself and I can help you in some way, then the least I can do is give you a chance."

"And that's more than enough," Ino replied fervently.

"Good." The woman straightened and her face returned to its usual solemn cast. "I'll see you this afternoon, Ino-san."

"Yes," she promised, giving her a wave as she left the shop. "You definitely will."

----

The hours until the appointed meeting time dragged past slowly, and in the end Ino found she couldn't stay at home any longer. Her mother returned sooner than expected, so Ino changed and excused herself, leaving with a garbled explanation that sufficed as 'training'. And technically, that was what she was doing. Regardless of whether Yuugao decided to help her in the end, at least she'd have this one afternoon of working with someone else.

She had no plans for what to do with herself until then, however, and eventually settled on roaming the streets, jittery and charged. She wanted to get out and there and do something, erase that memory of getting thrashed by Temari and replace it with something a little more triumphant.

"Well, if it isn't Ino."

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Ino turned slowly, fake smile at the ready. "Temari! What a pleasure!"

The other girl grinned at the blatant sarcasm, giving her a knowing look. "I had no idea you'd be so happy to see me. I would have dropped round to say goodbye if I'd known this was the case."

Ever-compulsive, Ino's mind sifted through the girl's words and latched on to the most promising part. "You're leaving?"

Temari nodded, putting a hand on her hip. "I know, it's unnecessary to go into just how much you'll miss me. Don't fret, though. I'll be back before you know it."

I bet you will. "I'll try to control my unhappiness." She changed her tone, interested despite herself in the girl's departure. "Do you have things to take care of at home?"

The grin widened. "Jounin exams are coming, remember? I'm helping out with the planning. It's a big event and it's going to require a lot of preparations."

Ino swallowed. She'd forgotten the exams were an international event, and — depending on the size of the arena — thousands of people could turn up to watch. And even though the saying went that any attention was good attention...having so many people witness her failure wasn't really an appealing thought.

She clenched her fists. All the more reason to convince Yuugao to take her on board. She couldn't let Temari win this, not without a fight. "Well, good luck with that," she said airily, pinning the fake smile back into place.

"I won't be the one needing luck," Temari replied. She turned to walk off, throwing a wave over her shoulder. "Keep it for yourself, okay? Bye!"

Ino watched her go, scowling. The girl managed to unsettle her without even trying, and it was so irritating. How dare she ambush her in the middle of the street, say all this ire-provoking stuff, and then wander off without a care in the world, even saying bye! like they were friends or something. They weren't friends, far from it. The Sand nin was threat, an insidious force that surrounded Shikamaru, gradually settling into his life and making him—

"Ino?"

"What?!" she shouted, still caught up in her fury. She whirled, ready this time to give Temari a piece of her mind, only to find herself face-to-face with an unamused Shikamaru.

She was having a strange day, truly she was. All these people appearing as she thought of them...hmm. She wondered if it would work with things, too. Bring me a way to strength and power. She willed as hard as she could.

"Ino, what are you doing?"

Her eyes had closed without her noticing, and she hurriedly opened them to find Shikamaru's expression had changed to one of exasperation.

"Attempting to summon things by thought alone," she replied promptly, before inwardly slapping a palm to her head. Oh, honesty. How you plague me.

He looked around. "Is it working?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. But I have high hopes for this new, advanced technique. Think of all the possibilities in battle. You reach for more shuriken, but your pouch is empty. What to do? You still need to direct the enemies' attention from your real attack, right?"

"There's a few possibilities, but it would depend on the other items you had with you," he said thoughtfully, looking off over her shoulder.

She slapped his arm. "It's a hypothetical, idiot. Anyway, as I was saying, there's no shuriken, so you just project your need at the pouch and lo and behold, more shuriken. Shiny and pretty and sharp, there for the taking." She grinned up at him, for some reason inordinately pleased with her ridiculous reasoning.

He sighed and gave her a weary look. "Your thinking processes never cease to amaze me," he said, but a smile tugged at the edges of his lips.

"And yours' never cease to bore me." She returned the smile, taking the sting from her words. "Seriously, I know I'm amazing. You don't have to tell it to me all the time. I'll get a big head, or something."

He opened his mouth to reply but she talked over him, a follow on occuring to her. "Oh, and don't tell Chouji about this awesome technique yet, either. I know he'll use it for ill, rather than good. I can see it now, we'll be out on a mission and he'll be willing food into his hip pack, using it to munch the enemy into submission..." She trailed off as the image replayed itself in her mind, a fiendish Chouji crunching away, frightening some hapless nins with his unending chewing.

Shikamaru stared at her for a moment and she wondered if she'd taken the silly joke too far. It had been meant good-naturedly, and she was sure Chouji would have thought so too, but they were best friends and maybe he'd take it the wrong way, maybe—

He burst into laughter, rich, loud peals of it that made an elderly woman look sharply at him over her shopping. He didn't see it, or chose to ignore it, and laughed a bit longer before sobering somewhat and taking a deep breath.

"I had a mental image," he said in his defence.

"Uh huh, right," she replied, sticking her tongue out. "Me too. Did it make you hungry?"

"I am hungry," he said, serious again. "That's why I was coming to meet you. I thought we could get Chouji and have a team lunch, just like old times."

Ino's stomach fluttered at the kind gesture. He was coming to get her. He wanted to spend time with his teammates, his best friends. He wasn't off with Temari, or on a mission, and his first thought had been of Ino and Chouji.

It almost made the stupid bet worthwhile.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, grinning up at him. He turned and she followed, and they moved off down the street.

----

“Not home?” Ino echoed.

Chouji’s father shook his head. “He was called away on a mission early this morning. From the looks of things he’ll be back in less than a week.”

Shikamaru sighed. “After we came all the way over here, too.”

Aw, man. With a flash of recollection Ino remembered her mother’s words from when she’d still been half-asleep. She’d known Chouji wasn’t here, why had she forgotten? Well, she argued with herself, I have had a lot happen over the last few hours. It’s probably okay to forget minor details like this. But now…

“What do you want to do?” she asked Shikamaru after they exchanged farewells with Chouji’s dad.

“Do?”

She gave him a querying look. “Are you still up for lunch now that you know it’s only me?”

He returned it, seemingly puzzled. “My hunger hasn’t gone away, Ino. It’s just probably not conducive to have barbeque with only two of us. Was there something else you wanted to eat?”

She pondered. The only other place they generally ate at was Ichiraku Ramen, and she’d had that only recently. He was right, though. She rarely ate much at the barbeque, because she tried to watch her weight. No one knew better than she how willingly her hips and thighs grew if she wasn’t careful with food. She could eat more, but then she’d need to exercise more as well, and –

Exercise. Improving. Building up strength. She stopped in the middle of the street and grabbed Shikamaru’s arm, her eyes blazing with the intensity of her sudden resolution.

“Oi, Ino!”

She ignored his disgruntled protest and clenched her free fist. “I want barbeque!”

He blinked. “You…what?”

“I want barbeque,” she repeated. “I want great chunks of meat and sauce and noodles and rice and all those other things that I never have. I want to eat as much as Chouji usually does.”

“Sounds like you want to make yourself sick,” he commented dryly, straightening and giving her a speculative look.

“I want barbeque!”

“Yeah, okay, okay. Geez,” he sighed. “You get so troublesome when you’re like this.”

She grinned, recognising victory. “And I’ll pay, for your trouble.”

He shrugged and turned in the direction of the restaurant. “Whatever.”

Her hand was still on his arm, and she dropped it as he moved, feeling his warmth linger on her palm. Falling into step beside him again, Ino was unable to keep the gleeful look off her face. If her plan of attack had phases, then she was well on her way to achieving the first one, and being so close to victory made her head spin with joy.

----

Ino surveyed the food in front of her and fought a growing sense of panic. Maybe she’d been too hasty, with that boast before. Just a bit hasty. Not much. She'd just...maybe...possibly...put her foot into her mouth. Bitten off more than she could chew. Or some other food analogy that basically translated to rushing into something without thinking it all the way through.

Now, isn’t that becoming the story of my life?

But honestly, eating as much as Chouji…how much did that boy really eat?!

Shikamaru took pity on her and sent half back to the kitchen. “You don’t have the young master with you today?” she heard the waitress ask, and Shikamaru replied in low tones that Ino couldn’t quite catch over the blood pounding in her ears. Even with half gone, the cuts of pork were still plentiful enough to intimidate. She had an unwelcome mental image of her thighs grown as wide as tree trunks but quashed it ruthlessly, picking up the tongs with shaking fingers.

“You look terrified,” Shikamaru remarked with no little amusement, slouching back in his seat across from her. “The last time you looked this frightened was the first chuunin exam.”

Ino swallowed. She was thinking too much about possibilities and what ifs. It was time to say goodbye to those fears that had haunted her for so long, that she would become fat and unattractive and unable to continue as a ninja. It was all about balance. She could eat her fill today, but to balance it out, she’d need to do more exercise. And while she was reluctant as the next person to exert herself physically, even Shikamaru put the effort in, something which had irritated her far too much since last night.

Now, it was Ino-time. She needed something to distract her, something to help her eat at least half of the meal in front of her. What to do…

Aha! Her father had done this when she was younger, to get her to cooperate when she was in the middle of a tantrum throwing extravaganza. She selected a few pieces of the marinated pork and threw them on to the barbeque like they were shuriken, flipping them from the tongs with a skilful, practiced manoeuvre. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the gesture but didn’t seem fazed, before he picked up his own tongs, grabbing a fat piece and spinning it on to the grill with a sizzling plop. A bit of sauce splashed up onto Ino’s cheek and she scowled at him before getting another slice and throwing it so that it skimmed across the grill and stopped, teetering on the edge.

He gave the meat an evaluating look. “Didn’t your dad do that when we were kids?” he asked, pointing at the piece that had come to a halt just short of sliding straight into his lap.

“Yeah,” she replied, concentrating on another piece she was flipping and catching on the tongs. “He used to do all sorts of things with food. This with the meat, juggling with the vegetables – he used to get me to throw carrots at him and he’d slice them in mid air with the butcher’s knife.” She grinned at the memory.

Shikamaru put down his tongs and spooned a little sauce over the meat. “Why did he stop?”

Ino faltered, and the piece of pork she’d been playing with hit the grill hard, speckling her shirt with spots of sauce. She moved to fetch a napkin but Shikamaru was faster, surprising her by getting up and returning with a bundle of them which he set beside her plate.

“Thanks,” she muttered, wiping her chest. She took a long time, hoping he’d lose interest, but when she finally looked up he was still watching her, an odd look in those dark, unreadable eyes. His face asked the question and she sighed, giving in. “He stopped because I stopped eating the stuff he cooked, okay? Daddy doesn’t know how to make reasonable-sized servings of things, and he always made far too much. If I wanted to keep a good figure, I had to make some sacrifices, and I guess this was one of them.”

Some of the meat was done, so she busied herself with dishing it out, giving herself a few pieces and piling the rest on to Shikamaru’s plate. When that was done she went to put some more on the grill, and while her hands were occupied Shikamaru casually reached out and switched their servings.

“What are you doing?” she asked him irritably.

He shrugged and helped himself to vegetables. “You’re the one who wanted all the food. If you’re going to do something, do it, Ino. Don’t just say you will and then not follow through.”

She scowled, angry again with his unerring sense of reason. “And I suppose you practice what you preach?”

He chewed thoughtfully. “If I say I’ll do something, I do it. If I don’t want to do something, I just won’t agree to it in the first place.”

She turned her scowl on the meat, sizzling peacefully on the grill. He had a point, again. And it was true that he did what he said. That was probably why he hadn’t committed himself to the jounin exam yet, because he didn’t want to back out of something he said he’d carry through to the end. Without a doubt they picked up on that at the first chuunin exam, and it would certainly have contributed to his score.

“Hey, Shikamaru,” she said, fiddling with the grill, “why haven’t you gone for jounin yet? I mean, really?”

He swallowed and reached for more rice. “Didn’t we go through this already?”

She flipped the meat. “Yeah, but–“

“There’s no buts, Ino. I told you my reasons and that’s it. Now eat your food before it goes cold. You were the one that wanted barbeque.”

“Thanks, mother.” Slightly miffed, she complied, mixing the pork with some noodles and vegetables. She snapped a set of chopsticks and dug in.

Two bowls later she was seriously regretting her decision to come here. They’d made a dent in the food, certainly…but she felt like she was going to explode. It had been too long since she’d eaten this much and her stomach was having difficulty fitting it all in.

“Must…have…more…” she mumbled, reaching for another serving of pork.

“Ah, the Ino-pig is pigging out!” came a familiar voice close to her ear. She looked up, finding Sakura beside the table, hands on her hips and a grin on her face.

“Forehead girl,” Ino managed. “You staying?” If she was, Shikamaru would damn well be scooting over on his side of the booth. Ino wasn’t certain she could actually move, and she was probably big enough to need the whole side to herself by now.

Mercifully, Sakura shook her head. “I’m meeting my teammate…if he ever decides to show up.” She glanced around the store for some sign of Naruto. Apparently not spying him, she sighed and looked back at Ino. “I said if he wants food we can get some real stuff. I’m sick of having ramen every time we catch up.”

Ramen…ramen would have been nice. Just one bowl…noodles…broth…

“Ino’s bulking up,” Shikamaru told Sakura. “I think she’s trying to make up for years of getting by on nothing.”

Ino flushed. Of course he’d see through her. But to tell Sakura, of all people!

The other girl only laughed, not unkindly. “Good, that way I won’t feel so self-conscious all the time.”

Shikamaru nodded. “She’d look better with more meat on her bones.”

Ino rubbed her straining belly. Huh? Shikamaru wanted her to put on weight? “Muscle,” she protested sluggishly. “Just want muscle.”

“Ah, there he is!” Sakura waved to someone behind Ino’s seat, before glancing down and flashing them both a quick smile. “See you later, Shikamaru. And get stuck into it, Ino-pig. Gotta live up to your name, you know?” She moved off, having had the last word, and Ino was far too full to chase after her and pull her hair for the remark.

Shikamaru was watching her oddly. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head carefully. “Full.”

He sighed, but amusement played at the corners of his mouth. “Fine, but next time, we go somewhere where we can get value for all-you-can-eat.” He got up. “I’ll go settle the bill.”

Ino put out a hand to stop him. “I’ll pay.”

He shook it off. “Don’t be stupid, Ino. I can’t let you pay. Gotta do my manly duty.” He went to move off. “Besides, if mum ever found out…” he trailed off and shuddered, before crossing the room to pay the bill.

Ino watched him go, touched. He’d come along, watched her scarf down food, hadn’t asked many awkward questions and now he was taking care of the tab. Perhaps he was worth this devil’s bargain, after all. Positive imagery, she told herself, imagining the defeated face of Temari when Ino triumphed at the jounin exam. She thought of everyone’s praises, her parents, Sakura, Chouji, Shikamaru…

Suddenly she didn’t feel so bloated. She checked her watch – only an hour until her meeting with Yuugao. Shikamaru had said he had errands to run, so time was moving along nicely.

She only hoped that the afternoon would turn out just as well.

----

Ino accompanied Shikamaru to the grocer’s but declined a trip the butcher shop, making up a reason that she forgot as soon as it left her mouth. She felt a bit jumpy, anticipatory and buzzed, but she didn’t think it was noticeable until Shikamaru reached out and pressed a hand to her head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, surprised at how cool his palm felt against her forehead, since usually he was the warm one.

He let his hand drop and shrugged, stuffing it into his pocket. “Your cheeks are flushed; I was wondering if you had a fever.”

She blinked, touched by his concern. “No, I’m fine. Just warm.” And full.

He shrugged again. “Okay. Anyway, I have to get this stuff from the butchers'. Catch you later.”

He turned to go but she stopped him, impulsively reaching out to grab his arm. “Thanks. For lunch…and stuff.”

He tilted his head. “Don’t mention it.”

“No, really,” Ino insisted. “It was relaxing, like old times. Before–“ she cut herself off, almost betraying herself by mentioning Temari. Can it, Ino! she told herself.

This time, Shikamaru half-smiled. “It was. Anyway, I have to go.” He waited for her to release him and moved off when she did. “Eat more next time,” he called over his shoulder, lifting his hand in a lazy wave.

She rubbed her tummy and watched him amble off out of sight. She needed to work on the food thing. Maybe she could do three bowls tomorrow.

Maybe. But it didn’t feel likely.

Still rubbing her tummy, she turned and went in the opposite direction, heading for the training grounds at the edge of town. She still had half an hour to walk off the food from lunch, but she was slowly figuring out that it may have been more prudent eating at an earlier time. She hoped she wasn’t going to disappoint Yuugao. This was her only chance, she had to make the most of it. To fail now would be very inconvenient, indeed.

A lot rested on the outcome of today. It would be difficult to find someone else to help her out, especially since she was forbidden to specify what she wanted the training for. She probably should have worked on an explanation for Yuugao. The other woman had been too surprised to question her this morning, but she’d had all day to reconsider…

Ino’s mission was clear. She had to convince Yuugao that she was worth teaching, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to press home the fact that Ino didn’t really have anyone else to turn to. Temari had set the terms and in doing so had nearly cut off Ino’s usual roads to getting help. It was time to think outside the square.

While she was generally an independent person, even she had enough sense to realise that there were times when she couldn’t get through on her own.

This was one of those times.

“Ino-san?”

Ino turned in the direction of the voice. Yuugao was standing behind her, dressed all in black. Her hair had been loosely tied back and Ino swallowed at the sight of the dark tattoo, stark and red against the white of her forearm. With her quiet disposition and strange beauty, it was so easy to forget what she was.

Yuugao’s eyes were dark and appraising, and Ino swallowed again. She’d known the woman was ANBU…but she hadn’t really known at all.

“Were you distracted?” Yuugao asked quietly.

“I, er…” Ino fumbled for words. Shit, where had her confidence gone? “I didn’t hear you.” No, that made her sound like a crappy ninja. “I was thinking, and–“ No, that made a bigger fool out of herself. “Um, I wasn’t expecting you…” she trailed off lamely and wondered if she could have made it worse if she tried.

“Does Sarutobi teach you nothing?” Her voice was still quiet but now it held a hint of scorn.

Ino’s eyes flashed at the slight. “Asuma-sensei’s a fantastic teacher! Don’t think that my poor performance is in any way a reflection on his skills. He’s always giving us tests and practices and making us improve, even though we’re chuunin now and he doesn’t need to help us out, and he rewards us when we do well and–“

Yuugao raised a hand to cut her off. Now she looked amused, and Ino thought sourly that that may well be her lot in life, making others laugh at her expense.

“I am sorry, Ino-san. I take that back. Sarutobi-san is fortunate indeed to have such a loyal student.” She tilted her head at Ino, considering. “Although that does raise the question of why you didn’t ask him to help. Even if he has plans to tutor your teammate, I'm sure he would find time to spend with you, as well.”

Don’t question it! Ino willed silently, giving Yuugao a pained and slightly desperate look. “Er, that is…”

Yuugao shook her head. “I won’t pry. It is your prerogative to share your reasons. If you wish to keep them to yourself then you may.” She gave Ino another cool, appraising look and Ino felt herself stiffening, straightening her posture under those sad, mysterious eyes. At length, Yuugao smiled slightly. “Very well. I will help you.”

Ino gaped. “Um, don’t you want to see what I can do before you make a decision?”

Yuugao shook her head again. “No. You yourself admitted that you are displeased with your current abilities. The fastest way for you to get better is for me to assume you know nothing. We will start from the very beginning. From tomorrow, you will relearn the basics.” Her look sharpened. “And what is the time limit on your training?”

Squirming, Ino returned the look with an innocent one of her own. She had to be careful. For all her quiet voice and gentle smiles, Yuugao was ANBU. She was just as tough as Asuma — well, maybe not that tough — and she had a nose for subterfuge. Ino would have to tread carefully. “Er, just under three months.”

Yuugo surveyed her for a long moment. Eventually, she nodded. “Fine. Training will commence tomorrow at dawn.”

“What? At dawn?!”

Suddenly Yuugao was beside her, eyes cold and face unreadable. “Do you have any objections, Ino-san?”

Ino licked her lips. “N-No. Thank you, Sensei.”

Something shifted in the other woman’s eyes and she stepped back, a satisfied look on her face. “Good. I shall see you then.” She gave an abrupt, awkward nod, and disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

Ino watched them drift for a long while after she left, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. Somehow, she’d done it. She’d managed to get help, someone to assist her through these three months of training. She was that much closer to winning that stupid bet, and from tomorrow she’d be working hard towards the moment when she could send the Sand-weasel off for good.

She grinned, feeling lighter somehow. Turning back towards town, she started home. She needed to get to bed early. Dawn was such a shitty time to get up.

Whistling, she started skipping. Who knew? Maybe she’d learn to become a morning person after all this, as well.