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Chapter Two. The fight: Ino's Advice.

"You know," Temari started, trailing behind Shikamaru as he led her studiously to the inn she was staying at, "you could have just told me where it was, if I'm that horrible a person to talk to."

Shikamaru started at the sudden conversation she had begun. He sighed. "It's not like your bad company, you just talk too much." He had said it without thinking, unlike most of the things he did.

The blond Shinobi dug her feet into the ground. "I what?"

"You talk too much." He repeated, turning back to see why she had stopped. Apparently, what he had said was wrong for some reason.

"I talk too much?"

"Yes, that is what I said." He sighed, what was the big deal? Hadn't she heard him?

Temari shot past him in stoic fury. "Fine." She stated coldly.

What had he said?!


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It wasn't long before Shikamaru found himself in the Yamanaka flower shop, in search for his friend. No, not Choji. Sure, he was a good friend. But really, would he know anything about his problem? Not really.

"Hey, Ino. You got a sec?" Shikamaru asked from across the counter. All around him were flowers. Large ones, small ones, blue, pink, purple, orange... Any color you could think of. Most of them grew in Konoha, but the reason the store was so famous was because of the plants that grew out side of the country. Ino and her father could bring plants from all over, because of their Shinobi missions.

The blond turned in shock to find her friend standing before her. "Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" She asked with wide blue eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail, like always, but today it was loose, and lower on the back of her head. The color almost reminded him of someone...

"Um, yeah. Could you take a short break?" Shikamaru inquired, scratching the back of his head. "I just have a small question that I need help with."

If Ino was shocked at first, that was nothing. Shikamaru, the mastermind, super genius Shikamaru, was asking for help with something?! Now that was surprising.

"Yeah, just wait in the back. I'll be right there." She pointed to a red door behind her with long vines growing around it.

The back wasn't much different then the front, it was most likely just an extra work room. He heard the door behind him open, and Ino came striding into the room.

"Okay, what is it?" She asked, bringing her arms around her back and grabbing the ties to her green and pink apron.

The Shinobi leaned up against a tall pillar that was in the middle of the room. "Um, well, I kinda guess I said something weird..." He started, but stopped suddenly when he saw a smile form on Ino's face. "What?" His voice rang defensively.

"Nothing, continue. Please!"

Shikamaru sighed. What ever. He might as well get it over with. Really, what could go wrong? He should just tell her the truth and be done with it. "I told someone that they talked too much, and they got totally defensive. They haven't talked to me since."

Ino's grin came back. "So?"

"So, what do I do?" He inquired impatiently.

"What do you want?"

"What do you think?" Okay, this wasn't as easy as he fist planed it out.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Why do you need to know?" He retorted, tired of all of her questions. He just wanted a simple answer!

"So, what do I do?" He tried again with a slight edge.

"To get Temari to talk to you?" She asked, a slight glimmer in her bold blue eyes.

"Yes!" Shikamaru exclaimed a bit to late. He had been frustrated, and hadn't thought about every thing she had said until after he yelled. Shikamaru lowered his head, trying to cover the slight blush that was coming onto his face. Oh, great.

"I knew it!" She expressed with triumph.

"Knew what?!" He demanded, aggravated that she would start assuming things that weren't true.

Ino stopped. "Nothing."

Shikamaru sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's say it is Temari. What did I do?"

"Well, what exactly did you say?" She started, getting serious.

"I just said that she talks too much. That was it! Then she stormed off and hasn't talked to me since."

"Well, there's your problem! Why the hell did you tell her that?!"

"Because," He started, confused as to why she had so suddenly yelled. "She does."

Ino shut her eyes and looked almost as if she were about to die. "Listen, Shikamaru. If you were dating a girl that was a little on the chubby side, would you tell her she was fat."

Shikamaru thought about it. "No." Then caught something she had said. "Wait, are you saying that Temari and I are together?"

Ino frowned. "No. I said 'if you were dating a girl', I didn't say 'if you were dating Temari'."

"So your calling her fat?"

"No!" Ino yelled. He delved into thing way too much! "I am just say this hypothetically! God, Shikamaru! What is it with you today? You're acting like Naruto!"

Now that got his attention. "What?"

"You're acting like Naruto! You aren't even listening to me!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I would not call her fat if I were going out with a girl that was 'a bit on the chubby side'."

Ino smiled, glad that he was back. "Just tell her you're sorry."


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"Hey, Temari!" Shikamaru called out to the blond as she sat alone in the park. Why she was there, he didn't know. Why she was alone, at night, lying in the grass in an unknown park, he didn't know.

She turned to him and just stared. It almost made him blush.

Almost.

He came down and sat next to her. Until now, he hadn't really noticed how nice her hair actually was. Under the shaded lighting on the moon, it almost looked like it glowed. As she stared at him, he realized that he actually thought she was pretty. Oh crap.

"What?" She asked stoically.

He hated it when Temari was livid, but he had to admit, she did look kinda nice.

"I-I'm," He started. It was harder then he had thought it would be.

"Your what?"

"Sorry." He finished as a blush slowly started creeping its way over his cheekbones.

When he played the scenario over and over in his mind, he had seen things like her plain rejecting him, or just a normal 'okay' and everything would be back to where it was when she arrived in Konoha.

What he received was much more then he expected. It wasn't as if he didn't like it, it just wasn't what he had preconceived.

Temari deftly got up from her seat and, with out his knowledge or consent, wrapped her arms tightly around his now stiff body.

Every second that she held him another shade of pink would slowly ascend though his cheeks. Though it would have been quite awkward if, say, this had happened when they had first met, height and all. But he had grown considerably, and she hadn't really budged much in height. He was now at least a foot taller then her.

If he thought he was confused before, then his mind must not be as good as people thought it was. I mean, really! He had expected something like, 'you should be' or 'yeah right' but no! He now had her squeezing the life out of him!

Women were confusing. Even his mastermind brain couldn't predict what they were going to do next!

Back to the present problem... What should he do with his hands?

At the moment, they were dangling at his sides. Was he supposed to hug her back? Push her away? God! What was he supposed to do! At least he had relaxed his body so that it wasn't ridged like a board anymore.

Before he could even do a thing, Temari pulled back. He was relieved when he saw that she, too, was blushing "I'm sorry."

Shikamaru didn't know what to do... Still...

So he settled with. "It's okay."

That gave him a smile from her. Her teeth were so perfect! He didn't ever remember someone with such nice teeth. Though, he hadn't really ever paid attention to anyone's teeth before now... So...

"We still friends?" Temari asked, grin still planted perfectly upon her lit up face.

Friends? Had he ever considered them friends before?

"Sure." He answered, and, to his horror, he finished with, "Always."

At that, Temari burst into laughter and tears. What was it with her?!

Again, his blush grew. "Hey! Come on now!"

The sand Shinobi tried to suppress her fit, but it seemed as if she wasn't trying hard enough.

Whatever...