Troublesome Mission: Part 1

TROUBLESOME MISSION: Part 1 (Shikamaru x Ino)

‘Why that stubborn, good-for-nothing, lazy bum!’ Ino thought angrily, as she marched home after a long day at the flower shop. She reddened in the face and bit her lip, trying to calm down. It was already bad enough that she had been having the worst week of her life. She had failed her last mission and broke a rib, got into a fight with Sakura, worked overtime at the flower shop and now this! Ino didn’t make a big fuss over her injuries when she got back, but she certainly wasn’t about to start another mission until she was in top fighting condition. She didn’t tell her teammates that she was sporting a broken rib; she didn’t want to be a burden to either of them. But she wasn’t about to let Shikamaru think she was just another weak female either, as he often put it. His words still stung as she trudged through the front door of her house. Couldn’t handle it? was all he said to her before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Ino felt like crying right then and there, but instead locked up the shop an hour early and sped-walked home. She didn’t bother taking off her apron or untying her hair as she crawled into bed. She was tired, angry and hurt. Although the pain she was feeling didn’t originate from her injuries. Ino sighed deeply, and winced uncomfortably as her ribs ached. She lifted up her shirt a little to examine her abdomen. She scrunched up her face as silent tears ran down her cheeks. She was having an internal debate with herself over the week’s trials. She was trying to decide which part she was most upset over.

A little ways off, Shikamaru tried without progress to sleep. After leaving the Yamanaka’s flower shop, he went home, angry with himself over the terrible things he had said to Ino. Why did he always have to be like this? Shikamaru ground his teeth while glaring at his reflection in the mirror across from his bed. Initially, he wanted to ask her how she was feeling, because it was killing him inside to not know for sure if she was okay. But instead he blurted out that, while smirking to hide his true feelings. But it wasn’t that that made him turn tail and run for it, it was the hurt look in her beautiful blue eyes that gave her away. After that, he turned around and walked back the way he came. He couldn’t handle her looking at him like that; it pierced his heart and stuck there, bleeding.

After wasting another five minutes sulking in bed, Shikamaru threw off the covers and went downstairs. He went through the motions of pacing in the moonlight of the front porch of his house. His hair was still down, hanging in his eyes as he trudged toward Konoha hospital. He knew Ino had been hurt during her last mission, and had to stay in the hospital overnight the day she got home. Of course Shikamaru knew she wouldn’t be there now, but he was well aware that they kept records of patient visits. If he couldn’t be civilized enough to ask her how she was feeling, he could always request her patient information. It was killing him inside not knowing why she was hospitalized or how severe her injuries were. Was she mad at him?

He thought back to all the times they were together working as a team. Shikamaru sighed as he remembered the countless snide comments he made under his breath. He winced further while brooding over the things he didn’t say. He never thanked her for believing in him and cheering him on in the Chunin exams. He didn’t once compliment her or show support while they worked together. But, those things, and so many other regrets were nothing compared to feelings Shikamaru had been keeping inside. His biggest regret was continual torture. He regretted not being a better partner, and even more a better friend. But most of all, he wished he could be a better man for her. Shikamaru loved Ino with all his heart and could barely stand it any longer.
He fiddled nervously with the hair band in his pocket as he walked through the hospital doors. He didn’t know how he was going to do it, but Shikamaru was determined to tell Ino how he felt about her on their next mission together, no excuses.

Shikamaru hung his head as he returned to the night air. He spent less than five minutes in the building before heading home. He learnt that Ino had suffered a mild concussion and two broken ribs. He felt sick. Why did he have to be such a jerk all the time, why? He ran his fingers through his hair and slipped the elastic around the ends, attempting to tie it up while walking. He walked right past Ino’s house, grumbling to himself the whole way. He would have kept walking if it weren’t for the sound of a sudden, familiar laugh.

“Didn’t recognize you with your hair down Shikamaru.” Shikamaru grinned weakly at the sight of his best friend. Choji smiled at him for a second before gathering a handful of chips in his hand and emptying them in his mouth, crunching loudly.

“What’re you doing out so late buddy?” Shikamaru shot Choji a look of mild curiosity, never betraying his lazy tendencies.

“I would’ve gone to bed, but I got an urgent message from lady Hokage.” Choji managed to say after swallowing yet another mouthful of barbeque chips.

“What did it say?” Shikamaru narrowed his eyes a bit. He didn’t like the sound of it; urgent things were always a pain.

“I don’t know. The message isn’t for me. I’m supposed to give it to you.”’ Choji shrugged his shoulders and handed Shikamaru an envelope. ‘Well anyways, I’m gonna go home now. See ya later Shikamaru.” Yawning, Choji turned around the way he came and disappeared into the night. Little did they know that Ino Yamanaka had been watching them from her bedroom window the whole time.

“I can’t believe it!” Ino sulked into her pillow. I’m being left behind, aren’t I? Ino thought angrily as she mulled over what she had just witnessed in her mind. From where she was standing, it seemed as if her two best friends were meeting in secret without her. They think I’m inadequate, Shikamaru already made that quite clear. Ino touched her ribs, tenderly poking her sore reminder of her failed mission with her fingertips.

She didn’t sleep much that night, and neither did Shikamaru. He had been given orders from the fifth Hokage to meet her the next morning at dawn to discuss details about the next mission. It was rare for the Hokage to get involved personally with everyday concerns, which led Shikamaru to believe that this was going to be very troublesome.
Before the sun came up, Shikamaru found himself walking through the dim morning air to meet with lady Tsunade, ready for anything. He hugged his vest close to his body, sleepily checking the various compartments for supplies. He went through the list of things he had with him in his mind, making sure he didn’t forget anything he may need. He didn’t know what kind of mission he was going on, but he didn’t want to show up unprepared.

He reached the end of the road and stood waiting for the Hokage by a tall oak tree. He looked over his shoulder, making out the faint images of the previous Hokages chiseled into the cliff. He smiled slightly, knowing he’d be talking to one of those carved faces in just a few short minutes. His smile faded quickly however, because his thoughts drifted from one troublesome woman to the next. Ino… How long would it be until he’d be home again? How long until he could apologize and confess his love for her? He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and leaning against the oak tree.

Ino Yamanaka opened her eyes once again, lying awake in the early hours of the morning. She barely slept at all, and whenever she got close she would find herself dreaming of Shikamaru. She awoke many times, embarrassed with the subject matter of her subconscious. Why am I thinking about him? He’s so… But she didn’t finish her thought, because at that moment she heard the soft crunch of gravel outside her bedroom window. It was faint, but steadily growing closer. From the window she could make out the image of two people walking in the direction of her house. Ino narrowed her eyes to try to get a better look, but it was no use. The shadows from the trees and the lack of light made it impossible to make out whom these curious strangers were. With that, she stretched and slipped out of her pajamas. Even though it was insanely early, she would have to get ready for the day; there was no way she could go back to sleep now.

Shikamaru dragged his feet in the direction of his teammate’s house, dreading the conversation he was going to have. Tsunade smirked as she glanced down at her reluctant companion. He had already been briefed on his mission statement and understood the role he had to play in order for its success. The only problem was, the success of the mission only partially relied on his efforts. The other half of the equation was Ino.

Ino had barely stepped into the shower when she heard two sharp knocks on the door. She rinsed off her hair and grabbed a towel off of the counter. Who the hell is calling at this hour? Ino quickly got dressed, throwing on her usual uniform and rushed downstairs. There was nothing she could do about her appearance; everything was wet. She rolled her eyes thinking about how ridiculous she must have looked. But as she opened the door her face went from slight embarrassment to total mortification in less than a second.

“L-lady Tsunade?”’ Ino’s face turned a violent shade of red and then, ‘Shi-shikamaru! What are you doing here so early?” Ino’s face paled. Shikamaru’s eyes widened; he had never seen Ino so flustered before. She was dripping wet and her mood looked fit to match.

“I understand it’s early Miss Yamanaka, I’m sorry. Did we catch you at a bad time?” Tsunade smiled at the young kunoichi, stepping past her into the house. Shikamaru knew better than to invite himself in, so he stood in the doorway staring at the beautiful girl in front of him; hints of red colouring his cheeks. Ino lowered her eyes to the floor, not daring to look him in the eyes. Instead she stepped aside, ringing out her soaked hair; gesturing for him to come in.

Tsunade made herself comfortable in the living room, sitting in Inoichi’s favourite armchair. Ino walked in following Shikamaru, not knowing what to expect. Shikamaru made himself comfortable, sprawling in the middle of the couch. Ino had no choice but to sit next him; every other seat was spoken for. Tsunade broke the silence first.

“You’re probably wondering why we’re here.”’ Tsunade glanced casually over at the confused blonde. ‘But everything will be clear soon. By the way, where are your parents?” Ino explained that they were out on business for the week.

“I see, as I thought.” Tsunade leaned back and kicked up her feet. She was obviously more comfortable than the other two. Shikamaru chanced a quick look at his friend. Ino caught his black eyes from the corner of her blue ones. What does he want? She thought anxiously. She decided he probably was staring at her dreadful appearance, and quickly adverted her eyes. Shikamaru stifled a yawn with his left hand, stretching with the other; it was still very early. His extended hand grazed Ino’s side. She winced slightly, biting her lip but not daring to make any noise or show weakness. Her hand subconsciously went to her rib, accidentally resting on his. They both looked over at each other at the same time, blushing madly. Ino frantically ripped her hand away from Shikamaru’s, reddening further. Tsunade smirked a little at the display.

“So, it seems you have a broken rib Miss Ino.” Tsunade stated. Ino looked up, defeat marked clearly on her face.

“You noticed.” Ino hung her head sadly, not noticing Shikamaru’s eye’s widen with concern.

“Yes, and… Shikamaru,”’ He looked up startled to hear his name. ‘Could you please refrain from touching Miss Ino anywhere near her brake. You’ll only irritate it.” She finished, motioning for them to stand. Shikamaru closed his eyes, silently punishing himself for causing Ino pain.

“That’s okay,”’ Ino said quietly, replacing her hand over her ribs. ‘He didn’t know.” She smiled reassuringly at him. He returned it grateful she wasn’t mad. Tsunade grinned, catching every little interaction between them.

“Well anyways, let me take a look at it for you.”’ Ino lifted up her shirt enough for Tsunade to examine her. She blushed slightly knowing Shikamaru could see. Shikamaru did see, frowning at the bruising over two of Ino’s ribs and the heavy bandaging wrapped around her waist. ‘Hmmm, it’s healed a bit but you definitely did a number on it didn’t you? What happened?” Tsunade’s eye’s closed as she moved her hand over the brake, healing it with medical jutsu. Ino sighed with relief and explained.

“I was on an espionage mission. It was my job to infiltrate enemy territory in the body of one of their messengers.”’ She frowned sadly. Unfortunately I didn’t get far before they figured out whom I really was. The leader grabbed me before I could run and threw me off of the roof of the hotel they were staying at. I didn’t have enough time to form any hand signals, so I ended up injured along with the body I was in. I landed on my left side. I was lucky I only broke a couple ribs.” She smiled incredulously, grateful to be alive. Shikamaru clenched both fists. If he ever got his hands on the people who did that to her, he was sure he’d kill them. Tsunade smiled widely and sat back down in the Yamanaka’s armchair.

“It should be healed now, so I can assume you’ll be able to go on another mission for me, right?’” The Hokage didn’t wait for an answer before she continued with her purpose. ‘Your mission is to go to the Village Hidden in the Waterfall, and pose as a newly married couple. It’s convenient that our contact happens to be arriving in the honeymoon capital. It makes your story seem all the more believable. I hand picked you two for your unique abilities, and because you two are teammates and friends. You should know the most about each other; if the enemy ever separates you you’ll be able to connect with each other the easiest. And I’ve heard from Kakashi that your family specializes in mind jutsu.”

Ino nodded, knowing that it would be futile to disagree with the Hokage’s choice. “Is Shikamaru going to be comfortable… um with this mission ma’am?” She looked away, hoping her intentions weren’t obvious to either of her guests.

“It doesn’t matter if he isn’t.”’ Tsunade grinned her biggest smile, ‘you two are the only choice for this mission.” Ino stared in horror. Is it really that obvious how I feel for him? Ino tried not to think about what Tsunade meant behind those words.

“Let me explain,”’ The Fifth continued, putting Ino out of her misery. ‘I have to send a couple who have known each other for a long time if they’re going to pull this off. Plus you two look mature, and older perhaps than the others. You’ve both grown in strength and mind. Besides, I’ve already considered the other possibilities; and there simply is no other choice. Think about it.” Ino considered the other would-be couples the Hokage could send in their place. She went through them in her head.

Naruto and Sakura? Ino considered her best friend for a moment and then laughed to herself. There was no way Naruto could ever act mature enough to handle it, and Sakura… she’d try but wouldn’t be able to act like Mrs. Uzumaki to save her life. What about… Hinata and Kiba? Nope. Same story, Hinata would be too embarrassed and uncomfortable to pull it off. Kiba on the other hand would be more than willing, a little too willing. More laughter escaped Ino while the other two watched her mull it over. She went through all of the possibilities in her mind before getting to Rock Lee and Tenten. She concluded that he would stick out like a sore thumb, trying too hard to look natural and blowing their cover. Of course, Ino speculated that Tenten would do a good job with either Rock Lee or Neji to pair with, but both boys seemed like they would be too stiff to pull this off. Lastly, Ino thoughts rested on Shikamaru. Blush spread rapidly as she allowed herself to think about him. She smiled shyly up at the curious shinobi.

“I don’t think I’ll have a problem, acting like your loyal wife Shikamaru.’” Ino spoke these words plainly, smiling at him. ‘Since there’s no one else who could possibly pull this off.” Caught completely off guard by her statement, Shikamaru gaped at her, forgetting himself.

“I’ll try my best to be- act! Act like your husband would.” Shikamaru hoped Ino didn’t catch the slip up, feeling like a complete idiot. Tsunade was having way too much fun watching the two young ninja; she didn’t want to send them on their way. Unfortunately for her, her fun ended after a few short seconds of awkwardness between the two.

“Alright, then it’s settled?” The disappointed Hokage handed them each a package, explaining that they had to look like average people. Inside each package was an envelope, a list, a map, miniature radios, a guidebook, a change of clothes, hotel cards, identification, a camera, batteries, matches, hair bands, swimwear, toiletries, three tiny scrolls, a pair of earrings, a notepad, pencil and a ring.