Disclaimer: If I did own Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino would've elope by now..
This story was inspied after reading fireblazie's "Her Diary" (so cuteeee) fireblazie, if you're reading this, I LOVE your stories!
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The Diary of Yamanaka Ino
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This was troublesome.
That was the first thing that came to Nara Shikamaru's mind. For a 15 years old jounin, he shouldn't be doing this.
Yet he is now.
Shikamaru looked at the sky and sighed. It was such a nice day, and he would do anything, ANYTHING just to get out of his so called 'mission' and just lie down and stare at the clouds.
In his dreamy state, he—a genius with an IQ up to 200 and one of the youngest jounin ever—tripped and fell, face down on the ground.
This was MUCH troublesome.
He put his hands up and pushed himself off the ground, sweeping the dust off his clothes while pretending to ignore the look everyone was giving him. He can imagine the whispers going around saying how graceful the great shadow master fell down flat on his face.
But it didn't really matter to him though, at least no one he knew—or cared were there. And he thanked the stars that Naruto was out on a mission, if he had seen Shikamaru fall, he'd probably start laughing until his little brain exploded because of lack of oxygen.
He looked at the white plastic bag clung to his wrist. Yellow gooey liquid were dripping off from the bag. Shikamaru sighed. His mom was going to kill him. Now he had to go all the way back to buy the eggs. He sighed again, this is WAY troublesome.
Just as he turned to head back to the grocery store, something on the ground caught him off. It was a black book, and it was quite dirty too, as if someone had tripped on it and fell flat on his face.
Someone with egg yolk dripping on his sandals.
Shikamaru frowned. He bent over and picked up the book. Whoever had dropped this, with or without purpose is held responsible for his mom's eggs—and his sandals too.
Shikamaru continued his walk to the grocery store, while examining the book and being careful enough on where he walked, so he wouldn't be able to make a fool out of himself again.
The book looked old, the black leather cover was peeling off, the page corners were crumpled and it had a fainting—but Shikamaru still can smell its— sweet, and somehow familiar scent to it. Lavender, he confirmed it.
"Ah, Shikamaru, back already?"
He raised his head and met face to face with the grocery shop's owner. "Hai, Sawaki-san," and he showed the older man his gooey plastic bag that he didn't even bother to throw away.
Sawaki laughed. "I'll go get them again," he said and disappeared. Shikamaru turned his attention to the book again. Should he open it?
A part of him was telling no, it was too troublesome. By opening it, he will find out to whom it belong and it only means he should returns it. That, will take too much energy. And it will take more energy if that person asks him where he found it and what he had done to it. Shikamaru frowned, too much troublesome.
But another part—a bigger part— of him was curious. He wants to know what the book concealed, to whom it belonged and why does it look so familiar to him. He felt—no he knew—he had seen this book somewhere.
His hand itched to open the cover and find out what the book hides, and he gave in to his curiosity. A little peek won't hurt right?
"Here you go Shikamaru," Sawaki appeared, holding out a plastic bag. He blinked his eyes when the young shinobi didn't answer. "Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru closed the book and turned to the man. "Ah, gomen gomen," he said and took the eggs and paid him. He was too distracted when he left the shop, he didn't even hear the owner telling him not to break the eggs again.
Shikamaru lied down on his bed. He is now in a troublesome situation. How could he be so stupid and gave in to his curiosity? Wasn't he the one whom was admired for his strategy and brain power? His eyes shifted to the book on his desk. Sure, he had found out to whom it belonged and why he had felt like he had seen it before.
That was because it belonged to an annoying, bossy and crazy blonde-haired kunoichi, who had ended up being his teammate for the past few years.
The black book, no—after finding out the owner of the book he knew that it was no ordinary book—it was a diary. A life diary of his said teammate.
Yamanaka Ino.
Shikamaru sighed, what had he gotten himself into? Had he left the book where it was, he wouldn't be in this mess. He could return the book back to her, but he imagines receiving her wrath for having the book and accusing him of reading it.
Like he would read what she wrote? He bet all his life saving it was a fan book of the ever popular Uchiha Sasuke. He didn't understand why she liked him. He never acknowledge her, no matter how hard she tried. She lost weight just for him; she trained harder than ever, just for him. And what did he do? Didn't even look her way even once and left the village.
Shikamaru extended his arm and grabbed the book from the table. He raised the book high in the air, staring at it wondering why she had to be so careless and lost the book, and to be found—of all people—by him.
"Shikamaru!'
The jounin was startled that he dropped the book and it fell to the floor. "What?" he called out lazily when he heard his mother calling his name. Shikamaru sat up on his bed, wanting to pick up the book when he noticed that it was opened.
His mother was shouting about something, he didn't even bother to listen. His eyes were fixed on Ino's neat handwriting scribbled fully on the pages. Now he couldn't shift his eyes away for not reading the diary, especially after reading a line, "Maybe…I think I'm over Sasuke-kun…"
Shikamaru picked up the diary. Was this really Ino's handwriting? She was over Sasuke? When did this happen? Shikamaru looked at the date, it was somewhere a year ago.
Maybe….I think I'm over Sasuke-kun… It sounds really stupid and I feel stupid too for saying it, and it'd be really embarrassing if Sakura-chan finds out, me, Yamanaka Ino, giving up? She'd laugh her head off.
But that's what I feel now. Ever since he left the village I've been thinking about it. He never look my way and if he ever did look it wouldn't be me, it would have been Sakura-chan.
I don't really know…maybe I'm just feeling sappy now, that's why I'm saying this I'll just keep quiet about it. Though, I wonder what Shikamaru would say if I tell him about this…
Shikamaru blinked. She was over Sasuke? Since a year ago? And he didn't even notice this? Surprised, Shikamaru turned the pages to read more. He stopped when his eyes caught the word "Shikamaru" at the beginning in one of her entries.
Shikamaru smirked. He wondered what Ino would write about him? Surely it must've been something he did to annoy her and she would curse him to the next century.
Shikamaru's a jounin! I'm happy for him, though I do feel sad too. Becoming a jounin, it would mean that he would have to go on missions alone, and only sometimes we could go together as a team. That means I won't be able to see him everyday, and it'd be just me, Chouji and Asuma.
I won't tell him this, he'd say I've gone soft. But I will miss him, miss hearing him complain, miss dragging him away from his cloud-watching session, and there will be no more of Ino-Shika-Chou formation. It'd just be me and Chouji most of the time.
But he looked happy—though it's kind of hard to see it under his usual lazy mask, and I should be happy for him too.
She missed him? Shikamaru shook his head, no, that didn't sound right. He reread the entry again and frowned when he was positively sure that his eyes didn't play a trick on him. He turned the page and saw a picture clipped on the page's edge. It was a picture of the four of them when they were celebrating him becoming a jounin around a year ago. An arrow pointed to his picture from Ino's handwriting, 'the big man'.
This was too much for Shikamaru. He plopped himself down on his bed again, the book still in his hand.
How come he had never notice changes in Ino? For the past two years, she had never shown that she had lost interest in Sasuke, Sure, she rarely spoke of him now, but he thought that was because Sasuke wasn't around anymore.
But then again, like she had said, he had seen less of her— especially now that he was busy with the chuunin exams—and he'd only see her and the team sometimes if they had to go for a mission together or they had a reunion. But even then too, he had never notice any changes.
Shikamaru scratched his head and turned the pages again. His eyes scanned quickly through her entries, searching for something interesting, but most of it were about her missions or whatever things that she did on a certain day.
He stopped at one of her recent entries when he saw his name on it.
Today was supposed to be Team 10 reunion, especially since both Asuma and Shikamaru are back from their solo missions. Both of them were late. Chouji and I waited and waited—with him munching potato chips just to annoy me. Seriously, one of these days, I'd take the chips away from him.
Asuma came in half an hour late, saying he had to meet with Tsunade-sama, but Shikamaru, he never showed up.
Shikamaru remembered then. He had just return from the Sand and had his Chuunin examiners' meeting and had forgotten all about the reunion. Ino was extremely pissed off with him and his chest is still swollen from her hit that same night. He had last seen her then.
He looked at the book and sweat dropped when he saw Ino's drawing of his head with a big cross on it and the words "Shikamaru an Idiot!", "stupid,", "lazy cow" and "I hate you" scribbled everywhere. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, this was really Ino in her angry moment.
He looked at the next page where Ino had continued with her diary.
I was really angry. Here I was, planning the reunion perfectly after not seeing the both of them for a month already and Shikamaru didn't even come. I went to look for him then, and found out that he was with the Sand girl, Temari.
I didn't know what was wrong with me; maybe it was because he forgotten about the reunion, I don't know. but I was extremely angry. I went to his house later today and screamed at him. His excuse was that he met Naruto—whom I've heard has return from his training with Jiraiya-sama—and he had to accompany Temari to see Tsunade-sama.
I don't really remember what happen then, I must've hit him I guess, I can't really remember. All I know I was really upset with him. It's kinda really hard to say why, I'm not even sure myself. But ever since he had to take part with the Chuunin exams, I would always see or hear about him and Temari together. I don't know why, but it made me feel…uneasy.
I am not jealous. Sakura-chan said I am when I talked to her a few days ago. Why would I be jealous of Shikamaru? It's not like I like him or anything, he's just—Shikamaru, the lazy-ass, dumb friend of mine.
Sure, I've gotten over Sasuke (even though no one knows about this) but I don't feel anything to Shikamaru—okay, except for feeling annoyed, but that's all. So why would I feel jealous, right? If he likes that girl, then let it be. She's older, mature and even though I hate to say it, probably even prettier than me, and she's strong too.
…Perfect for Shikamaru.
If he does like her, there's nothing I could do about it, just be happy for him that he's found the right someone. Besides, it's not like Shikamaru like me and vice versa. We're just teammates; it can't be more than that.
Shikamaru stared at the page. Ino thinks he likes Temari? How did she come up with that? He had no connection with her, only that they were both jounins and examiners for the exams, no more than that.
He reread the part where Ino said that Temari was better than her. Shikamaru thought about it, Ino has pride and she won't be saying this kind of thing, except only when she feels really upset or worthless.
Shikamaru smirked. It sounded like she was very much feeling jealous. And somehow, he felt…happy to hear about it. To know that she was feeling jealous when she heard him with another girl, it means that she does care for him, right?
He had never told anyone, though he doubt Chouji had already suspected it, but he like her. He didn't know why, she was annoying and bossy—that he admitted. But he had like her even when she was clouded with Sasuke. He would just be quiet when she talks about the sharingan-user 24/7, sad knowing that she would never talk about him the way she talk about Sasuke.
He didn't know why he liked her anyway, and he wondered why he still does. It must've been the way she cares for her teammates, even without her noticing it. He had always like the way her eyes would shine when she's happy, her laughter—even when she was making fun of him, how soft and fragile she would look when she's sad, and the way she would smile at him when she wasn't annoyed or angry at him.
Shikamaru always thought that Ino would never look his way, just like Sasuke would never look her way. He knew she would never notice how he was always there when she needed somebody around. He was there when she had become bulimic, he was there when she hurt herself from training, he was there when she cried for Sasuke. But she didn't see pass that and he knew there was no chance of her and him together.
And now knowing that she was over Sasuke, and knowing that she was feeling jealous, a little hope appeared, maybe just maybe there were still chances of them together.
Shikamaru turned to the next page, just as he heard noises come from downstairs. There were laughter around, his dad must've invited his friends to play shougi together. Shikamaru looked at the page. It was her latest entry.
This sounds weird, but maybe just maybe, I'm starting to like Shikamaru.
Shikamaru blinked, what? He could feel his face getting warmer. He continued reading.
I don't know why, but yesterday when I met Hinata and we talked—I was asking her about her relationship with Naruto and she blushed and told me there were nothing between him and her. I asked her why she liked him and she told me so many things about Naruto, that made me wonder if we were talking about the same person.
But as I listen to Hinata—it amazes me how she had changes this past two years, she's not as quiet as she used to be, and she has more confidence in herself too—,but then my mind kept thinking about Shikamaru. He is and always will be a lazy person, who would enjoy watching the clouds, but he was more than that.
He is strong— much stronger now— and he is the youngest strategist the village have, he's smart, he's caring and just like Naruto, he never gives up, even though he always say he would run away.
He is my best friend, my teammate, a good listener and I'm thankful that he was the one who was there to help me and get me up on my feet. He was there when I was losing my mind to become thinner and stronger, and he was my shoulder when I need someone to talk or cry to.
Now that he's a jounin, I began to miss a lot about him. The way he would say how troublesome everything is, the way he would smirk when he finds something amusing, or the way he would frown and furrowed his eyebrows when he's thinking, I miss all of that.
I wondered if he had ever like me, even when I was obsessed with Sasuke-kun. Now if I think about it, I'm fine without Sasuke around, I can live without him, but Shikamaru has always been with me, but when he's not around I feel different, and I can never imagine living without him anywhere around.
And thinking about it now, I realized that the uneasy uncomfortable feeling I'd always have whenever he's away for a solo mission, I was worried and scared. Worried if he'd be okay, worried if he'd get in a problem and scared if he's injured or if he died. I don't know what I would do if he's hurt, but thinking about it would drive me mad.
But I wonder if he does like Temari and thinking about it now, I feel scared. I don't want to lose him. Maybe I'm being selfish, and I guess I was jealous before, but I want him for myself.
Would I tell him? I don't know. Maybe, maybe one day I would. It's kinda like a gamble. If I tell him, he might say he likes me too or say no, but if I don't tell him, I might lose him. I wanted so much to tell anyone about this, Sakura-chan isn't here now, and if I tell Chouji he'd probably laugh and besides he would tell Shikamaru.
I don't really know what to do. I'd figure it out eventually I guess. But for now, it's just between you and me. I like Shikamaru.
I like Shikamaru.
Scratch that, I love him.
Shikamaru was loss of words as he closed the book. This was surprising. Ino likes him, no loves him. It was weird….pleasantly weird.
Reading all those things that Ino had wrote about him, it didn't really sound like her, and he wondered if it's really her that's writing all this stuff. But it was the same handwriting that he knew, and it was inside her diary, so it doesn't take a genius to know that it is really her.
Shikamaru stared at the black book. She actually noticed him being there for her? He smiled, and here he thought she was too clouded with the Uchiha to even notice. But now that he knows her feeling, what shall he do?
There were more noises downstairs, Shikamaru thought their parents must've invited their friends over, his mom was making more food than usual, but they didn't call him, so he isn't really needed now. Besides, he doesn't really want to be with anyone right now. All he can think is her.
He looked over at his desk where a small frame was put up. It was a picture of Team 10 three years ago. Asuma was standing at the back, smiling with his hand patting Chouji's head, who cared less for the photo and was munching on a takoyaki. Then besides Chouji was him, looking bored and annoyed since a young blonde haired kunoichi was pushing his head down and grinning at the camera.
Shikamaru opened the book again to the last page he read. He heard laughter from downstairs, but ignored them.
I like Shikamaru.
Scratch that, I love him.
He reread that over and over again, as if to confirm himself that it was really Ino, and she loves him.
Absent-mindedly Shikamaru smiled, even though it'd be troublesome later when he has to return the book to her, and probably he had to endure pain too if she finds out he read her diary, but he knew she loves him and that's all that mattered now.
Because, I—I love her too.
"SURPRISE!'
Ino and Chouji slammed open Shikamaru's door, grinning happily. The Nara had ask the Yamanaka's and Akimichi's families to come over for dinner. Since Ino's and Chouji's little reunion didn't go well, so the Nara decided to do it over again. The blonde kunoichi had already forgiven him then and was excited about the reunion and had decided to surprised the jounin.
Ino and Chouji were told by Mrs. Nara that Shikamaru was in his room and they both walked to his room, quietly and undetectably as possible to surprise him. And it worked too, as the jounin—eyes wide— stared at them, shocked out of his wits.
Chouji laughed, "What's with the face?"
Ino laughed too, "Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost! Man Chouji, we should've brought a camera!" She grinned at the jounin and realized that he was holding a book.
"Eh, whatcha got there Shikamaru?" she asked, tilting her head to see the book properly. She noticed it was a black book. Ino frowned, somehow the black book looked exactly like her diary that she had lost earlier today.
Shikamaru however, had never felt scared for his life. Ino was in his room while he was reading her lost diary that he had found, reading the last page of her entry where she had secretly told the book that she loves him. And knowing Ino, Shikamaru can predict what will happen next….
Ino stared more at the book, and stared at Shikamaru, her eyebrows furrowed. She stared back at the book, and at him and at his hands holding open the book. Then it hit her.
It WAS her diary that she had lost today.
Shikamaru had found the book.
And he's reading it.
And he's reading her latest entry too.
……………………..
Chouji took a step back when he saw Ino's face turning red. He knew the sign very well. He quickly stepped out of the room and closed the door, hoping the screams that would come later would just stay in the room.
But he knew that will never happen and placed his hands on his ears as he felt the Nara's residence shook from the scream,
"SHIKAMARUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
What do you think? Hope I didn't make them too OOC though... gulps
So please review! I do accept flames, they—make my day…lol.
And you might have notice my very noticeable grammar mistakes, my sincere apology. Yeah I know it's a crime…but I love to write! sigh
Anyone wants to beta-read for me?