AN: Since I can't come up with any more to write, this half-assed chapter will be posted as such.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto because if I did it probably would have stopped having new chapters.

"Well, well, well. Look who's here…"

"Shut up, Kankuro." Ino glared at the sand nin she had gotten more familiar with throughout the joint missions between Suna and Konoha. "Why don't you be a man and take this thing off me!"

Kankuro's joking face deadpanned as he looked at the snoozing girl on Ino's back.

"Hey, it wasn't part of Gaara's orders to do physical work. I was just supposed to escort you into the city."

Shikamaru rubbed his temples, tired from the journey.

"Just take the girl. Troublesome."

Kankuro sighed, carefully removing a sleeping Aiko off Ino's tired back and carrying her bridal style. His eyes narrowed for a moment, feeling something weird, but he shook it off and moved it to the back of his mind for later thought.

"Come on, you two, Gaara wants to meet with you after you've been showed to your rooms and eaten something."

Ino and Shikamaru looked at each other, then back to Kankuro. They started walking inside the gates as a group, attracting a few stares from the Suna civilians, but otherwise not thought twice of. It was a peaceful time in the aftermath of a near-war.

--

Aiko sat up, rubbing her eyes and knocking the covers around her down to her waist. She looked about the dark room, checking for anyone. No one.

She smirked.

"Hmm…"

The purple-haired girl got out of the bed, padding over to the wardrobe. Her clothes had all been hung up in a neat row.

--

Aiko emerged from her room, fixing the straps of her skimpy dress. 'If Shikamaru doesn't like this, then he has to be gay.' Was Aiko's train of thought as she maneuvered through the halls of the Kazekage's imperial sleeping quarters to reach the training grounds, where the object she was seeking must be. It was four in the afternoon, so he had to be starting his final round of training.

The desert sun glared into her eyes, the heat washing over her instantly. It was a good thing she had put on sun block before walking out here. Her "perfect ivory skin" would be burned in an instant.

"Oh, Aiko, what are you doing out here?"

Said girl turned, to see Ino approaching her, obviously heading for training.

Her jaw dropped.

"That is what you train in?!" Aiko screeched as Ino was two feet away from her.

"What? It's hot here...Oh..." Ino smirked deviously, noting the skanky wear the other was wearing. She walked right past hear, heading for the clanging sound of metal. With her back turned towards the other girl, she stopped for a moment.

Aiko glared.

"Well don't you look cute. Like a little girl. Watch out, now! Big girls have to go train with the boys!" She pulled out a kunai to prove her point, throwing it accurately into the tree between a sparring Shikamaru and Kankurou. "Who said you could start without me?!"

"…Slut…" Aiko mumbled to herself, glaring at the appreciative glances the two men were giving Ino in her tight little tanktop and mini-skirt ensemble, not even looking in her direction. "This is a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be." And she turned on her heel (it's a wonder she didn't break an ankle in those heels) and stomped back up to her room to recalculate.

Thoughts were churning in her head as she reached the door to her room and opened it. She was at her destination and had arisen no suspicion. If only that damn Nara was easily seduced! But no, he had to be in love with his teammate. And it was also a minus to her that Ino was hotter than this body was! Why did she have to appear in such a…petit form?

"Petit, more like underdeveloped…" she muttered as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She was pretty, but not womanly. Too slim and narrow where curves should be. She threw off the skimpy dress and looked at this body, wishing for something different. Something sexy. But no, this would have to make due.

A light bulb appeared over her head, figuratively of course, and Aiko smirked, running to the closet and demolishing the organization. She pulled out several fabrics and her smirk turned almost primal.

"Bingo."

--

Shikamaru had no idea why Ino was in such a good mood, but as he thought about it again, he really didn't want to know.

A kunai whizzed past his ear, silencing his thoughts.

"Hey Shikamaru, get your head out of the clouds!" Ino laughed, receiving a mere grunt in response from Shikamaru.

Yes, something was definitely off here.

As he readied himself back in his stance and let his mind flow into calculations on how to quickly end this training session, a chill ran through his bones.

"I think we should call it a day." Shikamaru called out, easing into his normal posture and heading to the doors.

"Wha—Shika!" Ino called after, running after him in a confused state. Kankuro just stood there, a frown on his puzzled face.

"Konoha people…" He muttered before leisurely following them inside. It was almost time for dinner, anyway. An interesting affair to be sure…

AN: I'm really sorry for how terrible my updates are. My writing style has changed and so has my interest in this storyline. So until I get some type of love for this plot back, stupid chapters like this will continue. I may rewrite this whole fanfic one day with how much I hate how I've written it, but time will tell.