False Accusations

By: Midnight Forever

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto. Damn.

Notes: So, this was actually something I prethought out, amazingly enough. I was laying in bed, fully ready to just fall asleep, when I thought out this little scenario between Ino and Shikamaru. And so I got up and typed it up exactly how I wanted it and lo and behold, here it is. Enjoy…

False Accusations

Yamanaka Ino was, to say in the least, not very happy. Sakura had just pronounced that Sasuke had asked her to marry him, and of course, she said yes. But that wasn't the thing that was really bothering her. It just added fuel to the already long-burning fire. It was a certain lazy ass ninja, who just happened to be her old teammate and now good friend.

You see Nara Shikamaru had been hanging around that girl as of late. That girl's name was Sabaku no Temari. Fellow ninja, but of a different village. Temari was the older sister of both Kankurou and the infamous Sabaku no Gaara. Ino couldn't put her finger on it, but those two seemed to be awfully close.

What has happened to my Shika—err… Shikamaru? Ino would often ponder his strange actions (as strange as a ninja who would rather just watch clouds than anything could get) and his closeness to Temari. The jingling of the store door alerted her that someone had entered and she looked up from her latest edition of Teen People.

What her eyes met with was a strange site. Uchiha Sasuke – yes that Uchiha Sasuke – was looking right at her; in her store. It's not that Ino still had a crush on the arrogant, moody boy. In fact, she doubted she ever really liked him. It's just that seeing Uchiha Sasuke, last living Uchiha, in a flower shop was somewhat shocking. Her flower shop no less. She found her voice and asked him the same thing that she asked every costumer, "Sasuke-kun? Can I help you with something?" He seemed to snap out of his daze and returned her question with his answer.

"Sakura wanted me to look at what flowers I want at the wedding… Why she asked me, I have no clue. It's her wedding--," the young man was cut off by Ino's high-pitched voice.

"It's because she cares about you! And it's not only her wedding, it's yours too! Sheesh!" Ino shrieked, hands spread out on the counter as she looked at Sasuke.

"Okay, right. Anyways, can you help me out?" Ino sighed, but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, first, pick out what one you think is prettiest," Ino instructed.

Sasuke was silent before asking, "Do I really have to answer that? Guys don't think of things as pretty."

"You think Sakura is pretty, don't you?"

"No, I think Sakura is gorgeous," Sasuke corrected, smirking at the kunoichi next to him.

Ino just sighed softly and replied, "Figures. Anyways, why don't you just smell them all and come get me when you find the one you like, alright?"

"Where're you going?"

"Food!" He merely chuckled and proceeded to sniff away at the many, many flowers.

Ino exited the flower shop with a light smile on her face. The fresh spring breeze made her hair sway as she breathed in the smell of the blossoming Sakura trees. As Ino walked, her thoughts went back to that lazy, yet cute, face of Shikamaru's. She stopped when she had gotten to her destination. 'Ichiraku Ramen'. The best and only ramen restaurant. As she ordered her regular miso ramen, she felt a presence sit down next to her. In the peripheral vision she made out pink locks, and immediately knew it was her best friend who was now sitting next to her. "So…" Ino started out; it had been a long while since they had a real down-to-earth talk.

"Yeah, so…" Obviously, Sakura didn't know how to start the conversation either.

"I saw Sasuke in my flower shop today, not 10 minutes ago."

"Oh! Yes, I sent him there. Did he pick out the flowers he wanted?"

"I left him there to sniff them."

"You what?"

"I left him there to sniff the flowers. You know, to decide what ones he liked best."

"Oh."

"Yeah." For the next hour or so, the conversation pretty much went on like that. Ino had long ago finished her ramen, but wanted to stay until Sakura was done. When she was, she bid her farewell and headed back to her flower shop. She entered the small building and saw Sasuke still sniffing away. He had a red rose in one hand and a purple iris in another. Noticing that this would take awhile longer, she exited the building before she was noticed. The young kunoichi had a sudden urge to go back to her old training grounds; to where Shikamaru and Chouji would always meet up with her for missions and such.

The sight that met her eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. There, not 50 feet in front of her, was Shikamaru… and Temari. Many unreasonable thoughts swarmed in her head as to what they were doing together and all of them seemed very reasonable, well to her, at least. Before she could be noticed, she turned around and started stalking off, light tears staining her cheeks.

"Temari, how am I going to ask her?" Konoha's number one laziest ninja asked, slightly worried.

"Well, you love her, right?" Temari's mature voice asked. A curt nod answered as a yes. "Then you have nothing to worry about—," she was cut off by said lazy ninja, as he started to act a little hysterical.

"But what if she doesn't love me back?! She sure hasn't shown any signs of it and--," this time it was he that was cut off.

"And what? Ino loves you! How you cannot see that, I do not know." Some movement caught the young woman's eye as she saw said girl starting to stalk off. Oh… shit. She must have thought we were doing something together. "Oh, no Shikamaru. Look, it's Ino…" her voice trailed off as she pointed at the retreating figure. Shikamaru looked back in surprise as his eyes widened.

Oh… shit! The same thoughts ran through his head as he started to run after the platinum-blonde haired ninja.

"Ino! Ino!! INO!!!" Shikamaru's voice rang out, as he chased after the girl.

"What!?" the feisty girl snapped, obviously hurt. She didn't have time to wipe away the tears and now the guy she liked most was seeing her in her most pathetic state.

"Stop, please!" Despite the fact that she had already stopped to look him in the eyes.

"Why should I?! What could you possibly want with me, when you have her!" Ino cried out, pointing in the general direction of Temari. Shikamaru was speechless. She had thought of the worst possible outcome.

"Ino, it's not what it looks like!"

"Stop it! Just stop it! Why don't you talk to your girlfriend over there!" Ino screeched, the tears staining her pale cheeks again, this time actually pointing a finger directly at Temari.

"Ino! Stop! Don't make me do this!" Shikamaru threatened, hands already going through the seals of his Kage Mane no Jutsu.

"Heh, go ahead and try, I can beat you. I no longer need your help!" She screamed, backing away, yet performing the hand seals quickly. Shikamaru was about at his last seal, but Ino already had her hands out before her, zoning in on Shikamaru. Her eye's slowly closed, yet her body didn't move from its upright state. She was taking control of Shikamaru's mind with her Shintenshin no Jutsu.

He tried to fight back, but Ino hadn't lied. She was stronger than before, a lot stronger. Taking complete control was easier than she thought it was going to be, she thought as Ino shook her new body to get a hang of the movements. Then she walked over to her real body and took out the compact mirror that was within her pocket. Opening the top, she looked at the body of the boy of her dreams. She noticed that he changed his normal silver hoop earrings to silver buds.

Why did he change them? And I distinctly remember getting him a pair of silver dragon and cloud hoops! That jerk!! Ino felt Shikamaru struggling and she sighed. He was never one to give up, never. She had seen enough and was ready to let go of the technique when Temari spoke to her.

"Ino, I know that's you. Why do you assume Shikamaru and I are going out?" Ino had forgotten that she was even there. Shikamaru's voice mimicked her thoughts.

"You're always together, that's why." And without another moments notice, she released the technique and returned to her true body. After reopening her eyes, she again shook her body, then continued back to the flower shop, tears brimming in her eyes.

It had been at least three hours since her fight with Shikamaru. Three hours since Sasuke had picked out the roses instead of the irises. Yamanaka Ino lay on her bed in her yellow kimono with lilies and roses, thinking about the man she loved and trying not to cry. The spring festival was that night, though it started at 5:00 PM.

Ino snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the first real loud noises from the festival. Guess it's time to go… She hung her head as she climbed out of her bedroom window. It wasn't that her door was jammed or that she still lived with her parents as to why she left the house that way. It was because she didn't want to risk meeting up with Shikamaru once she walked out her door. She jumped to the ground and straightened out her kimono, before going to find Sakura and Sasuke.

As she was looking over the crowds of people, she bumped into someone she had been praying not to see. Shikamaru stood out like a sore thumb in his Jounin vest and ninja gear. Ino merely glared at him and started to walk away. The only thing that stopped her was the light hand on her wrist.

"Ino… please, let's talk…" Shikamaru sounded depressed and a little annoyed at the girls' rudeness.

"No!" She started walking away again, but Shikamaru pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're not leaving. Not before we talk."

"What have we to talk about?! Let go of me!!"

"Not until I say it."

"Not until you say what?!"

"This: Yanamaka Ino, I love you. Please, marry me?" Ino's eyes widened considerably and stopped struggling. She never thought that Shikamaru had liked her like that. And frankly, she didn't know how to respond.

"I…" she began to stutter and look away. "Um…I…" She couldn't find the right words to express how she was feeling and suddenly there were soft lips stopping her constant flow of thoughts. Shikamaru kissed her as they stood in the middle of the road, in front of everyone. But you know what? Ino didn't care at all. She was savoring the taste of him and hoping the moment wouldn't end.

Shikamaru broke away and looked into her cerulean eyes and asked her the same question, "Yanamaka Ino, I love you. Please, marry me?"

Tears flooded her eyes as she softly bobbed her head up and down and let out a small 'Yes'. He hugged her yet again, and this time, she hugged him back.

End.

A/N: Well? I ended up editing some things to make it sound better after I used it for an assignment for my 9th grade Lit class. (A.k.a. adding the swearing back in making it a tad more believable for the storyline.) Anyways, I truly like how this turned out. It's not that I truly dislike ShikaTem, I just won't read it and I think that ShikaIno is better. (Besides, I have a new favorite crack paring thanks to Firefly; go KakuTem!)

You see that little button? I dare you to press it!