Hi guys! So this is my first Naruto fanfiction, and the pairing is Shikamaru/Ino. This takes place around the beginning of Shippuden. Please enjoy! ^_^ No flames please, but constructive criticism is fine.

Disclaimer: Nope.

Glug, glug, glug.

"Inoichi… I know this is coming from me, but don't you suppose you've drunk enough?" Shikaku tentatively pushed the sake bottle away from his red-faced friend. "Something must be troubling you, eh?"

The blond-haired jonin sighed. "Yes, something is troubling me." He gripped his shot cup and turned to face Shikaku. "Remember the conversation we had earlier this week?"

"Earlier this week…" Shikaku thought hard, trying to remember. Suddenly, the thought came to mind. "Oh…" he said. "So that's what's bothering you."

"I went," Inoichi began. "To every single teenage boy throughout Konoha, and not one would take Ino on a date." Fast as lightning, he grabbed the sake bottle and poured himself another glass. And another. And another.

Glug glug glug.

"Why won't anyone love my daughter?" Inoichi cried. "She's beautiful, she's thin… did you know she makes me and her mother go to the market every day just to buy vegetables? She refuses to eat anything else. I honestly don't know how she can fight when all she eats is cabbage and lotus root."

Shikaku thought about Ino. Sure, she wasn't as innocent as the other girls, like Hinata, which some boys found attractive. Sure, she wasn't bubbly and cute like Tenten. Sure, she wasn't as big-breasted as Tsunade, or as pink-haired as Sakura. Sure, she could be kind of a brat at times and swore like a sailor. And on top of that, she was terrible when it came to nagging—

He sighed, looking over his friend who was obviously in despair.

"Well, who did you go to?" Shikaku asked.

"Well…" Inoichi began, his words slurring together. "First, I went to that pretty-boy Jonin from the Hyuga Clan. What's his name again? Oh, oh… um… Neji."

Glug glug glug.

ONE WEEK AGO

One fine spring day, Ino came home screaming and nearly pulling her hair out.

"What's wrong honey?" Inoichi asked her. He didn't understand girls at all, much less the teenage variety.

"Nothing!" Ino shrieked, running to her bedroom.

Inoichi sighed. Weren't children supposed to be your pride and joy? What happened… after a certain age, they turn into little demons…

"Daaaaaaaad!" Ino's wailing came from her bedroom. "Can you get me a class of water?"

Inoichi grabbed a cup and filled it with water. Anything he could do to comfort his little princess, he would.

He knocked on her door and entered. She sat on her bed, curled up in a ball, trails of mascara on her cheeks. Inoichi handed the glass of water to her, which she sipped.

"Dad… how come no boys ever like me?" Ino looked up at him with big, teary eyes. "They all like Sakura… not even the lame ones like Lee and Choji are interested in me."

Inoichi pulled his daughter into a hug. "I guess you're at that age now, huh?"

After a few minutes of silence, Ino deadpanned, "Dad, life sucks."

Inoichi thought for a few moments and then said, "Ino sweetie, go to sleep, okay? Daddy will handle it."

And so, stepping out of the Yamanaka Household, his journey began.

Hope u guys like it!:) please review, subscribe, and favorite!33