Chapter Text
Ino is sitting at a corner table contemplating physics, and sex, and death.
Her eyes are crossed, examining her unbroken wooden chopsticks up close while two purple lacquered pinky nails pull the ends in opposite directions. One more ounce of force and it’s over. She watches the wood begin to splinter.
“Entertaining yourself?” Shikamaru pulls out a chair for himself and sits across from her.
Ino snaps the chopsticks open. “Fuck off.”
“Okay,” he says, and begins to rise and leave without fanfare.
“Oh my god, shut up, sit down. I invited Naruto.”
Shikamaru sinks back into the chair. “Haven’t seen him in a while,” he comments mildly.
“He’s a busy boy.”
“He’s in high demand,” Shikamaru adds.
Ino begins pouring out three glasses of water from the pitcher on the table.
Shikamaru coughs lightly. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by quitting smoking,” Ino replies.
“Save it. You’ll probably try to bum one off me the second we get outside,” he fires back.
Ino scowls and says nothing, examining her nails carefully. What the hell is going on here.
“Oh, Naruto’s here.”
Thank fuck, Ino thinks.
“Sorry I’m late!” Naruto’s voice arrives well before his person. He hurries over and throws his coat down before taking the seat next to Ino, settling down with a loud huff. “The reason I’m late—” He brings his water glass to his mouth and begins chugging it down, the index finger of his other hand raised to ward off interruption.
Ino takes the opportunity to lean to the side and hug Naruto around the middle, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Hi Ino,” he says warmly, and slams down his empty glass. “The reason I’m late is that I ran into Hinata. We got to talking, and she agrees that I should dye my hair red.”
“Good idea,” Shikamaru responds. “I was just thinking that I had two too many blond bimbos in my life.”
Naruto frowns. “Yeah, I really wouldn’t suggest talking about Temari like that if you value your life.”
Ino smacks Naruto lightly on the arm. “I’m the other bimbo, bimbo. And your hair is perfect the way it is.” Her attention shifts towards Shikamaru. “How is Temari, by the way.”
“She’s fine,” Shikamaru answers, flipping distractedly through the menu. “Do you guys know what you want?”
“‘She’s fine?’” Ino prods. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Shikamaru pauses, staring blankly at the menu in his hands before closing it and putting it down on the table. “Distance sucks, obviously.”
Naruto hums sympathetically.
“And when she is here...” Shikamaru starts to trail off. He shakes his head and finishes, “Sometimes it’s just a lot.”
Ino shrugs. “I always said she was too much woman for you.”
Shikamaru levels a glare at her.
Yeah? Ino thinks.
A few tense moments pass before he snorts a laugh and picks his menu back up. “I wonder how Sai’s managing then.”
“Oh, that’s over.”
“What! Why! He didn’t say anything!” Naruto is growing more and more animated. “Oh my god! Ino!”
Shikamaru pinches the bridge of his nose.
“You need to lower your voice bimbo,” Ino says, not unkindly. “It’s okay. Everything’s fine between me and your boy.”
Shikamaru sighs. “You two are giving me a headache.” He turns to Ino. “What happened?”
Ino smothers her desire to get up, walk out of the restaurant, and never look back. Everyone’s gonna hear about it eventually. Might as well set the record straight.
Naruto reaches out and takes her hand encouragingly while she’s gathering her thoughts. Jesus, this kid, Ino sighs to herself. We don't deserve him. She squeezes Naruto’s hand before giving it back to him. “I’m okay. It just wasn’t working out. We’re too similar.”
Shikamaru quirks an eyebrow. “Really.”
“Yes, actually,” Ino laughs. “Two abrasive hot people, who just, you know, won’t shut their mouths in public. And then we’d be alone and everything would feel so… heavy. There was just too much melancholy between the two of us. Sai’s got a lot of shit to work through.” Ino breathes deeply. “And I’ve been kinda fucked up since my dad… our dads died.” She tries to hold Shikamaru’s gaze, but his eyes are hard to find.
“Yeah,” he says softly.
“Anyway,” Ino blusters on. “I love him, and I want to support him. I just can’t do that while I’m fucking him. It’s just not healthy for me.”
“I understand that entirely,” Naruto offers sagely. “It’s like that with me and Sasuke.”
What the fuck. “Except you and Sasuke aren’t dating. Or fucking.”
“Right. But you know what I mean.”
No, I really don’t. “Yeah, of course honey.”
Shikamaru is giving the two of them an inscrutable look. “So should we order, or what?”
“So, how have you been coping with our break-up?”
Ino chokes on her coffee. “Oh my god, you’re a madman.”
Sai frowns. Sort of frowns. It’s the microexpressions, with him, Ino thinks.
“I thought you said you wanted us to have an open and honest dialogue.”
“No, no, no,” Ino touches Sai’s arm lightly. “You’re absolutely right.” She glances around the busy hallway. Just didn’t expect to have a dialogue in the middle of the academy. “I’m doing okay. How are you?”
“I’m better than I expected to be.”
“Well, of course,” Ino rolls her eyes. “You’re probably drowning in pussy already.”
Sai grins. “Naturally.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Sai and Ino turn to find Shikamaru leaning against the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, head cocked to the side.
“Shikamaru,” Sai greets warmly. "Yes, you are."
“Hey Sai. Lieutenant Yamanaka, with me.”
“I’ll catch you later Sai,” Ino winks.
Shikamaru is already walking towards Kakashi’s office. “You climbing the walls yet?” he calls back as Ino jogs up to him.
How did he know? “Fuck, yes. Where are we going?”
“Tea country.”
“Where’s Choji?”
Shikamaru glances at her. “Sitting this one out. It’s just intelligence gathering.”
Ino groans. “I haven’t had a fight in a minute.”
Shikamaru’s fist hovers over the door to the Hokage’s office. “Don’t jinx it.” He knocks twice.