Clusters of fluffy low-level cumulus clouds hung over the bright blue backdrop above Konoha. The sun was out, the birds were chirping and everyone in the Village Hidden in the Leaves seemed to be enjoying the arrival of springtime. Sakura Haruno was one of the cheerful residents of the large city surrounded by lush greenery. She leaned over the rounded balcony and looked down to see many folks going about their morning, taking trips to the market and conversing with friends along the way. The mood, needless to say, was pleasant. She headed back into her room and grabbed her blue ninja headband, slipping it atop her head and tied it with a firm tug so it stayed in place during her shift at the hospital.

Since Naruto and Sasuke left the village for their own reasons two months ago, Sakura had to find a way to busy herself, but also improve herself. She wanted to turn to Kakashi Sensei but Lady Tsunade was keeping him busy with missions, so Sakura decided to work under the female Hokage herself. Ino had likened the idea and decided she too would learn medical ninjutsu. While Sakura gave her blond friend a hard time about copying her, it was in jest, as Sakura was truthfully very glad to have her best friend working beside her as they learned how to heal. But Sakura wasn't just learning about medical work, she was also honing her fighting style under Lady Tsunade when time permitted them to train.

Needless to say, finding free time was not an easy feat for the pink hair kunoichi.

As she headed downstairs, she said goodbye to her parents and headed out the door. "I'm off!" The sun felt incredible against her bare arms and she had to stop to soak it in. At the hospital, she was usually fussing with something or someone and had little time to enjoy the nice weather. She would have tomorrow off, which was a Friday, so she hoped she could use the time to go do some shopping and be lazy. Of course being lazy wasn't something that came natural to her. Sakura was the kind of girl who thrived on responsibility and purpose. She loved doing her best, every time, no matter what task was given to her. Sure, her insecurities could get in the way but she found some way to conquer them.

Taking a deep breath, she headed across the wide dusty street to a small cafe on the corner of the street and bought herself some orange juice and a chocolate filled pastry. Sakura ate her breakfast quickly and continued along towards the hospital. Her hair brushed lightly against her bare shoulders as she passed a few familiar faces, waving to them. The sixteen year old was learning to cope with the loss of Team Seven. While others like Ino and Hinata still had their teammates and could get sent on missions, she felt disconnected, detached from those she used to consider her family. Sakura was a little jealous but tried to live with it, knowing that she, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi were different people, battling different demons. It wasn't fair but she had to accept it.

"Good morning!" She waved to a few people she knew as she slowed in front of a small clothes shop that sold women's outfits, ranging from formal wear to special armor designed for a kunoichi. Her parents were proud of her and her accomplishments but Sakura knew that they wanted her to be in a less dangerous field so they were pleased with her interest in hospital work. Still, she pined to go out on missions. Her emerald eyes gazed at the white skirt and then to the fitting black formal dress, sighing softly. Sakura wished she had more time to toy with such frivolities. Over her shoulder, she spotted a couple who had been eyeing the same store she was standing in front of. Her face turned red and she took a step back, reminding herself she had to hurry to work and stop daydreaming.

Shikamaru Nara could not describe the day as anything less than perfection. Between the sun’s rays hitting him with the ideal amount of warmth and the breeze that graced him every now and then, today was one of the best days for him, where he could lounge about in peace and solitude. There weren’t any missions on schedule for Team Asuma; Asuma was on a mission only Jonin could attend, while Choji was out with his father training hard in preparation for the next Chuunin exam, and that left Ino to continue learning under Lady Hokage herself to improve her own abilities. Then there was him, already a Chuunin, doing nothing more than laying on his back and cloud gazing, not a care in the world.

At least, he wished that were the case.

The second Ino Yamanaka’s name crossed his mind, his eyes had closed so he could concentrate on her image entirely. He couldn’t name when it was or where it was, but lately just seeing her or hearing her voice had evoked something encouraging in him. When she was around he had worked harder than he typically would. He had occasionally visited her at her family’s flower shop, using whatever excuse he had. Each time he had left wanting to spend a little more time together, but inevitably her duties and desires had strayed from his own. It made sense; she didn’t have the time for a guy like him. He was boring, not as hard a worker as he could be, and he wasn’t that handsome.

He was no Sasuke Uchiha, either…

Shikamaru sat up and opened his eyes, lazily looking about the deserted training field that he and his team often used to practice. Were this a few months ago, this thought process wouldn’t exist, he would be asleep and at peace right now, under the very oak he was sitting under, without a care in the world. But instead insecurity rang its ugly head. He wanted more out of his life far sooner than he cared to openly admit. Ever since the failure to retrieve Sasuke from the enemy, his thoughts and feelings had begun to change about the world around him. Positively, of course. There was too much good around him to not savor it more. He saw a lot just lying down and looking up, thinking to himself about unimportant things. Maybe he could share that with Ino.

“She’d never go for this,” Shikamaru spoke aloud for the first time, no longer able to contain his thoughts. “Girls like her… I’d have to be exciting. It just wouldn’t be like her to buy into this so soon.”

As praised as his intellect was, Shikamaru knew that there were things he couldn’t figure out all on his own. He needed someone—an expert on Ino, or at least about women—that he could meet with to sort out his thoughts, feelings, and doubts. Right about now, Ino would have been preparing to meet with Tsunade. But she wasn’t meeting Tsunade alone. There was Sakura Haruno, Ino’s best friend, someone who shared a rivalry with her, but also likely shared similar interests. His eyes lit up. It could work: enlist Sakura for help, understand Ino more, and be lucky enough to be a guy that could match Sasuke in desirability, or at least get on her radar.

It was a lot of effort to race back to the village from the training field, but for this it would be worth it. Shikamaru reached Sakura’s residence, recalling it from visit with Ino and Choji back during their academy days. A few knocks on the door brought her mother promptly at the door. He addressed himself respectfully and asked to see Sakura, only to be told that she had left just minutes ago to meet with Tsunade. Thanking her for her time, he headed down the most direct street towards the hospital, and just after a minute of hustling he had caught her staring at a store window that displayed outfits.

Now, he paused. She would be in a hurry to get to the hospital, so there wasn’t any chance he could just sit down and build up to the dilemma he had. There was also little to no chance that he could convince her to take the day off, not to mention that would just be selfish. The weight of what he had to ask her seemed limitless. But he considered his only option left, as he had no other choice now: be forward about what it is he needed of her, and just hope that she wouldn’t laugh at his face and remind him of who he was: Anything but boyfriend material.

She was beginning to turn and head off again, and there was no more time to dwell. He had to act now.

“Sakura, wait up!” Shikamaru called from behind her, hustling over and coming to a stop beside her. While he did his best to seem calm, he couldn’t help but look at her with unease. “Would you mind if I walked you from here? There’s actually something I need to ask you.”

She had agreed, and this made him breathe a little easier. They had begun to walk together to her destination, leaving him to make whatever point he had to. ‘I should’ve rehearsed before I even knocked on her door, but it’s too late to have regrets. Here it goes…’

“There’s been something, or rather… someone… a girl, I should say, on my mind lately,” he began slowly, pocketing his hands. “I’m… well, look at me. I know I’m not the number one pick for a boyfriend in our age group, but… I just… I want to try and make myself more presentable… for Ino.”

So far, so good.

His dark eyes came to rest on Sakura’s green ones. “It’s abrupt and out of nowhere, and believe me when I say it’s troublesome, but I was hoping you could help… put me out there, or just give me some advice. I’m no Sasuke, I know that, but I think if I gave it my all, I could do for Ino what he isn’t here to.” Admitting all this out loud had brought a crimson color to his cheeks. He turned away bashfully, freeing his left hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. Looking at Sakura and saying all these corny things was too much. “Maybe just ask her what she thinks of me, and I could try and work around that on my own? It’s a lot to ask of you, and I won’t blame you if you said no, but I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”

Making her way back towards the hospital, she didn't get very far before someone called out to her.

"Huh?" Sakura turned around and saw Shikammaru hurry towards her. "Shikamaru...?" The ninja wasn't sure what he wanted with her. She gave him a sideways look, not sure if she was really who he was looking for. Not to mention he seemed a little stressed or even in a hurry, which wasn't like him at all. She began to worry about his health be it mental or physical. Was he okay? Was he in trouble? Was there some kind of emergency? Shikamaru went on to ask if he could walk with her. She gave a stiff nod, still not sure what his intentions were but she told herself if it was something urgent, he would have already gotten to the point. "Sure, I'd enjoy the company." Ever since Naruto and Sasuke parted ways with the village, she had missed being a team, had missed her friends dearly so even a small visit with Shikamaru would be very much welcomed.

The pair began to walk a slightly slower pace than Sakura was used to. She glanced to Shikamaru, her hands clasped behind her back, her right hand lightly grasping her left wrist. "What's on your mind?" The genius was clearly consumed with some kind of issue and if he sought her out she would do whatever she could to help. Sure, they weren't exactly friends but she didn't think they were strangers either. When Shikamaru began to say he had been thinking about a girl, a slight dread began to fall atop her shoulders. 'He doesn't mean me right? He couldn't mean me! That's insane!' She kept a straight face as her Inner Self was beginning to worry.

He finally mentioned who he had a crush on. Ino.

'Of course it's Ino.

Her brief moment of feeling insulted was brushed aside. 'I mean...thank god, it's Ino. She thought and shook her head. Sakura kpt her eyes on Shikamaru as they walked, passing through a series of vendors as they neared the village's hospital. She felt a little sorry for the guy. As much as Sakura loved Ino's friendship, Ino could be so stubborn and at times shallow. Part of her wanted to tell Shikamaru to just give up and that he could find someone better than Ino, someone he'd be better suited for, personality wise. But he had determination and that's was struck her the most. He was such a lazy, laid back, casual guy that for him to want to try and make Ino happy was a real interesting turn of events.

Shikamaru looked off, blushing. He quickly looked off and finished, expressing a need for Sakura to offer advice or to even probe Ino's brain on his behalf. Sakura stopped walking as they stood outside the hospital. She was sure Ino was already inside, tending to some of their regular patients. "You really sound lovesick. I think it's sweet that you want to really try to make Ino happy." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "But I already know what she thinks about you...I mean there's a lot of downtime so your name is bound to come up." Sakura offered him a small smile. It wasn't good news for the Chunin. "She kinda views you as a...brother. Like you two bicker but then make up."

Sakura knew that was the last thing Shikamaru wanted to hear but it was the truth, Ino just didn't view Shikamaru as boyfriend material. On one hand, Sakura couldn't blame Ino. Shikamaru was a slacker who had tons of potential but it often went unused. His looks were fine but if he kept comparing himself to Sasuke, that would be a losing battle. "You know...if she saw you dating someone, it might make her view of you change? I think that would get her to consider dating you, get her intrigued and show that you can be attentive and considerate." She removed her hand from his shoulder and gave a shrug, not sure if he'd be up for dating someone when he had feelings for Ino but it was all she could come up with on the spot. "I need to get going but I'll talk to and see if I can nudge her in your direction, just be sure you want Ino, she can be quite a handful." She winked playfully and waved before she jogged up to the hospital's entrance and headed inside to report to Tsunade.

Just hearing the term ‘lovesick’ had brought some discomfort to Shikamaru, somewhere where Sakura’s eyes couldn’t see. He had known women were going to be challenging as he had grown older, but he did not expect it to hit him this hard, this soon. If you had told him months ago that he would start seeing Ino as more than just a childhood friend, a teammate, and a comrade, the fit of laughter that would follow might have scared you. It had little to do with Ino as a person; she was outgoing, considerate, and strong. Even back then he had known she’d be quite a catch as she got older. But to attract him? Him, of all people? That was something he couldn’t have expected.

Sakura’s hand on his shoulder had brought him ease, and he had offered her a smile in thanks. He tensed at her offering of knowledge, hoping there would be some light in this strange, foreboding tunnel he was about to travel into. Alas, Sakura had confirmed it: Ino saw him as the figure he already knew she would, nothing more than a brother. That meant trust and comfort, but there wasn’t room to come to him about more personal matters. Normally he’d be thankful. Normally he wouldn’t be thinking about a woman like this. Life was becoming more complicated by the day.

“I see. Can’t say I didn’t see that coming,” Shikamaru said with a slight smile, his face etched with disappointment. Sakura continued, and his brow raised at her suggestion. Ino seeing him dating someone to help see him as a man? It was crazy enough to work. ‘Ino wouldn’t admit it, but she seems like just the type of girl to be interested in something like that,’ the Nara thought to himself. ‘Sakura might be on to something.’

She withdrew her hand, prompting him to roll the arm in its socket before pocketing his hands and offering her a more genuine smile. This conversation was going places, but unfortunately Sakura had already arrived to the very place she needed to get to. And here he was, keeping her waiting with his nonsense.

He gave her a small nod to her wink and watched her jog inside, turning to face at her back. “Thanks again, I owe you for this!” he said, just before she disappeared inside and got to work. Turning on his heel, he had headed back the way he had come with her, thinking aloud. “Sakura’s not a bad strategist herself.”

As helpful as Sakura’s advice was, it would ultimately be up to him to learn how to court a woman. Asking Asuma-Sensei would do no good, as he was out on a mission and would be gone for some time. His own father seemed the smartest option, but it was an option he didn’t want to explore until he had to. If he thought bringing up his dilemma to Sakura was hard, his father was going to be impossible. There were just some things he didn’t want to bring up, not even to his old man.

So, Shikamaru turned to literature. The Hidden Leaf’s own bookstore housed creative works, but also guides that one would find useful in anything—home improvement, cook books, but most importantly relationships and the art of romance. He took a seat in the farthest corner of the store that he could, stack of relevant works in hand, and had begun to skim them to find information he could use. Some advice seemed sound, and some sounded far too hopeless to ever work in a real-life situation. Still, being completely naive to courting, he would take what he could stomach to apply to a real woman. When at last he had closed the final book, he noted that a handful of hours had already passed.

‘3 already?’ He thought with mild surprise, returning his books and departing the bookstore emptyhanded. The irritating pinch of his stomach had kicked in right on time, reminding them that he hadn’t ate since breakfast. ‘Guess I could go out and get something to eat in a bit,’ Shikamaru glanced up at the clouds while maneuvering himself back home. ‘A fake girlfriend, huh? A little unorthodox for sure, but it’s the best way to get Ino to look on me as a man. But then, who would even go for me even to pretend? Hinata’s too shy, and Tenten doesn’t even look like she has time to worry about men. Who else?’

Shikamaru’s attention fell forward again as the Nara compound came into view. What he wouldn’t give right now to be as carefree as the kids that occasionally ran by. ‘Maybe… maybe—‘ a voice called out to him, and he turned around to see a familiar face hustling towards him.

“Sakura?”

Ino had been watching Ino and Shikamaru from a patient's room window. She kept herself hidden as she watched from afar, wishing she could hear what it was they were talking about. 'Ooooh what are they saying? It's gotta be about me. I mean why else would they be talking together? He's probably asking her what to get me for my birthday next month.' Ino quickly went back to work when Sakura headed into the lobby. The blond kunoichi casually strolled up to her friend as Sakura was checking over some files. "Hey Sakura, you're late." Ino teased, knowing Sakura was barely a minute late, if even. Sakura checked the clock and waved a hand at Ino as the blond chewed on her lower lip, still dying to pick Sakura's brain and see what Shikamaru wanted. Still, she remained calm and waited until Sakura was done checking on her first patient before she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"So! I saw you with Shikamaru this morning, what's that all about?"

Sakura steadied herself and stared at Ino, not sure if she should deny everything or tell Ino how Shikamaru was truly feeling. She had once pined for Sasuke so she knew how Shikamaru was feeling and knew if she exposed his inner secret, he would be mortified. Still she couldn't just brush off the encounter either, Ino was inching closer, clasping her hands together and giving the pink haired girl a very intense stare that was probably supposed to come off as innocent. Ino was hardly innocent. Sakura averted her eyes and took a step back, feeling smothered by her friend. "Come on Sakura, you can tell me anything. Did it have anything to do with my birthday?" She pressed, stepping closer. There it was, Sakura could lie and say they were discussing a surprise party or something but in the back of her mind, she didn't feel right saying that...

'God...what do I tell her? Shikamaru did want to seem unavailable and if Ino is already this interested then maybe this is for the best?' Sakura felt she was grasping at straws. The more she was quiet, the more Ino would suspect something. "Well...we didn't want to tell you yet-"

"Tell me what?" Ino laughed and smacked Sakura so hard on the back, that Sakura dropped the chart she had been clutching to her chest.

"We are...dating. Yes...um we're dating, just a recent thing so we didn't want to tell you until we knew this was serious." She explained, her face quickly catching on fire as she feared Ino would see through her ruse. "We had our first date last week and he was walking me to work today, we're taking things slow." Sakura looked to Ino and saw a mixture of emotions fall across her face. She looked somewhat dubious but also intrigued and surprised...and a little...sad. Maybe she was imagining things though. "You're not mad are you...?"

Ino finally leaned back giving Sakura her personal space back. "Mad? No way! You two would be good for each other, I wish I had pushed you guys together sooner." Ino waved a hand and took a step back and looked at Sakura up and down, her hands on her hips. Sakura bent over and grabbed her metal chart, still eyeing Ino, not sure if the girl was truly sincere or going to smack her. Ino noticed Sakura's hestiation and shook her head. "Really, Sakura. I'm happy for you two, I just wished I had been told sooner but I suppose you wanting to wait makes sense. I guess I never knew Shikamaru had those kinds of feelings...for you, I mean." Ino pulled Sakura into a tight hug. The two friends embraced one another before Ino pulled back and squeezed Sakura's cheeks, pinching them. "I'm so proud of you. And Shikamaru too, you guys are growing up!" She teased.

The rest of their work was spent healing patients, going over a quick lesson when Lady Tsunade had some free time, eating lunch and finishing paperwork. It wasn't glamorous but it kept them busy enough that Ino couldn't further bombard Sakura with questions about her and Shikamaru's budding romance. Sakura was still trying to read Ino and see what her friend was thinking. She felt bad about lying to Ino and even felt somewhat bad about lying on Shikamaru's behalf without consulting him fist. Still, it couldn't be undone anymore. Maybe it was for the best, maybe this would work out in Ino and Shikamaru's favor and they could all laugh about it months from now.

As the afternoon grew, it was time for their shift to end. As the two friends were getting ready to leave, Ino mentioned hoping to see Shikamaru and congratulate him on the new found relationship. Sakura quickly excused herself and channeled her chakra to her feet as she jumped up on the nearest building once out of Ino's view, and sprinted toward Shikamaru's home. Much like Naruto, she was quite capable of quickly sprinting through the village though it was something the rarely ever did unless pressed for time. Sakura knew the route Ino would take was a little less direct so it gave her a small window of time to get to Shikamaru first. Her heart pounded as she already began to regret this whole scheme. It was so stupid, it was never going to work.

And yet...Ino seemed clearly affected by it which was the intention right?

"Shikamaru!" She called out upon spotting him. Landing on the dirt road, she hurried over to him and nearly plowed him down as she grabbed onto his shoulders, trying to catch her breath. "We...I had to tell Ino we're dating." She panted. "It just came out, she was asking questions and it...you owe me cause it really caught her attention." The girl straightened up having collected herself, she let go of him and stepped back, wanting to fill him in before Ino who would be arriving shortly. "I told her it just started last week so that could cover up why she just found out and why we're still taking it slow." She said. "She says she's happy for us but I could tell it was very much a surprise and already made her head start spinning a whole new way regarding you. You owe me."

Before anything else could be said, Ino called out to them, walking towards them. She nuzzled herself between Sakura and Shikamaru, looping an arm around each of their shoulders. "So this is why you had to leave early? To see your boyfriend? That's so cute!" Ino then stepped forward and spun around on her heel, her bright eyes sparkling at the pair, still trying to imagine them as a couple. It was just so sudden.

"So who asked who out? Let me guess, you Sakura?"

"No he asked me out." Her reflexes were getting better at reacting to Ino's questions. Though Sakura's job was to make Shikamaru look good. 'We pretend to date a few weeks and he could dump me, go after Ino and she'd be happy to fall into his arms after seeing what she was missing.' Sakura thought to herself with a shrug. "Our first date was so relaxing, we had a picnic and spent the afternoon holding hands and staring up at the clouds, enjoying the sunshine. He then walked me home and well...kissed me! We've only been out once after that you know we are trying to take our time but I'm just surprised you two never got together." Sakura glanced to Shikamaru, hoping he could play along too.

Ino looked between them, looking crestfallen for a moment. "Hm...yeah, I guess I never considered him to be romantic or to even care about girls." She sighed. "You guys better take care of each other though, you're very special to me." She went back to smiling at them though it was clear Ino was thinking a lot about the pair now and if she had missed out on something great.

"O-of course!" Sakura grabbed Shikamaru's hand, lacing their fingers together slightly clumsily.

Shikamaru had a select few ideas about what Sakura could possibly be rushing back to him for, nearly crashing into him in the process. His first guess was that Tsunade needed him for a priority mission; it made sense that the Hokage learned something while she taught Sakura and Ino, and was in a rush to begin recruitment for it. The second guess was related to Ino; maybe there was some good news after all, something new to be learned about his teammates feelings about him. In a way, the second guess was the correct one. He was learning something new, just not related to Ino.

Sakura had taken the initiative and would assume the role of his new girlfriend, but that knowledge was less surprising than discovering Ino was intrigued by it.

“She actually—“

He was cut short by the call for their attention by none other than Ino herself. With very little time to find this new character, being Sakura’s new boyfriend, Shikamaru had begun to formulate a strategy. Ino was a very predictable adversary outside of actual combat; triggering her own wants and desires was the game plan, but it would require both Sakura and himself to play this carefully. Avoiding contradictions could be simple if they left together, and Ino didn’t dig too deeply into this budding relationship.

A tinge of crimson built on his cheeks when Ino scooted between Sakura and himself, entering in a proximity he would need to get used to. An ecstatic shimmer in her blue eyes was followed by a step forward and a spin on her heel. Obviously she approved. It wasn’t exactly the expression he was hoping to get, but it was a good start.

Next came the questioning phase, with Sakura replying before a single letter could leave his lips. Not only did she have to make him sound like a good guy, she also had to know him better than Ino herself. Without the time to rehearse their roles the situation could go either way. For now, he could only put his faith in Sakura, quietly analyzing Sakura’s decision-making skills under pressure.

‘Me asking you out is smart. Bold.’ He thought to himself. Ino had little interest in shy men, and especially ones that didn’t go for what they wanted. She continued. ‘A picnic… not too bad. Humble. Holding hands and staring at clouds does sound like me.’

Sakura decided that a kiss was the perfect end to their date. Again, a bold move… perhaps too bold, even for him. A small wince occurred by his right eye, one that Ino thankfully did not catch, before giving Sakura the best and most earnest smile he could manage. It wasn’t how he thought he’d end a date, and maybe that was just an implication of her desires more than his, but she had understood him well enough to not leave a doubt anywhere else in her story. His focus returned to Ino just as she gave her show of support for them both.

Sakura beat him to the response once again before locking their hands together. Ideally that would be the end of it. Ino supported them, wanted the very best for them, but the curiosity of this new and sudden romance would be too much for her to just walk away from. There was too much she didn’t understand. Her best friend, now dating her teammate who was the least likely bachelor in the village, out of nowhere. That was the kind of thing you didn’t let go.

“So, what was the kiss like?”

Sometimes he wished he was just plain wrong.

“Ino,” He began, cutting in before Sakura could speak a word of it. She had done well so far, but it wasn’t his style to let a woman do all the talking for him. “Normally I would say that you’re digging too deep, but you’d just ask Sakura later anyway. Right?”

“Bingo!” Ino exclaimed with two sharp nods.

‘Keeping private about it is only going to make her interest escalate, so I can’t just leave her with nothing…’ Shikamaru mused, sighing. “Well… at first I wasn’t sure if it was the right move to make, but I didn’t want to end the date on just a hug. The fact she even said yes to spending the time with me was fortunate. I wanted Sakura to see that I was willing to meet her more than halfway. I still remember the look on her face.”

Ino leaned closer to the pair with widened eyes. “You totally went for it? No way!” She cried, thrilled. “I didn’t think you had it in you!”

“I didn’t either,“ Shikamaru admitted. He turned to the cherry blossom beside him, finding his smile again and putting it on display. “And apparently neither did you. You should’ve seen the look on your face. I almost pulled away, I thought I was going to scar you!”

His hand in hers tensed, hoping that he had guessed correctly her surprise. Imagine him, moving in on her for a kiss. Unfathomable. How could she not be surprised in that pretend scenario? ‘We keep this up and she’ll be trying to wrap her head around it all night.’

“Kyaaaa!~” Ino’s hands covered her cheeks, unable to contain the wide grin that appeared. “I can’t believe it, I just can’t! My little Sakura is growing up after all! I can’t wait to tell everyone else!”

Shikamaru blinked. “What?”

“You don’t think I’m going to keep this all to myself, do you?” Ino hugged herself with glee. “I’ve gotta say that I never would’ve thought it possible, but Shikamaru… you’ve really stepped up! I’m almost stunned into silence over here!”

Her smile was blinding to him, and he lost any will he had to defuse her evident joy. It was by Sakura’s choice that she was now entrapped in the role of his girlfriend, and while he didn’t know if she wanted this getting out, she had to have known that Ino couldn’t possibly keep this all to herself for long.

When it came to Ino, she could be quite the wildcard. Sakura was doing her best to keep up with the blond and anticipate where her mind might travel to, so Sakura could be ready with answers that should come naturally to someone in a relationship. But when Ino asked about the kiss Sakura had mentioned, Sakura wasn't sure what to say. How was one to respond to that? Sakura opened her mouth, her lis parting slightly as she looked to Shikamaru for help. He seemed capable of answering for her so she didn't bother trying to speak up, her mind suddenly coming to a halt as she had to consider what kissing Shikamaru would be like. She hadn't really done any kissing before, she was ashamed to admit and so she had no idea if she'd do well in lying about such a basic thing, something Ino likely had done plenty of times already.

Ino's bright 'bingo' snapped the girl out of her daze.

"Uhh yeah, it was a surprise...but a welcomed one haha...haa." Sakura smiled gently as Shikamaru looked to her, her brain struggling to keep up with this avalanche of information she'd have to remember. She knew as soon as she got home, she would need to take notes on everything so she could better memorize what she and Shikamaru were telling Ino. Any inconsistencies would surely be noticed by the keen blond. "You're lucky I didn't try to punch you!" She joked lightly as she tightened her grip, knowing it was best to get away from Ino sooner rather than later. This was all beginning to overwhelm Sakura, honestly.

At the mention of Ino running around telling everyone, Sakura tensed even more but soon relaxed as she thought about the prospect of her and Shikamaru putting up resistance to such an idea. Sure, Sakura mentioned this was a new relationship so it might be plausible to Ino that they would want some privacy a bit longer but Sakura knew Ino pretty well and knew this kind of gossip was not going to stay safe for long. 'Probably best to just lean into this whole charade and let Ino have her fun, if we seem reluctant, it might only make things worse for us. Her lips aren't that great at locking secrets away anyway.' She thought to herself and gave a shrug. "Sure, go ahead, we've got nothing to hide. I'd love to show off my new boyfriend." She gave Shikamaru a playful wink before looking back to Ino.

"You two are so darn cute, I almost can't stand it." She declared and gave a small wiggle of her hips. She then released her arms which were wrapped around herself and clasped them together, fingers laced together. "Have you met her parents yet Shikamaru? Did they bring out the baby pictures? If you think Sakura is cute now, wait till you see some of her old pictures." She began to tease.

"Hey, Ino!" Sakura tried to protest, her face turning another shade of pink as she would horrified if Shikamaru saw such embarrassing pictures of her in little dresses playing on the swings or hiding under the kitchen table baked, covering in chocolate that she had tipped over on accident.

"One of these days you'll go shopping with me Sakura and we can pick out something nice for you to wear for Shikamaru. I know what he'd like." She smirked and waved a hand at Sakura.

"Right...well we've got dinner plans so we better be going. We're going to get some BBQ-"

"Shikamaru! That's no place to take a date!" Ino smacked Shikamaru in the arm and looked to Sakura with a mixture of amusement and pity. "You should go someplace romantic and private. Not someplace where you have to grill your own meat and deal with smoke and getting sweaty. It's fine to go with friends but not a girlfriend." Ino sighed. Sakura chewed on her lower lip. She hadn't meant to have gotten Shikamaru in trouble. She just knew Shikamaru and his friends frequented the BBQ place not far and didn't think mentioning Ichiraku would be really romantic either. Sakura now knew she had to come up with something nicer to appease Ino.

"Do you have any suggestions? Where would you want to go on a date...?" Sakura asked, hoping Ino's answer would at least help Shikamaru in the future.

"There's a great place not far from here, it has cuisine from other villages and it seems quite intimate but also adventurous. The best of both worlds if you ask me!"

Sakura nodded, though she wasn't exactly interested. [b]"We'll look into it, thanks. Anyway, we better be going now. See you later."/b] Sakura tugged on Shikamaru's hand and headed off away from Ino, feeling the blue eyes still on them as they walked away. Sakura leaned over to whisper in his ear, knowing Ino was still eyeing them. "I wasn't joking about dinner." She said quietly. It had been a long day and the past ten minutes made her feel all the more hungry and tired, she thought the least Shikamaru could do for her was treat her to dinner. Her hand let go of his as it moved up his arm to hook their arms together for something a bit more comfortable as they walked closely together. Ino put her hands on her hips as they faded into the crowd of other villagers, finding herself quite taken with the idea of Shikamaru and Sakura.

'They are full of surprises, those two...'

It was hard enough to play this role in front of Ino, who was the entire reason this situation was created in the first place. Now with Sakura’s confirmation, he had to imagine looking someone like Choji in the eye and telling him about this. Being thrust into romance was something he was prepared to do. Being outgoing about his new status as a boyfriend, on the other hand, was one of the last hurdles he needed to get over.

Ino was by far the most outgoing of the two girls, yet even with that knowledge in mind it didn’t make what he had to do with Sakura any easier. She was playing pretend for his sake, with little for her to gain in return, and with that in mind he realized that this was just as new and discomforting for her as it was him. Excluding the last attack on the village, they didn’t speak a word to each other before. Now they had to convince everyone – her best friend included – that they were dating and madly affectionate for one another.

So, when Sakura winked at him, he winked back. No ‘drag’ to be muttered. No longing to be a cloud as he glanced enviously up at the sky. He had to become far bolder to leave a good impression with Ino, to show that he could express himself just as she could. That meant doing things just like that no matter how many cringes he had to suppress beneath his skin as he strained to keep his smile together.

When asked if he had met Sakura’s parents, he only shook his head in response. He had seen them a couple times at the Academy back in the day, but not since, and he wasn’t eager to check out Sakura’s baby pictures, even if she was a cute kid once. He similarly had little to say about shopping. Ino boldly claimed to know his taste and was willing to bestow that knowledge to Sakura the first chance she had. At first, he wanted to question just what Ino thought, but then he saw it; an opportunity to see what Ino thought of him taste-wise. Having Sakura go along with her to try on clothes she thought might appeal to him could work in their favor.

Sakura had steered the conversation to food and spoke of barbecue as their place of choice. He bit his tongue and felt the scolding of Ino’s words before they had even left her mouth. The Yamanaka was right, of course; barbecue was a casual place to eat, and wasn’t fine enough for taking someone you really liked out to eat. Sakura crashed them into a hurdle, but he didn’t blame her for not thinking about it. She wasn’t his girlfriend – wasn’t anyone’s girlfriend – and with her likely holding out for Sasuke, she probably wouldn’t have been anyone’s girl unless Naruto stepped up to the plate. This was just as new to her as it was to him.

“Yeah, I got it,” he replied. “Too used to going with Choji.”

His ‘girlfriend’ recovered by asking for a suggestion while he recovered from the poor choice mentioned prior. The place she mentioned was vaguely familiar; dishes taken from the Hidden Sand, Cloud, Mist, and Stone made the place a popular choice for those wanting to try new things but lacked the time and energy to travel and do it themselves. But most of the high-end dishes were expensive, with only the Sand’s trade deal with the Leaf making their dishes the most affordable of the bunch. If he had the choice, only special occasions would prompt him to spend the kind of money they asked for.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Shikamaru managed to say before Sakura had tugged his hand and got them moving. He fought the urge to glance back at Ino who he could sense still watching them. Sakura leaned in closely to him only to tell him that he owed her a meal. “Fair enough,” he whispered back. “And barbecue? Seriously? I hope she doesn’t think I’m that unimaginative. Taking a girl out isn’t like taking Choji out.” He smiled despite Sakura’s choice of location earlier and began to consider dining options. Impromptu dating made him hungry.

“That place she’s talking about is expensive, but only if you order the meals from other nations. Trade is nearly impossible except with the Sand because everyone is too busy thinking the other is trying to stab them in the back,” he said. “That said, I’ve got the money for it. I won’t say anything no matter what you order. You stuck your neck out for me, and I appreciate it. And besides, it’ll look good if I take her advice, won’t it?”

A look of contentedness given to her, Shikamaru had begun leading her to the restaurant in question. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t packed. The drapes were a quality crimson and portraits of faraway landmarks and landscapes were sorted along the open spaces on the walls. Booths along the edges of the interior, along with finer, larger tables near the center had given the place flexibility. The air was thick with powerful scents ranging from grilled fish, to noodles, to sweetly-stewed meat. Beginning to salivate, they were thankfully served mere moments after entering and were seated in an empty corner of the room beside one of the windows leading to the street. The waitress left them with menus and promised to return shortly.

“So, you’re my girlfriend. This is a date,” Shikamaru started with a slight squirm in his seat. “I’d like some pointers. I can make conversation when I want to, but my charm isn’t exactly up to Sasuke’s level.” When Ino spoke she often had much to say. Sakura, he suspected, was very much different. She wasn’t going to be anything like Ino, but she was the closest thing to her right now. Any bit of information could help. “Just pretend for a second that I'm Sasuke, your ideal guy. What would you want me to be doing right now? Be as specific as you can. Anything helps at this stage.”

Sakura must have thought about dates before, whereas he had never thought he’d be sitting here going on a fake one. Daydreaming didn’t consist of special someone’s until just recently. But everyone knew about her affection for Sasuke – she practically wore it on her sleeve and would tell anyone who would ask.

How did people get through this?

At Shikamaru's comment, she gave a weak but still guilty smile. "S-sorry, I don't really know that much about you...except what Ino tells me." She was regretting the choice to abruptly tell Ino when perhaps, she and Shikamaru would have benefited from a few hours, at least, of getting to know one another. Ino would likely see through their ruse if they weren't careful. Shikamaru went on to explain what sort of food they could enjoy, though Sakura was hardly a picky eater and would have been content with barbecue.

Nodding slightly, she loosened her grip around his arm.

His gesture of actually following through and taking her out, was kind and though he was right about her sticking her neck out for him, she considered the cause being love, to be worth the trouble. If Ino would be happy with Shikamaru, she would do this favor for them both and in a few weeks, it would likely be done and over with, if Ino fell into their trap. "I suppose, though I don't know if she'll even remember recommending us a place but I'll bring it up next time I see her and see what her reaction is." Sakura replied after careful consideration, not sure of the inner workings of Ino's mind. Even Sakura couldn't read her moods perfectly but she was sure Ino had taken notice to Shikamaru, which was what they wanted.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Sakura saw it was nice and could see why Ino had her eye on it.

The pair were seated by the window and handed menus. Sakura took hers and opened it up. Although she had been told she could order whatever she wanted, she would try to pick something modestly priced, not wanting to take advantage of his generosity. Before her eyes could wander further down the selection, Shikamaru spoke up prompting her to blush slightly, caught off guard by his blunt observation. "You know...Sasuke wasn't much of a talker either. Naruto did most of the talking in our team." She explained.

"While I do appreciate the tactic, I can't pretend you're Sasuke, even if you both share a few commonalities." She said gently. "All I know is what I read about in romance novels...not the ones Kakashi Sensei reads! I just...I think we should try and find what feels natural to us. We're both out of our depth." She considered as she glanced down at the menu and saw there was a stew with vegetables and noodles and slices of pork that was reasonably priced. "Ino won't expect a whole lot from us but she will want to know everything." She warned,

Of course they still needed to practice being a couple, which would not be easy. Sakura looked to the woman who returned to take their order. Sakura gave hers, as did Shikamaru and then they were alone. Reaching over, Sakura laced her fingers with Shikmaru's as their palms rested on the table. "I think couples listen to each other and care about the other's feelings and comfort, act intuitive and foresee the other's needs. I think that means if it's cold, I could bring a scarf for you? Or if I'm working, you bring me lunch?" Sakura still wasn't sure, only speculating, knowing they'd both need to think about it.

Sakura looked to Shikamaru and then to their hands, unsure if that felt natural or not. "What if I was Ino?" She asked in return, wondering what sort of thoughts he had on the matter. But like she pointed out, it was hard to replace someone with another, even with an imagination. 'I don't think Sasuke would take me to a place like this, I don't he'd care one way or another.' She thought to herself, frowning slightly, recalling how vapid her previous daydreams were.

There was not a hint of surprise to hear that Naruto had done most of the talking on Sakura’s squad. Even before being assigned to it, that guy was as loud and rambunctious as they come. Keeping her sanity must have been challenging. But, then again, Naruto always knew how to bring out something in people that they never knew they had. Sakura would know that better than anyone. After all, without his shouting during her match against Ino, the Yamanaka would have taken the victory decisively rather than let it end up a tie.

Then there was Sasuke. Cool-headed, quiet, the obvious loner-type that didn’t seem to desire much of anything other than a good fight. The exact opposite of himself. He knew that picturing himself as Sasuke would pose as a challenge, but he had to try. After all, Sasuke was the one who Ino had set her sights on for the longest time. Sakura, too. To compete with a guy like that, he had to determine the best qualities of the Uchiha and mimic what he could. Maybe Ino would better acknowledge him as a guy worth looking at fondly.

Sakura felt differently. Unable to see him as Sasuke – and he couldn’t blame her, not at all – she touched on her inexperience by referencing romance novels, a loosely accurate source of what women could want from men. He found himself nodding with her assessment of starting things as natural as they could. He knew he could never really be Sasuke Uchiha. That meant that he had to find what worked best for him and him alone, and used that to set himself apart from that guy.

“Makes sense,” he agreed. “Ino seldom takes no for an answer. She’ll be especially critical on me, too.” Ino’s hardness was from a place of good. She wanted the best for Sakura in all things even if they were rivals. Before the conversation could go on, a waitress arrived to take their orders. Hardly glancing at the menu at all since they were seated, he agreed to have what Sakura ordered and handed his menu off to the waitress. As his hand settled back onto the table, Sakura’s fingers moved in to lace with his. He glanced down, but said nothing of it. ‘She’s good at this.’ He would note, finding that Sakura’s natural potential as a girlfriend was far superior to his own as a boyfriend.

His ‘girlfriend’ went on to talk about her idea of what having a partner meant. Naturally he agreed with her, nodding once again at her assessment. The simple things were sometimes enough. “That sounds perfect.”

Then she returned his earlier request. She couldn’t pretend he was Sasuke, but he could try and pretend this was Ino he was talking to. Rather than discredit her by imagining the beautiful blond was staring across at him, he kept Sakura’s image just the same, but altered his attitude. “If you were Ino? Okay…” he said, pausing to consider the options at his disposal. “I’m not much good for thrills, but I find that I’ve become a good listener. Maybe that’s because I don’t always have a lot to say. I guess I would start by asking her about her work in the hospital and show some real interest in the work she’s putting in to become stronger.”

He saw her focus shift to their hands and found an opening. He parted them only to bring his palm beneath her own while his thumb stroked her from wrist to knuckle repeatedly. “But just asking wouldn’t be enough,” Shikamaru started again, giving Sakura’s hand a firm squeeze. “The physicality of affection matters, too. Unless I have other plans that day, I’d offer to walk her there and ask her if she’d want to go out for lunch with me. Or I’d surprise her with a small lunch I made around her lunchtime. And when it was close to her time to leave, I’d come again and walk her home. I’d hold her hand, even find it in me to smile a little more, just so she knows that it’s because I’m with her.”

It sounded so easy when it was put like that. Ino herself rarely made things easy for him. There would be parts of their relationship that nothing could prepare him for. He had to be ready for anything. “We’ll start small. Since we’re both new to an actual relationship, Ino wouldn’t think we’re experts at everything. You can expect her to make suggestions for you. That’s just how she is.” He released her hand and allowed his fingers to skid along hers before leaning back in his seat, smiling with unease. “You didn’t have to do any of this for me. What exactly made you change your mind?”

Shikamaru toyed with the idea of having Ino already on his arm and how he would act accordingly as her boyfriend. Perhaps if he could envision already having won Ino over, he would feel more relaxed. Sakura noted that he was already letting his mind wander to the possibilities. Her eyes moved to where his hand was, still holding onto hers, testing the feel of it and the warmth, likely pretending, if not wishing she was in fact Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru leaned back in his seat, concluding that Ino would probably not expect a lot from either them since she was aware of their inexperience and innocence.

"Yeah, we do have that advantage." Sakura considered. She moved her hands back in front of her as the boy questioned her motives for assisting him. "I think one reason would be that I want Ino to be happy...you're a good guy and I think you would be a good match for her." She considered as she stared up, thinking further. "Another reason is, well it's a little silly but I guess I wanted the company even if it's under this guise. Without Team Seven together, I'm aimless, just working in the hospital with Ino or at home reading, Lady Tsunade won't consider sending me out until I've reached Chunin level so I'm working towards that but even then I doubt she'd give me a solo mission so...I guess I wanted something new to do."

"Someone new to hang out with." She considered. "It really was a spur of the moment decision though." She admitted, not wanting Shikamaru to think too highly of her impulse decision. Their food was then delivered to them and Sakura sat up a little as she smelled the soup and sizzling meat in front of them. It was mouth watering. The medic nin grabbed her black polished wooden chopsticks and stirred the bowl of noodles, vegetables and meat. Sakura glanced to Shikamaru before she stopped to take a sip of the cooled tea beside her, before she finally dug into the meal.

After a few mouthfuls she sat back, licking the corners of her mouth. "This is a place I'm sure Ino would love." She commented. Sakura had to wonder how long it might take for her friend to view Shikamaru as boyfriend material. Though whenever that would be, she and Shikamaru would part ways, still she had wonder how long this arrangement between her and Shikamaru would last. Ino was unpredictable to say the least but it did Sakura no good to speculate the longevity of her fake relationship. She knew she just had to focus on making sure Shikamaru looked appealing in the eyes of Ino. "I can go over to her house tomorrow on my day off and pick her brain a bit more." She mentioned as she went back to eating.

Outside, Kiba and Akamaru were on their way home after an afternoon of training together. The rowdy boy passed along the window and it was Sakura's striking hair that caught his eye. Kiba slowed and peered inside, spotting Sakura with Shikamaru. Kiba grinned wide and made for the door, wanting to know about this sudden budding romance. "Hey guys!" Kiba waved as he jogged over to their table. "You two on a date?" He got right to the point.

Sakura looked from Shikamaru to Kiba and his dog. She knew it was only a matter of time that this news would spread around town but she was still getting used to answering personal questions with unflinching certainty. "Yes, uh we are." She replied, giving Kiba a small smile. Before she could hint for Kiba to leave them alone, he let out an understanding hum.

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. You two are the smartest in our class, save for Sasuke...but anyway I'm happy for you guys. I bet after you guys study together you like to have some fun, am I right?" Kiba teased them. Sakura blushed and shook her head slightly at where his mind had seemed to have wandered. "Enjoy your night, don't let me spoil your fun." Kiba laughed and headed back out. Sakura watched him go as she rubbed her forehead, not sure why Kiba had to insinuate such things. Sakura glanced back to Shikamaru.

"The only fun he has is with himself." She pouted slightly as she tried to return to her meal. She did wonder now though, what sort of assumptions would different friends make about them and what assumptions would she and Shikamaru have to correct. Though since she and Shikamaru were a new couple, she had to figure some rumors would be tough to combat, as most people loved to tell stories. "I guess we should get used that and figure out how to handle dispelling...certain rumors."

Shikamaru hated to admit it, but it was strange to hear someone supporting the idea of him being together with someone as lively as Ino. But Sakura wasn’t just anyone else, which might explain why he didn’t laugh her compliment off like it was a joke at his expense. If Ino’s best friend thought he was a good match for her, then there was hope for him yet. All he had to do was play this relationship game properly. Luckily, he had the perfect partner on his side.

He listened on as she explained her dilemma of boredom. Team Seven was effectively cut in half ever since Sasuke Uchiha defected and Naruto left with one of the Legendary Sannin. The gap between sensei and student left Sakura unable to go on many missions with Kakashi, something he understood almost immediately. Asuma, too, was away on assignment, leaving Team Ten idling away to do solitary training and continue their day-to-day activities until called into action. While he could say that he had Choji and Ino to work together with, Sakura couldn’t say the same about her own teammates.

“Spur of the moment decision or not, I’m grateful you took the chance,” Shikamaru started, perking up as their waitress returned to them, meals balanced on a black tray. The aroma of meat and vegetables was strong, immediately making his mouth water in anticipation. Joining Sakura in breaking chopsticks, he stirred the stew and continued. “There’s nothing wrong with working on medical jutsu and reading books. It isn’t the most exciting, sure, but it makes you happy, doesn’t it? That’s what matters, not what anyone else considers enjoyable.”

With that said, he turned to his meal and dug in with her. The wait was worth it; the flavors within the dish blended together well, and he found himself savoring every piece he ate before swallowing with satisfaction. From the look of things, Sakura was pleased with the place, too.

“It’s not as stifling as the joints Choji usually wants us to go to, so that’s a plus. It’s cleaner than the average restaurant as well. Not bad at all.” He believed Ino would be just as impressed as Sakura. Not only were the dishes great, but it felt “official” – like a real place you’d take out someone you liked. ‘Asuma might want to take Kurenai here. Maybe he already has.’

He nodded at Sakura’s mention of picking Ino’s brain a little more. “We could use all the knowledge we can— “he paused midsentence, catching sight of a familiar face outside who stared back at him. Kiba, and right beside him Akamaru. Based on the wide grin on his face, the Inuzuka was all too happy to catch them in the middle of the “date”. And, unsurprisingly, he was making his way inside. “Brace yourself,” Shikamaru muttered. “Unwanted attention.”

Through Kiba’s prying, Shikamaru maintained a relaxed demeanor. If he looked too pressed, it could encourage him to stick around, which was the last thing either him or Sakura would have wanted. Thankfully it was Sakura herself who handled the response, to which Kiba decided that their dating made sense. Their intelligence made them perfect for each other apparently. But rather than leave it there, Kiba went on to suggest that they spend their time doing a lot more than hitting the books.

At the thought of them doing more than engage in conversation, Shikamaru rolled his eyes. It wasn’t as if Sakura was unattractive in any way; she had attractive features like Ino, specifically her eyes. Looking at her face turn red made him realize that her blush was cute, too. But it was a stretch to imply that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They had dignity. Maybe Kiba didn’t know the meaning of the word.

Bidding them a good night, Kiba left them to their meals, prompting Shikamaru to return his focus to Sakura with a sigh of mutual relief. Left alone again, they could continue laying out their plan. Sakura beat him to it by suggesting they address rumors that could stir up from their sudden romance.

He shook his head. “No. It’s troublesome, but if I know Ino, I know that her lack of intel about what we talk about and what we do in private will keep her thoughts centered on us,” he reasoned, peering down at his bowl. “Kiba’s one of the first, but he won’t be the last. It’s just another advantage for us. People talking about what they don’t know. Ino is going to press you, but I know you can handle that.”

Returning his chopsticks to his bowl, he continued to eat with his thoughts settling on Sakura’s previous mention of aimlessness. She was a ninja, book smart and determined to learn under Lady Tsunade just as Ino did. It never occurred to him that she could be so dissatisfied with her situation as it was now. It wasn’t her progress at the hospital, or the books, or even the lack of missions that made her feel dull. Nothing had changed her day to day activities for a while. Not until today.

‘Something new, huh?’

He focused on her for a few seconds before leaning back in his seat, setting his chopsticks aside for the moment. “Have you ever played shogi before?” he asked. Knowing the answer before she gave it, he pressed on before she could reply. “While we spend time together, we can make it an opportunity to get to know each other better, like friends. If you want, I could teach you how to play it. I don’t see Ino having the patience to learn, and if Kiba was right about one thing, it’s that you’re one of the smartest people to leave the academy. What do you say?”