Naruto Late

Explanation: Chapter 700 made me realise just how much I ship ShikaIno. *cries* This takes place about 20 years after the end of the manga.

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Late

Ino sips her sake daintily, belying the fact that she's had more than most men can put away. Chouji dips a fried _something_ into the sesame soy sauce and munches happily on it. "So," he says. "Talk to me."

_As if she hadn't for the past few hours_, Ino thinks irritably. She looks at him, then up at the ceiling. Her eyes take on the faraway look of those deep in thought. Well, might as well make this worth her while. Time to employ girl talk. After a couple more minutes of thoughtful silence, in which Chouji's too tired (and inebriated) to actually intervene, Ino faces him again and says decisively: "Truth time." Before Chouji can process her challenge, she proceeds. "For about five years I studied every girl we came across to see if she'd be a good wife for you." She smiles smugly at him then sips her sake. "It was between Karui and that one girl at the café. Uh, Piri. She was cute."

Chouji laughs and says, "Well one out of two! Not bad." He slaps her on the back and she almost spits out her mouthful of sake. "You did good, Ino." She beams into her sake bowl.

"Your turn." She says, a dare in her voice.

Chouji frowns and Ino doesn't think he'll say anything. "C'mon." She nudges him. "Don't be a truth wuss." He shrugs her off and, studies his appetizer for a few minutes. Then, still frowning, he faces her.

"Once Shikamaru told me that he'd been in love with you for years but he didn't want to break up Ino-Shika-Cho or make things weird between us, so he never did anything."

Ino goes white and stares. She feels like she should say something incredulous. But somehow, she believes it. Maybe it's all the alcohol in her bloodstream.

"I always thought you two would marry." He gazes at his dipping sauce, apparently lost in thought. Ino is just about to say something-what, she hasn't decided yet-when he continues. "I dreaded it. I hoped you wouldn't but I was so sure you would. Sometimes I still think about that." Another long pause in which Ino struggles to realign her world. Chouji must mistake her silence because, to Ino's amazement, he keeps talking. "I sort of think I was wrong though."

_What is that even supposed to mean,_ Ino thinks mullishly, even though she knows. Chouji looks-Ino doesn't know what he looks like. His expression is a weird mix of everything with more than a splash of alcohol on top. She thinks she probably looks like that too. What should she even say to that? She goes with the easy way out, both surprised and thankful that there is one this time.

She laughs. "Shikamaru? Please. Come up with a more realistic story, Chouji."

Chouji sputters, his eyes wide and hurt. "What?! No, really I was telling the truth!"

"Uh huh," she says. "See if I ever get you drunk again. Let's get you home before Karui kills me."

She walks him home, Chouji protesting most of the way. They stumble together a couple times, but neither of them laugh. At the door, Chouji is still protesting in slurring grumbles. "I don't lie…Shikamaru…he…he'd kill me…why don't you believe me?"

Ino rolls her eyes. She kisses him on the cheek and closes the front door behind him. "Good night, Chouji," she says fondly.

She turns around and walks down the street, more slowly this time. She passes her flower shop on her left and glances at it. She'd been the last girl to get married. She'd waited. Longer than anyone thought she would've, spending most of her time with her beloved team. She saw Chouji married to Karui. They were perfect for each other. She'd been the first to notice, because, well, Karui had been on her shortlist.

Temari came as more of a surprise though. Shikamaru didn't show his happiness in the same way as most people, although Ino could still recognise it when it came. Even though he and Temari _had_ hung out, she never considered them _together_. She realised, she had never looked for a match for Shikamaru. The thought never really occurred to her. Then the wedding news came. Shikamaru had actually come to tell her himself, come to think of it. Ino hadn't thought much of that fact at the time. He'd been so serious and earnest. After he'd left, Ino had cried and cried. Because everyone was married and she was alone, she had thought. Because nothing would ever be the same again.

Now, she thought there were probably other reasons.

But why would Chouji bother to tell her this now? Hadn't she gotten him drunk before? She had, hadn't she? Maybe not. Maybe he always ate too much fatty food to get fully drunk before or something like that. That would interfere with intoxication, right?

Not that it made much difference, she told herself. Sai had been kind to her. He had been lonely too, and even though they'd never really been in love, they loved each other in their own way. They supported each other, helped out with anything, and Ino nagged him constantly, but they didn't really feel anything romantic toward each other. Ino had been fine with that. She had really only needed someone to notice her and listen and offer support, and that was what Sai did, everyday.

She was content with how things turned out. She knew Shikamaru was too. Temari was a bombshell of a wife, even if Ino hadn't ever particularly liked her. And Temari was always nagging Shikamaru about something or other. It had taken getting used to seeing someone else do that. Come to think of it, Temari was a lot like herself: beautiful, blonde, clever, strong-willed, and loud-mouthed. _Huh_.

"Ino?"

Ino turns to see Shikamaru peering at her from his front door. "Ino, are you drunk again?"

She laughs, a short, broken little laugh. "Yeah," she says. She thinks she must be slammed this time.

He closes his front door, shambles down the steps, and takes her arm. "C'mon. Let's get you home," he says grudgingly, for all the world as if she were forcing him to do this.

She doesn't protest or say anything at all. They walk together, Shikamaru supporting her, and Ino thinking.

After a minute of silence, they reach her house. Ino fishes in her purse for her keys, and Shikamaru shuffles around. Ino knows he's waiting to make sure she gets inside safely. They've done this countless times. She pulls out her jingling keys.

"Shikamaru?" she says.

He looks up. His bloodshot eyes are squinted and his face is droopy. _He's sleepy_, she notes the obvious with a swell of guilt and nostalgia and a whole bittersweet mess of emotions she's too drunk and tired to untangle. She knows the gist of it though. She puts both hands on his shoulders and looks him in the eye.

"Thank you. For everything," she says and kisses him lightly on the cheek. Shikamaru fidgets and mumbles "No trouble." Ino turns away and goes inside.

After he hears the lock click, Shikamaru turns and heads back home. Troublesome woman.

Ino smiles wryly and goes to her room. She kicks off her shoes and climbs into her bed fully clothed. Normally, she'd wash her face and brush her teeth. But not tonight. She curls up in a ball and pulls a blanket over head.

It's too late.


End file.

Naruto, Angst