Chapter 3: An Interesting Scenario

Ino was now walking to Hokage Tower with her sensei and Anko Mitarashi, along with a few ANBU, who were still concealed by their animalistic porcelain masks. She turned to him with a mischievous smirk on her face, concealing her true intentions, as they were halfway there.

"So?" She had asked her vague question, her arms crossed as she regarded him.

"So what?" Ibiki asked back, turning to her with his brow line raised, an underlying amusement on his face.

She rolled her eyes, despite the fact that she didn't ask the whole question, almost expecting him to know what she was asking. Then again, knowing him, he probably did know. Nevertheless, she still stated it, "When am I getting my coat?"

His face wrinkled again, this time in confusion, "Your coat?"

"Yes, like the one you're wearing." She explained to him further.

"When you become Tokubetsu Jounin, no sooner, no later."

Her playful expression dimmed as she let out an aggravated sigh, "But how will I be taken seriously by the rookies if I'm not wearing one?"

Despite how much her mentor seemingly was bothered at her naturally over exaggerated behavior, she knew she was growing on him. It was all a part of the Yamanaka charm, after all.

"You could always wear your Chunnin vest," He stated with a cool rationality that always made Ino glower inwardly at him, "And last time I checked, weren't you still a rookie?"

The feigned innocence that garnished his last statement only made his protégé glare in contempt. He knew, perfectly well, that she was no longer a mere rookie. In fact, while some still referred to that infamous group of nine Genin as 'rookies', it was not a term that was held in such high regard for them anymore. Each had grown, blossomed into their individual fields, even if that advancement wasn't in rank.

And besides, even if you held a level of respect by wearing one, the standard Chunnin vests were hideous. Moss green, unnecessary (to a degree), and they did nothing to augment Ino's figure, which is why she never wore it, though she accepted it graciously.

However, the same couldn't be said about the Tokubetsu coats. It would drape over her slender physique without showing off and she would wear it well, perhaps one without the sleeves…

The added bonus of respect and power wearing one was also enough to make her smile with glee. Of course, convincing her sensei to comply could prove to be more difficult than she thought if his resolve held.

"Well sensei," She started coolly looking forward, "I don't suppose I was a rookie when interrogated Gouzu and Meizu Oni last week." She glanced in his direction for a moment, satisfied with the brief disapproval reflected on his face before frowning when he finally smirked.

"Actually Ino," his dark irises appeared to shine, "You were still considered a rookie, since that was the first interrogation you did, solo."

She scowled and laughter emitted from under porcelain faces, breaking the tension from the heated discussion.

A throaty chuckle was heard before the wily kunoichi spoke, "Come on babyface, don't you think you're being a little hard on her, considering you were still a rookie until you were fifteen?"

All amusement washed from Ibiki's face and Ino had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. The present ANBU chose to keep silent this time, the present tension only raising magnitudes.

"What did I tell you about calling me that, Mitarashi?" The older man said with an emphasized calm as he continued to look forward, his face clear of emotion. It was the classic calm before the storm, and Anko erupted in another boisterous laughing fit before calming down again. Zodiac based faces regarded each other, their weariness only obscured by their masks.

"Well," She tilted her head upwards slightly and tapped her index finger on her chin, "You said, 'Dammit woman, if I've said it once, I've said it several times, don't call me by that name!'" She ended huffily from quoting his past statement in a gruff, mocking tone.

Ino shut her eyes as she kept her hand poised on her mouth; the onslaught of giggles begging to be ripped from her throat. Ibiki continued without missing a beat, "And yet, here we are, you referring to me by a name that's not my own." He retained his calm, which only served to further cause his comrades to question his sanity.

"But I didn't call you by 'that name', I called you 'babyface', there's a big difference you know." The snake summoner stated the technical fact and Ibiki faltered his façade for one moment. Anko walked up next to Ino's other side and put a hand on her shoulder, "Besides, for her to put up with you, for a whole year, I don't even think I could do it!"

Ibiki and Ino were seasoned enough to know that was a lie. She may not have been in the Torture Department, but Anko's pastime was torturing Ibiki, and it was one she had easily succeeded in. The only problem with this was that, rather than him being in a generous, complying mood, he would only get increasing riled up, and if she wanted that coat, she had to find a way to-

Ino azure orbs widened with realization before narrowing and giving Anko a sidelong glance, to which Anko responded silently with a wink.

"Anko-sensei, Ibiki-sensei isn't hard to be around," Ino started tentatively before brightening her disposition, "In fact, he's absolutely right."

Ibiki turned his head slightly, his brow line quirked questioningly.

"I mean, why should I get a Tokubetsu coat before my time? It's obvious that I'm not skilled enough to get one yet." She shrugged off her last statement indifferently.

"Ino, I never said you were not skilled enough."

"But who am I to complain," She continued despite his comment, "Ibiki-sensei has been patient enough to teach and deal with me. And even if he entered the Chunnin Exams at fifteen, it only means that he worked harder and was more mature to deal with it. I'm sure he worked very hard to obtain the status he has today."

Ibiki sighed dejectedly and rubbed his temple with a callous forefinger. He knew his student was clever and intelligent, not to mention sneaky and manipulative. Of course, those were qualities that he had liked about her, but being at the other end of it wasn't exactly a wanted position. He began considering the harm of actually just lending her the jacket.

'She'd know that she could push my buttons, and even if she already knew that, it would only be confirmed. Then she would feel that she wouldn't have to work as hard anymore, not to mention the politics of it…'

Favoritism was something Ibiki loathed to the highest degree. Giving her, an intern, a Tokubetsu coat, even for a day, would damage the image he wanted to maintain. It was simply out of the question.

Morino Ibiki would not be one upped by a sixteen-year-old girl. Especially one with big pleading blue eyes…

"Shiho?"

A mumbled reply was drowned out by an exhausted yawn as her glasses slid from the crook of her node onto the desk.

"Shiho?" Her coworker asked again as she removed a set of volumes, A through G, from a nearby bookshelf. Her short brown hair swayed as she shook her head before falling back into place.

She prodded her lightly on the shoulder with her elbow and only received a drowsy sigh in response. Holding the stack of books from the bottom, she went around to the other side of the desk, where she faced the front.

The abrupt smack heard from several books dropping on one area at the same time caused a startled Shiho to raise her head quickly. Her eyes were out of focus and her flaxen locks fell unceremoniously in front of her face, several sticking up at all angles of her head, forming a platinum halo. She picked up her glasses that were still on her desk, blinking a few times to focus her vision.

"You should be glad Youkai isn't here." The brunette said, referring to their boss as she shook her head slightly as she took in Shiho's tousled clothes and hair.

Shiho attempted to pat her hair down and brush it out of her eyes to no avail. It continued to stick up and determinedly obstructed her vision, "How do you do it, Kireme-san?"

"Hmm?" Kireme took the books off Shiho's desk and returned them to their original place across the room. "Do what?" She urged the blonde to continue.

"Remain an active kunoichi and still manage to keep your hair straight. I mean, it shouldn't be complicated, but…" Shiho sighed and pressed her fingers onto her pounding temple, "Never mind."

"Well, I would tell you to relax and try to get some rest," She said returning in front of Shiho's desk, putting her hands on the top and leaning forward, "But I think you were already doing that."

Shiho laughed dryly at her coworker's statement, and then frowned when another blonde hair found itself in front of her face. She sighed and placed her elbow on the desk, leaning her head against her palm, "So where is Youkai-taishou?"

"He went to the meeting at the Administration Office."

"Already?" Shiho asked, more interested than she should've been.

Kireme raised an inquiring eyebrow before Shiho let out a nervous, somewhat forced laugh, "I mean to say that, I was hoping to possibly go, I've never been to one of the proceedings before."

"They're not exactly interesting, Shiho." The woman regarded her colleague skeptically. She took in Shiho's eager expression and her tentative way of covering it up before piecing it together. "You know, I don't understand you Shiho." She stated curtly, her disapproval evident.

Shiho's naturally thin eyebrows crinkled quizzically, "What do you mean Kireme-san?" She asked, hoping for elaboration on the issue.

Kireme crossed her arms, "If you like that Chunnin, then you should do something about it."

Shiho's orbs widened under her follicles, "I have done something about it," She stated in her defense.

"Asking to go to Hokage Tower with him, isn't exactly counted as a date." The brunette pointed out.

A light hue painted the younger woman's cheeks as she slightly bowed her head shamefully. Perhaps she had been foolish, to think slight meetings and brief conversations would develop into something more. Shiho had never been exactly skilled in the field of dealings with the opposite sex, outside a professional setting. Putting herself out there was never a strong suit either. "What do you suggest then, Kireme-san?" She asked quietly, knowing that her question would be heard regardless.

The older woman sighed and sat down in front of Shiho, "Get his attention." She said simply with a shrug.

"How?" Shiho asked quietly again, her head still bowed.

Kireme tapped her index finger on her chin in contemplation. "Getting him alone for once would be a change." She stated bluntly and Shiho's pink cheeks turned claret. The thought of her being alone, with Shikamaru, was almost overwhelming. Who knows how she would conduct herself?

"But how- in a matter of speaking, what would we do?" She asked a little flustered.

"You really have no experience with this, do you Shiho." It was a stated fact, not a rhetorical question, and it only caused for Shiho to bow her head further and hide her embarrassment. Kireme sighed, "Talk, like you would do normally, then ask to join him for lunch."

Shiho looked up, marveling the woman in front of her. Her nonchalance over the whole situation was almost daunting, which only served to worry Shiho more. If simply talking about subjects, such as this one, were difficult for her, how would she do if she were in the situation?

Confidence was something Shiho had, when it came to abilities she was sure of. Things to be memorized, items to be studied, variables to convert, those were simple. However, when it came to an emotional aspect, confidence was something Shiho lacked. Keeping track of her own emotions was hard enough; dealing with someone else's would be on another level entirely.

After all, that had be the reason her script was meticulously signed on her resignation as a kunoichi.

Kireme regarded her comrade for a moment. She really felt for the girl, not being able to do anything about how she felt, but if she really wanted that Chunnin, she would learn, eventually.

The brunette rose from her seat, "I think I'm going home Shiho." She said, seeing that the younger woman had decided to remain quiet after her last statement. She walked over to the shoji and looked back, "You should go home too, it's not healthy to be here so long."

Shiho smiled tiredly and waved her off, "Nonsense. Besides, someone has to stay here, with Youkai-taishou being gone and you also leaving. I'll lock up in another hour or so."

Kireme gave the girl a final look, "Alright Shiho, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kireme-san!" She said as the older woman closed the shoji behind her.

Remarkably, Shikamaru found it in himself to move himself off Ichiraku's outside wall and trail behind the liaison of Suna, putting his suddenly clammy palms in his pants pockets.

He averted his gaze off her sauntering back almost immediately before resting it and keeping it on her.

Nothing had happened, a mantra that replayed in his mind. It was simply a matter of cause and effect. He'd willingly egged her on, the reason not even fully known in his mind, and after the event that just took place; he doubted its significance anymore. Then she responded, in a way he had expected, anger. The rest seemed to come gradually and it wasn't long before he literally felt his back against the wall. And after that…

His fingers worked nimbly in one of his pockets as he took out a cigarette out of its white plastic case. A silver lighter followed after and he soon had the cancerous object mercilessly grinded between his teeth, lit and releasing wisps of smoke. He sucked the cigarette, craving its nicotine and the tip lit up in protest.

His eyes shut for a moment and opened, his gaze again landing back to her. He couldn't help, looking at her figure as she walked up the steps, her fan bar swaying in time with her hips.

He drew in more numbing nicotine to stop his thoughts. He was heading for dangerous territory, thinking of her in that way. She wasn't- they weren't involved with each other in that way. And he'd rather it be kept that way.

She reached the set of double doors before for him and silently walked inside, not even acknowledging his presence behind her. He followed as soon as the doors shut behind her and went in, the room full of several elite Examiners and ANBU guards.

"Shikamaru, Temari," Ino said across the room, waving for them to come next to her. He looked over and sighed, smoke emitting from his mouth. He'd have to thank her later for that.

Ino greeted him with a bright-eyed smile, which only made a churning sensation in the pit of his stomach, recalling what had just occurred between him and Temari. 'Or what didn't happen…' He thought wearily as he sat down next to his teammate's left side.

Ino looked past him for a moment before leaning in close to his ear, "Why didn't Temari come over?" She asked in a hushed tone.

Shikamaru bit down on his cigarette again, "Beats me."

She looked puzzled as she looked past him again, where Temari was, and looked back before sitting forward, crossing her legs. "So what happens at one of these things?"

He smirked, "What, you didn't ask Ibiki?"

"Didn't get to, we were talking about something more important."

"Like what?" Hs eyebrow quirked upwards, half amused and half skeptical.

She sent him a casual grin, "My wardrobe for the Chunnin Exam." She looked back forward, satisfied with the look of disbelief etched on his face.

"You're joking, right?" He gaped at her critically. "You're a first time proctor for the Chunnin Exams, going to a meeting that concerns one of the most important events of the year, and you're concerned abut what you're wearing?"

"Obviously," she said unabashed. "At any rate, I really didn't have time to ask anyways. I had to change each one of the tests."

Her comment struck Shikamaru more than she may have even intended. There were, exactly, three hundred and forty-eight participates in this year's Chunnin Exams. On record, the largest one held with over 100 three-man teams.

"And how'd you do that in time?"

She huffed expectantly, furling and unfurling her right hand, "With help, of course. All the interns had to do it."

"Ah, well, that's what you get for working in a sadistic department." He closed his eyes, sat back in his seat and put his hands behind his head, his cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth.

"Jerk," She muttered and he smirked when he heard her insult clearly in his ear. "And what happened to your New Year resolution?"

He expected she must've had her arms crossed at this point, but decided not to open his eyes and check; he knew her all too well by now anyways. "What about it?" He gritted his question through his teeth, keeping a hold on his cigarette.

He kept his eyes closed, but could feel her eyes on him, most likely narrowed in contempt. "You're smoking again…" She said, far too softly for his, and her, taste.

"You've noticed." He replied, gently as well. A string of smoke weaving upwards as he lulled his head back.

He expected an onslaught of insults, maybe a smack or two to his bicep. Instead, he received a sigh in response, and the general chatter among proctors, awaiting the Hokage. He opened his right eye and took the cigarette out of his mouth, twirling it between his fingers gingerly. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, her ponytail following the rhythm, "Nothing, it's just-" She stopped abruptly and sighed, "Nothing."

Ino was never the type to hold back her thoughts. At times, that was a pain, but over the years, it became a virtue he could respect as well. She had no reason to do it then, so why would she suddenly do it now?

"Tell me," Shikamaru urged. For some reason, he wanted to know what was going on in her head.

"He stopped smoking if something bothered him," She said lowly, but firmly continuing, "And you start if something bothers you. So you tell me, Shikamaru, what's wrong?" She looked him straight in his face now, unwavering.

He thought over her words for a moment, and then chuckled darkly at the irony. The odds of two troublesome women, throwing his words at him on the same night, had gone up. Ino face scrunched up, as if she was trying to figure something out, "What's so funny?" She asked, slightly put-off, but she retaining her calm.

"Life." He answered her second question and her cerulean orbs (due to the lighting) had widened. She stayed quiet waiting for him to continue and he obliged, "Temari did the same thing earlier."

"Asked you what was wrong?" She inquired, not following.

"No, quoted me."

Her eyes narrowed questioningly a moment, "But what does that- did something happen between you and Temari?"

He took the cigarette in his hand, put it in his mouth and inhaled, the tip brightening in response.

"Oh, that explains a lot…" She murmured and he nodded, returning back to his previous position, slouched with his hands behind his head.

The double doors opened and the Godaime entered, with Shizune in tow. All of the room's inhabitants stood and bowed to their superior, greeting her as they parted, creating a sufficient path to her seat. As Tsunade settled herself in her seat, Shikamaru flicked his cigarette carelessly in the trash, not wanting her to say anything about it. His first Chunnin Exam proceeding became all the more memorable because of it.

Shizune walked over to the side of the room briefly near Kotetsu, who must've given her the attendance of everyone in the room. Ino nudged Shikamaru's side, directing his eyes over to the obscure corner. Noticing the Hokage's aide spent an unnecessary minute next to him, Ino and Shikamaru saw a blush crept up her cheeks and a reciprocated reaction from the Chunnin, though his was harder to see due to the gauze wrapped around the middle of his face.

"That's so cute! I think they'd make a great couple." Ino's eyes brightened as she observed the older Chunnin and Shikamaru shook his head. Leave it to Ino to not only spot a potential couple, but to comment on it too. He wouldn't have been surprised if this time next week, Ino told him that she had successfully gotten them together.

Shizune returned to her leader's side quickly and handed her the attendance, along with a few other documents. Tsunade accepted them and addressed the large group, "Now, let's begin…"

Why had she done it?

Her intentions had seemed more than insignificant now. They crossed the line.

And she had been one to always loathe cowardice, but for some odd reason, she couldn't find it in herself to look at him after what had transpired. She had walked forward, with her head held high, what a joke.

It was honestly perplexing, and it didn't even mean anything.

Right?

Of course, he'd never know that, he wouldn't figure it out and if, by the off chance, he did happen to figure it out, she could easily brush him off, deny, and ask him to prove it for reassurance. After all, he was the one who was supposed to get hot and bothered, not her.

She glanced over, for no more than a second, and saw Ino looking at her expectantly. To further concrete her theory, she should've went over there and sat right beside him, as if to say, 'See, maybe if you should follow your own advice about bothering bothersome women, don't do it.'

It was his fault.

She turned her eyes away and expected that she did the same. Whether or not she got the message, she wouldn't know. Yamanaka always seemed like she found things out, one way or another. And Shikamaru…would push the issue away under a veil of smoke. Like always.

She pursed her lips and crossed her legs; her hands lying on top one another on her knee. His reaction was expected, and hers was not wanted. Instead of her feeling a release, a pleased sensation that would've further established her dominance, it was frustration and the fact that she had willingly gotten herself in this situation, only made it all the more…

"Troublesome…"

(Curls up in a ball) Okay, I know what you're ALL thinking…

"Where the Hell was she going with this?!"

Honestly, I have no idea. Recent events have caused me to write Temari's character as she was displayed in this chapter; sorry for OOCness…Then again, Temari's voice actor IS a soap opera star, so…

I have no OC's in this story, as of yet, but I did take liberties with names, like Shiho's coworker and boss, who've been seen before. Kireme is a way of saying, "break", youkai is one way of saying "solution", and taishou is "boss.'

I've seen you've all been devoted readers, so lets go over the breakdown…

ShikaTema: 23 (reviews) 17 (poll) 40 (total) (Winner second chapter in a row!)

ShikaIno: 18 (reviews) 20 (poll) 38 (total) (Runner up by a nose and blonde hair!)

ShikaShiho: 12 (reviews) 11 (poll) 23 (total) (Come on, nerds need love too!)

Undecided: 1 (Almost everyone has decided!)

All right, you know the deal by now; I'm only a slave to the numbers. (sounded kinda like Shiho there, huh?)

First is the worst, second is the best, but third is the one with the treasure chest…

DAC