Shikamaru blushed furiously. What the hell had she seen? And which time?
Shikamaru shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his head. You know they said he had an I.Q. of over 200, but somethings not even he could figure out how and why they happened. Like, for instance, why was it when Temari would come back from the Sand villiage, did he feel the need to make love to her on Naruto's desk? Something else he couldn't figure out was why Sakura felt the need to die? Or what would he do with this letter? Would he sit it on Ino's grave?
Shikamaru smiled soberly. Ino was dead. She was never coming home. He had come to accept that a long time ago.
Gently he folded the paper and put it in his back pocket. He decided he would take it out to Ino's grave along with some flowers and read it to her. Then he would leave it there under the protection of something and he would make sure Sakura was laid to rest right next to her.
Slowly, he returned to the dishes that desperately needed attention. Yes, that is what he would do.
He heard a soft knock on his door. Then he heard someone call out to him. And as he heard the voice, his face fell and he dropped the glass he had been washing. Shock spread across his face. Could it really be? Could Ino really be back? And if so, why did she sound different? And yet sound completely the same. "Hello, is there a Shikamaru here?"
It sounded like Ino. But at the same time, it didn't. This voice had a timidness about it that the usual Ino wouldn't have. This voice sounded unsure of itself. Regular Ino wouldn't even have knocked.
Almost at he speed of lightening he was in his living room, swinging the door open and grasping the platinum blonde in front of him. The person in front of him didn't even try to hug him back. Whoever it was just patted him on the back.
Pulling back he saw his long lost teammate.
She had a few scars across her face that were new. Her clothes weren't quite the same, and yet, this girl standing in front of him had the same blonde hair. (Even if it was styled differently.) Her greenish-blue eyes had a mystery about them he had never seen before as well.
This Ino looked at him funny, "I was told you could tell me who I am. Is that true?" Her voice was demanding kinda like the old Ino. Yet, this girl had a determination about her that wasn't misguided. She knew what she wanted.
Shikamaru guided the girl to his couch and slowly explained to her who she was and some of her best memories. During this time he had the time to study her. Her hair was down but her natural flip was still there. (Its placed on either side of her head because she parts it down the middle now.) Her clothes were black and purple. The only thing she seemed to have the same was her studded earrings.
By the end of the story she was crying. Her best friend had killed herself while she had spent her time trying to regain her memories! Damn those people taking away everything from her.Damn them straight to hell.
Shikamaru heard his front door open and in walked Temari with a smile on her face. "Hey dobe." Suddenly she saw an alive Ino crying and an exhausted Shikamaru. Confusion was spread across her face as she stared.
Shikamaru sighed. Looks like he would have to explain it again. How troublesome.