Thought it was You Shikamaru. (Shikaino Shikamaru x ino)

Chapter 27: Distance

It had been two weeks since they'd returned from the mission, and Choji couldn't ignore it anymore. Ino was... distant. She still went on missions with him and Shikamaru and acted civil enough, but outside of work, she seemed to be somewhere else entirely. No dinners, no joking around, no lingering after missions like they used to. She didn't even bicker with Shikamaru like she normally did.

Choji sighed as he watched Shikamaru lie on the grass nearby, staring at the clouds with that familiar look of complete relaxation. Deciding he couldn't wait any longer, Choji turned to him. "Hey, Shikamaru, have you noticed anything weird going on with Ino lately?"

Shikamaru's eyes moved toward him, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "Weird, like how?"

Choji shifted awkwardly, fumbling for the right words. "I mean... she's been really distant. It feels like she's avoiding us outside of missions. We haven't done anything together since we got back. Did something happen between you two?"

Shikamaru shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "No, nothing happened. We were fine when we got back. Haven't even talked since then, actually." He frowned, glancing up at the sky. "Glad I'm not the only one who noticed. She's there for missions, but after that... nothing."

"Yeah," Choji nodded, feeling slightly reassured that he wasn't imagining things. "I miss having her around. But... I don't want to ask her directly and make her feel like we're accusing her of something."

"Same," Shikamaru muttered, crossing his arms behind his head. "She'd probably get defensive if we asked, like we're making it a big deal."

They sat in silence for a moment, both lost in thought, before Choji had an idea. "What if we talk to Sakura and Hinata? They might know if something's going on. And we don't have to make it obvious-just ask if they've noticed anything."

Shikamaru smirked slightly. "Worth a shot, I guess. If anyone knows what's up with Ino, it'd be those two."

The two of them made their way to find Sakura and Hinata, keeping their questions vague to avoid putting Ino on the spot. But neither of them had noticed anything either-both Sakura and Hinata said Ino seemed a little busy, but nothing out of the ordinary. They could see Choji's concern and suggested that maybe she was just dealing with something personal.

With that in mind, Choji and Shikamaru decided to go to their sensei, Asuma. They found him outside the training grounds, and after explaining what was going on, they asked if he'd noticed anything different with Ino lately.

Asuma raised an eyebrow, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I've noticed she seems a bit quieter, but she's still focused on training and missions. Maybe she's just dealing with something on her own. I'll talk to her, see if I can figure it out without putting her on the spot."

Relieved that Asuma would keep an eye on things, Choji and Shikamaru thanked him and made their way back to their usual spot. They lay on the grass, staring up at the clouds as they often did, chips in hand.

"I really miss Ino hanging around with us," Shikamaru said finally, breaking the silence. His tone was soft, almost thoughtful.

Choji nodded, crunching on a chip. "Me too. You know, back during the Chunin Exams, you were really worried about her." Shikamaru's gaze shifted toward him, and Choji continued, "I could see it every time she was in a match or got into something dangerous. And then at the hotel on the last mission, you kept checking in on her and staying nearby."

Shikamaru gave a lazy shrug, though a faint blush dusted his cheeks. "I just didn't want anything to happen to her. She's our teammate."

"Yeah, our teammate," Choji agreed with a smile. "But I think it's more than that for you."

Shikamaru's brow furrowed, and he shot Choji a sidelong look. "What are you talking about?"

"You like her, don't you?" Choji teased lightly. "And maybe... maybe she feels the same way."

Shikamaru sighed, eyes fixed on the clouds. He didn't respond for a long moment, letting Choji's words settle in. Finally, he muttered, "Troublesome." But Choji noticed the faint smile tugging at his friend's lips, and he couldn't help but grin in response.