Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. They are property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Note: I thought this up yesterday and wrote it today. It's kind of depressing, but I just couldn't get it out of my head. Anyways, enjoy, my fellow ShikaIno fans!

Five Times
By: Lady-Azura

Five was the age they'd first been introduced to each other. Almost immediately, she had scrunched up her nose in disgust and hid behind her father, saying something about all boys ("Except for Daddy." She'd added as a matter-of-factly), having cooties.

Five was the number of times she'd denied his very existence back in their days at the academy. Back when her world revolved around a certain Uchiha and that Uchiha alone. To her, no one else mattered.

Five was the number of times she had blamed him for being placed on the same team as him, before she finally accepted that it was just a mere coincidence and that all three of their personalities corresponded well, and didn't clash as much as they believed they would.

Five was the number of times a day she would harass their other teammate about his weight and call him a baka after he would defend his best friend and call her a conceited and troublesome woman.

Five was the number of times a night that she would wander into his tent during a mission and ask to sleep next to him, because although she denied it on countless occasions… she was afraid of being alone. In turn, he would allow her to do so, scooting over and making room for her in his sleeping bag. He, unfortunately, was forced to endure five long minutes of her complaining about not being comfortable, before she snuggled into his chest and fell asleep. Five minutes later, he'd follow suit.

Five was the number of times he had to console her after fate reared it's ugly head and taken it's toll - ironically pitting her against her former best friend during the preliminaries of the Chuunin exam.

Five was the number of times a day she'd bore him to death as she rambled on and on about how amazing Uchiha Sasuke was.

Five was the number of times he comforted her after that same Uchiha she'd previously been head over heels for, had left the village in order to obtain more power.

Five was the number of times she had hugged him after he'd returned safely after the retrieval mission. His first mission as a Chuunin - the first in their class to reach that level. Although the mission had failed, and despite the fact that he hadn't been able to bring back her precious Sasuke, she had completely disregarded that issue and flung her arms around him, and together, they waited for Chouji to heal.

Five was the number of times she'd kissed him on the cheek after she had become a Chuunin.

Five was the number of times she questioned his relationship with Temari, and finally, after denying any relation with the Sand Kunoichi - other than friendship, of course - she'd accepted his answer.

Five was the number of times she had proclaimed that she no longer loved the Uchiha and had found someone else. Five was the number of times that he had announced that he didn't care.

Five was the number of times she had asked him out before he finally gave in and said yes, just to get her off his back.

Five was the number of times she'd told him that she loved him, before he finally silenced her with five kisses.

Five was the number of times they fought a day over stupid things, before they later made up for it with five heated make out sessions in any secluded place they could find - whether it be his bedroom, her bedroom, on top of his cloud-gazing hill, on her kitchen counter when her parents were out on a mission, and on one occasion - the Hokage's desk. Said Hokage had been away on a mission to the village of Sunagakure, and had assigned him to do her paperwork. What had started out as a boring day had ended as a passionate make out session filled with lots of groping and him without his hair band.

But it had been worth it, despite being caught by Sakura. Needless to say, the pink-haired Kunoichi had been scarred for life. After all, it wasn't every day when she walked into her current Sensei's office, only to find her best friend giving her boyfriend a lap dance of sorts… she would never be the same again, and had walked out of the office twitching in disgust.

Five was the number of times she had cried and hit him and blamed him after their teammate was killed on a mission. A mission to gather information about Orochimaru's whereabouts. A mission that he had led and he had failed.

Five was the number of times he had apologized, before dropping to his knees and sobbing hysterically. Five was the number of minutes that had passed before she fell to the floor beside him and cradled him like a child, whispering soothing and comforting words into his ear as she rocked back and forth, crying with him and telling him that it wasn't his fault. After a while, she stood up and led him into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Five was the number of times he told her she didn't know what she was doing, before she'd finally had enough of it and pinned him to her bed, grinding her hips against his until his body responded. He had given in and placed his hands on her hips, just as she leaned forward and kissed him, plunging her tongue into his mouth and gripping the back of his head tightly, yanking out his hair band and flinging it across the room before weaving her fingers through his dark locks.

Five was the number of times she would scream his name each time they made love, before he would collapse on her due to exhaustion.

Five was the number of times he told her he loved her before departing on his final mission - a mission to lead a group of Konohagakure and Sunagakure Chuunin and Jounin to infiltrate Orochimaru's headquarters and destroy the snake Sanin and his current host - Uchiha Sasuke.

Five was the number of times Sasuke (or rather, Orochimaru) had stabbed him before Lee had caught him, just as he was about to hit the cold, stone floor.

Five was the number of times that Temari had told him to hang in there and stay strong, before his vision began to blur.

Five was the number of times her face appeared in his mind before he was engulfed in darkness.

Five was the number of times Naruto got up, only to be slapped down, before he finally destroyed Orochimaru, along with his army, his hide out, and the remains of his former friend and teammate.

Five was the number of times she went into denial when they announced his name among the list of every fallen Leaf and Sand Shinobi. Some others included Sabaku no Kankurou, Maito Gai, and Shiranui Genma.

Five was the number of times Naruto apologized to her, before continuing on with his ambition to become Hokage. Five was the number of times she dropped small hints that a certain Hyuuga Hinata was in love with him, before she got fed up and used her Art of the Valentine Jutsu on the Hyuuga Heiress and helped her confess.

Five was the number of times Hinata had hugged her and thanked her after her precious "Naruto-kun" had asked her to become his girlfriend.

Five was the number of years that passed after the war between the alliances (Leaf and Sand) and Sound had come to an end, before Tsunade passed down her position as Hokage to Naruto.

Five was the number of months that passed since Naruto became the Rokudaime Hokage before he finally gained the courage to ask for Hinata's hand in marriage. Five long minutes passed where Hinata's face had burned bright red and she seemed at loss for words, before she threw her arms around the blond's neck and accepted his proposal, sealing the deal with a rather confident kiss.

Five was the number of times a day she would visit his grave and apologize to him and tell him that she loved him.

"I love you… Shikamaru." She whispered for the fifth time, before she would turn and leave.

And then the wind would blow, causing her blonde locks to sway in it's cool breeze, and she would feel his calm presence and imagine his arms wrapping around her, before she would hear him whisper into her ear:

"I love you too, Ino."

And then she would open her eyes to nothing. She would be standing alone in front of his grave for a good five minutes, staring intently at his name engraved in stone, before she would turn around and leave, returning home only to fall asleep and wake up the next morning and begin the same routine, over and over again.

Five times.

FIN

Well, there you go. I'm done. I hope you liked it and I hope no one minds the small NaruHina I threw in there.

-Lady-Azura-