Kinda random. A story of Good-Samaritanism.

ShikaIno, in a way. If I continued it, it would be. And I kinda do want to continue it...

Oh, and keep in mind that in this world, they weren't on the same Genin team- heck, they didn't even know each other.

Ino hated grocery shopping.

"Hello," she said, leaning on her grocery cart in line to pay for her food... and bored out of her mind.

The baby, held in the arms of the person in front of her and clad in a frilly ensemble that included a bright red bow on the top of her head, cooed something unintelligible and stared back at her with wide red eyes that clearly were waiting for an answer.

"I'm fine, thanks, how're you?"

More cooing.

"Oh, really? That's too bad."

The baby babbled at her.

"Why yes, I do like your bow. It's very cute. Where is it from?"

Babbling and cooing.

"Huh. I'll have to check that place out."

The boy holding the baby turned around, abandoning the task of placing the items in his cart on the conveyor belt and staring at her. "Are you having a conversation with her?"

Ino shrugged. "Yeah, don't you?"

"Yeah... But I never thought anyone else would..."

"She's such a chatterbox." Ino grinned.

"Yes, she is." The boy smiled, too.

The baby started squirming.

"Her name is Akane," the boy said, shrugging. "Thought you might be curious."

"Like her eyes..."

"Yup. Her mom's the same way. She needed a break today so I took Akane."

Akane started to squirm more.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked Akane, completely concerned.

Ino's motherly instinct told her. "Her diaper."

The boy sighed. "Akane, can you wait?" Akane started to cry.

"I'll take care of it," said Ino suddenly. Poor baby. The boy frowned, and Ino looked at him- really looked- for the first time.

He had the air about him of someone who really didn't care about much. His hair, tied into a messy ponytail, stuck up in strange ways. His eyes were brown, along with his tanned, dark-ish skin. In each of his ears a gold hoop shone. He had on his arm a forehead protector- don't ask Ino why- of the city of Konohagakure, indicating that he was a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.

In short, he was kinda hot.

"But you're next in line..." He contemplated her. "What're you going to do?"

"Load my stuff, will you?" she asked. "I won't be long."

"Well... all right. Here's a diaper that Kurenai made me bring just in case." He pulled a small box out of the front of his cart. "Some wipes, too."

Who was Kurenai? Maybe his sister? Well... judging by the name, she must have been related to Akane.

"Oh, and by the way," said the boy. "If I don't get Akane back, there will be several people who will happily go to jail for the chance to kill you. I'm one of them."

His eyes were cold, and Ino assessed him in terms of how likely it was that he really did mean that.

He was strong, tall, a ninja, and his eyes were chillingly cool.

It was likely.

Very, very likely.

Well, that was incentive. Even though she too was a ninja, he looked stronger than she was.

"All right," said Ino. "I'll be right back." She grabbed her purse- who knew this wasn't a clever robbery?- and fled toward the back bathroom of the store with Akane in her arms.

Changing the baby's diaper quickly, she brought the now-happy infant up to the front again.

The boy was done paying, and was standing looking out the window up at the clouds.

"Thanks so much," he said gratefully.

Ino's stuff was loaded onto the conveyor belt, and the people behind her were somewhat annoyed, although several of the women were looking like they thought it was all awfully sweet.

"Thanks for loading my stuff." She looked around for her purse.

"Oh... no..." she muttered.

"What's wrong?" asked the boy.

"My purse... I left it in the bathroom..." She frowned. She'd been so anxious to get the baby back and to not be killed that she'd completely forgotten it.

"I'll watch your stuff," he said kindly. "You can go get it."

The people in line watched this exchange with interest.

Ino practically ran to the back- it was her favorite purse, and it had all her money in it. She was particularly lacking in wealth today but she would get her paycheck tomorrow, so she would be fine- as long as her purse was safe.

Finding it safe and also finding all her stuff still in it, Ino ran back up to the front, card out and ready to pay.

To her surprise, Ino found all her purchases bagged and waiting by the cashier, receipt on top.

"I didn't pay for these, ma'am," she told the aging cashier respectfully.

"Oh, yes, that boy did. He said it was to thank you for changing the baby's diaper for him. Wasn't it sweet of him? Do you know him?"

Ino shook her head. "If you ever see him again, would you thank him for me?" she asked the cashier, who nodded.

"He comes by every week, dear."

Ino thanked her and left, deciding that she, too, would do her grocery shopping on this day every week.

Grocery shopping wasn't really that bad after all.