"Yes, Mitchan, I've already completed the 18th chapter of my novel...Of course I'll have the book done by next month...I must go now...No I can't tell you what it's about...Goodbye Mitchan...Goodbyeeeeee." Shigure sighed heavily and flopped his head down on his desk as he hung up the phone on his nagging editor, Mitchan. "She worries too much," he thought to himself, "If I weren't such a wonderful writer, I swear I'd stop answering her calls."

Gllllluuuuurgggghhhhh His exasperated thoughts were silenced by the sound of his rumbling stomach. Luckily Tohru and Yuki had just left to gather some leeks for dinner from Yuki's garden. "I wish Yuki had decided that he wanted leeks earlier in the day. I'll probably starve before they get back," thought Shigure. He was also praying that Kyo wouldn't find out where they had gone; Yuki knows how much Kyo hates leeks but still he continues to grow them and Tohru continues to cook them.

With his head still flat on his desk, Shigure's ears perked up as he heard soft, cat-like steps coming down from the roof. Oh no, Kyo was on the roof, he might have seen Tohru and Yuki head off towards the garden together. He's not going to be happy...

Kyo strolled into Shigure's office looking quite proud of himself. He had a satisfied grin covering his face and his gait was very light. One would think he had gotten into some cat nip. Slamming his hands down on the desk where Shigure lay he yelled, "Shigure! Hey Shigureeeeee! Wake up Shigureeeeee!"

"Stop screaming, I'm not asleep," said Shigure softly as he tried to muffle Kyo's crazy antics. He already had a headache, and now his eardrums were bleeding too. "What do you look so pleased about Kyo? Were you finally able to defeat your rat nemesis?"

"Hah!," cried Kyo, "I'm not worrying about that damn rat anymore. I've been on the roof training all day and there's no way he could beat me now."

Shigure chuckled and gave Kyo a look of helpless disbelief.

"What are you laughing at?!?!? Seriously, there's no way I could loose to that stupid rat anymore. I have just mastered the ninjitsu form of the Blind Ninja!!! Whahahahahaha!" He threw his foot up on the desk and raised his hand triumphantly.

"Do you mean you've been on the roof all day with your eyes closed?" Shigure shook his head again and got up from his desk to walk away, realizing that there was no possible way that Kyo could have seen Yuki and Tohru head off towards the garden when Kyo chimed in, "By the way, I haven't seen that ugly rat or Tohru all day, have you?"

Shigure's shoulders slumped and he stopped in his tracks. He knew there was going to be trouble, but he couldn't lie to Kyo. Then again, Kyo probably couldn't hurt Yuki anyway, even with his new 'Blind Ninja' techniques. Even if he did catch up to the two lovebirds, he'd end up getting beaten up and eating leeks for dinner anyway. "They both left a few minutes ago to go pick some leeks for dinner. They should be on their way to Yuki's garden right now."

"WHHHHAAAAAAAAA! LEEKS?! I can't stand that damn Yuki. He knows I hate leeks and he still makes us eat them."

":( They're not that bad," Shigure muttered softly.

"Ohhhhhh yes they are!" cried Kyo. His face was beet red now, "I'm not gonna let Yuki boss me around and tell me what to eat anymore! It's time I showed him how strong I've really gotten! I'm gonna go stop that little rat from picking those leeks, whahahahaha!"

And with that Kyo bolted through the paper door, neglecting to open it, and down the trail after Yuki and Tohru, leaving an insipid Shigure to patch the broken wood and paper. "He never learns."

Yuki walked slowly beside his traveling companion with his head facing the ground opposite to her. They had barely gotten to the tree stump that marked the path to the garden when Yuki said, "Can I ask you something Mrs. Honda?"

"Of course Yuki, what is it?" Tohru replied in a concerned tone. She had been with Yuki practically all day and she had noticed that he had been acting a bit strange.

"Well, It's about...ummm, It's about...well, It's about..."

"He is so nervous," Tohru thought to herself, "I don't know what he has to ask me but it must be important. Actually I think It's really cute how Yuki is stumbling over his words."

"It's about you and I." Yuki finally blurted out bashfully.

Tohru's eyes widened and mouth dropped without her asking it to. "Oh no!" thought Tohru again, "What am I going to do. He's about to express his undying love to me. I'm not going to be able to live in the same house with him...oh I just couldn't bear to know that he loves me. But I love him too, I just can't let him know like this though. Ohhhhh what am I going to do."

Yuki was now looking at Tohru directly. Her eyes were dizzy and face was red as he spoke again, "I was wondering if you would like to...if you would like to go shopping with me tomorrow?" Tohru fell over backwards in disappointed relief.

She found her feet again and then replied, "Of course, I'd love to Yuki, but is that what you've been worried about asking me all day?" She found it hard to believe that asking a girl to go shopping was so hard to do.

"Well, I was ashamed to ask you for anything at all," Yuki explained, " You do so much for Shigure, Kyo, and myself, and I know you're always busy and working hard. To ask you for one more thing seemed unreasonable to me. But I really need your help. I could go shopping by myself, but my sense of style is comparative to that of a...well, rat. I mean, I've only ever had one outfit. So thank you so much Tohru, I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."

It was a very sweet gesture to think about how Tohru might feel, but she didn't mind him asking. In fact she was more than happy to be able to spend some time with him. She quickly interjected, "No, no, please don't worry about me; I'll be fine. And you don't have to make it up to me, I mean I am glad to..."

Tohru's words were cut short by a familiar voice, "Yuki!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna kill you, you damn leek-eater!"

Yuki and Tohru arose from the log they were sitting on and turned around to see an enraged Kyo coming straight for them. His ears were pointed straight up in the air as he sprinted straight towards his target: Yuki.

"I was talking to Mrs. Honda. Why do you always have to interrupt me?" Yuki yelled back angrily. It was obvious that he was annoyed by the presence of his nemesis, especially during his time with Tohru. "Tohru, get out of the way, I'll take care of the cat...again."

Kyo was upon his prey, but as he lunged his body at Yuki, he tripped over the log they had been sitting on and fell at the feet of his opponent. "Damn, why do I have to be so clumsy, I mean, I'm a cat for crying out loud," he thought to himself. "I have to get up before Yuki can get a punch off." Kyo sprang to his feet and distanced himself from Yuki before Yuki had a chance to make a move.

"I see you've gotten a bit faster since we last fought. I'm impressed that you were able to get away from me so quickly. Ha, but why don't you ever land on your feet? You stupid cat." Yuki mocked Kyo, trying to entice him to make a careless move or mistake, but Kyo remained composed and barely even retorted.

"I've been training," he said, "and if you think that you're gonna make me eat one more leek, then you've got somethin' coming to ya."

"Ummmm, Yuki, Kyo, please stop fighting. I don't want anyone to get hurt...Kyo, please don't get hurt." Tohru nervously addressed the two angry relatives. She knew that she could end the fighting easily, all she needed to do was to hug one of the two and the skirmish would end, but she thought to herself, "Kyo and Yuki really need to learn how to talk to each other and not fight so much. Maybe I'll just let them do this their way and maybe it will turn out ok."

Completely ignoring Tohru's request, Kyo taunted Yuki with his new technique, "Haha Yuki, you think you can just beat me like you normally do, but this time it's gonna be different. I have a new technique...The Blind Ninja!" Kyo let out a battle cry and posed on one foot, his hands positioned vertically in front of his chest. After his stance was right, Kyo closed his eyes and taunted Yuki again, "If you think you can handle me, bring it on you damn..."

WHAMMMM!! Yuki gave his boastful cat friend a kick to the head that sent him spinning on to the ground. "Blind Ninja, huh?" Kyo laid on the ground, eyes spinning as Yuki took Tohru's hand and said, "Come Mrs Honda, lets go gather some leeks for dinner. Oh, and Yuki, keep training."