A Stranger Among Us

Chapter Two: Contact (for lack of my naming skills its not very fitting)

"I'm telling you Ten, it was her," Ino kept saying.

"Are you sure, Ino? It could have been someone els-"

"Tell me Tenten, who else has black hair to their butt in town?" Ino demanded.

"Well…"

"No one does Tenten!" Ino shouted.

Sakura stepped forward and put her arm between the other two girls, "Come on that's enough," She sighed. "Ino, stop yelling at Tenten, I'm sure it's not her fault."

Once Ino appeared to be calming down and only then did Sakura back up and remove her arm from blocking the girls off. "Now what's up?"

Ino glared at Sakura for a few moments before starting, "Well…I went to Shikamaru's house, to see if he was home or out being lazy, you know? And when I got there I saw him playing Shogi with that…" Ino paused seemingly to push away some bad thing or other that she wished to call the girl by, "That new girl…"

"Why would Shikamaru be with her?" Sakura asked aloud without meaning too.

"That's what I want to know!" Ino raised her voice a bit again earning her a glare from Sakura.

"I've tried to tell her that there's probably a good reason for it, but you know our Ino, she just wouldn't listen." Tenten gave Sakura a half smile with a half choked laugh.

Sakura sighed; this would have easily been avoided if Ino had just asked Shikamaru out already. These stupid games between the two were getting very old very fast. "Ino, you should really just talk to him." She said.

"Yeah Ino, that might really help," Tenten added.

There was a tap on the door frame behind the girls and there was Naruto leaning in the doorway grinning ear to ear as always. "Did you still want me to walk you home Sakura-chan?" He asked.

Sakura smiled and shook her head, "No Naruto, you go on, I'll be busy here for a little while."

The blond pushed off with a nod, "Alright. See ya later then!" He waved as he turned and left.

"Alright," Sakura called after him before turning to face her friends again. Ino had a very odd expression on her face and the pink hair kunoichi could tell she was planning something.

After a very long quiet pause in which Tenten and Sakura exchanged several glances Ino spoke, fast and firm. "I'm gonna find out where this chick is from!"

Ino started heading for the door as Tenten and Sakura took in what she said. They followed her. "Ino, do you think this is really a good idea?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, Ino-pig she'll probably be gone in a few days anyway and we'll never see her again." Sakura added.

The blond spun on her heel and looked Sakura in the eyes. "Well she isn't trying to win over your boyfriend is she, Billboard-brow?"

"But…Ino…Shikamaru isn't…your boyfriend…" Tenten tried to calm her friend down again.

Ino's spirit seemed to fall just then and she heaved a sigh and closed her eyes to think. "Yes. You're right." She conceded after a while.

Ino calmed herself down for a few more minutes before the girls walked back into the shop together. Tenten changed the subject as soon as she could, telling the other two of her last mission with Neji and Lee. Sakura didn't have much to say, and couldn't say she really wanted to hear anything either. She excused herself quickly leaving the other two in the middle of a discussion.

Sakura yawned as she started her way home again. Her feet took the quickest way back to her apartment. The medic wasn't sure where the day had gone, in so many ways it was as if she'd just woken up, and yet that also felt like days ago. Fumbling with her key she opened the door and kicked off her shoes. The sun was setting, she could see from the kitchen widow as she got herself a glass of water. It painted the sky several shades of blue, pink and purple as it fell gently behind the horizon.

Shikamaru leaned heavily on the door frame. "I can't believe you beat me at Shogi," He sighed and shook his head.

"Well it wasn't easy, and it may have even been luck…" Rei said.

"Nah, you beat me fair and square."

Rei looked down and then back up to the boy's face. What am I doing…? She questioned herself. Laughing off his last comment she turned to leave.

She'd only managed to get down the first step before Shikamaru asked where she was staying.

With a glace back at him she said, "I'm getting a room at one of the inn's"

"You could stay here, my parents are gone on a mission and this place gets kinda lonely sometimes…"

"Heheh, I think I'd better not. I'll see ya around, Nara Shikamaru." She left with that and a smile on her lips.

"Yea…" He sighed and shut the door behind her.

Rei followed the same path out of Nara property that Shikamaru had taken her on until she found the path she'd used to find the open hill side. It wasn't such a pleasant trail at night, it made her slightly on edge. Uncontrollably her pace quickened. She stumbled over roots and rocks. God I should be more coordinated than this…she hissed under her breath as a branch slapped her across her thighs.

Stopping she made sure she was still on the path; looking a little to the left she saw light about ten or so feet ahead. Veering to head in that general direction she found her way out.

Finally the path under her feet felt familiar and she stepped out into the grassy area she started from, and sighed with relief. Retracing her previous route through town to the inn she'd decided to stay at was much easier.

"Hello! Can I get you a room, Miss?" The young woman behind the counter seemed far too energetic for this late hour.

"Yes, I'd like a room for one night, please." Rei tried to return the girls happy smile but fell short of it.

The brunette passed the keys over to her and Rei gave her enough money that there would be a small tip left over and told the woman to keep the change as she headed up the stairs.

The room was ….quaint. There was one small bed with soft colored sheets that didn't match with the pillow cases of the two down pillows on top. A dark wood nightstand was next to the bed with an old lamp in the corner. She dropped her bag at the end of the bed as she fell to the mattress below. Kicking off her shoes Rei didn't even bother to change she just curled up to sleep on the bed.

Sakura sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side with a sigh. She couldn't get to sleep because of a nagging headache. She rinsed her face with cool water and took two aspirin before returning to the comfort of her sheets. She settled down with the happy thought that tomorrow was her last day to work before her vacation started. She only prayed the hospital would only see minor injuries so that she could leave on time. Her eyelids fell heavy and sleep finally seemed to catch up with her.

A/N:

Sorry this chapter is boring and short and that it took so long to get it up...I've been having a rough time lately with personal things...I promise the next chapter will be better and longer! So bare with this chapter!... Please Review!