Ino held her mouth open as she tried to think of some sort of excuse. She needed something and she needed it quick. Naruto simply ran his fingers through his hair.

"Shikamaru it's nothing really." Ino said.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "Its not like we were planning some type of secret meeting or anything." He shouted out loud in a nervous tone.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow to the both of them. Ino quickly grabbed Naruto putting her hand over his mouth.

"Idiot." She muttered in his ear. She then looked up at her black haired teammate. She then smiled for him. "Naruto was just walking me home. We um had a mission together." She quickly lied. "So you know Naruto here always the gentleman. He offered to walk me home. Isn't that right Naruto?"

"Yeah." He mumbled due to the fact that she still had her hand over his mouth. Ino let him. Shikamaru stared between the two of them.

"Whatever." He sighed. "Anyway I have to get this stuff home to my mom. You know how much she nags."

"Yeah." Ino nodded. "We'll see you around Shika."

"Later Shikamaru." Naruto spoke.

If Shikamaru had any other suspicions he did not voice them. He only continued on his way home. Once he was gone the platinum blond turned her attention to Naruto.

"Way to go Naruto. You might as well have told him everything, and save us the trouble of our plan having been found out by everyone."

"Sorry Ino-chan I got nervous."

"Shikamaru is smart so he most likely had his suspicions about seeing us together. He probably won't say anything though. He'll be back to watching his clouds and playing Shoji in no time."

Naruto just figured that he'd better leave now before there were any other surprises. Besides there was some sleep that he needed to catch up on.

"Okay well goodnight Ino-chan." He yawned. "I'll see you around."

"Right." She agreed. "Later."

As Ino approached the door to her house to her surprise it was instantly opened. An older blond haired woman appeared at the door. Naruto could tell that she was obviously Ino's mother. They looked too similar to not be of some sort of relation.

"Oh Ino-chan you're home I thought that I heard your voice." She paused when she saw Naruto. Suddenly a smile appeared on her face. "Oh were you on a date?"

"What! No mom I wasn't."

"Don't be so rude invite your handsome friend in."

"But I…." Ino started.

Naruto blinked as he tried to think of something to say. He needed to get out of this and fast.

"Mrs. Yamanaka thank you for the offer. But its fine you don't have to invite me in. I was just making sure Ino-chan got home safe. And now that she's here I should probably be on my way. Goodnight."

Before he could get any further Mrs. Yamanaka grabbed a hold of his arm. Ino felt like slapping herself upside the head. Was this really his idea of getting out of here fast? Saying what he just said would only make her mother want him to come in more.

"Nonsense you were very sweet in making sure that Ino got home safely. Come I insist."

Naruto could not protest as he was now being dragged into the house. Ino sighed heavily as she followed behind the two of them into the house.

"This probably wont end well." She whispered.

"You just have a seat and I'll go make us some tea and dango."

"Um Mrs. Yamanaka would you like some help?" the young man offered.

The older blond haired woman turned to face Naruto. She looked almost stunned as if she couldn't believe he had even offered. Or rather it was as if she wasn't at all used to a young man being polite.

"Handsome and polite well he's definitely an upgrade from the last boy I met. Wouldn't you agree Ino-chan?"

"Um yeah sure mom."

"So does this handsome, polite young man have a name?" She questioned.

"It's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Alright Naruto." She smiled. "Don't you worry about helping me? You just sit and here and make yourself at home."

Ino sat down across from Naruto at the table. She waited until her mother left before turning her attention on to him.

"Listen up when my mother gets back you need to make up some sort of excuse. Any kind of excuse I don't care what it is. Just tell her that you have to leave."

"Yeah, yeah that's all good Ino-chan but what exactly am I supposed to say to her. She seems pretty persistent." He noticed.

Ino was about to say something when footsteps were heard. She saw not only her mother but her father as well.

"Oh shit." She thought.

Her father was bound to scare Naruto shitless. She sort of felt bad for him now. He wasn't even her boyfriends and her father would definitely start giving him the third degree. According to Inoichi all boys were considered guilty until proven innocent. And even after that they could only be trusted to a certain extent. Bottom line no boy was good enough for his princess right now.

"I thought that I heard voices Ino, princess why don't you introduce me to your friend." Inoichi spoke his eyes never leaving Naruto.

Naruto gulped at the serious look in Mr. Yamanaka's eyes.

"Oh hell please don't let him kill him. Don't let him kill me." Naruto thought.

"Sure daddy. Naruto Uzumaki this is my father Inoichi Yamanaka. Naruto say hi."

"Hm." He nodded. "Hi…Hello Yamanaka-san." He managed to get the words out. Naruto then bowed before the elder male.

"See honey isn't he polite. Why don't you have a seat and we can all enjoy some tea and dango." Mrs. Yamanaka seemed cheerful.

Inoichi simply nodded as he sat down at the table. Naruto felt more and more uncomfortable by the minute. He was sure he that he hadn't felt such tension in a long time.

"Would you like some dango Naruto?" Ino's mother asked.

"Um…um sure." He mumbled as he took some dango off the plate. Inoichi took a sip of his tea before looking over to where Naruto was sitting.

"So Naruto what are your intentions with my daughter."

"In…Intentions?"

"Yes your plans. Was this a one time thing? Or do you intend to date my daughter."

Ino tried to get his attention by kicking the whisker faced boy underneath the table.

"Oww." He exclaimed.

"Don't worry daddy. Naruto doesn't have any plans period isn't that right Naruto. In fact we weren't even on a date at all were we?" she asked with a serious look in those aqua colored orbs.

"Oh Ino-chan don't be embarrassed. If you were on a date it's perfectly okay." The older woman told her daughter.

"Well." Inoichi started. "If it was a date I do hope that you were nothing but a complete gentleman Naruto; because if you weren't there could very well be consequences."

Naruto did not like look in Inoichi's eyes. That was it he had to get out of there right now before he was suddenly a dead man. The blond male immediately stood up.

"Yamanaka-san I promise you on my love ramen that nothing inappropriate happened between Ino and me. I wouldn't treat her that way. And um….um now I really have to go. I've got a busy day tomorrow you know how it is. A shinobi's work is never done you know." He laughed. "Thank you Mrs. Yamanaka for the dango goodnight."

He bowed once more before heading to the door.

"Goodbye Naruto hopefully we will get to see more of you."

"Yeah." He nodded. "If Mr. Yamanaka doesn't kill me first."

"Wait up Naruto I'll walk you out." Ino called after him.

Inoichi waited until both Ino and Naruto were gone before he spoke again.

"Strange one that boy he seems okay, a little anxious though."

"Well dear you can be very intimidating what did you expect?" his wife asked.

"Hm. I only want the best for out princess you know that."

"I like him dear. He's very polite he could very well be good for Ino. Perhaps you should give him a chance."

"Maybe." He thought.

Ino grabbed a hold of Naruto trying to stop him from taking off. She wanted to at least get the chance to apologize to him.

"Naruto wait a moment."

"Oh hell no. when I signed on for this I didn't ask for your father to offer to break every bone in my body and kill me." He shouted.

"I'm sorry." She nodded. "My father is…well he's just a little overprotective. But don't worry he wont hurt you…um hopefully."

"Hopefully." He repeated.

The platinum blond just shot him a smile.

"Don't worry its not like you're my boyfriend or anything. You'll most likely never have to talk to my father again. We're only doing this to convince other people that we're a couple not him." she reminded the whisker faced boy.

All Naruto could think about was getting home and going to sleep. A part of him had hoped that this had all been a dream.

"Maybe I'm still at home sleeping." He thought hopefully. "Nah, that's too much to hope for. Ino-chan I'm going to go home okay. I'm tired and I really need to sleep."

"Yeah, hey Naruto I was thinking that we should give it to a few days time before you ask me out again."

"Alright that's fine."

"Okay. Goodnight Naruto."

"Night."

Ino waited until he was completely gone from sight before heading back inside. She had to admit that given the circumstances Naruto handled him self well. He seemed to impress her mother that's for sure.

"He did pretty good at least he'll be prepared when he meets forehead's parents."

Her parents looked up when she entered the living room. They appeared to be in deep conversation.

"What's wrong?" Ino wondered.

"Ino you're father and I have decided that we want you to invite Naruto over for dinner."

"Eh?" she looked surprised. "Um mom, daddy Naruto and I…."

"Oh so he is you're boyfriend." Mrs. Yamanaka smiled widely. "I knew it. He'll be good for you I can tell."

"No mom you don't understand."

"Boyfriend or not if you're going to be spending time with Naruto; I still want the chance to get to know him okay Ino." Mr. Yamanaka's voice held a serious tone.

Ino figured that there was no use in arguing with her parents. If they wanted Naruto over for dinner then they would have it.

"Fine daddy if you insist I'll ask and see when it's a good time for him to come over."

"Oh Ino-chan is t here any meal in particular that he likes?"

"He'll eat whatever you prepare dear and he'll like it." Inoichi spoke.

Ino didn't even have to think twice about what Naruto's favorite food was. She may not have been very close to him, but everyone knew that he was a ramen addict.

"Make ramen mom. Make ramen and lots of it. Now I'm going to bed if no one minds, it's been a long day."

Ino marched up the stairs to her room. She could literally feel a headache coming on. She was starting to wonder if this so called "relationship" would be stressful like this today. If so then the blond knew that she was going to have her work cut out for her.

"And now my parents want him over for dinner just great. That'll be a night to remember, and probably not a good one at that." She closed her eyes preparing to go to sleep. "Oh well I'll deal with this another time. I'm way too tired to think."

With that being said the blond teen found her self drifting off to sleep.

Halfway across Konoha her blond counterpart had finally made his way to his apartment. Naruto plopped down on his bed placing his hands behind his head.

"Damn this was a long day. First I get in the head not just by Sakura-chan but by Ino too. Then Shikamaru finds us together, and now I think Mr. Yamanaka secretly wants to cause me have a slow painful death." Naruto sighed. "This is either going to help me or send me to an early grave. Oh well this is Ino's plan I'm sure she's got it covered. At least I hope that she does."