DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, any characters affiliated...why do I have to keep writing these things? Mendokuse...I'm so lazy...Just assume I own nothing here that you recognize from outside of my stories.

A/N: Thanks, guys, for bearing with me! I get a little bit of time to type in the morning now...


Tuesday seemed to slog on and on for the nine friends; even Pauline, who wasn't in a public school, still had chores and her own homework to do.

I'm so bored...Concentrate! Christmas break is next week, so be happy!, thought Michelle, sitting in Chemistry and trying to concentrate on stoichiometry (A/N: if you don't understand the term, tough. I'm not explaining.).

This is relevant to my life, how? Kyle thought, during math.

Must take notes, must take proper notes, must get scholarship, can't afford tuition, Hinata thought, frantically trying to write down everything her math teacher said, verbatim.

AUGH! Naruto thought, holding his head in his hands, Why do I need to know about parabolas?

No, I can't go into that hallway; Mika's locker is there, Shaun thought during Travel and Tourism, outlining in his head the safest way to his next class without running into the girl, who was still after him.

I hate French! Denise thought, sitting in said class, ...ok, I don't hate it. I just...really don't like it. A lot.

Stupid car, not working... Itachi thought, in automotive technology, Why won't this useless thing start?

"Since when do we have so many dishes?" Pauline groaned, washing a mug in her kitchen as her pet Jack Russell terrier watched.

"BWAHAHAHA, I HAVE A SPARE!" Corey yelled, pointing up at the sky as he reclined on a picnic table outside.

My 'life's not fair' senses are tingling, Phil thought, sitting beside Michelle in Chemistry, And my 'no-one remembers that I'm the guy from the first fanfic that's a lot like Corey, only taller, with slightly lighter and straighter brown hair, and my eyes aren't green; they're blue' senses are tingling too. ...that's a weird sense to have...

That IS a weird sense to have...who would want that sense? Honestly...

Michelle, Kyle, and the five dogs breathed deep.

"Do you smell those dessert buns baking?" Michelle whispered, eyes closed.

"Do you smell that rotisserie chicken?" Kyle asked, eyes also closed.

"Mm..." both murmured, along with the dogs.

Hinata, Shaun, Pauline and Nat all stared at the two friends. Pauline was especially impatient; she had to use crutches, since her ankle had been sprained (not badly, but her mom was concerned), meaning that she had to stand on one foot while her friends sniffed the air.

"Are you done yet?" Nat asked, annoyed.

"Can we go now?" Pauline added, glancing at Michelle's watch.

"Picky, picky," Michelle grinned, and breathed deep again.

"M-Michelle, if you stand like this...um...well, your groceries won't get done," Hinata said quietly, not wanting to seem intrusive.

"I hear you," Michelle nodded, opened her eyes and poked Kyle in the ribs, "Come on; I didn't spend a bus ticket for nothing. Let's get the stuff my mom wanted."

"This Chinatown place smells great, though," Kyle said, opening his eyes.

"Can we just go?" Pauline asked, getting antsy.

The 15-year-old led the group (at a very slow pace with her crutches) down the street with Nat and Kyle on either side. Hinata walked beside Michelle, and Shaun trailed in the back, as usual. (A/N: It's true! Shino's always in the back! Like during the funeral; Shino's the last genin to leave!)

The group of nine had gone to Chinatown to do some shopping for Michelle's mother; Denise, Corey and Isaac were browsing weapon shops while the other six hunted down items on Michelle's list.

"What's the first thing you need?" Hinata asked.

"...fruit," Michelle answered, referring to her list, and called out to Pauline, "Hey, cuz! Take us where we can buy fruit!"

"Gotcha! The Sino Mall it is!" Pauline called over her shoulder.

Ah...the dear Sino Mall...

Upon arriving at the large mall, Pauline led them down a few hallways, and they found themselves in front of a grocery store.

"Wow..." Michelle blinked, "It looks bigger than before."

"They renovated; there's a bigger place for fish and vegetables," Pauline explained, pointing to the far wall as they entered the food outlet.

"Dogs can't come in here! Sorry!" Naruto said, not really meaning it as he made a face at the dogs.

"I'll stay out here with them," Kyle volunteered, stepping back outside of the store.

"Ok...I'll stay out here too," Pauline said, joining Kyle outside.

"They're so cute," Michelle whispered to Hinata, and both girls giggled.

"Girls..." Nat mumbled, crossing his arms as he and Shaun followed them through the store.

"What fruit do you need?" Hinata asked, looking over Michelle's shoulder.

"Several. Royal gala apples, finger bananas, red grapes, a pineapple, strawberries and..." Michelle squinted at the paper, "I think it says 'cherries', but it might say 'berries'."

"May I?" Hinata held her hand out.

Michelle handed the paper to Hinata, who looked carefully at the list.

"You're right; it's cherries," Hinata nodded.

"I'll get the cherries and strawberries for you," Nat volunteered.

"Thanks, that would help," Michelle grinned.

"I'll look for the pineapple," Hinata said.

"I'll find grapes," Shaun added.

"Then I'll find the apples and bananas," Michelle nodded, then got an idea, "Hey, how about we race? We'll meet back here at the 6th checkout counter."

"Ok!" Nat agreed enthusiastically, and Hinata and Shaun nodded.

"All right then, let's go!" Michelle said, thinking, Yay, Shino said something to me!

Each genin ran in different directions, eager to be the first to the counter. Then Michelle realized that the direction she was going was towards the doors. Darnit! she thought, looking through the door windows where Kyle and Pauline were staring at her strangely. Smiling and waving to them, she looked around to make sure the others hadn't seen her mistake, then ran towards where she hoped the apples were.

Over with the other group...

Corey, Denise and Isaac were now done browsing through weapon shops; Denise wanted just about everything in each shop, as did Isaac, but both Isaac and Corey were picky about which katana or dagger they actually purchased.

"That took so long," Denise complained, unsheathing her black-hilted, curved dagger and examining it as they walked down the street.

"At least you can use that dagger; some of the things you wanted to buy were useless," Corey said, walking with his hands in his coat pockets.

"..." Isaac merely walked with his new katana on his back, ready to use it in case enemies jumped out of an alleyway.

"Why didn't you buy anything?" Denise asked, testing her blade's edge with a finger, "Oops, I nicked myself."

"All that stuff is crap compared to the weapons in Konoha," Corey shrugged, "The store I work in has weapons a shitload better than that crappy little...thing over there," he said, waving his hand vaguely.

"Oh. Whatever," Denise said, making a dismissing gesture with the dagger as she tried to stop her finger bleeding.

Don't play with sharp things. It's not safe. ...half the stuff in my story I advise you against doing...o.O

"Hahaha!" Nat yelled triumphantly, landing with a bound onto the clear bit of flooring that is always in front of the check-out counters, "I'm the first!"

"No, you're not," Michelle said running up through the aisle he just exited.

The girl passed him at a run and Nat was confused.

"But I got to the aisles first with the food," Nat said, watching as the girl ran on.

"To aisle 6?" she called over her shoulder, already in line.

"...crap," Nat sweatdropped, and walked sulkily over to the line and stood behind...a blur.

"Dammit!" Nat exclaimed, as Shaun and Hinata (in that order) got to the line just before he did, "That can't be fair!"

"It's a race, Nat," Michelle said, looking back and giving him a rueful smile, "Tough luck."

"Damn!" Nat yelled, and ended up getting shushed by his friends.

Outside...

"Do you hear that?" Kyle asked, hearing a blue streak of swearing coming from inside the store.

"I wish I could un-hear it," Pauline answered, covering D'Artagnan's ears, and after a moment flinched, "Wow...I didn't hear that one before..."

Further outside...

"Whoa, did you hear that?" Denise asked, hearing a very loud string of swear words coming from the Sino Mall.

"Yeah. Wow...I haven't heard that one in a long time," Corey said, and immediately all three walked towards the source of angry noise.

The three found the other part of their group walking through the mall towards them, away from the grocery store they had just been in.

"Nat, there were little kids in that store," Michelle scolded, carrying two plastic bags, "Their parents must be so upset now!"

"What do you mean?" Nat asked, and everyone else except Hinata groaned.

"Oh my gosh," Pauline sighed, rolling her eyes.

"She means that those little kids heard at least a dozen different swear words, which their parents probably didn't want, idiot," Kyle explained, annoyed.

"Scarring kids for life is ok," Corey said, when his group reached theirs; Michelle decided to just give the boy a look instead of argue.

"How was your day?" Michelle asked Denise.

"It was ok," Denise answered, holding up her dagger.

"Nice dagger!" Nat said, and reached out a hand, "Can I see it?"

"No," Denise answered quickly, slipping the weapon into her pocket.

"Bitch..." Nat mumbled.

"What did you say?" Denise asked, giving him a scary look. A very scary look; even for Denise. Especially with Corey and Isaac backing her up.

"N-nothing!" Nat said, hiding behind Michelle.

"I just have to buy a DVD my mom wants, and then I'm done," Michelle said, as if nothing had happened.

"What's it about?" Denise asked curiously, as the whole group began walking through the mall.

"It's a series called, 'It Started With a Kiss'," Pauline answered for her enthusiastically, "They were playing it in Taiwan; now the series is over, so the DVD with English subtitles was made and sent here!"

"The series is over? It sounds short, if it's only on one DVD," Denise said.

"Oh, it's more like a miniseries with about 18 episodes," Pauline explained.

"And my mom wants to see it because one of my aunts heard about it," Michelle added, "It's a Chinese miniseries; 'Chinese' indicates some cheesiness/melodrama which my mom loves, and 'miniseries' shows that it was thought out, which almost guarantees that it's good."

"What's it about?" Hinata asked, curiously.

Kyle rolled his eyes and Nat made an annoyed sound.

"I'm walking ahead," Kyle said, and the rest of the boys followed.

"Just ignore them," Michelle advised.

"Yeah, well, the story is about this girl who falls in love with a boy in her school, but since he's so smart and handsome, he's also arrogant..." Pauline began to explain.

(singing) Say that you luuv me, say that you care...(stops singing) Hey, I like that show. And a sequel's coming out in 2007!

Now the group was back on the bus, or at least part of it; Pauline had walked home from Chinatown. From the subway, the group had parted again; Shaun and Michelle took a different bus than the others did, while Corey was going to a job interview. Nat, Kyle and Hinata were going straight home, while Denise and Isaac were wandering around the city.

"Where do you want to go?" Denise asked, as she and Isaac walked down the street.

Isaac looked around; from one point of view, the flourescent lights and fast cars were strange. From another point of view, all these things were well known to him; even the ex-nukenin was set off-balance with his parallel memories. Thinking for a moment, he remembered something.

"Follow me," Isaac said, taking Denise's hand and jaywalking across the street, "I have something to show you."

What is it? What is it? ...not telling...

I will not be awkward. I will not be awkward. I will not be awkward.

Hinata played with her fingers as she sat on the bus seat, with Kyle at her left, and a window at her right. Nat was sitting on Kyle's opposite side, with his hands behind his head; Kyle was trying to keep the dogs settled for just 10 more minutes. Hinata looked to the side in the corner of her eye for a split second before looking forward again. Silence reigned throughout the bus; they were the only passengers.

I'm being awkward. I'm being awkward. I'm being awkward.

Hinata clenched her hands, and D'Artagnan put his head on her lap sympathetically. The gesture gave her courage, and she opened her mouth to break the silence with a scintillating conversation; she would astound her Naruto and get him to want to talk to her more! ...but then she looked at Nat and her words were gone. Hinata slouched against the back of her seat and played with her fingers again. Nat was still clueless, and Kyle, who knew his teammate well, shook his head. It was going to be a long 10 minutes home.

One day, Naruto will notice Hinata. As in, really notice her.

Shaun and Michelle were standing on their bus; it wasn't crowded, but all the seats were filled. Shaun stood holding a pole while Michelle was to his left, not holding onto anything. Neither were speaking; Michelle was trying not to fall over, while Shaun was trying not to look at her.

Why is Shino like this? Can't he at least look at me? Michelle thought.

Why are my bugs like this? Can't I have a break, just for a day? Shaun thought.

Was it something I did? Michelle thought, glancing sideways at the boy, ...nothing. Do I really mean anything to you, Shino-kun?

Thinking back, Michelle realised that though Shino had been a friend for the first few weeks after she and Denise had arrived in Konoha, from at least a week prior to the exam, the bug-user had been very distant.

I thought he was just going through a mood or something, Michelle thought.


Shino and Sasuke met Michiko and Deniizu as usual after lunch; the girls had learned very well. Now, with the final test just a few days away, all the four really did was train the skills they already knew.

"Today is ranged attacks," Sasuke said, bored.

Sasuke and Deniizu moved to their side of the field, both already in their fighting stances.

"They really hate each other," Michiko said sadly, as Shino took kunai and shuriken out.

Shino didn't speak, but Michiko had expected that; Shino-kun was very different than Shino-sensei.

"But at least acting this way makes losing seem worse and helps them train hard," Michiko added, getting into her own fighting stance.

"It's coming," Shino said expressionlessly, whipping a kunai forward.

Michiko was startled, but managed to catch it and throw it back before the throwing knife hit her arm.

That's strange, Michiko thought, He usually waits for a second...but...maybe he just wants me perfectly ready for the final test.


And when we studied...when even Kiba studied...Shino didn't help at all...

"Um...Sarutobi?" Michiko asked, scratching her head.

Deniizu and Kiba laughed as Michiko grinned sheepishly. Study time in the two girls' apartment wasn't exactly effective.

"I highly doubt that 'Sarutobi' is the style of fighting that most Mist ninjas use," Hinata sighed, but with a smile.

"You know I don't remember these terms," Michiko said ruefully.

"It may be on the exam," Hinata protested.

"What's the answer, then?" Michiko asked, putting on a mock-challenging face.

Hinata opened her mouth to answer, then closed it and looked down to the side. Michiko grinned and Kiba and Deniizu laughed again.

"What's the answer, Shino? You should know," Kiba said, calling to the boy that was standing on the balcony.

Shino didn't turn around, so after a moment, the others shared looks then turned to their notes.

"Hey, give me that," Michiko growled at Aramis.

The grey dog had his teeth in one of Michiko's information scrolls; he wanted to play tug-o-war.

"Sorry, boy; not now," Michiko said, prying it out of his grasp, "I have to study. Go to sleep like your brothers."

"Hey, Kiba, what's up with Shino?" Deniizu whispered to the dog-user, as Michiko wiped drool off of the scroll.

"I...um..." Kiba glanced at Shino, then Michiko, and finally shook his head, "Sorry."

"Why did he come then?" Deniizu asked, as Hinata and Michiko looked at the scroll.

"Sorry, I can't...sorry," Kiba said again, and that was the end of it.

Michiko caught Deniizu's eye; she had heard the whole conversation. Deniizu merely narrowed her eyes; what was Michiko doing eavesdropping anyway. Michiko decided to brush the matter off; maybe Shino thought it would be best if they found the answers for themselves. Or maybe he didn't know.


Or maybe he just doesn't...like...me...


Michiko had been late coming home that day; it was the day before the final test. Since she didn't have work right after tutoring, she had stayed with Sakura to read over a few more notes. As she came into their apartment, she saw Shino, Kiba, the dogs, Hinata, and Deniizu all on the floor, discussing their notes; all had looked up in surprise.

"Wow, we didn't hear you," Deniizu said.

"Our sense of chi must be off," Kiba suggested, as Michiko joined their circle between Shino and Deniizu.

They all studied this time; even Shino added some input. But little by little, he edged out of the group, eventually standing up and going to the balcony again. When night had fallen, he had been the first to leave.


It is me...Shino's been acting weird because of me. Why?

Michelle thought for a moment, then shook her head determinedly.

...you know what?

Michelle and Shaun stepped off the bus at their stop, neither looking at the other. This time Michelle refused to care. This time, Michelle walked ahead, as if Shaun no longer existed.

I don't need to know why. If he doesn't want me, that's just fine. I don't need him.

Shaun didn't notice as Michelle speedwalked ahead; his thoughts were elsewhere.

There has to be another way to end this, he thought, oblivious to the fact it was already over.


A/N: This is the part where I go, "DARNIT, SHINO, WITH YOU'RE SHINO-ATTITUDE!" ...I'll try to post more often, I promise. Oh, is anyone having problems signing in sometimes? Because some mornings, I try to sign in, and it doesn't work... :S