Shikamaru's POV

I was heading to training the morning she got back, she appeared in the alley I had been using for a short cut.

"Shikamaru, I've got what we need. Did you get the map?"

I rolled my eyes, turning back around and staring at the shadows. She was leaned up against the wall, trying to act cool or something. I scratched the back of my head.

"Yeah, I got it. It's in my room, stored with the rest of the plans."

"Mind if I get them?"

"Go for it. How's the kid doing?" I stepped closer, moving some blanket out of the way and watching the blue eyes open slowly. "Sorry kid, didn't realize you were sleeping."

Akira laughed as Jitte yawned, moving a bit before sleeping.

"You always going to where the mask when I'm around?"

"Every time I'm in public."

"Certain people?"

"Certain people." She nodded.

"Naruto still in that boat?"

She tensed. "Sort of."

"I won't ask. But seriously you've got to face him some time."

"I will. Just for the time being, keep it secret."

"Yeah, okay. So when are we meeting?"

"Tonight, after your training."

"Done." I turned and waved her off.

I arrived earlier than I expected to training and dozed off for a bit before Ino arrived to ruin my nap.

"Come on Shikamaru. Wake up. Asuma-sensei will be here any minute."

I groaned and rolled over, intent on getting an extra five minutes.

"Alright guys, today we'll be working on hand to hand combat." Asuma clapped his hands, getting Ino's attention at least.

I stood up slowly and stretched, "For how long?"

"What?"

"Do we have a time limit or is this a go until you can't move anymore kinda thing?"

"You'll be training against each other in rotations, each fight should last between five to ten minutes."

"Uh Sensei." Chouji raised his hand. "Can I skip this training? I don't feel so well."

Asuma shook his head, "You use that excuse every time. How are you supposed to get better if you don't train?" Chouji was not convinced so Asuma continued. "I'll take you all out to barbeque if you can keep focused and train until 4."

"Four?" Chouji whined. "That's like asking me to fight off an army…"

"Asuma, before we start. I've got a question."

"What's that?"

"Well, would it be okay if I missed the whole after training dinner?"

I hated asking that. This was a tradition of Team Asuma, but I really needed to get back home and make sure Akira hadn't gone overboard with all those plans.

"Uh…" Asuma looked between Ino and Chouji first, before nodding. "Sure, but what's the reason? You never miss these, not unless the Hokage asked you to organize papers again."

"No, it's not that. I've just got something I need to do. I promised he- them."

Asuma arched an eyebrow. "Sure."

I nodded, "I'll fight first. Come on Chouji."

"…Right."

Ino's POV

"Hey, Asuma-sensei. Have you noticed Shikamaru's been acting weird lately?"

He took his cigarette from his mouth, "Yeah, a bit. It's like his minds preoccupied with something."

"Yeah. Exactly!" I nodded, "I heard the other day he was running an errand for somebody, something about blueprints or a map. Argh! I can't remember. Just what does Shikamaru think he's doing?"

Asuma smiled, patting me on the head like he used to when the team was younger. "He'll tell us eventually. I have a feeling it has something to do with his mysterious visitor."

"His what?"

Asuma chuckled but didn't look like he would say anything more.

"Oh come on. I want to know too. Shikamaru's our teammate, we're worried for him. Show a little sympathy here. What mysterious visitor?"

"Well…"

"Please, please, please. I'll work extra hard in training."

He rolled his eyes, "Alright. Just don't tell Shikamaru, he probably wouldn't be seen in the village again if he knew the rumors around it."

"I can keep a secret."

"According to some of the men in the bar, Shikamaru has been getting a strange visitor at night. Rumor has it that it's a young woman."

"What!" I yelled, before quickly covering my mouth and watching the boys closely. They were still caught up in their fight so I breathed a sigh of relief and hit Asuma's arm. "That's not funny. Do you know who she is?"

"Well…" He shrugged.

"Sensei!" I stomped my foot just as Shikamaru walked over.

"What happened to the time limit?" He asked wiping sweat from his brow.

"Ah sorry, Ino and I got caught up in conversation. Who won?" Asuma asked.

"Shikamaru…" Chouji slumped onto the grass, looking utterly defeated. "Who's turn now?"

"Well, considering you lost. You'll have to fight again. Against Ino this time."

Chouji whined louder as I grabbed his collar.

"Come on." I said, tossing him into the clearing. "Let's get this over with."

Our fight lasted the full ten minutes without a win on either side but it looked like I was getting the most hits in. I was faster, maybe not stronger but I could hold my own. We continued to fight each other until four o'clock when Asuma finally let us quit. We began walking home, and I couldn't take it any longer.

"Hey, Shikamaru."

"Yeah?"

"You've been acting strange lately. Is anything going on?"

"No I'm not. Nothing's going on." He didn't even look at me.

"Shikamaru…"

Chouji stepped beside me, "Don't worry about him. If it was anything important he'd tell us."

"But, what if what Asuma-sensei heard is right? What if he's been sneaking around with some girl? Oh my gosh, what if she's an enemy spy and Shikamaru is being seduced by her?" I spun around and grabbed Chouji's collar. "We have to stop this. Come on, Chouji."

"But what about barbeque?"

I rolled my eyes, before smiling back at Asuma-sensei who looked more confused than worried. "Sorry Asuma-sensei, we're going to have to take a rain check. We um have something important to do tonight. Oh! I know, why don't you take Kurenai-sensei out on a date? Bye, Sensei. See you tomorrow."

I ran off with Chouji without waiting for a reply.

We arrived at Shikamaru's house just as he reached the door. We definitely heard two female voices greet him.

"Alright Chouji. What's the plan?"

"Uh… I thought you had the plan?"

I sighed, "Why do I have to be the one to do everything around here?"

" 'Cause you're bossy."

"What was that?"

"Nothing…"

"Alright, let's go."

"What? But we don't have a plan yet."

"I said, let's go."

"But Ino – "

I marched to the door, dragging Chouji along by his shirt. I knocked twice and Shikamaru's mom, Yoshino, answered the door.

"Hi." I smiled. "We're here to check on Shikamaru. He was acting a little strange today. Can we come in to talk?"

"Oh of course Ino. It's been a while. How's your dad?" She opened the door and stepped aside for us.

"Oh same as usual." I paused taking off my shoes. Now would be a good time to ask. "Is someone else here?"

Yoshino looked surprised before noticing the extra pair of shoes in the entrance way. "Oh yes, she's over quite a bit. Her and Shikamaru get along oddly well."

"Oh?" So it is a girl. He's meeting a girl. Oh there's gotta by some juicy gossip behind this.

Chouji had given up on me, ignoring me in favor of greeting Yoshino and asking her about her day.

I wonder who she is. Is she his girlfriend? No way. He wouldn't keep that from us. Unless… maybe he likes her but hasn't confessed yet. Oh that would be just like him, he'd probably think it's too troublesome. Ugh that coward.

"Hey Chouji." Shikamaru said passing him with a tray of tea. "Even you Ino? I told you guys to leave me alone today."

"Ino dragged me." Chouji followed Shikamaru into the living room. "She thinks you're hiding something."

He sighed, "I am not."

"You are to! I've never seen you turn down barbeque with the team!" I jabbed a finger into his chest.

He rolled his eyes, and walked around me sliding the living room door open. "I brought tea."

A woman with dark eyes, and dark hair stared back at us. "I think I remember you. Um… Sakura's friend and you're Chouji right?"

Chouji nodded as he settled beside her. "Yeah, but um… I don't think I know you at all...Sorry."

She waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I'm a friend of Shikamaru's and this." She pointed at a swaddled child. "Is Jitte."

I could have fainted on the spot. Jittes nose was like Shikamaru's. His bone structure was so similar, it had to be –

"It's not mine." Shikamaru said, and Chouji muttered an oh. "The kid looks a lot more like Naruto once you see him awake."

"Really?" I asked sitting beside the woman who actually was more like my age. "Um, I'm Ino. How do you know Shikamaru?"

She smiled. "It's a long story."

"Hm. I see." I leaned back and glanced at Shikamaru. "So what are you two doing today?"

The woman gestured at the papers strewn across the table. "Work mostly."

"Work?" Chouji and I asked.

She hummed, "Yep. I can trust you to keep a secret right?"

I nodded quickly. "Of course."

I started looking over each paper, as discretely as I could but a corner of a map stuck out from beneath a layer and I had to see it closer.

"Is this – is this the Uchiha complex?" I asked dragging the map out slowly.

"Oh yeah, that's where we plan for all this to be."

"Uh…" Chouji paused. "Don't you need permission for that. Its private land isn't it?" His brow creased as he looked to Shikamaru.

"Yes. We did get permission right?" He looked pointedly at the woman.

"Of course." She raised a piece of paper with two very distinct signatures.

I snatched the paper out of her hands. "Is this – this is Sasuke's signature. How'd you get this?"

She shrugged. "I met up with him last week."

An unsettling feeling churned in my gut. She met him last week? That's not possible. Who is she? I took a closer look at her. She reminded me of someone but I couldn't place it. It was only then that I noticed her clothing. It wasn't a jounin or chunin style. It was anbu. To her right I saw a mask laying face up on the floor.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

She looked at me before she looked at Shikamaru. "Your friend thinks I'm a bad person." A small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Shikamaru snorted. "Can't blame her. You don't exactly stay inside the law."

She shrugged.

"You can tell them you know." He said. "I trust them."

"With your life?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Hm. Alright. Ino, Chouji you two don't remember me and that's not really your fault. I used to live here with you guys three years ago. I'm Akira. Remember."

"Akira?" Chouji asked. "Like the Akira. You've changed."

"Did you expect me to stay the same?"

"Well considering Naruto thought you were immortal. Yes."

"Hold on! Are you telling me that you aren't dead?" I asked.

"Oh that. As you can see I'm not dead." She gestured to herself. "Sorry about that. Also I need you to keep this quiet, most of the village doesn't know."

"Does Naruto know?" Chouji asked.

"You're a girl?" Ino asked at the same time.

"No." Shikamaru answered Chouji. "It's a long story."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"It's a long story." She answered.

I took a moment to review my distant crush on the two coolest guys in the Academy. Sasuke the amazing prodigy and Akira the mysterious transfer. Only one of them was a girl. I think I need a vacation. I closed my eyes, and sank into misery.

"Anyways, so we can use these buildings but I'd like to build up and keep the original design of the place."

"Gotcha, we're going to need an architect and construction crew." Shikamaru agreed.

"So what are you building?" Chouji asked.

"A civilian area. A place with all the things they need, without the hassle of being placed second to a ninja." Akira explained.

I opened my eyes. "You mean like a citizen only hospital right? I saw it on one of the papers. It's a good idea."

"I thought so too."

I slid the paper with the list of ideas towards me.

"Hey." I said, trying to get her attention. "Hey, why don't you have a womens shelter on here?"

"A what?" Akira tilted her head. "We have a homeless shelter. Do women need a separate building?"

"It's not like that." Shikamaru started.

"It's a place for women to feel safe when they need to get away from bad living situations."

Akira's eyes widen. "You mean like get away from abuse and such?"

"Yeah."

She looked at Shikamaru. "We need one of those too." She turned to me and handed me a pen. "Add it."

I gladly did. Chouji looked over from my left. "What about a food bank?"

Akira looked between us. "Add it. Add anything you think would help."

We added a few more items to the list before helping organize the building locations. It was well into the evening before we stopped.

"Ino, Chouji. Do you want to stay for dinner?" Yoshino asked us.

I glanced at the time. "Oh no! I promised dad I'd make dinner tonight. I'm sorry Yoshino maybe another time."

"I'd better head back too." Chouji said stretching before rising to his feet. "Thank you though."

"Akira?"

"No thank you. I'd better get back. The dogs are probably kicking up a fuss already." She was already placing the mask over her face.

"Bye Jitte." I cooed down at the boy. He was adorable but he really did look like Naruto. I almost wanted to ask but… I felt like I really shouldn't.

We all walked to the door and waved to the Nara's as we left. "So Akira," I started.

"Yes?"

"How often do you two meet?"

"Pretty often. Why?"

"Could I help?"

"Of course! Both of you can help out whenever you want. I'll make sure Shikamaru tells you when we're meeting up next time. Oh and we sometimes meet really early or really late depending on the day.

"That's fine. Just give me a time and place."

Chouji nodded, "But next time maybe we should get some snacks first. I'm starving."

"You should have said something." Ino scolded. "Yoshino wouldn't have minded."

"I know..." He whined. "We should have got barbeque before we left Asuma-sensei."

"Would you quit complaining? You're getting dinner soon anyways."

"Doesn't mean I'm not hungry."

I rolled my eyes, "Maybe next time we can all get barbeque with Akira first. Right, Akira?"

Chouji and I looked around. "uh… where'd she go?" Chouji asked.

"I don't know."

"So… I guess she really is an anbu."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, nobody knows she's back right? So how'd she get promoted to anbu?"

"Because she's amazingly talented and a hard worker. Don't you remember how hard he worked – I mean she worked to pass the academy exam?"

"I guess so."

"Ugh, nevermind."

We walked in silence for a time, before the path divided. "See you later Chouji."

He looked down his path and mine, "I – I'll walk you home."

"What? You don't have to."

"I know." He said.

I had to admit the walk was a lot nicer with two of us.