Author's note: Erm. heh. well then. ahem. the only slightly redeeming thing I can say right now is that I got this chapter up faster than I got the previous one up.. I think. even though, as Artheph kindly pointed out to me, I started writing this one before I started writing the Kiba/Akamaru chapter… and it's just kind of been rotting on my computer… but that's besides the point. the point is, LOOK, IT'S THE NEW CHAPTER!!! YAY!!!! and this story is almost done, almost, almost. one more chapter I do believe, to tie up loose ends, and ALL WILL BE WELL! and OH, it's CHRISTMAS BREAK!!! which is really the only reason I even got this chapter done with… the time I spent writing this is usually dedicated to finishing English homework that stupidly put off until Sunday nights… BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER TODAY!!! AWKKK!!!! and I SO VERY SINCERELY APOLOGIZE for how late this update was. It's not even that i didn't know what to write. I just suck at this. but yes, do enjoy.

-Crysthur

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

oh LOOK, ANOTHER undefined place in Konoha! Except... it isn't.

"This is so TROUBLESOME…" sighed Shikamaru, punctuating his trademark phrase with a loud slap of the forehead. He immediately regretted it as a hand shot out of the darkness and smacked him upside the head.

"SHHHHH!!!" came a vicious whisper. "If you're going to insist on injuring yourself, do it QUIETLY!!"

Shikamaru battled within himself to quell the rising wave of exasperation that threatened to engulf him. He closed his eyes… not that it made any difference, what with it being pitch black and all…

"… Ino?" he whispered, tentatively.

"What?"

"Can we… get some light in here?"

Shikamaru winced. Even as he said it, he could feel Ino's indignant response building up.

"Er… I mean, this is a date… and I kinda want to be able to, you know, see you…"

He was pretty sure that that would suffice in calming Ino down, but just in case she was feeling particularly vindictive, he decided to buff it up a bit.

"… cause you're so uh… pretty… and all…" Shikamaru said in what he hoped was a dashing voice.

"Shikamaru, you shouldn't even try." The room was illuminated as Ino struck a match and carefully lit a candle. Well, not really a room. More like… a closet. More like… the janitor's closet, to be exact.

Shikamaru waved a hand in the air to clear the smoke left by the match.

"Remind me again, Ino, what exactly are we doing here?"

"We're on a date!"

"Yeah, I got that part… but uh… why are we in a janitor's closet in the Hokage tower? And regardless of that, why are we on our date at… 3 A.M. in the morning?"

"Well, we wouldn't want anyone to SEE us together now, would we?" Ino replied, as if it was the most OBVIOUS thing in the world.

Shikamaru didn't know whether to be angry or hurt or to just screw it all and be both. Ino must have sensed this, for she quickly said,

"Oh Shikamaru… you know I don't mean it like THAT."

"Huhn. Right. So you're not ashamed of being seen with me?"

"Of course not! It's just… I'm not ready to let everyone know that we're… together. With a crafty glint in her eye, Ino took Shikamaru's hand.

"Besides… you know you enjoy these little outings with me…" she continued in a sly voice.

Shikamaru felt his angry/hurt resolve weaken as Ino leaned in, her large eyes filled with a familiar intent that he had fallen prey to many, many times in the past. He was all ready to fall headfirst into it once again when Ino suddenly stiffened.

"Did you hear that?" she hissed."

"Hear what?" said Shikamaru irritably.

"I heard something outside." Ino leaned back and cocked her head to the side, listening closely.

"Ino, dear, you're just being paranoid now."

"No, I SWEAR I heard someone outside…"

"Gahh. Listen. Even if there WERE someone outside, which there isn't, what are the chances that they'd come and open the janitor's closet? And even if there WERE someone outside, and for some UNFATHOMABLE reason, they decided to come open the janitor's closet, what would you be able to do about it?"

"Humph. I'd… I'd lie… or something… Or at least make myself look more… presentable..." Ino said as she looked down at her pajama-clad self. "Gotta keep up appearances…"

At this, Shikamaru couldn't help but roll his eyes. He took a deep breath.

"Ino," he began, "we're in a janitor's closet. I've got five brooms sticking into my back, undoubtedly causing irreparable spinal damage that I'll regret when I'm old. You're practically sitting in one of those mopping buckets. If the arthritis that will undoubtedly develop from this little excursion doesn't kill us, the noxious fumes from all these janitorial supplies will. I think it's safe to say that we've hit rock bottom," he said with a smirk. Then, another thought struck him.

"Besides, it's 3 A.M. in the morning. Even if it weren't 3 A.M. in the morning, it's Sunday. No one works on Sundays. Except for the Hokage herself, the entire Hokage tower is empty. And the Hokage is probably passed out on her desk right now, compliments of her daily fifty cups of sake. That means that there's no one around for miles. Who could POSSIBLY see us??"

Ino thought about it for a while. Of course, Shikamaru was right. Shikamaru was ALWAYS right. Not that she was going to let him know that though.

"I suppose..." she said, reluctantly. She leaned forward. That crafty glint in her eyes was back.

"Now... where were we?"

Unbeknownst to them, the two hidden ninjas were being watched. As Shikamaru and Ino continued... with whatever it was they were doing, a small black speck detached itself from a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner and flew away…