So some of your wondering what Ino and Chouji were up to.

In my sick little world...they're up to this.

Enjoy.

Ino threw a bunch of dying flowers in to the garbage forcefully. She gritted her teeth and growled like a thing possessed as she went through the flower shop tending to the blooms. Her father looked at her fearfully. He'd never seen her so infuriated before and it was starting to freak out the customers. Not to mention Ino was tending the flowers with TNT not TLC.

"Ah…Ino, honey," he ventured cautiously.

"WHAT!" She turned with fire in her eyes and a pair of pruning shears in her hands.

He gulped but bravely ventured onward. "Why don't you take the day off? I can handle things here."

She stabbed the pointed end of the shears into a pillar and ripped off her apron. "Fine!" Ino stomped out leaving the patrons feeling at ease that she was gone. She made wild boars look like cute little piglets when she was angry.

Ino found out from Tsunade that Sakura had gone off with Sasuke. Not only that but she could have invited her to go along. EVERYONE had gone, except for Chouji and Shino but Chouji was visiting gamily in Earth and Shino and his dad were on a bug expedition, not that hot springs were Shino's deal anyway. BUT STILL DAMMIT! That tricky, evil, backstabbing, cotton-candy head had run off with Sasuke knowing FULL well that Ino would have wanted to go as well.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Ino stood in the middle of the street and screamed, holding her head. "I'll kill her! I'll rip her into teeny tiny little pieces and sprinkler her over my garden!" People in the street stopped and made sure they gave the psychotic little blonde all the room she need to be crazy without involving them.

Chouji however was curious as to why Ino was losing her composure in public. It's the kind of thing she'd like to do in private. Something really must have gotten her fired up, he decided. He popped a chip in his mouth and walked away from the corner store, several bags of goodies hooked on his arm. "Ino?"

"WHAT?"

He grimaced and recoiled slightly. "Ah…What's wrong?" Another chip found its doom in his jaws.

"Sakura went to the hot springs in Sauna…WITHOUT ME! She did it JUST so she could spend time with Sasuke! It's not fair dammit!" She pulled her hair. Chouji blinked and put another chip in his mouth.

"That all?"

"'That all?' H—Wh…Yo…HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!" She grabbed her teammate by the shirt and pulled him in. "Sakura is my greatest rival for the affections of Sasuke. She has just pulled the biggest stunt and I'm left in the dust!" She sniffed and let Chouji go. Ino tried to appear strong by crossing her arms and forcing more anger into expression but the way her eyes sparkled let Chouji know that her feelings were hurt.

He nodded and held out a box of Men's pocky to here. She looked at the chocolate pudding covered sticks for a second then at Chouji. His expression was apologetic but she took on anyway.

"Why is it call Men's pocky?"

"I dunno. Want to go someplace else? Everyone's looking at you."

She looked around. Indeed, everyone was looking, staring, and/or gaping at her. Ino laughed nervously. "Sorry, I was …um…. There's an audition for a play you see. So I …wa..s…." She grabbed Chouji's hand and dragged him away in a hurry. They ended up in the park under a large oak. Ino sank to her bottom and covered her face. "My life is over… How can I live with myself if Sakura beats me?" Crunch, munch, munch. Chouji simply looked at her while he ate. "Aren't you made that Shikamaru left without you?"

"Nope. Shikamaru is my best friend and he would have invited me if I was here. I wasn't, so how can I be mad? Besides," he grinned. "He's getting to spend a lot of time with Temari so even if I went I doubt he'd have time for me anyway."

Ino groaned. "Shikamaru…maybe I should have gone out with him but now he's got this hot older girl! GOD, I'm DOOMED! My only choices are Kiba and Shino!….AAAAAAAAAAAH!" She suddenly went limp with a blank stare. "That's it. I have no choice as a ninja but to commit seppuku. I have no honor left." She sniffed again.

Suddenly a bag of chips hovered in front of her face. Chouji gave it a shake. "Chips?"

She looked at the back and reached in grabbing a thin, fried flake. She regarded it carefully before popping it into her mouth. It was good, nothing like old fashioned BBQ chips. Chouji balled up the bag and put it aside before opening another one.

"I don't get it, Chouji. Guys have it easy… you just wait for a girl to come to you. I mean…WE have to do all the hard work." She grabbed a ramune bottle from the bag and popped the marble before taking a swig. "I wake up early in the morning to look this good. Between juggling ninja work, the flower shop, and being a model woman, I'm exhausted. You know?"

"Mn." He nodded.

"All I ask is for a man that will be there for me. Who will listen?… Is that so unreasonable!"

"Uh, no, I guess not."

Ino reached into his bag of chips and pulled out a hanful. "Want to go shopping?"

"Sure?"

She stood up and dusted her hands on her shorts. Chouji followed picking up the garbage and putting it in the bag. She took his free hand and dragged him along like a mule. He tirade about the injustices of love was not over as they headed to the busy shopping district of Konoha.

"-So I said, I'm not going to wear that, Mom, it'll make me look fat! I've already go these chubby cheeks. Hold this." She put a dress on his head. "So, she said, 'Oh, stop. It'll take the attention away from you hips'. MY HIPS, CHOUJI! What's wrong with my hips, I ask you?"

"Uh…Nothing?"

"THANK YOU! So anyway…Here, hold this, this…this, and grab that would you?" The tower of clothing he was holding was growing taller and taller. He could barely enjoy his chocolate mushrooms candies. "Oh…You know what…."

"Huh…", came his muffled voice behind the clothes.

"I don't really need any of this, you can put it down." She took his hand again before he had time to put them back on the racks.

"Whoa! Uh, Ino…"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's got get something eat." She pulled him through the streets and lead him to a Yakiniku and Curry stand. She ordered two plates of large curry and 4 orders of yakitori. The whole time she was complaining. "-And then Sakura has the audacity to try and out run me to class. She's always trying to get ahead…We used to be good friends but now we do nothing but compete. And what for?

"Sasuke?" He offered, cheeks full of food.

"EXACTLY! And what's so cool about Sasuke?"

"Uh….everything?"

"Obviously! Ooooooh, I 'm so mad. Here, my share, I can't finish." She poured half a plate of curry onto his. "What does it take to get some respect around here?" She pounded her fist on the counter and finally fell quiet as she watched Chouji make short work of his food.

He sighed satisfied and paid for their meals. "Sasuke's cool and all. He's strong and smart and I guess attractive but….If he doesn't treat you kindly or seem interested at all then why go through all the bother?"

Ino almost smacked him. "Are you crazy! Why go through all the bother! Because….Because…." She thought for a second. "Because it's Sasuke is why?" She hopped off the stool and grabbed him by his shirt. "Let's go for a walk."

Ever obedient, Chouji allowed himself to be pulled around like a cart. She took here, there, here again and over there for good measure, discussing in great detail why Sasuke was cool and why Sakura was undeserving and furthermore the finer points of why Sasuke would benefit from dating a classy girl like Yamanako Ino.

They sat on a bench on a high rise overlooking the city. The sun was starting to set. Chouji munched on his last bag of chips. For the last hour, Ino was silent. She was still upset after all of that. He looked in his bag and looked at the final chip. He looked at Ino. He looked at the chip. Then Ino…Then the chip…..

He pulled it out and held it to her. "Chip?" She took it and chewed on it thoughtfully. For the second time that day, he balled up the bag and put it in the now empty plastic convenient store bag. She watched him.

"You know… the last chip really is the best one."

Chouji smiled in genuine. "Yeah! It's the final chip…the one that you long for but you never know which one will be the last one. And then…you realize 'This is it! This is the last chip from this bag. All of the flavor is in this chip.' And when you eat it, it's so good. And you feel so satisfied. You know, I bet you feel better because you've gotten to Last Chips. You should be really at ease now." He looked at here expecting some physical change. She was a rookie to the appreciation of final chips.

Indeed, Ino's mood changed and she smiled. "You know…I do feel a lot better! So Sakura got to go to the Hot Springs. So what? I'm still Yamanaka Ino the best kunoichi in Konoha! She can try her underhanded tricks but I'll win Sasuke's love my own way, through hardwork and dedication!" She pointed out to the horizon.

"YEAH!" Chouji pointed with her.

She looked over at him. He looked really determined. He was really rooting for her. All day she dragged him around and he never complained once. He listened, he obeyed, he even sacrificed- albeit, he only sacrificed food but when talking about Chouji that was a pretty significant sacrifice.

He noticed her staring and blinked. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Is there something on my face? Mmm, I don't feel anything."

"Let me see," she said with a grin. He turned to face her. She took both cheeks in her hands and kissed him right on the lips. "There, I got it."

Chouji could here his brain cracking and his reality shatter. She blinked, turned fire red and turned around. "…….Thanks……"

"Come walk me home, Chouji."

"Yes, ma'am!" He stood up and saluted, still dumbfounded. Ino smiled and crossed her arms as the air began to cool. They walked together up to her doorstep.

She turned and stretched. "Ah! Today was a good day. I guess I'll see you later, Chouji!"

"Ah…Ino…that kiss, I-"

She gave him a severe glare. "What kiss?"

He swallowed hard. "Aaaaah, nothing."

"That's right and don't you forget it." She hugged him and kissed him again. "This never happened."

"YES, MA'AM!" He saluted again. She turned and walked inside.

Chouji began to head back to his own him but he paused and touched his lips. "I've got to give her my last chip more often…"