Ino was walking towards her apartment, after coming home from
a late night lawyers meeting. She was seriously tired, since it was 4
am, and counting. The sooner she got into her PJ's and into bed, the
better.
Ino walked into the doorway of the building, and a chilling
sensation went up and down her spine. She came to a stop, and
looked around. Even at 2 am, this apartment building was always
thriving with gamblers trying to get rich over night, but by the
morning, they were broke, but they kept on coming back. There
weren't even lights on. The only thing that illuminated the room was
the full moon.
Ino tried to make sense why there were no gamblers, nor
waitresses, or any lights, at least.
"Maybe it's not open," Ino tried thinking of what day it was. It
was the middle of August, so usually, busy, stressed businessmen
were telling their wives about this long, important meeting so they
could come and waste their money.
She thought of the occasion. A birthday? No, that wouldn't close
the casino. A funeral or a wedding? No, she would have been
informed. Then why was this big gamblers haven not thriving as
usual?
Ino walked upstairs, and went to her room. Still pondering what
could have happened that she had missed, she had a long bath, got
changed into her PJ's, and went to bed. Maybe I missed a memo, Ino
thought as she fell asleep.
When she awoke, there was a man poking and prodding around
her room. Ino gasped and knew that her hair wasn't very neat in the
morning. More importantly... There was a man sneaking around her
room!
"Excuse me?" Ino called to the man in a groggy voice. She
looked at her alarm clock. It was 6:00. "What are you...?"
The man cut her off, "Do you know what happened here last
night? Did you commit the crime? Why did you go upstairs when there
were bodies laying all over the hall? Did you attempt to call 911? Do
you feel any remorse over what happened? Were you...?"
It was Ino's turn to cut the man off, "What are you talking
about? What happened? And what are you doing in my apartment?"
The man glared at her. He took a pencil out of his hat, and a
note pad out of his pocket. Ino realized he was a reporter.
"Are you admitting anything?" The reporter rudely asked her.
"No, but you're in my room, illegally," She retorted.
"Ah, but I have a right to be in here. I got a warrant from a cop
downstairs to snoop around up here. And surprise, surprise, you're the
only living occupant in this building. I tried waking you, but you sleep
more dead then someone who is dead," The reporter came over to
her, and asked in a nice voice, "What made you do it? Did you do it on
your own? Did someone force you to do it? Were you drunk? High?
Sober? Why did you do it? And then stay in your apartment
afterwards?"
Ino realized that this man was obviously asking her questions so
she would stay put, until the Authorities came up.
"Look, I have no clue what you're talking about," Ino said,
standing up, and walking towards the bathroom. "I'll tell you
something, and I don't care if you print this, but quote me to the
letter, I didn't do whatever you're talking about. I came home from a
lawyers meeting at 4 am, and yes, I have witnesses. I came into the
building. No lights were on, and I don't know where the switches are. I
walked upstairs, came in here, got changed and went to bed. I didn't
kill anyone."
"AHA!" The reporter shouted. "How did you know anyone died?"
"You said, and I quote, 'Why did you go upstairs when there
were bodies laying all over the hall?' And also 'Surprise, surprise,
you're the only living occupant in this building' It's obvious someone,
or in this case, many someone's died."
Ino tried to remember anything strange last night. Nothing, all
except the strange chilling sensation when she walked into the
building.
"I sensed something sinister when I walked into the building, but
that's it," Ino walked out of the bathroom, still in her pyjamas, but
with makeup and her hair brushed. "Even if the police arrest me, they
will have no evidence against me, but I'm guessing you'll find some,
right?"
"I always do, Ino," Ino was struck, did she know this person? He
didn't look familiar, besides the fact that he was one of the best
reporters in the world. He never revealed his name, though. He
reported everything from celebrities, to world disasters.
"Who are you?" Ino asked. "Do I know you?"
The reporter took off his hat, "You should, seeing as I trained
with you. How could you not remember your old friend Nara
Shikamaru?"
"Seriously?" Ino asked, her blonde hair standing on end. She
hated him in training, and she hated him now. "I thought Sensei said
you would be the best military leader ever. Did you give that up too?
You never studied in school, so I don't see why you'd become
something professional."
Shikamaru snarled, "How dare you? What are you? A sleazy
waitress?"
"I said before, I'm a lawyer. Better than a reporter," She knew
this was true, but she hated being a lawyer, it was the worst thing in
the world. She wanted to travel, to take in the sights of the world, to
feel ocean water, to taste foreign foods. But alas, her poor father that
wanted nothing more than to have money, wanted her to be a lawyer.
And so, she was a lawyer.
"I'm leaving," Ino informed Shikamaru.
He stopped her by laughing, "You can't leave, the cops will catch
you, and you'll be arrested for trying to leave the premises."
Ino knew this was true. Even if she did escape, the police would
eventually catch up with her.
"I'm leaving anyways," Ino said. She made a quick hand sign
and disappeared.
Shikamaru yelled as she went away. Too late though. She
appeared in Sakura's apartment, and saw that she was still asleep.
Ino went over to Sakura's couch and sat down. She felt her eyes
close, and almost immediately found herself being woken up by a
piercing scream. Her eyes snapped opened, and she looked up to see
Sakura with her hand over her heart, leaning against the wall.
"Holy crap, Ino," She gasped. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" Ino asked. She looked at her watch. It was 10:00.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, I just you know, had to. Life or death."
"Life or death?" Sakura asked. "What happened?"
Ino made Sakura sit down. She started out from when she was
walking home from the meeting. As she got closer and closer to
finishing, Sakura eyes got bigger and bigger.
"And so there's this reporter, and it turns out to be Shikamaru!
Apparently he got a warrant to snoop around my room. Anyways, I
left, but I know that if I get caught I'll get arrested."
"As will I," Sakura stated. "For hiding you, you can't stay here."
Ino nodded, she had forgotten that Sakura was also a lawyer.
"Yeah, but I mean, you're the only one, and I mean the only one
that I know who lives around here."
"Well, there's Sasuke, he's just up the street," Sakura started,
ticking off fingers. "There's Kiba, but he's on the other side of town.
Naruto, just down by the park. Itachi, he lives above me..."
"Aha! You can't hide me," Ino said, pointing at Sakura. "But you
can hide a wanted criminal?"
"Oh," Sakura said, blushing. "Yeah, but, I mean, come on! He
pays all of us who know, not to tell. And besides, he doesn't do
anything anymore. He just wants a quiet life..."
Ino heard the door slam, and a voice yell from the kitchen, "Hey,
Sakura, I got the stuff you needed. I'm gonna make breakfast, okay?"
Sakura blushed. Ino walked towards the kitchen and saw Itachi.
She span around, and Sakura said to Itachi, "Hey honey, we have a
guest here. Remember Ino?"
"Oh yeah! Hey Ino!" He called happily. He waved, and continued
preparing breakfast. "You want some too, Ino? I don't mean to brag,
but I make pretty good breakfast."
"No, it's okay," Ino said to him, glaring at Sakura.
Ino stormed towards the door, and said to Sakura, "You say that
I can't stay with you, but yet you're living with an S-ranked criminal?"
"Well, actually," Sakura pouted. "He's living with me."
Ino turned and slammed the door, then opened it to say in a
small voice, "Where does Naruto live?"
Sakura shook her head, and called to Itachi, "I'm going to bring
Ino over to Naruto's. I'll be right back, okay?"
"Okay," He called back.
Sakura gave Ino a pair of shoes and they left into the warm
morning air.