Disclaimer: I don't own anything, goes for all future chapters.

Takes place after the DOFY. No romance really.

Gosh, out of all the people, why did I have to stand next to Naruto? NO! Hikari, this isn't a buffet, it's the Third Hokage's funeral! …Oh, save me, how could you not know who the Third Hokage is!

Insert long funeral stuff

Now after the funeral, Shino was silently walking home. His father wanted to catch some words with the other's parents, leaving Shino, well, silently walking home, until he noticed someone following him.

"Hi, Shino, right?" It was a girl, and it definitely wasn't Hinata. Shino stopped and turned around to face whomever it was.

"Yes, you are…?"

"Ino Yamanaka, nice to meet you, I guess." Ino admitted, just because she's another random girl whom Shino never associates with. "Um, well, I was just walking home." She quickly added and skipped along.

"Do you… wish company?" Shino asked, almost reading her mind. It was dark, dreary, and it looked like it was about to rain. What girl wouldn't be afraid? Yeah, sure, they would all love to go with Sasuke, but a person is better than none, ne?

"Yeah, I guess, it looks as if it were about to rain (was it before, or after the funeral?) and, oh, don't get me wrong, but my heart lies with… Sasuke-kun…" She said that last part with an airy dreamland sort of tone.

"Yes, that's been all around ever since a long time ago." Shino nodded. They walked along.

"Um, so, Shino, what did you think of the funeral?" Ino asked, breaking the minute's silence.

"…I didn't really care… Shino replied flatly.

"Aww, come on, we all know you didn't like it because they forced to take off your shades eventually, though why you were able to keep them on at the beginning is beyond me." Ino laughed.

Shino said nothing.

"But to your teamates, it must have been a good thing, they never saw you without them, have they?" Ino asked.

"No." Shino replied simply.

"Well, I'd say you're lucky. I have to deal with Chouji, who does nothing but eat, and Shikamaru, who's just plain lazy." Ino supplied, seeing she was the one doing most of the talking. "Plus they almost always ignore me."

"I wouldn't mind that much." Shino said. "Kiba pesters me to no end, and I feel as if Hinata just denies herself too much."

"Well, if you could have any team you want, what would you like? Personally, I would go with Sasuke-Kun and maybe Hinata, no offence!" Ino said quickly.

"I would stick to mine. You're paired with those who will help you grow the most, however unobvious it may seem at first. One day there will be a time where all who you can depend on are your teammates, and you'd know that you wouldn't have it any other way too." Shino launched perhaps one of his longest strings of words, ever.

"Uh…" Ino was lost for words. "Well, okay…"

Silence.

"Ino, where do you live?" Shino asked suddenly, a bit too suddenly, but who cares?

"Uh, what?" Ino asked, rather taken aback.

Heh, you think, Hikari? What? Don't you want to get rid of this girl as soon as possible? No, I do not like her that way, besides- no, I don't like Hinata that way either. Like I was saying, I think she'd want- NO! I do NOT like Kiba that way. I am not homosexual, Hikari, and stay on the subject! … No, the subject is not food!

"Hello! Shino! Anybody home!" Shino suddenly felt a sharp and throbbing pain on his left check. He blinked a few times before he realized that Ino had slapped him, hard. Ino gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, really! I-I…" Ino started, trying to find the right words, but not many came…

"It's fine." Shino answered shortly and left, leaving Ino there with a worried look on her face.

"Whoa! You slapped Shino! Congrats!" Ino turned around to see Kiba jump out of a bush with Akamaru on his head. "Geez, it's about time he got slapped by a girl. It just wouldn't be normal if not, right? I mean, no guy gets through life without getting smacked across the face does he?" Kiba asked with a wild grin on his face. Akamaru barked twice, seemingly trying to be laughing or something. Ino never did get the pair of them.

"Hey, do you want me to get him to ask you out on a date or what?" Kiba continued. "Do you want the restaurant, the beach, or, oh! The movies are always good, or would you rather-"

"Hey, Kiba, did you ever get slapped before?" Ino asked out of the blue, well, to Kiba anyhow.

"Uh, no, wh-" Well, what can I say? Kiba was no 'officially' normal!

"TI would never date anyone unless it's Sasuke-kun… oh, Sasuke-kun…"And Ino floated away, leaving a dumbfounded Kiba with his jaw dropped.