Shikamaru was walking, he didn't know where or why. He was just walking around Konoha, in the middle of the night. Everything seemed hazy, he wasn't sure what had happened, but, he couldn't remember anything other than mindlessly walking around town. The day was a blur, he didn't even recall getting up. It was almost like he just appeared out of nowhere and started heading to an unknown area for no reason at all. He'd thought of heading home, but, he wasn't too sure where he was. He knew it was somewhere in Konoha, if he remember correctly, he was on the opposite side of town from where he lived. 'Man, it's disgusting on this side of town,' he thought while observing this side of the village, 'I think I'll turn around.' So, he turned on his heel and started walking back home, well, where he thought would take him home.

"Wait!" called a voice from a distance. He stopped and looked around, 'I know that voice,' he thought, 'but, it can't be her? Why would TenTen be all the way out here?' "Shikamaru, why are you all the way out here?" She was standing a couple feet behind him now. He turned around to look at her.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said.

"Oh, well, I live around here." she smiled, "Now, answer me. And, you can't have the same reason, I know where you live."

"I don't know what I'm doing here." he replied as if it were obvious, she gave him a disbelieving look, "Honestly, I don't know what I've done all day, everything's a blur."

"Well, then, where were you headed now?"

"Home."

"Let's go then."

"Let's?" he watched her take a step closer to him.

"Uh, yeah, your completely lost. Your house is that way." she said pointing behind him. He mummbled a "whatever" and ushered her to lead the way, he followed close behind. After minutes of walking, they were one block away from Shikamaru's house. "So?" she started.

"I'm not really into small talk, TenTen," he informed her, "Not to be rude. I'm just tired. So, unless it's important, don't talk." 'Not to be rude,' he scolded himself, 'You sounded like such a dick, Shikamaru.'

"I understand." she stopped walking and turned to face him, "I was just wondering if you could give me some advice?" He sighed and stopped walking. 'Well,' he thought, 'if she needs advice, I guess it's important, right?'

"I guess, it depends though."

"Well," she thought for a second, "there's this guy-"

"I can't help you with this."

"Just hear me out! I need a guy's advice!" she whined.

"Look," he looked away, a bit ashamed, "I don't know 'relationship' things. Go ask...Neji."

"He's a block of ice most of the time, he doesn't get many emotions."

"Lee? Gai?"

"They'd probably just yell 'YOUTH' in my face and start crying because I've started 'growing up.' They get way to dramatic."

"Kiba? Naruto? Chouji? Shino? Sasuke?"

"Gee, let's see, Kiba and Naruto would try to find out who this guy is. I don't think Chouji would be able to help me much, and if I did ask him, Ino would probably find out and yell at me for not asking her. Shino never responds, unless it's 'Hi'. And, Sasuke's like Neji, he doesn't really feel emotions very well."

"And I do?"

"Well," she smiled, "You're the perfect person to ask advice from, Mr. Genius." He fought the blood rushing to his face and thankfully won. 'What a kiss-ass.' He thought.

"Fine. What's up with this guy, then?" he mummbled. She smiled even more.

"Well, this guy, he's smart. And, he could be a really jerk sometimes, but, he's just being honest and speaking his mind. Overall, he's really nice."

"Ok, what's wrong then?" 'Honestly, everything seems fine to me. Women...'

"He doesn't know I like him, I think."

"So, tell him. There, problem solved."

"No! What if he does know? And, I'm not his type..."

"Too bad, I guess."

"What's your type?"

"I don't have one." 'You.'

"Come on. I need to know so that I can change for him to li-"

"If you have to change for him to notice you, he's not worth your time." he looked her in the eyes, "You work hard, you're strong, both physically and mentally, yet, you're an average konouchi. You're perfect for m- I mean anyone. If he doesn't see that, his loss, right?"

"Shika-"

"Trust me, I'm a genius." He started walking again, passing her, no intention on stopping. 'I don't know if I said right thing.' He thought, 'What if she finds out now? I did kinda make it obvious. Perfect for me? What was I thinking? What now? Will she think that I lied just for her to like me? I didn't lie. I spoke my mind, I was being honest. That guy is clearly a waste of time. If I ever find out who he is, I swear I'll knock some sen-'

"Shikamaru! The guy is..." Her voice was fading? He stopped and turned around.

"What?" He called.

"I said that the guy is..." All of a sudden, her image started fading along with her voice.

"What?" He was confused.

"WAKE UP!"

"What? Wake up?"

"YES! WAKE UP!" Everything around him began to dematerialize, 'What's-' then it hit him, 'This is just a dream.' He felt pain, real physical pain. "Ouch." He grabbed his head, everything was completely dark, until he opened his eyes. There stood Ino, fist clenched, and Chouji, smiling sypathetically.

"It's about time, Shikamaru! We have planning today! Come on! Get up!" He gave her a good hard look and closed his eyes.

"Five more minutes." he yawned as he started getting comfortable.

"Now, Nara!" she demanded. He felt pain again, then he realized that the pain was he hitting him. 'Damn,' he thought, 'violent woman. Let me be, will ya'?'

"Can't we plan tomorrow?" he whined from under his covers. "Who the hell let you in anyway?"

"Shikamaru Nara," 'Oh, his mom. Of course.' "It is well passed noon, I think it's time you got up and go with Ino and Chouji." And, with that said, she walked off.

"Yeah, yeah." He made no intention on getting up. Why was she always doing this to him? He didn't understand, his mother knew well that he slept until around one in the afternoon, why'd she have to let Ino in at- "It's three already?" 'I over slept?'

"Yes!" Ino sounded exasperated, "We've been here for, like, half an hour! Right, Chouji?"

"Yeah," Chouji nodded, "Shikamaru, I really do think you should get up. So we can 'solve' your problem." Shikamaru sat up and looked at his best friend.

"I don't have a problem. I just like-"

"You were dreaming about her." Ino sighed as she sat at the edge of his bed, Chouji just stood in his place.

"Wh- How do you know?"

"You were talking in your sleep. You mumbled her name once and kept saying 'what'? So, what happened?" They both looked at him, waiting for him to reply. Shikamaru got up and walked to his closet. "Well?" He sighed.

"It was nothing."

"Come on, tell us what you dreamed." Ino demanded calmly.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Chouji spoke up, "You were tossing and turning a little, Shikamaru. That's not like you. But, I guess, if you don't want to tell us, you don-"

"Oh!" Ino cut in, "I get it." She got up and smiled slyly.

"Yeah, whatever." Shikamaru yawned.

"I never would've guessed that the genius, Shikamaru, was such a pervert." She laughed, wrapping an arm around Chouji. 'Pervert?'

"Pervert?"

"That's right." she looked at Chouji, "Oh, dear. It seems our little Shikamaru is growing up." Chouji chuckled.

"N-no! That's not what I dreamt, troublesome woman!" Shikamaru tried to defend himself, it didn't work.

"Well, now," Ino grabbed Chouji's hand and headed for the door, "get dressed and meet us at the park, ok?"

"Whatever." he mummbled, cheeks still red from embarassment.

"Ok! See you there, Shika!"

"See ya', Shikamaru."

They both walked out and closed the door.

"That was embarassing," he thought out loud, "Damn Ino..." He got dressed and head out for the park. 'The park, huh?' he thought, 'Why are we going to "plan" in public?'