First of all, I would like to thank you guys for the support, encouragement and objective criticisms. It really means a lot to me. But I just would like to clear some things, especially for my critic, yasuhei. I believe that if a single person reading my story doesn't fully understand the plot or the reason behind my efforts, then I wasn't able to give justice to my story.

I believe that I already stated on the first two chapters of the story that Naruto has been sent by the chief of police to investigate both the case of the sniper at large and the rumor that Shikamaru's decision making is easily affected by his friend's presence.

In terms of the characters that I used here, well, I just like these characters, haha

So there I hope I made myself clear.

Still, I would like to thank everyone for the constructive criticisms as well as the positive feedbacks I'm getting. ;P

Naruto should have been thinking about Hiruko Sasori. Specifically, about the fact the man was obviously suspicious of them.

With reason.

Both Ino and he had registered at Perfect Match just days after the murders. That said, only the shooter himself would have likely made the connection at this point. And that meant that Sasori was possibly their wedding sniper.

So why wasn't his attention on Sasori or the "security guard" he'd brought with him?

Because Naruto was involuntary sharing that attention with the woman he had plastered against him that's why.

He was a fool not to notice how nicely Ino fit in his arms. A fool not to notice that she tasted almost as good as she looked. And basically, he was just a fool to have thought he could kiss her and not lust after her. That meant he had to do something about it.

Naruto slid his fingers beneath her collar and temporarily turned off the audio feed on her communicator. The surveillance officers would be able to talk to them, to warn them if necessary, but they wouldn't be able to hear what he was about to admit to Detective Yamanaka.

"We'd better try to keep the kissing to a minimum from now on," he whispered.

"Sure," she readily agreed.

Too readily.

Which meant all the supposedly for-show making out probably had an effect on her, as well. Naruto didn't care much for the fact that it pleased him a little. This wasn't a competition, but sometimes it felt like one.

"Hey, contrary to public opinion, I'm human," Ino said, frowning. And probably so she wouldn't have to add more to an already uncomfortable conversation, she reconnected her communicator.

"Any indication that Hiruko Sasori has been investigating us?" she whispered to the person on the other end of that communicator.

Naruto wished he'd thought of the question first, which was only more proof that he needed a serious mental adjustment. This case was critical. People's lives were at stake, including theirs. Heck, even his promotion to lieutenant was probably riding on this. It was no time for lust.

He repeated all o that to himself several times and hoped those reminders stayed reminders for the rest of this assignment.

"He didn't trigger any info markers to indicate an investigation," the other officer answered through the communicator. "But then, with his resources, that's not surprising."

In other words, Sasori could have done a full-scale check on them – or rather on their false identities – and they wouldn't have known.

"Hypothetically, what would Sasori have learned?" Naruto asked.

He glanced at the person who stopped at the end of the hallway, Yakushi Kabuto. Naruto didn't think it was his imagination that the man cast a suspicious glance their way. It made sense. If there'd been a computer search, Kabuto would have likely been the one to do it. But the real question was – had Kabuto instigated that search on his own, or had Sasori ordered it?

"The only thing Sasori could have gotten was what was in the fake files we created for you and Detective Yamanaka," the officer explained. "Fake employment and financial records. Phony e-mail accounts. The addresses of the apartments that were rented to support your covers. That sort of thing. If they were after your real backgrounds, we'd know."

Ino opened her mouth, probably to respond to that, but she'd obviously not seen Kabuto and his spying eyes. Just in case the man was eavesdropping, Naruto did a quick maneuver and put his mouth against her ear.

"Save your questions," he mumbled. "We have company."

She groaned softly.

So with this latest round of surveillance, things weren't going exactly as planned. Naruto had hoped to establish the pretense of the reunited couple, leave Ino in the reception area and have a look around while she covered for him. He'd only managed the first of those and would likely have to save that search for another day. They would have to return anyway in two days, on Thursday, to announce their engagement. By then, he'd figure out a way to do a search.

"Karin's about to drive away," Naruto heard the backup officer announce into the communicator.

"Go after her." He ordered. And that meant with the heavy scrutinization from Sasori and Kabuto, it was a good time for him to get Ino out of there, as well.

He caught her arm.

"Let's say our goodbyes. We'll come back later for your car."

"Wait." She held her ground. "We still haven't looked around the place."

"And it wont happen tonight." Naruto had to pull her closer to him so he could whisper. "You heard – we're without backup because they have to go after Karin."

She wanted to argue. He could see it in the depth of those lightly narrowed aqua orbs. Heck, he wanted to argue, too. And he really wanted to stay and see what he could find. But he wouldn't do that at the expense of further risking her life. There were already enough risks without him bending the rules.

Since there was no way to make this sound better, Naruto just came out with it.

"It's time to act as if we're ready to drag each other off to bed."

Which couldn't be much of a stretch for him.

A few mumbled words of profanity from the platinum blonde, but she cooperated by sliding her arm inside his coat and around his waist. She even added a sultry chuckle and nudged him playfully with her hip.

Nope.

The pretense of dragging her off to bed wouldn't be much of a stretch at all.

Kabuto stepped in front of them when they started across the reception area.

"Hey, you're not leaving already, huh?" he asked, seemingly shocked.

"Ino and I have some..uh…catching up to do," Naruto made sure there were enough undertones in that remark.

Too bad Kabuto didn't pick up on those undertones. He placed hi hand on Ino's arm and gave her an almost intimate rub with his fingers. His fingers even strayed a little in the direction of Ino's breast.

"But you haven't even checked out the other matches on your list," Kabuto reminded her. "And here I selected them just for you."

She chuckled again, a low sexy purr, and lifted her equally sexy gaze to Naruto.

"I've already found all the matches I need. Now it's time to play with a little fire."

With that naughty entendre, she pushed Kabuto's hand aside, tightened her grip on Naruto's waist and got them moving toward the door.

"Man, I hope he's the killer," she grumbled under her breath. "Because I would soooooooo enjoy kicking his ass."

Naruto forced himself not to smile, which was easy, since they'd hardly made a step before Sasori stopped them.

"Kabuto tells me you're thinking of leaving?" Sasori asked.

Ino did her part with yet another sultry smile and a sensual snuggle against him.

"Yes. Thanks for arranging this," Naruto added, hoping that would be the end of it.

It wasn't.

"But you cant go. Not yet. I need the two of you to sign release forms." He said.

Since this was the first he'd heard mentioned of the release forms, and since Sasori was a murder suspect, Naruto was automatically suspicious.

"We're in a bit of a hurry, cant this wait?" Naruto countered. He was afraid that the red-haired male would refuse to give them the escape they would want to make.

"Afraid not. It's a legal requirement. Normally, I put out the forms a little later in the evening, but if you'll come with me, I'll have you sign them in my office."

There wasn't a lot of time for Naruto to debate the issue, but what the heck of an issue it was. If he declined, it could very well blow the undercover operation when it'd barely gotten started. If he said yes, it would be a meeting away from the witnesses, away from the safety of being in a public place. Besides, standard operating procedure required –

"Let's make this quick," Ino insisted.

And then there was that angle. His partner making a decision without even consulting him.

Naruto hoped Sasori didn't notice how much his jaw tightened.

Sasori smiled, that too-artificial smile that Naruto didn't even try to interpret, and the man motioned for the guard before he turned toward the hall. It didn't surprise Naruto when the guard followed. Basically, Sasori was leading them to a location where they'd be out of sight from the others, and he was taking his hired gun along with him.

And they had no back up.

Maybe he wouldn't regret Ino's let's make this quick in the next couple of minutes.

"Is this guy a friend of yours?" Naruto asked the red-haired man in front of them.

"An employee," Sasori answered, without even looking back. "I need someone to witness your signatures."

Of course he did.

Well, at least there was one consolation in all of this. If by some long shot Sasori wanted to do them some harm, then it'd almost certainly mean he was their sniper. Ino and he could perhaps end this right here, right now. Of course, that would mean a gun battle in a confined space with innocent people nearby. Not his first choice of ways to bring this to a close.

Obviously, Ino had figured that out as well. She kept her arm around him as they followed Sasori, but using Naruto's coat as cover, she eased her hand into his slide holster located just inside the back waist of his pants. To a casual observer or the guard behind them, it probably appeared that she was copping a feel. But what she was doing was removing his reserve weapon with her left hand. It made sense because she could easily have been spotted if she'd gone after the gun in her purse.

She didn't stop there. While still keeping her left hand beneath his coat, Ino inched just enough away from him that things still looked intimate, but it wouldn't hinder him if he had to draw his primary.

"You're still in hot water," Naruto mumbled. Good preparation after the fact didn't void the brash decision she'd made on her own.

"Promise?" she tossed back in that same mock purr.

He simply kept his attention on Sasori. Not easy to do, either. Why did it always feel as if he'd been smacked by a two-by-four whenever he was around Yamanaka Ino?

Just as Naruto suspected, Sasori's office was practically at the end of the hall. And also, as he'd expected, the guard posted himself in the doorway behind them after they'd entered.

Other than the guard, the rest of the office looked normal. A slick thin-screen computer, assorted files and papers. Tasteful watercolor paintings on the walls.

"This is a formality," Sasori explained. He rifled through his desk, presumably looking for that "formality". Naruto angled Ino so if necessary they could return fire in either direction, at Sasori or the guard.

But it wasnt a gun that Sasori pulled out from the drawer but two very official-looking forms.

That didn't cause Naruto, however, to relax.

Keeping a grip on his weapon, Ino picked up a pen off Sasori's desk and scrawled her alias signature. She passed the pen to Naruto, but he waited until he was certain she had a good visual and position before he risked occupying his shooting hand with the pen.

"All done," she announced.

Naruto agreed, and he didn't give Sasori time to say otherwise. He turned and met the guard's gaze head-on. Naruto made sure that the guy understood that one way or another, they would get past him.

Naruto didn't have to tell Ino to watch their backs. She did it on her own. So that she could look over his shoulder, she automatically slid herself against him under the pretense if whispering in his ear. The pretense continued to a nip of his earlobe.

"Are you purposely trying to rile me by not following regulations?" he mumbled as they went out the front door.

"Not really." She simply answered.

Her gaze darted around the area as well. Naruto had gotten lucky with the parking space. He was almost directly in front of the building, and he got her to the car. Fast. He didn't want anyone taking shots at them, at least the bullet-resistant windows gave them some safety.

"Sorry about that impromptu decision I made back there," she continued. "I did that only because I didn't want to tip Sasori – "

"I know what you're doing." Naruto couldn't help it, he huffed. God knows why. Huffing only made him sound like an idiot, and it obviously wouldn't change his partner's approach to this case. Still, he tried.

"Should I go back over the rules of chain command?" he asked her.

Now it was her time to huff.

"Don't give me that. You were about to decide the same thing. There's no way you would have blown this because of the slight additional risk of going into that office."

"Maybe. But we'll never know, will we?" And so that Ino wouldn't continue to argue, he leaned slightly closer to her neck.

"Situation report?" Naruto snarled into her communicator.

"We're still following Hisagi Karin. She appears to be just driving around but in the opposite direction of her last known residence." The officer answered.

Bloody hell. He hated unpredictable people and their unpredictable patterns. "Don't lose her." He commanded.

The moment Naruto got his assurance that they wouldn't, Ino turned off the audio feed function of the communicator,

"You know what you said back there about keeping the kissing to a minimum?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Well, I know we cant avoid it, but when we're doing these phony make-out sessions, steer clear of that little place just below my ear…it's a…big-time erogenous zone for me." She blushed as she told him.

Naruto eyed the spot and was in such an ornery mood, he considered kissing it just so he could prove that he was the one in charge here. Unfortunately, kissing any of her erogenous zones at this point would be just plain unprofessional and would likely end up giving him an erection.

Hardly a bargaining tool in this game of jockeying for control.

"Any place in particular I should avoid kissing you?" she asked.

"Let's just say I'd be attentive to just about anything and leave it at that." He glanced back at the doorway of the Perfect Match building. Not an empty doorway, either. Hiruko Sasori was there, and he was staring straight at them.

Cursing, Naruto latched on to a handful of that platinum blonde mane and hauled her to him, he kissed her all right, but he kept an eye on their spectator. When he was satisfied that he'd done all he could to preserve their cover, Naruto started the car and drove away.

The next step was to go to Ino's fake apartment so they could begin the next phase of the pretense. That meant spending the next four days, and nights. Together.

Alone.

"I thought you said unnecessary kissing wasn't a good idea?" she complained.

"Trust me, it was necessary."

Besides, it was too late to undo it. And sure as heck was too late to stop what they'd put into motion. They'd either succeed together.

Or maybe die trying.

Either was possible.