A/N: And so it begins…Part 2?

Thanks go out to shelvesinthecloset, carriemehome, and xo-rainbows for reviews : ). Okay this chapter is probably a little shorter than usual, but I wanted it separate from the previous one. It has too much of a different feel.

Disclaimer: The Manga characters from Naruto belong to Kishimoto-sama. I do not own any of them, but a girl can dream… I just hope my OC's can hold their own.


Not That Kind of Thing

Ino was almost ready to take full advantage of her free day. All she had to do was meet up with everyone else for breakfast as usual. She'd put on a pair of lilac capris and a white gauze shirt with flowers in various shades of purple printed on it. On her feet was a comfortable, but still cute, pair of sandals. Who says something can't be fashionable and practical at the same time? Her hair was pulled it in her usual ponytail. Looking good, she smiled as she checked her reflection one last time, then stepped into the hall.

"Good morning, Ino!" Chouji's greeting seemed particularly enthusiastic today. He, too, was dressed more casually than he had been. A pair of Bermuda shorts in olive drab was matched up with and golden yellow tank over which he wore a shirt in forest camouflage.

"Hey," she smiled, studying his outfit. "You trying to go somewhere in stealth mode? If so, you picked the wrong camo."

He shook his head, "Guess what, they decided to cut me loose today too." Okay, so I really worked hard at getting permission to do it so I could keep an eye on you. He tried to smile as naturally as he could back, "So do you want to hang out for the day?"

"Sure, as long as no one calls it a date."

"Um, I thought that was the whole idea of us hanging out together." He almost blushed but got it under control, "You know, what you told the Kazekage."

"I guess you're right," she looked up at him. "It's probably best if we stick together anyway."

They joined rest of the crew and over breakfast let them know where they were off to for the day.

"Glad to see they recognize who's actually useful around here," Kankurou sneered behind his paint as he narrowed an eye at Ino in particular.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, you smug bastard." She glared back.

"At least I have an opinion, you twisted bitch," he growled back. "I think you just talk because you like the sound of your own voice."

"Cool it, you two," Temari stepped in. "I get so sick of your growling."

Ino bristled, then turned her back to him. "Come on Chouji, I want to go someplace where they know how to treat a visitor with respect." She took her friend's arm as they walked from the room.


They hit the marketplace first. Ino wanted to see what they had that was not available in Konoha. She dragged Chouji into shop after shop.

"How many more of these things do you want to look at?" he groaned after she found a place that had pretty hair clips and other ornamentation.

"Well, I was told I'm only 'pretty window dressing' so why not enhance that with a native flavor," she winked at him.

"What, just so you and Kankurou can snipe at each other some more?"

She blushed for a moment. Has Chouji found something out? No, he's only commenting on what he's observed at mealtimes I'm sure of it. Shika is the observant one, not that he'd always comment on it. "I thought you were more worried about you-know-who." She muttered as she paid for the hair clip and they were on their way again.

"No, why would I possibly worry about him, out here in his own village." Chouji said as he took her hand, "So what are we still looking for?"

"It's one of those 'I'll know it when I find it' feelings," she smiled up at him batting her eyelashes for show. "Just one more store and then we'll go to lunch, okay."

"But only one and don't get lost in it," he chided her. "I know you too well."

After another fifteen minutes of wandering, they found a place that had a violet dress in the window. "Omigod, Chouji, I gotta try that on." It looked like it was very form fitting and it was adorned with edging in silver and turquoise.

"Are you kidding? If 'he' were to see you in that, all bets are off." Chouji's eyes widened as he took it in. Yeah, but admit it, you want to see her in that thing.

"But this is it." She put on a sweet little pout, "The item I've been looking for." She dragged him into the shop without a moment of hesitation. It turned out that it was in her size, so it was on to the dressing room.

Chouji felt more than a little self-conscious as he stood around in a dress shop waiting for his teammate. After what seemed far longer than the few minutes it actually took, she emerged, "So how do I look?" She struck a pose against the doorframe. The neckline was deep without being scandalous.

"Wow." Can I just have you stand like that in front of me all day?

"How about the back?" she spun playfully, head turned so she could see him over her shoulder.

"Uuhhmm." He couldn't quite get words to form, but there was definitely a smile.

"I'll take that as a positive," she giggled. "Be back in a few." She disappeared back into her changing room.

"Awww, I was hoping you were gonna leave it on," Chouji sulked for a moment.

"What, and waste it on just you? Don't you think it's a little too much for a shopping trip anyways?" she laughed, "No, I want to save this for towards the end of our stay. There's sure to be some sort of farewell party. I want the maximum number of people to see me in this." And I don't care if Pokaru stands there the whole time with his tongue hanging out…and Haijun has to mop up his drool.


The dress cost a little more than Ino hoped it would, but that was okay. It meant she wasn't planning on buying much for lunch anyways. Chouji, on the other hand, was obsessed with trying as much of the local cuisine as possible in one day.

"Hey Ino, I think you should try a piece this."

Chouji actually offered to share something; this is kind of a surprise.

"It's got a really unusual flavor." He had that contented expression that showed both in the curve of his mouth and the way his eyes closed and arched. It was the most complete takeover of a face by a smile that Ino had ever seen. "I'm convinced they must use spices in ways we never think of."

Ino took her utensils to pick up the indicated morsel. After she had surprised herself by devouring the offering, she commented, "You're right, I've never tasted anything quite like it. I can recognize some of the underlying flavors but others…"

He nodded in agreement as he continued with his meal.

Even more amazing was he did this several more times throughout the meal. Each time when he ran across something truly different from the foods they normally had in Konoha, he would present a piece to Ino to share the experience with him.

After a while, it had become a little more than she could handle. "That's okay, if I have anything else, I'll get sick," Ino shook her head refusing the latest tidbit. Not only that I won't fit my dress anymore. "But thanks for offering."

After Chouji had his fill, they decided to see if there were any real sights to see in Suna.


They somehow ended walking around town and found Suna's medical center. "Hey," Ino's eyes lit up, "Sakura said they have a medicinal greenhouse around here. You know, when she was on that mission to rescue Gaara and she saved Kankurou's life. It might be good to stop by and see it."

"You homesick or something?" he teased, then wrapped his arms around her from behind as a lark. "Just can't stay away from cultivated plants." He followed it by picking her up and swinging her around.

A moment later, she was giggling like a schoolgirl in his arms, "Oh stop it, or my shopping bags are going to fly out of my hands."

"Liar," chuckled as he tossed her into the air and caught her again, this time facing him.

"Oh," was all she said as their faces ended up only inches apart, then she found herself being lowered slowly to the ground. She leaned against him for a moment, delighted by how giddy she felt. Then she realized something. "Um, Chouji," she whispered in his ear, "you lost my sandal." She turned slightly in his arms to show him her bare left foot.

"Don't move, just look around and see if..." he grinned, "never mind I found it."

The sandal in question had landed on the walkway just in front of the medical center's entrance. In the moment after he'd seen it, he'd used the Bubun Baika no Jutsu to reach out his right arm to snatch the fallen object for his teammate. He bent down gently to the ground before her. "For you." He bowed his head slightly and supported the sandal as she slid her foot back into it. Then he rose smoothly to stand before her.

They looked at each other for a moment. Then Chouji's left hand slid gently along her cheek to tilt her face to meet his. The touch of his lips to hers was gentle yet there was no hint of hesitation. It lasted for the briefest of time then he rested his forehead against hers so he could gaze into her eyes. She smiled sweetly. They remained like that…

Then the sound of a pair of hands clapping destroyed the moment. Two heads turned to stare in the direction that Ino's footwear had flown.

The Kazekage stood there, "That was a charming display," he turned his head to his assistant, "don't you think so, Haijun? A Konoha shinobi using his jutsu to fetch a sandal." He folded his arms lightly before his chest as he looked them over. "Yes, a splendid demonstration of a skill," his voice dropped into a softer tone, "and so richly rewarded."

Chouji tensed, Thank you for not only spoiling the mood, but trying to make it into something cheap.

Ino spoke up instead, "How dare you hit us with your double-speak! Giving compliments from one side of your lips while tossing veiled insults from the other." Her hands went to her hips. "Were you disappointed that we expressed our affection for one another?" a storm was brewing in her aquamarine eyes. "Or maybe you would have preferred us to do something inappropriate in a public place; is that what you meant by a rich reward?"

Pokaru's eyes widened for the briefest second, then he recovered himself. "I am sorry I intruded on a private moment. If you will excuse me." He turned in the direction Ino and Chouji had previously come from.

They watched as the Kazekage and his aide walked away. Then Ino turned to Chouji and gave him a quick kiss. "Hi," she said as she pulled her face back with an impish grin, "did you have as much fun as I did?"

Chouji threw his head back and laughed. "Where to next?"


The next stop turned into them trying get up onto the walls of Suna.

Ino smiled at the men at the gate station, "We were wondering if it would be possible to see the view from up on the ramparts."

The men at the gates regarded them with curiosity. The older of the two, a man so battle scarred he could match Ibiki for percentage of body damage, frowned, "Why would you want to go up there? All there is to see is desert, desert and more desert."

"As honored guests from Konoha we thought maybe…" she was trying not to act flirtatious.

"Actually it's a better place to go at night." A voice came from behind them.

There was a black haired man standing with casual ease observing the scene.

Chouji spoke first, "Kazunari, right?" This man had done some of the guard shifts at the station in the main complex. They'd met him the first evening in the blur of faces that was the welcoming party.

He nodded; his eyes were almost as dark as his hair. "But if you want to go for a look-see, I can take you up. That okay with you, Teruo?" he bowed his head to the scarred man.

"If that is what you wish," the older man replied, "just remember that they are your responsibility while you're up there."

Kazunari smiled then turned to offer his arm to Ino.

She started to put her hands out, then hesitated. Turning to Chouji, she wrapped her arm around his instead. It's all about appearances. We have no idea who reports what to Pokaru. She gazed up at him reassuringly.

Her teammate adjusted his posture accordingly to one of confidence. It could easily have been read as, 'Yeah, she's mine,' when the man with swirls on his face was actually a bundle of nerves inside.

They followed Kazunari up to the top of the walls into one of the watch shelters that seemed to be set up at fairly regular intervals across the top.

"Needless to say the sun is even more problematic up here than down below."

Ino could feel the difference in just a few moments. She had released her hold on Chouji's arm because where the two of them made contact seemed even warmer than just being exposed to Sunagakure's sun alone.

"Wow, Teruo was right when he said, 'desert, desert and more desert'," Ino muttered to her teammate.

"Yeah, kind of makes me long for the variety of the beige on beige interiors," Chouji replied softly.


In the early evening they came back all smiles, it had really proved to be great stress relief. Especially verbal cornering of the Kazekage, they'd spent the rest of the day chuckling about it. "Thank you for hanging out with me," Ino hugged Chouji as she got back to her room, "I don't think I would have had half as much fun without you."

"I bet you would have still spent as much, though." He laughed, "You have no self control when shopping."

"And you have none where food is concerned," she smirked. "So I guess we're even."

"Hey, at least I shared," he teased back.

"You'd look awful funny in my dress."

"You got me there."

"Later." She ducked into her room to stash her stuff.


When evening came around, Ino decided it was time to go back to the balcony. She lay down on a bench and waited. Tonight was a little cloudy, so the stargazing wasn't as satisfying.

"So, should I just leave now because you've turned into a tease, or are the games back on tonight?"

"I haven't done my hair yet, but maybe afterwards…" She stretched out and then pulled herself to a sitting position on the bench. As she reached into her pocket for the brush, Kankurou stopped her.

"Allow me," he said and pulled something from his own pocket. It appeared to be a wooden comb; he sat beside her and started to work through her hair with surprising dexterity and gentleness. But even more intriguing was the scent that lingered as he used it.

"What is that made of?" Ino asked him, "The scent is strangely familiar."

"Sandalwood. It may be recognizable to you for its use as incense."

"So where did you find out about this?" She was really enjoying his attentions, but unfortunately while he was doing the combing there was little she could do as far as additional contact.

"I remembered that my mother had a comb that smelled wonderful. It's one of my few memories of her." He kept on working down the length of her tresses. "We had a short work day ourselves and I got to thinking about your hair, so I went looking for one."

"That was thoughtful of you," she smiled. So he thought about me today. That's good because I thought about him when I found that dress, I can't wait to see his reaction to it.

"Nice to see I'm appreciated." He finished with the combing, "Do you want anything else done with your hair? Not that I'm going to do it, mind you."

"Give me a minute," she turned around to face him and deftly began to braid her hair, "So you want to test your theory about my hair, from last night."

"Might be fun…so who's tying who." He looked her over.

"We could take turns," she finished with her braid and fastened it off. She moved toward the hall, he went to follow.


They had their fun with all their usual enthusiasm. When Kankurou took his turn with Ino, he decided it to spring something on her: "I'm not going to let you get out of the cords unless you promise me you'll stay here all night."

"Does that stay include sleep? Because if I have to entertain you all night, I might as well stay like this." she regarded him cautiously, "At least if I have rope burns around my wrists, somebody will know why I'm tired tomorrow. Other than that I'm fine with it as long as I get back to my room before everyone else gets up."

"No, you don't have to do anything else for me." He bent to kiss her, then worked his way down her throat, "Although I do have a few more things I want to do for you before I let you go."


And there he was in the pre-dawn hours looking at her as she lay curled in his arms. I broke another of my own rules tonight; she's the first one to get to me like this. That's okay, in about two weeks she'll be heading back to Konoha. I suppose I can live with that. He reflected briefly on how his previous women were either deliberate one night stands or paid performances. A short term fling would be all right, wouldn't it?


A/N: As I posted this chapter I decided to list it as a Chou/Ino Chapter…the majority of the chapter is about the two of them, after all. This is my official declaration: I will list the secondary character that the latest chapter is about but the main character will always be Ino. That does not necessarily mean that the second character is the main love interest…but who knows the winds of change and all that…