A/N: There's one OC who appears in this chapter that I really have to get around to writing the back story on. She's going to reappear at a later point and I think I'll need to give readers some history on her.
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Musical Interludes
Ino and Chouji didn't get another chance to go out for another eight days, because the Hokage sent him off to fill in on another team for a mission. When he got back, he stopped in to see Ino. She flashed a pair of concert tickets for the next evening at him. "So, you wanna go, or do I have to find someone else to go with me?" she smirked at him.
"Just promise not to get all drunk and crazy on me again." Chouji made his stipulation clear. It was becoming obvious that he didn't want a repeat of their last concert experience.
"Chouji, it's not that kind of concert," she shook her head. "It's a more traditional style of music. Don't you recognize the performers' names?"
He studied the tickets more closely, something stirred in his memory and it was a venue with assigned seating…"Okay then," he seemed slightly relieved, "see you tomorrow."
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Ino wore a black dress with cute black open toe shoes. Her hair was down with a black headband holding her bangs back. She was running just a little late when she got to the restaurant they'd agreed to meet at.
"I was just thinking of going to get you." Chouji was waiting by the entrance. He was wearing an ochre colored shirt with brown slacks; there was no way he'd even consider wearing a tie unless he was in a suit. Ino knew better than to ask.
A moment later they were seated. Before long Ino was teasing Chouji just a bit about his Akimichi appetite especially since it was her turn footing the bill. "Couldn't you be a little more considerate of a struggling kunoichi's wallet?"
"You knew the date was dangerous when you set it up." He smiled at her, "Besides you aren't struggling that much, you still live with your parents. I have an apartment to pay for. You have a steady second job at the flower shop. I occasionally get to pick up extra pay on gate duty. Your regular food bill is no where near what mine is, but mine is essentially a work expense. Besides, I was being considerate, I had something to eat before I met up with you. Hmm…poor kunoichi, I don't think so." His eyes slid smoothly from her eyes to her lips then back.
She shrugged, hardly noticing what he had done, "Can't blame a girl for trying."
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A little while later the found themselves walking it through the doors of the concert venue. It was a light airy space, with carefully designed acoustics.
"Hey Chouji, Ino!" a voice called after they had just gotten inside. It turned out to be Naruto. He was out with Hinata. "I heard a rumor you two might be going out."
Hinata looked up at him with slight annoyance in her expression.
"Nah, I just wanted to go to this concert and it's no fun going alone." Chouji smiled, "So since I figured Ino could use an occasional night out, here we are."
The look on Ino's face was somewhere between surprised and amused.
Naruto's expression fell, "Why am I always wrong about this stuff, dattebayo?"
Ino smiled, "Maybe it's just a unique talent of yours. Com'on Chouji, let's go find our seats."
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As they found their place, Ino laughed. "So what was with that line of bullshit you just fed Naruto?"
"I just thought it would be fun to see his reaction."
"Well I'm entertained to say the least, but now we have to behave ourselves because we don't know if he's sitting anywhere he can see us," she teased.
"Damn, that hadn't even occurred to me," he frowned.
"We can always do something after the show."
"As long as it doesn't involve you getting intoxicated," he put a hand on her shoulder, "that was kind of scary."
"Are you still on that kick? If you're going to deny me one type of fun, then are you gonna give me the other?" she smiled in a sexy way.
"Shhh," he tilted his head slightly. Naruto and Hinata were working there way across in the row just in front of them, worse yet the only empty seats were right before them.
Ino swore under her breath.
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Well, they couldn't really complain about the concert itself, they just had to be very quiet and lean very close if they had anything to say to one another. As Ino put it: "Could have been worse: they could have been just behind us."
When it was over Naruto immediately turned to them, "Do you want to go and hang out with us for a while? I mean, we almost never get to talk."
"Well, that's not totally true," Hinata said, "Ino and I sometimes do lunch and you've done gate duty with Chouji. This was supposed to be an evening for just the two of us, with Sasuke on a mission and the kids with Hanabi at my father's home."
"I can't claim that as anything unusual, Ryokou's always at my parents' place." Ino said, "I just wish there was somewhere else I could leave her to have a night away once in a while. Not that Ryo's ever a problem mind you." She looked a little wistful, "You go and do something wonderful for yourselves, it's nice have an opportunity to get out like that. Three children have got to be a world of difference from one."
Yeah, especially when that child is as perfect as Ryokou. "See you around." Chouji smiled and waved as they started to head off.
They made a point of following a discrete distance behind the Uzumakis while still in the concert hall. "This way we can see where they go and head off in the opposite direction." Ino whispered, "We don't need a distraction this evening, and it sounds like Hinata doesn't want anymore either."
So they made their break and found themselves back at the bench where they'd stargazed on their first date. "So since you aren't letting me drink and the sky is just a little too cloudy tonight what do you want to do?" she looked him in the eyes.
"I'm really not sure."
"Why, because according to you, we're not dating?" She put her face really close to his as she said it, "Do I make you uncomfortable, hmmm? I think we should go all out for our next date, do something really different, something out of character for us." She lightly touched his lips with her own, "What do you say?" She moved just a little bit back from him, so she could watch his expression.
"Do you have something in mind?" he tried to draw her back to himself.
"Something where we really dress up," she smiled, "I don't know, you got any ideas?"
"I guess we could go to a really fancy restaurant."
"Of course you'd think of food first," she teased, pressing the tip of her nose against his, then brushing it left and right, "but there's got to be something else."
"I think I heard about a touring opera company passing through Konoha in the near future…a couple of weeks from now. Would that be unusual enough for you? I know I've never heard an opera, let alone seen one." He was trying to tilt his head so he could get closer to her lips again.
"Oooh, so we're both 'Opera Virgins', I guess that could be interesting." She finally leaned into him for the kiss he'd been after and entwined her fingers into his mane of brown hair. A few moments later she let him catch his breath. "So are you looking into getting tickets or am I?"
"How about you do the tickets, I arrange for dinner?" he pulled her back for another kiss.
When Ino ended this one off she said simply, "So, do you want to do anything else yet?"
"I'm tempted, but not quite sure yet."
"I guess this means it's time for you to walk me home then, before I get more frustrated." She stood up and waited for him to do the same. They walked holding hands. Sometimes she wondered if he was really interested in taking it any further. If he was, his pacing was what she considered incredibly slow and deliberate. Especially when she remembered what had happened between them nine years before. It's not like they hadn't done it before… it just hadn't turned out very well. That wasn't his fault, I kind of talked him into something he wasn't ready for…
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Five days later they went out for a slightly different kind of date. It was Tanabata festival and Ryokou had been begging 'Uncle Chouji' to take her and Mama out for it. He arrived dressed in solid color dark green yukata over gray pants.
Misao greeted him warmly, handing him a snack. "Ino is fussing as usual, and not just with her look. She's trying to decide what to do with Ryokou's hair; it's been up, down, ribboned and she still hasn't decided yet." She gestured to the couch, "Make yourself comfortable, it might be a while." She sat in her favorite chair.
"Are you going out as well?" he asked politely.
"No, I think I'm going to enjoy having an evening to myself." She smiled, "Inoichi's out doing one of his favorite things; drinking with your father and Shikaku. They can't get enough of watching the younger crowd go by and having flashbacks to their 'glory days'."
"Yay, you're here!" A streak of pale blue ran out into the family room, as Ryokou came over to the couch to grab his hand. Her yukata had butterflies in yellow and orange both detailed in black. Her hair was pulled up into braided rings with orange butterflies on blue ribbons to hold them in place.
Misao spoke to her granddaughter, "Did your mama tell you that was her favorite yukata when she was your age?"
Ryokou nodded enthusiastically, then turned her attention back to Chouji. "So are you gonna take me to see everything? Help me get a goldfish? Buy me treats?"
He didn't know what to say, he'd never seen her quite this fired up before.
"Honey, I know you're excited, but you can't ask Uncle Chouji to do all that." Ino came up to them; she wore a yukata in a shade of lavender so pale it was almost white covered with a variety of flowers in the purple color family. She wore hair was in her usual ponytail but her barrettes were replaced by a small cluster of flowers that matched her yukata.
"Oh." Ryo's eyes widened and she went over to her mother, "Would it be okay if Uncle Chouji takes me to see everything?"
Ino gently put her fingers to the child's lips, "And why am I dressed like this if its all about you and Uncle Chouji?"
The girl looked suddenly embarrassed, "I'm sorry, Mama. Of course you can go with us too." She hugged onto Ino.
"Well then," Ino smiled, "let's get going."
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They wove their way through the crowds, Ryokou already questing for her goldfish. As she held onto Chouji's hand, anxiously tugging, "Look, is that where they are?"
Ino giggled as she watched them. It was fun seeing her daughter so excited.
Chouji slowed her down. "Ryo, I don't think the first thing we should do is get a goldfish." As she looked up at him, he continued, "If we get the goldfish first, I don't think it would be too happy swimming around in its little bag. You'd want to take it home, then all you'd want to do is watch it swim and you'd miss the rest of the festival."
The bright blue eyes looked at him, taking in his words. "Okay, Uncle Chouji, what do we do first?"
"I recommend picking a food vendor and starting there."
"You would," Ino teased. "Let's start with something that resembles real food."
"My plan exactly, there's always time for sweets later." He contemplated her for the briefest moment then turned back to the brown haired girl. "So what do you want takoyaki, taiyaki or yakitori?"
The girl watched the crowds coming from the food stands for a moment. "That person's smile was the biggest after the first bite. Let's go there."
"Yakitori it is." Chouji picked her up, perched her on his shoulder, and carried her over to the stand.
The stand was well organized so they got their food quickly. They were just finishing when a voice came from behind. "Akimichi Chouji, is that you?"
The three of them turned to face an older couple.
"Ikenoya-san," the swirl-cheeked man smiled, "it's been a long time. You and your wife are looking well."
"As are you." The man looked at the group before him with a curious expression on his features, "I never heard that you'd married."
"Oh no, this isn't what it looks like," his embarrassment showed plainly. If he didn't have the child upon his shoulder he would have surely waved his hands before him. "This is my long time teammate, Ino." He pointed with the skewer from the yakitori he still held to the blond by his side, Ino bowed her head, "and this is her daughter Ryokou."
The girl smiled down from her elevated position, and waved. "Happy to meet you."
The old woman gazed up at her. "What a charming child," then turned her gaze to Ino, "You must be very proud of her," and offered her hand to the kunoichi.
"Well yes, I am," She took the proffered hand.
The old woman grinned, "No ring, so this must be a date…"
Now both Ino and Chouji were left blushing and speechless.
"Uncle Chouji, I see Uncle Shikamaru, Aunt Temari and the boys." The girl pointed above their heads, oblivious to the nature of the conversation.
"Oh yes, we really must be going." Ino snapped to attention, grabbing Chouji's hand and dragging him off in the indicated direction, Ryokou clinging onto him.
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They hooked up with the Lee family as the evening went on. The pink haired twins were also looking forward to trying for goldfish. At almost six years old, they were determined to prove they were as skilled as their older brother who had already won several prizes this evening. Himawari and Hinagiku wore nearly identical yukata covered with sakura blossoms. The only difference was that one was the shade of green that served as the base color the first was more yellowish while the second edged toward blue.
"Com'on Ryokou, I wanna show you what a fine young kunoichi can do." Hinagiku grabbed her hand as the stand of their quest loomed before them. They dashed off toward it, leaving the older twin to follow behind. Lee and Chouji decided they'd better get there to supervise.
Sakura chuckled as she watched the scene. She shifted her youngest child, two-year-old Sumire, in her arms. The two women worked through the crowds at a more leisurely pace.
"It amazes me to no end that your children alternate between extremes. Two rambunctious ones and two that are almost too quiet." Ino looked at the black haired girl and was met by her dark green eyes. I thought Hinagiku and Ryokou were cute at this age but this one…wow. She felt the slightest flutter of jealousy over her friend's family.
"So," Sakura smiled, "are two you dating?"
"Actually this is Ryokou's evening." Ino worded it cautiously, but was secretly grateful for the colored lights all around because her face felt warm but she wasn't sure if she was blushing. "She wanted the two of us to take her around the festival."
"Ummm-hmmm," the pink haired woman nodded. That's what they all say.
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Ryokou had more energy that they did as they climbed that stairs to the Yamanaka residence. Misao heard the pounding of the little feet as they headed the way up the stairs and opened the door.
"Grandma," the brown haired girl chirped enthusiastically, "look, I got one." She held out the clear bag that had a still living goldfish within.
"Oh dear," the older woman was caught by surprise, "I don't know if we have anywhere to put it."
"I could get a large vase from downstairs." Ino suggested, then gazed briefly at the man by her side. "Chouji, why don't you go in for a few minutes? I'll be right back." She turned to go back down the stairs.
A few minutes later they all sat around the living room watching Ryokou as she rested her elbows on the end table staring at her goldfish as it swam in its new home. Chouji and Ino had already claimed the couch and she was already snuggling drowsily against his shoulder.
Eventually, Ryokou's eyes started to droop and she let out a big yawn. Misao decided to take the initiative: "Sweetie, I think you'd better say goodnight to your new friend."
"But…"
"No buts." She offered her granddaughter her hand.
The girl hesitated for just a moment, said "Goodnight," to the goldfish and was led off to her bedroom.
About five minutes Misao stepped back out of the bedroom to say her goodnight to her daughter and Chouji, only to find Ino asleep on the couch by herself. She sighed; It amazes me to no end how silently he can move down those creaky stairs. I suppose it's just as well though, I hate to think what would have happened if Inoichi came home drunk and found both of them asleep on the couch.
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So, ten days later, Chouji found himself fussing with his appearance to a degree he'd never done before. I hate wearing ties. His hand sought the foreign object that was wrapped around his throat, adjusting it for the third time since he'd started walking to the Yamanaka residence. Both the restaurant and the opera were formal dress. He hoped he'd reigned in his mane of hair sufficiently by partially smoothing it out and tying it back behind his neck. He walked up the stairs to the Yamanaka residence, nervously ran his hand across his hair one last time to be sure it was still in place and knocked on the door.
Inoichi opened the door took one look at him and quipped: "I don't know who you are, stranger, but my daughter already has a date for tonight." He let Chouji in and patted him on the shoulder, "As you can guess, Ino is still perfecting her look for the..."
"Uncle Chouji!" Ryokou came running up to him, arms outstretched for a hug. He picked her up and obliged her. "You should see Mama. She's so pretty." She then looked him over appraisingly, "I think you're pretty tonight too."
"Thank you Ryo-chan, I tried my best." He smiled, relieved that she didn't find his attempt weird. Pretty, he almost chuckled, that's a term I've never had applied to me before. "Do you think your Mama will like it?"
"If I like it, Mama will have to like it, 'cause I said so." She hugged him again.
"What am I supposed to like?" Ino stepped out into the main room.
Chouji turned toward her. There was a pause as he took in the vision before him. She wore a green dress that accentuated her figure, but was not overly tight. The shawl band that ran across just below her shoulder was decorated with beadwork inspired by the pattern of Konoha's leaf symbol. It dipped down just a bit in the front to show off her cleavage. It was just at knee length in front was longer in back, where it had an elaborate back bow draping that echoed the leaf beading. Her hair was piled in an elaborate collection of twists and curls held in place with green beaded hair pins. "You're positively breathtaking."
She smiled, "Then why haven't you fainted yet?"
"It's the shock that you're not wearing purple that's keeping me going."
She laughed then and came up to him. "What about the black dress I wore for the concert? I know you're going to say basic black doesn't count." Again, she giggled, "I'll tell you the story of this dress on the way to dinner…but first." She took Ryokou from Chouji's arms and kissed her. "Be good for Grandpa and Grandma."
"Of course, Mama." She hugged Ino, then let go as she was passed into Inoichi's hands.
"Bye-bye sweetie," Ino smiled.
Chouji waved like he always did.
"Uncle Chouji," Ryokou returned their smiles as she tried to imitate his flutter wave with her fingers, "be good for Mama."
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Once they made it down the stairs, Chouji smiled at Ino. "How does she always manage to be so cute when she says stuff?"
"I know, she's such a ray of sunshine everywhere she goes." Ino turned to him and put her arms around his neck, "So are you gonna do what she asked you to do? Are you going to be good for me?"
"I can try." He gently wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips gently against hers.
A few moments later they continued their walk toward the restaurant. "I promised to tell you about this dress, didn't I? Guess what, it didn't cost me a thing."
"How did you manage that?"
"It's a Junjiro original, he picked the color," she leaned against Chouji.
"Please tell me you didn't…" his expression looked shocked.
"You're thinking…" Ino laughed, "… he and I…in his office…Oh Chouji, how could you possibly…never mind." She looked at his expression, she could see the petulant curl that had taken his lip. I want a happy date. "The only thing that happened in there was he had his assistant measure me. He was in the back office getting the money for Konoha." She took his hand, "He read you like a book, you know. He had you pegged as the one I was dating, although he did take a little pleasure in making you jealous, he wouldn't have done anything out of bounds. The dress was his idea. He thought I was pretty, true, but he also saw that I was every bit your and Shikamaru's equal in battle and admired that. Since his specialty is women's clothing…here I am." She twirled to show the dress off again.
"I do like the color. It's refreshing to see you wearing something so different." He put his arm around her waist. "People are definitely noticing you tonight. I'm really going to have to keep an eye on you." He smiled down at her, "Not that it will be a problem; you look truly amazing."
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They made it to their restaurant just in time for their reservation. It was considered the most elegant one in all of Konoha, luckily the way they were dressed suited the restaurant's standards. The first real surprise of the evening happened when Chouji ordered like a normal person. After the waiter walked away, Ino looked at him, then leaned toward him to whisper across the table, "Are you really Chouji, or someone disguised as him?"
"It's me, I just didn't want to draw any more attention to us than your dress is getting. In a place like this, I thought I'd do what was expected." He reached out to take her hand. "You're the one who wanted us to do something out of character, so I'm taking my first step."
She smiled at him and wrapped her other hand around his. "Thank you, I guess you're one step ahead of me tonight."
The rest of the dinner passed in a straight forward manner, for the most part. Chouji ate at a slower pace than usual, but you could tell he really had to work at it. The conversation was minimal because they spent as much time just watching each other as they did talking. They ended their meal by splitting a dessert, and Ino attempted to tease Chouji by eating her part in as sexy a manner as possible without distracting any of the other patrons of the restaurant. It's funny how those old skills you haven't used in years just come back to you, she thought to herself as she slowly wrapped her lips around the spoon and slid it back out again.
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He took care of the bill and they were off the opera. When they arrived for the opera Chouji looked at the title. Ino smiled, "I thought you'd be amused that it's called 'Madame Butterfly'. I just wonder what it's about?" she pulled out their tickets and they went into the concert hall.
They milled about the lobby admiring the graceful arches and sweeping staircases for a while waiting for the doors to the actual theater to open. Suddenly, someone came up beside them, it turned out to be Shizune. "The Hokage has decided that she would like the two of you to join us in a patron box they have for her use tonight."
They both looked at her like she was crazy: "Why us?" Chouji finally asked.
"It's nice for her to share these special spaces they set aside for her on these occasions. Since none of the elders or council members decided to show up and there are no dignitaries here to entertain, she decided to leave it to a whim." Shizune smirked, "Ino's dress caught her eye, as well as lot of other people's, so she thought if you want to be on display you might as well be on display in one of the best seats in the house."
Ino actually blushed, then bowed her head and said, "We would be honored to sit with Godaime-sama."
"Then follow me," Shizune smiled.
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As promised, the box had an excellent view, although that view was as much of the audience as well as the stage. "The place to see and be seen, she's right about that." Chouji regarded it uncertainly, then looked at Ino. "You sure you want to do this?" he whispered to her.
"Remember the theme of our evening is doing something completely different," she gave him a sultry smile, "where are you ever going to get a chance like this again?"
"Well then, I guess I can't say no," he sighed.
Tsunade was watching them as they went through their whispered dialog. "I can guess what you're thinking, yes, the 'on display' thing can be a drag. However, there are perks to the private box." She raised a sake bottle and gestured so they could see the little tables and cups set for each seat. "This is the only place where we can do this throughout the whole show. We even have private restrooms beyond those curtains. I personally have no idea what an opera is but since my attendance is expected at these cultural affairs, I take what comfort is offered to me. I highly recommend you do so as well."
"I would never think of disregarding such fine advice, Godaime-sama," Ino grinned.
"So where do you want us?" Chouji asked as he took one last out into the crowded seating below
The four of them sat in the order Shizune, Tsunade, Chouji and Ino. Ino's position was the outermost to show-off her dress in the best light. Tsunade smiled at the pretty kunoichi, "If I'd have known that Junjiro would give away one of his creations I'd have snuck out to do the mission myself." She poured the first round, "But really Ino, the dress suits you. You might even consider wearing that shade of green more often. Definitely the color of envy, I'm sure many are probably jealous of you tonight. Well then," she picked up her cup, "here's a toast to opera, let's see if we can have a lovely evening together."
They drank a toast to opera, and Ino leaned close and whispered in Chouji's ear, "My next out character whim is that you out drink me tonight. Don't worry…I'll hold back… just a little." She ended her whisper with a teasing caress of her lips on his earlobe.
The electric thrill was still surging through Chouji as the lights began to dim.
The three of the four of them continued to drink their way through their first opera experience. Shizune decided to stop after the initial toast, leaving the others to share in the Hokage's hospitality.
Ino cuddled against Chouji's side as he had his arm around her. They listened to the music and watched as the Tragedy of Chou-Chou-san unfolded on stage. After the first act, they even made a point of reading the synopsis in the program so they could understand what was going on. It still didn't stopped Ino from weeping when Chou-Chou-san committed suicide at the end.
The Hokage applauded with what appeared to be enthusiasm, but then again it could have been well-practiced politeness. Except for the hint of a rosy glow on her cheeks, you couldn't tell at all that she'd been drinking when she made her brief speech after the show thanking the touring opera company for their visit to Konoha. She wished everyone who had attended a pleasant end to their evening and then she turned back to Ino and Chouji. "So," she practically purred, "how about one more, before you go?"
Chouji was about to say something about having to be on their way when Ino spoke first. "Thank you, I guess it would be the easiest way to wait for the crowds to clear out." She gave him a quick glance trying to be reassuring.
So the 'one more drink' dragged out for another forty minutes. In which time the Hokage made additional small talk about a variety of topics. She asked about Ryokou and how things were going with her. She also inquired about how the flower shop was doing. Shizune just watched as this went on, it was like she was trying to figure out what the Hokage was actually getting at.
"It's getting late," Chouji finally spoke out, "I really should be getting you home." He took Ino's hand, gave it a quick squeeze, then gently helped her to her feet.
"I suppose I should let you go." Tsunade looked the two of them over. "Have a safe trip home; I hope you beat the rain."
"Rain?" Ino looked up at Chouji, "Com'on, now we've really got to get going."
"Thank you again for everything, Godaime-sama," Chouji bowed his head to her, then once again grabbed Ino's hand and they headed for the exit.
Tsunade turned to Shizune with a laugh. "I'll bet you that those two will be the next among my shinobi announcing their engagement."
Shizune shook her head, "There is no way I'm going to bet against those two. The odds would then be against them then, unless you really want the next bad thing to happen around here by you winning if I took you up on that bet."
"They've been working together for a long time. It's would be nice to see them get together. I'm almost positive he's not going to walk her straight home. In fact, I think his place is closer." She had a wistful expression behind her rosy alcohol induced glow. "Yeah, I just know this was meant to be a memorable evening for them…I just hope I helped things along."
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Ino and Chouji weren't sure where they were off to when the rain began. Chouji was just a little shy about the idea of going back to his place, and they couldn't go to her place. They ducked under an awning to shelter Ino's dress as the first wave of the rain began. As he moved so she would be as far back under it a possible to avoid any splatter, Ino wrapped her arms around Chouji's neck and drew him into a kiss. "We've got nothing better to do until the rain stops," she said softly, "so we might as well get on with the preliminaries."
After a moment of hesitation he responded by holding her tighter, almost crushing her against him. They continued to wait out the rain by kissing and caressing. With every kiss Ino took it just a little further, Finally, her fingers deftly opened up his shirt and she started to brush her lips lightly against his chest.
"Oh don't start that," Chouji half moaned, "we're still in the open, somebody could walk by at any moment."
"Only if they're really into getting soaked in this weather," Ino replied in a dreamy tone, "even with an umbrella I doubt they'd stop to watch." She pressed her lips against his chest one more time.
He felt a surge of what he knew quite clearly to be desire run through him. In a way it terrified him: I know there is a definite difference between making love and just having sex. I've done the latter with her; if we could have the other experience, I know she'd really understand the depth of my feelings. Then suddenly his mind picked up on a word she'd just said. It sparked an idea…and hopefully I can distract her for a moment. "I could be your umbrella," he tilted her head back up so he could press his mouth to hers again. When they broke their lip-lock he completed the suggestion, "I could use my Bubun Baika no Jutsu to make my hand large enough to shelter you from the rain like an umbrella."
"As tempting as that sounds," she smiled up at him, her hands resting gently on his chest, "I don't want you to get all wet…or tired out by using your chakra. Let's just give it a little longer then we'll go for the shop, it's closer." She teased him by tracing the spiral on his left cheek with her tongue, "I really want to be with you tonight."
She said it in a whisper but to Chouji it sounded like a demand. Again, he felt that strange tingling, and yes, this time he was going to go along with it. Maybe Shikamaru is right, you take the opportunity when it comes to you. This has been a strangely magical date and dammit she's never looked so stunning. "I'm yours to command, Ino," was the only reply he could come up with.
"Then the craziest thing we can do would be to have our fun in the flower shop." She ran her fingers up his chest then behind his neck and pressed her lips to his again.
When the rain finally stopped a few minutes later, they wasted no time getting to the shop. Ino opened the door with frantic excitement and pulled him inside. She tugged him along through the center of the store the wrapped her arms around him as she leaned him against the counter, then proceeded to kiss him with a sense of urgency.
His response was to pull her tighter to press her against himself to let her know how much he wanted this. I'm here, let me be yours tonight. She gasped, then started to open up his jacket and shirt some more while he bent to press his lips to her shoulders. Somehow as one, they moved toward one of the more open areas of the shop.
Ino felt a familiar rush of excitement and realized how desperately she missed these feelings. I want this so much. Her mind journeyed through a variety of recent events. I really think he loves me… and Ryokou. He's always there for us; he'd be a wonderful father… Thesurprise of the thought almost caught her off guard. "You know," she moaned as he worked his way from her shoulders to her throat, "I might not be the only girl you make happy tonight." Something inside of her had felt the need to verbalize it.
He jerked back, eyes going wide, then he fell to his knees as he pushed her away. "Oh no no no." He looked like he was both angry and frightened at the same time. "You can't be serious."
"Chouji?" she stared to step closer. "I didn't mean it like it sounded. I was thinking about Ryokou…but what I meant was…"
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, then he lunged toward the main counter. He grabbed a pot that was there and proceeded to throw up into it.
"Oh Chouji," Ino started toward him again, "this is all my fault, since I challenged you to drink all that sake the Hokage was sharing with us."
"Please stay back Ino," he said softly, "we saved your dress from the rain, you don't need to ghhheeett…" he threw up again.
The lights came on "What the hell are you two doing down here at this hour of the night?!" Inoichi stood in the back hallway that connected to the apartment stairs.
"Chouji's throwing up and me…well…" Ino shrugged as she looked at her father.
Inoichi took in her slightly disheveled hair and raised his eyebrow as if to question her further.
"I guess it was my fault for wanting to do things just a little different, out of character so to say, so I challenged him to be the one who drank more tonight and since the Hokage was so generous with her sake tonight…"
"You're kidding me right?" He walked up to his daughter. When he saw how concerned her expression was as she looked at Chouji he said, "No, I guess you're not." He put his hand on her shoulder, "Why don't you go upstairs and get out of that dress, while I help down here." He walked over toward the sink area of the shop, found a cup and filled it with water then grabbed a towel as well. "Hurry up Ino, we'll be here a little longer." He walked over to Chouji while Ino ran to the stairs. "How are you doing?" As Chouji looked up at him he asked, "Do you think you've gotten the worst of it out of you?"
"I think so." Chouji groaned in a miserable tone.
"Take a mouthful of this to rinse out your mouth." He handed over the cup then Chouji did as ordered and spat the water out into the pot. Inoichi handed over the towel and said "Try to sip a little of this at a time." He looked at Chouji and thought that it was fortunate that he had his hair tied back tonight.
The next ten minutes passed quietly with Inoichi monitoring Chouji and deciding what to do next. Soon Ino came back down in a loose t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She immediately went and kneeled next to where Chouji sat on the floor. She gently put her hands on his stomach and tried to see if the was anything she could do to help him. "Your system is way out of balance, and it doesn't seem to be just from the sake."
"I kind of figured that out on my own." He said weakly, "I think it has to do partly with the Akimichi metabolism. I really screwed up when I limited myself at dinner without making up for it in some other way and then the drinking on top of it."
"I can make something for you now if you need it," she offered, then looked up at her father, he nodded.
"You can even sleep in the living room, I don't think you're up to going home," Inoichi added.
"I don't want to be any trouble," Chouji started to protest.
"You're never any trouble," Ino smiled she stood up and offered her hand.
"Go on Chouji," Inoichi said, "I'll clean up down here and be right up."
Chouji slowly got up and accompanied Ino upstairs.
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The next morning Chouji got a painful surprise start to his day when Ryokou discovered him sleeping on an extra futon on the living room floor and she squealed, "Uncle Chouji!" in a voice that was just a bit too loud for him after the previous evening. He sat up with a start, holding his head. He saw Ino come out of her room a moment later.
"Ryokou, sweetie, Uncle Chouji wasn't feeling good last night, that's why he stayed over." She put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Be nice and quiet around him this morning."
"Okay," the girl whispered.
"Now go and get out of your nightie." Ino chased her daughter off, waited until the door to her room closed, then quickly looked around to see if her parents had gotten up yet. She gave him a kiss, then said, "Too bad, that's all we can get in this morning, but at least I was right about how happy you made Ryokou this morning."
"I can still try to make you happy." He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. "When can we get together again?"
"We'll see what can be done, the sooner the better in my book."
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As it turned out Ino's parents needed her to run the store that day. So Chouji headed off to his apartment alone. He went and did everything to make himself feel more human after his drunken evening. When it was almost 4 o'clock, he considered just showing up at Ino's out of the blue and seeing what happened next. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door. He went to answer it secretly hoping…
"Sorry to bother you." It was Shikamaru. "The Hokage just tagged me with a last minute mission and I decided I wanted you to come along and help out."
"Okay, what do you need me to do?" Chouji knew he couldn't disappoint his best friend.
"We're going to fill in training one of the Chuunin exam candidates." Shikamaru said, "Raido got injured in a fluke accident and they need someone to take over. I confessed that I didn't want to do this by myself, so I asked if I could bring you along." He looked at Chouji "The Hokage seemed amused and said, 'Sure, if you can find him'. What do you think she meant by that?"
"Maybe it was because I was out drinking with her last night."
Shikamaru burst out laughing, "Good one Chouji." A moment later he stopped and said, "So how long until you're ready?"
"Give me ten minutes," Chouji replied, "but would it be okay if we stopped at Ino's on the way out? It'll only take another five minutes at most."
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Ino was still working the shop when he got there. "I'm getting off work in less than an hour." She smiled as she saw him come into the door, then she noticed the pack, "What's going on?"
"Shikamaru and I are going to fill in on training one of the Chuunin candidates." He looked at her, "I'd rather be here, but duty calls."
"So you'll be back for the finals then."
"Sometime the night before probably, but I wouldn't count on doing anything that night, so that leaves after the finals." He put his arms around her, "You think you can wait that long?"
"We can still meet up that morning and make a whole day of it by cheering on this last minute student. That will leave us the whole night to do something special." She kissed him with just enough tease to leave him wanting more.
"Sounds like a plan." He looked into her eyes. "I'll be thinking of you the whole time."
"Bad shinobi," she wagged a finger at him: "Duty first, distractions later."
He chucked, then headed toward the door to go back out.
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Two days later, Ino and Ryokou ran across Temari and the boys in the market. "I bet you can't wait for your daddy to get back." She talked to Hajimeru and Tsuzuki. Both boys grinned and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, they can't wait," muttered Temari, something in her tone set off a warning in Ino's mind.
"Is something wrong?" Ino looked at her with concern. "Are you unhappy that Shikamaru's helping an Exam Candidate after what happened to your team during the last Chuunin Exams?
"No, a lot is happening with the exam coming up." Temari replied, her body language practically screamed tense. She also kept looking at Ryokou like she was studying her. "Among other things, I've been asked to be part of the Kazekage's entourage. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to it." Her gaze met Ino's, eyes narrowed slightly like she was waiting for a reaction
"I suppose that's what you get for having multiple allegiances, good luck with it."
"Ino, I think…" she started, then pursed her lip.
"What?"
"Never mind, I've got to get going." Temari took the boys hands, "Maybe I'll see you at the Exam Tournament."
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A/N: Okay, so maybe Opera was a weird choice, but as the plan said it was all about doing something different. Besides, I listen to a very wide variety of music...and probably not one of my readers noticed that one chapter was named after a song from a musical that was on Broadway in recent years. If you can figure it out, drop me a line and the first one to name it gets a special shout-out. (My Beta better keep her mouth shut.)
Thank you: To shelvesinthecloset & Shubaltz Crazist for their ongoing commentary…I think you'll see someone familiar next chapter.
