"Mmmm, your lips taste so good," a woman gasped after a long passionate kiss with her date. She was a young slender Japanese woman wrapped in the arms of a young and handsome red-haired Japanese man.

"Let's say we take this to the bedroom," the man insisted (as expected).

"I don't know about this Iori," the woman said, quite reluctant to his suggestion.

"Come on Chizuru. We've been dating for how long? Three months already? And the time we've known each other goes way before that. After all we've been through together, you should know that I'm not in this for a quick 'hit and run.' I can get that anywhere."

"Right . . ."

"What I'm saying is I really want this relationship to work. Because I-"

"Yes?"

"I-"

"Yes, go on."

"I . . . . . . . luh . . . love you."

"Is that so?" Chizuru laughed.

"Yea," an embarrassed Iori replied.

"Oh, Iori. I was intending to spend the night with you all along. I just wanted to hear those three magic words come out of your mouth. Ha ha ha!"

" . . . . . . ." Iori was not amused.

"You're so cute when you're mad. Oh, stop your pouting. I was only teasing. Come on baby, I'll make it up to you."

With a seductive grin, Chizuru rose from the couch and pulled Iori up. Well aware of the evening activities that were about to ensue, Iori made a mad dash for the bedroom pulling Chizuru behind him.

Iori was about to open the door when he noticed Chizuru was no longer holding his hand. He turned around and saw her a couple yards behind frozen in her tracks. She had a blank look on her face and her mouth was whispering some faint jibberish.

"Hey is everything ok?" he asked her, waving his hand over her eyes. "If this is another one your jokes, it ain't funny." Iori's efforts however, did nothing to release her from her trance.

"Orochi . . ." Chizuru softly chanted. "Orochi . . ."

"The f**k?" Iori, in a panic, grabbed Chizuru by both shoulders and shook her back and forth. She seemed to regained her senses but immediately fell to her knees.

"Are you okay Chizuru?" Iori asked. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," Chizuru assured him. "I just feel light-headed that's all."

"What was that all about?"

"I felt his aura . . . He's close."

"Who? Orochi? We sealed him back in '97. And with the return of our sacred treasures after the defeat Ash and Saiki, Orochi shouldn't be coming back anytime soon. So what's the problem?

"I just have this feeling he's returned somehow. I don't know how explain it, but I can't ignore my instincts. I am so sorry Iori but I must go. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Before Iori could make any pleas for Chizuru to stay, she kissed him on the cheek and bolted out he door.

From what would have been a night filled with passion, moaning, and occasional breaks for smoking and pillow talk; in the end amounted to nothing more than another lonely night in front of the television. Resigned to his fate, Iori did the only possible thing he could do in this situation: flop on the couch, snap open a Coors, and click over the ESPN.

##We now return to our exclusive coverage of the WNBA Western Conference Finals!##

"F**k my life," he groaned as he took drink of his beer.