Kakashi was no fun. Inoichi thought in irritation as he sat back down behind the counter and waited for the Copy nin to finish prowling around his family's shop like a damned caged panther or something.

Here he was trying to be friendly and help the man and Kakashi was straight out ignoring him.

Though Inoichi supposed that a man as closely guarded as Kakashi wouldn't have much to say about making a trip to a flower shop. Especially since he was in a percarious pisition right now with his retirement just another two weeks away and the council and Kage breathing down his neck, wanting him to get married.

No, Kakashi's need for silence and discretion were understandable to a degree though it would have been much smarter of the man to simply pick some flowers out of the woods. Especially since he'd no doubt be seen by some shinobi in the area, walking around with flowers which would start rumors that he'd already made his bride selection.

Which would kill some of the women in the village while driving others to attempt to find out who Kakashi had an interest in so that they could attack her.

Inoichi was about to suggest the Copy nin leave when he saw him stop by one of the bins and pick through some baby's breath then move over to another bin with purplish blue little bell shaped flowers then he grabbed a few sweet smelling large white flowers with waxy petals and fixed a little bouquet with them. Then after examining the bouquet for a moment or so he moved over to the counter and hastily pulled out his wallet and asked Inoichi if he could have a white and silver ribbon to tie the flowers together with.

Inoichi got up out of his chair again and moved over to a shelf behind him and pulled down several different silver and white ribbons and set them on the counter and got a slow, slightly mean look from the Copy nin as he grinned at him and said, "Which one? We have some plain ones with silver around the sides, some with little patterns-"

"Something nice-" Kakashi mumbled before growling. "And while your at it pick out a nice sturdy ribbon that I can use to strangle you with." Inoichi gave him an mock horrified look and laughed and moved back when the silver haired man actually tried to reach over the counter and grab him.

(************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************)

"Hey Naru, would you like to come to my place for dinner some time?" Kiba asked while he thought no one was paying attention. Immediately Neji and Shikamaru and Shino zeroed in on the Inuzuka's brazen, yet awkward question and seemed to hold their breath as they waited for Naru's response.

It already wasn't looking good for Kiba if the frown marring Naru's pretty face was any indication at all before she asked hesitantly. "Can wolfy come?" Kiba frowned and thought for a second before saying.

"Well, uh, I was asking you if you would like to hang out as like-"

"A couple-" Naru supplied helpfully. Kiba nodded then flushed as Naru suddenly said, "Then no. Dinner with you in that way would be inappropriate." Kiba looked confused as Neji and Shikamaru snickered as Shino moved around to sit on the arm of the chair and stared at her for a second before asking curiously,

"Having dinner with Kiba would be inappropriate? How so?" Naru turned her head and gave him her undevided attention.

"He's a male." Naru said as if that explained everything. Shino didn't seem to get it though. If anything he and the others were even more confused than ever. Naru made an impatient sound and rolled her eyes and hissed as a pink color spread across her pale cheeks. "He'll want to do stuff."

Kiba started to open his mouth to deny what Naru had just said but stopped when he saw Neji, Shikamaru and Lee give him a warning look and slowly shake their heads no. Silently telling him that keeping quiet would be in his best interest because if he tried to deny what Naru had just said, when they knew that he'd had a crush on her since the Sauske incident, then they would have to take him outside and kick his ass every which way.

"Naru, doll, just because a guy asks you out to dinner doesn't mean that he wants to jump you." Shika said, trying to defuse a potentially disasterous situation.

"I know. But I can smell the pheramones lacing his blood. He has a much headier scent than normal due to this fact. Which is another reason why I say no. I don't want to have to break every bone in his body if he stepped out of line." And then there was Kashi to consider. Naru thought somberly. The last thing she wanted him to see was her getting pawed by a guy. Even if that guy was one of her friends.

It was simply unacceptable to her though she didn't quite understand the reasons why.

Kiba gaped at her for a second and flushed as Shino got up and took a few threatening steps towards him and growled something at him that Naru didn't really catch. Whatever it was though it embarrassed the hell out of Kiba who muttered to Naru that it was nice to have her back in the village again before he slipped out of the apartment.

Shino stayed behind just long enough to give Kiba a head start from the looks of things before he left.

Leaving Naru with Lee, Neji and Shikamaru who all sat down in various places in the living room, close to Naru and Kakashi's damned couch. "Well that was awkward." Lee said in amusement. Neji made a humming sound and glanced at Naru with a slightly calculating look on his face before asking.

"Naru, is there another reason that you didn't want to have dinner with Kiba? A more understandable reason perhaps?"

"Wolfy is particular about things-" Naru muttered before looking at him. "Sight, taste, touch- all play a small part. If I had come here smelling like someone else. Wolfy would never let me in again." The three frowned and cocked their heads to the side wondering what she meant though Shikamaru more or less got the gist of her words.

Soon after that Shika conned Lee and Neji into going with him to run some errands for Tsunade and left Naru alone in Kakashi's apartment after placing a small piece of a torn kerchief from his weapons pouch somewhere in the living room so that he could observe what might happen next.

Whatever it was, he'd bet that it would drive the Hatake up the walls with jealously.