A/N: Hello, pretty people! I'm back after a month, after I watched The last I just HAD TO go back writing this and update. I hope you guys like this chapter (it's non-related to The last, though).

DeadlyName and Guest: I know, I just couldn't help it, the idea popped up and I had to write and - bad news for Sasuke's fans (as myself) - I already had another idea involving Sasuke and ANOTHER sad event. Maybe Sasuke wakes my sadist side up...?

SpicyWifey: ShikaTema... You can never do wrong with ShikaTema, haha. Tell me later what did you think about they special appearance here. Gaara the maid of Honor it's a thought that still makes me laugh at inappropriate times.

Yolusa: Thanks for keep up with the fic. I'll look foward your impressions on this new chap as well.

It was barely dawn when the second generation of InoShikaChō got to Konoha's ground.

Ino stretched and took a long breath. "Ahh, it feels good to be home."

"Yup, who would have thought that a simple escorting mission would take that long." Agreed Shikamaru.

"That princess sure likes to travel." Choji added.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to get home, take a hot bath and then take a nice long nap." Ino yawned.

Shikamaru shook his head. "That sure sounds nice but we must report first."

"Well, actually, I'm not that tired. You guys can go get some rest and leave the reporting to me." Choji offered smiling.

"Are you sure, bud?" Asked his best friend. He nodded.

Ino sighed. "Thanks, Choji. We owe you."

She and Shikamaru flew home and Choji went to the Hokage Tower.

He gave his report to a very sleepy Kakashi, who only said something when the Akimichi was finished.

"Good job,you guys handled well with the long duration of the mission even though we weren't expecting that."

"Yeah. It was bit extenuating. Ino and Shikamaru went straight to bed."

The Hokage looked close at him. "But you're not tired?"

"I've been worst."

"Good." Kakashi seemed to smile behind the mask. "Because I have another mission for you alone. It involves another trip but I think you might like it."

He gave a scroll out to Choji.

"This is..."

"Konoha's master plan. This copy must be handed to the Yondaime Raikage." He said. "And I... Don't really need to see Kumo's master plan this week or on the next, so take your time."

Choji smiled. "Hai."

He didn't say "thank you" because he thought would be a bit out of line to say it out loud, but Choji was sure that Kakashi felt his gratitude.

He ran home to take a bath and dress fresh clothes and then immediately started his way to Kumo.

"Man, it's been a year already..." He spoke to himself.

A year since Karui came to Konoha with her team to deliver their master plan and, because Kakashi was absolutely terrible with schedules, Choji got the chance to know better that girl with eyes that pierced his soul, a smile that could light his worst nightmare and there was something about her that he couldn't quite figure out what but that one thing made him feel fuller and happier than a big bowl of pork.

And the great miracle was that Karui seemed to like him back. She cared a lot about him and she would come visit every time she'd got a long break. And, above it all, it was Karui who made the first move on their first kiss.

"Maybe this is the right to tell her how much I love her." He thought as he got close to the village. "Yeah, once for all, I will say it today."

He didn't say it.

And, even though Kakashi gave him a lot of time to go home with Raikage's annual year plan, he went back at the night of the very day he got there.

And all that because Choji wasn't feeling comfortable next to Karui there.

"Well, actually, it seems like she wasn't feeling comfortable with me there." He pondered on his way back to Konoha.

When Choji got to Kumogakure, he decided that was better to see the Raikage first, so after he had exchanged the annual plans, the Akimichi wondered where would he find his beloved. He didn't have to look. Karui was waiting for him outside the Raikage's office.

"Hi there!" She greeted with his favorite smile.

"Karui!" Choji exclaimed feeling his heart get warmer. "How did you know I was here?"

"I have been guarding the gates lately, so I saw you come." Karui explained. "You should have told me you're coming so I could take the day off. I must go back to my post in no time."

Choji felt his spirits go down. "Oh. Okay. I don't really have deadline so I don't need to go back righ..."

"Come here." She interrupted as she grabbed his hand and ran with him to the end of the hallway.

Furtively, Karui opened a random door and pushed Choji in before herself. It was a dark, small broom closet. She closed the door.

"Karui, what are we...?"

"Shut up." The redhead said with a smile that glowed in the dark.

Due the darkness, Choji couldn't see, but he felt her soft lips pressing against his, her warm hands caressing his face. The young man sighed and got lost in that sweet moment that ended too soon.

"I really have to go." She whispered in his ear.

"Can't we stay here a bit longer?" He asked still holding her tight against his chest.

Karui chuckled. "I missed you, but if I take longer to go back to my post Samui and Omoi would be suspicious." She pushed him away slowly.

"Suspicious of what?"

Karui smiled but ignored the question by giving him a key. "This is the key to my house, I live by the Mountain in the west end of the village. I'll be there by night then we can have dinner somewhere. You can't wait for me inside and feed my goldfish in meantime."

"O-okay."

She gave him a light peck before opening the door. "Wait a few minutes after I'm gone to go out."

Later night, Karui took him to a small, secluded tempura restaurant. Beside them, there was just an old man that was probably asleep and the small grisaille owner. The food was great and they talked lively as the catched up in each other's news, but Choji noticed that every now and then Karui seemed distracted or even distant.

"Are you worried about something?" He finally asked when they left the restaurant.

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm fine." She answered vaguely.

"Oh, hey, Karui! Long time no see!" Greeted C, coming from a street parallel to the one they're walking.

"C! You're back!" She shouted happily.

The blond shinobi walked to them with a smile. "Yes, I just got here from my mission actually. Have you seen Darui? I'm supposed to meet him."

"No, I haven't." Karui answered shaking her head.

Choji just stood there, his eyes going from Karui to C, with the awkward feeling of someone who is waiting to be introduced.

"I'm Choji, by the way." He said, reaching his hand out to C.

The jonin shook it. "From Konoha, I see." He said, pointing to Choji headband.

"Right. Yeah, r-right!" Said Karui with an awkward smile and weird hand movements. "He's is my… my… He's here to deliver and receive our villages annual master plan."

C lifted his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. "Are you her boyfriend?"

Before Choji could answer Karui denied it.

"No! No! Of course not! We're just... Friends."

C looked at them with narrowed eyes that could mean anything. It looked like Karui was nearly having and anxiety attack and Choji was inconsolable, looking at Karui like she had just slapped him. And he wished she had.

"I just remembered" he mumbled "that I have something to do back home. I need to hurry. Goodbye, C-san... Karui-san."

He was gone before Karui could ask why he was being so formal.

"Yeah, that pretty much proves what I've been saying all my life: women are troublesome." Shikamaru said after his best friend told him about Karui's weird behavior.

Temari, who was sharpening a few kunais beside them, narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru.

"All women but me, I suppose." She said, point a kunai at him.

"Your picture stands for 'troublesome' in a pictionary, Temari, but you are a troublesome that I happen to love."

Temari made a funny noise between a chuckle and a snort and a cute blush climbed up to her cheeks.

"Please, don't flaunt your relationship in front of heartbroken man. That's very rude." Choji complained, sadder than annoyed.

"Heartbroken? You? What happened? Your chopsticks ran away?" Asked Ino, who overheard Choji's words when she was passing by the lawn the other three were sitting.

"Talk about rude now." Temari mumbled.

Ino turned to the other blond with her eyes narrowed. "Oh, hi, Temari-san. How could I not see you there, since you gained some weight, right?"

Temari smiled. "And you! I really did like your clothes... You think they have adult sizes where you bought it?"

Ino smiled as well. "Very funny. So, as I was saying..."

"Well, when she is around, with her mouth open and words are coming from it, I know it's time to fleet." Temari said, getting up. "I have a long way to get home, anyway."

Shikamaru got up as well. "I will see her out."

Before the couple disappear from view, Choji and Ino heard Shikamaru say:

"It's nice to see you and Ino getting along so well."

Ino sat in the grass beside Choji. "So, tell Ino-chan what happened."

It was sunset when a very tired and emotional Choji finished the story for the second time.

"Let me see if I get it: she went to meet you secretly, took you to a closet to make out, didn't want anyone to see you two going out of that closet together, told you to hide in her house the whole day, chose an empty restaurant to your date, seemed really distracted the whole time and, when that cute Kumo guy asked if she was your girlfriend she enthusiastically denied?" Ino listed, with her eyebrows up.

"It sounds even worse when someone else says it." He said, nodding.

Ino sighed. "Well, Choji, there's no easy way to say it, but it seems like Karui san was ashamed of being with you because you are... Well..."

"Because I'm fat?" He guessed. Ino nodded slowly. Choji also sighed. "It can't be helped then. I think I will start a diet and do some sit-ups as well."

Ino widened her blue eyes. "What? You like her that much?"

"Like her? Not at all, I lov..."

"Choji, there's a young woman looking for you." Informed one of Sai's ink clones. "She's from Kumogakure."

"Karui! Where is she?!" Choji got up right away.

"She said she would wait for you at the big rock. The real me doesn't know what that means." The clone said.

"I do. Thanks." The Akimichi answered, the ink clone disappeared.

Choji looked at Ino. "Do you think she's here to break up with me once for all?"

The blonde shrugged. "Why don't you go find out?"

"You're right, I'm going. Wish me luck."

He ran to the big rock where they watched the fireworks of their first matsuri together. Karui was there, with her arms crossed and red eyes like if she hadn't slept for one night or two.

"Choji, look..." She started to say, but he rose his index finger to stop her.

"Before you say what I know what you'll say, there's something I want to tell you."

Karui waited, visibly worried. Choji took a breath then:

"I love you." He said. "I know that you don't want to hear that from a guy like me and I kn..."

"Wait, what you mean by that?"

"Well... You probably came here to tell me that you don't want to see me anymore, right?"

"What?!" She asked confused. "Why would I?!"

"You're ashamed of me because I'm fa..."

He couldn't finish his sentence because she smashed her lips against his to give him a heated kiss.

"I love you too." Karui said. "And I'm not ashamed of you."

It was Choji's turn to be confused. "But you took out on a date to a secluded place!"

"That's my favorite restaurant, actually. I I've tempura and they have the best." She explained.

"And... and you pushed me into a dark closet before kissing me and didn't want anyone to see us going out of that closet together."

"Yes, but you could also that I left my post just to see you and made out with you on Raikage's building."

"You told me to hide in your house."

"No, I told you to wait for me there. Kumogakure it's not exactly a tourist town, you would be bored in no time."

"And when that C guy asked..."

"That's what I came here to explain." She sighed. "Yes, I did not wanted to meet C while I was with you but not because I'm ashamed of you but because I'm self conscious about the way I feel when I'm around you."

Karui put a hand on his cheek and smiled softly.

"You know, C is an extremely clever, perceptive sensorial shinobi, so I knew that he would get immediately that I love you. And he did, that's why he asked if we were dating."

"But then why you told him we're not? And why did you look so distant all the time?" He wondered, grabbing her hand from his face and holding it.

Karui narrowed her amber eyes. "You never asked me to date you. And, before today, you had never told me you love me! I thought that, if you get to know this feelings of mine, you would feel trapped and scared." She sighed again. "But it's harder not to love you than I thought, that's why I was so weird."

Choji squeezed her hand lightly. "Then do love me. Love me and I will love you back, that way you won't feel awkward by my side nor when someone asks you if we're dating."

She felt her eyes get watered, so she dried them quickly with her free hand.

"That was a good line, you know." Karui said slowly. "It could make a weaker girl cry."

Choji smiled warmly. "Not you, I'm sure."

"Nope. I'm hardcore." She answered wiping another tear.