I was getting confused as to where to go with "time", so I decided to simply start a new fic until a thought strikes me. So here it is, I hope you guys like it!!!!

Dedications are as follows.

Rockleelover! Kyo-chan! Chibi-Penguin-Chan! Doodlebop! ShikamaruHatake! AsianAnimeGoddess! Sora Girlfriend! Tomboy 901! Defender of the Light! KuroNeko1492! Lilly-Finn178! Aki-Child!

(I was feeling pathetically spontaneous as I wrote those, so excuse the exclamations)

Probably more I can't think of, but again, this one's for you guys, and everyone who loves these pairings!

Heh…oh yeah…maybe I should tell you what the pairings are!

ShikaIno and NejiTen!

Tell me if you want others and I will try to insert them if I can!

And now, I will actually let you read the story.

Go forth.

"Stay still, girl!" A noise that sounded something like a wooden plank coming in contact with a person pierced the night.

"OUCH!" A large thump was heard from the floorboards below.

"Do you regret the error of your ways yet, you piece of filth?" Another slam sounded.

"AGH! Yes master…I assure you…it won't happen again." A heaving voice breathed in pain.

"Good. Hopefully you have learned a lesson you will never forget."

Morning….

The girl named Ino awoke from her bed, or blanket rather, as it was merely a blanket and a waded up piece of fabric for a pillow.

The sun was just a little above the horizon and she was not yet required to wake up, but Ino had been rudely awakened by a sharp pain. She stretched and massaged her back in the process.

Sleeping on the hard floor every night was no picnic.

She rolled up her dirty, bloodstained sleeves from the night before. She checked her sour spots.

"Just as I thought," she sighed as she got up from the floor. "They're swelling."

She walked to the small wash area in her small room she shared with the rats and wet a brownish cloth that had obviously been used on more than one occasion. The water in the room was always cold as ice, so it was enough to help the stinging of Ino's pain.

Ino put the cloth against the large bruises that had formed over night. She pretty much had a collection of assorted bruises, cuts and scars thanks to her harsh living conditions. She was only recently orphaned, so it wasn't as if she had her whole life to get used to the lifestyle she was adopting.

Her new masters were cruel and abusive, not simply mean and unreasonable like Ms. Hannigan from Annie. They were definitely messed up in the head, beating any unruliness they could find and blowing up over such a minor incident as dripping water. Ino had only been there a week and a half and she already knew it was the last place she had ever wanted to end up. It was a living hell.

After cleansing her bruises and rinsing her cuts, Ino got into her work clothes which consisted of a torn up rag dress that looked like it had been worn for generations. She sighed as she put it on.

How on earth could she have ended up here if all places? Her inheritance would have been enough to at least afford a decent orphanage, but she was somehow pushed into this place instead. (AN: sort of like a concentration camp, only not as intense.)

After Ino was dressed, she began to brush her fingers through her hair. She was almost startled when she felt the hair end at least six inches before it should have, and then remembered what had happened a few days before.

"This disgusting blond hair…exactly how long is it?" A bony and raspy woman spoke. Ino looked at the ground. "Stand with posture while I speak to you!" she slapped Ino with much force. Ino's face slanted in the direction of which she was slapped, but did not withdraw. "Now, again, how long are these weeds?" she yanked at Ino's long locks.

"Urgh…16…maybe 17 inches, I dunno." Ino answered back as the tugging grew rough.

"We can fix that." The frail old woman smiled evilly and swiped a pair of shiny scissors out of her belt. Ino's eyes widened at the sight. They were a bit longer and sharper than necessary. The woman snatched up Ino's long hair in a bunch and began snipping at it, not caring how uneven it would come out.

"We can't have all this hair getting in your way," the woman began as Ino and her looked down at the pile of angel hair lying strewn on the ground. "I did you a favor." With that she left Ino. Ino then decided it was the right time to cry, and she did so with no problems. She gathered up her hair from the floor and walked into her room, fearing the days that lie before her.

Ino was tossing the hair she had tied together that night back and forth in her hands. For some reason, she wanted to keep it as a memory. The ends of the hair are always the oldest, and she definitely wanted to preserve the oldest section of her memories.

Ino looked at her reflection in the small compact mirror she had. Her hair was not too uneven, but it was definitely no sight of beauty. It was now a bit longer than shoulder length, much shorter than before. She pulled out a hair tie and began to tie her hair into a tight ponytail when the band snapped.

"Great. That's just all I need…" Ino growled as she let her hair down. She decided to her hair hang down for just that day, hoping her master would not punish her for neglecting to tie it back. She gathered up her bowl and work things and left the room.

As Ino entered the large cafeteria of the orphanage, she scanned the room for her friend Tenten. Tenten had been there since birth having never known her parents, and had opened up to Ino when she arrived at the orphanage. Ino had stuck to her since the first day.

Ino found Tenten at the line and took the place behind her.

"Hey Tenten." Ino greeted her friend as she scooped some cream corn into her bowl in disgust.

"Morning Ino!" Tenten chirped happily back. Tenten's work uniform was identical to Ino's, but had obviously seen more work than Ino's. Tenten looked at the latest bruises on her friend. She rolled up Ino's sleeve. "Hey, what do we have here?"

"I…got caught by Mina last night trying to smuggle some good stuff for the people in our hall. As you can see, it didn't go over so well with her." Ino answered back. Tenten's face fell.

"I'll say. Those are quite some bruises you have. And only at your second week!" Tenten did a low whistle. "I didn't get a severe beating till at least the second month."

"I guess I'm just one of her favorites." Ino groaned as she and Tenten took two seats and dug into their mystery food. "By the way, do you have a spare hair tie?" she gestured towards her messy loose hair.

"Does it look like I run short on supplies for these babies?" Tenten questioned as she pointed to the two buns atop her head. Ino chuckled. Tenten pulled a hair thing off the collection that hugged her wrist and tossed it to Ino who put it in her mouth to hold temporarily. Ino flipped her head forward to gather up her hair and began smoothing it back for a ponytail. When she flipped her head back up.

"Ow!" She heard. She immediately dropped her hair and looked at the source of the voice. It was a boy her age, with spiky dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He had a work shirt that was ripped at the sleeves. His sleeves weren't all that was ripped…so were his arms. Ino turned red. "Whip lash…" the boy said referring to Ino's hair. She turned even redder.

"Oh…sorry!" She said, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"Don't worry about it. I've had worse," he gestured towards his companion next to him who had white eyes and long raven dark hair, just as muscular. The dark haired guy ignored this comment that challenged his masculinity and continued to walk. Spiky head walked after him.

"See ya around I guess," he said in farewell before entering the lunch line. Ino stared after him. For some reason…I hope so.

"He's hott isn't he?" Tenten sighed as she rested her chin on her hand and stirred her corn.

"Yeah. His friend didn't talk much though." Ino agreed. Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"I was talking about his friend…" she said. Ino snapped out of it.

"Oh! Um yeah…of course…well he was cute." Ino agreed. Tenten laughed.

"You're really off today aren't you? Come on, I know you have something for Shikamaru, just admit it!" Tenten nudged Ino playfully with a wink. Ino just sat with her eyes full of curiosity.

"That's his name, Shikamaru?" Ino asked Tenten, her mind wondering off as she stared at the boy who was then going through the food line.

"Well…yeah…" Tenten looked at Ino. Ino wasn't taking her eyes off him. She was for some reason…intrigued. "Earth to Ino?" Ino finally redirected her eyes.

"Sorry! I'm just…"

"In love?" Tenten asked, fluttering her eyelashes mockingly.

"Ha, no!" laughed Ino, playfully shoving Tenten. "Besides, I haven't even formally met him."

"…Yet." Tenten said with a mouthful of creamed corn. "Besides, who knows what could have ran through his mind when you happened to lash him with your hair…" Ino laughed and shoved Tenten again at this.

The two girls were all of a sudden startled by a high pitched whistle. All the residents of the cafeteria turned to the head of the room. Standing there was none other than Mina. She had a tight strict face on as she swung her whistle around her fingers.

"All right! All of you now tend to your daily work! Today's lunch will exclude beans today, as you have just had an extended breakfast." The woman's voice rang out throughout the room.

"Five more minutes than usual." Said Tenten in faux excitement, rolling her eyes. Just realizing that the room could then echo even the most muffled of noises, she put a hand over her mouth.

Along with every other head in the room, Mina turned toward Tenten and Ino's table. She walked over, still swinging the whistle around her fingers. When she arrived at the table, she stopped swing the whistle and grasped it.

"What was that?" Mina asked Tenten, cupping her ear as if she didn't hear it the first time. "I said…" She took Tenten by the collar and pulled her to her feet. "What was that?" Tenten shook.

"Nothing…Mina." Tenten replied as loyally as she could.

"Mmhmm." She threw Tenten back into her chair, then faced Ino.

"And you, miss Yamanaka? Do you share this opinion your friend seems to have?" Ino could not bring her self to reply. She could just feel the many faces boring into her, including Shikamaru's, and her face grow hot.

"Unresponsive huh? I thought as much. Tell you what," she tugged the two girls back up. "Since you sassed me," she tugged Tenten harder. "And you attempted stealing from me just last night," she tugged Ino harder. "I have quite a punishment in store for you two troublemakers." She threw them back. "Boiler duty. All day." She said to them. A resounding 'ooh' of pain sounded from the audience, who knew that boiler duty was the hardest, most dangerous work anyone had the displeasure of being stuck with in the orphanage.

"All day?" shouted Tenten defensively. A collective whisper ran through the crowd.

"Mina," Mina's assistant Kelisa appeared behind her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "Don't you think that is a little much for kids of their age? I mean, they could get heat stroke or infected lungs if they-"

"Too much???" Mina questioned. "Too much!?" She said louder. "That is too little! Such disrespect in my orphanage will not be tolerated as long as I'm in charge! And since I am one in authority at this moment Kelisa, I suggest you let me do as I wish."

Kelisa fell silent. Mina let a twisted grin grow up her face. Then swung her head back to the girls, as if under the impression the girls would make away if her eyes were off them for more than a few seconds.

She took a breath in, and the girls were sure she was going to shout more at them. Then, as quick as she took in, she let it out slowly. Then she tossed the two girls aside.

"You know what?" She said. "No. Just…get out of my sight." She hissed. The girls scurried away. "That means all of you!" she screamed to the audience. At once, everyone stood and flooded out of the caf, ready to tend to their daily work.

"Oh…my…God…" Ino breathed and she and Tenten exited to doors. Tenten patted her back to comfort her, as Ino was not accustomed to Mina's sadistic outbursts just yet.

"It's ok…just bear with it, ok?" Ino heard a whisper sweep by her ear. She turned to see the boy from before. Shikamaru.

"Oh…ok," Ino said, composing herself. Shikamaru grinned at her.

"Don't let Mina's crap take you down. She just wants to see if you can take the heat. Which I'm sure you can." With that, Shikamaru walked away into the crowd of orphans. Ino could hear her heart pump as he walked away. Tenten sighed and smiled. Those two…

Ino, for just about the first time in this place, smiled. The work immediately felt less painful. She could take the heat.

One question…shall I continue? Up to you guys! Thanks for reading!