Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

AN: Hello folks! i'm back! so after all of the encouragement from my precious spot. i decided to continue with my naruto sprees of fics. I actually wrote this during my breaks during my finals. now that i'm out of school i'm officially publishing it. i planning on serveral more naruto fics in the future so he you enjoy theses please feel free to keep an eye out for me.

I got this idea from John Updike's A&P. I don't know why but i really loved that story so i wrote my own version of it using Shikamaru and Sakura, to form one of my favorite pairings.

Please Enjoy. And Review!

the book shoppe.
by sky fairy 77

I'm sitting on one of those really uncomfortable chairs trying to find a new position comfortable enough to take a nap in. It's an idea I got from Kakashi. He sleeps a lot during his shifts while I was working to death. It's a drag really, especially since I never wanted the job to begin with. It was my mother's great idea of the summer. She said that I was lounging about the house too much and I needed to do something responsible and not waste my time. I don't really consider hanging out with Chouji or playing shougi with Asuma to be a waste of time. But apparently my mother and I don't quite see eye to eye.

This wasn't supposed to be a permanent job, it was a temporary one just for the summer. But my mother decided that she wanted to be the most troublesome person in all of Konoha and talked to the owner about making it a full time job. So now you can find me in this quiet little corner of hell during my free time.

The job wasn't that bad when I first started. It was actually okay. The shop was run by a lady called Tsunade, she's pretty famous around here. She is currently one of the teachers at the school I go to. She's nice enough if you don't get her mad but when pissed run for your life if you value it. Anyway she used to run this place with her first husband. They were married really young or at least that's what the rumor is. He apparently died a few years back in a car accident with Tsunade's younger brother. She apparently couldn't bear to sell the place so she kept it up and running, until last year, when she was offered that teachoing position. She sold the place to her old friend Orochimaru.

Now about Orochimaru he's one strangest most messed up characters you can meet. He has long black hair, pasty white skin, and snake like features. He's never done anything to me personally which I thank Kami for, but he's just a creepy guy. Like the other day I swore he was checking out Uchiha. I swear he is gonna ruin the place one of these days. But he isn't the only psycho one in this place. There is his lackey Kabuto. I swear he must be in love with Orochimaru or something, at least the way he acts. Also he works you to the bone, something that really does not agree with me.

So then there is Kakashi, he also is a teacher at the school. He's probably the only sane person in this place. And that's saying something since he is chronically late and suffers from the worlds biggest porn addiction ever. You can't find the man without some copy of the Icha Icha series. He is currently rereading the series while we wait for the shipment of the newest book.

So the main point of this long explanation, I don't like my job. I hate it. It's a drag and I would rather be out cloud watching something I haven't been able to do in a week.

I finally gave up trying to sleep. The chairs are too uncomfortable to get even a wink of sleep. It's clearly an acquired thing, which I have yet to master since I'm usually always working.

Only reason I'm not working is today I'm manning the shop all on my own. Mr. Lackey aka Kabuto had to run out to pick up Orochimaru's dry cleaning. On a brighter note it means that I don't have to dust the selves, restock them, or any of the other duties I'm stuck in charge of. I just get to sit behind the cash register and look pretty as Kakashi says. So being bored I decide to throw the pencils near the register up into the ceiling try to spell out hell. Since I was so enthralled in my task I don't notice the person who came into the shop, I just hear the bell ring. Whoever it was probably was deep into one of the long rows of books by the time I look up. So I continue finishing my little pencil art on the ceiling and just wait bored. "So troublesome…" I muttered leaning back in the chair starring at the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" a voice from in front of me said.

"What?" I said snapping my head in the direction of the voice. It turns out it was Sakura. She's friends with Naruto. We've never been introduced but Naruto goes and on and on about. She sounds like a pretty nice person from his descriptions.

"Um… I'm sorry." She started biting her lip.

"Troublesome… Hey look it was my fault, alright?" She nodded her. "So what can I do for ya?" I asked in a drawling voice watching as her shoe played with a small patch of the worn carpet. She slowly pushed a stack of books onto the counter. "Is this all?" I asked looking at her.

"Yes." She looked away again.

What a strange girl…

As I rang up her purchase I studied the girl out of the corner of my eye. She was quite pretty though I am not about to admit that ever again. She had striking looking eyes that were hidden behind a pair of red framed glasses, which matched her hair. Her hair too was striking, a bubblegum pink color just brushing the tops of her shoulders. She was wearing average clothes, a pair of black jeans and a dark red sweater. Her body seemed tense like something was bothering her, but it wasn't my business so I wasn't about to ask. But I don't there was something about her that was… that was different.

Once was finished, I squatted on the floor and pulled out on of our navy bags with the name of the shop written across the sides in big white letters. I slowly start shoving the books into the bag.

"That's 21.93." I say hitting the enter button totaling the purchase. Fascinated, I watched as her slim hand slipped into the pocket of her jeans pulling out a couple of bills. Her skin looked so smooth… Ugh what am I thinking… I try to focus on the money not the girl. She placed the money on the counter. I picked up the bills and a whiff of strawberries met my nose, enflaming my senses. The bills felt so smooth and warm, my mind started to wonder if that's what she felt like. I shook my head as I punched the open button. The draw of the cash register flung open and placed the money in separate compartments. I took several coins out of their respected places, relishing the cool feeling which woke me from my thoughts of her. "Here ya go." I said dropping the coins into her palm and shoving the bag of books towards her.

"Thank you have a nice day." She said.

I just nodded my head and resumed my seat leaning back and starring at my pencil art again. I heard the bell ring and I figured she was gone but I heard his voice.

"Watch where you are going loser!" he shouted.

I looked up again and my chair landed on the floor with a loud thump. Sakura was sitting on the ground; her books had split out of her bag all around her on the ground. Standing directly above her sneering was Kabuto. I felt my blood boil. He had knocked her down, hadn't apologized, insulted her, and then I gaped as he stepped on one of her books covering it in mud from his shoe.

"I'm very sorry sir."

"You should be you little bitch."

Sakura lowered her head and slowly began picking up her books. I walked backed to the section where she had gotten the book that Kabuto had stepped on. I picked up a brand new copy for her. I jogged back up the aisle to the front of the store.

"Hey Sakura wait!" I called out. She had been reaching for the handle of the door but stopped when I called. She turned around looking at me her eyes watering. "Here." I held the book out to her. "Here's a new copy to replace that ruined one."

"I can't take it." She started.

"Nara what the fuck are you doing!" cried Kabuto marching out from the behind the cash register towards us.

"And I'm insisting." I put the book in her bag. She looked down at the bag in shock.

"Thank you…" she whispered before heading over to the door

"Nara…" growled Kabuto advancing at me.

"I quit." I said suddenly taking one last look at Sakura as she left the store. I wondered if she heard me.

I stared back defiantly at Kabuto. Man did he look pissed. This was gonna be a real drag.

"You what?" he snarled coming ever closer to me. I stepped back trying to widen the distance between us.

"I quit. You didn't have to do that to her." I said defending Sakura.

"It's not like she is anyone. No one will ever really care." He spat back.

"I do. You didn't have to embarrass her like that."

"You're gonna regret you ever did this Nara."

"No Kabuto, I don't think I will. I think I'm gonna relish in the fact that I did this."

I pulled the navy polo with the stores name over my head, throwing it at Kabuto's face and I dashed outside, glad I had decided to wear a shirt underneath. I looked through the window and saw Kabuto's angry face. I stuck out my tongue at him; it was a very Naruto thing to do, but it just seemed right. Just like helping Sakura felt right.

As I let the cool air rush over I knew life was gonna be a lot tougher for me.

"AGH! So troublesome!" I cried to the sky. As I looked up the street I saw Naruto and a certain pink haired girl waving at me. I couldn't' help but grin at the sight. Maybe I would prolong the hardships of life for another hour or so.

End.

AN: I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please leave any comments you feel like. I might make a squel that's a full sotry to this. I'm not sure yet though.