Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

It starts out simply as a mission and ends as something far more complicated. Naruto knows this because none of his other missions have ever ended with him lying naked next to another person in a strange bed.

"Hit me," he says, sweeping his cards across the felt tabletop as Tsunade showed him to do. The dealer places the seven of clubs face-up, and Naruto has to think for a brief second before placing his dealt cards face-down under his pile of chips and waving his hand palm-down over them – the sign that he's staying.

Why the Godaime Hokage picked him of all people to carry out this mission, Naruto is sure he'll never understand. Missions involving going undercover aren't his forte – not just because the blond's features aren't really subtle, but also because he's a very poor liar, and more emotional and reactive than, say, Shikamaru or Shino – but his grandmother-figure absolutely insisted that he was the perfect choice. "Trust me," she stated, "I know what I'm doing."

Naruto thinks she's going senile, but voicing that opinion is likely to end up with him flying through several walls of the Hokage Tower – or worse, shattering the window and ending up a smear on the Hokage Monument – so he keeps the thought to himself. Inwardly, he's also just slightly peeved that Sakura had to put makeup on his cheeks to hide his whisker-like birthmarks; makeup is hardly the mark of a man.

He's supposed to be meeting up with another Konoha-nin, one who's been under deep cover at the casino for some time, though all the information Tsunade was willing to give him was "You'll know when you see her".

Naruto assumes Tsunade doesn't tell him because she's being cautious in the event that he's compromised, but even though the blond knows that he'll never betray his fellow Leaf shinobi, all he can do is simply trust that the Godaime knows what she's doing.

Most of the time, anyway.

The dealer pulls a jack and busts, and Naruto collects his winnings as he's been doing for the past hour. Playing with Tsunade's advice has so far been working amazingly for him, and the Jinchūriki can't understand why the Sannin has the moniker 'The Legendary Sucker' when he can cope just fine at the blackjack tables using her strategies.

"Can I refill your drink?"

Naruto looks up into pupil-less, baby blue eyes set in a fair-skinned face framed by platinum blonde hair, and he suddenly understands who his contact is.

"Hey, get up."

Vibrant blue eyes open slowly to find pupil-less, baby blue eyes staring at him. "…Hm?"

Yamanaka Ino releases a frustrated sigh. "Jeez, are you always this slow in the morning? No wonder people always have to wait for you."

He sits up in bed – the sheet crumpling around his waist – and rubs his eyes to rid them of crust. "You should try waitin' for Kakashi-sensei. He takes forever."

Ino snorts in what Naruto guesses to be bemusement. "So I've heard. Students inherit all their teachers' bad habits…Shikamaru still smokes like a chimney even though I tell him not to."

It's one of the few conversations they've had so far that hasn't devolved into scathing comments, backhanded remarks, or business, and the blond finds himself briefly enjoying the simplicity of the moment before someone's words shatter it like newly-spun glass.

Naruto remembers that he's supposed to remain inconspicuous, and the way he's staring at Ino is hardly subtle. "Uh, sure," he responds, following Tsunade's reminder that it's traditional to drink while gambling. "Rum 'n' fizz," he says, "but light on the rum, please." His tolerance has never been stretched before, but he'd rather stay as clear-headed as possible while he's undercover.

Ino scoots around him, trailing her hand along the width of his shoulders. "You got it," she winks. While she's touching him, Naruto can feel her mind connect with his in the Yamanaka clan telepathy he experienced during the war. [I can't believe Hokage-sama sent you on this mission] she communicates, her mental voice full of disbelieving scorn. Then, before he can respond that he wholeheartedly agrees, the connection is broken and Ino is gone, sauntering to the bar.

"Sir? What would you like to do?"

"Hit," he replies distractedly, ignoring the proclamations regarding his sanity and intelligence being murmured by his tablemates. The dealer lays down a three, bringing his total up to twenty-one.

Everyone at the table expresses some measure of shock, disbelief, or outrage at the shinobi's luck. One older gentleman chuckles and nudges Naruto with his elbow. "That Hana's quite the flirt, but it's all for the tips. If you're interested in something more, you're better off going elsewhere."

The spiky-haired blond watches his fellow Konoha-nin return to the table and set his drink down, gracing him with a pretty smile and grabbing the chip he proffers before sashaying away. He turns toward the older man, barely noticing the dealer switching out. "They do that here?" he asks quietly, picking up on the man's meaning. The idea that Tsunade sent Ino to such a place is an unpleasant one.

"If you're lucky," grins the other man, nodding. "Looks like you might find out."

Naruto turns around to find two burly men standing behind him, arms crossed over their chests. "Sir, if you'll come with us, the manager would like a word with you."

Ino's staring at him again in that way that means she thinks he's being weird, so Naruto blurts out, "You're bein' really nice." When the platinum blonde scowls at him, he knows he's said the wrong thing, and quickly backtracks. "I mean…y'know…we normally don't get along so well…"

"Got along well enough last night," she smirks.

Naruto rubs the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. "Heheh, well…caught up in the moment, y'know?"

Ino's smirk grows just a little more pronounced. "Uh-huh."

When she slips from the bed to search for her discarded clothing, Naruto finds his throat going dry; he's never been attracted to Ino in the same way he was Sakura (not that he's ever really been attracted to anyone besides Sakura), but the platinum blonde is undeniably gorgeous. Unthinkingly, he stammers, "A-ah, shouldn't you be more, I dunno—" he gesticulates wildly with his hands, as if that'll help him find the words he's looking for (and hopefully distract her from his staring), "—weird about this? When Sakura-chan and I—"

Naruto's mouth snaps shut in realization that he's said a little too much, but it's too late, for Ino whirls around with a smug expression that reminds him of the proverbial cat who's caught the canary. "Ah HA! I knew you and Billboard Brow did it! So, how'd I compare? Better, right?"

"…'m not sayin'," he mumbles, trying very hard to keep his eyes centered on her face and not on the fact that she's still topless; his willpower slips, and he tries to focus on his scruples – on not becoming the next Jiraiya or Kakashi – instead of his companion.

The blond might not be very experienced, but he knows that there's a line of propriety that he's not supposed to cross. It's just his misfortune that Ino is notorious for having a big mouth and an ear for gossip. But he and Sakura are a one-time thing long passed, and while he's not sure his affections for her have ever really gone away, airing their private affairs is not something he has any intention of doing.

Especially not to her best friend.

Ino seems completely unabashed by her nakedness, instead staring at him with hands on hips and a smoldering look of success in her eyes; even through his embarrassment and the hot rush of uncontrollable excitement burning through his body, Naruto admires her brazenness. "Sometimes silence is more telling than anything else," she informs him. After standing there for another several seconds, watching him, she states almost coyly, "Well? Turn around."

Naruto's head snaps around to obey, not even considering how pointless it is after all this time, his face flushed crimson. …Damn it, he thinks, and even he's not sure whether it's embarrassment from being caught ogling her or because all he wants to do is continue staring, propriety be damned.

He blinks. "Why?"

"The manager would like to compensate you with some benefits as a reward for doing so well."

Deciding that causing a scene and blowing his cover is a bad idea, the blond acquiesces. He rises from his seat and reaches for his chips, but the man behind him states, "Leave them. You will be compensated for your winnings." Offering his stacks one last, mournful look, the Konoha-nin reluctantly obeys and follows the two men through the gambling parlor.

He's eventually led into a posh room where a thin man with black hair and a wispy goatee is sitting on a regal-looking chair. Naruto's eyes flicker around the room, landing for several seconds on each of the scantily-clad women that surround the man he presumes to be the manager. "Ah, Kimura-san, so good to meet you," says the man. "My name is Fukui Hayate, and I'm the owner of this establishment."

Hayate pauses for effect, and, in the silence where it feels like he's waiting for Naruto to say something, the blond utters, "Nice to meetch—uh, meet you." He mentally shakes his head, ridding himself of the impulse to speak as casually as he normally does.

"Yes, a pleasure," returns Hayate in a way that Naruto feels is completely insincere, though he can't quite place why. "The reason I asked to speak with you is because you've qualified for a complimentary evening at our establishment…with accommodations, of course," the owner adds with a wink. He spreads his arms wide to indicate the girls surrounding him. "Please, take your pick."

Naruto almost protests the offer – the way the man smirks reminds him a little of how Jiraiya always looked whenever he referenced something remotely perverse – but then remembers that refusing might make him even more suspicious. "Uh, well—" and suddenly he's struck by inspiration, "—I like blondes," he blurts. "That waitress who was serving me…Hana. I want her."

Hayate's lips twist briefly into a scowl before he schools his features. "Yes, well, unfortunately, she's not available to…service you. Surely you can find someone here satisfactory to your tastes?"

Naruto crosses his arms over his chest and tries to look haughty. "Well, then I guess I'm going back to gamble. Thanks for the offer—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Hayate interrupts. He silently weighs the pros and cons of breaking whatever deal he has with the waitress versus losing profits if Naruto continues to gamble before pressing a buzzer on his desk and commanding, "Get me Hana."

They wait in silence for several minutes, which is broken only when Ino's loud protests at being manhandled make themselves heard. The door to Hayate's office slams open, and the same men who escorted Naruto into the office shove the Yamanaka into the room. "We had a deal!" she shrieks as the door closes.

"Yes, had. Deals are meant to be broken," the owner says. "You're Kimura-san's for the night." Ino shoots a scathing look at Naruto, who represses a shudder at the glare. "Remember your duty." To Naruto, he continues, "Room 21 is yours, Kimura-san. If there's anything else I can do for you, any other accommodations you require, please don't hesitate to ask."

Ino storms out of the room, Naruto following after a polite bow to the man for his 'generosity'. Neither blond talks until Naruto opens the door to their suite – where Ino is already waiting outside – the kunoichi stalking past him and sitting down on the bed. The Jinchūriki closes the door behind him and approaches her, unsure of what to say. "Uh…sorry about that—"

"That was great!" Ino proclaims, her demeanor now far less hostile. Naruto briefly wonders if all women are prone to emotional tantrums at the drop of a hat, or if he's the only one unfortunate enough to have to work with Sakura and those who share her temperament. "No wonder Tsunade-sama sent you. I've never seen anyone get called away from the tables that fast!"

"Eh?"

The platinum blonde stares at him for a moment, almost disbelieving. "…It was sheer, dumb luck, wasn't it?" she mutters. "Did you know that they take away the players who are doing too well? They offer whatever they want – room and board, food, women—" she scowls here, displeased with the notion, "—to big winners because it's less expensive than letting them continue to play."

Oh, he thinks, a bit of comprehension lighting his features. Ino notices, for she comments, "Idiot."

"Hey!"

"I can't believe I ever thought that I could fall for you," she continues, more to herself than to him. "All brawn, no brains."

"Huh?"

Ino shakes her head to rid herself of the thought, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "Never mind. Look, I've got a lot of stuff for you to tell Hokage-sama, so listen up…"

Naruto sits quietly as Ino relays every scrap of information she's collected over the course of her undercover work. When he asks for her to elaborate and repeat some details – because his memory isn't quite the best – she releases a weary sigh before digging into his mind to place locks and triggers on certain topics, telling him that another Yamanaka can retrieve any necessary information from there. The dissertation seems to take forever, and by the end of it, his head is spinning from the influx of information; absently, he wonders if her clan techniques aren't the cause of his migraine, and that's why she keeps telling him things verbally rather than hiding them for another mind-reader to find. Ino fists her hands on her hips and glares at him. "Did you get all that?"

"Yeah…I think so." The glare grows more pronounced, and Naruto quickly stammers, "A-ah, but it's all locked in my head, right? So no problem!"

"If you screw this up, so help me…" Ino sighs in defeat. "Honestly, I don't even know how you function every day."

Something about the way she speaks so condescendingly to him finally pisses Naruto off. "Yeah? Well, I don't know how anyone likes you with how bitchy you are!"

"I'm perfectly nice!" she snarls. "You're just damn irritating!"

"Yeah, well, since we're done, why don't you just leave?!"

"I can't!" she snaps. "That ass Hayate expects me to spend the night with you, and we have to keep up appearances!"

"Oh…" Naruto isn't quite sure what to say after that, knowing that he and Ino are stuck together until the next morning. Considering the fact that they have no other recourse, he decides to make the effort to reconcile, if for no other reason than to clear the awkward air after all the mudslinging. "Sorry…" he offers, "about…y'know, callin' you names and stuff." Ino, despite her attitude, is still one of his friends, and the spiky-haired blond is uncomfortable with having one of his precious people be upset with him. She again waves it off with one hand, signaling that she doesn't really care, and Naruto lapses back into silence. Then, remembering what she said earlier, he asks, "What did you mean when you said you thought you could fall for me?"

Ino snorts in a combination of amusement and derision. "Oh, sure, that you remember. Fine. Well, remember when you returned to Konoha after everyone who fought Pein came back to life?" Naruto nods slowly, the memory still vivid even years later; Nagato's sacrifice was hard to forget. "I was standing with Shikamaru and Chōji while everyone celebrated your victory, and it just kind of…slipped out. It was an in-the-moment type of thing," she defends hotly. "But then, during the war, I gave it a little thought and…it didn't seem so farfetched. I mean, you're dependable and hard-working…" Baby blue eyes rake over his form appraisingly. "And you're pretty good-looking…"

Naruto can feel himself flushing beneath his makeup. "O-oh…heheh, I never woulda guessed," he comments, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Obviously," comes the sarcastic response.

"Well, how come you never said anything?"

She shoots him a deadpan look. "Are you kidding me? Since when have you ever had eyes for anyone but Billboard Brow?" At his guilty look, she nods and affirms, "Exactly. Face it, Naruto, you're a good guy and everything, but you're blind to everyone but Sakura. No one can compete with—mmf!"

He pulls away from the kiss after several seconds, blinking at Ino with curious blue eyes and hoping he hasn't overstepped his bounds. Ino stares back blankly for a moment before her lips curve into a hungry smirk. "Could use some practice with making out," she tacks on to her previous list, "but let's see if you're good at what really matters, Uzumaki."

Everything after that was mostly a blur, but Naruto is quite aware of two facts. One, he kissed Ino first, because two, he wanted to kiss Ino. He's not quite sure why yet – certainly not out of pity or remorse for missed opportunities, though perhaps partially just to get her to stop talking about the obsession with Sakura he's trying to get past, to prove her wrong when she always seems so self-assured about everything – but he has no regret for his actions. Ino is spirited, her words filled with vinegar and brimstone, and Naruto finds that confidence attractive, no matter how much fire she spits in his direction. He's always wanted to prove himself, and what happened the previous night was, in part, his way of showing Ino she's wrong about him; between the kiss and now, his thoughts haven't lingered on Sakura once, barring his subconscious slip of the tongue while distracted by Ino's nakedness.

In the silence between them, he suddenly remembers what the older gentleman at his blackjack table said about Ino's alias of Hana, and a bout of guilt hits hard, making him wonder if what they shared was truly a good idea…or even mutual. "Uh, Ino…did you…? I mean…was last night…?"

"Spit it out, Naruto," she snaps amidst the rustle of clothing.

"Why'd you sleep with me?" he blurts out.

Silence greets him for a long moment before the kunoichi responds, "Because…I wanted to. When else would I ever get the opportunity?" she asks, and through the sarcasm, Naruto hears the tiniest bit of resentment, though he can't say with certainty whether it's aimed at him or herself. The fact that Ino's snappish attitude towards him has burned both hot and cold in a 24-hour period doesn't help him figure it out.

The fact that someone with Yamanaka Ino's…rumored particular taste…used to be interested in him – is interested in me? he wonders – is a surprise, but not more so than the complete turnaround in how they interact with each other. From animosity to lust at the flip of a switch…Naruto doesn't get it.

But isn't that how Sakura-chan is? At least, in some respects. One moment, she can be genial and caring with her medical jutsu; the next, she's throwing a punch at his head with a fist fueled by rage and/or irritation. And despite that, Naruto has been in love with her for as long as he can remember. Temperament aside, Sakura is personable and pretty and caring and strong…

A lot like Ino, he realizes, and maybe the Yamanaka is just a little tired of being overshadowed by her best friend, the apprentice of the Legendary Sannin Tsunade and an exceptional medic-nin in her own right. And then Ino's brief tirade about Naruto having eyes for Sakura – and only Sakura – resurfaces (and isn't it funny what he can and can't remember?), and the blond thinks he's beginning to understand. Is Ino…jealous? Of Sakura-chan? he muses, before the snapping of fingers brings his attention to the matter at hand.

Ino is staring at him, hands on her hips, the same annoyed expression from the day before back in place. "Well?"

A picture of pink hair and green eyes overshadows Ino's fair features; Naruto blinks to rid himself of the image, still trying to lose the vestiges of the long-time crush on his teammate when he knows she's out of reach. "Well what?"

She sighs exasperatedly. "You're supposed to head back to Konoha today. You've got everything, right?" When he nods, she returns it with one of her own. "Good." Ino stares at him for a moment, expression pensive, before shrugging in a gesture he takes to mean 'Why the hell not?' Then she bends over, grabs a handful of blond spikes, and kisses him with the same fire he can recall from the previous night. When she pulls back, she smirks a little in self-satisfaction at the dazed look on his face. "A little something to remember me by. And I'm not helping you with that this time," she comments, pointing to the noticeable effect she has on him. "Until next time, Uzumaki…have fun." Then the door opens and closes, and Naruto is alone with his thoughts.

The Jinchūriki is caught between blushing and cursing out his fellow blonde in his head, though he settles for remaining silent, lost in thought.

Sakura is the girl he's loved since the Academy; Ino is the girl who clashes with him and leaves him confused and guilty and hot and half-cocked. Both are temperamental and hard to understand – though that might be due to Naruto not understanding girls – but they're also loyal and caring and good at what they do.

He shakes his head, knowing that comparing the two is unfair to both girls, especially after Ino's not-quite admission that she's jealous of her best friend. More than anyone, he knows what it's like to live in the shadow of another, for it's the continuing story of his unrequited love for Sakura since childhood (not to mention his rivalry with Sasuke).

And just like his own situation with Sakura, Ino knows how it feels to watch the object of one's affections from the sidelines and to simply be ignored by them – twice, if he takes into account her own childhood crush on Sasuke, which was arguably much more prominent than the one she had (has?) on him. Knowing what it's like to quest futilely for someone, Naruto isn't sure he wants to subject Ino to that same feeling if he can help it, no matter that they've never been particularly close and that she surely wouldn't want to start a relationship based on something that sounds suspiciously like pity.

The fact that she might also be a bit of a sadist (emotionally, anyway) isn't an overly appealing trait…

This time, the blond does curse, because if the years of crawling back to Sakura after her physical beatings are any indication, he's probably a masochist. He remains motionless for several moments, wondering if it's wise to go down the road he's suddenly considering, especially since their interaction has consisted mostly of potshots and one night of intense, aggressive sex…

But maybe that's enough to start, he thinks, getting up and wandering to the bathroom for a cold shower, trying not to fixate on just their physical interaction and his body's reaction to her. Ino is stubborn and feisty, a lot like him, and yet possessed of many of the qualities that he finds attractive in Sakura. He doesn't love her – not yet, at any rate – but maybe he can learn to love her. That is, after all, all he's ever really wanted from Sakura, and though he'll never be bestowed with that affection in a romantic sense, maybe Ino is the girl that can fulfill that role; she already seems a bit more receptive to his affection than Sakura, and that's a big start.

As he steps into the spray of icy water and allows the chill to cool his heated body and fevered mind, Naruto's last thought of the platinum blonde is a steady desire to see her return from her mission sooner rather than later.

-l-l-l-

Author's Note: Something I've had on the back burner for awhile, waiting for a rainy day. And since I have very little free time until November, it seems to be pouring.

"Rum 'n' fizz", aka, the ninja world equivalent of rum and Coke. Inspired by The Summer Set song Love Like This; Room 21 is an homage to the Hinder song of the same name. Part two will be out in a couple weeks.