DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.

A/N: This is a bit AU. Just to the point that Asuma is alive and Ino and Sakura are now best friends. They are around 18 in this also.

"There is a perfectly good reason as to why clothing is needed." Sakura said to Ino, mustering as serious an expression as the topic would allow.

"Oh? And why is that?" Ino asked as she continued to pull clothes out of her closet.

"Well for women it's all about who they wouldn't want to be caught dead naked in front of." Sakura was finding it hard to school her expression.

"What about this one?" Now it was Ino's turn to try looking serious as she held up a long, crimson dress with quarter sleeves and a button back.

Sakura shook her head as the game continued. "Didn't you wear that to Kurenia and Asuma's wedding reception?" All pretenses of seriousness were gone as Sakura cracked a smile.

"Yeah but why is that a problem?" Ino hid a smirk behind her hand.

"You kept tripping over the hem because you were too lazy to have it altered." Sakura was having trouble holding back a chuckle.

"Oh yeah. I had almost forgotten about that. Thank you so much for reminding me." Ino rolled her eyes sarcastically and could no longer hide her smirk.

"I'm just trying to be helpful. If I hadn't been so distracted by Naruto being an idiot I might have been able to get a picture of you trying to take out the happy couples cake. I'm still surprised the only damage you caused to it was to tilt the bride and groom on top." By this time Sakura was giggling so much it was getting hard to complete sentences.

"It's not my fault they put the cake there." Ino grinned as she threw the dress at Sakura and returned to rummaging.

"Just like it wasn't your fault they built the balcony their either, huh?" The dress had fallen off the hanger when Ino threw it and Sakura was finding it difficult to put the dress back on it as her giggles increased in intensity. "Ino you have to admit it was absolutely priceless watching Chouji pull you back over the railing by your ankles." Sakura sank to the floor in a fit of laughter, dress and hanger still in her hands.

"What are you doing to my dress? You are going to tear the sleeves off of it if you keep that up." Ino walked over to where her friend was still trying to place the aforementioned dress onto the aforementioned hanger and took both from the heap of laughter that was Sakura. "So miss know-it-all. Why do guys wear clothes?" Ino asked as she calmly placed the dress on the hanger and lovingly hung the dress in her closet.

After a few moments of catching her breath Sakura looked Ino dead in the face and said, "So as not to start wars of course. You've seen how much Naruto and Sia fight. And that's just from insinuation alone. Men are way to insecure about a certain appendage to walk around in the buff."

"Ok, ok. Say no more. I get it. Comparisons would be made, there would be jealousy, and war would ensue." Ino said with another roll of her eyes. "I just think you are wrong as to why women wear clothing. We could start wars too you know."

"Oh really, and how is that?" Sakura's brows rose in curiosity.

"Well take Chouji for example. He has a smoking hot woman that any man would want. If she walked around naked he would have all sorts of problems on his hands." Ino said with a smirk.

Sakura bit back a giggle as she held up a purple taffeta monstrosity that looked like a brides maids dress gone horribly and terribly wrong. "What about this one?"

"Oh I really don't like that dress. I only keep it because my best friend in the whole world gave it to me. It's so sad." Ino wiped away fake tears. "She has absolutely no fashion sense." Ino dodged the mass of purple taffeta that her best friend threw at her.

"I have perfectly good fashion sense. I gave it as a joke and you know it. You are the one who said to bring you back something from Snow Country. There was a close out sale at a bridal boutique and when I saw that dress I thought of you." Sakura said, blowing a raspberry at Ino.

Ino sighed and said with a shrug. "I'm sure we are both wrong as to why people wear clothing, (snicker) but I can tell you this much. I definitely have nothing to wear to dinner tonight."

"What are you talking about?! Look at all these clothes!" Sakura emphasized her argument by pointing out the mountains of clothes that had been thrown onto the bed in Ino's search for something to wear on her date tonight.

"Yeah but this is the anniversary of the night the love of my life saved mine. I can't wear just any old thing." Ino frowned. "And I really wish people would forget about that little balcony incident."

Sakura laughed. "You want it forgotten, yet you are celebrating it tonight. That's a bit strange don't you think?"

"Oh shut it!" Ino stuck out her tongue while trying not to laugh at the thought. Then started to get that look. You know the "I've just gotten an idea that is going to make you think I am utterly and completely insane" look. "You know what Sakura? Maybe you and Gaara should go to dinner without us."

"You're not really upset about the whole balcony thing are you?" Sakura was feeling a bit confused by her friend's sudden change of mood.

"No, no. I have just finally decided what I'm wearing tonight, that's all. And you are going to help me get ready." Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and started dragging her to the kitchen.

"I really don't like where this is heading." Sakura then decided that resisting Ino once she had set her mind to something was about as useful as telling Naruto to eat something other then ramen. Yeah it's that pointless. "Oh hell, if you can't beat them, help them."

An hour later Sakura was just getting ready to lock the door to her apartment when she saw Chouji walking up to Ino's door. Go figure Ino and her would live next door to each other.

"Hi Chouji."

"Hey Sakura."

"Are we waiting for Ino? The reservation is for 8." Sakura turned to see Gaara walking up the steps to the apartment complex.

"No they are staying in tonight." Sakura had to hide a quick grin.

Just then Sakura and Gaara hears a gasp from Chouji as he walked into Ino's apartment.

"Chouji-kun shut the door please." Ino's voice drifted from inside.

A speechless Chouji did as he was told.

Gaara turned to Sakura with a questioning look.

Sakura giggled as she ignored the look. "If we don't leave now we will be late."

"…"

"Ino couldn't find anything to wear."

"…"

"Do you really want to know?" Sakura raised her brows and grinned knowingly.

"No."

Sakura intertwined her fingers with Gaara's and they left for the restaurant.

A/N: Just so you know Ino is not nude. But can you figure out what she is wearing. :)