Pink Monsoon

Part 1 - Are Those Ghosts I See?

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With a flourish, Sakura turned off the stove. "And, here's the main dish for tonight! Shitake mushrooms cooked with bamboo shoot and green peas." The smell of the food drifted to the kitchen table, where it cause two noses and one mask to twitch in anticipation.

"Hn."

"Yahoo! Sakura's homemade cooking, I can't wait to-"

"Hmm, looks good." Naruto glared at Kakashi for interrupting him.

"Aw, don't fight tonight, guys. Naruto, you can have as much as you want, ok?" Sakura's grin was so radiant, Naruto just had to smile, and even Sasuke cracked a smirk.

Naruto picked up his chopsticks, his teammates mimicking his motion, and clasped his hands in front of him. "Alright! Let's eat!"

"Thank you for the food." The three students gaped at his empty bowl and the missing portion of their shared dishes, while Kakashi's happy eye practically radiated a sunbeam towards Sakura.

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"Come on, Naruto! Twirl me again!" Sakura laughed, her long pink hair swirling in the light. The hair then smacked Naruto across the face, dispelling the shadow clone. "Come on, Naruto! Dance with me!"

Naruto, twirly-eyed, sat on the couch, his head on an armrest. "No more, Sakura-chan... so... dizzy..."

"Hn. Weak."

Before Naruto could initiate another fight with Sasuke, Kakashi shut his book closed with a snap. "You know, Sakura, that hair should be qualified as a deadly weapon. Look at all of the stuff on your shelves you managed to knock to the ground. You're like a pink monsoon." He pushed himself off of the wall and dusted his pants off. "Hmm, bathroom." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Showoff. But Kakashi-sensei's right! You really are a Pink Monsoon! Remember our last mission? Me and the bastard here didn't have to do anything, while you ripped chunks out of the ground and threw them! That was so awesome! Wasn't that awesome, bastard?" Naruto nudged the Uchiha on the shoulder over and over.

"Huh? Yeah. Now shut up. I'm tired of listening to your voice. Hn." Sasuke grunted again and laid his head back, only to have his sight obscured by a waterfall of pink hair.

"Don't you just love my hair, Sa-su-ke-kun?" Sakura whispered in his ear.

Cheeks turning red, Sasuke turned his head away while Naruto laughed uproariously in the background. "Hn."

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Ino knocked on Sakura's front door, fully intending to give her best friend a rant about how she shouldn't be late to her birthday party. When the pink-haired woman opened her door, the smell of home cooking permeates the air. "Forehead! What were you thinking, skipping out on my birthday party!" Kakashi waved from the couch with book in hand. "Oh, hi, Kakashi-sensei. Seriously, Sakura, what happened?"

"I'm so sorry, Ino! I totally forgot! I had hospital duties, and then Kakashi-sensei came, and the next thing you know, I was cooking dinner with my team, and dancing, and-"

"Don't give me excuses, Forehead-girl! It was my birthday and you're my best friend. How could you? If your new team is so important to you than my birthday party, then screw it! You're not invited to any more of my birthday parties! Next year, you're going to have to beg me for an invitation!"

"Don't be such a bitch, Ino-pig, just because you're jealous I'm on Sasuke-kun's team. Humph!" She gestured to the empty space on her left, and then , oblivious to Ino's wide-eyed stare, slammed the door in her best friend's face.

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A/N: Thanks to Kraken's Ghost for beta/editing, as well as tossing ideas around with me. I have no idea how that guy puts up with me, especially with all the "piano duets" and "weepy Asian music" I send him. And yes, there is a Part 2.

Omake: How It All Started

[12:26] violinmana: god damn
[12:26] violinmana: i just got another Naruto idea
[12:26] violinmana: while at work
[12:26] violinmana: _
[12:26] Kraken: lol, do tell
[12:26] Kraken: do tell
[12:26] violinmana: so
[12:26] violinmana: this new song came out
[12:26] Kraken: /fiendishly eager
[12:26] Kraken: ....
[12:26] violinmana: called "pink monsoon"
[12:26] Kraken: /recoiling
[12:26] violinmana: XD
[12:26] violinmana: Pink. Monsoon.
[12:26] Kraken: dude
[12:26] Kraken: WOW
[12:27] Kraken: if we were standing in person
[12:27] violinmana: XD
[12:27] Kraken: i would have leaned in
[12:27] Kraken: and you would have had the PERFECT opportunity to sucker punch me
[12:27] violinmana: hahahahahaha
[12:27] Kraken: you just fucking sucker punched ACROSS the USA