AN: Please be aware that due to much frustration, I've decided to take out all hiragana out from the text.
ALSO, Ino has a job (aside from being a Shinobi) in this story. Please do not question this, I would not have put such things into this story if it did not fall within relevancy. Keep up to date and these plot holes will unravel, I promise! Thank you & enjoi!
-Rox
They called him 'the village Hero'.
He stopped Pein and gave back lives that were lost. He stopped Madara and took control of his own Bijuu. He even saved his best friend from hatred, to which many concluded would be impossible. He stopped so many, saved so many, that he was to be the next Hokage.
The village hero, who still wasn't loved by Sakura.
Ino watched from the crowd as Naruto carried a bruised, unconscious Sasuke towards the front gates of the hospital. Sakura had heard of the miracle earlier and ran outside, waiting for this moment to come. There, Ino saw tears rushing down her face for nearly an hour until Naruto emerged from the shadows.
"It's been 4 long years Sasuke-kun, welcome home…" she thought, as she too was filled with tears of joy. However, she could still feel the void of not ever having Sasuke's love from the beginning. She sighed and saw Sakura run to where Naruto was. She touched Sasuke's cheek and yelled out for a bed, soon having a team of medic ninjas rushing out of the hospital doors in less than three seconds, carefully lifting Sasuke from Naruto's arms and placing him upon it. As they rushed back in to mend the last Uchiha, Sakura embraced Naruto with tears of joy.
There they stood, locked in each others' arms for nearly 5 minutes. "Thank you, Naruto. Thank you, thank you..." she whispered.
"Sakura-chan…" he managed to say. But before he knew it, she was out of his arms and running back to the hospital for Sasuke. He stood there in silence, watching his world run away from him. "…I still love you," he sighed. He turned away from the hospital and walked past the astonished crowd, looking down at his own two feet as fatigue took over him.
Naruto figured he was done for the day. After months of searching for Sasuke, nearly dying from several other enemies and still fighting his stubborn friend in the end, carrying him home from Kirigakure to Konohagakure topped off the exhaustion and pain he went through those past few months. At this moment, nothing could cheer him up better than Ramen. But was Ramen the only thing he needed right now? He thought to himself about what, besides Sakura, would make this day end on a much more positive note - for he was the king of positivity, after all.
It surprised him to see a glimpse of Tsunade as she walked into one of her usual lounge houses. Shizune followed behind as the two casually bowed to the hosts, before chit-chatting about the usual topics that bored the blonde boy. He remembered the very first time he had met Tsunade who, at the time, had a bigger infatuation with Sake than for the village.
"That's it!" thought Naruto, as he began looking around for the nearest restaurant, "What better way to finish this day than to get drunk, of course!" Because really, who doesn't crave intoxication after a long, harsh week?
With hands in his pocket, he strode down the main street and began accepting the congratulatory messages of others he passed by. He soon reached his destination and stood outside for awhile, admiring his childhood Ramen shop that expanded to a fancy, bustling restaurant. Smiling, he nodded and went inside.
"Shit..." thought Ino as she quickly shifted through the other waiters who were in the way, "I have half an hour left in my shift and only now is it starting to get busy?" She tripped on her shoelace, quickly catching the empty dishes in her arms before regaining her posture. "I want to go home already," she muttered.
"Oy! Waitress, oy!" yelled out one of the customers from behind her. She pretended not to listen, but then the customer began to yell for her even louder.
"WHAT!?" she blurted. However, she gasped as the person who bugged her was none other than her unexpected comrade. "Naruto?! What are you doing here?...Are you drunk?" she asked, her tone full of shock. She gaped at him as he began to smirk.
"Pfff, no! But give me one more sake bottle Ino!" He demanded. "Wait, wait, what are you doing here?"
"I've been working here, part time," she stated, debating whether or not he needed more alcohol, "Um... maybe you shouldn't drink any more for the night. You look like you've had enough."
"Why not? I can handle 10 more of them!" he boasted, flinging his arms in the air. Others around her were starting to stare.
She sighed and looked at her watch to check the time. "7:45? Hell yes!" She thought. "Neh Naruto, I have to go. I'm done in 15 minutes, but I still have to put these dishes away before my shift ends. Stop drinking, you look terrible. You've really had too much," she said.
"But Ino-chaaaan~ what else are you doing afterwards?" He inquired, not wanting her to leave yet.
"Hmm, nothing. Why?"
"Will you hang out with me?" He pleaded. "Sakura chan is busy baby-sitting Sasuke in the hospital, tch."
"I guess so. I'll hang out with you right after I'm done. Just let me finish work first!" She snapped, and turned around to resume her tasks.
"HAI!" He replied. He watched her during the rest of her shift with anticipation and a big smile on his cherry colored face. His first company back, oh how excited he was...
The air grew cold and the night stayed still as the clock struck a little past 11. With jolly red faces they laughed about past memories as they strode down the quite streets of Konoha, passing houses with bottles of liquor swooshing around in their hands. Finally they stopped at one of the dimly lit porches. "Is this your place?" Ino asked. Naruto nodded. "I wish I lived by myself! Must be nice not having annoying parents telling you what to do every night huh?"
Naruto paused, contemplating on the last few words that hit him. "It gets cold, and lonely..." He replied, staring at the floor. Ino gulped.
"I - I'm sorry, Naruto-kun." She said, slowly grabbing a hold of his arm. He looked a bit surprise.
"Naruto, kun?" He repeated. "You don't ever call me that... Neh, Ino, maybe you've had too much sake huh?" He laughed.
"Baka! Shut up! I just felt like calling you that." She said, feeling a bit defensive. "Besides, it's kind of cute with your name..."
He smirked and opened the door to lead her inside. She made her way to the center of the room, surprised at the abundance of empty Ramen noodle cups lying around. "Is that so?" he replied slyly, reeling back her focus. He took off his jacket and put the liquor pack on the table, popping open one of the bottles and chugging it all down. "...But it's only 'kind of' cute?" He continued, turning around to give her a pout which made her giggle.
"Yes, only slightly cute. Not as cute as Sasuke kun." She replied, walking to the table and grabbing another bottle for herself.
"Sasuke kun this, Sasuke kun that, why is every girl obsessed by him? I'm a hundred times better looking, I'm a hundred times stronger, and I'm a hundred times more badass!" He burst out, flying the empty bottle on the floor. She giggled again, approaching him with blinking eyes.
"Oh really?" She asked, placing her hands on his arms. "How can you be better?" He stared into her eyes for a moment, a grin making its way across his face before leaning in to her left ear.
"Sasuke has a snake." He whispered, placing his arms around her body, "I have a nine-tailed fox. That beats snake by a whole lot of inches, if you get what I mean." He let out a small growl which sent chills up Ino's spine.
"What a bad kitty." She replied. She softly began to plant kisses on him, eventually tugging on his lower lip. This surprised Naruto, who at first didn't know what to say. He then stared at her with wide bright eyes. "And what about the power of the nine-tails? How strong can it go?" she inquired, dabbing her eyelashes and letting out a smirk.
"It tore up the village right? Imaging what else I can tear up..." He replied, sweeping her off her feet and into the bedroom.
"Just imagine?" she asked innocently, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He chuckled.
His first company back. He was excited indeed...
