A/N: This was a really random idea. Ok, not too random. Anyone ever seen that Boy Meets World episode "I love you Donna Karen", where Shawn finds that purse filled with all that stuff? Well this is kind of like that. If you haven't seen the episode then....enjoy the fic!
Oh and just a heads up, I made Ino and Naruto cousins in this story. Why? Because I can.
Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine. Don't kill me.
Uzumaki Naruto was not a fan of flying. He hated the cramped quarters of airplanes and even when he occasionally flew first class, he could still never get comfortable. Naruto always felt more secure on the ground, because in the air, there was no control. He had to put his trust in someone to guide him on his way. All his life—especially in the past two years—he had found that difficult.
But now he stood in the overcrowded airport, scowling lightly as he was jostled by overexcited children and their frantic parents, all trying to go their own way.
Naruto increased his grip on his luggage, casting a suspicious gaze around him, daring any one of the sallow-faced teenagers that made up a school tour group to just try and pickpocket him. He sighed and leaned momentarily on the railing of the moving walkway, his usually cheerful mood dampened by being in this place.
His trip had been…less than successful. He had done what he had to, a least that was what he believed, and had expected somewhat…different results. While he could have lingered longer, he had been away from home for months and was beginning to feel the niggling sensation of heavy homesickness.
Finally stepping off the walkway, he pulled out his phone, fingers automatically flying over keys as he punched in the familiar number. However, before he could press 'send', something in front of him caught his eye.
A black bag, no larger than the average purse, had just rolled off a luggage cart being pulled by a rather hurried woman. Already, she was weaving through the packed crowds, completely unaware of her lost baggage.
Without a moment's hesitation Naruto reached down and picked up the bag. He called out to the woman, but his voice went unheard in the noisy atmosphere. He studied the bag for a second, and then with a deep sigh, quickly hurried after the woman.
She was not easy to miss as she traveled through the throng of people that packed the busy airport. Bright pink hair that just couldn't be natural trickled elegantly down her shoulders, making her an easy target to pursue.
Naruto bumped suitcases and narrowly avoided over packed trolleys as he broke into a fast walk to catch up the quickly retreating figure.
"Excuse me! Hey Lady!" he called again. The woman did not even pause, although other woman turned around to glare at him as he passed, but he ignored their questioning looks and continued his chase.
He saw the woman turn the corner to the section of the airport that contained the terminals to board the planes. She had not slowed down, or heard his calls, and seemed to be walking even faster as she brushed by the gate attendant barely flashing a boarding pass and ticket.
"Hey stop! You dropped your bag!" Naruto called out one last time as he watched the woman enter the corridor that would lead her to the boarding ramp, and then disappear from sight.
"Sir, you can't go through here." The stern faced attendant held up a hand as Naruto reached the entrance.
Naruto gasped for breath, holding out the black bag. "But..but she dropped this."
The attendant only shook her head. "I'm sorry sir but unless you have a ticket for this flight, I cannot allow you to pass."
"Can you at least take this on the plane?" Naruto held out the bag but the woman shook her head again.
"Due to security measures, I cannot do that".
Naruto rolled his eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. What if I walked in with you-"
"I'm sorry sir but that is not permitted. Now I'll have to ask you to leave."
Naruto drew himself to full height and opened his mouth, preparing to unleash a verbal onslaught, when he noticed two large security guards heading towards him out of the corner of his eye. He glared at the attendant who narrowed her eyes at him, meeting his challenge and daring him to just try and make a scene. He didn't doubt that with a slight gesture from her those two guards would be dragging him to a holding cell in the security main office, and he couldn't afford to miss his flight—especially considering the price of tickets these days.
Naruto decided to play nice and try one last time. "Please ma'am, I'm sure the lady who owns this bag would really like to get her luggage back. All I'm asking is that you take it on the plane and give it to her."
He felt the rage bubbling in him as the woman shook her head once more.
"I'm sorry sir, but rules are rules. If you care so much about this woman's luggage perhaps you can send it to her yourself. Now have a nice day." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
Glaring, Naruto stormed away from the desk, fearing that if he stayed any longer, he would give the security guards a reason to do more than just arrest him.
He eyed a trash car and made a motion to throw the black bag in. However, he hesitated at the last moment, thinking of the hurried woman with the strange, but beautifully colored hair, and how she would feel to know someone had so casually thrown her things away. Naruto sighed and tucked the bag underneath him arm and began making his way back towards his boarding gate.
When he reached the gate, he was surprised to find an angry crowd of passengers assembled around the attendant desk.
Naruto walked up to a man near the back of the crowd. "What's with the mob?" He asked.
The man's face was pinched and angry as he gestured towards the flustered flight attendants at the desk. "These idiots don't know a fucking thing they're doing. They're saying that we're going to be delayed for at least 4 hours."
Naruto felt his jaw drop. The man nodded. "My feelings exactly. I have a business meeting I have to get to, but I guess I should forget it at this rate." He huffed and walked away. Naruto looked after him and then looked at the angry crowd. With a shake of his head and a deep sigh he grabbed his luggage and made his way towards the sitting area.
He pulled out his phone as he secured an empty seat and plopped down with a heavy groan. He dialed the number from earlier—this time with no interruptions—and rubbed his head to drive away the approaching headache as the device rang.
"Naruto? Shouldn't you be on the plane by now? You idiot. Don't tell me you missed your flight." Despite himself, he smiled at the shrill voice of his cousin. He hadn't spoken to her since he had left home and hearing her now reminded him just how much he missed her yelling at him.
"It's nice to hear from you too, Ino. I'm glad to know that you've missed me and look forward to seeing me when I get back." He could practically see the smirk forming on her face.
"You make too many assumptions, Naruto. These have been the most peaceful months of my life. You really should have stayed longer."
His smile fell. "Yes, well I don't think it would have helped much."
Ino could hear the sadness in his voice and quickly softened her tone. "Hey, so tell me about the trip—actually, first tell me why you're not on the plane right now."
"My flight got delayed."
"Ouch. That sucks."
"I know. It was just what I needed." He said dryly.
There was a pause. "So?" Ino pressed.
"Hm? Oh yeah the trip." Naruto scratched the back of his head. An old habit. "I don't really think it worked." Ino was uncharacteristically quiet so he continued. "I went to the place and did what they told me, but it didn't make me feel any more relaxed. Honestly, most of the time I just felt stupid."
"What were some of the things they wanted you to do?" Ino asked.
Naruto shrugged to himself. "Uh, stupid things like morning yoga and nature walks. Uh and oh yeah, "sharing time" and dumb shit like that. And one day they even made us go skinny dipping in the ocean to "cleanse ourselves"." He smiled as he heard Ino snort. "Yeah, crazy right? Honestly, the best thing about that place was their hot springs."
"Food was shitty too." He added. "They never served ramen. They said it would "inhibit my spiritual flow". I told them to hell with my spiritual flow and that they should get me some fucking noodles. Damn pricks."
Ino was laughing by now. "Well I did tell you not to go, remember? Who referred you to that place again?"
"I think it was Lee." Naruto frowned.
"Figures. Anyways I'm glad you're coming home. I don't think Hinata would have wanted you to waste away in some "spiritual youth rejuvenation" clinic or whatever shit it was called."
Naruto smiled. "She was too smart to fall for stupid things like that…" He trailed off, leaving an awkward pause between the two. In the two years since her death, the cousins—who had always acted more like siblings—had never been able to talk freely about his late wife. Most people avoided bringing her up all together. Ino was the only one who ever made an effort, and although he was grateful to her for it, in the end they both usually ended up silent, unable to meet each other's eyes.
Naruto had been blessed with a naturally cheerful temperament so he could not say that he was drowning in depression or anything like that. The past two years had been difficult, but he had an amazing support team of family and friends that had made them bearable—Ino being the most supportive of all.
Ino had been there with him through every step, wobble, and collapse. She had been the one to cover the hospital fees and make the funeral arraignments when Naruto didn't have the will to even get out of bed. She had temporarily moved into his apartment—doing the cooking and cleaning—until she had deemed him healthy enough to live on his own once more. During her whole stay she had been supportive and uplifting. She had consoled him when he had broken down at least twice a day and had never lost her patience with him. However, this did not stop her from being bossy. Ino had forced him to go on daily walks and she never let him simply lay around the house. There was always a task she had for him to keep him busy. Naruto wondered just how miserable his life would still be if it wasn't for Ino and her endless supply of crosswords and 1000 piece puzzles.
"Sometimes I wonder why she married you, " Ino's voice snapped him out of his reverie, " a smart girl like that. What could she have possibly seen in someone with such low intelligence level?"
"Very funny, Ino. Sometimes I wonder what Kiba sees in someone with such a fat a-"
"Oh, so you're going to go there, huh Uzumaki? I dare you and you'll see whether or not you have an apartment when you get back. Did you forget that I still have your key?" Ino threatened.
"Whatever, go right ahead. I can always stay with you until I find a new place." Naruto chuckled at the frustrated noise Ino made.
"That's what you think. " Ino paused and Naruto heard the sound of a door closing in the background.
"Hey, Kiba." Ino called, not even bothering to cover the mouthpiece.
Kiba's voice traveled through the phone. "Hey, you. Who you talking to?"
"Naruto."
"Doesn't he have a flight or something now?"
"Got delayed."
"Sucks."
"I know right?"
"How was the shit clinic?" Kiba asked.
"Don't call it that!"
"So it actually worked?"
"Well…not really." Ino mumbled.
"Are you guys just going to keep talking about me?" Naruto finally chimed in.
"Yes." Ino shot back matter-of-factly. "Hey!"
"Yo, Naruto!" Kiba had snatched away the phone. "Didn't I tell you that place was no good? You would have done better to go with me to a strip club."
"Not funny, idiot." Ino hissed in the background.
"Seriously. Dude, I just want to get out of this place. This day has sucked so far." Naruto said.
"I heard. How long are you delayed?" Kiba asked.
"Four hours."
"Fuck."
"Yeah. And that's not even all of it. Some lady in front of me dropped her bag and I chased her practically through the whole airport, but then she got on the plane. And then some airhead flight attendant wouldn't even let me give her the bag back."
Kiba laughed. "That's what you get for being such a goody-two-shoes. Was the lady hot?" There was an audible smack that reverberated through the phone that was coupled with a yelp of pain from Kiba.
"I was just kidding!" He yelled. "Crazy woman. How are you two even related?"
Naruto sighed. "Sometimes I wonder too."
"Anyway, do you still have the bag?"
"Yeah. I don't really know what to do with it."
"Did you even open it? Maybe there's cash in it." Kiba said excitedly.
"Kiba! Naruto can't just go through someone's bag like that!" Ino exclaimed in the background. "He should turn it in to security or the lost and found."
Kiba snorted. "Yeah, right. As if people ever get their things back from there. I say finder's keepers, Naruto. Open it up."
Naruto agreed and set the bag in his lap, pulling back the zipper.
"What's in it? Wallet? Credit card? ID?" Kiba pressed.
Naruto rummaged around. "Nope. Just some junk. There are like medals, and here's a deck of cards. I don't see anything really valuable."
Kiba groaned. "Well that sucks. Not even loose change?"
"Nope. Oh wait, here's some ID. It's a gym membership card." The picture on the flimsy plastic card was that of a woman with short hair that matched the color of the woman who had dropped the bag. She was smiling and Naruto thought she looked pretty enough. "It says her name is Haruno Sakura."
"Sakura, eh? Sounds hot….I'm just kidding!" Naruto listened to what sounded like a scuffle on the other end of the line before Ino's cool voice floated through the earpiece.
"Well I still think you should turn it in. It would be the right thing to do and it'll give you some good karma."
Naruto snorted. "I've had enough of karma to last me a lifetime. I don't know, maybe I will later. I've got 4 hours to burn after all."
"Mhm, well I've got to let you go now. I have to head to work and Kiba needs to make up for his bad behavior."
Kiba yelled indignantly in the background. "But I didn't do anything wrong. I was just kidding!"
"Play nice, Ino." Naruto advised.
"I always do." Ino replied sweetly. "Call me when you land."
"Will do." Naruto said before hanging up. He sighed as he dropped the phone into his pocket.
He scanned the sitting area, looking for anything or anyone who could possibly keep him occupied for the next four hours.
There was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties seated four seats down. Russet hair was pulled back into a long ponytail and a low cut t-shirt displayed a plentiful amount of cleavage. She appeared to be alone as she flipped casually through a magazine. As Naruto contemplated the idea of testing whether the clinic had stripped him of his ability to flirt, the woman was joined by a man who swung a protective arm over her shoulder. It looked like that plan was dead.
Naruto twiddled his thumbs as he racked his brain for any ideas about how to pass the next four hours. Most of his bags had probably already been loaded onto the plane. His carry-on consisted of only a few "sentimental items" from the clinic; these consisting of two self-help books, a mix tape of calming music, and lavender bubble bath. He would keep the mix tape—it was quite soothing—he would give the books to Lee—no doubt he would enjoy books about the powers of youth—and the bubble bath would go to Ino. Besides those, the carry on had only a few socks he had forgotten to pack in his suitcase and a couple blank sheets of paper. If there was one thing he had taken from the clinic, it was their encouragement to write down your feelings. It was a helpful and pretty effortless way of getting things off your chest.
Naruto thought about bringing out one of the sheets and writing about how stressful his day had been so far, but at the same time he didn't really feel like putting words to paper at the moment.
Instead, he turned back to the black bag he had put aside and decided to reexamine its contents, in case he had missed anything important—or valuable—the first time.
Sifting through the contents, his fingers brushed against cool metal and he brought out one of the two medals he had seen earlier. Upon closer scrutiny he saw that it was a first place medal from a junior karate tournament. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. From the back the woman did not seem like someone who'd participate in a karate tournament, but wasn't there that cliché saying about a book and its cover?
Naruto ran a finger over the medal as he felt a small smile tug at his lips. He himself had an impressive collection of these medals at home. Growing up, he had had a next door neighbor who was not only a filthy pervert who wrote bad adult novels, but also the owner of a local dojo. Although Naruto hadn't had the money to pay for official classes, Jiraiya had often let him come over after his sessions had ended to practice. Often during this time he did a random array of jobs—putting away equipment, mopping up the floors—until one day Jiraiya had asked him if he officially wanted to join one of the classes. Naruto had been surprised, pointing out his obvious lack of funds which Jiraiya had casually waved off. The deal was that if Naruto kept up with his work around the dojo, he wouldn't have to pay for lessons. Despite this, Naruto had hesitated, never being one to take things given to him free. He was no one's charity case.
It wasn't until after Jiraiya had beaten it into him—literally—that the deal wasn't as simple as he initially thought that Naruto accepted.
When he had won his first medal, the only people who had been there to watch were Ino and one of his teachers from school, Iruka. Jiraiya was there of course. Even with such a small personal audience, Naruto had never felt so proud. The memory now settled like a happy feeling in his stomach, slightly easing away the stress and sadness that had sat solidly on his shoulders for as long as he could remember.
Naruto wondered what this woman—Sakura—had felt like when she had won her medals. Happy? Proud? Was she like him—someone with a small, but loyal support system? Or was she more fortunate with a whole section of the audience dedicated to her?
Naruto felt his curiosity peak. Who was this woman? Maybe it was their similar practice of karate that interested him, but he was suddenly filled with an urge to learn more about the person whom the bag belonged to.
He pulled out her gym ID again, glancing over the picture once again. She had green eyes—why hadn't he noticed that before? They were actually more jade than green, and they were beautiful. Her smile was wide and inviting. Okay. Naruto thought to himself. Maybe she's a little more than just pretty.
He tucked the ID back in and continued rummaging through the bag, spurred by his new found curiosity. The next thing he pulled out was a deck of cards. He grinned. If there was anything Naruto thought everyone should carry around, it was a deck of cards. This was a simple deck, no intricately patterned or monogrammed designs, only a simple picture of a flower on the back. The edges of the cards were worn and bent, indicating an extensive use. Naruto snapped off the rubber band holding the deck together and casually began flipping through the cards.
Summer was always his favorite time of the year. Not only was he free from the hell that was school, but he got to spend most of his days with his cousin. Him, Ino and later Kiba, would drive to the shoreline were they would spend hours swimming and when they were done they would lay out to dry on the sand with a deck of cards, playing everything from poker to go fish. For some reason those days never got boring. Even now Naruto couldn't think of any better way to spend his time than to lay of the beach with a deck of cards.
Naruto lounged deeper into his seat as he let himself be calmed by the image of Ino shuffling the deck like the pro she was while he and Kiba looked on with awe. Whenever they tried to shuffle like her they always ended up playing 52 pickup instead.
Naruto smiled at the deck in his hands and almost felt as if he should say thank you to it for giving him back such a good memory. Already almost an hour had flown by and the day was feeling less and less like a nightmare.
He re-secured the deck with the rubber band and dipped back into the bag, this time pulling out a small picture that he hadn't noticed before.
He recognized Sakura—who wouldn't with hair like that?—but frowned slightly at the man in the picture with her. Dark hair and dark eyes, he was a perfect example of the type of guys that Naruto loved to hate; handsome, with that whole ice-prince, I-have-a-ten-foot-stick-up-my-ass aura. Sakura was smiling again—he was really starting to like that smile—and the guy was staring, almost glaring, at the camera with a heavy indifference. Naruto felt a little surge of protective feelings. What was such a happy girl doing with such a sullen looking bastard?
Naruto felt his happy feelings dissipate slightly. Without thinking he flipped the picture over and was surprised at the neatly written note on the back.
Sakura,
I Hope you understand that I did not mean to hurt you, but a relationship such as ours was destined to fail. I hope we can still remain friends.
Sasuke
"Sasuke, huh?" Naruto said out loud. He surmised that he must be the man in the picture. "'I hope we can remain friends?' What a social retard." While he felt pleased that the relationship had ended, he was still unsettled by the fact that Sakura had been carrying the picture around.
She can't possibly still have feelings for this guy. Naruto thought. He clicked his tongue in disgust and set the picture aside, moving on to the rest of the items in the bag.
The next thing he pulled out brought the grin back full force to his face. It was a coupon for 50% off a bowl of ramen. This was definitely his type of girl. It was a plus that she had the coupon as well. It meant that she was a smart shopper. Not only did Ino hate ramen, but if you offered her a coupon, she was more likely to backhand you and steal your wallet. That woman made it her job to empty his and Kiba's back accounts on a daily occasion.
Still grinning he tucked the coupon back into the bag. It still had three weeks until it expired. Maybe by then the woman would have her bag back.
Maybe we'll go for ramen together…
Naruto reached in for the remaining items. He pulled out a dictionary of medical terms. Again, Naruto couldn't help but smile. Before Ino had decided to become an image consultant, she had been studying to become a nurse. He remembered how for months that he couldn't walk into her apartment without slipping on books like the one in his hand. It hadn't helped that Ino had yelled at him for damaging her books instead of asking him whether or not he had broken his neck.
Naruto wondered if Sakura was studying in the same area. He wondered if she was a nurse, or maybe she wanted to become a doctor. What kind of doctor? A surgeon? Or perhaps a physical therapist? She did martial arts; she knew the type of damages the body could acquire.
Everything about this woman just screamed further investigation. Naruto wanted to know whether or not she was still in school. Had she and this Sasuke gotten back together? What type of ramen did she like best? Which did she prefer: blackjack or gin rummy? The questions were spinning in his head and he didn't know how he would ever get by without the answers.
Naruto rummaged through the rest of the bag and his heart nearly stopped when his fingers felt the cloth bottom of the bag.
"It can't be empty…" He said looking in. He checked all the fold and pockets but there was nothing left, not even a few scraps of paper with random scribbling.
But there was still so much to learn! This woman with her deck of cards and ramen coupon; the medals and even the picture. Who cared that her ex/maybe still current boyfriend looked like a prick? If anything her keeping the picture meant she was sentimental.
Even if it had been just for a little over an hour and a half, this woman had let him remember the things that he had let slip away from him these past two years. These seemingly meaningless items had reminded Naruto of the best things and the best people in life. The contents of the bag had made him feel better than anything the clinic had offered him. No delving in the psyche of the mind, no weeklong cleansing rituals that made him vomit up blood; all he had needed was the chance to remember.
Naruto turned over the bag in his hand, noting the expert craftsmanship of the design and the thickness of the leather. Once again he blamed his cousin. Purses were her favorite not-so-guilty pleasure and often he and Kiba were the ones who had to sit down with her and listen to her go over every little detail of the bag until she was either satisfied with the purchase, or unhappy, which usually meant the purse was either returned or re-examined again the next night—just in case. Overall, the bag was a sensible one. It was not too flashy; it was simply, yet elegant. This woman was a dream come true.
Naruto decided right then and there that he would find this woman. If only to give her her bag back and thank her; thank her for allowing him to remember the happiness in his life.
"Flight 815 is ready for boarding. All passengers for flight 815 please report to the boarding gate. Thank you."
Naruto checked his watch as the speaker message repeated itself. There were still about two and a half hours to go. He saw the man from before and quickly approached him.
"What's the deal? I thought there was at least a four hour delay?" He asked.
The man gave him a wide grin. "Looks like those idiots finally got it together. I don't know exactly what happened, but who am I to question good luck?" He practically skipped off.
Naruto shook his head in amazement as he gathered his things. Sometimes it seemed that everything just fell into place. Gently, he tucked the bag into his carryon. It had become his most precious cargo. He walked towards the gate with a light heart and even winked at one of the flight attendants.
Yes. He thought as she gave him a sultry smile in reply. Life was good.
"Let me get this straight. Because of a few pieces of junk you want to go flying across the country to find some woman—who supposedly reminded you about what it means to be happy? Is that what you're saying?" Ino stared incredulously at her cousin who sat across from her at the table.
Naruto was sitting in her kitchen after bursting in only two hours after he had called from the airport saying that he was back home. Without even giving her a chance to hug him and ask about how he was, he had blurted out his plan to find the woman who owned the bag he had found. Ino had sat and listened for 30 minutes while Naruto gave her a summary of his "epiphany". Despite herself, she couldn't help but be a little cynical. Who had an epiphany at the airport? What made this woman so special? She had a couple medals and a dictionary. Good for her.
Naruto had waved off her criticism. She didn't understand, he said. He had to meet this woman. It was essential to his wellbeing that he find out who she was. How else would he ever find the answers to his questions?
What questions? Ino had pressed. Naruto had been unable to coherently answer, but he had assured her that this woman would have answers.
Ino didn't let the subject drop that easily. "Are you sure that this isn't some stress induced delusion? You just got back from the clinic and maybe you're still feeling a little…?"
"Crazy?" Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Off." Ino finished. "I think you should take a couple of weeks to think things through before you go running after some pink haired fairy." Naruto could see the worry that lurked beneath his cousin's biting comments. He laid a comforting hand on her own.
"Ino. I'll be fine. I am fine. I can't remember the last time I felt this great. I think I've finally found someone who can help me."
Ino sighed. "Naruto, it's not that simple. You don't even know how this woman is going to feel about you showing up on her doorstep, let alone asking her to give you a personal counseling session. Most people will likely call the police."
"I'm not going to ask her to be my shrink." Naruto protested.
"Then what do you what from her?"
"I just want to get to know her." Ino rolled her eyes at this.
"Naruto, if you're looking for a date I have plenty of friends available." She said.
Naruto shook his head. "There's more to it than just physical attraction. When I was looking at her things I felt…a connection." He frowned at Ino's skeptical look. "I'm serious! I can't remember the last time I felt so close to someone."
"But you don't even know her!"
"I feel like I do though. I honestly feel like I do. But it's not enough. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied unless I meet her." Ino felt her heart waver at the sad look that crossed her cousin's face. She admitted to herself that this was the first time since Hinata died that Naruto had been so enthusiastic about something. She still didn't trust this decision, but she trusted her cousin and she would never wanted to stand in the way of his happiness.
"Fine. Fine." She finally said. Naruto gave her his widest grin and she smiled in return. "Go run after your mystery woman. Just don't call me if she gets you locked up."
"How exactly are you going to find her by the way?" Ino asked.
"Kiba's friend, you know the one who works with all the computer bugs and viruses—the hacker?"
Ino thought for a moment. "You mean Shino?"
Naruto grinned. "Yeah Ino, I mean Shino. Did you see what I did there?"
Ino scowled. "Yes, you are so clever."
"Seriously. Anyway, he says he can use the information from her gym ID to track her down for me." Naruto explained.
Ino gave him a wary look as she reached over to grab an apple from the basket next to him. "Good luck explaining how you found her, because that is actually really creepy."
Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess it is when you really think about it."
"But then again, this whole "mission of truth", or whatever you want to call it is creepy on its own. You're such a creeper, Naruto." She teased.
He childishly stuck his tongue out at her. "You really suck. You should be wishing me more luck." He paused. "Did you see what I did there?"
Naruto ducked as Ino sent the apple flying at his head.
"Good luck!" She yelled over her shoulder as she exited the kitchen. He only scowled at her retreating back.
Naruto shifted nervously from foot to foot as he stood outside Haruno Sakura's doorstep. He had been trying to muster up the courage to knock for the past 10 minutes, but had broken into a cold sweat each time he raised his fist. Always loud and outgoing, he had never felt so nervous in his life.
It had been two weeks since he had found her bag; the longest two weeks of his life. If it had been up to him he would have left as soon as Shino had handed him the address a week ago. However, Ino had delayed him with a new set of worries and inquiries until Kiba had assured her that Naruto would be fine and there was nothing to worry about. That hadn't stopped her from calling him every 5 minutes since he had arrived in Sakura's town, asking for an update of the situation.
"Well Ino, I'm still in traffic and the taxi has gone approximately 3 inches since you last called. Maybe when we've hit 5 feet I'll call you with the juicy details." He had replied in frustration.
He had finally turned off his phone when he had entered Sakura's building. His battery had been dying and long distance calls weren't cheap; Ino's snarky comments hadn't exactly been pleasant to listen to either.
Now he stood in front of the door of the woman he had been dreaming to meet. She filled his thoughts every waking moment; that smile and those beautiful green eyes.
"Come on Naruto, you can do this." He said to himself. He raised his fist. "Just knock. It's all come down to this. Just fucking knock. Now." His fist didn't move. "Now." Nothing happened. "Right…now!" He winced as his fist finally fell and the knocks seemed to echo through the whole hall. His heart was beating frantically in his chest as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Naruto quickly looked around for an exit, but the fire escape was all the way at the end of the hall.
As he contemplated going for it anyway, the door swung open, revealing a petite woman who examined her visitor with friendly curiosity.
"Can I help you?" Sakura asked.
"Haruno Sakura?" Naruto squeaked out, surprised he could even find his voice.
"Yes, that's me. And who would you be?"
"Uzumaki Naruto." He said smiling. She was much more stunning up close. She had pulled her long hair back into a low ponytail, only a few wisps escaping to frame her face and highlight the intensity of her eyes. Naruto was captivated and felt that he had known her all his life.
There was an awkward pause before Sakura spoke again. "Um, yes that's nice, but I don't know if that's supposed to mean something. Can I ask why you're here?"
"Oh right!" Naruto brought out the black bag. "I found this. At the airport. Two weeks ago. You dropped it." He was speaking in fast, broken sentences as his shaking hands held out the bag. "I'm returning it. Now."
Naruto wished Ino was there at the moment. She always beat him whenever he said something stupid. He felt that she would have given him a sound thrashing if she had been present. He wouldn't have minded either. Anything to get him away from the mess he was making.
Sakura looked at him for a long time, saying nothing. She blinked and finally replied. "Um, yes thank you." She absentmindedly tugged one of the loose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. "That was very generous of you. Actually, I didn't even remember that bag until now. I've been doing a lot of renovations and have been really busy at the hospital and I haven't had time to unpack."
She looked back at Naruto, who was listening intently. "And I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I don't even know you…"
"But I know you." Naruto cut in. "I mean a little. And I would like to get to know you even better."
Sakura's expression had shifted from mildly amused to high alert, OMG this guy is creepy, suspicion.
"OK." She said slowly, leaning back slightly into her apartment. "I'll just take that bag then." Naruto handed it over. "Thanks again for returning it…um…"
"Naruto."
She nodded. "Yes, Naruto. Well thanks and have a nice day." She started to close the door.
"Wait!" Naruto said quickly. The door was halfway shut and Sakura peeked out at him from the opening.
Naruto chose his words hastily, fearing if he didn't say them now, then he would lose his chance forever.
"I know this looks really bad and I'm probably coming off as some kind of creep, but hear me out." Sakura made no motion to open the door wider.
"Not counting the past two week, I've spent the past three months in a messed up youth rejuvenation--I don't even know what it was called. But it was this fucking awful clinic and the only reason I went there was because I thought they would help me be able to be myself again. I haven't been myself for the past two years. When I laugh I don't mean it and it hurts to smile but I do it anyways because it's the only way I can make people think I'm all right."
Naruto paused to take a breath. "But I am all right. I mean, I'm getting there and it's all thanks to you. And that bag. And everything inside it. I was able to remember—to remember who I was before all the bad shit. I found myself inside that bag. And ever since I can't stop thinking about you. I have so many questions to ask because I've never not meet someone who is so simply amazing.
Please don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy, I promise. I just came here to meet you and to thank you because you helped me find my happiness again. So Haruno Sakura, thank you."
Sakura only stared as Naruto fought to catch his breath. He could already barely remember a word that had come out of his mouth and he was sure she was going to slam the door in his face any moment now. But he had said what he needed to say and that was the most important thing.
But Sakura didn't slam the door. Instead she opened it and stared at him, her green eyes looking into his blue as if she was searching for something.
"You know, that was the craziest story I've ever heard." She finally said. Naruto let out a short laugh. "And I have half a mind to call the cops." Naruto felt the smile slid off his face. "But I won't, because crazy or not, you don't hear that kind of story every day."
She stepped aside. "Would…would you like to come in?"
Naruto felt his jaw drop. Sakura looked down at the floor. "I don't usually do things like this; let creepy strangers into my house."
Naruto smiled. "I don't usually fly halfway across the country to return lost baggage."
She looked back up at him and smiled and Naruto had to admit that it really was a beautiful smile.
A/N: I hope that was enjoyable. Even though I like NaruSaku, I don't read NaruSaku fanfiction so I have no idea how original this idea was. Hopefully there aren't 20 other stories out there just like this :D
With love
-dancer
P.S- Did anyone catch the LOST reference? Brownie points to you if you did :)