Chapter One

The Ring

Naruto woke up that morning extremely happy and excited. He hopped out of bed and shouted, "TODAY IS THE DAY!"

It was the day he was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. He had almost everything planned. He had the ring and the person he was going to ask but he wasn't sure how he was going to pop the question.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and jumped into the shower. He contemplated how he was going to ask her. Many choices came to mind, but he wasn't sure if any of them were any good. After eating breakfast and brushing his teeth, he went to go and search for Shikamaru and Temari.

After looking for about an hour, he found them at the banks of the river sparring with each other. "Hey, guys!" Naruto shouted. Shikamaru looked up, mid-punch. Temari took advantage of this. She grabbed his arm and threw him in the river.

"HA! You should know better than stopping in the middle of fight, Shika-kun!" Temari teased. Shikamaru surfaced and shook his head to get some water out of his ear. He glared at Temari and swam ashore.

After wringing out his hair and shirt, Shikamaru asked Naruto, "So what did you want, Naruto?"

"I was wondering how you proposed to Temari-sama," Naruto replied.

Temari let out a snort. "He didn't ask me. I asked HIM!"

Shikamaru's ears went to a salmony color. "Y-yeah, I was too nervous. When she realized I was trying to ask her and the words wouldn't come out of my mouth, she popped the question," he explained.

"Why do you ask, Naruto?" Temari asked. "Are you going to pop the question to your girlfriend?"

"Y-y-yeah..." Naruto squeaked as his cheeks went from his normal tanned face to pink.

"Aww!!" Temari squealed. "Okay, do you know where you're going to take her?"

Naruto shook his head. "N-no… That's why I came to you guys. I need ideas and I want to ask her today."

Shikamaru's brain kicked in and knew of the perfect place. "I know where you can go. It's a little spendy but it's worth. Trust me. Y'know where Ino's parent's flower shop is?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, about one block over from where it is is a really nice sushi restaurant. If you go there, you can ask them to put the ring inside of her teacup. You might have to bribe them, but it's worth."

"You think she'll go for it? She doesn't care for sushi… But she does like nigiri. What's the name of the restaurant?" Naruto said happily.

"It's called 'Hanatarou's Sushi'" Shikamaru replied.

"Thanks a million! I really owe you guys one!" Naruto said excitedly and he ran up towards the village.

Temari handed Shikamaru his shirt. "Do you think Sakura will like it?" she pondered out loud.

Shikamaru nodded. "I know she will."

Sakura was in Tsunade's office, helping the Hokage with some paper work. Sakura's eyes kept wandering toward the window. The sun was shining brightly into the office and the birds were chirping while flying through the air. She let out a sigh and continued her work.

Tsunade looked up and gave Sakura a worried look. Whenever she did that, Tsunade's true complexion came through her chakra enforced beauty. "What's a matter, Sakura?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno… I just wish…" She thought for a second. "It's nothing…"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Sakura, whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't blab to anyone."

"Yeah, I know. But I just… I want to…"

"You want to…?"

"Okay, if I say this, promise you won't laugh?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, and let my true age show through," Tsunade said anxiously.

"I wanna marry Naruto!" And at that, Kakashi-sensei waltzed in.

"Ooohh!! Did I hear what I though I heard?" Kakashi teased Sakura, nudging her with his elbow. Sakura's cheeks turned a shade deeper than her hair and she twiddled her thumbs.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei…" she said looking the other way.

"Ahh… Young love… 'Tis sweet and fleeting…" Kakashi rambled.

"Sir, I'm twenty-three," Sakura said shortly.

Kakashi blinked. "You're that old and you're still not married? Jeez! I didn't know you were almost a spinster!" he laughed.

Sakura gave him one to the gut, which sent him flying, but he landed on his feet like a cat. "You're not married either, Kakashi-sensei!" she pouted.

"That is true. If I were to marry, it would distract me from my work," he said calmly.

"Distract you from your work?! I highly doubt it would! I distinctly remember you reading hentai while Naruto, Sasuke, and I were training!" Sakura fumed.

"You still remember that? Man, I thought-" He was cut off from a flying chair aimed at his head. "Kakashi! Get out of my office! Sakura and I need to do some work!" Tsunade hollered.

"As you wish, Hokage-dono." Kakashi bowed and closed the door behind him. Two seconds later, Sakura's cell phone goes off.

"Great! We'll never get this work done!" Tsunade grumbled as Sakura motioned her to be quiet.

"Moshi moshi?" Sakura said into the receiver.

"Hi Sakura-chan!" a cheerful voice came from the other end.

"Hey love! How're you? You know I'm still at work, right?"

"Yeah but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out tonight?"

"Dinner? Sure! Where are we going?"

"Hanatarou's Sushi. It's a great place. They serve nigiri since I know you don't like regular sushi!"

"Aw! You remembered! Should I dress in anything specific?"

"Yeah, it's a classy place. Dress up in something nice, m'kay?"

"Okay. Do we have a reservation?" Sakura looked up and saw Tsunade getting even more irritated by the second.

"Yes, it's for seven o'clock tonight. I'll come by your apartment at around six thirty."

"Okay. I need to go. Tsunade looks like she's about to have a cow," Sakura giggled.

"I'll see you tonight, Sakura-chan! Bye!"

When Sakura closed her cell phone, Tsunade had a huge grin on her face behind the piles of paperwork on her desk. Tsunade knew that Sakura's wish was going to be fulfilled tonight.

Sakura came home from the Hokage's office thirty minutes before Naruto promised to come and pick her up. She rushed out of her normal nin clothing and ripped clothing off of her hangers, frantically looking for something suitable for her date with Naruto.

She came across an emerald Chinese-style dress that complimented her emerald eyes. She pulled out a pair of simple black martial arts slippers and a pair of gold earrings from her jewelry box.

She looked at the clock. 6:18?! No! It can't be that late! Oh jeeze! Sakura hopped into the shower and came out within two minutes. While blow-drying her hair, Naruto arrived at her apartment complex.

Sakura had finished putting her gold earring into her right earlobe when Naruto rang the doorbell.

Naruto was waiting at the door, anxiously. I hope everything goes well tonight! When the door opened, he handed her a white rose, her favorite flower in the world. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled. She looks so beautiful…

Sakura gasped and hugged him so tightly that several vertebrae in his back popped as she accepted his rose. He smiled at her. "Shall we be on our way?" he asked.

He's so handsome. His hair and his smile looks just like Yondaime's. Her heart melted every time he smiled.

Ever since he came back from his training with the Great Sage, Naruto never cut his hair. He was a little busy. He had been assigned to train the next Team 7 after he passed his chunin exam along with jounin exam. He passed both of them with flying colors. Ever since then, Naruto had been looking more like the fourth Hokage everyday, save for the fox whiskers on his cheeks. Sakura also grew out her hair ever since Naruto told her that he preferred her with longer hair.

The couple walked down the street and made it to Hanatarou's Sushi. Naruto approached the host. "Hello, I made a reservation earlier. It's under the name 'Uzumaki Naruto'."

The host looked down the list and found his name. "Ah, yes sir. A table for two and," the host went into a lower voice, "one ring in a tea cup?"

Naruto nodded and handed him a box from the inside of his black jacket. Sakura was busy talking with another villager asking about the Hokage's health. Everyone knew that Tsunade's health wasn't the best because of the stress that came with the position of being a Hokage.

"Uzumaki-san, Haruno-san, please follow me to your table," the host said politely. He guided them through the restaurant to a secluded table in the back. He set down two menus on the table and bowed. "I hope you have a wonderful time here." The host left and the waiter came right after him.

"Can I start you guys with something to drink?"

"Uh, yes. Could you bring us a pot of tea?" Naruto asked.

"Most certainly, sir." The waiter finished writing on his notepad and left to fetch the tea.

Sakura was looking around and noticed how expensive everything looked. The tables, lamps, chairs… everything. "Wow Naruto! What did you do to get into a nice place like this?"

"I have my ways," and he flashed his foxy grin. Actually, he had to bribe the host that was here earlier and threaten him with releasing the Kyuubi in order to get a reservation. But Sakura didn't need to know that.

The waiter came back with a pot of tea. He set down the tray in front of Naruto. "Thank you," Naruto said to the waiter. The waiter bowed and left the couple.

Naruto poured himself a cup then moved to Sakura's cup. No ring. "Where's the ring? Oh shit! This isn't going the way I wanted it to!!" Naruto panicked to himself on the inside. He poured her a cup of tea anyway and stood up. "I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom." Sakura nodded and sipped her tea.

Naruto ran towards the host podium. God damnit! Why can't anything go right for me for once He waited for several minutes as the host was dealing with a party. After the host was done, he turned to Naruto. "So? How did everything go?"

"The ring wasn't there! Where did it go?" Naruto growled.

The host was taken aback. "Not there? I specifically reserved a pot of tea and two cups just for you!" Naruto and the host walked into the kitchen. The host looked for the head chef. He talked with the man and swore.

He came back to Naruto, who was at the entrance to the kitchen with a very frustrated, angry, I'm-gonna-kill-someone look on his face. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san, but apparently the tray with the ring is on someone else's table."

"Are you serious?!" Naruto nearly broke down the door that separated him from the waiters and chefs. He restrained himself because he didn't want to create a scene. "What do you suppose we do, then?" Naruto said in an angry whisper.

The host shrugged. "The best we could do is to take back all of the tea and cups."

"Then do it!" Naruto said infuriated. The host gave a heavy sigh and nodded. He snapped his fingers and all of the waiters and waitresses came. He spoke with them and they all dispersed to take the tea back.

After about fifteen minutes of looking for the ring in the cups, one waitress found the ring. "I found it, sir!" She held it in her hand tightly and handed it to Naruto. "Thank you so much, ma'am!" He hugged her tightly and went back to his table.

Sakura was holding her head on her hand as she sighed, bored out of her mind. When Naruto came back, he breathed calmly and stood before her. "Oh hey! I thought you had fallen into the toilet!" Sakura joked.

Naruto gave a nervous laugh and wiped the sweat from his brow. "H-hey Sakura? I've been wanting to do this for a long time now," he said in a shaky voice. Naruto gulped and went down on one knee. I guess the original plan is busted. My body is doing it without me thinking!

Sakura's eyes went large. Omigod… Is he going to…? "Haruno Sakura? W-will you… marry me?" Naruto said just above a whisper with ring between his right hand forefinger and thumb.

The whole restaurant could hear Sakura's scream of joy. All eyes went to a pink-haired girl squeezing the life out of a blonde-haired boy. "S-sakura…I can't breathe…" Naruto choked.

She set down her (now) fiancée and slipped the ring on to her left hand. It was a gold band with a sapphire in the center and four diamonds surrounding the blue stone. Tears were welling up in her eyes with joy. "N-naruto! It's beautiful!" She hugged the young man gently as he was cracking his spine back into shape.

Naruto took her hand and kissed it gently. "So I'll take that as a yes?" His pink-haired fiancée nodded with tears streaming down her face. "Are you still hungry?"

She shook her head. She stood up and walked with him out of the restaurant, jabbering on about how she had been talking about this earlier at work. Naruto could only think about how beautiful she'll look on the wedding day and nodded occasionally to make it seem like he was listening.