One Day, Three Autumns
III.
"At last you're going back home! Ino sure was in a hurry." She heard Naruto said over Skype. She peered from her shoulder and gave him a small smile as she arranged the few documents the medical team would use some time later.
"Ino's always excited. She got there, like three weeks ago?" She turned to place the papers beside her red laptop, now facing the blonde man from the screen.
"Two weeks and 3 days only, Forehead!" A voice from a distance retorted. She knew who the said person very well. She let a grin made its way to her pale pinkish lips. Before she could ask something, Ino cut her,
"How's there in the Philippines?" The baby blue-eyed woman sat beside her male doppelganger. She thought for a moment as she put an index finger to tap her pale pinkish lips.
"Getting better, we're almost done. Tsunade-sama left two days ago with the half of medical team." It has been a good five months since they helped people from the South East Asian countries as planned. She looked at the pictures on her wall across her. Memories of what they have done in the span of five months. Some photos were taken in their free time, when they were exploring and such. Some were also taken candidly as they helped the people in need. She smiled realizing that she made connections with people such at them.
"We know that, Forehead." Ino retorted with the same playful grin on her features and Naruto meekly nodded in agreement. The pinkette gave a sheepish laugh while she contemplates on what she would say.
"Nothing much to say, really." She pondered for a moment, "Hey!? I'm leaving like tonight, why ask now!?" She painstakingly asked as she sighed and glanced at the clock on her mahogany nightstand.
"Well, we can't think of anything to ask!" Naruto replied while rubbing his nape, he developed as a habit. Ino replied with a laugh before returning to her familiar grin.
"Pick me up later?" The pinkette asked while waving her passport to the camera.
"Buy a new sim card when you get there. Naruto will message you our numbers."
"Of course." She glanced at the time again, "I have to get ready. See ya!" She watched the other two waved their hands, smiling last.
She then ended the call. She sighed and turned to the clothes she readied earlier in her free time.
XXXXX
His obsidian eyes read over the file again for the third time. Reviewing some cases became his habit when he has his time void of any work. The cases never changed but in his charge, minor crimes ones almost diminished in an instant.
He glanced at the clock for the first time in this night, failing to notice that he was sitting on his black leather chair for almost four hours.
Another night wasted
He stood up gently, careful to avoid wrinkles in his suit and walked to the ceiling to floor window allowing him to see the extent of the city he is currently living in. The restless city lights and the busy streets were not new to his eyes. His dark eyes merely observed, searching for anything interesting before his mind drift back to her.
As if just in cue, his personal phone light up and vibrated two short times indicating a new message. He hoped it was his brother giving him new information about anything or giving him another case to pass off the night.
But no, it was his idiot of a best friend who texted something unimportant once again. He glared at the screen of his poor smart phone,
Call this number as soon as you can! ))))))))))
Beside the unforgivable emoticon he used was the number he indicated. He sighed, contemplating whether to heed whatever the blonde texted. He glanced at his black clock again, realizing that Itachi would probably not call him soon. He pulled out something from the drawer of his gray desk, his business phone, just to be careful it is to be another prank of the idiot,
Why am I doing this anyway?
He annoyingly thought to himself as he dialed the number given to him in his extra phone and let it ring. Once, Twice, Thri-
"Um…Hello?"
He stood frozen in his place and swear his heart skipped a beat because of that too familiar voice he hadn't heard for quite some time now. He felt his eyes widen, resisting the urge to greet her back, ask her how, where is she at the moment.
He held back.
He couldn't find the words to do so.
He knows that he can't waltz in her life just yet.
"Look, if this is a prank, let me off!" he heard her sigh, "I just got home after a long trip, asshole!"
He resisted the urged to chuckle or laugh. The way she insults and her temper flares hadn't changed even after all these years. He felt something within his chest tighten that made him suffocate. If this continues, he wouldn't know if he can think rationally at all.
He ended the call.
As he clenched the poor mobile phone in his dominant hand, he tried to catch his breath. Memories came rushing in his mind, memories that he had desperately tried to forget but instead remained buried. She was always there in the back of his mind, he realized it now. He closed his eyes, trying to focus and regain himself, failing to notice his companion standing beside the door. The ginger man observed his superior calmly but worry was evident in his deep brown eyes.
"It's her, isn't it?" The gentle giant hesitated to ask the obsidian eyed young man, who he worked for loyally for years now. He never expected any answer from the man at all, causing him to be surprised when he did not hesitate to nod.
"Yes, Juugo."
Out of all his comrades, Juugo was similar to his demeanor, making it easier to confide him with his thoughts and vice versa. Juugo was the only person in the Police Department and in the mafia to know about his girlfriend. Juugo gave a sigh and a small worried smile to the man younger than him.
"I assume she just got back and Naruto pulled out something." Juugo stated calmly taking long strides to the table beside the bookshelf across the room. He took two wine glasses and poured his superior's favorite whiskey.
He offered the glass to him, relieved that he took it even with hesitation. He knew that alcohol was his relief from stress. It was obvious to the department when tough cases arrive he always had a whiskey, rum or martini ready just in case.
"You should talk to her sometimes."
"Hn. Too early"
"I'm not saying right away."
"Aa."
Juugo let out a small gentle smile from his slightly thick lips as he observed his superior sat down on the sleek black leather chair he got accustomed these past months. He took off his vermillion tie, he noticed as his dark gray button down long sleeve shirt opened two buttons and the black coat hung on the back of the leather chair.
"What's your plan now?"
"…None."
"Perhaps, you want to watch over her?"
The dark haired man stood up to retrieve the bottle of whiskey to share with his closest comrade. He took long strides and immediately sat down with an exasperated look evident on his features.
"I'm not in a hurry." He glared at the man who took a seat across him. Juugo just gave a nervous laugh, carefully placing down his clear wine glass on the desk, taking his superior's offer of whiskey. Juugo stared at the liquid drifting to his glass, until a lone thought he never wanted to escape betrayed him,
"Should I keep an eye on her?"
XXXXX
She glared at her smart phone as the other line hang up. She was still waiting outside the airport, waiting for Naruto and Ino, and probably her godfather, who would tag along. She remembered how her godfather would baby her and all that, when he found out that she spent in the orphanage almost a half year since her parents died and he was away for military reasons. She let her pale pink lips form a small smile at the memory and before her thoughts could go on and allow herself to reminisce, blinding lights came to her direction. She shielded her emerald orbs from the lights and the yellow Honda Jazz halted few feet away from her.
"Heyya! Sakura-chan!" Naruto came out of the driver seat followed by Ino and of course, Jiraiya
"Sakura-chaaaaaan!" was the last thing she heard before her godfather, hugged the life out of her. "You left me alone after all these years!" He felt him let go and she gave him one of her rarest smile that always seem to throw him at awe. The old man wearing a simple vneck gray sweater, black pants and brown sandals was about to hug her tightly again if it wasn't for the next words she said,
"I know you had companies in the house."
"You know; your innocent face differs from your mouth." Jiraiya bluntly said and proceeded to take her luggage from her white gloved hands, giving her a small smile which she gladly returned.
"You should've wear something more stylish, Forehead." Ino commented as she helped her and her things in the passenger seat before taking the seat beside Naruto, the driver. Sakura looked at her clothes: Red wide collared sweater with some sakura flowers, gray skinny jeans and her 1989 Taylor Swift Keds slip on. She frowned,
"I look perfectly fine!"
"Where did the clothes I picked!?" Ino retorted, peering the pinkette over her shoulder. Sakura gave a nervous laugh and tried to avoid the subject.
It was a long drive, they could not decide where to eat at all and Naruto kept messing up the directions. They ended up in Ichiraku, courtesy of Naruto who did not know any other places to eat.
XXXXX
She stared outside the familiar house where she stayed half of her life. It hadn't change much, the fences were just gone and still the same color of house paint: soft blue. It was a three-floor house but it was not as wide. The first floor composed of a small kitchen, a bathroom, the living room and of course a dining room for three people. The second floor was Jiraiya's and she had not bothered to linger there anyway, the last one was hers.
Her emerald orbs, widened in awe as Jiraiya kept her room tidy and the way she liked it. Her tall bookshelf was beside the door and her bed's length adjacent to the wall. Her room was painted mint green some of the furniture was white. Something in the corner of her room was draped by a gray blanket. Curiously, she took off the cloth, revealing a slightly dusty black drum set.
She stared at it for a moment before giving a heartily laugh. This was her best friend since forever.
"I took care of your friend there too." She heard Jiraiya, who she saw at the door frame leaning, with his arms crossed in front of him. His lips curved into a gentle small smile she always knew.
"Thank you." She sat on her bed and tapped the space beside it, for her godfather to take a seat.
"When will you start working?"
"The day after tomorrow." She replied before giving a knowing look and smile at her godfather, "You want to visit Tsunade-sama, eh?"
Jiraiya's face was flustered as he waved his hand in front of him. Sakura laughed and snorted in an unladylike manner.
XXXXX
Hello, sorry if it's crappy and late. College stuffs really makes itself a winner. Haha. I lost my original copy of this chapter. I hope this will be enough. Review please,