Chapter 7
Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. Sometimes we were so desperate to fit in writing time we would write in class during the school year. We promise we are good students though. -Mio
Manami may not have noticed, but Koharu definitely saw everything that just unfolded between her and Gaara. The brunette rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing a little.
Of course she would accidentally kiss a guy within ten minutes of meeting him.
Shikamaru looked up at the sound of Koharu laughing. "What's so funny?"
The smiling kunoichi saw Manami approaching Shikamaru and herself.
"I have a feeling you're about to hear about it."
Manami arrived with a smug look on her face and stood in front of the pair playing shogi.
"You will not believe what just happened!"
"Oh trust me, I will. I saw it with my own two eyes."
Shikamaru moved a shogi piece while the two girls began talking. "So… is someone going to tell me what happened?"
Manami sat down next to Koharu and looked at the board, moving a piece for her.
"Hey, don't move my pieces, Manami!"
"Trust me, I'm helping you." The blue-eyed girl leaned back against the couch and looked up at Shikamaru.
"That's true… it was a pretty good move. Better than any of yours, Koharu."
Before Koharu could respond, Manami smiled. "Shikamaru, right? Well, I had an interesting meeting with your friend Gaara."
"Did you actually talk, or did you go straight to making out?" Koharu snided.
Shikamaru's eyes widened and a smile of disbelief grew across his face. "Wait! You kissed Gaara?"
"Hey, it was an accident! I tripped and someone ran into him… Not that I minded or anything," Manami said with a smirk.
"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time… That makes one of us."
Shikamaru turned and gave Koharu an offended look. "What do you mean you aren't having a good time? Troublesome woman."
"Well it's not your company I've disliked. It's being crushed in shogi… It's definitely 'a drag.'"
Shikamaru chuckled and Manami smirked.
"Yeah I bet sucking is pretty 'troublesome,'" the blue-eyed ninja added.
Manami snorted at her own joke, causing the other two to burst out laughing.
"Can you believe how Jiraiya ended the last book?"
"Minato, if you bring up the end of book three one more time I will kill you! You know I've been avoiding the last chapter."
"Please just read it. I need to talk to someone about it. For all that is good in this world, just do it Kakashi!"
Always so dramatic… Kakashi chided to himself.
"Okay, okay, I'll read it later!" the grey-haired ninja replied.
Minato opened his mouth and started to say something before he was interrupted by a roar of laughter. Kakashi and Minato's eyes darted toward the loud noise and Minato smiled.
"Good to see Koharu having such a fun time!" the blonde noted.
Kakashi rolled his eyes but continued to stare at the group.
Yeah, Minato… Always so exciting to hear her annoying laugh…
Minato turned back to Kakashi and resumed their conversation. However, Kakashi was much more interested in the three people sitting on the couch laughing. Minato was so preoccupied with discussing the book that he didn't seem to notice Kakashi's disinterest.
Can't Minato tell I'm not listening to him?
In the midst of their laughter, Koharu turned around to try to calm herself down.
Maybe I can skip my training today… My abs are killing me from all this laughter.
Koharu closed her eyes and inhaled, a smile still tugging on her face. When she opened them, her eyes met Kakashi's mismatched ones.
Why is he staring at me... Pervert.
Koharu's eyes slightly narrowed, and her smile completely dropped. Kakashi rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breath before storming out, leaving Minato talking to himself.
After watching Kakashi leave, Koharu turned to look at Minato, who was completely unfazed by his departure.
Does he really not notice Kakashi is gone…? He's talking to himself.
Koharu sighed and turned back to Shikamaru.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
Shikamaru glanced up at Koharu and nodded before focusing back on the board. "Hmm?"
"Is Kakashi always such a jerk, or is it just me?"
Shikamaru looked up from the game, sat his piece down, and gave Koharu his attention.
"You know, you really should give him a break. He hasn't had the greatest life so he may seem standoff-ish, but he really is a great guy when you get to know him better."
Koharu looked down at the board and narrowed her eyes before looking back up at him. "And how exactly has he not had the 'greatest life?' Even so, that's no excuse for how he acts."
Shikamaru could tell he said something that struck home to Koharu, but he simply shook his head and dismissed the matter.
"Just cut him some slack next time."
Koharu scoffed and crossed her arms, even more annoyed than when this conversation began. "Well we all have our issues."
Manami cleared her throat and glanced over at Koharu nervously.
"I think it's time for us to go… It was really nice meeting you, Shikamaru. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
Koharu glanced at Manami, and then looked back at the shogi game. "Yeah… We should probably go before I officially lose this game… again."
Shikamaru chuckled as the two girls stood up. "Well, feel free to request me anytime."
Both girls looked at him amused, and Shikamaru shook his head. "I have to at least sound like I'm doing my job. Minato can hear everything somehow."
Speaking of Minato… Koharu thought as she turned around.
There he is! Oh great, he's still talking to himself…
"I'll meet you in a second, Manami. I have to go do something real quick."
Koharu walked over to the corner Kakashi and Minato were standing at and tapped on Minato's shoulder.
"You do realize Kakashi left, right?"
Minato looked between Koharu and where Kakashi once stood. He began to pout when he realized he had been talking to himself.
"How long has he been gone?"
Koharu chuckled, "A while..."
As Koharu turned away from Minato, his pout became more apparent. Koharu sighed and glanced over at Kushina, who walked over to them and patted Minato on the back.
"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me, Kushina?"
Kushina quietly shushed him, "It's okay, you can only do so much before people get tired of you."
Koharu slightly smiled and started to walk toward Manami.
"See you guys later," she said to them.
As the pair walked toward the door, Manami turned to find Gaara and caught his eye. When Gaara looked up, Manami gave him a quick wink, causing him to choke on the tea he just took a sip of.
The honey-haired girl turned back around toward Koharu with a huge smirk on her face.
"You're so cruel, Manami! He's probably just as red as his hair right now!"
Manami grinned. "Oh, I know he is."
A/N: I love Minato talking to himself. He's soooo cute. -Mio
