The First Date
By InNeverland
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
Ino stood behind the counter of her family's flower shop. She had spent the last hour and a half fixing a new flower arrangement. She was incredibly bored. Hardly anyone had come in all day!
Ino sighed loudly and started on yet another flower arrangement.
After about thirteen minutes her boredom was interrupted by customers. Ino looked up at the door hopefully. But it was only Sakura.
"Hello, Ino!" Sakura greeted.
"Uh. Hi." Ino looked atSakura curiously. "What brings you here?"
"Oh, I just wanted to say 'hello' and see what you were doing." the pink-haired kunoichi replied.
"Um. Nothing much. Just doing my shift."
"Well...when do you get off of work?"
"My shift ends at 4:30. Why?"
"How would you like to meet me and Naruto for the Tokomi Restaurant at 7:00?"
Ino raised an eyebrow at her. "What? And be a third wheel? No thanks."
"No, no! You won't be a third wheel! We inviting someone else too!"
Ino studied Sakura for a few moments.
"Is this a blind date?"
"Haha! No Of course not!" Sakura sweatdropped.
"I don't do blind dates, Forehead. Not after last time."
"Come on! Don't you trust my judgment?!"
"No."
"Ino! Come on!" whined Sakura.
Ino sighed.
"Who's paying?"
"I'll make Naruto."
"Fine. Who am I going on a date with?"
Sakura smiled sweetly.
"You'll see!"
Ino watched as Sakura skipped off.
"This cannot be good."
Ino looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing her new red dress and black high heels. She left her hair in a ponytail, though.
"Alright." she sighed, "I had better get going."
Ino grabbed her purse and headed towards the restaurant.
When she had reached the door to the restaurant, she heard someone call for her. It was Sakura.
"Forehead? Why aren't you in the restau--"
Sakura, looking a bit apprehensive, interrupted her.
"Ino, Naruto just...informed me that your date doesn't know that he's..uh..on a date."
"Oh, no."
"Ino..."
"No, no, no, no,no! I'm not doing this."
"It'll be fine! Come one! Please?!"
"No! I'm not going to--"
"There you two are! Come on!"
Both girls turned their heads to see Naruto calling for them.
"He's getting impatient!" Naruto exclaimed.
Ino turned to glare at Sakura.
"We're coming!" Sakura replied. She grabbed Ino's wrist.
"H-hey! Let go! Come on!"
But no matter how much she protested and struggled, she could not get out of Sakura's grasp.
Defeated, Ino walked into the building with Sakura.
The two girls followed the hyperactive man to their table. And there sat...
...Uchiha Sasuke.
Ino's heart skipped several beats.
"Sakura!" she growled under her breath.
Sakura ignored her. "Hello, Sasuke-kun! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Sasuke raised his eyes to look at them; He looked surprised to see Ino. Suddenly realization hit him.
"Naruto, follow me."
"Eh? Why?"
"Now."
Both Sasuke and Naruto got up from the table and walked over to the bar.
Ino could tell that they were arguing. She then turned to look at Sakura.
"Ino," Saskura said nervously, "why don't you sit down?"
Ino did sit, but her eyes never left Sakura.
"Why the heck did you set me up with Sasuke?"
"Haha. Well, you see, Sasuke and you are both single and lonely and---" Sakura babbled.
Ino cut her off. "You are so full of it! Sasuke doesn't want anyone! And he has never liked me! What on eath could possess you to--"
She was cut off by Naruto and Sasuke's return.
"Well, we're back!" Naruto exclaimed, "And, boy, am I starving!"
"Hnn."
Ino glared at Sakura again.
"And then I said, 'Why not?'!" Naruto burst out laughing at his own joke. Sakura joined in. Sasuke, however, rolled his eyes and took a sip from his drink. Ino contemplated stabbing herself with her fork.
"Here's your food!" the waiter announced.
"FINALLY!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Thank you." Sakura replied.
The waiter sat their food in front of them. Ino was very relieved to get her salad. At least something good was going to come from this outing.
"It sucks that they don't serve ramen." muttered Naruto.
"You'll live." replied Sakura, rolling her eyes at him.
"Who wants my tomatoes?" asked Naruto, "I hate 'em."
"Oooh! I'll take them! I love tomatoes." Ino answered.
"So does Sasuke-kun!" Sakura announced. "Isn't that great? Haha."
Sasuke glared at her.
Ino looked mock-surprised.
"Ooooh, yeah! And we both like to breathe! Isn't that just astounding!" Ino replied sarcastically.
Sasuke snorted.
"Hey! No making fun of Sakura-chan!" interrupted Naruto.
"Hmph. Thank you, Naruto."
Sakura then grabbed his face and gave him an over dramatic kiss.
"Would you two stop it?" growled Sasuke, embarrassed.
"Jeez! Why don't you just have your way with him right here!" Ino complanied.
They pulled apart from eachother. Sakura smirked at the other two, while Naruto just grinned stupidly.
"Morons." muttered Ino.
"I think that someone's jealous." teased Sakura.
"Oh. You caught me." replied Ino. She turned to Naruto. "Naruto, I have always loved you from the bottom of my very soul! Please take me right here!"
As Naruto choked on his food, Sakura laughed and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Ino and smirked.
"Well," Ino thought, "this date isn't going as terrible as I had it would."
"What time is it?" asked Ino.
Sakura looked down at her watch.
"9:46." she answered. "Why?"
"I had better get going. I have to open the flower shop in the morning."
"Oh-! But-!"
Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's protests.
"I had fun though. Goodnight, all."
"Sasuke will walk you home, right baka?" announced Naruto.
Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, but Sakura cut him off.
"Good idea! You can never be to careful! Ha ha!"
"I do not need an escort-!"
"There's no point arguing with them." Sasuke muttered to Ino "Let's just go."
Ino shook her head, but didn't protest further.
Once outside the restaurant, Ino turned to Sasuke.
"You don't have to walk me home. I wasn't even going to head home anyway..."
Sasuke looked at her questioningly. "I thought that you had to open up shop early tomorrow?"
Ino rubbed her neck nervously. "I was just making up an excuse. I was actually just planning to walk around..."
"I see." replied Sasuke, stiffly.
"Oh! Not that I was having a bad time or anything. It's just...There's only so much of Naruto and Sakura I can take in one day, you know?"
Sasuke sighed and put his hands into his pockets. "Isn't that the truth."
Ino studied him for a minute.
"You can join me...If you want to that is."
Sasuke glanced at her. "I have nothing better to do." he muttered.
Ino knew better than to take offense at that. In Sasuke-speak it meant that he would enjoy that.
Ino grinned at him.
They were laughing. Well, Ino was. Sasuke was just smirking amusedly.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Sakura set me up with you!"
Sasuke smiled softly.
Ino sobered a bit. "Naruto has been a really good influence on her."
"Mmm." Sasuke agreed.
"Though, Naruto has been a good influence on everyone. Including you, Uchiha."
"Hmph."
Ino grinned at his indignation.
A breeze came by.
"Jeez, that's cold!!" exclaimed Ino as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Brr! I can't wait until Spring!"
Sasuke gave no reply.
Ino studied him again for a minute.
"So how have you been doing? Are you still--"
"I'm doing fine." Sasuke said agitatedly, cutting her off.
"I was just asking! Jeez! Forgive me for being concerned!" replied Ino, angrily.
"Hnn."
They walked in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes.
"Sorry." muttered Sasuke suddenly.
Ino was surprised.
She smiled up at him.
"So," said Ino, changing the subject, "I was wondering whether or not you plan to join the ANBU?"
Sasuke contemplated his answer. "Yes."
"Really? So am I."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.
"What? I've already applied into the Interrogation Squad."
"Because of your mind jutsus?"
"Yup. Morino Ibiki is still the head. You remember him, right? That creepy guy that was the proctor for our first Chunnin Exam?"
"Yes. He was also the guy that interrogated me when I came back."
"Oh. Right."
"Well, besides being creepy and torturing others, he can be really cool. For an old guy, of course."
Sasuke gave a hint of a smile at that.
And that was good enough for Ino.
"I'm glad that you came back." she said sofltly.
Sasuke looked at her. She was blushing slightly.
Sasuke didn't reply, but Ino could tell that he was glad to be back too.
Taking a huge chance, she reached over and clasped his hand with her own, and when he didn't yank it away, she relaxed.
They continued the rest of their walk in a comfortable silence.
AN: I'm really sorry for the late update! Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. :D And please review!
