A/N: I haven't decided exactly where in the Naruto Universe timeline this takes place yet, but seeing as I how I don't intend on making a continuation for this, let's just say it's sometime after the village is rebuilt but definitely before The Last so Naruto doesn't fall in love with Hinata, because that just doesn't work for my plot here lol I didn't really get into Naruto until recently, so I haven't exactly developed a very strong grasp of everyone's characters yet, but this little scene popped into my head and I couldn't help myseeeeellf~
*APOLOGIES TO NARUHINA SHIPPERS* *SLIGHT SAKURA BASHING*
Pairing: Kagome Higurashi x Naruto Uzumaki
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Naruto, or the characters from either franchise.
Gossip
Sakura let out a long yawn, arms stretching up over her head as she walked through town. It was a gorgeous day, and one of the rare ones that she didn't have an assignment or mission, so she intended on making the most of it. She smiled, looking around at the familiar faces of the other citizens, giving the occasional wave and greeting when someone called out to her. There was sense of calm that she hadn't thought possible after all the village had been through, and a blanket of happiness that seemed to cover everyone and everything that made her feel so at ease. Things had been so close to perfect lately...
As if in response to her thoughts, the universe decided to send someone to crash into her, making her wince and step back with a frown. She couldn't stop the annoyed twitch in her brow when she recognized who it was that had walked into her. She shouldn't even be surprised. This girl was popping up, unwanted, just about everywhere in Sakura's life these days. She stood there, rubbing her forehead where it had crashed into Sakura's, her eyes scrunched up, yet her long lashes were still very much noticeable. Her long, inky black hair was falling loose down her back and shoulders, held out of her face with a pretty blue headband that matched the off-shoulder dress she was wearing. Sakura glared briefly down at the large chest the girl sported that had no doubt cushioned the blow some. It made Sakura painfully aware of their differences in that department, and it only made her dislike the girl more. After a moment, the girl finally blinked her large, cerulean blue eyes and she was frowning worriedly, reaching out in apology, to which Sakura tensed noticeably, making the girl hesitate.
"Gomen, Sakura," she said, her voice so soft and feminine it made Sakura want to puke. "I wasn't paying attention-"
"Obviously," Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "Just try to watch out next time. Not everyone here is as nice as I am, Kagome."
The raven-haired girl blinked her stupid, wide, blue eyes and gave Sakura a nervous smile before she bowed her head in apology. Sakura bit back a snarl and shook her head. This girl wanted everyone to think she was so innocent, but Sakura knew better. With the way she had half of her former classmates wrapped around her finger, she just knew there was something off about her. Nobody was that friendly with everyone. Sakura just couldn't prove that Kagome was a big, fat phony just yet. She liked to think she was friendly with just about everyone, but something about Kagome just rubbed her the wrong way. She just showed up one day, no record of her anywhere- and everyone else just accepted it like it was no big deal. Even Tsunade and Kakashi had vouched for her, saying that she was a good investment for the village, and with that, Sakura's prying had been put on hold. She hadn't bothered trying to actually get to know the girl herself, but she couldn't help it. There was too much mystery surrounding Kagome Higurashi for her to let her guard down.
"Of course," Kagome said softly, before something over Sakura's shoulder caught her attention and then she was all wide-smile and sparkling-eyes. "Have a good day!"
Sakura watched as Kagome darted past her, coming to a stop in front of another familiar face. She tried not to acknowledge the small twinge of jealousy in her stomach when she saw Naruto meet the blue-eyed girl halfway, smiling with a blush on his striped cheeks as they greeted each other out of earshot. She frowned at the way Kagome threw herself at him, wrapping herself around one of his arms and leading him back the way she came, toward the market district. Sakura put her hands on her hips, allowing herself a smug smile when Naruto finally noticed her standing there, waiting for the moment when he'd shrug Kagome off in fear that Sakura would get the wrong idea about them. He hadn't been as vocal about it lately, not like he used to when they were younger, but a person can't just crush on the same girl for the better part of his life and then just stop, right?
She was absolutely flabbergasted when he just sent her a small wave, a short greeting, and then continued to walk with Kagome as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
The pinkette blinked in shock, watching the couple walk away from her, chatting away with blushes and smiles. Her jaw dropped, not completely believing what had just happened. Of course she had never returned Naruto's feelings, but seeing him almost ignore her after he'd spent the majority of their youth pining after her did not sit well. It wasn't that she wanted to encourage his affections, but it definitely made her feel desirable. It was so easy for her to feel a little less than special lately, and Naruto's constant compliments and attempts at wooing her had been something that lifted her spirits, especially considering how horribly things had been going as far as Sasuke was concerned...
Eyes narrowing, and lips curling in an ugly grimace, she trudged on, knowing the best place she could go to to vent her frustration.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"And then he just kept walking!" Sakura said, slamming her hands down on the counter for dramatic effect.
Before her, Ino was busying herself with a flower arrangement, head tilted toward Sakura so that the girl knew she was listening. The entire time Sakura had been talking, the blonde had been silent, but had a thoughtful look on her face that gave the pinkette hope that she sympathized with her plight. Ino was undeniably the closest female friend Sakura had, and now that she'd finally lost interest in Sasuke, the two of them had only grown closer. At least, she hoped they were, considering they were constantly venting to each other about their romantic problems. Ino gave a thoughtful hum before sending a sly glance toward the huffing kunoichi. Sakura, catching the familiar look and not liking one bit, bristled, crossing her arms over her chest and puffing out her cheeks.
"What's that look for?" she demanded, to which Ino responded with a laugh.
"You're so jealous, it's sickening!" the blonde said as she tucked in the final piece to the arrangement she'd been working on. "Seriously! You're acting like you're twelve, Sakura."
Sakura's face burned red at the comment. Her hands came down to her sides, curling into fists as she gave an indignant stomp. She knew the action wasn't helping her case any the moment she did it, but she couldn't stop herself. Ino just rolled her eyes and moved the vase she held back to the counter where Sakura stood, shaking her head at the girl's reaction. It pissed Sakura off to no end.
"I am not jealous," she insisted, coming forward to lean over the counter to get into Ino's face. "How could you even think I have feelings for Naruto-!"
"I never said you had feelings for him, billboard-brow," Ino said flatly, not bothering to back away from Sakura's invasion of her space. She folded her arms and leaned down to rest them against the counter, staring at her once-rival with a raised eyebrow. "I just said you're jealous that he's paying attention to Kagome. And you are."
"Why would I be jealous?!" Sakura spat, pushing herself up, palms flat on the countertop. She vaguely noticed Ino's eyes flicker to look at something behind her, but she was so full of boiling frustration at that moment, she didn't bother to acknowledge it. Instead, she let every awful thought she'd ever had about the girl spew from her lips like water from a busted fountain. "Everyone knows how Naruto feels about me. He's been so vocal about it, it's impossible not to. I don't care that stupid little Kagome has a crush on him- I just don't want to see my valued teammate get hurt. She's obviously only interested in him because he's the Hero of Konoha, just like the rest of these vapid little fangirls that keep popping up."
"Sakura..." Ino stood upright, shaking her head just a fraction, but Sakura had had enough. She'd kept all of these thoughts to herself since the day Kagome showed up, and she was sick of being the only one that questioned her motives. The pink-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight so that she could cock a hip out as she continued her rant.
"Naruto will figure that out soon enough," she went on, feeling satisfied at her own conclusion. "He'll come to his senses and forget all about Little Miss Nobody. It's not like she's got anything going for her. She's not a ninja, she's so clumsy she should walk around with a caution sign, and she's not even that pretty- "
"Sakura!" Ino finally snapped, and Sakura jumped.
"What-?" she began, before she noticed someone come to stand beside her at the counter.
She turned her head and froze, a chill running down her spine as she locked onto the side profile of none other than Kagome. The girl was stiff, her cheeks pink as she kept her stare straight ahead, focusing on Ino who had slapped a palm over her face. Sakura held her breath, her eyes widening as she fought not to step away from the girl that had without a doubt heard every word she'd said.
"I'm here to pick up the arrangement I ordered," she heard the girl say softly, holding out a slip of paper for Ino to take.
"Just finished it," Ino said, obviously trying to distract from the very obvious tension in the room. She accepted the paper from Kagome before pushing the vase of flowers toward her in return with a kind smile on her face. "I hope you like it!"
"Thank you," Kagome said with that same soft voice, accepting the flowers and turning away from them without once looking in Sakura's direction. The two of them watched as the quiet girl walked out of the shop, where Naruto was waiting just outside the display window for her with a wide smile, and a shopping bag in one hand. Sakura waited for them to turn to look inside the shop, certain that Kagome would tell Naruto what she'd heard her saying- but was surprised to see the petite civilian just return his smile with one of her own before they started to walk away without a hitch. Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding and raised a hand to tangle anxiously in her hair.
"Idiot," Ino muttered disappointedly, untying her apron from around her waist and setting it on the counter in front of her. Sakura whipped around, glaring daggers at her so-called-friend.
"Why didn't you tell me she was in here?!" Sakura hissed, her face pink from the utter embarrassment of the situation. "Now I look like a total witch-!"
"Well you're certainly acting like one!" Ino snapped, spinning around to glare at the petulant female. Sakura gasped, eyes wide, and she took a step back when Ino took one forward. "Kagome is a nice girl! She may not be a ninja, but she's a good herbalist and healer, and she is a loyal friend. That's what Naruto sees in her. Stop trying to find reasons not to like her, and maybe you'd see that!"
With that, Ino walked into the back of the shop, slamming a door behind her so hard that several flowers shook, making petals float around her. Sakura was shocked into silence, stopping to mull Ino's words over in her head. Was she really looking for something that wasn't there? She had never bothered trying to get to know Kagome after she'd shown up in Konoha. All she saw was how quickly everyone took to her, and how much that bothered her to no end. She frowned, wrapping her arms around herself. She had definitely hurt Kagome's feelings with her words, and the girl didn't even bother to rat her out to Naruto when she could have. She knew her hot-headed friend would have no issue with giving her a piece of his mind if Kagome decided to let him know the horrible things Sakura had said. She felt nauseous then, closing her eyes in defeat, knowing that she had to apologize. She just hoped Kagome could forgive her when she did.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Everything okay, Gome?"
Kagome jumped at the sound of her name before she relaxed into the gentle embrace of the boy behind her. Together, they stood before the Memorial Stone, where they had just placed the flowers Kagome had purchased from Ino's family's shop. It had become a tradition for them to stop by when they had the time, leaving a little something for those departed. Kagome didn't know many of the names on the stone, but she knew that Naruto did. She knew the pain that came with loss, and the comfort that came from paying respects like this. Today, though, she didn't feel as at ease. She sighed, looking at the stone with unfocused eyes, Sakura's words circling around in her head.
"It's not like she's got anything going for her."
She winced, recognizing how familiar those words were. It wasn't too long ago, in another life before she'd found herself in this crazy ninja world, that a certain dog-eared boy had said something similar. Of course, back then, it was in comparison to Kikyou. She bit down on her lip, trying her best to shake off the ugly feeling of inadequacy that threatened to consume her. Naruto shifted behind her, and she felt him taking hold of her shoulders to turn her to face him. She kept her eyes downcast, even as he tilted his head to look at her.
"Kagome...?" he prodded, and the concern in his raspy voice made her smile.
"I'm fine, Naruto," she said, raising her eyes to stare into bright, crystal blue eyes. She saw the furrow of his brow, and his questioning gaze, and she reached up to cup his striped cheeks fondly, carressing the sun-tanned skin with her thumbs lovingly.
"You're sure?" he pressed, leaning into her hold and bringing his arms to wrap around her gently. "I don't want us keeping secrets from each other."
Kagome's heart clenched with absolute adoration for the boy in front of her. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes and couldn't stop herself from pulling his face to hers so that she could plant a gentle kiss on his soft lips. He let her, eyes closing and arms wrapping just a bit tighter so that she was pressed flush against him. She giggled against his lips, pulling away and tucking her head under his chin with a sigh.
"Just feeling a little self-conscious is all," she said gently, taking in the sound of his heart beating loudly in his chest. "I'll be fine."
"You've got nothing to be self-conscious about, though," the boy said in confusion. "You're the hottest girl I've ever met!"
Kagome couldn't stop the burst of laughter that escaped her, making her body shake in his hold. She rocked into him, nuzzling her face into his chest as her laughs eventually quieted down, taking comfort in his warm presence. She valued his honesty and outspoken personality more than anything. There was no hiding how he felt, and he never felt the need to. It was so refreshing. People could be so confusing, but with Naruto, there was only ever this open, unabashed feeling of comfort; he spoke his mind without reservation, and didn't give a damn what anyone else thought. Some people thought that made him an idiot, but Kagome thought it made him brave. She had never met anyone like him before.
"Thank you, Naruto," she said with a chuckle. "But I wasn't referring to my looks. Sometimes..." She held him just a little tighter, struggling to get the words she needed to say out. "Sometimes I just feel like I'm not good enough for you. You deserve someone who can stand by your side as an equal..."
"Aw, shut up, Kagome," she heard him groan, and she pulled back in shock at him, a pop of anger flashing across her face until she saw him smiling down at her. She blushed, her gaze trapped in the unwavering stare of the boy who'd stolen her heart. "I'm the one that doesn't deserve you. I'm just a no-good, trouble-making ninja."
Kagome opened her mouth to argue with him when he suddenly took hold of her hands, holding them to his chest and giving her that wonderful, closed-eyed smile she adored. She smiled fondly back up at him, her heart singing as he spoke to her.
"You're amazing!" he said, eyes opening to stare at her with wonder, leaning down so that they were nose to nose, making Kagome giggle. "You can name all of these plants I've never heard of, and you can heal people just by touching them! Not to mention how cool and funny you are, even when you're not trying. And you cook the best ramen, and you let me eat your leftovers without getting grossed out about it! Oh, and you're good with kids- I know the students at the academy all love it when you stop by for your plants and poisons lectures. And you like foxes, which, is kind of a big deal for me, and-"
"Naruto!" she interrupted, silencing him with a hand gently over his mouth. She chuckled, shaking her head fondly as she stared up at him. "You are amazing... You're so honest, and brave, and more determined than anyone I've ever known. You have been through so much, and instead of letting it corrupt you, you found reasons to keep smiling. You see people in a way not many can..."
She felt her face grow warm, her eyes lowering for just a moment before she looked up at the ninja before her through her lashes. She saw the question in his eyes, and she bit her bottom lip nervously, hoping that the palm she had pressed against his lips wasn't sweating from how nervous she was. She took in a quick breath, steeling her courage, and meeting his eyes evenly.
"I love you, Naruto," she said softly, knowing that her face was probably redder than it'd ever been, but determined to maintain eye contact. His eyes widened, staring down at her in surprise that had her tensing, worried about how he'd respond to her confession. He raised a hand to grip her wrist, gently pulling her hand away from his face as he stood straight, that sky-blue gaze of his never wavering. Kagome started to get antsy, searching his eyes for some kind of reaction, feeling her heartrate pick up in her chest at his continued silence. She was ready to make run for it when he finally spoke.
"I love you, too, Kagome," he said casually, giving her that familiar smile and cocking his head to the side. "I thought that was obvious."
Kagome shook her head, another laugh breaking free as she pounced at the boy, sending the both of them crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs and laughter as she peppered his face with kisses. He struggled against her half-heartedly, arms wrapped around her as they rolled on the ground, completely oblivious to their surroundings. The world could have come crashing down on them then, and neither would have noticed. The pair was so happy, so full of pure love and affection, that nothing outside their little bubble of bliss mattered in that moment. Nothing but the warmth from each other, and the peace that came from finally feeling that they were enough.
A/N: I've gotten a few requests and I just want y'all to know I will definitely get to work on those! I appreciate you all for the reviews and follows. I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, but real life decided to kick my ass again- this time in the form of a separation and impending divorce. I'll try to stay consistent about these updates though. I have a few chapters written out already, so just be patient for the ones you all may have suggested!
Also, fuck you, 2020
