[Sakura]
"I'll have the carbonara, and a glass of wine, please." I flip my menu shut, handing it to the waiter.
The only thing better than a full day of shopping is a full day of shopping with a tasty meal at the end of it. Ino, Hinata and I have been at it since this morning and retail therapy is exactly what we all needed.
After blowing my budget on a couple summer dresses, a pair of new shoes and a few cute trinkets at the nearby flea market and mall, my wallet is much lighter, and so are my spirits. Ino and Hinata also found some great deals.
Now to top it off, we're eating at this neat little Italian restaurant in Konoha. Konoha is really becoming the next metropolis, and today our taste buds are reaping the benefits of it.
This place gets booked up fast and reservations are typically out by about a month. Lucky for us, nobody comes for dinner before six pm, and we decided to stop by at five.
We're sitting on their outdoor patio. It's a quaint dining area paved with cobblestone and set up with a few square tables covered in white tablecloth, with fresh cut roses placed in a glass vase in the center of each table.
The three of us take up three sides of the table, and we've opted to sit so that we can people-watch, as the Europeans do. It's bustling here in the shopping district, with many people hurrying from one shop to another.
"What's new with you guys?" Hinata asks, delicately pulling apart a slice of freshly baked bread.
We haven't seen her in two months, so there's a lot to catch up on.
Hinata's always away on a mission, and almost all her missions are top secret. Ino and I figure it probably has to do with her Byukagan bloodline limit - in other words, she can do stuff that no one else can do, and so she gets some of the most sensitive jobs as a result.
We've tried tricking her into giving us details before, but she's sharp and always demures with a polite word or two. We've now given up asking.
"Sakura met a guy last night."
Ino is so predictable. Leave it to her to treat that as a priority update.
Hinata gasps in excitement, then pauses, confused.
"What about Jiro?" She asks.
"Broke up." I mumble, mouth stuffed with focaccia.
God this is delicious. Maybe I should learn to make bread. My mother used to bake milk bread for me every morning when I was a child. Nothing beat her bread. But goddamn, this Italian bread comes in at a close second.
Hinata gasps again. "Oh, I'm so sorry Sakura."
"S'ok."
I'm indifferent, and don't feel like expanding. Besides, I am starving to death right now and the bread is all I'm capable of thinking about. I slept in this morning and was literally thrown out of bed after Ino broke into my apartment to wake me up.
She didn't even let me eat breakfast, that fascist.
Ino left the Chubby Weasel last night even later than me, and seeing as I got home at about two in the morning, she probably got home at around three.
The difference between her and me is that Ino functions perfectly on four hours of sleep.
That's right, she was up by seven this morning. And she looks divine. Her perfect skin is glowing, her eyes are bright and her face is perfectly made up with a light foundation, eyeliner and mascara. She's wearing her hair up in a high ponytail and she looks like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
Me, on the other hand - I'm doing okay, but I wouldn't say I'm thriving.
My hair is down and I didn't style it - I ran a comb through my hair a few times this morning, brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face while Ino yelled at me like a drill sergeant. I had no time to put on make-up or make my hair presentable.
I barely had time to throw on whatever dress Ino handed me before she dragged me out of my apartment to the street where Hinata was already waiting for us.
Ino takes her shopping dates very seriously.
"Jiro was kind of a jerk." Ino supplies helpfully to Hinata, by way of explanation for the break-up.
He kind of really was, at the end. It was a mutual break-up. Neither of us was happy. He wanted a girlfriend with marriage on her mind and plans to play housewife while he went to work at the bank each day.
Jiro wasn't a bad guy, but a bad match really brings out the worst in a person. He said some nasty things to me before he walked out of my apartment two months ago.
Ino saw how broken up I had been over it. I'm not surprised that any positive feelings she had for Jiro while we were dating turned sour.
"Ah, I see." Hinata responds carefully. She chews thoughtfully for a moment, then turns to me.
"So who's the guy you met?"
"Yeah, Sakura," Ino asks suggestively, waggling her eyebrows at me. "Did you even get his name?"
I roll my eyes.
"Obviously."
Please don't ask me for his name.
There's an expectant pause from the both of them, and I refuse to make eye contact with either. Chewing as hard as I can, I can't be bothered to look up, though I feel hot around the ears.
My silence is telling.
"Oh you slut." Ino breathes, eyes sparkling.
"Ino!" Hinata reprimands gracefully. She looks over at me apologetically. "You don't have to tell us his name if you don't want to."
"Or if you don't know it." Ino adds. I hate her.
No , I don't know his name.
And no , it's not because I just hit it and quit it.
We never even got to that part. My face burns as hazy memories of last night come to surface.
God, seven-drink Sakura is super fun in the moment, but her lack of inhibition is why I keep my drinking habits locked down tight almost all the time. My inner Sakura is pure id, and my ego needs to never let her take over again.
I remember dancing with him and really enjoying myself on the dance floor. But then, by some cosmic pull, I happened to look out just in time to see Naruto leaving the bar… with that woman that had been fawning over him all night.
I don't want to think about it.
And apparently I'm not as discreet as I think I am when I'm drunk.
The guy I was with saw me watching Naruto leave, and that killed the mood and notion of sexy times for both of us.
I'm not afraid to admit that it's unclassy to seduce one person while watching another. I apologized profusely, and he was really good about it. He was even gentleman enough to walk out of the bar and wait with me for a cab, to make sure I would get home safe.
The problem is, hell will freeze over before I share any of this with Ino and Hinata.
Things were … weird between Naruto and I when he left, and I never tole them about it. Now, four years later, that ship has sailed.
Since I can't explain what happened with the guy from the bar unless I tell them about Naruto, I choose to play dumb.
"Why do you care what his name is?" I snap back childishly.
Ino's immune to my deflection.
"If you're gonna have a bit of the old in-and-out, you should at least remember his name."
She lectures me loudly, causing a few passersby on the sidewalk and diners on the patio to look over at us disapprovingly.
Argh, lord help me. My hand is itching towards the steak knife on the table and it takes an Iruka-sensei-level of patience to refrain from stabbing Ino.
"A bit of old what-and-what-ah?" Hinata asks, bewildered.
"A bit of dick, Hinata. If she's getting some dick, she should've at least gotten his name."
Hinata coughs politely into her napkin, cheeks pink.
"Don't think you said 'dick' loud enough." I grit out. I want to disappear into the ground as Ino manages to offend a few more shoppers walking by. I can feel the glare of the hostess burning holes into my back. She's probably two seconds from kicking us out.
We're interrupted by a man's voice piping in from the sidewalk.
"Who got dick? What did I miss?"
Kiba's appeared in front of our table, holding a small paper shopping bag from the denim boutique down the street.
Ino doesn't even blink at his sudden appearance. She's too charged with the topic at hand.
Clapping her hands maniacally, she continues. "Oh Kiba! You left too early to see Sakura getting it on with this hot guy on the dance floor."
Kiba's eyes glitter and I just know he's rubbing his imaginary hands together in imaginary glee. He and Ino are such gossips. Those two would set the world on fire just to watch it burn, if it gave them something to talk about.
To be clear, I don't pick up men from the clubs. Like, ever. Last night would have been my first, and I can honestly say I'm thankful it didn't work out.
Nothing against a person having a one night stand. But it's just not for me. What would I even do the next morning? Make him breakfast? Kick him out? Am I supposed to kick him out the night of? Do we keep in touch after?
I have no idea, and frankly, I don't care to find out.
Kiba turns to me without missing a beat.
"So, Sakura, was the dick good?"
A mother gasps on the sidewalk and clasps her hands over her young son's ears, ushering him away from us in a hurry.
It'll be a looong time before I let inner Sakura out again.
Kiba keeps his stare steady on me, unperturbed. Ino steeples her fingers and rests her elbows on the table. She lowers her chin onto her fingers as she watches me intently, as if I was a suspicious character trespassing Konoha and it was her sole duty to uncover my secrets.
Agitated, I rip off yet another piece of bread and cram it into my mouth. I know I look like an angry chipmunk but I don't care - can't talk if my mouth is full.
Meanwhile, Hinata is trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation, and her eyes keep darting from our table to the hostess who is now headed our way.
As the two keep staring me down, I'm beginning to think that no amount of bread will keep these two bloodhounds from sniffing out my misery and forcing an answer out of me.
"Oy, Kiba! There you are!" A voice calls out from a short distance.
For the love of god. Of all the people to show up.
Naruto comes jogging over to Kiba, his eyebrows twitching in annoyance. He's also holding a few shopping bags. "I told you I'd just be a second in the store. Why'd you run off?"
He freezes when he sees me seated at the table. His eyes widen for a fraction of a second before narrowing. I try not to wince at his reaction - he's probably staring at my chipmunk cheeks. I don't care what he thinks, but my face feels warm anyway.
Kiba brushes him off. "Couldn't wait. My spidey senses were tingling, and it looks like there's a good reason for it."
"Oh Naruto already knows." Ino says dismissively.
"Knows what?" He's now looking suspiciously at all of us, Kiba included.
Kiba is on a roll. "Sakura got dick last night."
Naruto's eyes snap to mine and for a moment the look in his eyes is indecipherable, before shutting down.
"Yeah? So what?" He says indifferently, turning to Kiba.
Kiba begins sputtering indignantly, whether for my sake or his, I do not know. Whatever lack of embarrassment I was feeling last night is flooding back in torrents through my system. I could crawl into a hole and die.
I also feel the heated disapproving stares of the other diners and shoppers. It's like I've got a scarlet letter, in bright pink neon letters, stapled to my forehead. Dick getter.
I didn't even sleep with anyone! All the blame but none of the fun. The unfairness of it all is bitter on my tongue.
I don't care whether people think I had a one night stand or not. What does bother me though, is people making assumptions about who I am and what I'm about. I've dealt with it all my life. Just try living your life as a kunoichi with baby pink hair, two civilian parents and under the shadow of two teammates who happen to be literally two of the greatest shinobi in the history of mankind. Oh, and a captain who became hokage, but was already famous and feared before then.
I hate assumptions. They never work in my favor.
Kiba and Ino are still going on about the guy from the bar, talking over my head as if I had no involvement in the matter.
Irritation brews inside of me, filling me up until I can't hold it in anymore.
I swallow my bread in one gulp and slam the table angrily, silencing Ino and Kiba.
"I'll sleep with whoever I want, whenever I want. So SHUT UP!"
Not the greatest comeback, I'll admit. And I'm now just noticing how many wives and girlfriends there are at this restaurant. None of them look pleased by my comment.
"Excuse me, please." The hostess has reached us, her face pinched with displeasure. Ah fuck. We're about to get kicked out.
The hostess continues. "I am sorry, but the customers are complaining that you're ruining their dining experience. I'm afraid you'll have to -"
She cuts herself off so suddenly that I look over at the direction she's staring at to see the cause of her interruption.
She's staring at Naruto, mouth agape.
"Wha - are you…"
"Yes! Yes!" Ino jumps in, catching on quickly. "Yes, that's Naruto!"
The hostess suddenly straightens up as if she's been electrocuted.
"Naruto-sama! It's an honor to see you here. We did not know when you would return to Konoha."
Naruto laughs awkwardly at being recognized. "Uh, yes, I just got back a few days ago."
"Naruto- sama was just about to join us for dinner." Ino jumps in, that conniving bitch.
She turns to Naruto. " Weren't you?" She asks sweetly, her eyes pleading.
The hostess doesn't even wait for a response. She's now fluttering her hands around in excitement.
"Why yes, of course, Naruto-sama, we're honored to have you try out our fine establishment!" She continues babbling, incoherently, as she backs away from us, refusing to turn her back to Naruto. When she reaches a far enough distance from our table, she pivots on her heels and runs over to the nearest waiter, firing off instructions.
There's a moment as we process what the hell just happened.
Kiba finally speaks up, shrugging.
"Well, I'm hungry. C'mon Naruto, join us. You owe me for going shopping with you."
"You're the one that begged to come along!" Naruto spits angrily.
Kiba waves him off.
"Whatever, man. You still gotta eat. Might as well eat here. I heard the food's good."
In the five seconds it's taken Kiba and Naruto to deliberate whether they want to join us, the waiters have scurried over, adding an additional table and two chairs to our existing arrangement.
Kiba slides into the chair next to Hinata, giving her a quick shoulder hug and gesturing at Naruto. He already has a menu opened and his eyes are scouring the different platters.
There's only one vacant seat left, and it's next to me. I blanch when I realize what that means.
With a sigh, Naruto moves over. He takes the seat, not once looking in my direction.
Across from me, I can already see the blush creeping up Hinata's face.
"Hi N-n-naruto-kun," Hinata stutters.
Ridiculous. Hinata hasn't stuttered once in the last three and a half years.
Naruto's face breaks out into a wide smile, as if just noticing her now.
You can't help but feel for Hinata. She literally almost died for him, in front of the entire village. The entire village is aware of Hinata's feelings for Naruto.
He's oblivious. All these years, and he still hasn't noticed that Hinata's in love with him
"Hey, Hinata!" He reaches across the table and grabs her hands and begins pumping them up and down excitedly. "It's been too long! How's it going?"
I think Hinata's soul just left her body.
Ino laughs and Kiba rolls his eyes as Naruto continues peppering Hinata with questions she seems incapable of answering.
A memory of his less-than-enthusiastic reaction to me last night pops up, uninvited, a huge contrast to his demeanor now. A strange hollow feeling unfurls in my belly. I was starving before, but suddenly I don't have much of an appetite.
Dinner goes as well as it can, considering everything, and we are almost finished our meals. We all agreed to move our conversation topics to dinner-appropriate themes so that we don't get kicked out. We didn't want to push the hostess' patience.
I'm just glad the pressure's off me.
It feels almost like old times, when the rookie nine would just hang out on our days off, before the war.
I glance at Naruto out of the side of my eye.
He looks relaxed, his plate empty, and a smile comes easily to his face as he responds to something Kiba said. His tanned skin gives him a bronzed look, contrasting with his sun-bleached hair. His face has leaned out in the last four years, his boyish looks refined by the rougher, sharper lines that come with maturity.
We've all grown up, I guess.
Kiba launches into another story about his shopping escapades from earlier today, but I'm not really paying attention.
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes flicker towards me as if sensing me staring at him. His blue eyes are electrifying and trap me in his gaze for a second before I hastily look away.
Flustered, I bite my lip and reach for my glass of wine so I have something to do with myself.
"Isn't a medic supposed to lay off the alcohol, you know, especially after last night?" He mutters, too softly for anyone else at the table to hear. It's the first time he's spoken to me tonight.
His comment makes absolutely no sense.
"Do you even know Tsunade?" I mutter back.
I hear a scoff of amusement, but I don't look over at his direction.
Our conversation ends there, after just two sentences. But it makes a world of difference and the tension feels lighter than before.
It's a start, but the relief I feel is palpable.
I can do this. I can co-exist with this guy. God knows I can't avoid him for the rest of my life.
After a few moments, I chance a glance at Naruto, and a flutter in my ribcage threatens to break loose.
He's still looking at me with a serious expression on his face, but I can't tell what he's thinking.
I look away again quickly. Dammit, I'm flustered all over again. Nervously, I take another sip of wine, trying to focus on Kiba.
Yet something keeps drawing me to him. And even though I really shouldn't, after another minute I turn my head slightly, for the third time, in Naruto's direction.
This time, his attention is already back on Kiba. He's laughing along and egging Kiba on with his story. It's as if he hadn't looked my way at all.
The streets are now quiet, the shops having closed a couple hours ago, and the only people around are a few of the diners left and the restaurant staff.
Hinata left a while ago - she's twenty-one, but she has a curfew . Her family is that strict.
Now it's just Kiba, Ino, Naruto and me.
The temperature cooled down a lot once the sun set for the evening. The stars are out and bright tonight, however, and it still smells of summer, so we're walking home instead of taking the bus. We all live in the same area, about a twenty-five minute walk away from here.
Kiba and Naruto are a few steps ahead of Ino and I, talking about guy stuff. Ino and I are deep in discussion about the restaurant food until she reaches her street. With a wave at the group, she turns off the road, heading towards her building, and I jog to catch up to the guys.
A hundred feet farther is Kiba's street, though his family's compound is a ways down the road. He too takes off with a quick wave.
Now it's just Naruto and I.
This is awkward.
He's not speaking and I'm trying to think of something to say, anything, to break the silence, but the harder I think, the less I come up with.
We both keep walking in parallel, clearly still walking together, but for all purposes acting like we're not.
Luckily, my place is just a block away - my building is right off the main street and I can already see it down the hill, illuminated by the soft glow of the street lamps.
I grit my teeth and look down at the path ahead of me, telling my feet to move a little faster, but not so fast that it's obvious I'm trying to make an escape.
As I walk, I curse Ino for making me wear this dress this morning. It's a light summer dress sewn out of thin cotton, and the hem of it lands a few inches above my knees, leaving my legs pretty bare. It was perfect while we were out shopping in the heat of the day, but now I wish I had another layer on.
As a cool breeze blows past me, I shiver quietly and rub my hands against my arms to generate a bit of warmth until I get to my building. I'm a few steps away from the front steps.
Suddenly, a zippered sweater gets slung over my shoulders. The tag is still on it, rustling with the movement of the clothing.
It's huge and my body is swimming in it. The sweater is nearly as long as my dress and the sleeves dangle around my arms, ending past my fingers. But the cloth is thick, soft and warm and my poor body is instantly thankful for it.
Surprised, I look up, and he's staring down at me again. His eyes are inscrutable, and there's a tension in his shoulders running up his neck and jaw. He's gruff when he speaks, as if he doesn't approve of the words coming out of his mouth.
"You'll catch a cold."
I'm so shocked I'm sure I'm gaping at him. Before I can generate a proper thank you, he speaks again, this time more clearly.
"My street is here." He's motioning towards a smaller, residential street branching off from the main road, in front of my building. "Night, Sakura."
Without so much as a second look my way, he makes a quick hand signal and disappears into the night.
I stand there for about a minute with my mouth still hanging open. I don't even know what to think, and it's as if my brain has stalled.
Slowly, I turn and open the door to the front entrance of my apartment building.
I guess I'll return this to him later.