It seems to take me eighty years to update a fic, that's not a very promising prospect now is it? Let's hope this was all worth it, eh? Future chapters won't be that slow, my word. Had some.. Issues with stress. Sorry. Uu;
Disclaimer: If Naruto was mine, oh the things that I'd do to Itachi. ©Kishimoto
As we last left our protagonist…
The light reflected off of small objects and played tricks on their eyes, causing shadows to dance in the thick branches of the woods. Almost every little twig and leaf had it's own place, and then they came stampeding through with their misplaced argument, scattering light and throwing uninvited sound to the far reaches of the serene setting. In a last ditch of fumbling frustration as he half stumbled over a root and the words to pick himself up out of the proverbial dog-house with his long time ally and friend, he dropped to sit on a fallen log.
"Don't be silly, Naruto… you have to return to the village at some point."
"Nope, not really. I don't have to if I don't want to." Naruto retained that stubborn immaturity, even in his older teen years.
"Well fine, I'm not staying in this creepy part of the forest just because you're being dumb. Have fun… At night... By yourself... When the sand ninja come for stragglers." she responded in a sing-song voice as she sauntered off, waiting for him to jump up after her.
Though as appealing as staying out here in the nice fresh air seemed, it wasn't as nice an idea to be picked off by some renegade psychotic sand-nin. So up he was a few moments after her silhouette faded towards their familiar home village.
"Sakura-Chan! Alright! I changed my mind…" he shook his leg free of a branch that had gotten caught on his pants, "…Sakura-Chan?"
Twilight was hitting so the streets had just begun to be decorated with trails of light and the smells of night vendors opening their doors to let the aroma waft out and entice passersby to partake in their delicacies.
Sakura walked silently down a main street, gazing off absentmindedly at the lights in the distance a little further down. Her mind, as it was for the past few years, was elsewhere. Uchiha Sasuke had returned from training with Kakashi having gained leagues of skills in ninjutsu and taijutsu, but his people skills were still lacking. Probably due to the fact that their teacher could use some people skills himself, Sakura couldn't blame poor Kakashi for being a bit of a self-contained person. He had his reasons, this was learned early on in their training.
Sakura came to rest on a bench, looking up at the five faces of the great hokage's carved into the mountain wall. Though her body was at rest, her mind raced with thoughts that she'd rather put to an end. A tentative yet familiar voice broke her mind's ill-ease, with a sincere question Sakura was snapped back to attention.
"Haruno-San… may… may I sit there… please?"
"Hinata-Chan, of course." Sakura responded with an inviting smile.
After the girls stared up at the eternally placid hokages in a moment of silence, Hinata broke with a statement that caught Sakura off guard.
"The hokages… they're really strong… like… Naruto." she said it in an almost offhanded sort of way, as if the whole world should have already known this.
"Yeah.. Yeah, Naruto is pretty strong. But not like a hokage."
"Oh but! He says he'll become hokage and I just know that he can do it. He's so determined, he always keeps his promises.." A blush overcame the tiny Hyuuga's pale cheeks as she looked down, suddenly massively interested in her own feet and surprised at the confidence with which she said that.
Sakura only smiled, keeping her gaze solidly on the mountain. If there's one thing that lunkhead is good at it's keeping those crazy promises he makes.
"Yes, you're right Hinata-Chan. He never breaks a promise."
"Haruno-San, do you think… well do you think that… Oh! I have to go, if I'm late to dinner.. then, well.. I don't even want to think about it…"
Sakura looked to the girl in surprise, she was up and off in such a hurry, as if the world depended on it. With a small sigh she slumped on the bench and closed her eyes, tired from today's training and whatnot. Though she didn't have long to rest as a pair of hands were up and over her eyes and a playful voice was in her ear moments later.
"Guess who?"
"… Naruto, usually you change your voice when you do that." she laughed as she grabbed one of his hands to keep him from escaping defeat.
"Aw well, I still win anyway."
"Why is that?"
"Because I have a coupon, so I'm buying you dinner at Ichiraku, let's go!" he announced excitedly, breaking his hand free and launching it into the air triumphantly.
"Oh… I was thinking of just going home for dinner…"
"Awh, come on Sakura-Chan. You know you want some!" he teased, pulling the coupon from his forehead protector and waving it in front of her.
Sakura nabbed the coupon from him quickly and in a flurry like fuchsia thunder, she was off running in the opposite direction and waving it above his head, taunting him. Sakura shoved it into the long sleeve of her red jacket, having traded in her old outfit for a longish red jacket with the traditional white pattern on it, and black pants with many pockets for holding her extra medicinal belongings since she began special training. Naruto made a grab for it before it slipped out of sight into her sleeve, then a long and dramatic sigh as he straightened up and shrugged in desperation.
"Well I guess it's lost then, no ramen for me."
Sakura eyed him suspiciously for a moment, He's not giving up a free meal just because I stole it from him..
With reckless abandon and no warning whatsoever Naruto pounced, holding Sakura's empty arm with his left hand and probing for his coupon with the other. This caused the ticklish Sakura to erupt into a fit of giggles at the mere prospect of being touched and she batted wildly at the prying boy.
"What! Hey… Naruto… stop that's… NOT MY ARM." she shrieked with a swing at his head, nearly missing as the bright haired Naruto ducked just in time.
"Whoa, that looked like it would have hurt!" he replied in a mock insulted voice "But at least I got this, now let's go. You aren't really just going home, are you?" he produced the coupon victoriously as Sakura righted herself and stuck her tongue out at him.
"I should, but.. I guess I could stand a bowl." her stomach couldn't stand to be spiteful, it let out a loud growl as it's way of asking to be taken to Ichiraku.
Ichiraku was guilty for some of the delicious aroma wafting out into the street, miso noodles with delicious seafood piled on top was their specialty and Naruto's favorite dish. The two teenagers ducked their way into the small but welcoming ramen shop and took a seat at the counter, taking in the wonderful smells and greetings from the friendly 'old man'. Though, he was probably only a few years Kakashi's senior.
"I'll have the seafood special." Naruto said as he triumphantly smacked the coupon onto the counter with his full open palm.
"And this beautiful young lady..?"
"She'll have the curry, but.. make it mild." Naruto said with a smile to Sakura
"W…Why mild? I like spicy stuff!" she almost puffed out her cheeks in disdain at the suggestion that she couldn't handle that sort of thing.
"Because we'll share and I don't like it that spicy."
"Share?" she sat and processed this idea for a moment as the old man smiled and made their food "Who says you're allowed to eat mine? You got the biggest one on the menu and we're sharing!" she pinched his cheeks as she said this
"Are you fohgettin tat I baht you your wahmen in the first pwace?"
(Are you forgetting that I bought you your ramen in the first place?)
Sakura blushed as she released his cheeks, then began to laugh almost hysterically.
"Wha.. Ow, That hurt! What's so funny?"
"The way… you just… spoke! It was ridiculous! Do it again!"
Naruto prevented her from grabbing his cheeks a second time in jest as she continued her insane giggle fit, At least she doesn't hate me anymore.
Naruto grasped his own cheeks as the old man set the bowls down, a look of confusion and doubt spread across the man's face as Naruto did this. He stretched his mouth out a bit and began to speak.
"Dhere, like dhis you mean?" he succeeded in getting a spot of drool down his front as he did this, which made Sakura laugh even harder.
"Our… food is here.." she picked up her chopsticks and broke them off with a sigh
"Are you two practicing for a booth in the festival?" the old man stared at Naruto who was still holding his cheeks like some sort of fish.
"Feshavhal?"
"Pardon sir, but we haven't heard about any festival." Sakura said as she subdued a laugh.
Naruto let go of his lips so that he could pay attention to the old man, this seemed worth hearing, though he still broke apart his chopsticks and ate while he listened, he was capable of multitasking and his ramen was immensely important as well.
"Well, Lady Hokage is having a huge festival for all of Konohagakure. It's going to be a few days long."
".. I haven't heard anything about that, when did you hear this? When is it?"
"I only just heard yesterday, it's supposedly in a week." the old man was surprised by the barrage of questions.
After finishing their meal, Naruto and Sakura left Ichiraku and thanked the man for the wonderful food as always. Naruto was fully satisfied by that, but now something else was pulling on the threads of Sakura's mind.
"What's wrong? Was the curry too spicy?"
"No.. I'm just wondering why Tsunade-Sama never told me about this."
"Maybe she had a good reason, does she think you're too busy right now?"
"No, she knows I'm not.. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto…"
As she turned to make her way up the stairs to her home, thoughts raced once again in her mind. Why wouldn't I be told something if all of Konoha is involved.. She tried her best to keep upbeat, in a week the streets would be filled with happy people buzzing about more than usual, but something she couldn't explain was biting her from the inside out.
I'm sorry! It still doesn't seem long enough. All that waiting too.. but I swear I'll have the third chapter up WAY faster. As in.. INSANELY faster. Please don't hurt me. -begs-