Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. I'm only borrowing characters for my own entertainment.
Blue-Eyed Blonde
Periwinkle: The Color of Ino's Eyes
Naruto frowned as he was awakened by an incessant buzzing. Sitting up, he looked blearily around for the source of the sound and scowled at the alarm clock as he turned it off. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, finally noticing that the house was cleaner than it was when he arrived home last night.
Swinging his legs off the bed, he smiled to himself. Saa... Sasuke's so good to me. I really should repay him somehow... I know! I'll find out who he likes and get them together! The blonde grinned as he got off the bed to get ready for training. Finally he had found a way to repay Sasuke for his kindness.
Now clothed in his orange jumpsuit, Naruto boiled some water for his ramen. While waiting, he thought of who Sasuke might like. It's
definitely not Sakura-chan since Sasuke already said that he won't fight with me
over her, and she's no blonde. Hmmm... Blue-eyed blonde... Let's start from the girls at the
academy. There's Hinata-chan and Tenten and In- That's it! Ino! She's a a
blue-eyed blonde! It's got to be her! After all, how many blue-eyed blondes are there in Konohagakure?
Naruto's grin widened. Hehe... Sasuke would be so surprised that I've figured out who he likes. And to make it even better, I won't even tell him that I know. I'll just go straight to the matchmaking part. After all, everyone knows that Ino likes Sasuke... So it's unlikely that she'll reject him.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called happily as he glomped the taller boy, to Sasuke's hidden delight.
"You're happy today Naruto," Sasuke commented, wrapping his arms round Naruto to prevent both boys from falling.
"I'm happy everyday!" Naruto said childishly, refusing to let go of Sasuke, who was trying half-heartedly to pry the blonde off him.
"Why's that?" Sasuke asked, entertaining the shorter boy.
"Because I'm with Sasuke. I'm happy when I'm with Sasuke!" Naruto declared, still hugging the boy tightly. Sasuke looked away to hide his blush. "Che. Don't say things like that."
"Why not? It's true! I'm happy when I'm with Sasuke," Naruto said, finally letting go of the Uchiha to peer curiously at the onyx-eyed boy, who pushed the smaller boy's face away from his gently and sat down, not wanting the blonde to notice his blush.
"It sounds like we're a couple," Sasuke said. Not that I'd mind if we really were a couple. In fact, I wish we could be one.
"Sasuke doesn't like me?" Naruto asked sadly, giving Sasuke a pitiful look.
"Of course I do!" Sasuke said, sighing slightly at Naruto's innocence. More than you think, Naruto. Is there a word called over-innocent? Honestly, if there is, it would be a great word to describe Naruto...
"Then it's all right to sound like a couple, ne Sasuke?" Naruto asked innocently as he sat down beside Sasuke. Not knowing what else to say, Sasuke nodded. How can he be so innocent at the age of thirteen! But I guess that's what makes him endearing... My Naruto...
"Ohayou Ino," Shikamaru greeted as he walked by the flower shop as he did every morning, where the girl was helping to bring out the flowers before she left for training. The blonde looked up from the flowers, blushing lightly.
"Ohayou Shikamaru, on way your to the academy?" Ino asked, whacking herself mentally when the words came out. Isn't it obvious that he's going to the academy! He passes by here every morning! Argh... Ino you baka! He's just your childhood friend that you happen to like, nothing to be nervous about!
"Aa. I think I can resume missions in a month's time, but Aiko-san says that she may be retiring as a kunoichi to look after her child after she gives birth. If she does I might stay on at the academy to teach for some time," the lazy boy replied.
"She'll most probably retire I guess. Most of the kunoichi do after their first child. Never expected you to become an academy teacher though," Ino commented.
"It's not like I wanted to," Shikamaru muttered.
"Don't you think Sasuke and Naruto will make a good couple?" the girl asked suddenly.
"Why are you asking all of a sudden? Unless... You're going to matchmake them?"
"Why not? I saw them yesterday, and it was so obvious that they like like each other, but Naruto is really too dense, and I doubt Sasuke-kun will say anything about his feelings. So we have to make Naruto be the one to confess, and to do that, we have to make Naruto realize that he likes Sasuke-kun and not Sakura-chan. Besides, the sooner Sasuke-kun gets attached, the sooner Sakura-chan can get over him. She needs to get a life of her own, one that doesn't involve Sasuke-kun, who doesn't even acknowledge her presence. She can't spend her whole teenage years chasing someone who obviously will never give her the time of the day."
"Che. Do whatever you want. Just don't get me involved like you always did when we were young. I always had to take the blame for you. Anyway, you better get going. Send the others my regards," Shikamaru said.
"Oh. I'll go tell my mother that I'm leaving," Ino said, going back into the shop to tell her mother that she was leaving and coming out a minute later.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Shikamaru," Ino yelled as she ran towards the training grounds. The chuunin watched the blonde disappear in the crowd before turning and making his way to the academy.
"Ohayou Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted cheerfully as she found the two boys sitting at the bridge.
"Hn."
"Good morning Sakura-chan! Mou Sasuke, don't be so mean to Sakura-chan!"
"Fine. Good morning Sakura-chan," Sasuke greeted reluctantly and rather sarcastically, though the sarcasm was lost on the kunoichi, who squealed happily. The taller boy glared at the girl from beneath his lashes. Che. So annoying. Squealing like a pig being caught in a net.
The boy decided to turn to look at the blonde instead, and growled softly when he noticed his best friend staring adoringly at the pink-haired girl. Che. What does he see in her anyway? I'm the one who's always there for him. I'm the one who cares about him. Yet all he sees is her, with her annoying pink hair. I mean, who the hell has pink hair? It can't be natural.
Sakura sat down beside Sasuke, much to the boy's annoyance, but he preferred to have her sitting next to him than having her beside Naruto, so he didn't say anything. Instead, he tuned the girl's eyes on him out and resumed his fox-watching.
"Yo," Kakashi said as he arrived.
"You're late!" Sakura and Naruto yelled, pointing at him accusingly.
"Maa... Iruka and I didn't sleep much last night, so I overslept," the man replied.
"Hentai!" the two genin yelled, covering their ears. Sasuke smirked in amusement at Naruto's antics.
"At least I didn't lie this time," the jounin said amusedly. "Saa, we've got a mission today. We're supposed to sweep up the dead leaves outside Aiko-san's house."
"You mean that nice chuunin teacher at the academy? Why can't she sweep the leaves up herself?" Naruto asked curiously.
"She's eight months pregnant," the jounin replied.
"Really? Sugoi! Can we go visit her?" the blonde asked excitedly. Aiko was his favorite teacher at the academy after Iruka.
"I guess you could if she doesn't mind. But only after you've finished with your mission."
"Wai! We've going to visit Aiko-sensei!" the blonde cheered, hugging Sasuke happily, much to Sakura's displeasure and Sasuke's delight, though he didn't show it.
"You don't have to be so excited about it dobe," Sasuke said, smirking at the boy. No way was he going to smile with Sakura and Kakashi around.
"Don't call me dobe. I'm not a dead-last," Naruto protested weakly, knowing it was no longer an insult but Sasuke's endearment for him, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
"Fine. Now let go of me," Sasuke said, though he was reluctant to have Naruto stop hugging him.
"Let's go. Aiko-san's house should be this way," Sakura said, narrowing her eyes at Naruto as the group made their way to the chuunin's house.
"Naruto, watch out for tha-"
"Oof!"
Too late, the boy had tripped over the rake and was now lying face-down on the ground. Looking around, the Uchiha checked for his annoying teammate before making his way to the blonde, knowing that the silver-haired sensei of his was omnipresent.
"You're such a clumsy dobe, you know that?" the taller boy said, kneeling down beside the short blonde. "Are you all right? Feel any pain anywhere?"
"I'm fine," the boy replied as he tried to stand up.
"No you're not. You're bleeding. Let me look at it!" Sasuke insisted, pushing the blonde down, rolling up Naruto's pants to take a look at the wound on his knee. The boy struggled a bit, but a glare from the taller boy made him quiet down, smiling to himself. I... I kinda like having Sasuke fuss over me all the time. Even if it makes me feel like a girl, I still like it.
"Does it hurt?" the brunette asked worriedly.
"A little."
"You sit here and rest. I'll do your share of the work."
"But I can s-" A fierce glare from Sasuke cut the boy off.
"All right," the blonde muttered reluctantly. Satisfied, Sasuke got back to work. A pair of blue eyes watched as the boy did his work. Saa... How to get Sasuke and Ino together? I doubt shoving them into a room would help, though it worked for Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Iruka-sensei got so scared of the spiders that he couldn't stop clinging to Kakashi-sensei. Hehe. But Sasuke doesn't fear anything and I have no idea what Ino's scared of, so the room won't work. Ah! I know! I'll write them love letters! Hehe... Sasuke will be so surprised to get a letter from his blue-eyed blonde.
"All right, you three are free to go. Naruto, better clean up that wound of yours. It's nothing serious, but it could get infected if you don't take care of it," Kakashi said. The blonde nodded at the teacher's words. Satisfied, the jounin did a series of hand seals and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Sasuke-kun, would you li-"
"Come on Naruto, I'll take you home," Sasuke said, picking the smaller boy up as he cut off the kunoichi.
"Wha- Sasuke! Put me down! I'm fine! I want to visit Aiko-sensei!" the boy protested loudly, struggling in the brunette's arms. Sasuke tightened his arms round the blonde so that the boy couldn't move too much. "We'll visit her another day. First, we have to get your wound cleaned up."
"Sasuke, it hurts! You're holding me too tightly!"
"If you stop struggling, I'll loosen my grip. So will you stop struggling?"
Naruto nodded silently. Satisfied, the Uchiha loosened his grip on the blonde and moved the boy a little, bringing him to a more comfortable position. Naruto noticed Sakura's glare and buried his face in Sasuke's chest, not wanting to see her glaring at him. Sasuke ignored the girl and walked off, his beloved blue-eyed blonde cradled protectively in his arms.
"Itai! Sasuke, get off me! It hurts!" a yell was heard from the small apartment of Uzumaki Naruto as he tried to push the survivor of the Uchiha clan off his stomach, where the boy was sitting and putting iodine on his injured knee.
"Naruto! Stop moving about and just bear with it! The pain will go away after a while," another voice was heard. At the corridor, another two voices were heard, though they were much softer and more feminine this time.
"See? I told you that they're a couple! They're doing it right now!" one of the voices exclaimed softly.
"Why can't you say that they're having sex? And I still can't believe we're betting over a stuffed toy," another voice said just as softly, though more bored than the first.
"Well, we're betting more for fun than for the prize anyway. Now let's go find something else to bet on," the first voice replied. The second girl nodded and the two girls left.
"Sasuke, it hurts! Can't you be more gentle!"
"Just bear with it for a while more all right? Besides, it's not as if you haven't had worse."
"The pain's starting to go away."
"Good. There, it's done," Sasuke said, getting off the blonde's stomach. Naruto sat up and looked at his knee, then grinned at the other boy, lunging at him. "Arigatou Sasuke!"
Sasuke, used to being glomped by the smaller boy, wrapped his arms round the blonde's waist to prevent them from falling. He brushed his lips against Naruto's hair as he put the boy on the bed and sat down beside the boy.
"Ne Sasuke, I'm going to Iruka-sensei's apartment. Wanna come?" Naruto asked after a short silence.
"I'll walk you there," the brunette said, standing up.
"Ok! Let's go!" Naruto said happily, jumping off the bed.
"Naruto! Don't jump around with your knee injured!" Sasuke chided worriedly, causing the blonde to laugh at how different Sasuke was when the two of them were alone as he pulled the brunette out the door. "Maa Sasuke, you're such a worrywart, but it's kinda sweet in a way. If your fangirls know what you're really like beneath your icy exterior, they'll definitely fall even harder for you!"
"Che. Like I care about what those fangirls think. Besides, I only plan on letting one person see beneath my icy exterior, as you call it," Sasuke said, a light blush dusting his alabaster skin as he waited for the blonde to lock the door. Once the door was locked, the two boys started to walk towards the dolphin's apartment, Sasuke insisting that Naruto lean on him, to the blonde's slight annoyance. He's such a worrywart when it comes to people he truly cares for. But as I told him, it's kinda sweet. And he's one of the most good-looking genin in the village. Ino's so lucky to snag a guy like Sasuke. If I were a girl, I'd definitely fall for him too!
"Iruka-sensei!" a loud voice called, along with loud knocking on the door, defeating the purpose of the doorbell. Kakashi groaned as the chuunin got off his lap to answer the door, and pulled up his mask with one hand, picking up his favorite book from the coffee table with the other.
"Hello Naruto," Iruka greeted politely as the blonde entered the apartment.
"Ne Iruka-sensei, did I interrupt you guys?" the boy asked innocently as he noticed Kakashi. The jounin nodded as the chuunin denied. Naruto looked from Iruka to Kakashi, then back to the academy teacher.
"Maa, it doesn't matter. I just need to borrow a pen and some paper. You guys continue what you're doing. Ignore me," the short boy said, walking into Iruka's study as if it was his own. The two men watched the blonde close the door, silently for once, then looked at each other.
"So... Shall we listen to Naruto?" Kakashi asked after putting his book back down, pulling the chuunin into his lap. Iruka pushed at the larger man's chest, blushing. "Naruto's in that room! He could come out anytime! I don't want to scar him emotionally by having him watch his two teachers make out!"
"But he was the one who got us together in the first place, thanks to your fear of spiders," the jounin said, his tone slightly whiny, to the younger man's amusement.
"Ne Kakashi, if you wait til Naruto leaves, you can stay here tonight. How's that?" the dolphin asked, trailing a finger down the man's chest suggestively. The older man cheered up immediately and picked up his book again. "Ok, I'll wait."
In the study, Naruto grinned to himself and wrote out a poem to Ino in his neatest handwriting. Heh. Good thing no one knows about my secret passion for poetry, not even Sasuke. Sasuke's going to be so surprised and happy! And when Sasuke's taken by Ino, I can comfort Sakura-chan too! Then both Sasuke and I will be happy!
He read through the completed note gleefully, making sure there were no errors before starting on a note for Sasuke, the black-eyed brunette. Hehe... It's going to be fun to watch their reactions.
Naruto walked out of the study to find his favorite couple sitting on the sofa, cuddling as they watched some random yaoi anime. Naruto looked at the screen, trying to figure out what anime the two men were watching.
"It's Gravitation."
Naruto jumped at Kakashi's sudden announcement. "Oh. I thought it looked familiar. Anyway, I'm done with the computer, so I won't disturb the two of you. I'll come visit when you're free, Iruka-sensei. Oh, and I took two of your envelopes."
"I'm fine with it as long as you're not playing pranks on people. Why don't you stay for a while more?" the chuunin asked, turning away from the television to face the blonde, who already had a hand on the doorknob.
"I've got some things to do. Besides, I wouldn't want to interrupt you and Kakashi-sensei. I'll be back some other time!" the boy said, opening the door and stepping out. Once the door was closed, Kakashi pounced on the dolphin.
Naruto ran over to the Yamanaka house's front yard. He slipped the letter into the mailbox and ran off. He kept the other letter carefully in his orange jacket, deciding to hand it to Sasuke personally when he saw the boy the next day. Grinning to himself, the blonde started to walk towards his own apartment.
To Be Continued...
Hmmm... Seems like Naruto has found a way to matchmake Ino and Sasuke, but Ino doesn't like Sasuke anymore. Instead, she likes another black-eyed brunette. What a mess. -grins- Wahaha... Can't wait to get started on the next chapter.