Ramen and Black Shirts

Naruto made his way wearily through Konoha's streets. Tsunade had informed him that his missing student had found his way back to Konoha and filed an earlier mission report, so he hoped the other two would think to look for him.

As he trekked through the thin traffic, he couldn't help noticing that stares he was receiving. Granted, he was used to stares, but they had never been like this. People looked relieved. There were some who were certain they were being visited by the dead, but the majority realised that they were witnessing a walking miracle, and to this end they smiled.

Case-in-point, Naruto had even been accosted by blubbering Yamanaka Ino before he made it to his home; he had made the mistake of passing the flower shop. Well, maybe not by mistake, he had entered it with every intention of buying "I'm sorry for making you think I was dead" flowers for Sakura. After being gone for more than a month, he figured it was the least he could do.

The bell on the shop door tinkled merrily.

"Hey, uh, Ino-chan? I need some flowers."

The blonde kunoichi was seated behind the counter, fervently engrossed with a magazine.

"Mm hm… What for?" apparently his presence had not yet registered with her.

"Well, I've been away a while… I think Sakura might be a little pissed about that…"

"Apology flowers are fif-" Ino snapped to attention; she faced Naruto with wide eyes.

"Oh…my…god…" Her voice wavered as tears began welling in her eyes.

"Ino-chan?" By this point, Naruto had begun backing away nervously. His reaction time was slowed, however, after weeks on the field so the hapless shinobi had no means of escaping the emotion-crazed kunoichi as she leapt over the counter and tackled him fiercely.

"Naruto-kun! We thought you were dead!" Ino all but wailed. Naruto was certain she had said something else… or actually a lot of something else, but her tears were muffling by her babbling. Well, Naruto decided, at least his uniform was already messy.

"So you didn't die."

Naruto hadn't noticed Shikamaru.

"She's still making you work?" Shikamaru just shrugged.

"What's Temari think of that?" Naruto wasn't so exhausted that he was above teasing.

"Dunno," Shikamaru conceded.

Needless to say, Ino's ruckus caused an even larger stir and soon enough nearly ever shinobi and civilian in Konoha knew that Uzumaki Naruto had returned alive, contrary to report. Every shinobi, sans Sakura.

When the blonde kunoichi had finally settled, she was inquired by Naruto of Sakura's whereabouts. In all honesty, Ino could not answer, so Naruto purchased fifteen orange tea roses, and continued his way home.

After having spent a decidedly long time fumbling for his apartment keys once he finally arrived, Naruto finally remembered he never brought them on missions. So, after a few more minutes of trying to rack his sleep-deprived mind for the hiding place of the keys Naruto gave up and decided to try his luck without them. If he was lucky, maybe he had forgotten to lock his place before leaving. The exhausted shinobi was pleasantly surprised to find that, in his haste, he had indeed forgotten to lock the door.

Cautionary tactics aside and feeling safe knowing he was finally home, Naruto awkwardly plodded into his small apartment room. He stopped dead in his tracks; for there, in his direct line of sight, were the two great loves in his life: a very surprised Haruno Sakura (wearing one of his shirts, he noticed in amusement) and a steaming bowl of ramen in her hands.

It should be noted though, that the bowl was now on a collision course to the floor.

End Chapitre

Post-Mission Analysis If anyone's wondering, these are written accompaniments to my illustrated fic in my deviantART gallery.

Edit I added the chunk of conversation with Ino and Shikamaru, you have Alesca Munroe to blame for that one. FYI, fifteen roses are for apology, tea roses mean "I still love you", and orange roses are for fascination… but Naruto didn't care as long as they were orange.