Summary: At Ino's 17th bday, everything happened w/ the sake: Sasuke came back but her latest bf was Shikamaru, Naruto&Lee were Sakura's official suitors, Tenten's crush was NEJI who was jealous because of HINATA whom KIBA confessed his feeling for, w/c Shino knew beforehand, while Choji seemed to appear overweight.
Pairing: NejiHinaKiba (These are all the major characters. Gomen… if I disappoint you. Probably, you think it'll be an Ino fic but the very summary hasn't fitted at all.)
Disclaimer: If I own Naruto... I won't be writing this fic...
1st slice of pizza: A Birthday called for a Reunion
Stars. Stars. Stars. Oh how the stars gleamed so bright in the dark sky.
"Look at this Sakura! Shikamaru gave me this!" Yamanaka Ino incessantly bragged her silver necklace with an emerald pendant, which was formed like the symbol of Konoha, a leaf. She held her chin up and fanned her neck with her hand just to emphasize the said necklace sparkling as if drawing the certain pink haired girl to surrender in envy.
Sakura snickered, sassily covering her mouth. "Ohoho! Guess who have a chance with a lifetime with Sasuke-kun?" Never she failed herself to hide her other side. A very good pretender she was. The bad side of Sakura emerged on her mind saying, 'Aha! Do you think you can vex me that easily Ino?' and then laughed out loud like a wicked witch from the fairy tales inwardly. "Sa-su-ke-is-price-less!" She hissed, muttering under her breath and very slow so that her bestfriend could recognize every syllable that would form into a factual sentence and processed it to her brain that she would eventually realize that she lost over her as she picked Shikamaru over the handsomest guy in town.
"And what do you mean about that Sakura?" Ino raised a brow. "I'll give you an advice. Don't daydream." She sarcastically said and as if her boyfriend wasn't there, she continued arguing about Sasuke. Actually, she didn't care about Sasuke because she got over with him, satisfied with her JOUNIN boyfriend. What was she cared all about was her position to be the winner over this matter, never letting Sakura to win over her. Anyway, this was also an advantage for her. Would Shikamaru get jealous by now?
Sakura scoffed. "Of course, I'm not daydreaming because it's night! Don't make me laugh."
"Isn't I the one who must say that? Don't make it literal dummy." The certain blonde flipped her grown long hair back.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Your boyfriend is there. Beside you." She flipped her pink hair back as well. "Face it, Yamanaka Ino! You can't have Sasuke."
"What's the connection Haruno Sakura? Getting in a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship doesn't mean marriage eventually. So how can you say I can't have Sasuke-kun? Just wait and you'll see."
Sakura looked in askance at Shikamaru who was adjacent to her and was sitting beside Ino. "Tell me Shikamaru. Are you alright by the way your girlfriend act like that? Desiring another man other than you?" Her eyes narrowed seriously, waiting for an abrupt answer because she couldn't wait to see Ino's defeat.
He sweatdropped. 'What have I done to be in this situation? Getting caught in the middle.' The very first he heard his name; he knew he was pulled in this dispute. Very fortunate of him, his ears weren't bleeding yet as he was stuck between the cough mean cough girls.
"Ehem…make the word decent. It's "loving" not "desiring"." Before he got a time to open his mouth and say something, Ino looked at him, and gave a 'you-know-what-to-answer-or-I'll-get-mad-over-you' look. "You're not angry at all, isn't it Shikamaru-kun?" Then she traced circles on his chest like feather-like touches that made him more and more anxious.
'Ino is asking like I have two choices but it appears to be… I have solely… one.' "No. Not at all." And he was rewarded with a peck on the cheek. 'Sometimes I wonder if she answered me out of her blues.'
"See!" Ino exclaimed, satisfied by the way her boyfriend went on her side. 'Oh! How I love Shikamaru!' She grinned widely and helped herself not to hug him so it would be more realistic that she still liked Sasuke and would never let Sakura to win him that easily.
"See? Oh yes, I see. I see that you're a player!"
"No. Just a two-timer." She smugly corrected.
"It's the same."
"No, it's not!"
"Yes, it is."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No, it is a yes."
Swinging her head back from her, she commented. "Nothing satisfies you."
"As the saying goes… Man is insatiable." Ino swung her head back. 'I guess I remember something about Shikamaru's points about life.'
"And when did you get interested in Philosophy?" She snapped back and looked at her skeptically. 'Ino, just tell it QUITS! You LOSE and I WIN!' Sakura's other side screamed, pulling her hair out of her head.
"Since I and Shikamaru were dating!" The birthday girl retorted icily. 'Go ahead. Make my day.' Bet she knew what was on Sakura's mind, seeing that twitching nerve on her wide forehead.
Lee, who was sitting beside Tenten, stood up, rested a foot on the edge of the wooden table and proudly announced while looking at the stars and his eyes were of stars since it was twinkling. "Don't worry girls! There's still a Rock Lee to satisfy your needs!"
"SHUT UP!" In chorus, Sakura and Ino replied with enraging circular shape eyes. Tenten chuckled at Lee's setback. He should have not done that even having a second thought.
The three group of rookies were dining outside a not-so-little and not-so-big stall. Shikamaru, the newly recognized and sole jounin among them, organized this little party for his girlfriend. He preferred here because he was almost BROKE because Ino insisted to buy her that necklace as his birthday present for her and so he needed a cheaper but a fair place to held it. In addition, he invited their closest friends like she wanted. Well, a party wouldn't be a party if there were two or three persons in it?
Choji? Apparently, we could see him eating merrily beside Tenten and didn't care if he was overweight. And oh yeah… I forgot… Choji was the manager. He helped Shikamaru with the expenses especially the foodstuff.
Shikamaru sighed and scratched her head next. 'How troublesome girls can be?' And then drank some sake while tired of minding the girls beside him arguing. A couple of meters away, he saw something bouncing or is it SOMEONE bouncing? "Oh-oh. Naruto's here! More troublesome." He sipped another one and shook his head sideways. Aah… He was only beginning to drink the sake but it seemed the intoxication was there before he started.
Rock Lee, who was sitting beside Tenten, his teammate who would be responsible to restrain him from sake, stood up as soon as he saw that bouncing Naruto. "Oi, Naruto! Get here faster!" He yelled.
"Happy birthday, Ino! Sorry I almost forgot to bring you your present." Naruto sat beside Sakura who was in front and facing happily Sasuke in the almost messed up table. Sasuke was adjacent to Ino with her boyfriend beside and was stoic as ever. The only action he did was to sip from his cup until Naruto came. Bestfriend? Well, basically, when Naruto got in, silence would slip away.
Ino smiled sweetly. "Thank you!" And reached for her little tiny gift from Naruto's hands. 'I wonder what it is?'
"With that wrapper and based on its size and shape, I bet that's a discount card at Ichiraku noodle bar!" Sakura interjected. "He also gave me that as a present. Very much the same." She snide and bit the tempura on her chopsticks.
The kitsune filled his plate at its fullest as soon as he rested his butt comfortably. "You're so great Sakura! That's why I can't help to admire you!" He complimented while Sakura was so used to his compliments such as that. Ino couldn't help to twitch a brow and helped herself to chuckle. At least, Naruto had a present. That was all that count, wasn't it?
Dundurundun… Team Eight arrived with another team's leader, Neji Hyuga.
Tenten wished nobody would notice her blush. "Neji." She muttered. Lucky for her, Ino and everybody looked at the approaching guests.
"Naruto." Hinata whispered and the men beside her heard it. For a sec, there was a negative tense on Neji's face.
They came late because they waited for Hinata to change her wet clothes from sparring with her sister, Hitanabi. She lost track in time as she got carried away with the match. Well, the boys waited for her patiently especially Neji and Kiba, and in return, the sight they saw that evening was very worth their time.
She wore a black yukata with blood red kanji prints on it that reached above her knees and a red obi tied around her slim waist; the colors contrasted her complexion wonderfully. It was a fitted outfit that outlined every curves of a grown lady.
Naruto scratched his hair, his eyes narrowed though it appeared to be closed. "Is that you Hinata?" He examined closer, face inch away from hers. It was been three years since he last saw her. Her eyes widen. Surprised? Shocked? Anxious? Whatever it was… she got beet red then eventually got unconscious like before when he came too close on her face by surprise as he complimented, "You looked different".
"Hinata!" Neji's purple naïve-like eyes were filled with concern. Since his uncle appointed him, he was her personal shinobi without her knowledge.
Everyone was bewildered. "Don't worry. She'll wake up later." Shino opened his lips though not visible because his collar covered it.
Kiba's pet grew bigger; it was fifty times bigger when he was a pup sitting comfortably on his owner's head. Akamaru barked once as Kiba laid the unconscious Hinata on his furry side. "Akamaru, take care of Hinata for awhile. She'll wake up soon." Leaving her with concern eyes, unnoticed by anyone except Hyuga Neji whose eyes was fixed unto her as well, he smiled and Akamaru barked twice in accordance.
The innocent eyes opened up slowly. Then she heard some noise, more laughters. "Huh?" She exclaimed and composed herself. Akamaru barked which grabbed some attention.
"Oi Hinata! Finally, you're awake!" Kiba stood up and pushed the dazed Hinata on one of the benches of the big rectangular table. Everybody stared at her and she thought if there was something in her face. "Alright now. Sit here!" He sat her down beside Naruto and then sat beside her and Shino. Come to think of it, Shino and Shikamaru clicked with their serious and elderly-minded interests.
Hinata pouted. "Kiba!" She wasn't prepared yet. No. Not at all.
"Wow Hinata! You changed a lot!" Naruto scratched his scarred cheek occasionally. "I think you're pretty!" He blurted out and placed a mouthful of food in his mouth. He didn't seem to notice how Hinata reacted with every single thing he did.
She felt the rushing heat on her cheek, circling then getting over her head. 'No! I must not!' She reprimanded herself not to fall back or whatever embarrassing reaction her body would do sooner.
"Of course, she had! She really changed a lot and that's because of you." Kiba said happily and pushed Hinata towards Naruto so there would be no gap between her and her all-time crush. He winked at her and she just blushed and complained. Naruto blinked stupidly and had a blank expression.
Sakura heaved a sigh. "You can't still figure it out, huh Naruto?"
"It's been a while since I've met you Hinata but look at you now! You're such a cutie!" Ino complimented.
Hinata blushed, she seemed embarrassed rather than flattered because she wasn't used to compliments at all. "Oh, Thank you, Ino. And happy birthday!" She handed over her present with a genuine smile that it made her as well to return another smile.
"Thank you."
"Well, well, well… Let's start to PAR-TEY!" Rock Lee shouted and danced like crazy (Think of the 70's) as he sipped a little amount of sake! Intermission number!
"Eat! Eat! Eat!" Choji could utter that behind every food he stuck in his mouth.
Ino stretched her arms upward with a trace of happiness on her flushed face. "Oh I'm so happy, all of you came! This is the happiest birthday party I ever had! With my handsomest guy as icing on my cake!" Then she hugged Shikamaru tightly and didn't care what she did since the intoxication ran on her head.
Shikamaru frowned. "Hn. If I know, that's your Sasuke, isn't it?" Yes, right! He was jealous.
Ino looked at him fondly; her soft eyes told him so. He was so captivated. She ran a hand on his cheek and gently caressed it like feather-like touches. "Finally! You got jealous! I win!" She giggled then the next thing he felt was her hot luscious lips pressed on him. Shikamaru was no more than shocked. Everybody was shocked as well. PDA! Never knew that Ino probably would do that in front of them.
Naruto applaud. "You should do that to me as well Sakura!" And pointed his long lips reaching for Sakura's. Her answer was a hard blow on his face with a loud "Leave me alone!" and we could see Naruto flying with the stars.
'Oh Ino! Sasuke and I will share a passionate kiss sooner or later and I'll rub it to your face that we are called by destiny!' Sakura's dark side screamed while she let them see a smile on contrary.
"Oi! Oi! Naruto! That's not the way to court Sakura!" Lee was easily intoxicated. He stood up and Tenten was worried what would he do next. He walked towards Sakura then grabbed her delicate hands. "Oh Sakura-chan, my lovely flower in winter, would you allow me to escort you back home?" He knelt down beside her and placed a gentle kiss on it.
Sakura was taken aback then stupidly blushed. 'Oh how I wish Sasuke will instead do that?' She cupped her red cheeks with the other hand.
Hinata got affected nonetheless. Love, hurt and anxiety mixed up. 'Naruto still loves Sakura.' She sipped the hot sake on her little ceramic cup. 'Does my love for you is deep as your love to Sakura?' she asked like someone could answer her, inside her playful mind. 'I wish I could confess my feelings for you like you.' She looked at him with wistful eyes. Was it made to lurk for her dreams only?
Shino asked Hinata in a low mild voice. "Oi Hinata! I thought you would tell it to Naruto?" He paused when he didn't saw a positive reaction. "Are you satisfied with laying your eyes on that special person? What if there's nothing after that?"
She bit her lips. Shino had a point. No, he was definitely right. But… When and where she would start?
Neji heard that and he was pissed.
Kiba slammed a fist on the table. "Shit!" He was so intoxicated yet it felt so good; His world was spinning around and it looked like Hinata made it to turn like this. "I love you HINATA HYUGA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. And no, he didn't care at all.
Authoress Notes: Oh yeah! I got influenced with my sister's favorite fic "Ino's Birthday Present" by KagenoKatana
Cliffy? No, not at all because actually I don't know how will I put the next scene and connect it. Anyway, I really liked Hinata out of all the characters of Naruto! Yeah, right, everyone of them seems realistic or portraying the perception of somebody in reality yet I found Hinata much better than the rest of them because I can somehow relate to how she want to change herself and come out of her shell due to the fact that she is inspired with a special someone.