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29. Birthday Dinner

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After her strange talk with the current hokage, Ino decided to go and visit her best friend at home.

The large blonde knocked on the bright wooden door to Sakura's apartment. Strangely the door was not opened by the pinkette, instead it was opened by the current kazekage in civilian leisure clothes. Ino stood there in disbelief. She had not seen him for a long time and was astonished by his grown appearance.

The redhead led her into the living room. Apparently the two were watching movies on her couch together. She witnessed Gaara sitting down next to Sakura, too close for her liking.

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"Ino!" Sakura was happy to see her friend.

"I think you two have a lot to talk about. Enjoy yourself, girls! I have to return to my given apartment to prepare for the dinner." Gaara kissed Sakura on the forehead and bade them goodbye.

Forehead, what is going on?

As the kazekage was gone, Ino looked at her and contemplated verbalizing her thoughts, but she didn't dare to ask.

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"Ino, do you know what happened in my bedroom?"

It all got weirder and weirder.

"What? Are you serious, forehead?" The blonde felt a sudden pain in her heart for Tatsuo and somehow she even thought about the hurt look on Kakashi's masked face. How can an almost hidden face bare so much emotion anyway?

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The pinkette dragged her into her bedroom and pointed at the ceiling. "No! I mean, look at the ceiling there in the corner. Those marks are new!"

Sakura's loud words turned her thoughts down. "Hm, you've been a while in Suna, maybe they rented your apartment to someone in the meantime?"

Secretly the blonde knew from first hand that Tsunade had arranged it so that that apartment in particular stayed vacant for the possibility of her return. Ino had been the one who brushed off the dust from her furniture and aired her rooms occasionally. Seemingly they all had somehow hoped for her to return.

"Sounds plausible."

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The two went back into her living room and plopped down onto her comfy sofa. The pinkette looked very tired and feeble, she had to endure a lot, that was Ino sure of.

"Sakura, do you remember that guy named Tatsuo?"

"Tatsuo?" Surprised emerald met blue. "You mean the ANBU from the bar? Why do you ask?" The weakened medic-nin laughed and told Ino about him as far as she could remember.

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Ino found it strange that the guy was nowhere around, they had been so close. She began to wonder if he had been killed during the incident. It was clear that she suffered from memory loss. The pinkette could not recall the things that happened after her mission in Suna. In her reality she was still romantically bonded with the kazekage and told her best friend a bit about their blooming relationship. She did not know any details about what had happened to Sakura, albeit that there had been an ambush and the pinkette hardly survived.

I don't want to push her.

Instead she helped her friend to find a dress for her birthday dinner that hid her bandages. Sakura's body had to recover from the poison, her chakra was gently rebuilding and that caused her bad wound to heal slowly.

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In the evening they met at the skyline. Ino and Sai sat down next to Sakura and Gaara, Naruto came alone because at her state of memory she could not stand his wife. Shikamaru and Temari were also there and so were Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai and Anko.

It was an awkward dinner, at least the food was good. They had ordered a huge plate with assorted sushi to share and different side dishes. As it seemed the pink-haired guest of honor had little to no appetite and her companion was very tense. Whenever she saw a shadow she looked up as if she was waiting for someone and oddly the kazekage did the same. Everybody found their behaviour conspicuous and unusual.

For dessert, which was an orange cake with fudge layer and peanut cream, the kazekage made an announcement: "Thank you for your company. It was nice to meet you all. Unfortunately we have to return back home tomorrow. We hope to see you again in Suna someday! Enjoy your cake!"

The moment he said the word home the pinkette felt her stomach turn. On the outside she smiled, but deep inside she felt a pain that had not been there before.

"Excuse me, I need some fresh air."

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Sakura went outside the restaurant and went a few meters to cool down. She stopped at a waist-high wall and let her hands leisurely roam its stones. She found it strange that her sensei did not show up to her birthday party. She thought it could be caused by his new profession, on which she could never gratify him. At least that was what she thought. The pinkette had been looking forward to a conversation with him tonight. Somehow I miss him.

As she had done unintentionally for nearly the whole evening before, her hands found deep interest in playing with the delicate necklace she had been wearing as she had woken up in hospital. She could not remember it, yet she felt somehow connected with that beautiful piece of fine jewellery.

Looking at the city lights a heavy feeling washed over her as she realised what she would have to leave behind. Again. All of a sudden she felt lost and alone, she could not understand why. Out of nowhere a sole tear found its way trickling down her rosy cheeks. Naruto had followed her in silence, wordless he put her green coat on her shoulders and put an arm loosely around her, then they watched the village by night for a while.

At least Naruto would be there if she needed him.

Please remember, Sakura-chan! For the sake of your heart, for the sake of you all. Remember him.

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