Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its plot or characters. I own any OC, my plot, and anything else you don't recognize unless otherwise stated.
Thank you both guests for your reviews.
scorpia1029: that sounds nice but I don't know what the festival would be for. I'm gunna do some research and just look up Japanese festivals so that'll probably be in the next chapter or so. I will give you credit in the chapter the scene is.
Coco96: Yep that was an idea I actually forgot I had so thank you for reminding me.
garrin ship (guest): Omg a ship name, NICE. The two have met but I didn't have them really talk. I could have them talk though I can see them being friends.
LynnStark: I'm sorry. I'm kinda mainly focused on my Until Dawn story but I will come back to this I promise.
I actually didn't like Lee when I used to watch Naruto as a kid, can't remember why, but now I just find him adorkable.
Think twice before you touch my girl
Come around I'll let you feel the burn
Think twice before you touch my girl
Come around come around no more
-Eve 6 -Think Twice
Temari sat on her hotel bed, Kankurō and Baki stood nearby; they all spoke in hushed voices.
"Do we have to?" Kankurō asked. "She hasn't done anything wrong."
"She keeps him calm; that's the last thing we need." Baki said. "We're not going to kill the girl. We just need to be sure that Gaara at least hears her scream. That won't be our responsibility we just can't interfere."
"You made it clear not to kill her right?" Temari asked.
"Yes. Now drop it. They could come back any minute." Baki hissed. A moment later the door opened and Rin skipped into the room. The three quickly turned to look at her and she froze mid-skip.
"What? I can skip." she said crossing her arms. The three relaxed; Rin hadn't heard them talking. "I left my wallet in here." Rin said walking over to her suitcase that was still on her perfectly made bed. She opened it and searched the pockets of a pair of pants. "Aha!" She held up her wallet and turned to look at the others who were still watching her. "What?" The three looked away.
"Nothing." Temari said.
"Okay." Rin said with a shrug as she closed her suitcase. She walked to the door but stopped when she was in front of Temari. "We should go shopping at some point." Temari nodded.
"Sure. Later." Temari said.
"Yay." Rin said before leaving. Kankurō let out a sigh.
"So much for her not coming in here." he said. Baki turned to look at Temari.
"Gaara's in his room." Temari told Baki before the man could ask.
Ino sighed resting her chin in her palm as she stood behind the counter of the flower shop. Something caught her eye and she saw Rin walk into the shop. It took her a moment but Ino recognized her as the girl who was friends with Gaara.
"What kind of flower do you think Lee would like?" Rin asked.
"Huh?"
"Lee. The boy who got hurt in the preliminaries. What kind of flowers does he like? I don't wanna show up empty handed." Rin said.
"You're going to visit Lee?" Ino asked. Rin nodded.
"I feel bad that Gaara hurt him as much as he did."
"How can you be friends with that guy? Lee will never be able to fight again! Don't you understand that?" Rin frowned and bit her lip as tears came to her eyes.
"I've been with him since we were kids. He wasn't always like this." Rin said wiping away her tears before they fell. "He can be really sweet."
"Sweet?"
"Yes. He's nice."
"Maybe to you." Ino said. "Have you seen the way he looks at everyone else?" Images of the night before flashed into Rin's mind. She turned to a few potted flowers.
"Do you think Lee likes irises?" Rin asked. Ino watched Rin bite her quivering lip.
"Yeah." she said with a nod. Rin nodded and picked one out. She paid in silence before turning to leave. She paused and turned back.
"If you'd met him back then…" she trailed off with a small smile. Ino suddenly looked sympathetic. Rin left without another word.
Rin asked the hospital receptionist where Lee's room was before heading down a hallway. Rin knocked on the door before opening it slowly.
"Lee?" She asked softly. Rin walked inside as Lee opened his eyes weakly. "Hey." Rin said as she approached the bed.
"I remember you. You are Rin." he said. Rin nodded.
"I brought you a flower." she said holding it up. Lee smiled.
"It matches your hair."
"Mhm." Rin hummed as she added the flower to the vase on the bedside table.
"When I look at it I'll think of you." Lee said. Rin felt her cheeks heat up and smiled shyly. "How do you feel?" Lee's smile faded. "I'm sorry." Rin said suddenly. Lee blinked. "I'm sorry that Gaara hurt you."
"It was a match-"
"That's no excuse! He shouldn't have…" Rin trailed off. "Can I visit you tomorrow too?" She asked. Lee smiled.
"Of course. I don't know if I'll be awake but I'll try to be, for you." Lee said. Rin smiled.
"I'm sorry for waking you. I'll let you rest." Rin said before kissing his forehead as he closed his eyes.
Rin stood in front of an apartment door with a tote bag on her shoulder and knocked, a moment later Naruto opened the door.
"Rin?" he blinked. "H-HI, what are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?"
"Hi, I just asked Teuchi-san at Ichiraku Ramen." Rin said.
"Oh."
"Can I use your oven?" Rin asked with a smile holding her hands behind her back.
"My oven?"
"I want to make cupcakes for all the participants of the exams." Rin said. Naruto tilted his head slightly.
"Why?" he asked. Rin shrugged.
"I dunno. I thought of it during the second exam and figured I'd ask someone if I could use their oven."
"Oh." Naruto glanced into the mess that was his apartment. "Uh… Maybe you should ask Sakura, she'd probably have more room." he said with a nervous chuckle.
"Oh okay. Do you know where she lives?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, I'll show you." Naruto said as he came outside and closed his door behind him. "And uh, if you want some help I wouldn't mind helping."
"Really? Thanks Naruto!" Rin said with a big smile. He smiled back, a light pink dusting his cheeks.
"No problem." he said.
…
Rin and Naruto walked side by side figuring out how many cupcakes they would have to make for everyone when they saw Hinata walking towards them. Rin noticed her and waved with a big smile.
"Hey Hinata!" Rin called before running up to the girl.
"Oh, Rin." Hinata said with a small smile. "a-and Naruto." she added quietly as Naruto caught up to Rin.
"We're gunna make cupcakes for everyone who got past the second exam." Rin said. Hinata smiled.
"That's nice."
"Do you want to help us? We're gunna ask Sakura if we can use her oven." Rin said.
"Oh, y-you could use mine." Hinata said. "If you want…"
"Really?" Rin asked with a smile. Hinata nodded. "Awesome. Thank you."
"I brought all the ingredients we need but we need bowls and such." Rin said taking off her tote back and putting it on a table in Hinata's kitchen. Hinata nodded and started to get out some bowls and everything else they would need. "I was thinking if we made two batches of 12," Rin said putting a cupcake tray of 12 on the counter. "then we'd have enough for everyone and some left over for each team's sensei."
"We'll probably have to make a few for Chouji." Naruto mused. He picked up a small box of food colouring. "What're these for?"
"I'm gunna make each cupcake's frosting its own colour." Rin said.
"You brought a lot of stuff." Naruto said as he looked at everything she'd laid out on the table. There were frosting bags, tips, sprinkles and other things to decorate with.
"Yeah, I guess I went a little overboard." Rin said with a sheepish smile.
"You like baking then?" Hinata asked with a small smile.
"Can you tell?" Rin said with a giggle.
"Alright! Let's get bakin!" Naruto cheered with one fist in the air. The two girls giggled at him.
"So tired!" Naruto moaned.
"We only have a few more cupcakes to frost. You can take a break, Naruto." Rin said.
"Thank you." Naruto said before he just let himself fall to the floor. Somehow he was the only one to be covered in flour and have frosting on his face.
"Do you think Lee will be awake?" Hinata asked as she watched Rin frost a cupcake with green frosting. Rin stopped and frowned.
"I hadn't thought of that."
"I'm sorry." Hinata said.
"You don't have to apologize. I guess I could just give this to Gai and make Lee a whole cake when he gets better." Rin said with a big smile. Hinata smiled.
"That's a great idea. If you'd let me I'll help you then as well." Hinata said.
"That would be awesome." Rin said.
"Do you need help handing them all out?"
"Yeah, would you mind?"
"Not at all." Hinata smiled.
"You up to walking around the village with us Naruto?" Rin asked. Naruto popped up.
"Yeah!" he said before falling back to the ground. Both girls winced. He popped back up. "I'm fine! I'm good." He grinned. Both girls giggled.
The three walked around the village with the two containers of cupcakes. They found Lee's team first, they were training with Gai. Tenten thanked Rin for the cupcake and said she would eat it later, Neji refused to look at Hinata or Rin when she held out the cupcake for him. Tenten took it and put it with hers saying that she'd talk to him later. Gai however gratefully took the cupcake made for him and thanked both Rin and Hinata greatly, and loudly before he started a rant about the beauty of youth. The three managed to sneak away from him before finding Sakura and Ino, separately, who both were reluctant to accept the cupcakes but only due to the fact that they were worried about sugar and calories. Rin gave Sakura Sasuke's cupcake which Sakura gladly took to give to him later. Hinata found her teammates and handed out their cupcakes. Shino thanked the girls quietly while Kiba asked about what was in the cupcake to see if he could share it with Akamaru. Chouji was all too happy to hug Rin for the cupcake Shikamaru said a small thank you before pulling Chouji off of her.
"Who are the purple, yellow and red ones for?" Hinata asked.
"Temari, Kankurō and Gaara." Rin said.
"Can't you make them cupcakes back in the sand village?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah but I made some for everyone else." Rin said with a shrug. "I'm gunna head back and give them to them. We should hang out again soon though."
"Yeah." Hinata smiled.
"I'll see you guys later." Rin said to the two.
"We should get Ramen later." Naruto said. "You could come too if you want." He said to Hinata. Her face went pink and she stuttered out an 'okay'. "Great, we'll come by later, Rin."
"Okay, see you later." Rin said with a wave.
"Well you look happy." Kankurō said as Rin entered the hotel room. "Whacha got there?" he asked before Rin held out a cupcake. Kankurō blinked. "Where did you make cupcakes."
"Hinata's." Rin said. "Where's Gaara?" Knakuro pointed to the closed bathroom door. Rin nodded and knocked on the connecting door to Temari's room. Temari opened the door.
"Yeah?"
"I made you a cupcake." Rin said holding it out.
"Oh, thanks, Rin." Temari said as she took it. The bathroom door opened and Gaara came out with a towel around his neck.
"Rin." He said. "You've been gone all day." He said. Rin turned and held out the red frosted cupcake with a smile. Gaara blinked before he had to hold back a smile. "You really made everyone cupcakes?"
"Uh-huh!" Rin nodded. Gaara glanced at his siblings, Kankurō headed into the bathroom while Temari went back into her room. Gaara looked back at Rin. "Thanks."