Thank you to the two Guests that reviewed for the last chapter! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

This extra long chapter goes out to Guest Gabi for your awesome review 21 minutes ago!

Chapter 7

Ino didn't ask any questions when they got inside, which Sakura was thankful for. She wanted to help Ino find the man from the night before, not gush with her about how her mystery man from the coffee shop was in fact the owner of the coffee shop, the very bar they were in, and no doubt dozens of other business around the city.

"It's not completely packed yet," Sakura said. "Why don't I go get some drinks and you grab us a table facing the door. You can see if he comes in, then."

Sakura looked around as she went to the bar. She didn't know what Ino's man would look like, but she wanted to see if she could guess. It was almost like a test of friendship, in her eyes; could she find her best friend's true love with one glance? He couldn't be any of the older men, the ones boldly catcalling the waitresses. He wouldn't be anyone with face tattoos, which ruled-out the dark- and red-haired men sitting quietly at the end of the bar. Could it be the one with the dark ponytail in a fightnet top? Or the odd brown-haired man drawing in a notebook at a table for one? What about the one with straight brown hair to his shoulders?

Sakura realized the man with straight brown hair to his shoulders was Genma. Iruka was with him, and they were sipping a dark alcohol at the bar. Worried they would be offended if they knew she saw them and didn't say "hello," she made her way up to them.

"Well, look. If it isn't Sakura Haruno!" Genma shouted when he noticed her.

Before Sakura could say anything, a bartender rushed over and asked if "Miss Haruno" needed a drink. Shocked, she asked for two fruity drinks, anything he would recommend. He rushed off to make the drinks.

"That wasn't funny," Iruka said. "That bartender's heart is going to stop."

"I had to prove it to you, since you didn't believe me." Genma had a wide smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry, what just happened?" Sakura said. Clearly Genma and Iruka was trying to prove something to each other about her.

The bartender came back with the drinks, faster than Sakura had ever seen. He told her to let her know if there was anything he could do for her, then rushed off to help other customers.

"I told Iruka-boy that the bartender would be eating out of your hand, and he didn't believe me." Iruka was about to cut in, so Genma continued. "We saw you get rushed in here. That bouncer was quite concerned that you made it through the door in one piece."

"Genma, quit it," Iruka said. His voice was firm, angry. "Leave her alone."

Sakura didn't quite understand what was going on, but she had a sneaking suspicion, one that began with "Kakashi" and ended with "Hatake." "Is he here?" she asked.

Genma and Iruka's faces lit up in surprise. "So you know," Iruka said.

"I know who he is, yes, but I don't understand what is going on," Sakura said. "Why does everyone care if I'm happy?" Iruka as right, that bartender's heart would stop if he kept running around like he was. He probably would have cut off his hand if Sakura asked him to, just to make her happy.

Genma opened his mouth to speak, but Iruka was faster. "It looks like Ino is not-so-patiently waiting for you," he said. "I would be getting back."

Sakura wanted their answer, but she knew Iruka was right. She thanked them before walking back to Ino, who didn't look happy at how long she was gone. "I got us something fruity," she said.

Ino took a sip and her face twisted. "Damn, how many shots did you ask for?"

Sakura sniffed her drink and could smell there was a lot more alcohol than there should have been. "The bartender was good to me," she mumbled.

Ino drank half her cup in one go and started looking around the room. "I haven't seen him come in, so he must be somewhere here already."

"Unless he isn't coming tonight," Sakura added.

Ino waved a hand. "No, I'm sure he's coming. How could he miss a chance of seeing me again?"

Sakura sighed. Ino oozed confidence, only sometimes it was endearing. "What does he look like?"

Ino's eyes became dreamy again. "His eyes are dark and beautiful." Sakura gave her a look, letting her know that wasn't clear enough."His ears are pierced, and his hair is dark."

Pierced ears. Sakura could work with that. Not too many guys had their ears pierced, so she could easily narrow-down most of the guys with dark hair in the bar.

"Oh, and his eyebrows are done nicer than yours."

Sakura's brow ticked, but she didn't say anything. Ino really was a pro at correctly Sakura's appearances in any conversation. Ino had once told her that if she took care of her appearance more, she could be the most beautiful girl, like, ever. This meant plucking eyebrows, waxing lips, and lots and lots of makeup.

The girls finished their drinks and split up to look for Ino's man. Sakura didn't have a name, so if she found him she would have to make him follow her to Ino. Hopefully he didn't mind following strange, pink-haired girls.

Sakura went back to the bar, remembering the men she saw earlier. Passing the old men cat-calling her, she passed the two boys with the tattoos. Ino didn't mention a tattoo, but it was still worth checking. The red-haired man glared at her as she carefully checked his dark-haired friend for earrings. He had none.

She checked the man sitting by himself next. He still had his nose in his sketchbook, so it was easy for her to check his ears. He wasn't wearing earrings either, and she took a moment to notice how pale he was. Ino wouldn't have chose him for that reason alone.

"Woah," Sakura gasped unintentionally. The man looked up at her, which gave her an even better look of his sketchbook. He had drawn the men with the tattoos perfectly, no freckle missing or out of place.

"Do you like it?" the man asked. He had a slight accent, though Sakura didn't know where it was from.

"It's gorgeous," she said. She found herself sitting adjacent of him, her eyes still as wide as dinner plates. "How did you do this so fast?" There was no way the men sat there for the hours it would have required.

The man gave a light chuckle. "This is nothing, though I'm glad you enjoy it. Would you like me to draw you?" He flushed and bowed his head down. "I'm sorry, that was odd of me. This is exactly the thing my brother tells me not to do. You're just so beautiful, I couldn't help but ask."

Sakura flushed when he asked to draw her, and her face only got darker as he spoke. Not only did he want to draw her, he thought she was so beautiful he couldn't help himself, this man who probably saw many beautiful people.

He probably noticed everyone.

"Can I ask you something?"

The man hummed and flipped to a new page, taking her willingness to stay with him as a go-ahead to draw. He began outlining her face.

"My friend is looking for a man she saw last night. She said he had-"

The man had flipped to a previous page in his sketchbook and held up a page. On it was a picture-perfect image of Ino dancing with a man. They were smiling at each other, their eyes lit up even in the sketch. "I assume this is your friend. I saw you leave with her last night," he explained. "Might this be the man she's looking for?"

Sakura grabbed the sketchbook and brought it closer to her face. Ino had never looked so beautiful, so pure. She was always posing for photos with puckered lips or popping her chest out. She had never smiled so naturally for a photo, especially not with a man.

"I take that as a yes," the man said, chuckling again. "He's sitting over there." He motioned a few tables away to the man with the ponytail and fishnet shirt, one of the men Sakura suspected before talking with Genma and Iruka.

"Thank you," Sakura said. "I really appreciate it. I'm going to go tell him Ino is looking for him."

"Please come back," the man said.

Sakura smiled and told him she would. Then she went up to the man. He was at the table by himself, but there was an extra cup as if someone was with him but ran off somewhere, possibly to the bathroom.

"Excuse me," Sakura said. The man looked up lazily at her, as if he was in no rush to talk to her. "My name is Sakura. I believe you were dancing with my friend Ino last night?"

"What a drag," the man said.

Sakura wasn't sure what to say to that, but luckily she saw Ino walking towards her. She must have been coming to tell her she didn't have any luck finding him. But of course she had no luck, because he was on the side of the bar that Sakura was checking. She waved Ino over, hoping she arrive before this guy told her off.

"We were hoping we'd run into you, because she wanted to talk to you again. She loved dancing with you, believe me. I know she slapped you-"

"Sakura," Ino said, cutting off her friend's rambling. "Why don't you go dance? They've been playing music you like."

Though she felt a little like a dismissed child, Sakura was happy to leave Ino with this man. Ino would make things right, and if everything went well she'd have his phone number and a date planned by the end of the night. Ino could use a date with a nice boy.

"You came back."

Sakura smiled at her new friend as she sat back down adjacent of him. She wondered if he generally didn't trust people, because she had told him she'd come back yet was surprised that she did. Maybe he wasn't surprised at all and just needed something to say.

"I finished your drawing," he announced, handing over the sketchbook.

Sakura gasped. "Is this me?" she asked. The image before her was too beautiful to be her, she decided. The eyes were wide, inviting, stunning. The nose had a perfect curve and wasn't too big. Her smile was small and gentle, as if she were a little shy while posing for a photo. Her hair fell down in light waves, much neater than she expected. He used pen for the sketch but used a colored pencil he must have had on-hand to color her eyes sea green.

Usually everyone took note of Sakura's hair, bright pink and unable to miss. This man looked at her and saw past it, thinking her eyes were the most beautiful color she had. She was almost grateful for his attention to detail.

"Sai," she read at the bottom of the page. "Is that your name? Mine's Sakura, Sakura Haruno."

Sai smiled as if he knew something she didn't. "Ah, of course. The infamous Miss Haruno."

Sakura blushed. "You know of me." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I heard your name earlier," Sai said. "The owner was here earlier, when the bar first opened, and had a brief meeting with his staff. He told them to watch for a Miss Haruno and make sure she had anything she asked for. She was special, he said."

Sakura suddenly knew why Genma had been betting Iruka that the bartender would cater so dutifully to Sakura. Genma had expected this would happen and wanted to test his theory. She was special and his friends knew it, and now his employees did, too.

Apparently the coffee shop owner did have a soft spot for her.

Sai has made an appearance! I know he's pretty OOC in this (being chatty and all), but I couldn't image any other character for this role in the story! I hope you all see that he is rooted in his real personality, he's just very aware of it like when he knew it was odd to ask to draw her.

I'm sure you all know who Ino's boy is, but drop a review letting me know!

If I get enough reviews today I'll post the next chapter later tonight! You'll all want to read it ASAP. It'll include Kakashi jealously and possibly a moment between them! Plus fun Sai and Sakura friendship time :)