• CHAPTER SEVEN •

"What about these ones?" Yaruka pulled a pair of slim, white trousers from it's hanging position of the clothing rack, turning to face Ino's impatient expression, which had been twisted with disgust. She shook her head furiously, and held her hands against her hips, a discerned snort at the sight of the boys supposed innocence.

"Are you kidding? You'll stand out like a sore thumb!" She scoffed, averting her gaze to run over the assortments around her, keeping her eyes from meeting the boy's own.

"They're only white pants!" He protested with a whine, holding them afar to further check them out. He stretched his arm to hold the jacket beside it, his eyes skimming over the supposed lack of compatibility. He must admit, he did understand where she was drawing her opinion off, but his stubbornness disabled his willingness to agree.

"With a black jacket and shirt! I'd say go with shorts, but even with those you'll be spotted in an instance!" As Ino raised her voice, the two earned multiple glares from passing customers, though neither of them cared, and continued to bicker so openly. Yaruka rolled his eyes childishly, before pushing out his chest, as if to challenge her. Though, Ino showed no interest herself, her eyes occupied with the assortments of more suitable clothing to match his estranged style.

"Fine! Then what's your big, great idea?" He pointed a finger in her direction, releasing a soft snort. The girl only hummed with a gentle stubbornness, her fingers outlining a grey material among the many hung before her.

"These." She humphed calmly, removing a pair of solid grey shorts, though light in colour, and held them to compare to the boys waist. Yaruka only shook his head, and spun on his heels, his eyes landing on the first thing he sees.

"Or what about-?"

"No yellow!" He felt a pressure at the back of his head, and glanced back at the defiant girl.

"Oh, but all black and grey just looks boring," he whined, his shoulders slouching in dramatic effects.

"So? It looks nice at least! Do you want to look more like a clown?" She smirked at her insult, forcing an emphasis to her point as she scanned the boy of his current clothing.

"I don't look like a clown!" He growled, though, he must admit, she was right. He still bore the baggy red shirt he entered the world with in the first place, which had started to smell, and around his torso, a pair of Naruto's horribly bright orange shorts.

"You're right, you're not a clown, you're the whole circus!" The two returned to bickering, Yaruka defensive of his appearance while Ino only attempted to aid him with defiance. The girl had currently begun to won their argument, her reasons valid, and her knowledge more compatible than Yaruka's own, though they had become inherently unaware of the approaching figure behind them.

"Excuse me?" A soft spoken voice interrupted, a hand being placed upon Ino's shoulder.

"What-! Oh, Sakura." Ino jumped at the touch at first, though only calmed at the new company. Sakura stumbled back at the snap, though her gaze softened, and a kind curiosity dwelled within the pools of her green eyes. Yaruka gasped at her presence, and immediately shoved the articles of clothing into the pink haired girls sight.

"Quick, grey shorts with these, or yellow shorts with these?" He muttered desperately, enforcing an opinion on the girl, who only stood back in sheepish alarm.

"Why ask her such an idiotic question?" Ino crossed her arms. "Grey, of course!"

"I'll have to go with Ino on this one, grey is much nicer." Sakura smiled at the boy, who whined in defeat, twisting on his heels to return the yellow shorts.

"Hah! Take that, clown boy!"

"But the gold on the jacket does look quite lovely, perhaps you can sew a bit of a similar colour into it?"

"Don't bother making suggestions, Sakura, he's useless."

"Hey!" Yaruka scoffed, taking another chance to browse his clothing options.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she doesn't mean- oh, what's up with that flower?" Sakura's attention had been turned to the orchid, still perched within the blonde girls hair, behind her ear. Ino only blushed in response, averting her gaze from either.

"Flower..? Oh! It's nothing, I just decided to spruce up my look." Her words stumbled over each other slightly, a smirk forming over Yaruka's own face as he spied her blush.

"It's a white orchid, I gifted it to her." He puffed out his chest, almost proud at her embarrassment, as Sakura only gaped with a thoughtful expression.

"I was the one that picked it out!" Ino defended, her voice desperate, as she watched Sakura make the calculations internally.

"Oh, Ino," Sakura murmured, "I had no idea you were so involved with..."

"Yaruka." He bowed his respects.

"Ah, I'm Sakura, nice to meet you."

"I'm not involved with this idiot, so don't think you can snatch Sasuke away so easily!" Ino stamped her foot, and soon the attitude Yaruka had been so used to seeing from Sakura had rose to the surface.

"Oh, shut it-" She held out a fist, a scowl to her lips, before the boy interrupted the two with a shrug.

"Fine, grey it is, I'll go make the purchase."

"Don't even think about changing it last second!"

•••

"So, Ino, how about that walk home?" Yaruka smirked, holding the dango to his lips, despite his distaste toward it.

"Walk... home...?" Sakura blinked, staring blankly at the two, as the heat rose from the blonde kunoichi's cheeks.

"Do you get off on embarrassing me or something? Shut it!" She scowled, her heel digging into the boys shin.

"Ino...?" The pink haired girl earned no response from the two, and was only left with her own thoughts, until Ino shook her head with a snarl.

"He only just moved here, and I'm only just showing him home. We met today, nothing is happening!"

"You still have my flower in your hair, so I'd say something is happening." Yaruka purred, nudging a finger toward the white orchid.

"I wish I rejected it the moment you showed it to me!"

"Quit your arguing already!" Sakura snapped, catching the attention of the bickering children, as she only bit into her food, the three digging into served dango.

"But-" The two whined, earning a scowl from the supposedly kind girl

"No. Let's just finish eating, then we can show Yaruka home."

"We?" Ino blinked, a brow raised, as Sakura only nodded.

"Nothing is happening between you two, right? So I guess you wouldn't mind if I came along."

"Fine."