A/N: character relationships are only very loosely based on canon.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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Chapter Two: Once upon a penguin story

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It was warm…

Everything was silent for her and Sakura can't seem to feel anything but the warm vomit pouring from above and how heavy it was as it mercilessly landed on her.

Her eyes was wide and she was very shocked that even the pungent smell mixed with noodles or the loud squelching sound was not registered by her mind. Even when the boy fell not so gently from the tree and was now splattering apologies with all his might to her, Sakura was paralyzed on her spot.

The boy removed his jacket and used it to remove some of the vomit on her head delicately as if she'll explode anytime all the while he continues apologizing. She only regain a little bit of her composure when a whole strand of a white thing was dangling in front of her.

'Is that a-a... noodle?!' she thought and realized with terror as her composure had gone crumbling again.

Sakura inhaled sharply in panic and it was then that the smell of ramen intermingled with the strong sour smell of vomit unwelcomingly entered her nose. And she finally heard the sputtering sorries of the blonde boy as he continued to remove all the remaining vomit from her pink hair.

As if her movement was controlled by a string, Sakura silently put the at-least-salvaged cat she treated earlier due to its wounded left forelimb on the boys arms making him stop in his ministrations. And then she went behind him to retrieve her eyeglasses, which is actually the main reason why she returned in this garden in the first place and which she now thought must be one of the biggest mistake of her life -cause she has no class during this period and she could have spent it in the library and retrieved it a lot later.

She then mindlessly walked towards the infirmary (thankfully the hallway was empty) while the boy just followed and watched over her not knowing where she'll go. He was teetering on her space since he obviously was lost at what to do and was afraid to touch her even as she bumped a wall twice -or was it thrice?- that only made him flinch and clutched the cat tightly.

Those events was not even registered by Sakura's consciousness and memories since the next thing she knew, she was in the infirmary sitting blankly and she was now facing the blonde boy -with a very regretful and sorry look on his face- and the school nurse Shi, who might have heard the whole story from him and who is red in the face from stifling his laughter.

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'I knew this would happen,' Kiba thought dejectedly as Yamato-sensei called Naruto's name for the third time. And the vivid dark aura surrounding his teacher when there was no response was enough to make him sweat and silently pray for his friend's life.

'What's that idiot doing anyway?! Maybe he finally got drowned in his ramen…' Kiba mused while contemplating whether he should text his friend and tell him to run and never come back assuming that he was wrong and the blonde really did not drowned.

What he did not knew however is that it was unfortunately currently another poor person who is drenched from Naruto's favorite food.

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"Arigatou Hinata-chan for your help. I really owe you one," Naruto said to a girl who has a resemblance to Neji Hyuuga but with a very feminine face as he scratch his head bashfully.

He asked for his friend's cousin's help and borrow her P.E. uniform since the pretty pink-haired girl he had the very bad luck of puking all over was definitely in shock with the tragedy earlier that it was actually the school nurse who had to usher her inside the bathroom since she was only staring at them blankly with wide eyes, and she absolutely cannot hear them when they ask many times where her locker was. Remembering the catastrophe earlier even just a second makes Naruto really want to bang his head in the nearest wall very hard and he can't really blame the girl for being in her state.

Naruto unquestionably cannot let the girl borrow his own P.E. uniform since it was the other week when it was last washed because he forgot to bring it home causing his mother to rage at him, and letting her borrow that will just add to the insult. 'This must be karma,' he thought dejectedly. And he simply cannot ask for Ino or Karin's help since they would undoubtedly tear his head off for doing what he did earlier to a girl while Tenten will surely laugh at him and make it a huge news to the whole gang and outside of it. The guys of course are obviously out of the question. So the very safe resort is the kind Hinata.

After putting the towel, shampoo and soap from the clinic including the uniform borrowed from Hinata on the dazed pink-haired girl's arms, Shi the school nurse pushed her inside the bathroom while chuckling softly and shaking his head.

"I-it's alright Naruto-kun," Hinata answered kindly to the blonde while sporting a pretty blush on her cheeks. With her pearl white eyes that is rounder and larger than her cousin's, pouty red lips, high cheek bones, elegant nose and milky skin, not to mention she has the right curves all over the place, she is easily one of the most beautiful and gorgeous girl in Kaguya Academy. Even with her conservativeness due to the Hyuuga's upbringing, her almost ethereal beauty was not gone unnoticed by the academy's boys causing her to have fanboys of her own although much less noticeable courtesy of glares from a certain cousin of hers. And her shy attitude coupled with her elegant actions only made her the more adorable to the boys' eyes.

However, the only eyes of whom she really want to look at her is currently in front of her -much to Neji's chagrin and Hanabi's -her sister's- amusement.

Hinata could only look at her crush with pity who really look crestfallen and lost while he was holding a cute fat white cat with black ears. This was actually the first time she saw him like this since Naruto is almost always bright and sunny like his hair and eyes. But of course the Hyuuga heiress pities the unfortunate girl more, whom he had vomited over. Imagining it could only make Hinata feel terror and think that if she or any other girl was on that girl's spot, they would definitely had fainted out of shock. Or if it was Tenten or Karin, Hinata had an inkling of a feeling that they might actually pummel her crush to death. And she does not even know how to start with Ino.

"A-anou… I'll be going now. I only gave an excuse to go to the bathroom… but I still have a class. S-see you later Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly and bowed.

"Yes," Naruto answered nodding, "Thank you so much again Hinata-chan!" then he waved at her as she went away.

Just as when the bathroom's door opened, Naruto quickly met the girl with a bow and very loud apology, "I'm really really sorry! If it will make you feel any better I promise not to eat even a spoon of ramen again!" Somewhere on the school grounds, his friends must've choked on their own spit and if they ever hear this, they would definitely fall out of balance.

"It's alright…" Naruto lifted his head upon hearing her. Looking at his nametag the girl continued, "… Namikaze-san." Which took him a little bit of a surprised since she must not know him. "I think you must really love ramen ('too much perhaps,' Sakura's subconscious had inputted on her mind) and I would not want to deprive you from eating it again. Just… maybe… tone it down a little," she said slowly.

Naruto's eyes sparkled as if he saw an angel and he bowed many times furiously saying "Hai!" while apologizing all over again which made Sakura dizzy a little when looking at him.

She finally grasp his shoulder to stop him from bowing again while she nods a couple of times, "I know, I know Namikaze-san."

After releasing his shoulder when he finally stopped she held the hem of the T-shirt she wore as she asked, "Anou… whose uniform is this?"

It was then that Naruto took her appearance, her pink hair was nowhere in sight again since it was wrapped in a towel this time, except for a few strands of her bangs shaping her face, and the T-shirt of Hinata was a little bit loose for her frame -*cough*flat chest*cough- while her big green eyes was hidden behind a large frame of eyeglasses which was cutely dangling on her small nose.

Naruto felt his heart caught in his throat and while rubbing the back of his flushed neck said, "I-it's from my friend, Hyuuga Hinata. D-don't worry she's very nice."

The girl seems to know the name and nodded, "Ahhh… um, thank you. Please tell her my thanks also and that I'll return it tomorrow."

"Hai."

Naruto just stared at her until she asked, if only for breaking the silence since it was starting to get uncomfortable for her, "Ettou… do you have a class?"

His eyes widen in realization and all he could think was 'Crap…crapcrapCRAP!… Yamato-sensei!' He quickly put the cat he was holding to the girl's arms and bowed again while apologizing for the last time.

Before dashing quickly out of the infirmary, both hadn't notice that he had just accidentally grabbed a vomit-soaked green jacket together with his bag.

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Sakura lay on the infirmary's bed with a sigh and the cat made itself comfortable on her abdomen as she stroke it absentmindedly. It was quite if only for a couple of seconds until the unmistakable stifled laugh of Shi who had been watching the whole exchange had been so apparent.

"It's not funny sensei," Sakura said with a blank look and tone to the man who had the nerve to laugh at a student who had just a terrible experience.

"Oh, my apologies Haruno-san. Your shocked expression earlier was just too comical that this poor old man can't help but laugh," he obviously unapologetically said and began to laugh again while covering his mouth with his fist.

Raikage Shi, the school nurse, is actually just twenty-two years old and definitely one of the academy's eye candy -'which must be why the cases of female injuries had increased this last month' Tsunade had once thought with a sigh and massage on her forehead.

Shi has light blonde hair, slightly tan skin and deep black eyes that make most female population of the school -and few males-, even the teachers, feel soft on their knees, especially when he smiles which just heightened his cheekbones. And he was mostly called "C-sensei" by most students.

Sakura threw a pillow at him which he just block with his right hand. "HaHa. Really funny sensei. Is that any way on how to treat your patient? I'll report you to the principal," she said with a small glare.

He just scoffed and said, "You? Sporting an injury? Impossible. Giving others pain more likely. And the only wound you must have felt right now is from your heart and pride which I unfortunately cannot help you with poor penguin." Shi said while just giving her his teasing smile.

"Ugh!" Sakura grunted irritatingly then threw another pillow at him but this time much harder causing him to chuckle again as he caught it while saying 'See?'.

The school nurse got up and went behind Sakura. He pushed her shoulder so that she was now in a sitting position disturbing the cat from her cozy position and meowed. Shi then removed the towel wrapped on her head that earned him a questioning look.

"What are you doing," Sakura asked looking up behind her at him.

Shi held her head and made it face forward. "Just stare ahead little penguin," he said.

And then Sakura heard the unmistakable sound of a hair dryer and felt the heat and breeze as Shi began to dry her hair.

"You have a hair dryer in the infirmary?!" Sakura asked surprised. And then it was her turn to chuckle, "Wow! I might understand the towel, shampoo and soap but a hair dryer? Hahahaha… You're making yourself really comfortable Shi-nisan. I would expect no less from a clean freak."

"Now, you are definitely not entitled to laugh at me my little penguin, since it was thanks to this clean freak's things why you are now not smelling of ramen and puke," Shi said with an obvious victorious smile.

Sakura could only pout at what he said. She definitely has a hard time to win against her childhood friend and bully.

Sakura and Shi had been neighbors when she was just six and he was thirteen. They first met on Halloween, the day when Shi went to Sakura's hometown with his uncle, Raikage Ei (A), and cousin Killer Bee, since his uncle and Sakura's godmother and shishou, Tsunade, were acquaintance. Ei was sick with unknown symptoms and he does not like hospital and Tsunade is the only person whom he allows to treat him, which was why he decided to move beside her to let her observe and treat his condition instead of staying on the hospital.

Bee and Shi was invited to enjoy Halloween that night and the former gladly accepted it. Shi's cousin wore a costume that oddly look like a bull while he just put on a beard since he was not really unto the holiday's stuff preferring to just read medical books but which he was not permitted for the day.

While he was thinking of how old he already was for "trick-or-treat" he had not notice that his cousin had gone AWOL from his side which just made him sigh for his energetic relative. He went to another house when he saw that a kid in a penguin costume was on it's tiptoe and tried its hard to unsuccessfully reach the doorbell. He laughed at the kid's cuteness but then he was actually heard making the child stopped and looked at him.

The kid had a very cute chubby cheeks, button nose and large green doe eyes, and with her white skin, she really quite suits her costume. And for the first time in his life, Shi felt his heart being squeeze for how really adorable the little girl was who perfectly resembles a penguin stuffed toy. And when she turned her whole body to look at him directly while oddly and funnily moving in a very much like penguin way by tilting her body to the right then to her left foot to face him, Shi uncharacteristically tried hard not to glomp her at that moment.

Then the little girl glared at him with a very determined looked and said, "Sorry Mr. old man, but I came here first." Shi was taken aback at the cute little girl's rough attitude for a moment and then he smiled. Little did fiery chibi Sakura knew that it was the start of her bullied days courtesy of the boy wearing a beard in front of her. Sakura's childhood memories of her Shi-nisan was mostly composed of bickering and him bullying her because Shi apparently just found adorable Sakura to be endlessly amusing (even now actually).

They left when Sakura was eight since it took Ei almost two years to recover fully after a half year of treatment. Shi often teased her that she'll grow an old spinster lady like her godmother -which actually owed him a slap on the back of his head courtesy of the said old lady- because of her fat cheeks and wild temper that no boy would surely marry her. But then he would also joke of how not to worry since he'll marry her out of pity, which actually earned him a glare from Kizashi and knowing smiles from Mebuki, Shizune, Tsunade, and even from his own uncle which made him blush secretly.

They met again last month when Shi took Shizune's position of school nurse in favor of being a full time secretary of Tsunade.

Sakura on that day was sleeping on one of the infirmary's bed -since the infirmary was one of her safe haven on the academy, to Shizune's chagrin, aside from the rooftop and the library- when she had been awaken due to a squeal from a girl and laugh from definitely a male, which she first dreadfully thought was Shizune on her tryst - and which fortunately was not. But behold when she open the curtain covering her side of bed, only to see that a blushing female student was trapped in between a man's arms who wore the school nurse's uniform and Sakura in horror knew that it was her big brother Shi who look at her directly and he even had the audacity to wink at her! while the girl was obviously looking gooey and in glee as she was trapped between him and the wall. Sakura reminded herself after that she'll definitely need to bleach her eyes.

"You seem to had change a bit little penguin, I seem to remember that when your classmate in elementary had pour a sauce on your shoes you had almost beaten the hell out of him, and you were even just seven then," Shi said while blowing her hair, secretly loving how her long pink tresses was really soft under his touch and not being able to fight the red tint on his cheeks as he can inhale her scent and realized how she now smelled like him, hints of melon and peach which had mingled with her own sweet scent of berries and flowers.

"That kid was a bully and well maybe the yoga did must help," Sakura answered while petting the cat on her lap.

"Yoga?"

"Shishou asked me to attend yoga classes to let me find 'inner peace'," she quoted with her fingers, "and have me control my temper because of an incident last year. And after all, you always said when we were a kid that I'll never marry due to my temper. Well guess what? You're now wrong Shi-nisan," Sakura said as she looked up at him and playfully stick out her tongue.

Shi positioned her face forward again as he hide his scowling face.

"I told you that I will still marry you, baka," Shi mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"I said your cheeks still has baby fats though, not to mention you're short and flat as a board. And men nowadays like tall, busty and slender girls better," he said instead that made Sakura open and close her mouth speechless, like a fish out of water, and then she grumbled saying its not her fault and that she is still growing, much to his amusement. After a couple of moment Shi said it's done as he had finished drying her hair and ended up doing her hair in a neat bun like he always saw her with just minus the neat.

Sakura lightly laugh, momentarily forgetting the earlier comment, and said how he's surprisingly better than her in making a hair bun and then gave him a thumbs up which Shi just chuckled at. She finally got up and said her goodbyes since she has a class on the next period but before she left, he threw a plain brown hoodie jacket on her head, saying she can have it since it was now smaller for him. It was similar to what she was wearing earlier although a little bit bigger, since Shi knew how Sakura really loves hoodies. Her eyes twinkled behind her large glasses and she gave him a bright smile that made butterflies emerge in Shi's stomach before she said thank you and left.

Shi watched as his little penguin went out the infirmary. Even with her glasses, she still resembles a doll. His little penguin had surely grown into a very pretty girl and very much more adorable than before which made him restless and uncomfortable for some reason.