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Chapter III
"Rumors of Romance"
…
+ SAI +
…
"Mm! This is delicious!"
An excited voice sounded around the parlor's small terrace.
"I didn't expect it to taste this good!"
Black eyes stared intently from across the table, simply observing as the blonde kunoichi licked cheerfully at the sweet remnants of ice cream on her lips before digging in for another spoonful.
"I thought you might enjoy it. The flavor reminded me of you."
"That makes sense," she replied with a small laugh. "I never tried it before, because I wasn't sure about lavender in ice cream, but this was a great suggestion! Thank you, Sai."
The shinobi gave a close-eyed smile, "Of course, gorgeous."
With an elbow resting on the table, a pale hand supporting an equally pale face, Sai was content just seeing his companion with such a satisfied look on her face. Even more so, knowing that he was able to contribute in some way to it being there.
Not that you've ever been too difficult to please.
It was one of the reasons he enjoyed spending time with Ino. She was honest, and simple. Her emotions were always laid bare on her face, never bothering to hide them behind a mask. She spoke her mind without hesitation, and yet, somehow, never seemed to provoke hurt feelings. Not in too large of a degree, anyway. Some people were just sensitive. However, any problems that may be caused by her bluntness were quick to dissipate.
I'm still working on that part.
Upon realizing that he hadn't yet touched his own dessert, personally recommended by this woman (per his request in return for his own suggestion), he reached his free hand toward the forgotten metal spoon and retrieved a small portion with it. Cinnamon ice cream was a bit too sweet for his liking, but it was not his first experience, so it came as no surprise the moment the flavor hit his taste buds. The taste of such a comforting spice was enough for him to enjoy it.
"Is it uncommon to flavor food with flower extracts?" Sai questioned, with a tilt of his head. "I thought sakura, in particular, was popular when it comes to desserts."
"Oh, it is," Ino gave an easy nod of her head in agreement. Adopting a matter-of-fact tone, then, she lifted her index finger as she explained, "But sakura is also sweeter. Lavender can sometimes leave a bitter aftertaste, which is why I wasn't sure about it."
Dark brows furrowed at her reasoning. "You've eaten a lavender flower?"
"Huh?" the kunoichi blinked. "Well, I-I was just talking about the flavor. But, now that you mention it, I…," her blue eyes drifted to the side in her fluster, "I can't say that I've never tried the flower itself before. I was pretty young, then, and I was curious."
"Hm."
He considered her confession for a moment, a bit surprised that she had experienced such an urge, but also amused at the image it provided. Sai allowed the amusement to settle on his features, though, and gave her another wide smile. "So, you used to be like a wild animal?"
"What?!" Ino's eyes widened. Quickly recovering from her shock, however, she forced a laugh and waved her hand in the air. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"
"Is it?" Sai began, the smile remaining painted on his lips. "Poisonous flowers and venomous animals developed bright colors in order to lure in wild animals, right? You fell for it. Though, I suppose…," the shinobi lifted a finger to his chin, mimicking the gesture a certain pink-haired kunoichi always favored when explaining something, "children tend to be more primitive than adults."
It's entertaining to think such a refined young lady couldn't resist eating flowers, though.
"I…I suppose that's true," Ino replied, forcing another laugh.
"Ino!"
Speak of the she-devil.
Sai could recognize that voice from the across the city, if he put his mind to it. So distinctive, and so…loud. Especially when directed at her best friend.
Two pairs of eyes rose at the sound, scanning their surroundings before landing on a familiar head of pink hair heading their way. One hand was raised high in the air, flailing around in what might be considered a wave in greeting…most likely just to draw attention, and Sai could only imagine what caused such an unnaturally wide grin to paste itself on her face.
You really have no shame, Sakura. Yelling from across the street like that.
"Sakura?" Ino's brow was knitted together in confusion.
The kunoichi came to a stop beside their table before immediately hunching over, hands latching onto her knees for support while she took in large gulps of air. A little unnecessary, perhaps, but Sai recognized this to be a habit whenever she ran short distances. Possibly long distances, but it never seemed to be an issue on missions.
Sakura took her time panting, seemingly ensuring her lungs were once again functioning at full capacity, before standing up straight with that same peculiar smile.
At least it looks genuine.
Strangely, it only seemed to grow when she finally caught Ino's eyes. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Why?" her friend questioned. "Did something happen?"
"Yes, something did happen," Sakura responded enthusiastically, clasping her hands together as her eyes adopted a far-off look. "Something wonderful."
Something wonderful, hm? Sai's interest was certainly piqued, but he left any response to his companion. These two always enjoyed this so-called 'girl talk', after all.
"What is it?" Ino asked eagerly, her eyes suddenly lighting up. She was now wearing a smile to match Sakura's.
"Well…," Sakura began slowly, her teal eyes darting all around, a darkening blush spreading on her cheeks. "Sasuke-kun…Sasuke-kun kind of…he asked me out on a date!"
Date?
The blonde's eyes widened, as she stared at her friend in shock. "What?! Sasuke-kun…asked you out?!"
"Yes!" Sakura squealed, her wide smile returning in her excitement. "I can hardly believe it, but he really did! He asked me out only a few minutes ago!"
"Sakura! That's…this is amazing!" Ino exclaimed, as a grin overtook her expression, and she clapped her hands together. "Oh, this is huge! I can't believe he really did it!"
"I know! Me either!" the pink-haired kunoichi beamed, but her elation only lasted another moment before a panicked expression settled over her features. "Ino…I've never been on a date before. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to wear? I don't want to ruin my first date with Sasuke-kun!"
A good-natured laugh escaped Ino's mouth then, and she shook her head at her friend. "Oh, my. You're hopeless, forehead girl! Don't worry," here, she cast her an over-emphasized wink. "Just be yourself. You're friends, right? Sasuke-kun already knows who you are. And as for the outfit, just leave that to me! As your best friend, I refuse to let you mess up this opportunity! You're going to look your absolute best!"
Sakura's smile returned, as she leaned forward and grabbed her friend's hands with her own. "Thank you so much, Ino! What would I do without you?"
"Die an old maid, probably," Ino shot back, even as her grin widened.
Sai let out a short snicker at that, but only smiled when Sakura's eyes darted over to him in question. Honestly, he had a hard time imagining anyone being able to handle such a difficult woman. It was possible she would end up dying alone, even with Ino's help. Not that he wanted that for her, of course, but it was still possible.
Redirecting Sakura's attention, but not before the pinkette managed to shoot one final glare at Sai, Ino hurriedly asked, "When's the date? He did say when, didn't he?"
Sakura looked to her friend with a bright grin. "He did, in fact. He said he would pick me up later tonight."
"Tonight?" blue eyes widened. "That's barely any time at all! That moron. Doesn't he know women need more time when we're getting ready?" Ino released an exasperated sigh then, but her expression rested back into an easy smile not a moment later. "Alright, tell you what? Why don't you head back to your place, so you can start getting ready, and I'll meet you there in a bit? I need to go by my house and pick up a few things we'll be needing."
The beaming kunoichi clapped her hands together, nodding vigorously, "Great idea! That will save me so much time!"
"Mhm! Now, go! Go!" Ino made a shooing motion, before exchanging a quick laugh with her friend.
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Sakura directed a final wave to the blonde, before turning on her heel and starting into a run down the empty street.
As the clicking of her heels faded into the distance, and a comfortable silence once again settled over the two, Sai's gaze shifted toward his companion. Their conversation was, most likely, not intended for his ears, but of course he was paying attention. And while he could easily recall the entirety of the exchange in perfect detail, he honestly didn't understand a word they had said. What was so exciting about Sasuke asking Sakura on this so-called 'date'? Why did Ino say Sakura needed more time to prepare than a few hours? How was 'asking someone out' different from…well, asking someone to go out?
He considered for a moment, wondering if it might be rude to ask about something that may, in fact, have been personal to his pink-haired friend. Surely Sakura would have been more careful if she genuinely cared to keep him from getting involved. Most likely, she would have taken Ino aside and spoken with her in private. But, she didn't, and upon coming to this realization, Sai finally allowed himself to ask his most pressing question.
"Ino. What is a 'date'?"
The woman's eyes widened, and she stared at him as if in shock. Her hand had paused in midair, her spoonful of ice cream hovering a few inches away from her mouth.
"You honestly don't know?" she asked him.
"Well, it's not as if I'm unfamiliar with the term," Sai corrected. "I've heard it used before, I just never really understood the concept. And this is the first I've heard that one of my friends has been asked on a date, so it seemed like an appropriate time to ask."
"Hmm…I guess that makes sense," Ino mused. She leaned against the back of her chair as her blue eyes drifted to the sky. "Let me think…how can I explain it?" She tapped her index finger against her chin, as if contemplating the matter, before she gave a single, decisive nod of her head.
"Well, it's like this," she began, "there's a boy, and when he asks a girl on a date, it means he's interested in her. The date itself is like…well, an outing. You can go out to eat, you can go to the park, you could go to the lake, you could go to the zoo, you could just go out shopping or something—that isn't really the important part. The important part is that the man is supposed to pick lots of fun activities that the woman likes. He should definitely take lead, but he should also take her input and her preferences into account. It's an opportunity for him to show her that he's been paying attention, and he wants to make her happy. Or, sometimes, if the two don't know each other very well, the date might be an opportunity for them to get to know one another better! That's not the case for Sakura and Sasuke-kun, of course. But still, they're interested, and on the date, they can talk, and the man should always listen, but the woman should be doing her share of listening, too. Even if you know each other, you can always learn more, and the date can be a great way to rediscover each other in a whole new way. It's a chance to be alone together, and just enjoy each other's company."
"I see," the shinobi nodded in understanding. "It's like when friends spend time together, except a 'date' is exclusively between two people who share an interest in each other?"
"Yes! Exactly," Ino smiled proudly. "That's exactly what it is."
"I think I get it now." Black irises disappeared beneath a close-eyed smile. "So, we're on a date, right?"
"What?" Ino's voice took an abrupt shift, all at once sounding unnaturally high-pitched. "No, no, that's…this isn't a date, Sai!" she stumbled over her words in a fluster. "A date is something romantic! Between two people with romantic feelings for each other! We're not on a date."
Sai's smile immediately fell from his lips, and his eyes were wide as he processed her words. He was thoroughly confused, now. "But, Sasuke isn't romantically interested in Sakura."
"You don't know that," the kunoichi rolled her eyes at his statement. "I mean…okay, I'll admit, I had my doubts, too. I wasn't sure he'd ever been romantically interested in anyone, and there was a time when I certainly hoped it wouldn't be Sakura, of all people. But, a lot of things have changed since then, and anyway, Sasuke-kun has never been the easiest person to read. Just the fact that he did ask her out on a date, though, is a gesture that says he's romantically interested in her. That's what asking someone out on a date means."
"Is it?"
"Yes, Sai," Ino nodded matter-of-factly. "It is."
The addressed shinobi gave a thoughtful hum in return.
Sasuke…is interested in pursuing a romantic relationship? With Sakura? For whatever reason, Sai couldn't make sense of this development. It has to be true, though. Sasuke must know what it means to ask someone on a date, and if he really did ask her, he must have been thinking about it. Or he doesn't know what a date means. In which case, Sakura might have gotten the wrong idea.
His black eyes drifted to the side as he tried to recall any interactions he'd seen between the two of them. They were, honestly, few and far between. From the time Sasuke had returned to the village, at least. And of course, the two hadn't spent any time together after he deserted. So, it would have had to be a recent development, though Sai was completely lost in his search for proof that these romantic feelings existed. Their interactions generally consisted of Sakura getting flustered, an unexplained flush permanently coloring her cheeks in his presence, while the Uchiha seemingly ignored the fact that she was even there. And when he did acknowledge her, he spoke few words, ones that suggested distance rather than fondness, or attraction. Sakura was clearly romantically interested in Sasuke, but the feeling never seemed to be reciprocated. Until now, at least.
Unless he gets nervous around her, Sai considered. He doesn't seem like the type, but I don't know him that well. Perhaps I haven't been paying enough attention, either.
He was only left with his thoughts for another moment, running through any memories he had of them, before deciding he simply didn't know enough to make a judgement.
Should I ask Naruto about all of this? He wasn't getting anywhere trying to find an answer on his own, and he could always approach Naruto with his questions. The blond knew Sasuke best, after all.
Yes. I think I'll talk to him later.
"I suppose I can't argue, then," he finally responded, giving Ino another smile. "You know more about these things than I do."
"It's true, I do," she smiled in turn, before returning to her honey lavender ice cream.
Sai watched her for a moment longer before following the kunoichi's example.
The two ate in relative silence, only exchanging a few words every now and then when one of them felt the urge to break it. And as the contents disappeared from their bowls, more customers filled the parlor's interior. Children energetically awaited sweet treats to satisfy them on a peaceful autumnal day, while couples and friends talked amongst themselves and shared moments that would surely become fond memories with time. Late afternoon became early evening, the air grew cooler, crowds expanded, and the voices around them became distorted as they endlessly piled on top of each other.
Rush hour. One of Sai's favorite times of day.
The shinobi's bowl lied empty on the table between them, alongside his companion's, and it had been quite some time since either of them had initiated any sort of conversation. However, he was perfectly content simply observing the people around them with the same quiet fascination he always felt when surrounded by such lively civilization. It never really went away, no matter how long it had been since he severed his ties with Danzo and Root. Since he decided he would stay in Konoha and form bonds he had, unknowingly, always longed for. Since he began his new mission in life: to find his true identity, with the help of his friends.
"Well," the voice of his companion interrupted his train of thought, and he noticed Ino was presently rising to her feet. "I should probably head out. I promised Sakura I'd meet at her place, and I really shouldn't keep her waiting."
"Right, of course." Sai still didn't understand why the two felt the need to spend hours preparing for this date, but women had tendencies that didn't always make sense. Especially Sakura and Ino. "Thank you for joining me."
"Of course, Sai! Anytime," she told him with a smile. "I had fun. Thank you for the ice cream!"
"It was my pleasure," he replied, returning the smile with one of his own. "It's not every day I get to spend time with such a beautiful woman."
A light pink crept over Ino's face, and she pressed a hand against her cheek as she let out an embarrassed giggle. "W-well, I…it's not every day I get to spend time with such a sweet guy."
"Maybe we should hang out more often, then."
"I wouldn't mind," the kunoichi returned, still a little flustered, but nevertheless awarding him a genuine smile. She turned on her heel, her long, blonde hair twirling in the air around her before falling gracefully down her back. "I'll see you later, Sai!" she called to him, before disappearing down the bustling street.
The shinobi was left alone at the table but made no move to get up, his eyes fixated on the spot now left empty in Ino's absence.
A sweet guy, hm? he thought idly, reflecting on her compliment. I guess you don't know me that well.
He understood that it was most likely given as a polite response to his own compliment, said in reaction rather than as a thought-out acknowledgment that he was a 'sweet guy'. Still…it wasn't something he was very accustomed with.
As he sat there pondering, Sai took a moment to consider the day's events: waking up at dawn to a colorful sunrise, checking in with the Hokage, taking a walk, sketching a flower he had found on his way back to the village, sketching Konohagakure from the rooftop of a new building in the restaurant district to pass the time, running into Kakashi when he slipped away from work, watching Naruto and Sasuke eat ramen together, and finally, spending a few hours with the blonde kunoichi known as Yamanaka Ino.
It would be nice if every day were like this. If our lives could always be this simple.
Ignoring your duties for a few minutes without consequences, eating lunch with your best friend without having to worry about him turning on you or attacking your home, taking walks…going on dates.
Dating.
The smile that came to the pale man's lips was bittersweet. I don't think romance is in my future. But with Sakura going on a date…I can't help but be curious.
Sai shifted his gaze to where his companion had vanished within the crowd not long ago. What would it have been like if we were on a date, Ino? Would it have felt any different?
But dating, as Ino insisted, was about romance. Having romantic feelings for another person. Sai had never felt romantically inclined towards anyone in his life, so perhaps he could never truly understand what a date was like. It didn't make much sense to him that two people could be romantically compatible if they hardly spoke, though. If they didn't have much in common. It was for this reason, specifically, that it was so hard for him to comprehend the idea of Sakura and Sasuke having a romantic bond.
Is there something I'm missing? Sai speculated on all the things he'd heard about when it came to romance. It had not been an overly intriguing topic to him, in the past, and perhaps if he had read up on these things more, he may have a better understanding of how all of this worked. As it was, though, he just kept coming up blank.
He sat there only a moment longer before rising from his seat, paying the bill, and making his way to the busy street before him.
I just need to ask Naruto about this. I'm sure he'll make sense of it for me.
Not that he had a clue where the blond shinobi was, at the moment, but he had a few hours left before Sasuke picked Sakura up to go on the date. If nothing came from his conversation with Naruto, he could just watch the two from afar in order to gain a better understanding.
+ HATAKE KAKASHI +
…
Rustling paper sounded around the empty room. It was the only thing to keep him company, now. That, and the occasional squeak of his chair when he grew bored and started swiveling. He had been glued to this seat ever since Sakura had walked him back to this stuffy office. That was several hours ago, now, though. Where the sun had once sat high in the afternoon sky, it had now fallen below the tree line, casting an amber glow over the village and its inhabitants. The stack of paper in front of him had also shrunk in height.
Not bad progress, for a single day's work, he thought to himself, with a small smile.
A short knock drew his attention to the door, then, and, although he welcomed the interruption, he nevertheless kept a disinterested tone as he called, "Come on in."
The all-too-familiar figure of Nara Shikamaru appeared around the door, looking just as bored as Kakashi sounded. He crossed the distance to the Hokage's desk, and then set a large stack of papers in front of him. The lazy genius had been hard at work, too.
After the war ended, the younger shinobi had approached him and Tsunade and put in a special request to work directly under the Hokage, and he had been working tirelessly at his side ever since. It was all in preparation, his own form of training, for when the time finally came, and Naruto was ready to take up the mantle. He would desperately need his assistance. Having someone like Shikamaru at his side would be invaluable to him. He had already proven himself invaluable to Kakashi, as it was.
"Hokage-sama," Shikamaru addressed him, and Kakashi felt himself internally cringe.
"Kakashi is fine," he told him, as he had done several times, now. Where is this habit of theirs even coming from?
Rather than offer a proper response, the younger shinobi simply continued where he left off. "I finished that report you needed."
"Ahh, thank you," Kakashi awarded him a close-eyed smile. He kept a dry tone, even as he said, "It's a big help."
"I'm just doing my job."
Shikamaru turned away from him then and made his way back to the door, seemingly ready to return to his duties. However, about halfway across the room, he came to an abrupt stop. Strange. Something else on his mind? A brief silence passed before he directed his voice back to his superior.
"I ran into Ino on my way back from lunch. She told me something interesting about your students."
"Hm?" Kakashi returned, feeling his curiosity immediately piqued.
Since it's Ino, I imagine it has something to do with Sakura, he mused to himself. Or possibly Sasuke… Of course, she could always find an opportunity to gossip about Naruto, especially to Shikamaru. There really was no way to tell for sure, what this concerned, with that girl. But, the fact that Shikamaru was bothering to mention it to him… Now, that is the intriguing part, isn't it?
"Apparently," he continued, tilting his head to look over his shoulder, "Sasuke asked Sakura on a date."
"…Huh?"
He felt his brain hit an abrupt standstill. His black eyes were wide as he stared across the room at Shikamaru, blinking blankly, as he attempted to process this information. He…was sure he could not possibly have heard right. Had Shikamaru heard right? Or was it Ino who had misinformation?
"Sasuke did?" he asked for clarification.
A short laugh escaped the younger before he nodded his head. "Yeah, that's what I heard."
Could this actually be true? The last time he had spoken to him, Sasuke had been so intent on leaving the village, on obtaining his redemption. He had been stuck on that singular goal, and it had been such a struggle to even convince him against that, to convince him to remain here in Konoha. His mind had been so far from pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with Sakura, in spite of her obvious feelings, and even Kakashi's own insistence that he carefully consider her, for a change. What could possibly have prompted such a drastic shift in such a short span of time? Unless…
Had Naruto been responsible for this, too? Had he finally managed to get through to him, on a topic which seemed to elicit immediate disinterest and disdain the moment it was broached? Could that have been the purpose of their conversation earlier? If anyone could get through that obstinate head of his, it was Naruto, as he had proven time and time again.
Always pushing each other…
Kakashi leaned back in his chair, relaxing a little in his stance, before he released a small laugh of his own. "Is that so?" he remarked offhandedly. "That's certainly unexpected."
"Naruto probably had something to do with it," Shikamaru returned, amusement evident in his tone as he once again moved toward the door. "I guess we'll see what happens there."
"Mm…guess so," the Sixth Hokage agreed, with a small inclination of his head.
"I'll take my leave, then."
"See you."
With that, Shikamaru closed the door behind him, and he once again left Kakashi alone with nothing but the many stacks of papers and his own thoughts for company. The thoughts themselves, however, had taken a far more pleasant turn. He could still scarcely believe it, but the reality of the situation was slowly starting to sink in. Once he had reasoned through it, and remembered what an enormous factor Naruto must have played, it was actually not so difficult to understand how this could have happened.
Well done, Naruto.
He let the paper in his hand fall from his loose grip onto the desk, before swiveling in his chair and turning to stare out the expansive window, at the orange overcast village of Konoha.
Everything was finally coming together, playing out as it was always meant to. There was not a doubt in his mind that Naruto saw what he saw, the state Sasuke was still in, after everything he had done, after all the pain he had caused. If he was ever to find true happiness, he needed to build himself up again, and for that, he would need help. He needed his friends, he needed bonds with people. That was where Naruto came in. And that was also where Sakura could come in, if Sasuke would let her. If he opened himself up to it, she could be a tremendous source of happiness for him, as he would undoubtedly be for her.
Sakura…I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now.
The thought alone brought a soft smile to his face, and he stared fondly out at the windswept streets. His wonderful students…each one of them may yet realize their dream. Naruto would become Hokage. Sakura would attain the love of her life. And, as for Sasuke…he would find peace, and, given time, he may have a family of his own again. A truly happy ending, after the tragedies he had faced. After the hardships they had all endured. They had earned their share of happiness.
Make her happy, Sasuke. Let yourself be happy…
+ HYUUGA HINATA +
…
"What?!"
"This is unexpected. Why? Because Sasuke has never shown any interest in Sakura."
"I'm telling you, it's true!" Kiba insisted, and Akamaru barked as if in agreement. "Chouji told me so himself!"
"And Chouji is a reliable source of information?" Shino questioned, his brow knitted together.
"He is when it comes from Ino," their teammate was entirely confident in his assertion. "Apparently, she told Chouji and Shikamaru, but she heard it from Sakura herself. It's not like Sakura would make that up."
"That is true," the Aburame clan member allowed, as he brought a hand to his chin in a pensive position. "Why? Because she has no reason to make up such a lie, one that can be so easily disproven."
"Right? And it isn't like Ino would make it up, either!" Kiba was now crossing his arms, proud at having managed to thoroughly convince Shino that his information was accurate. "We all know how crazy she was about the guy! Why would she go around spreading that Sasuke has a thing for Sakura?"
"You're right, that doesn't make any sense," the bespectacled member of Team 8 gave a single nod.
"I don't think they would lie about it," Hinata agreed, with a nod of her own. She wore a smile, looking on at her team members and their typical banter with fondness in her eyes.
I'm so happy for you, Sakura, she thought privately, pressing a hand against her chest. You always do your best, and it shows. He's seen it. You put your heart on the line, and this is the result. Keep on doing your best! A date is…that's such a wonderful step forward for you.
"This is an interesting development, then," Shino was concluding, still seeming confused by the turn of events.
"I…I think it's nice," the brunette expressed, her eyes drifting to the side, and she felt a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"I'm sure it is nice for Sakura," Shino agreed. "Why? Because she has always shown an interest in him."
"Yeah, those two were always crazy about him!" Kiba stated with a huff. "Never got what they saw in the guy, though!"
"That is obvious, Kiba," his teammate turned his face toward him. "He has qualities women find attractive. And he stood out in the Academy. Why? Because he had the top scores."
"Tch!" Kiba faced away, rolling his slitted eyes as he did so. "What does that matter?"
"It matters to them," Hinata said simply, even as her mind wandered to an individual whose grades had never been the best in the Academy, but he had managed to stand out anyway. He tried his best, and that was what mattered. Just like Sakura was doing, now.
Good luck, Sakura! Do your best!
As her clear eyes lowered to the ground beneath them, she could not help the thought that was slowly creeping its way to the forefront of her mind. I wonder…will we ever be able to have that? Our first date…someday?
Her blush darkened.
…N-Naruto-kun?
+ YAMANAKA INO +
…
You were right, after all.
Ino mused internally as she combed her hands through Sakura's pink strands. It had gotten longer. It almost fell completely past her shoulders, now. Long hair was always so much more fun! At least, it was in Ino's professional opinion. Having sported shorter hair a few times in her younger days, she had concluded that she absolutely preferred keeping it long. There was just so much more you could do with it! You could braid it, wear it down, pull it up in a bun, or back in a ponytail, weave flowers through it—oh! There was an idea!
"Sakura," she leaned down, an excited smile in place as her face appeared beside her friend's in the mirror. "What do you think about wearing a half-up do, and then I could braid flowers through it? I'm thinking white. Those would look really pretty with your dress!"
The pinkette furrowed her brow as she stared curiously at her reflection, "You don't think flowers will be too much?"
"This is your first date," Ino gave an overdramatized eye roll. "With Sasuke-kun. There's no such thing as too much!"
"Yes, there is!" Sakura insisted, her gaze dropping to her clenched hands. "Sasuke-kun might think it's silly. I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."
"That's ridiculous," her friend retorted, already getting to work on the soft pastel tresses. "I think he'll appreciate the effort. What guy doesn't like it when a girl looks her best for him?"
Take Sai, for instance, she thought to herself. Why, just earlier, he complimented me on how pretty I looked. It wasn't even a date, but a guy can still notice and appreciate the effort we put into our appearance.
"Besides," she continued aloud, "the better you look, the better you feel. It's just a fact. This is bound to help with that confidence of yours! And anyway, who doesn't like looking at pretty people? Or anything pretty, for that matter. Our eyes are naturally drawn to it. There's nothing silly about it." Her smile taking a somewhat mischievous turn, she asked, "You do want to capture his eyes, don't you?"
"Y-yes…," a deep blush colored her friend's cheeks before Sakura nodded timidly. "I suppose I do. I think it would be nice." After another moment, however, the pinkette lifted her teal eyes to meet Ino's reflected gaze. "Why do you think he asked me out?"
Oh, my…you're hopeless.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ino cast her a wink. "He must have been paying attention. I mean, think about it. The guy seriously tried to kill Naruto a dozen times, and after all that, he still considers him a friend. Why is it so unbelievable that there's other feelings he's been fighting against, too? Now that everything is behind him, he can finally…let himself experience some of them. I've always told you, you're cute, Sakura. He'd be an idiot not to notice. And unlike me, well…you were actually close to him. You're teammates, and friends. Of any girl he's met, you probably know him best. He knows how you feel, and…well, this is probably him giving you a chance, isn't it?"
Sakura lifted a finger to her chin, seeming to consider that question, before a small smile spread across her lips, "You're right. I do know him, and Sasuke-kun isn't the sort of person to do anything without a reason. He must have thought this through beforehand. I doubt he shares my feelings…but maybe you're right, and he's trying to give this a chance."
"I think that's definitely what he's doing," Ino gave a firm, decisive nod of her head. "And because it's Sasuke-kun, you know he didn't make this decision lightly."
"He wouldn't be Sasuke-kun if he had," Sakura agreed with a slight giggle. "He spent all this time closed off to romance, so this could be a good sign."
"I think it's a very good sign," the blonde asserted. As she placed the final flower in Sakura's hair, she released a quiet sigh, and her eyes fell to the floor. "It's a sign that he's…not just back, but…finally, really here with us, you know? I'm glad he's opening himself to this." As her blue eyes returned to her friend, she shot her a teasing smile and gave her a quick flick on the forehead. "Even if it is with you, forehead girl!"
Sakura scowled at the old nickname, but soon brushed it off as she observed Ino with a hesitant expression. "Do you…still have feelings for Sasuke-kun?"
Ino couldn't help but laugh at her question.
Not that it was completely ridiculous to ask, but it was just funny that Sakura's mind would even go there, at a time like this. After everything they had been through, after all the stupid fighting they had done back when they were in the Academy, it was absurd to look back on, now. Letting something like a boy come in between their friendship, especially when Sasuke-kun had made it very clear that he was not interested in either of them. To think, the day would come when she was actually encouraging Sakura on a date with him—let alone helping her get ready for it.
It was actually…nice. How at ease she felt about this whole thing. That was how she knew for certain that she was over her crush on him.
"No," she said simply, focusing her attention back on Sakura's hair and ensuring her handiwork was securely fastened. "I don't. Now, I still think he's one of the most attractive boys here, and he'll always be my first crush, but…no. I'm happy for you, Sakura." She lowered her hands and awarded her friend a heartfelt smile. "I genuinely hope things work out for the two of you."
"You really mean that, don't you?" the pinkette matched Ino's expression with a wide grin, turning and pulling her into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Ino. You're the best!"
"Mhm. I am pretty great, aren't I?" Ino laughed, and she gave her emotional friend a tight squeeze. As she stepped out of the embrace, she kept her hands on Sakura's shoulders and lowered her head to give her a very serious, inspective look. "Are you nervous?"
"…I'm very nervous," Sakura replied honestly, lowering her eyes once more. "It's not just Sasuke-kun…it's also my first date."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I think we can say for certain that it's his first date, too," Ino offered her a playful wink. "Who knows? He's probably nervous, too."
That's a pretty cute image, actually, she thought to herself. These two idiots. They're gonna be hopeless tonight.
+ SAI +
…
Where is he?
Sai had spent the last several hours wandering the streets of Konoha in search of the blond Jinchuuriki, and yet, Naruto was nowhere to be found. He had checked his home, peeked into Kakashi's office, even went to Ichiraku to see if he had simply gone back there for dinner. He often stated that he never got tired of their ramen and would even eat it multiple times a day, if the opportunity presented itself.
Still, Naruto continued to evade him. He was beginning to think spying on Sakura and Sasuke's date would be inevitable if he wanted to understand what was going through that man's mind.
Sai had just turned into an alley that provided a shortcut to Sakura's house—with any luck, he could make it there before Sasuke picked her up—when he heard a familiar, booming voice. Calling out to him, no less.
"Sai!"
What a coincidence. The dark-haired shinobi turned his head in the direction of his friend's voice, a smile on his face.
Naruto ran from the opposite end of the alley toward the former Root member, an excited grin spread across his face. "You're just the man I was looking for, dattebayo!"
"Oh, is that so?" Sai questioned, smile unwavering. Were we just looking for each other all this time? No wonder I couldn't find you. "Did you need something?"
"Oh, yeah!" the Jinchuuriki responded enthusiastically as he came to a stop. Not even pausing to catch his breath, he continued, "I need your spying skills to help me out. I might have accidentally done a bad thing that I thought was a good thing, but it still seems really good, so I want to make sure everything is okay."
A bad thing? Sai wondered. I doubt it.
"You need me to spy on someone for you?" he began, eyes now open to properly gauge his friend's behavior. "To see if what you did—which you think was the right thing, but may have been the wrong thing—was…actually the right thing?"
"Exactly," Naruto snapped his fingers, nodding affirmatively. He then moved to the paler man's side and slung an arm over his shoulders, pointing in the direction of their pinkette friend's home. "That is Sakura-chan's house, and Sasuke should be here any minute to pick her up for their date. I didn't think it would be so soon, that Sasuke is full of surprises, but it's probably because I pushed him so much… Anyway, it's our job to follow them and make sure it was the right move!"
Sai's eyes widened a bit at Naruto's request before letting out a small laugh. I can't believe we had the same idea. And he pushed Sasuke to be with Sakura? That explains a lot.
"I see," the shorter shinobi leaned into his friend's half-embrace and gave him a conspiratorial look, that signature smile now widening in delight. "There's no time to waste, then."
It seems spying on their date is inevitable, after all.