There was a consistent inhaling sound from Ran's right side as she started to slowly come to. Her head was bleary like a fog cresting a mountain hollow. She struggled to adjust herself enough that her eyes would open which felt like grating her eyelids against sandpaper. However, as she turned slightly, the sight before her brought a small smile to her face. There was a sprawled out Naruto sitting in a chair, an arm dangling by his head, mouth open snoring loudly. She fought the urge to laugh if only because her chest was aching slightly. Ran forced her body to obey sitting up to stretch her stomach. She was twisting sideways to test the pain of the stitched up wound when a familiar pink haired nin walked in. Eyeing Ran dryly she was about to start on her about a rant for moving the freshly stitched wound but instead she just sighed. It would be the same as yelling at Naruto or Sasuke about healing; she wouldn't listen.
"He stayed the whole day you know." She nodded to the tan boy still snoring away in his dreams.
"Oh." Ran said cracking her neck before rubbing her shoulder.
"He also gave you blood." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest eyeing the girl. She supposed she was being overly protective of the blonde but she couldn't help it.
"I guess I'll owe him some eggs in his ramen next week." She chuckled glancing at Naruto.
"How do you feel?" Sakura asked her as she swung her legs over the side of the white lined hospital bed.
"Decent minus the slight pain, but you know, I had a sword through my chest." She shrugged flippantly. Sakura had grown rather accustomed to the ANBU being this flat about their injuries. It was rare that they caused a big scene and they usually left without much complaint. Ran shook her head and leaned over Naruto before flicking him in the head. He snorted flailing an arm in her direction but she moved back grinning in time to miss it.
"The hell…" he looked around rubbing his eyes, "Ran!" he focused seeing that she was up and about.
"Hey there sleepy. Why don't you go home. I'm all good now." He watched her grinning and got up stretching his arms above his head. The hem of his black t-shirt brushed up just above the hem line of his waist.
"Yeah well you know, I just wanted to hang around, make sure you woke up." Without her knowledge a gentle blush crept up her cheeks.
"Thanks Naruto." Sakura smirked and put her hand on Ran's shoulder.
"I'm just going to have her sign herself out okay? Go home and rest." Naruto yawned again before nodding and stuffing a hand in his pocket.
"Well I'll see you around then right?" he glanced up at Ran.
"Yeah, I'll stop by sometime. I know you have to eat." He flushed as she laughed.
"I can cook food for myself!" he frowned.
"Instant ramen doesn't count." Naruto pouted as Sakura let out a small laugh before trying to rein it in seeing her friend's face. Ran was good for him; she thought. She would take care of him and keep him on track.
A week had passed since Ran had left the hospital and she'd yet to go over and visit Naruto. She wanted too but Sasuke had spent the last few days there just hanging around. It wasn't hard to get along with Sakura, who had been dating Sasuke since his return, but for some reason she just couldn't make herself like him. She didn't understand how you could put your best friend through so much desolate torture and then come back like nothing had happened. She didn't understand how Naruto could accept him back into his life after what he'd done. She didn't trust Sasuke. He was unstable; he'd been undergoing mental evaluations every week as per Tsunade's orders. What she did know was that if he ever hurt Naruto again, in any way, she would kill him. There would be no running from the village to become a fugitive. He would be dead. Since they faltered on the friend front, Ran tried to stay away from contact with the raven, to appease Naruto. She didn't like to see the blonde upset and Sasuke was his best friend. She couldn't upset that. It only agitated her to her very core that she had to play nice.
Tonight was going to be a playing nice kind of night. Naruto had invited Sasuke, Sakura, and herself over to celebrate Sakura's promotion at the hospital. She was now a head staff member alongside Tsunade and no longer an apprentice. Ran had promised to cook the food to prevent Naruto burning the entire meal. She wasn't looking forward to being stuck in a house under close restraint with the Uchiha but Naruto had been kind enough to invite her. She would not ruin it. Sighing loudly she raised her hand to knock on the blonde's apartment door. It was opened by the rosette who was grinning and holding a bottle of sake in her hand.
"Drinks on me!" she ushered Ran inside handing her a small ceramic cup already filled with the drink.
"I guess you already started?" she smirked seeing the faint haze of tipsy in Sakura's eyes.
"Yeah but hey!" she put a hand on her shoulder. "You have to catch up. We've got three shots already." Ran laughed shaking her head.
"I'll catch up after I cook. Let's make sure the food survives." Thinking for only a brief moment the other girl nodded in agreement before bouncing back into the living area to nestle down on the cough into Sasuke's arm.
"In here Ran!" Naruto yelled from the kitchen. "I got most of the stuff out." She came around the corner to see the pork laid out and thawed on the counter and the noodles already boiling in a gigantic coal pot on the stove.
"Thanks Naruto. Let's get this going…"
By the time the food was done, Ran had consumed her three catch up shots and was starting to feel the sway and pull of the drink. She leaned over the table pouring the creamy sauce over the noodles from a saucepan to a dish. Naruto watched her tilting his head before groaning.
"I would never be able to make that." She glanced at him setting the pan on the stove before taking another drink.
"Why would you need to know how to make it? You have me to make it for you." Ran smiled at him and he took a breath as if to retort something back when Sasuke toted a slightly drunk pink haired girlfriend into the room.
"Food done?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"No, It's just steaming on the table for the hell of it." Ran said eyeing him before she could stop herself; blame the drinks.
"Ha, ha. Aren't you funny." He muttered sliding Sakura into a chair. Naruto bustled around distributing plates as Ran focused on getting the food filled for everyone. She took her seat to the left of the blonde and smirked watching as he started to inhale the pork strips. At least she knew there was one thing she could do that would always make him happy.
Idle chat passed through the room while more drinks were poured. Sakura and Ran had moved to the other end of the table and started discussing some off handed matters about Sakura's new job. Sasuke and Naruto had migrated to the counter beside the sink talking about recent missions and reports that they needed to process and turn in alter that week. At some point the two had started to grow more hushed and Ran was having a hard time keeping their conversation within earshot. It wasn't that she wanted to hear what they were saying but in her experience the quieter a conversation got, the more heated it was about to get. It was sort of like putting a cap on a bottle that had just been shaken. Naruto and Sasuke could definitely have some explosive fights and they were not immune to quarreling; that was just part of being friends. However, Ran had a feeling that there was another reason for the instant hush in the room. Something had been said that one of them had taken offense to. Sakura slurred her sentence before noticing the way Ran was turned away from her watching the boys. She squinted her eyes at the two sighing. Their eyes were locked in a distinctive manner that could only mean they were about to argue.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke snapped glaring at his friend in front of him.
"I understand more than you think. Sasu…" the raven slammed his hand on the counter.
"Naruto shut up!" he yelled moments before his eyes flashed red. Sakura sucked in a hard breath trying to get up but stumbled over the chair leg as she watched what happened next.
Ran was instantly in front of Naruto, eyes narrowed, kunai at Sasuke's throat. The boy stiffened knowing that a mixture of alcohol and anger were not the best way to end a night. He blinked letting his eyes adjust and reform to the correct color before settling his onyx orbs on Ran. That girl was a problem. Ever since Naruto had met her he'd started to back away from him. Their time together had become shorter in light of spending time with her.
"Get away from him. Now." Her voice was cold, steady, and detached. It was most definitely the voice of an ANBU.
"Threatening me now?" he smirked as Sakura pulled at him arm.
"Stop it. She's just protecting Naruto." Sasuke scoffed.
"You ever do that again when I'm in the room and you won't have eyes to use." She snapped putting the kunai down. Naruto was stunned; speechless. He'd never expected that outcome for Sasuke's actions nor the one that came after.
"Don't cop an attitude with me just because blondie behind you can't see that you love him." Sakura smacked him in the bicep.
"Sasuke!" she snapped worried about the other girl. A mixture of shock and agitation crossed her face.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto laughed nervously putting his hands up hoping that this entire situation would just diffuse.
"Go on. Why don't you just tell him." He grinned leisurely at the violet haired woman.
"Ran?" Naruto said touching her arm. She yanked herself away from Naruto brushing his hand off and glared at the Uchiha. Leave it to him to find a way to make her leave Naruto's before the end of the night.
"Don't Naruto…I'll see you for training tomorrow." She shoved past the medical nin to reach for the door.
"Have fun in an empty house." The raven slurred as she slammed the door. Not unlike Uzumaki, she'd grown up without anyone around either. The orphanage had been a hard place to grow up in and something she didn't like to talk about. The jerk knew it and wanted to get in one last jab before she'd left. She hated him. She hadn't before but she did now. Who did he think he was telling Naruto that she loved him? She didn't love him…they were really good friends…she…she cooked for him. She spent time at his place. He would tell her about his day and then let her vent about hers…they went on core missions together…she took three steps away from the apartment before stopping. They were just friends…so why did what he'd said make her so mad?