Sakura entered the back room in a daze.

"Hey there," Ino greeted. The blonde was slurping a bowl of ramen, cross legged on a metal counter, enjoying her lunch break. Tenten called in sick today because the rain gave her a cold. Working the counter was Sai alone.

"Hey," Sakura was busy smoothing her hair down into a ponytail. She frowned when small baby hairs flew out erratically, leading her to do it again.

"You look...tired. You okay?" Her friend raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fine. Completely fine. Totally," Sakura turned briskly towards Ino with a frantic expression, "does my hair look okay? Are my eyes too puffy? I've gained weight recently. Did you notice? Do I look fat? Should I put some makeup on?" She didn't wait for an answer as she began scavenging her purse for some lip balm.

"No you're not, yes, no, not really, you always look fat, and that shade of lip gloss doesn't suit you," Ino flipped her hair.

Sakura tossed it back in her bag and groaned, collapsing into a metal chair.

"Really, what's up with you?"

In all honesty, she truly did not know. It's as if a switch flicked inside of her. This boy had been probing her mind since yesterday. Now that he was there, in the flesh, the tide grew into waves. She was drowning in her attraction. She hadn't felt this helpless since that day.

"Are you sluts just going to sit there?" Sai greeted her with the usual rude comment, peeking his head through the door.

Sakura groaned once more.

She's going to have to face it sooner or later.

. . . . .

"So uh, why are we here again, teme?" Naruto sat with his hands behind his head.

Sasuke's eyes soared to the counter when the creepy worker was replaced with the pink headed girl.

"Hn."

"There's a new place that just opened up, we should go there," Naruto offered. But when the blond spotted her, his face was tickled with red, and he stared with awe. Sasuke wanted to slap the idiotic look off his friend's face.

"Damn, she's pretty," Naruto breathed, but quickly countered, "but Hinata-chan is prettier!"

Of course. Naruto and Hinata have been dating for several months now. The shy Hyuuga finally mustered the courage to ask him - yes, she asked him - out on a date. They were an odd pair. Sasuke didn't really care.

"Did you com here for her?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows and teased Sasuke from across the table.

When he didn't answer, however, Naruto's face paled.

"HOLY SHIT. YOU DID COME HERE FOR HER!"

A finger pointed towards Sakura. The whole shop's head turned towards them.

Sasuke swore in that moment, his eyes turned red.

He kicked Naruto's shin.