6 Selfishness

Hinata was an excellent secretary. She had her photocopies done in record time and was a very fast typer. All her files were kept in alphabetical order. She was patient, kind, and polite to impatient, unkind, and impolite visitors. As a plus, she was pretty. Which was why she wasn't surprised when Kakashi-san decided to hand her another free-ticket to someplace again.

"Here, Hinata-san—a free first-class ticket to Bangkok. Thank you for being such an efficient worker these past few months," he held it out to her.

Her heart stopped. Did he just say Bangkok? That was one place she wanted to go. Really wanted to go. She'd been there once before, and the shopping was crazy. Multiple malls in the same area, cheap clothes, shoes, and bags! It was a shopper's paradise, no matter how limited your money was. And the food…well, she loved the food. Naruto thought she was crazy because his favorite food was ramen.

She stared at the purple ticket.

"Well?"

Kakashi-san waved it in front of her face. She grabbed it.

"T-Thank you, Kakashi-san!"

Naruto wanted to see Kungfu Panda so bad, but Hinata wasn't here. She was in Bangkok, shopping, probably. He could call Sasuke up, but then it wouldn't be fun. Sasuke only liked watching those award-winning movies that required deep thinking but no normal person would understand unless they went to search for the analysis on the net.

That left Sakura. But she liked him, didn't she? Would it be wrong if he asked her out with him, like before? Was it okay to watch movies with a friend, just a friend? Is this going to hurt her?

Naw, he reasoned with himself. She's probably fallen for that idiot Sasuke by now…right?

His need for entertainment took over and he called her.

Something was pulled downwards in her heart when she heard his voice. It was cautious pain.

Why are you doing this to me? I was healing….

"Y-Yea, sure, Naruto."

Oh, no…Not again…I can't even reject him…

"Yea, bye…"

Sakura sighed and buried her face in her pillow. So much for trying. Her phone rang again. This time, it was Sasuke.
"Hey, Sakura."

"Hey…"

"Want to go out and see Kungfu Panda with me tomorrow?"

"S-Sorry, Sasuke. Tomorrow I'm busy..."

No, I'm not! Save me from Naruto, please!

"Oh, sure, that's alright. Bye, then."

"Bye."

So much for trying.

That was weird. She'd never rejected him before, in the three months that he'd known her. Her voice also sounded…strange. Something was definitely going on.

The next morning, he found himself squatting behind the pot plant at the side of her house, eyes trained at the doorstep. He refused to acknowledge himself as a stalker. No, he was just clarifying what business she had that was so important that she had to brush him off. Yes, that was it.

Soon enough, the front door open and a pair of slim legs stepped out. He nearly did a double take. Now he was really curious. She was wearing a short aquamarine mini-skirt and a black blouse. Her make-up was immaculately pretty and her hair was carefully curled and styled. She had on black leggings and high heels. She was never this dressed up for him. At most, with him, she just put on a simple dress and lip gloss.

Who could she be meeting up with?

Sasuke followed her at a safe distance when he saw that she'd gotten in a taxi. Ten minutes later, Sasuke was following Sakura as she walked into the Mias Square, the hip meeting point for all trendy people. Mias Square…that must mean that whoever she's meeting, is a peer…ahh…so this is not a business meeting.

He watched as she fidgeted around with her hair and bow-clutch as she waited for whomever she was waiting for. After five minutes, she was tired of standing around and sat down on a nearby bench, looking dejected. Sasuke felt like punching whoever stood her up like that, even though he'd never straightforwardly admit it to her. He himself was never late for a date in his life.

Then, her cellphone rang. Her startled green eyes searched frantically in her tiny clutch for the phone. When she finally found it, he saw her hesitate a moment before answering. Sasuke couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could read her face expression. It was hope. Sad, hopeless hope. When she hung up, she immediately got up and began to walk briskly.

So whoever she's meeting isn't only late, he tells her to change meeting places?!

Sasuke was burning with curiosity. The Sakura he knew didn't let people tell her what to do. Whoever this person is, he/she must be pretty important.

Watching her hips swinging this way and that the whole time, he found that they had ended up at the Mias Movie Theater. Then, he saw who she was meeting…

That idiot, Naruto. How stupid could he get?! Asking her out?! But what hurt him wasn't the fact that Naruto had asked her out. He'd known Naruto a long time, and he knew that Naruto really wasn't thinking anything when he asked her out. What hurt him was that she still had hope that someday, Naruto would turn and look at her—hence the dress-up. What hurt him was that no matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't look at him as someone more important than his best friend.

A hard, cold feeling, one not unlike fury, engulfed his very being. His hands clenched and unclenched as he watched the pink-haired girl smile at Naruto expectantly. He knew he had no right to be angry, because she had already warned him about this.

"I don't think I'll stop liking Naruto anytime soon, Sasuke," she'd said.

"That's okay," he'd said.

But in reality, it was not okay. What did she see in Naruto? What did Naruto have that he didn't? He wanted to walk right in between that annoying little pink-haired bitch and that idiot and do something disruptive but he knew he had no right to.

He stood frozen and watched the empty doorway of the theater many minutes after the couple had disappeared inside. He had to force himself to look away, to walk away from that place. Silent tears fell.

Five minutes into the movie, Sakura's guilty conscience kicked in. Was it right to be here? Was it right to blow Sasuke off for Naruto? Sasuke, who'd comforted her heart while Naruto continued to hack away at the already-broken pieces…

"HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Sakura looked at the handsome blonde boy beside her and decided. No, it wasn't right. Why had it dawned on her just now?

"Naruto," she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?"

His eyes were still glued to the screen. She sighed.

"I really need to leave right now."

He turned to her, confused.

"Wha? Why? Are you crazy? We're watching a movie, Sakura-chan."

He turned back to the screen.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I really can't do this. I shouldn't be here."

"What do you mean, Sakura-chan?"

"Please don't call me and ask me out one-on-one again, Naruto…"

Naruto's face, illuminated blue from the light from the screen, was confused for a moment, but then it lit up with understanding.

"Oh…I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan! I'm so insensitive!"

His cute, boyish face really did look sorry, like a puppy that'd disappointed its master. Sakura took a long look at that face, but she didn't really see it. She saw the contours of another face, one with dark, cat-like eyes and a stern lip. She saw spiky black hair. Sasuke.

"Bye, Naruto," she gave him her most firm smile, and rushed out.

Naruto couldn't enjoy the rest of the movie. He knew that it was impossible now, to be close to Sakura again. It wasn't fair to her. He wanted to beat himself up over his own shallow selfishness.

Author's Note: I have a completely random question. Feel free to answer in your review if you'd like. If a Naruto movie was made, who'd star in it? Who'd be Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura? Hmm? Just wondering, really. I just fingering with the idea of Erika Toda as Sakura...of course, she'd have to dye her hair pink and put in green contacts. :)