How To Catch Someone's Eye

Ch. 15 "A Bump In The Right Direction."

I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did.

Naruto sat, slurping the new-bought orange flavored slurpie, just because he loved the color, as he followed the dark spiked hair in front of him. Suddenly feeling a pain resembling a migraine, Naruto gripped at his head and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brain-freeze!"

Sasuke sighed at the volume of his friend behind him. And I still wonder how we became best mates.

"Ahhh! It tastes so good but it hurts so bad!" Naruto continued to shout, continuing to slurp, adding on to his pain.

"Shut up, you stupid masochist!" Sasuke growled. "We're in a public place! Embarrass yourself when you're not near me!"

"Well somebody's not happy." Naruto finished the drink. "What's up your butt?"

Sasuke clenched his jaw and balled his hand into a fist. "I swear, Naruto, if you don't shut up, you will be married to that bubbly English girl. Can it!"

Naruto's eyes widened and he immediately closed his mouth.

Seeing that he has finally stopped talking, Sasuke gave a satisfied nod before he turned around and bumped into somebody.

Sunny pouted as she paced her apartment. She had made sure she had gotten one that was near Naruto's.

She knew that it probably struck out as being stalker-ish, but she believed it would only show Naruto how much love she had for him. She couldn't help but drool and idiotically smile at her twisted fantasies of her being able to sneak into his apartment, considering that it was so close by.

Now she had an excuse to walk with him to school and back home every day.

"Who does he like?" She fumed, walking even faster. "It has to be one of those girls that were with him."

Like Ino, she had observed the glance of his eyes, but her memory was foggy and she couldn't recall who was to his left.

She halted, finally narrowing down her targets. "That has to be it! It is one of them!"

She looked out the clear sliding door at the afternoon sky. "Who were they again? Inu, Sura, and Gata?"

Resting her forehead on her clenched fist. "No that's not right. They had something to do with a tree, the sun, and dogs."

Sunny gave a small laugh and shook her head. "What am I fussing about? Like I'd lose to any of them!"

She strode over to her suitcase and opened it, revealing the contents inside. She rummaged inside and found the item she was searching for.

"Naruto and I will get married!"

Sasuke looked down and saw that someone was on the ground. He was sturdy enough that he didn't budge and inch when the two had collided. It was a girl.

"Oh, I apologize for that, miss." Sasuke, like a true gentleman, offered a hand. "Here, let me help you up."

Naruto began laughing. "Wow! What a nice boy you are!"

Sasuke just growled and glared at the blonde.

The girl reluctantly accepted the hand and pulled herself up. "Th-thank you."

Recognizing the voice, Naruto stopped laughing.

"Hinata?"

Sasuke saw the girl flinch and stiffen a bit. She gripped his hand. That was when he caught sight of the three other girls heading their direction.

"Hey! Hinata!" Naruto's overly cheery voice cut thru the awkward silence. "Are you here to look for clothes for tomorrow too?"

"Y-yes." Hinata gave a meek reply, her trembling hand letting go of Sasuke's.

The three others caught up with her.

"Oh, fancy that, Hinata bumped into Naruto." Tenten sniggered.

"Actually," Naruto said, not getting the joke. "She bumped into Sasuke."

Ino and Sakura giggled while Hinata blushed and Sasuke shook his head.

"What's so funny?" Naruto's sleeve flew to his mouth as he rubbed his lips on the back of his sleeve. "Was there slushie juice on the side of my mouth?"

Getting no response but the girls, excluding Hinata, just giving each other looks as they smiled at each other strangely, Naruto blushed a bit and looked away.

I want to go home. Sasuke sighed, placing his hand in his pocket, shuffling the loose change inside. I want to go and sleep, but that stupid older brother brought his rowdy college friends.

"So, since we're all here for the same purpose, do you want to go as a group?" Tenten smiled coyly.

Nice, Tenten! Ino grinned alongside her.

"We wouldn't mind." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "The more the merrier. But we have to go and meet up with Sai, Lee and Neji at the food court."

"N-Neji?" Tenten groaned. "How can he be here so soon? We just left him at your apartment Hinata!"

"Don't worry, it's fine by us," Sakura placed her hair behind her ears.

It was then that Naruto noticed the change in the raven-haired girl. "Hey, you cut your hair."

Hinata's hands sprung up to her face, catching the strands of hair in between her finger tips. "Wh-why? D-does i-it l-look bad?"

Oh, gawsh, Hinata. Ino shook her head in disdain. Don't be afraid to stand out.

"N-no!" Naruto rapidly shook his hands. "U-uh, it's just that i-it suits y-you!"

Seeing that the shy girl didn't say anything, he blurted out, "I like it!"

Hinata's cheeks turned rosy and she began poking her index fingers together. She murmured a muffled, "Th-thanks." One that Naruto barely heard.

"Okay, you two!" Ino gave Hinata a secret wink. "Let's go meet up with Sai and Neji."

"Don't forget Lee." Naruto began to fasten his pace, trying to catch up with the gang, leaving a smiling Hinata behind.

Well… It's short.

So far, the favored couplings are [based on anonymous inputs and can later change]:

NaruHina (with KibaHina in an upcoming conflict)

SasuSaku (still iffy wether to add a bit of SasuHina in the mix instead of KibaHina)

NejiTen (tough to make happen)

InoSai (gonna be challenging to do)

ShikaTem (when she makes an appearance)

KariSui (when he makes an appearance)

ItaAya ([?] They haven't really appeared yet)

SunLee ([?] Made me laugh)

And others, but you have to keep reading to find them out.

;P

Next Chapter:

Prepare for trouble…

And make it double…

Sunny and Karin in the mall!

Don't worry, just click the next button for the next chappy~!

Thanks for reading!

:3