"What the hell, Zaku?!" I hollered. He glared at me but said nothing. Who the hell does this asshole think he is? Doesn't he realize that we're suppose to get the Konoha shinobi and citizens to trust us to be able to permanently reside here? Yet here he is causing trouble.
"I'm trying to get to know a few people, just as you are Kin." He finally spoke, giving me a mocking smile.
"Calling people names isn't the ideal way of getting to know others." Kiba retorted. He was standing in front of a very pissed off Chouji, most likely using himself as a barricade to prevent the insulted portly young genin from the irrational smart-mouthed one.
Zaku snorted completely unfazed by Kiba's threatening demeanor. Whenever he got this way it was hard to get him to back down. Even with the mangled mess his arms are in, Zaku would be ready to fight if need be. I have to fix this before it gets out of hand.
"Weren't you supposed to be shopping with Dosu today?" I inquired, perhaps bringing Dosu's name into things will defuse the situation a little bit. "He said that you guys were supposed to be shopping for things for the house."
"Naw, I decided not to go." He responded matter-of-factly.
"Please Zaku, can you leave." I pleaded, very unlike me me. However this night was very import to me. I can't, no, I won't let him ruin this.
"What, why? I have every right to be here just as much as all of you." He argued. I looked down to my almost empty plate embarrassed by the way Zaku was acting. At this rate, they'll never accept my offer of friendship.
"Fine, if you want to be here you can." Ino grabbed my wrist as she spoke. "WE will be taking our leave. Come on guys."
Kiba and the others sat the respective amounts of money for their meals on the table and headed towards the door. Ino still dragged me behind her grumbling under her breath; the words 'stupid' and 'asshole' being the only ones I could pick up. I looked at Zaku as we passed by him, feeling a little sorry for allowing the others to scold him. But before I had any chance, if I wanted to, to say anything, I felt I rough tug on my left arm as I watched Ino falling face first to the floor, in slow motion. I grunted as I felt the impact of not only Ino's elbow colliding with my face, but Naruto and Sakura accidentally stepping on my hair and fingers as they tried to help the both of us up.
"Oops," Zaku sniggered with a sarcastic undertone. "My bad I didn't know my foot was in the way."
"You did that on purpose, you jerk!" Sakura roared. She placed both hands on her hip and stood firmly in front of Zaku. He only laughed at how un-threatening she probably looked, standing an entire head shorter than he, and pink hair to boot, she didn't have an intimidating bone in her body from the looks of it.
"Prove it." He whispered close to her face, but yet loud enough for us to hear. When Sakura didn't say anything, Zaku laughed in triumph. "That's what I thought."
Zaku was showing such a distasteful side to himself. And frankly, I'm embarrassed of it. As I sat on my knees on the floor my eyes shifted from each person, each had a different expression of rage or disgust on their faces.
Sasuke trotted from his location near Shino and and Shikamaru and stopped in front of Zaku, mostly likely feeling that it was his turn to confront him. But rather than using words, Sasuke roughly shoved Zaku backwards from his shoulders. Zaku cringed as if Sasuke punched him in the stomach and fell down to one knee, breathing heavily. Seeing Sasuke rough handle Zaku set something off within me and I immediately crawled to Zaku's side and caressed his back in attempt to soothe the pain. I know how the slightest touch to Zaku's arms could cause him immense pain, but after what Sasuke did, I can't imagine the amount of pain he must be in right now.
"Sasuke, you can't do that!" I scolded. Zaku may be the biggest asshole on the planet but he's still my best friend, and touching his arms with the intention of hurting him is unacceptable. "His arms are badly damaged as you know. Don't rough handle him!"
"But he was picking a fight when he came in here and called me fat!" Chouji fumed glaring daggers at Zaku's collapsed form.
"He is right." Shino spoke coolly using his index finger to push his glasses up his nose, "his remarks were the reason this upheaval began in the first place."
Smacking my lips, I ignored their comments and continued to rub Zaku's back. "I don't care what he did, don't touch his arms." I reiterated.
"I-I'm fine.." Zaku said breathlessly, "g-get off of m-e." He tried to elbow me away, but I would have none of it, I kept my place next to him.
"...we're going to go home." I said solemnly. I gave a glance to Kiba, who was looking away from me. My heartaches right now, but I have to get Zaku home so he can rest. "Thanks for the dinner, Kiba. I had fun." I smiled.
"Yeah, sure." He placed his hands in his pockets and sidestepped in the corner to allow Zaku and I to get to the door.
I gave Kiba one last glance and stepped out into the warm late evening air of Konoha. Zaku was silent as we walked together to our apartment, my arm around his waist struggling but faring well enough to carry his weight. I sighed in attempt to relieve some of the stress I was feeling. Today was going so well, and in a few minutes it was ruined. My biggest worry was what they must think of me for yelling at Sasuke even though he was only trying to help.
"...uh." Zaku began. "I'm not gonna apologize or anything but.."
"It's okay Zaku. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to rush things with them in the first place." I said kicking dirt, "I should try to make my friendship with you and Dosu stronger before I try to make friends with others."
"No, you don't have to do that." Zaku insisted. He finally lifted his weight off of me began to walk on his own. I looked at him, it seemed as if the worst of the pain had passed. "I won't bother you again, I was only being an ass to get let them know that I'm not about to hide away from them 'cause they fucked my arms up."
I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief good heartedly. We arrived at our apartment complex and headed to our floor via the stairs. Once we got in front of our door, I remembered something crucial, "oh shoot, I don't have the key." I said absentmindly patting my pocketless dress as if I would find it.
"I do. Dosu got each of us a key to the house while we.. Er, he was out."
"So you guys DID go shopping today. You lied!" I said playfully
Zaku groaned, "you made me seem like a pansy little bitch. I had to say something."
"Well give me my key then." I jested holding my left palm out in front of him.
"It's in my back pocket. You know, that's the real reason I went to the restaurant. To give you your key." Zaku laughed quietly as if afraid to wake the neighbors "I just couldn't help myself."
"Are you serious?! You ruined everything tonight!" I shouted flailing my arms in the air. "And everything was going so perfectly too." I huffed and pouted and turned my back to him.
"Aww, were you going to have sex with him later?" Zaku teased in a baby voice.
I blushed at Zaku's comment, "n-no..? NO! Of course not, I just met him today you pervert! Who the hell do you think I am?" I growled and forcefully shoved my hands in both of Zaku's back pockets to retrieve my key and his as well.
After getting the keys, I quickly put one in the keyhole and opened the door slightly. I slid in through the small entrance and closed the door before Zaku could get in and locked it behind me.
"Hey! Open the door Kin!" I heard his muffled cries, "this isn't funny. Dammit!"
I laughed evilly, feeling quite satisfied with myself "serves you right!" I yelled at the door. I turned around and headed for my bedroom to get ready for bed early.
"Hey Dosu." I said walking past him, noticing him reading a different book than this morning. "I'm headed to bed early. Night"
"Alright, good night." He said without looking up from his book. I know Dosu knows that Zaku is out there but I'm pretty sure he won't let him in until he's finished reading.
"Good." I said to no one, I smirked after closing my own door muffling Zaku's demands to be let in even further. "That'll teach him to rub me the wrong way."