Chapter Four: Ramen

Sakura's POV

We made it outside the hokages tower and started heading toward Tsunde's house. Neither of us said anything to the other. There really is nothing to talk about. So we just walked. About half way there we were in the middle of the village. Nothing really ever caught my attention here. It was all the same.

"Sakura!" I heard a voice behind us yell. I turn around to see Naruto running at full speed towards our way. He was going fast enough to where he couldn't stop if he tried and was going to run directly into me. Not having enough time to move I prepare my body for the blow of Naruto. But before he could even reach me Gaara had spoken.

"Sand wall." He said calmly putting his hand up with the sand following putting a barrier between Naruto and I like he had done earlier with the mist ninja and I.

Best part was watching Naruto run straight into the wall. I was laughing so hard I was hunched over holding my stomachs while Gaara looked like he was somewhat amused. Naruto got up brushing off the dust and looked at Gaara and then at me.

"Sakura why did you leave me there knocked out? Woah Sakura what happened to you? Naruto questioned me. I couldn't let him know that I was in danger and he couldn't protect me. He won't ever let me out of sight again.

"Naruto you don't ever question a girl's appearance, and I fell out of a tree coming back into town." I told him earning a raised eyebrow and a questioning look from Gaara knowing that isn't what happened.

"Oh ok you always was a clutz. I understand that now but why is Gaara here?" Naruto says looking over at Gaara who was about answer before I cut him off.

"Gaara don't say anything. Naruto and I had a bet and he lost so he doesn't get to know." I say. Gaara nods in understanding.

"Ah no fair Sakura. Please tell me." Naruto starts to beg. All I do is shake my head.

"Nope. Now come on you owe me some ramen, and if you buy some for Gaara to I'll heal you." I say putting my hand out. Naruto grabs my hand and shakes it.

"Deal." Naruto shouts and starts walking towards the ramen shop. I turn to look at Gaara to see his Jade colored eyes looking back at me.

"You don't need to do that. You need to heal yourself." He said with a serious tone.

"It's fine my chakra is back and Naruto heals fast so it doesn't take much I'll be fine I promise so let's go get some ramen." I say grabbing his arm without realizing it and dragging him with me as I try to catch up to Naruto. In the back ground all I can hear is Gaara yelling at me.

"Unhand me woman I can walk on my own." He said glaring at my hand. All I did was laugh at him.

"Then hurry up then. I'll race you there." I said letting him go and running toward the ramen shop. I turn my head to see Gaara running behind me trying to catch up. I turn I head forward and run a little faster dodging the people in my path. One even yelled.

"Those ninja are at it again." All I could do was laugh at their comment.

I make it to the ramen shop first and was opening the door to show that I won when Gaara came up behind me and squeeze past me into the room, and then turn back and grinned at me.

"I guess I won." He said still grinning.

I smile at him and said. "I think I won actually." He just looked at me a little confused on what I was talking about. I smiled bigger.

"How?" He asked still confused. I just laughed.

"That was the first time I've actually seen you smile." I said through my giggle fit.

"I don't get how you won though." He said looking at me like I'm a mad man.

"Well I've never seen you smile and I just feel like that's a win for me." I said blushing a little bit out of embarrassment of having the redhead staring at me. He just looks away.

"Let's go Naruto is probably waiting." He mumbled and turned to find a seat where Naruto is. I follow until I see Naruto sitting in the corner of the shop. He hops out of his seat and starts waving at us like an idiot. I try to look as if I don't know him. As I look over I notice that Gaara had face palmed at the blonde idiot.

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked Naruto who just stood there scratching his head before looking up at me and grinned.

"Teleportation Jutsu." He said as if it was the most obivous thing in the world. I just stood there stunned. I then face palm at my forgetfulness.

"How come I didn't think of that?" Gaara and I say together. We just look at one another blankly. We quickly look away from eachother flushed with embrassment. There was a akward silence between the three of us, no one knowing what to say so we just decided to take a seat in a booth located in the back corner of the ramen shop. Gaara sat next to Naruto on the opposite of the booth as me. Naruto had waved over the waiter and placed a order for three bowls of ramen before the waiter turned and hurried off to the back room to prepare the food.

"Sakura your really starting to improve on the focus of your chakra aren't ya?" Naruto states with a really proud look on his face.

"What do you mean?" I ask puzzled. Naruto just looks at me and laughs.

"Your punches are starting to hurt way more than they use to, believe it." He says while scratching the back of his head.

"You know you shouldn't hold back on me when we fight. I'm not the same girl I used to be." I say and Naruto nods in understanding. We sit there for another few minutes in silence still waiting on our food, so I decide to take the focus off me and onto Gaara who is just sitting there in silent listening to Naruto and I.

"Gaara how is Temari? She usually visits me every few months but I haven't seen her for a while." I say wondering about my blonde spiky haired friend from Suna.

"Well Temari and Kankuro have actually been spying on the Mist Village for the past couple months with Kiba and Shikamaru, and reporting anything suspicious they might find." Gaara says making Naruto jump up from the table. Gaara and I just stare at him.

"Why didn't Grandma tell me about this? Why didn't I get to go?" Naruto starts shouting causing the attention of the few people in the ramen shop to stare at him. I quickly grab Naruto by the collar of his shirt and pull him down, forcing him to sit down. I cover his mouth with my hand to quit his ranting. He makes eye contact with me and instantly looks terrified.

"Naruto if you quit your ranting I will beat you to a pulp. Do you understand?" I ask him in my terrifying voice. He gulps and slowly nods, so I release his shirt.

"Good." I say while giggling. Gaara looks at me a little wide eyed.

"Who knew you could be a bit scary Sakura." Gaara said a little bit amused.

"You have no idea." Naruto said giving Gaara a goofy sideways glance earning a light punch in the arm from me. Naruto winced in pain from my punch as he rubbed his arm. I quickly realized that I haven't healed yet. Before I could apologize our waiter had brought us our ramen, making Naruto forget about his hurt arm. With that we all laugh, even Gaara. I had a feeling that Gaara and I might get along more than I thought we would.