"Its not like you to be late." Kakashi idly mentioned as the three arrived at the bridge. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Sakura's inability to look in Naruto's direction while the smile that Naruto carried wasn't just for show, along with an oddly smug aura. Sai, was of course, unaffected and was smiling his usual creepy smile.
"Something came up." Naruto answered, looking straight into Kakashi's eye. Quickly, he shot a look at Sasuke, who pretended to be engrossed in cleaning his blade.
Kakashi caught the message: Not in front of Sasuke.
Sai, however, didn't.
"Naruto seems to have been occupied by beautiful-"
"-by my beautiful, beautiful dream of becoming a Hokage. Tsunade had me filing away some paperwork." Naruto finished, closing a hand over Sai's mouth. Naruto laughed it off when Sasuke sent a quick glare in his direction. Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto let out simultaneous sighs of relief when there was no further reaction.
"Alright, lets begin training."
"Ugh."
Ino looked up from her scroll to watch Naruto stumble into the bedroom.
"You okay there?" Ino asked with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't like Naruto to be clumsy in his own home – unless he was so tired from a mission that he tripped over the foyer and never even made to the couch. Shes tripped on him enough times to know.
"Sasuke wasn't... happy. And took it out on me during our spar." Naruto said as a way of explanation. Ino remained confused. Noting it, Naruto lay beside her and went into story mode.
"Sasuke... doesn't like it when I hang out with other people." Seeing the incredulous look Ino was sending him he continued. "When we fought I said a few things, made a couple promises that he really didn't expect I would keep. Especially when he wasn't planning on coming back."
"But I beat him and dragged his ass back here. And I kept my word. And now he's trying to use it against me like the teme he is to see if I break them."
Ino stared at him long and hard. There was a lot missing there. It was like a summary – telling you everything that happens but none of the details that makes you want to find out more. And there was something else that even Naruto didn't know, like maybe it wasn't what he thought it was. Maybe Sasuke wasn't actually planning anything or-
She really needed to take a break from the Interrogation room in ANBU, she was reading between the lines way too much.
"So you being with me will be seen as a sign that you've... lost." Ino finished not sure if that was the right word.
"I... think?" Naruto replied, not exactly sure himself.
"So I'm your secret girlfriend?" Ino said.
"Not that I don't want people to know about you or anything!" Naruto yelled flailing his arms.
"...You just don't want The Uchiha to know." Ino answered. Naruto blinked at the tone and thought Ino was going to get mad when she suddenly grabbed his shoulders and straddled him, sporting a wicked smirk.
"This is going to be fun." She said with a quick chuckle. Before common sense could kick in, Ino kissed him and the conversation was forgotten by Naruto as his hormones went into overdrive.
Sasuke Uchiha... who knew you'd become one of my rivals one day. Well pretty boy, let's see what your relationship exactly is with my boyfriend.
I was gonna end it at ch.7 but I figured what the hell... as much as you guys complain about it being too short, you keep coming back.
Just a little heads up, because I had to do some actual plotting other genres are going to be popping up – ch.10 is already looking a bit on the serious side.