Chapter 29: Something To Remember

The following morning, Gaara and Kankuro met up with Naruto for breakfast. Kankuro kept a watchful eye on the two of them, making sure Naruto didn't try anything funny again. They had a nice time, but their visit was a short one. They really had to get going back to the Sand Village.

"Glad your meeting went well," said Naruto. "This is yours. You left it at my place yesterday."

Gaara took the gourd from Naruto and strapped it to his back. "Thanks."

"Before you go, one more thing."

Kankuro stepped closer to Gaara, suspecting Naruto was up to something.

Instead, Naruto handed them a small box with a red ribbon on it. "Sakura asked me to give these to you. Cookies from the bakery."

Gaara took the box which quickly left his hands and fell into Kankuro's.

"For the trip back home, I guess," Naruto went on. "Have them whenever. The stuff they make at the bakery taste amazing."

"Thank you."

Kankuro's mouth was too full to say anything. He had managed to reach inside the small box without removing the ribbon to get at the leaf shaped cookies.

Gaara nodded his head to Naruto and turned towards the main gate. Kankuro followed him, shoving another cookie into his mouth.

"See you next time!" Naruto called after them. "Bye!"

They waved without turning around.

As they left the village, Gaara glanced over at Kankuro and said, "Don't eat all of them. Temari might like to try one."

"You might get sick, too," added the other bodyguard.

"Calm down," said Kankuro. "Besides, she already got something from the bakery." He gestured to the bag on his back. "It's in here."

Gaara wasn't able to see what was inside Kankuro's bag, so he inquired with his eyes for Kankuro to explain.

"One of the Leaf guys handed me this box and said there was one cookie in there for each of us from the same bakery."

"What Leaf guy?" asked the bodyguard.

"That Shikamaru guy. Said the last time Temari was here, he had to be her escort and knew she liked the stuff at the bakery. Since she didn't come this time, he said this way she would still be able to eat something from there. That way she won't be disappointed or jealous when we come back with this box or something like that."

"Just in case you eat all of them, is that right?"

"Hey, I never get to have these. Sweet tooth or not, I'm a sucker for rare goods." Kankuro strapped the box to his bag. "I've had my fill of them anyway. Even if Shikamaru didn't get one for each of us, she'd still get her cookies."

Gaara paid attention to the road ahead, wondering if his brother took notice to Shikamaru's unique observations. Despite being her escort a while back, he was still able to recollect the bakery she liked. Moreover, making sure she would get at least one cookie from said place.

"I wonder what kind of things Naruto would like from our village," he wondered aloud. "We were given these cookies. It would be nice to return the gesture."

"If Kankuro doesn't eat them all first."

"Shut up!"

Things soon returned to normal in the Leaf Village and no one mentioned the strange things that happened the other day. Most seemed to have forgotten all about it, though Naruto did find it hard to walk down the street without bugs swarming around his face. Apparently, Shino did hold a grudge, but for all of two hours. Then Naruto had no trouble walking down the street without buzzing in his ears.

He met up with his friends at the convenient store. Choji was loading up his arms full of potato chips while he and Shikamaru chatted. Sakura and Ino were reading a magazine together, tugging it away from the other when one found something of interest. Kiba was holding a magazine in Neji's face, telling him to read the article but he wasn't interested. He turned his back to Kiba and tried to finish reading the one in his hands.

Sai, who had been reading quietly was the first one to notice Naruto when he walked in.

"This polish would look great on me, don't you think?" Ino asked, pointing to the bottom of the page.

"You think everything looks good on you," said Sakura. "Why are you even bothering to ask?"

"Well, that's true. But it's still nice to hear how good you look from other people."

"Dress up a pig, it's still a pig."

Ino pulled the magazine away from Sakura. "Rude, much?"

"Who's rude? Pulling something out of my hands while I'm still reading," Sakura growled.

"Says here that putting nail polish on bug bites is supposed to help relieve itching," Sai said, holding up his magazine. "That's interesting."

"Might want to tell that to Naruto," said Kiba. "Looks like he needs it after Shino finished with him."

"They didn't bite me. Just swarmed me."

Neji lowered the magazine in his hands. "Why would Shino be angry with you? Loaded question, I know. But usually Shino doesn't retaliate unless it was something that really pissed him off."

"Or if he's in the mood for it," Kiba added, having been the victim before.

"It's not important," said Naruto.

"Oh, that's right," said Sai. "We agreed not to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" asked Neji.

"I can't tell you because we agreed not to mention it," Sai told him.

This only piqued Neji's interest. "Mention what? And who's we?"

"Everyone Naruto-"

"Doesn't matter!" Naruto said quickly. "The past is the past!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "None of this should surprise me. People have been acting weird lately. Past couple of days, actually."

"But things are normal now."

"That's true," said Neji. "Since the matter is resolved I don't really care what went on."

"Even if it involved you?" asked Sai.

Neji looked up again. "What involved me?"

Naruto threw his hand over Sai's mouth, shushing him.

Apparently, Neji didn't remember what happened to him. Neither did the others for the most part. They only knew something went on because they all snapped out of it in the same place at the same time in the company of one another. Neji was alone when he came to his senses. Because of this, the matter was quickly forgotten. The others didn't remember the details, but they remembered being around Naruto and knew they had been acting strangely.

It also depended on how and when they came to their senses. Kiba had been biting Shikamaru when he came to and knew that wasn't normal. That was how he knew something happened. Neji was walking down the street by himself. Nothing too out of the ordinary there. He just couldn't remember how he got there, but he assumed it was because he was deep in thought which wasn't all that unusual. That was why he was able to put it out of his mind so quickly. As a result, the incident was soon forgotten since he wasn't dwelling on the details.

However, if something jogged his memory, that could all change. Since Neji wasn't around at the time, he had no idea Naruto was involved and hadn't agreed to let the incident slide.

"Whatever." Neji looked over at the girls bickering nearby. If they simply picked up a second magazine, they wouldn't have to share and wouldn't be in a tug of war over the one in their hands. Then again, it was more about the other's comment than sharing.

Sakura shoved Ino who knocked over a jar on the shelf behind her which shattered on the ground. That ended their bickering. They grew quiet and moved away, hoping they wouldn't be blamed for the mess.

Kiba smelled the pungent pickle juice and looked over. "Clean up aisle one!" he called playfully.

"Shut up," Ino growled.

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "They'll clean it so you won't get your pretty nails dirty, if that's what you're worried about."

"If it was an accident, they'll clean it up for you," said Neji. "That's what the staff is for."

"Does shoving count as an accident?" asked Sai.

"Think they'll make them clean it up?" Naruto asked.

"Make it shine," Kiba teased.

"Come on," said Naruto. "They can't really make you clean a mess, can they?"

"Not unless they're in maid outfits," Kiba snickered.

Ino clubbed him over the head with the magazine.

"I think Sakura would look cute in a maid costume," said Naruto.

Sakura hurled a can of beans at Naruto's head.

"If that thing opens, you're cleaning it," said Kiba.

"What a waste of good food," Choji moaned. "Don't bully the can."

"It's not about the cleaning. It's about making us pay for it. The 'you break it, you buy it' policy."

"News flash," Kiba said, snapping his fingers to get their attention. "No one actually does that."

"Yeah, they do," said Naruto. "Believe me, I know. And depending on the mess, they might make you clean it."

"Might."

"But Sakura, it was a compliment," Naruto whined. "Why'd you have to throw that at me? Maids are cute."

"They take orders, too."

Sakura held up her fist but didn't swing it.

As they argued and teased each other, a staff member came over with a mop and started to clean the pickle jar spill.

Neji frowned, trying to recall a forgotten memory. Something seemed so familiar about this.

"Cleaning…" Why did that ring a bell?

He searched the far corners of his memory but couldn't unlock that door. He couldn't remember fully. All he could do was peek in the window to find bits and pieces of what went on the other day.

He couldn't make out the details, but he got a very blurry memory of himself giggling and seeing Naruto's blue eyes. He also recalled a blurry bathhouse and something about playing games on the floor of someone's apartment.

Someone's dirty apartment.

Cleaning.

He was cleaning the apartment.

Someone else was there ordering him around.

A jewel.

Blond hair and blue eyes. Such blue eyes.

That voice.

That face.

Neji ripped the magazine in half. "Naruto!" He remembered enough to know who was to blame. "You turned me into your personal maid?!"

"Eep."

I think Neji just bought that magazine. ^^'

The end!

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