It was hard to unsee the kunoichi's beautiful hair flowing among the sea of people. The look on her face was of seriousness, and had him worrying for a brief moment. He was about fifteen meters from her, and he was fighting the urge not to look too eager to close the distance between them. After all, it seemed she hadn't noticed him - the market wasn't exactly the first place a Hokage should be.

He wouldn't admit that she was the reason he was here. He had been busy the past few weeks and he wanted to see her. So much so that he took a wild guess and dashed straight off to the first place that popped in his mind, not knowing whether he would meet her at all. It must be his lucky day.

A short stop by the fruit stand and she would be just five meters closer. Please see me. I'm not at all trying to be inconspicuous. He pretended to be interested in a very nice, plump orange in front of him.

"Hokage-sama! How nice of you to stop by! Please have as much as you want! I can give you a discount!"

He was only slightly thankful that the woman was not too loud about her offering, two meters and just across him, Sakura, it seemed, was too busy to notice. He looked around; no way she couldn't see him. He was at least a feet taller than most of the people walking about and minding their own business. He wasn't wearing his hat, but shouldn't his long, flowing coat with the words "Rokudaime Hokage" give him away? Don't people notice each other at all in the market? His musings were interrupted by the lady by the fruit stand, staring at him in anticipation. He scratched his head and decided he was indeed going to buy as many oranges as he wanted…

"Oranges for the Orange Hokage?" Sakura smiled, sneaking behind him before giving him a light shove.

His heart leapt as he tentatively tried his best to make it look like he was more interested at the fruits in his hands.

"I guess… want some?"

His offer was met with a roll of her eyes as she ignored his question and picked out apples instead. He took the opportunity to stare the living daylights out of her before she would notice and perhaps throw him off the next village or oblivion, depending on her strength for today. She didn't sport the usual morning-after-shift face and she looked well rested. Perhaps she had a day off. Perhaps she would want to eat out. Perhaps -

"You are supposed to pay for that, Hokage-sama."

Snapped out of his thoughts once more, a faint blush spread through his cheeks as he handed the lady the oranges in his hands and fumbled through his pockets for some change. She had, while he was lost in thought, already paid for her purchase.

"Bad day for concentration, I presume?" She eyed him with wonder, a slight smile forming as she observed his now uncomfortable state.

"Or it could be a good day for a date," he replied with a big smile. "It's your day off, right?"

"What if it isn't?"

"I'm pretty sure it is, Sakura-chan."

"Keeping track of my schedules now?"

"Not really, but I thought you might want a break from me trying to ask you out once in a while. Who knows, you might actually miss me."

Sakura snorted in spite of herself, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks. She turned the other way, wishing he'd be too busy staring at the sky, or the road, or…

"I don't mind not going to Ichiraku's… just in case you were wondering."

She turned to see him beaming with the confidence that he had mysteriously exerted the moment he donned that long, deceiving, white coat. Naruto was not speaking. Naruto the Hokage was speaking. Like she could say no to that. Like she wanted to.

"You're paying," she replied, chin up in the air.

"I'm quite rich now, you know." Naruto smiled in eager anticipation for the rest of his self declared day off.