Disclaimer: "Icha Icha Tea" may cause burning, swelling, an insatiable need for manga, random sexy harem jutsu, summon frogs, dogs, and/or turtles, and if you smack your erection with a hammer, and it still doesn't go down... uh, then you should probably see a doctor.
LOL! Sorry, just had to do that! I own nothing. On with the fic!
~Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?!~
"Bye, guys!" exclaimed Naruto as he waved to his family at the ramen stand.
"Good luck on your date, Naruto!" reassured Iruka with a grin. "You'll do fine!"
"Okay, so it's 4:30 already. Better get to the barbecue place and make that reservation," said Naruto to himself as he checked his watch.
"Luckily, Iruka said the effects of that stupid tea should wear off soon," thought Naruto ruefully, hoping that no one else wanted to 'help' with his date.
"Alright! Date plans are a go! Dattebayo!" yelled Naruto as he ran off into the street.
"There it is! I knew it was around here somewhere!" declared Naruto as he quickly ran up toward the establishment.
And it just so happened that Shikamaru and Choji had chosen that exact moment to exit the restaurant.
"Choji, seriously?" asked Shikamaru with an exaggerated sigh. "We just ate man! Why are you already starting on a bag of chips?"
"It's just a *munch* quick snack *munch* *munch* to tied me over until supper. Besides, we ate a late lunch, Shikamaru."
"We went into the restaurant at 2:30! That's not that late for lunch!" argued back the lazy ninja.
"Well it is for- oh hey Naruto!" said Choji as he finally noticed the blond staring at them.
"YOU TWO!" growled Naruto accusingly as he walked up to his stunned friends.
They both blinked and stared at the angry ninja questioningly.
"Naruto, you okay man?" asked Shikamaru raising his eyebrow.
"NO! I AM NOT OKAY!" screamed Naruto as he walked up and started poking Shikamaru in the chest. "I'VE JUST DISCOVERED THAT ALL MY FRIENDS ARE A BUNCH OF A-HOLES!"
"Wait, what?" asked Choji as he swallowed his food.
"I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO ASK YOU GUYS THE 'IF' ANY MORE. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS 'WHY!?'"
"Why, what?"
"WHY, IF ALL OF YOU KNEW HINATA WAS IN LOVE WITH ME, NONE OF YOU EVER TOLD ME!" roared Naruto as his voice sadly cracked on the last few words.
"Damn it," grumbled Shikamaru as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're so troublesome, Naruto. I should have seen this coming."
"Why, guys..." whispered Naruto hoarsely, his voice finally giving out. "You all knew how lonely I was. How lonely Hinata was... Shikamaru, dude I'm only going to admit this once. I am not smart! And you all know I am not smart. I am dense as a freaking post! So, why- I mean... if only I had known I-"
"Naruto..." said Shikamaru hesitantly, unsure of how to explain this to his friend. When Choji suddenly shoved his back of chips into Shikamaru's face.
"Choji? What-"
"Here, hold these for a moment Shikamaru. I'll handle this," commanded Choji with a determined air.
Shikamaru reached out and slowly took the chips with weak hands. Choji had willingly put down food. The Shadow-user was completely stunned.
Choji then vigorously dusted off his hands, reached out, and grasped Naruto by the shoulders.
"Naruto," said Choji sincerely, "look at me."
The blond looked up at him with tears lingering in the corners of his eyes, just ready to fall.
"Can you honestly say, that if any of us had told you, that you would have known and understood what love truly meant, during that point of your life?"
Naruto's eyes went wide as he stared at Choji in shock. Because... the answer was no. He wouldn't have. Hell, he didn't even understand it when Hinata had flat out told him all those years ago.
The blond's breath caught in his throat, causing him to choke up.
"You weren't ready to know yet," answered Choji honestly. "If we would have told you, it would have only hurt you both. You two might not have even gotten the chance to be together like you do now."
Naruto looked down at his feet. The blond then let out a defeated sigh. He knew Choji was right and that his friends only had the best intentions at heart.
"But... you're ready now," stressed Choji as he tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulders. "And in the end, that's all that really matters, right?"
Naruto then glanced back into Choji's eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Good I-," said Choji in relief as he turned back toward Shikamaru, and noticed that he had one of Choji's potato chips raised toward his mouth.
The man saw red. "Shikamaru! Put down the bag of chips down and slowly back away!" he commanded threateningly.
"Nope!" stated Shikamaru as he raised the chip towards his mouth, "I'm going to take this potato chip-"
"No! Don't you dare say it!"
"And I'm going to-"
Steam came out of Choji's nostrils like that of an angry bull, "HUMAN BULLET TANK!" he yelled spinning off toward Shikamaru.
"Uh oh!" exclaimed Shikamaru as he ran around trying to escape Choji's rolling attack.
This just made Naruto smile and shake his head. Maybe he had been stressing out too much about this. The past was the past. Choji was right, he and Hinata were together now and that's all that mattered.
"Oi! Naruto nii-chan! Naruto nii-chan!" called out Konohamaru as he and his teammates ran up to meet him.
"Is it true?" asked Moegi out of breath. "Did Hinata finally confess to you? And the two of you are going out now?"
Naruto simply blushed and answered, "Hai."
"Alright! Go Hinata!" exclaimed Udon as he and Moegi locked arms and spun around singing, "She did it! She did it!"
"Wait... hold on," said Konohamaru, starring intently at Naruto. "I mean, I get Hinata confessing to you, we've all known she's liked you for like forever. But... I thought you liked Sakura, So Naruto nii-chan, why are you going out with Hinata?"
"I-" Naruto looked at Konohamaru surprised. He was the first person all day to ask him that.
"I-well... I've come to realize that the love I feel for Sakura isn't the romantic kind. It's- she's... like my sister, and she's been like that for a long time now. I've just recently come to understand it though, and... that what I now feel for Hinata... is the real thing," answered Naruto honestly as he stared down at his younger friend.
"Hai, I understand Nii-chan," replied Konohamaru with a genuine smile. He then ran up and gave Naruto a big hug. This made Naruto grin as he wrapped his arms around Konohamaru and returned it.
"Thanks, kiddo. I really needed that," the blond said pulling out of the hug.
"No prob, nii-chan," answered Konohamaru with a sly grin, "Although, now I'm going to have perfect another form."
"Wait, what?" asked Naruto as Konohamaru yelled out "Sexy Jutsu!" and turned into a naked cloud covered version of Hinata.
"ACK!" croaked out Naruto as blood shot violently out of his nose.
"Naruto-kun, don't you want to play?" asked Konohamaru sweetly in Hinata's voice.
"TEME!" roared Naruto as he recovered and ran after the boy with murder in mind. Konohamaru simply changed back and ran off with his hysterically cackling friends.
Naruto just shook his fist angrily at the retreating trio saying, "You better watch out you three! I'll get you back when you least expect it!"
It was then that a very dusty pair of Choji and Shikamaru resurfaced from their "Chip Battle." Since Choji now held the bag again, it would seem that he was the ultimate victor.
"Dude, you rolled over the thing," stated Shikamaru with a sweat-drop. "All the chips are crushed, why the hell are you still eating it?"
"Because it's the principle of the thing now," explained the large man seriously. "The principle of the thing." Wind then dramatically blew through Choji's hair making him look like a triumphant hero as a crow flew by going Caw! Caw!
"Anyway, so Naruto. Are you taking Hinata out then tonight?" asked Shikamaru as he dusted off his clothes.
"I thought you 'didn't care if Hinata and I got together,' Shikamaru," teased Naruto lightly.
"Oi!" exclaimed Shikamaru with a roll of his eyes. "I only said that because you were acting like a pouting child!"
This caused Naruto to deflate a little. "Yeah, I know I was. Gomen, Shikamaru," he answered sadly.
The Shadow-user just sighed again.
"So troublesome," muttered Shikamaru under his breath and then said, "It's okay, Naruto. We all know that your heart often runs away with your head, it's just a part of who you are."
This made Naruto lighten up again.
"Just try not to let it affect the mission like that again, okay?" added Shikamaru understandingly.
"You got it dude!" replied Naruto with a salute.
"You never answered Shikamaru's original question, Naruto," stated Choji. "Are you taking Hinata out tonight?"
"I sure am, Dattebayo!" exclaimed Naruto with a thumbs-up, good guy pose.
"Not to Ichiraku's I hope," teased Shikamaru with a sly grin.
"Nah... I was actually going to make a reservation at the barbecue place when I ran into you guys," said Naruto happily.
"Oh! Well I can help you with that," offered Choji kindly. "My family knows the owner, I can get you all kinds of great discounts. Come on, I'll go in with you and ask."
"Really?! Thanks, Choji! That's really awesome!"
"Think nothing of it my friend," said Choji as he draped a friendly arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Besides with you and Hinata finally getting together, the only couple left for me to match make for are Shikamaru and Temari!"
"Oh! Hehehe! I see! Yes, Shikamaru, how is that going?" teased Naruto with an evil grin. It felt good to be on the giving end of the conversation for once that day!
"For the last time Choji! There's nothing going on between Temari and I!" yelled Shikamaru irately at his friends.
"I think he protests too much," whispered Choji dramatically to Naruto, this just set the blond off into a fit of giggles.
Shikamaru's right eye started twitching as he loudly declared, "Why would I EVER go out with that LOUD, OPINIONATED, OVERBEARING, DOMINEER-"
It was then that Choji and Naruto suddenly became very pale.
"She's standing right behind me, isn't she?" deduced the Shadow-user as he slowly turned around to face his doom.
"No, go on, Shikamaru," encouraged Temari as she dangerously unhooked her fan from her back. "Please! Tell me more..."
Shikamaru simply gulped and ran for the hills.
As Temari chased after him, she called back over shoulder, "Glad you woke up and stopped running from Hinata, Naruto."
And with that she took off after her troublesome prey.
"That is one dangerous woman," admitted Naruto as he watched Temari swing her fan, sending Shikamaru flying.
"Amen to that," agreed Choji as he then turned to Naruto and motioned that he should follow him into the restaurant. "Anyway, this place has amazing pork cheeks and-"
And so, Naruto had finished his mission to set up the perfect date for Hinata, but miserably failed at finding a single person who hadn't known she was already in love with him.
Meanwhile, a few hours later in the village of shifting sands.
"Oi! Gaara!" called Kankuro as he and Matsuri walked into his brother's office. "I just got an emergency message from Temari."
"Really?" asked the Sand-user as he put down his pen, "Did something happen in Konoha... why are you smiling?"
Kankuro just grinned and handed him the note, saying, "Oh, you'll see."
Gaara stared questioningly back at his brother and took the note. And after a few moments, he started smiling, too.
"Well Naruto, it would seem that you have finally become a vessel of love," whispered Gaara happily. "I was wondering when he was going to notice."
"Yeah, he's pretty dense about the ways of the heart. Like someone else we know, right Matsuri?" inquired Kankuro with a knowing grin.
Matsuri discreetly elbowed Kankuro in the stomach and gruffly replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Of course not," grunted back Kankuro still wearing his stupid grin.
Gaara just looked back and forth between them confused.
"Okay..." he said uncertainly. It was always odd the way they acted sometimes.
He shrugged it off as usual and said, "Remind me the next time we visit Konoha that the Hokage owes me twenty bucks."
"No prob, little bro!" Kankuro laughed in reply as Matsuri merrily giggled into her hand.
To be Continued...
Author's Notes: I believe a lot of people notice when others are in love, but are usually blind when it comes to themselves. So hope you all liked that little moment. Okay, guys. Only two chapters left! The next one is going to be more on the serious side. It's called "Unbroken Bonds." I don't want to spoil anything about it so that's all your getting. There's going to be a lot more of my own head cannon so I hope you like it. It also may be a little while because I really want to take my time with it.
Well that's it from me, I'm on my brother-in-law's internet right now. I'm still traveling on my moving/vacation so please remember to leave me lots of reviews so I'll smile on my trip!