Kei-Kei Yuki: Hi and how is everyone doing during these tough times? So guys, the end is near and I don't know if after the Valley of the End arc will I jump straight into Shippuden or do a few filler chapters than jump into Shippuden.

Beta: Ana-DaughterofHades

Festival-Part 2

Sasuke was walking the streets of Konoha, only now they were filled with food and game stands. Honestly, the Uchiha didn't know what made him want to come out and attend the festival, thinking of other ways he could be using his free time, like training or something else more useful. Sasuke was ready to turn around and leave when he felt something collide into him, knocking them both to the ground.

Ready to go off on the idiot who couldn't see what was in front of them, Sasuke felt the warmth of a body lying on top of him. Ready to issue his best Uchiha glare, he was stunned when onyx met azure. "S-Sasuke?!" The voice sounded familiar but the appearance did not match.

Scrambling to get off of him, Naruko dusted herself off before extending her hand to him. Sasuke forced his gaping mouth shut and took the hand offered to him. Once on his feet, he learned from Naruko that she was originally with Sakura, Ino, and Hinata but somehow got separated from the girls as she was currently searching for them.

This led to Naruko forcefully recruiting Sasuke to help her track down the girls. The Uchiha tried to remain calm and aloof but could not stop himself from taking side glances at his blonde teammate. Gone was that ugly orange jumpsuit she was always sporting, looking so delicate and small in her yukata that the word 'cute' unconsciously appeared in Sasuke's thoughts.

Yet as soon as he caught where the direction of his thoughts was leading towards, he cursed himself from thinking such thoughts towards Naruko of people! ' The stupid festival must be affecting me!' frowned Sasuke, hands shoved in the depth of his pockets. The two rivals continued walking down the noisy and crowded streets when Naruko spotted two familiar faces.

"Oi, Shika! Chouji!" Naruko waved her hand, catching the two boys' attention. Both boys were standing by an okonomiyaki food cart. Shikamaru looked tired as always and Chouji was savoring the taste of the okonomiyaki he just brought. Raising an eyebrow towards the loud blonde and her brooding companion, Shikamaru was a bit shocked to see them together.

Last he heard, Ino and Sakura had wanted to attend the festival with Naruko yet neither girl was in sight. Shikamaru was brought out of his musing when Naruko tapped Sasuke's arm and pointed towards the food cart. "Teme, I want okonomiyaki! Go buy it for me!" demanded Naruko. Shikamaru was not surprised by the look of annoyance Sasuke shot the other girl.

"Since you want it, go buy it yourself!" Yeah, Shikamaru didn't think Sasuke would willingly submit to Naruko's demands. Seeing Sasuke refusing her, Naruko performed her trump card. Tugging softly on Sasuke's shirt, Naruko beamed those large innocent azure eyes at Sasuke, this action caught him off guard as she pitifully said to him.

"Please S'uke, I'm really hungry and would appreciate it if you did this for me. Not to mention I did travel out of the village with a pervy sage, just so obaa-chan could heal you." Sasuke's guilty conscience was stabbed with just those words alone, feeling his resolve breaking down. Clenching his fists, Sasuke wanted to force his head away, but Naruko's glistening blue orbs seemed to hold some magnetic force over him. Sasuke could feel his cheeks heating up, asking himself if he was the only one who could see the drooping pair of fox ears on Naruko's head.

Walking forward, Sasuke reached into his pocket and slammed his money on the counter. Returning back to his original spot, Sasuke shoved the okonomiyaki in Naruko's outstretched hands. "Thanks, teme!" Naruko beamed him a smile. Sasuke replied back with his signature 'Hn'.

Shikamaru, and also Chouji, could not believe what they just witnessed from Naruko's 'puppy-eye' technique to Sasuke giving in to her request. Everybody knew Sasuke and Naruko had an odd relationship, something on the borderline of a rivalry, but Shikamaru sensed there was something more between them.

Naruko claimed she disliked Sasuke but yet devoted most of her attention towards him. Sasuke avoided people, detested fangirls, found Naruko annoying, yet still paid attention to her. They were literally opposites of one another, but...

"Oh man, this tastes good! Here, you should try some, teme!" Naruko offered Sasuke a portion of her okonomiyaki, brown eyes watching as the Uchiha declined the first two times only to give in on the third, allowing Naruko to feed him.

"How is it? Good, right?" Naruko did not seem to mind that she just fed her self-proclaimed rival with the same fork she ate from and neither did Sasuke. After giving his own comment towards the snack, this resulted in the two to fall into a disagreement.

'Huh, opposites really do attract. Wonder how long it will take before those two become an item.' Dragging a gaping mouthed Chouji away, Shikamaru was not about to stick around and hear Sasuke and Naruko bicker like an old married couple. He already got enough of that back when they were in the academy.

Sasuke stood behind the blonde, watching as she once again tried to scoop the goldfish in the poi only for it to break yet again. This was Naruko's tenth time failing, and no matter how many times Sasuke tried to talk sense into her, Naruko was too stubborn to heed his advice. Honestly, Sasuke did not see what was the big idea; it was just a stupid goldfish that was going to die in a couple of weeks.

Sasuke was tempted to leave his annoying teammate but was stopped when he heard an unfamiliar voice call her name. Looking towards where the voice came from, Sasuke saw a girl with twin buns, another boy walking on crutches, and a Hyuuga with long brown hair. Now that he looked closer at them, Sasuke remembered them from the Chunin exams, recalling his embarrassing defeat at the hands of Lee and how it was Naruko who defeated last year's rookie of the year, Hyuuga Neji.

"Oi, busy-brow and his team! Hi~!" Naruko cheerfully greeted them, before returning her attention back to catching the goldfish.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I see you have been released from the hospital." Lee seemed a bit envious to see Sasuke back on his feet while he was still receiving treatments. His future as a shinobi was still undetermined.

Sasuke acknowledged the taijutsu expert with a nod of his head, turning his head back towards Naruko. Onyx scowled in displeasure to see a certain Hyuuga had crouched down beside Naruko, having taken her poi. Neji skillfully and gracefully captured the goldfish that Naruko had so eagerly been trying to capture for the last twenty minutes.

"Yay!" Naruko cheered before doing something that caught all three genins off guard and that was throwing her arms around the prodigy Hyuuga neck and kissing his cheek. "Thanks, Neji!" happily declared Naruko. Once handed to her, she held her precious treasure with utter care.

Still yet to have taken notice of Lee's and TenTen's gaping mouths, Neji covered his blushing red face with his hands, and Sasuke scowled darkly at the Hyuuga. Sparks of lightning emitted from his hands which he was too late to stop once Naruko reached out to grab his hand only to have her hand shocked.

"Damn you, teme, you shocked me!" Sasuke was sorry he had shocked Naruko, but why did she have to kiss the Hyuuga?! If she wanted the stupid goldfish that bad, he would've won it for her!

Watching the spitfire little blonde argue with her silent brooding teammate, TenTen laughed and quietly said, "They sure make a cute couple!"

End of Festival-Part 2