Chapter 3

Naruto let his mouth hang open.

Ino's eyes narrowed.

A group of fan girls followed Sasuke out, a few of the more competent ones even tried to jump out the window as he did.

Ino stood over his seat, her question still burning a hole in his mind. 'Did you figure out what you wanted to do today?'

"Today?" He finally asked.

She sighed, "Yeah numbskull, I told you yesterday to figure something out."

"I didn't know the next time would be today." He mumbled as he saw Shikamaru and Choji shoot him what almost looked like apologetic looks as they left him alone in the classroom with an agitated Ino.

"What'd you expect?" She huffed. "We just started this friendship and you already feel like we've covered it all?"

"What? No!" He hopped out of his seat, "I thought, you'd go back to stalking Sasuke."

Ino balked, "I don't stalk! That's the area of the super desperate. Like your girlfriend Sakura."

Naruto groaned, "Don't call her that Ino, she wouldn't like it."

"What? Desperate?" She smirked "or your girlfriend?"

Naruto frowned at her. "Probably both."

Ino smiled, "At least you realize. It means you're not a total goner yet."

"Thanks." His sarcasm oozed. "Can we start talking about what we're going to do today instead?"

Ino's smirk hadn't dropped, "Well since you haven't figured out what you want to do we're moving onto stage two of what you need to work on."

Naruto groaned, "And what does that mean?"

Ino's smirk turned into a full-fledged evil grin. "Shopping."

"We did that yesterday! You didn't even buy anything!"

"Well yeah, we were getting the lay of the land yesterday." She said it like it was obvious. "You must have seen something you liked. We need to get you some other outfits and out of the horrid orange jumper."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Ino had never heard him so offended. "I like orange!"

"Back to the yelling." Ino rolled her eyes. "Naruto, nothing's wrong with orange, but you had to have noticed everyone else. We're training to be shinobi; all of our training and ninja gear are browns, blacks, grays, greens, blues, or purples. Colors that help you blend into shadows."

"Hey, there's some people who wear white." Naruto's defense was weak.

"Yeah, I'd change them too but they're not my friend and I refuse to let you get killed because you look like an over-large fruit when trying to hide in a tree."

"I've dodged full-fledged shinobi in this stuff before." He defended much more confidently, a grin spreading as he found some room to argue.

"True."

'Uh oh' he worried, she only agreed with him before she won.

"If we had a grade based on how well we know and how speedily we could traverse the village you'd probably be top of the class. But we don't and when you're out in the countryside or in another country you won't have that advantage and your current outfit may as well be a giant beacon for shuriken."

He frowned, "Fine, but I have a condition."

Ino raised an eyebrow, "You have a condition? To a friend offering to help you? Be both fashionable and not die? This is all for you already dummy."

Naruto winced, now that she put it that way it did feel like it was for him. But he didn't want to shop. How did that work? "How about a favor then?"

Ino cocked her head to the side. "Sure, what's up?"

Naruto's mouth dropped, "Just like that?"

She sighed, "Naruto, we're friends. We can ask each other stuff. I'm not agreeing yet but you can ask anything."

Naruto didn't fight the small grin, "I wanted to talk about Sakura."

"Oh for the love of Kami." Ino groaned. "Okay, we'll talk but I need to be around clothes if we're talking about Forehead."

Naruto huffed a small laugh, "Fine, lead the way. There were some okay things in that big place you brought us, three or four places in."

Ino beamed, "There we go, progress and mutual understanding. We'll get you socially adept yet."

"Hey I'm not that bad!" He yelled, disproving his own point in Ino's opinion.

—/—

Of all the things she expected him to want to talk about regarding Sakura; trying to ask her out, finding out her favorite things, even about their lost friendship, this was the last thing she expected. "You want me to argue less with Sakura?" The thought was so abhorrent she almost put the horrid blue and green striped shorts in the try on pile.

"Not like all the time." Naruto immediately defended. At least he wasn't being ridiculous. "But there are times you both just get down to insulting each other and you get, well, you both get… mean."

"Of course I'm mean." She put the surprisingly stylish white button up with a light blue stitch pattern he had picked out in the try in pile. "She's trying to steal my man, she threw away our friendship, and she tries to embarrass me in public. Of course I'm going to be mean, she's going for mean."

Naruto cringed, "you know calling Sasuke your man when he doesn't even talk to you sounds desperate." The glare she shot him over a pair of navy socks told him to change topics. "But that's not the point, sometimes she starts it, sometimes it's you. But when it gets to a certain point it gets bad. And I don't want you or her hurt because of something as silly as a seat or a boy who doesn't talk to you."

"Sasuke isn't silly, Naruto." Ino huffed as she tossed the orange and salmon shorts into the no pile. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand that even if you both were fighting over me, those arguments would be a turn off."

"Hasn't stopped you from trying to ask out Sakura."

"Only before you both get started." He deadpanned.

She stopped and thought for a moment. The whole class usually did get quiet during or after those arguments. "Do they get that bad?"

"Very." Naruto nodded solemnly.

Ino sighed, flopping a pair of jeans onto the try on pile. "Fine, but you know it's like second nature right. It's not just a switch I turn on and off, especially if she's the one picking the fight."

"Is there a way I could help?" Naruto asked as he picked up the try-on pile and walked with her to the changing room.

Ino took a second to think. Could Naruto help? He was already helping by getting Sasuke's attention on her more. She wondered if it was jealousy, but he had her full attention for so long and did nothing she couldn't say that for sure. But now he was pointing out one of her more embarrassing qualities that she had simply ignored because fighting with Sakura was just so easy at this point. She sighed as she flopped onto the bench outside the curtain. "I guess you can try to get my attention if it's getting there. Not just at any argument," she clarified while swinging a pair of black slacks in his direction, "I have to tell her when she's wrong. But if it devolves like you said then just, I don't know, get my attention. I'll find a way to gracefully bow out. Might even make her look worse if she keeps trying."

"Yeah," Naruto deadpanned as he collected the bundle that was the first outfit she wanted him to try on. "That was the spirit of what I was asking." Ino didn't like that he had already grown into her habit of sarcasm. Well she did but not right now.

"Small steps." She waved him off, "now go try those on. I'm hoping to find you a good few sets today."

He gave her a sad smile, "about that Ino. I'm not sure I could afford more than one set, if that."

She waved him off again, "I'm covering you today. No buts, I want to make up for how horrible I was before."

Naruto dropped his bundle on the floor, "No, Ino, you don't have to do that. I promise, it's all completely forgiven and forgotten."

Ino smiled softly, "and that's why I am doing it. You're nice enough to let it all go, just like that, when I was terrible to you. This isn't just for you. It's for me to help forgive myself."

"Ino…"

"Also to get you some decent clothes, I can't be seen walking around all the time with a living clementine."

"So altruistic." He collected the bundle.

She laughed, "I'm shocked you know that word."

He disappeared behind the curtain, "I'm not dumb, I just… can't always pay attention is all."

Ino hummed, she hadn't thought about how he was in class but if she could help there too she figured she should. Better chance of him passing this year with her help than not. Maybe he wouldn't be last anymore after that. She wasn't top of the class in academics for nothing.

"It feels stiff." Naruto came out in black slacks that fell a little long, a blue button up that wasn't buttoned all the way but had been tucked in and with a matching black belt and shoes. Ino had to admit it didn't look bad, this was going to the bar the other outfits would be judged by and it was a good start. She even had to admit, given a few years and more than a few inches, Naruto might actually be handsome.

"Of course it feels stiff; you're used to walking around in a glorified fabric bag."

"It's not that bad." He crossed his arms and the thought of his looks crossed her mind again as the shirt proved a bit too tight. 'Definitely won't be bad to look at when he's older.'

"It is but we're fixing that. A training and everyday outfit is our priority. This would be more of a date outfit."

"A date outfit?" Naruto actually jumped, "why would I need that."

Ino smiled smugly, "What? You don't think you can actually get Sakura?" Naruto blushed, "step too-far-away-to-know-the-number-right-now in your growth is eventually helping you get that date, you know?"

"What?! No!" Naruto was so easy to fluster, "How could I? You never mentioned that!"

"Well now I did." She smirked, "so you better work on the things we talk about so we can see if we can't make it there before we're all old and wrinkly."

Naruto stared at her for a moment, before quietly holding his hand out. "Give me the next outfit."

Ino grinned, "See, this'll be great." For her at least.

—/—

Ino had been surprised, despite offering to buy almost eight outfits that had looked surprisingly good on Naruto, he had only opted for four, and that was after she pushed him to get a duplicate of his training gear.

A set of black pants with a deep blue almost purple trim with different shades to act as a light camouflage that travelled from ankle to the bottom of the pocket. A top that was a tight plain black sleeveless shirt and a dark gray jacket with deep orange felt cuffs, because Naruto didn't want to abandon the color completely and black edging around the base and up the central zipper. Aside from that he had chosen a simple red shirt and black shorts and a proper sized version of the first outfit he had tried on.

During the selection process he has announced that he decided what he wanted to do. While dropping off his clothes in his apartment, which she figured could use a good cleaning; she was going to add that to the list, she noticed the small garden he kept in pots and planters in his kitchen. Each a common type of fern or herb that grew near the village but all a healthy shade of green.

"You take care of these really well." Ino praised, expecting that Naruto wouldn't be able to take care of a pet rock let alone plants.

"I like plants." Naruto answered, coming back from his room at the back of the apartment and closing the door before she might see inside.

Ino smirked, gesturing to the plants in his kitchen, "Kinda obvious numbskull. People can like plants and not be good at taking care of them though. You've taken the time to care for them."

"Oh," Naruto glanced at his collection of plants. "They were all I had for a while."

Ino smiled sadly, "I take care of a lot of the flowers at my parent's shop, it feels good when you can keep them healthy."

"It does." He beamed, "Hey, do you think I might be able to buy a flower or seed from your shop?"

She beamed back, "Of course, just because we sell cut flowers and bouquets doesn't mean we don't sell flowers for home care."

"Right," he tapped one foot on the other, "I just wanted to know if it'd… be okay? For me?"

Ino let her expression drop to confusion then horror, "Of course! Has anyone made you feel unwelcome there?" She crossed the room in a heartbeat and was holding his shoulders.

"No!" Naruto shouted, "I… I just never tried. It looks really nice."

Ino let out an explosive sigh, "Don't scare me like that. And it is nice. You should come by."

"Okay." Naruto's smile returned, "are you ready to go?"

"Are you ready to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope!" He offered with a smile as he closed the door behind them.

Although he kept his mouth shut, the walk up the stairs of the Hokage monument didn't leave much to discretion. "So why are we climbing all the way up the mountain?" She asked as they passed the three quarter mark.

He laughed, "I guess it's kinda hard to keep it a secret at this point. My favorite place in the village is up here."

"There's a ramen shop up here?" Ino hated how winded she was.

Naruto laughed but stopped when he looked and saw her glare from where she stopped on the stairs. "Ah," he rubbed the back of his head, "sorry, we're almost there. No ramen, I promise."

She groaned, "I think I would rather there be one. I'm starving."

"You know Ino," Naruto slowed to walk beside her, "we're going to be having to do more than this once we graduate."

"Are you saying I'm out of shape?" She hit him lightly in the arm, making sure he didn't take it seriously.

He didn't flinch, she took that as growth. "No! No! You're definitely in shape." He blushed, "Ah no, what I was saying is that the diet thing you talk about isn't good for you."

Ino sighed, "Naruto, I told you before, it's to keep my figure."

Naruto thought for a second, whether to think out his words or just to figure out his thoughts she couldn't guess, "I think the lack of food could get you hurt." He eventually said. "If you get tired like this on a mission, you could die. I don't like that thought. And food is the energy to keep going!"

Ino sighed, "That's sweet Naruto, but this is important to me."

Naruto shrugged, "As long as it's for you and not for Sasuke. Douche doesn't deserve that effort."

Ino huffed, 'it wasn't all for him.'

"Well," Naruto broke her thought process and changed topics. He walked out onto the stone top of the monument, "we're here."

Ino followed him to where he sat on the farthest mound but stopped just before she reached him. She was breathless, and from more than the stairs. The entire village was laid out in front of her bathed in the orange of the setting sun. "Wow."

"Yeah, this view is my favorite. It's why orange is my favorite color. It reminds me of the village."

Ino almost cried as she dropped next to him, he cared so much about a village that hated him. But from here the village looked beautiful, you could forget everything, all the anger, all the hate, it all looked so peaceful. Perfect. "It's beautiful."

They sat there for almost an hour and Ino finally understood Shikamaru a bit more. If he saw something like this in the clouds she could understand his interest now. Naruto didn't say anything until the sun nearly finished its cycle and then only to signal that it was time to go home.

Ino slept better than she had in ages.

—/—

Ino's jaw dropped when she walked into the classroom. Naruto was already there. And he was in orange, all orange. He gave her a smile as she stomped over to him. "Explain." She demanded.

The room was only about half full and the rest of the chatter filled the small moment of silence as Naruto's smile dropped to confusion as his head tilted. Ino could just barely see Sasuke quietly observing out of the corner of his eye in the row above and would have given it more interest if her eyes weren't glued to the catastrophe in front of her. "Explain?" Naruto finally asked.

"Why? Are you? A tangerine?" Ino was more shocked than angry but she still made sure to punctuate her words to get across the range of emotions, almost all negative, at the orange outfit covering Naruto.

"Oh," he smiled large and rubbed the back of his head, "It's not worn out yet, I don't want to waste good clothes."

Ino would argue his definition of good later. Or rather she wouldn't. His single sentence explained everything considering his reluctance yesterday; he wasn't used to having spare clothes. His normal outfit was difficult on the eyes but it was durable and loose enough to handle any growth, it was perfect for someone who couldn't get new clothes often.

Ino didn't even think about it as she bought him new clothes. She had outfits she only wore a couple times in her closet at home and some that were only there to wear at the shop when she expected to get dirty. Naruto never had that, the clothes she bought were basically gifts, and he didn't want to waste them. Ino would have shouted in frustration if she didn't feel like a heel for throwing around money like it was nothing yesterday, at least to what he usually had.

She sighed, "Just don't grow out of others before you use them. And promise me you won't go on actual missions looking like a mango."

His smile hadn't dropped, "Of course! Those are for important things."

Ino could only just stare. What she bought him hadn't even been that expensive or high end, they had been in one of the cheaper stores and he was treating it like she had bought him gold. Ugh, if this wasn't making her rethink how much she took her clothes for granted or make her think she might be spoiled she would have thought it sweet, in a weird sentimental way.

"So early Ino-pig," a familiar voice cut across her thoughts, and stopped any potential conversation to continue. Considering her current thoughts she was almost glad at the distraction, "seems desperate." Almost.

Ino turned to Sakura and deadpanned at the insult, the same one that shamed the girl not even two days ago. Sakura held her small smirk, no one else knew it was a recycled insult after all, "I'm not sure Forehead, you're the expert in desperate, care to continue your yearlong demonstration?"

Sakura's smirk dropped as her eyes skimmed the classroom, obviously stopping on Sasuke before roaming to Naruto, "Oh, not desperation then, just lowering your standards to what you actually deserve, huh?"

"Excuse me!?" Naruto tried not to feel the hurt of Sakura's comment or Ino's reaction.

"Yeah, I can see it," Sakura continued, "who else is going to settle for a loud blonde than another."

"Then I guess you'll end up alone," Ino seethed, "no one else has a billboard to match yours after all."

"At least I don't just look like a garden variety groupie!"

"No, you look like the slime at the bottom of an overused trash can!"

That argument got loud. The argument got nasty. Neither girl noticed though, and the class as a whole mostly just grumbled and ignored them. It was too often that they fell into shouting matches. Only Sasuke was spared somewhat as they usually fought next to him, today he had an extra six feet. It was Naruto who had front row seats to their vitriol today.

The rest of the class ignored them, talked louder to drown them out or found something else out the window or in a book to focus on. Only Naruto tried to cut in.

"Ino!" Finally his voice cut through.

"What?!" She turned to him, her anger still high at Sakura's last insult. But it faded slightly enough to see him; he looked tired and just a little relieved. That hadn't been the first time he called out she realized. She didn't realize she'd been that involved in her argument. It didn't take long to realize why. Sakura really did know how to bring out the worst in her. Or maybe it was her, she obviously brought out the worst in Hinata, maybe she did this to Sakura too. She used to be a shy and meek girl. These were thoughts she did not need.

Ino let out a sigh before turning back to Sakura, her face still beet red from anger and shouting. She wondered if hers looked the same. It was not attractive.

"Whatever," she walked past Sakura, not even giving her another look, "I'm not going to stoop to your pettiness anymore."

"What'd you say!" Sakura was still intent on continuing.

Ino almost obliged except for the soft drawn out, "Iiiinnnnooo." Naruto begged.

"I said you're petty." She couldn't not take a last jab, but she could end it there. "Don't drag me down to you. I'm done with you." She strode up the stairs and almost took the seat next to Sasuke but his deep grimace told her that Naruto was right; their argument turned him off, probably almost everyone. She kept walking, finding her seat next to Shikamaru and Choji who both stared at her like she had just walked on water. Although she was told that would become normal when they graduated. She still didn't know how.

Sakura yelled something at her but she was answering the silent stares of her childhood friends with a challenging glare. Shikamaru gave up first and Choji shrugged quickly after, both seemingly content now.

The only person not content in the classroom now that the argument faded was Sasuke. Sakura was quick to sit next to him and Ino had never noticed the subtle push for an extra inch of space before. Probably because she was always either fawning over him and death glaring whoever sat there. He seemed uncomfortable. Maybe. It was hard to tell, he was doing what he always did, staring forward, his hands folded over his mouth that hid half his expression. The only noticeable difference was a glance at the back of Naruto's head.

She sighed. How long had she been ignoring how bad the arguments had gotten? How long was she acting so desperate and ignoring an obvious fault? She thought she was better than that. She thought only Sakura looked so desperate and childish. Was she also so bad?

—/—

Naruto wasn't surprised when Ino told him she couldn't hang out that day, well, he was a little surprised she took the time to tell him. She even apologized! He was surprised about that. But not having every day free, he figured that'd happen, she had a family and other things, probably other friends too. She couldn't always be with him. The promise to hang out over the weekend had been nice.

But the really surprising things were the other people that stopped to talk to him. First was the douche. Sasuke stopped right in front of him, taking a small chance as every fan girl but Ino fought to be the first down the stairs after him. "Meet me at my clan grounds before noon tomorrow dobe."

It had been a demand and his immediate answer of where he could shove it was stomped by the near stampede of girls following him out the room. Not the only thing stomped as he laid prone with probably a couple shoe prints on his jacket, he was glad he didn't wear his new one. But then was stopped again as two pairs of feet stopped beside his prone and trampled form.

Shikamaru and Choji, both offered a hand to help him up and while confused he took them. He actually didn't remember the last time he had been helped off the ground. Not that Choji and Shikamaru were bad guys, they were two of the few that he had spent time with before, and unlike Kiba they didn't have an insult spewing from their mouth every third sentence.

They didn't ever seek out his company and neither did he theirs, sometimes they were just in the same place and did the same things; even if even Naruto couldn't eat as much as Choji or sit and stare as long as Shikamaru. But they were the most surprising thing today, "Ino bail on you?" Shikamaru asked, his hands retreating into his pockets now that Naruto was standing.

Naruto had a sudden urge to defend his friend but Shikamaru's continued statement killed his next sentence, "It happens, why not hang out with us today?" If this kept happening he'd never speak again. That would be insane.

"What?" He managed out in a quick answer half his voice actually worked.

Choji chuckled, "Hang out with us, after time with Ino you could probably use a break from shopping," Choji opened a new bag of chips.

Naruto couldn't argue that, "Oh yeah, I could go a year without seeing a rack of clothes. But why do you guys want to hang out with me?"

Shikamaru shrugged so Choji continued, "Ino's our friend from childhood and we've all hung out before, why not become better friends?"

Naruto's mouth hung open, better friends? Did Choji consider him a friend?

"It helps that you mellow Ino out," Shikamaru joined. "Don't know how that even works," he added with a mumble.

"Mellow her?!" Naruto was shocked, "She's so pushy and argumentative!"

"Yeah," Shikamaru shirked, "so much better."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, but then felt bad, "She's not that bad."

Choji's normal small smile dropped a little, "You'd be surprised, honestly I'm glad you think so though. Maybe she has gotten better."

"What do you mean?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"Ino changed a lot after she and Sakura had a falling out over Sasuke," Choji explained, "became really hard to hang out with. All her time was Sasuke and fashion and her appearance."

Naruto could see that. Honestly that made a lot of sense. Why did that change? "And you think I helped?"

"Somehow." Shikamaru avoided an answer, "but if you can do that, you're a good guy. Figured we should hang out sometimes and save you from all that girly crap Ino'll make you do."

Choji grinned and nodded, "Oh yeah, we should go out to eat!"

Shikamaru smirked, "Maybe after some cloud watching."

Naruto felt the small smile that was forming drop, "Actually, I was going to train today." Both looked at him, "Hanging out would be fun" he didn't lie as well as he thought he did while thinking about their two favorite activities, "but I've been slacking because of Ino."

Choji gave a thoughtful look as Shikamaru gave out a long sigh, "Troublesome."

Choji looked to his best friend and Naruto found his attention on Shikamaru too as his eyes had closed and he had a thoughtful face on before another sigh burst from his mouth. "Fine, we'll train."

Naruto's mouth fell open. Choji nearly choked.

"We gotta stop and get snacks though." Shikamaru continued as if neither were staring at him as if he grew a second head, "that way Choji can eat while we spar, and he has enough energy so I can get some good cloud watching in while you two spar."

"Really?!" Naruto had never had a sparring partner.

Choji side eyed his friend who was trying not to acknowledge him or Naruto's beaming energetic face before his own smile broke out too, "Yeah! Sounds great, but let's keep it fun. I don't feel like tasting blood before dinner, it always changes the flavor."

"Of course you're worried about that." Naruto commented, but his mood could not be deflated. He didn't know what caused so much of the changes in his life but if he ever found out what he'd have to honor it somehow.

"Yeah, yeah. At least it'll get my mom off my back for a while."

Naruto was beside himself as he walked with both of them to a training spot barely anyone but him used. He'd have never guessed at the beginning of the week that he'd end up spending time with his classmates. Let alone it be so easy as Shikamaru and Choji talked so easily and brought him in as if he'd always been a part of their group, he wondered if he could count them as friends after this.