"Please Sakura! Just this once!" Naruto pleaded as he inched closer to the scowling girl seated next to him. Team 7 was currently in the training ground 10, having been running laps around the ground waiting for their sensei to arrive until they grew tired. "Naruto, don't be so dense. I said no already. Quit bugging me, will you?" the kunoichi replied as she blew her bangs out of her face. She was seriously considering cutting her hair. She glanced at Sasuke. No, she was not considering that. "But Sakuraaaaa," the blonde drawled, ignoring how her temper seemed to flare at this. "Naruto," she warned. The blonde turned away from her, lips set in a pout as he began contemplating on his next move.
"Hey Sasuke, do you wanna go on a date with me for New Year?" Sakura asked, ignoring Naruto's shocked expression. "Che, you're annoying," he replied in monotone, not bothering to look at her. "But Sasukeeee, pleaaaaaase," she pleaded with him. "Hn," he replied. After many fruitless attempts, she turned to look at Naruto who was opening his mouth to speak to her. Her glare cut him off. She breathed deeply. 'I didn't want to do this but then I have to,' she thought. "Well, since we all want to go on dates with each other," she said, ignoring Sasuke's protesting glare. "Why don't we all go together?" she suggested. Naruto's face brightened up immediately. "Great idea! I can't wait. It's gonna be my first time!" he exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement.
"First time to what?" she asked. The blonde shifted uneasily on the ground. "I don't mean to dampen the mood but I've never celebrated New Year with anyone except myself. Having the chance to spend time with you guys on New Year is important to me. You are my family now," he said, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Well, rest assured my friend coz this Hokage will never let you spend New Year alone ever again," Sakura said as she pulled him into a side hug. He chuckled as he returned her hug. "Thanks but the Hokage seat is mine," the jinchuriki replied. "Excuse me but-" Sasuke's cough stopped whatever arguement was going to start between the two of them.
"If you wanna argue on New Year's Eve, count me out of your stupid get-together," he said as he stood up. The two seated members of Team 7 glared at each other with barely concealed contempt. The Hokage topic was still a touchy feely issue. "You're right Sasuke. Let's save that discussion for later," Sakura said as she stood up as well. Naruto followed suite. The kunoichi looked at the sun. "Well, I gotta meet Shikamaru before our date," she said. It was around 2pm. "I know I'm not supposed to decide who you go out with but why Shikamaru of all the people? I choose Sasuke over him," the Uzumaki complained.
"Just as you said, you don't get to decide who I go out with. Plus it's not like we're going out together, he's just my friend," the pinkette replied. "Why pick that lazy wise ass? Do you see the way he looks at you? Like you're some masterpiece he needs to solve," he urged. "Which is great. It shows that something is coming out of our shogi games and he won't be lazy for long. I'm gonna shape him up real good. He's gonna become my advisor when I become Hokage after all," she retorted as she dusted her dress. "Look! You're even dressing up for him!" Naruto exclaimd in horror. "It's called dusting my dress, baka" she said with an eye roll.
"Don't be dramatic Naruto," she said as she walked away. "See you at 11pm!" she waved at them before speeding away towards the Nara compound.
"Shikamaru," Sakura called out in a sing song voice. A low mutter of "troublesome woman" gave away his location. The said Nara was sleeping on a flat rock in the Nara forest, directly below the sun where he could gaze at the clouds. "Mind telling me why you didn't show up at our specified location within the specified time frame?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "...tired..." he mumbled. "What was that? I didn't get you," she said, her voice laced with anger. "Said I was tired," he mumbled again. Sakura rolled her eyes as she moved to stand in front of the slightly raised rock. "Get up," she commanded. With another inaudible mumble, the Nara slowly sat up. He moved forward until his legs were dangling below the rock. Sakura moved and stopped in front of him, right between his legs. Shikamaru's eyes widened for a fraction at this. "Move back a little," he said tiredly. "Why?" she asked. He yawned whilst trying to hide the red that was threatening to bloom all over his face. "Because," he stressed, "whoever sees us in this position will get the wrong idea," he replied.
"What idea?" she asked innocently. "Are you really gonna play dumb with me?" the Nara heir asked. "C'mon, no one ever comes this side of the forest. Plus its reserved for the clan head's family isn't it?" Sakura argrued as she inched forward, invading his personal bubble. Shikamaru felt his temperature start to rise in places he did not want to think about. He had to act quickly. "Give me space, you old hag. You're suffocating me," he said as he pushed her backwards with her shoulders. Whatever retort she was about to have died on her lips at the mention of the word hag. Her features contorted in anger, reminding the Nara why he should never mess with Tsunade's apprentice. 'Oh boy,' he thought as the girl let out a string of colourful words.
"So mind telling me why you are late?" the Godaime Hokage said as she watched the two kunoichis struggle to catch their breaths. "Sakura was on a date with Shikamaru and I had to wait for her until they finished groping each other," Ino said as soon as she regained her bearings. "Hey!" Sakura exclaimed. Ino gave her an innocent look in return. The blonde didn't smile as she usually did. They were in her study. "Well, Ino was drawing a manga series with Sai," the pinkette retorted. Tsunade ignored the shrieks of protests from Ino and they began bickering with each other. She waited for 30 seconds before her patience finally snapped. "Shut up!" she shouted, causing the girls to clamp their mouths shut up in fear.
"Its New Year's Eve. I should be out drinking sake instead watching two bitter lovesick rivals bickering with each other. Get out! Now!" she roared. In a matter of seconds, the two girls had scurried out of the room. "Finally, some peace and quiet," she sighed dreamily as she took a bottle of sake from her crate underneath her couch.
"That was unexpected," Ino said as the two walked out of the Hokage Tower. "It was just an excuse for her to ditch our lesson at the last minute," Sakura retorted. The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "The plan worked though," she said as she grinned. "Thank your future Hokage for bringing up a brilliant plan to ditch a lesson," the pinkette said as she smirked deviously. Ino rolled her eyes. "You're still onto that pathetic dream of yours?" the Yamanaka heiress asked. Sakura looked offended. "It's not a pathetic dream. That's just like saying it was pathetic for the Yondaime to become Hokage. He was the most..." Ino drowned out the sound of Sakura's voice as she began explaining the history of the Fourth Hokage. She had a long walk ahead of her.
"Don't you ever get tired of your research?" "Nope," Jiraiya said, making a pop sound. "You should be training me in fuinjutsu, not stalking girls at the bath houses!" Sakura whined as she tried to pry Jiraiya from his binoculars. They were just outside the women's side of the bathhouse. The Sannin shook his head. "Listen here, you little brat. If you wanna learn fuinjutsu with me, you go by my rules. If it means peeping at the bath house on New Year's Eve then so be it!" he said without bothering to look at her. Sakura stared at him as she contemplated what to do. "Okay, I guess I'll go tell Lady Tsunade that Jiraiya-sama doesn't wanna practice coz he's peeping at the bathhouse," she said as she began to walk away from him.
"Really? You'd stoop that low, kid?" the white haired ninja asked incredulously. She nodded happily as she held out her hand. Jiraiya rolled his eyes as he took a scroll he had prepared in advance from his pocket. He gave the scroll. "Now leave me alone," he grumbled as he turned back to his research. "Thanks Jiraiya-sama" she chirped.
Sakura made her way on top of the Hokage Mountain, where they agreed they would meet for New Year. She was dressed in a light blue kimono with cherry blossoms (she had vehemently refused to wear her namesake on her kimono but lost the battle to her mother.) She arrived ten minutes before 11pm and set up the place. She spread a big tatami mat her mother had given her and put up three lanterns. The food was in a basket prepared by her and her mother. Her two teammates arrived shortly afterwards. Naruto was dressed in an orange T-shirt with the Uzumaki swirl on the front and black shorts. Sasuke wore a high collared navy blue shirt and white shorts.
"Couldn't you guys at least wear traditional clothing for once?" she deadpanned as she took in the sight of their appearances. "Too troublesome," Sasuke replied as he sat down beside her on her left and Naruto on her right. "The Yondaime Hokage's head? Great choice on picking our sitting area," the blonde complimented her. "Yeah, all of his brains and knowledge will go to us," she replied.
At a minute before 12, after eating their meal which even Sasuke commented that it was almost as good as his mother's cooking, Team 7 sat content watching the festivities of the village down below. "I just want you guys to know that no matter what happens, we'll always be a family. I can't reverse your parents' deaths but I can fill in that gap. I'll love you like I love my parents so don't forget that," she said softly as she took their hands in hers. "Me too, dattebayo!" Naruto said as he grinned. Even Sasuke had a small smile on his face and nodded in agreement.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Happy New Year!"
Fireworks of different types coloured the sky as they exploded around them. Sakura leaned on Sasuke's shoulder and Naruto leaned on hers, all of them smiling.
Happy New Year!!!
This isn't really part of my storyline but I thought to give you guys a New Year's present. It also has some spoilers for this story. I hope you enjoy the holidays!
Tozoonana
AfricanFire
