IMPORTANT A/N: This technically takes place AFTER chapter 7, but I needed something to post in order to tell you guys that chapter 7 is being delayed, hopefully only until tomorrow. My roommate and arguable 'alpha reader' got into an accident today and hasn't had a chance to look over the chapter for any glaring issues – she's totally fine, but won't have a chance to go over the chapter until tomorrow. So hopefully that's when it'll be posted! Obviously, this interlude is completely un-edited.

Also, if anyone could tell me how the beta reader system actually works and how to get one, that'd be great.

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay.

Shopping with Mebuki-san is… nothing like Natsu expected.

Maybe because she didn't just buy a bunch of stuff and make him carry all the bags until he felt like he was being crushed beneath their weight – or maybe because she kept forgetting who she was shopping for, would pull out pretty dresses and casual skirts before looking at him and remembering.

Natsu feels more and more like a jerk with every dress she puts back, even though she does her best to play it off as nothing.

"You're not as eager as I thought you'd be." Mebuki comments, as they walk from one store to another. Natsu shrugs, peering at the windowfronts.

"I dunno, I mean clothes are clothes. If you can fight in em, that's really all that matters to me. And with how worried Inoichi-san was about my name, I sorta figured changing Sakura-chan's wardrobe might be going too far, specially since it's not too bad for fighting."

Mebuki stops a couple feet from another clothing shop – Natsu hadn't liked the material the clothes at the last one were made of at all – and sighs. "I… suppose you're right. I just thought-"

She cuts herself off, glancing at Natsu then quickly away. The pinkette steps forward and offers her a curious look. "Thought what, Mebuki-san?" He keeps his voice low – not fond of the idea of calling her 'kaa-san', but Natsu knows it wouldn't do to be seen addressing her by name. Sakura-chan's soft voice makes speaking quietly rather easy – almost too easy, because the first time he spoke quietly, Mebuki-san hadn't even heard him.

She shifts uncomfortably for a moment, then takes a deep breath. "I simply thought that it would be… easier if you didn't look quite the same as- well. I just."

"Oh!" Natsu laces his fingers behind his head, backing into the shop they'd loitered before with a grin. "Well, in that case, this place actually looks like it's got decent stuff, unlike the last one! Look, I think I see something black over there!" Natsu spins around, darting forward to pull it off the rack and hold it up.

That's… the style of shirt Sasuke wears! Ugh!

Natsu all but slams it back onto the rack, tossing a "not that one!" back to Mebuki as he pokes around the other clothes in the shop.

In the end, even Tatsu-san's Tailory doesn't have anything Natsu likes, and he groans as they walk out the door. "Does any shop in this city have decent clothes? Why are they all so weird?"

Mebuki chuckles, leading the way to a dango stand. "Perhaps it's Natsu-kun whose tastes are odd – we've checked out pretty much every major shinobi outfitter in the central market after all."

Natsu scoffs as she places an order, and it's only a couple minutes before they find a place to sit with a large plate of dango between them.

"Nuthin wrong with my tastes," he mutters around a mouthful of food, ignoring the look of horror on Mebuki-san's face, "s'not like anyone ever says anything back home 'bout it. So you guys are definitely the weird ones!"

"Well, what do you usually wear then?"

Natsu goes to respond, then looks down at his (Sakura's?) chest. "Uh… she's… flat… enough?"

"Absolutely not." Mebuki-san points a dango stick into his face, tone utterly final. Natsu leans back a bit, and she settles the stick onto the empty pile to grab another.

Natsu watches her warily for a moment, until he's certain she won't try to stab him. Grabbing a fresh stick of his own, he returns to eating.

"Well, we can try Mikki's next. They're a little further away, out of the main marketing district, but perhaps there will be something more suitable over there."

"Sumthin wrong with em?" Natsu asks, stuffing the rest of the dango into his mouth.

Mebuki narrows her eyes at him, and Natsu vaguely remembers Lucy chastising him for talking with his mouth full, but she's not Lucy, and it's not like Natsu ever listened to his teammate about stuff like that anyway – 'slong as Erza's not around… brrr!

"The craftsmen's district is a bit pricier than the main market district, since they do a lot of personal and customization work. Their off-the-rack options are still rather fair in price, so it's not a concern."

"Huh. So there are places like that here, too."

"Mm." She waits a moment, letting Natsu grab the last stick of dango, before gathering the trash and moving to throw it away.

They walk to Mikki's in silence, Mebuki-san keeping a surprisingly brisk pace for a woman everyone referred to as a civilian.

Maybe she works out so she can keep up with her daughter?

The shop is a couple minutes away from where they ate, and Natsu takes one look at the place and decides he likes it. They've actually got options, a variety of styles that seem made to appeal to anyone. Mebuki calls a greeting as she walks in, and the man behind the counter sits up.

"Ah, Mebu-chan! Little Sakura grown out of her previous set already?"

I take it back. I don't like this place at all!

Natsu bristles, but Mebuki cuts across any response. "Actually, since s-she graduated, we decided to buy her some new clothes in celebration…"

"Still nervous, huh?" the man offers Mebuki a consoling smile. "It's alright, she's a bright kid. She'll do fine. But if it's a new look you want, Sakura-chan, I've got just the thing! Right this way!"

"I've been experimenting with some new styles of qipao, this one here, well, it's probably a bit too long to fight in, but boy is it a looker! Interested?" The man spins around, holding up a near-floor length dress, and Natsu can't help the look of revulsion at the rainbow flowers patterned all over the cloth. The shopkeeper notices his expression and chuckles.

"Not for you, eh? You really should try some colorful ones sometime, they'd look so good on you! But if it's simple you want, I suppose…" the man turns around, rustling through a stack of similarly-cut dresses.

"Aha!" He holds something aloft, but tucks it behind him as he spins back around to face Natsu and Mebuki-san. "Now, this little beauty is a bit shorter than what you've currently got Saku-chan, but that shouldn't be much of an issue. Behold!" He whips the dress around with a flourish, holding it up for admiration.

"…"

Natsu feels his eyebrow twitching as he looks at the bright pink outfit with black petals scattered near the bottom.

"A-absolutely not! That's way too pink!" He chokes out, desperately looking around for better options. His eyes land on something black and white and he lunges without even bothering to look closer, fingers desperately closing around the familiar colors before some other monstrosity can be presented.

"This! This is fine, right?"

The man sighs, and somehow manages to sound heartbroken. "I suppose… really though, Saku-chan, are you sure you don't want to try something a little more lik-"

"I'm sure! I'm absolutely, totally sure! M-maybe next time!"

There will never be a next time. Natsu thinks, watching the man gather up the outfit, as well as a couple similar ones, and walk to the register. He packages them up while Mebuki counts out the payment, and Natsu isn't quite sure how the monetary system here works, but the price doesn't seem too unreasonable.

The pinkette grabs the bags as soon as the shopkeeper finishes putting everything inside, giving the older man a suspicious look. Somehow he just knows the man can't be trusted.

"It's alright Saku-chan, I promise I didn't swap one of them out at the last minute this time!"

This time?!

"Thank you for your assistance, as always, Mikki-san." Natsu turns to stare at Mebuki as she offers a polite bow, and quickly darts after her as she leaves the store.

"Can we never go there again?" he asks, as soon as he's sure they're out of earshot, and Mebuki laughs.

It's the first time she's done so since Natsu met her, which might not have been too long ago, but with how nervous and upset she's been the whole time… Natsu grins himself, swinging the bags idly as they turn towards the house.

I guess today didn't suck as much as I thought it would! Even if Inoichi-san was acting so suspicious about that Naruto kid…

I wonder what's for lunch?