Iwabe clapped a hand on Boruto's shoulders, "Okay, how do you want to do this?"
"Absolutely no idea," said Boruto. Iwabe groaned.
"Man, where did your resolve go? I thought you already had an idea."
"It's so sudden, though." Boruto scratched his head and gave everyone an awkward smile.
"Just do what you did before," said Denki.
"What I did before?" asked Boruto.
"Yeah, like whatever you did the first time she told you she loves you."
"What?! She's never told me that!"
"Then...what did she say when you told her you loved her?" asked Denki.
Boruto's blood pressure started skyrocketing, again.
"I-I never told her I loved her, either! I don't even think she knows that I like her."
The boys of Team 5 all looked at each other, perplexed, and then they broke into raucous laughter.
"Oh, good one, Boruto," said Iwabe, wiping away a tear. "But we need you to take this seriously if you want our help. Let's try a different approach, then. Can you tell us what happened between you two? I mean, as much as you want to tell us, of course!"
Boruto sighed and kicked the dirt. "Who knows? I've not seen much of her since she signed up for that stupid medic refresher course. All our team missions are put on hold until she's finished. I bet that's where she started latching onto Inojin. I feel so stupid for not paying attention until now. I feel like I lost my chance with her."
"Remember our graduation exam?" asked Iwabe, "You've only lost if you've given up, right?"
Boruto took a deep breath and slapped his cheeks.
"Right!" he said.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Konoha Town Square…
Inojin and Sarada walked through the shopping district side-by-side. Sarada was almost skipping as they approached the dumpling restaurant she picked out for dinner.
"It's a shame we didn't run into any of our friends on the way here," she said, "I feel like we've been cooped up all day."
"Well, we kind of were," reminded Inojin, "It's hard to stop once you find your rhythm."
"Ahem," someone cleared their throat behind them. The pair turned around.
"Cho Cho!" exclaimed Sarada. "Cho Cho?"
Their chubby friend had a disapproving look on her face that was directed toward Inojin.
"Hey Sarada," Cho Cho said, returning to her usual friendly demeanor, "are you two getting dinner?"
"Oh, yes! Have you eaten yet? Do you want to join us?"
"I don't want to intrude," said Cho Cho, "but it would be impolite to turn down an invitation!"
Sarada smiled. "Yay! I'm starving; let's grab a table."
"Oh, can you two go on ahead of me? I just have one more quick errand to run, and then I'll be in.
"Okay! See you, soon."
Inojin and Sarada disappeared into the restaurant, and Cho Cho pressed the button on her earpiece. "Targets spotted at Mama Kim's," she said.
"Copy that. What's our next move, Captain?"
"Boys, standby. Wasabi and Namida can make their way over here. Bring the war paint."
"Roger," said Wasabi, "When should we strike?"
"AFTER dinner," Cho Cho emphasized. She removed her hand from her earpiece and then proceeded to happily dance her way into the restaurant.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
In the restaurant...
"Here's your dessert, miss," said the waitress, "How do you want to split up the check?"
Inojin pointed to Sarada, "Her and I are on the same bill."
"Very well," said the waitress, "I'll be right back." She cleared some of the table's empty plates and expertly weaved her way back through the crowd.
"Awe, Inojin," whined Cho Cho, "I thought we were on a double date."
Inojin sighed. "I pity the man who has to pay for your meals."
"Hey, now!"
Inojin and Sarada let out a laugh, and while they were distracted Cho Cho gave the signal for Wasabi and Namida to move in. The two girls nodded back, paid the bill at their own table, and made their way over.
"Sarada!" exclaimed Namida.
"Hey, girls!" Sarada cheerily waved them over. "What's up?"
"Oh, we were just heading to the restroom," said Wasabi, "Want to come with?"
"Um, sure, I can go. Are you coming, too, Cho Cho?"
Cho Cho looked offended.
"And be pulled away from this delicious bowl of red bean ice cream?! I think not."
"Silly question, I know," laughed Sarada, and she followed Wasabi and Namida to the back.
"Alright Mister," said Cho Cho, changing her demeanor and pointing her spoon accusingly at Inojin, "We need to have a talk."
"A talk about what?"
"You know exactly what."
"I really don't."
"You and Sarada have been awfully close, lately."
"That's because she's staying at my house."
"So you don't deny it!"
"Deny what?!"
"That you've been kicking Boruto while he's down!"
"Why are you bringing up Boruto? He's not even here!"
"Exactly."
"Oh, my god, Cho Cho," Inojin rested his elbows on the table and hid his face beneath laced fingers, "I'm going to need you to do what you do best and be blunt with me, because at the rate we're going I'm about to have a stroke."
"How do you feel about Sarada?"
Inojin narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"
"Well?" demanded Cho Cho. Inojin fumbled around but ultimately decided to humor his teammate.
"She's smart and reliable, a good friend-"
"Do you think she's pretty?"
Cho Cho had caught him off guard with her question. Inojin crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes darted back and forth while he argued with himself.
'Think, Inojin, THINK!' he hurriedly thought to himself, 'This is Cho Cho, my teammate and Sarada's best friend. She just asked if I think her friend is pretty - if I say nothing, she'll think I'm hiding something; if I say no, she'll be offended and think I called her bestie ugly; if I say yes, she's either going to get the wrong idea and tease me or she'll put me on the spot when Sarada gets back and force me to say out loud who I think is prettier between them. Middle ground, middle ground, where are you?! Dammit, where's Shikadai when you need him?' Inojin gulped.
"She's...fine," he finally said.
"Just fine," said Cho Cho, "or fine." She winked.
"Cho Cho, you're killing me," whined Inojin under his breath.
"You're impossible," spat Cho Cho. She finished her ice cream and set the empty bowl off to the side. "You want me to be blunt? Fine, I'll be blunt. When Sarada gets back here, she's going to look extra cute. You are going to be a perfect gentleman and keep it in your pants. She's still fresh off a breakup with Boruto and vulnerable, and I'd hate to think you're taking advantage of her like that."
"Okay," he said, "back up, this is the first time I'm hearing any of this. Boruto and Sarada? I didn't even know they were dating!" Inojin's eyes widened as he started connecting the dots. "Is that why Boruto is mad at me? Because he thinks we're dating?!"
"Oh, honey, he thinks you're doing more than just dating," said Cho Cho, "Word on the street is you and Sarada have been connected at the hip...in a sexy way."
Inojin's cheeks burned. He couldn't believe what his teammate was saying.
"Wh-what word on the street? Wh-who told you I was with Sarada? Why would anyone think that?"
"I think a better question is who hasn't told me and who doesn't think that?"
"Well, whatever you heard isn't true! I swear it! We are not dating, and we are not sleeping together!" He whispered that last part. "Everything else aside, you'd have to be suicidal to do anything like that with Sasuke-san's daughter."
"That didn't stop Boruto," said Cho Cho as a matter of factly. Inojin's mouth went dry.
"What?! He and Sarada…?"
"Mhmm."
It was Inojin's turn to conjure up embarrassing images. He hid behind his hands and sunk into his seat.
"Thanks, Cho Cho. I could've gone my entire life without knowing that."
"So, what are you going to do, now?" she asked.
"Do? About what?"
"Right now, Boruto's out there thinking of a way to get her back. Now that you know, are you going to let her go, or are you going to fight for her? I want to know what your intentions are before I make my decision on who to support. Are you going to be a meaningless fling or-"
"I cannot believe we are having this conversation, right now."
Cho Cho shoved her hand in front of Inojin's face and started counting fingers.
"You've been hanging out by yourselves, you're buying her food, you're opening doors for her, she's laughing at all your lame jokes - she's wearing your hoodie, for crying out loud! And I know it's yours so don't even deny it. Have you taken even one second to consider how that looks to people? Knowing all that, are you still going to tell me you two aren't on a date?"
Inojin's face paled. Sure, he understood what Cho Cho was saying, but he and Sarada were just friends. There's no way she saw him that way, right? But, on the other hand, would it be so bad if she did? He reflected on the past few days he's spent with her. All the teasing and silly banter they exchanged suddenly sounded like flirting, and he'd be lying to himself if he said it didn't inflate his ego. It was kind of nice to think that someone wanted him in a romantic sense. Oh, no. He was starting to second guess himself. He groaned and looked off to the side.
"Let's say that Sarada did intend for this to be a date - which I 100% absolutely did not. Why the hell would she invite you to sit with us?"
"Excuse me," said Cho Cho, "I'm a delight. Besides, you're her first boyfriend after Boruto - maybe she's nervous. You watch, as soon as I leave she'll change her attitude around you."
Inojin started to voice another objection, but then thought better of it. Once Cho Cho had her mind set on something it was impossible to persuade her out of it. Instead, he looked toward the restrooms and changed the subject.
"Ugh, what's taking them so long?"
"Ah, ah, ah," said Cho Cho wagging her finger, "I told you why. Sarada's in there making herself cute for you...or Boruto. I'll let you be the judge."
"Oh, silly me. And here I thought she went to the bathroom to pee - like a normal person."
"You are so crass," said Cho Cho.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
The ladies room...
Sarada was washing her hands and enjoying catching up with Namida and Wasabi, if only for a brief moment.
"So…," said Namida.
"So…," repeated Sarada.
"How are things going with Inojin?" asked Wasabi. Sarada turned off the faucet and grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands. She was beaming.
"Amazingly well. I've been so stressed out lately, but he really came through for me and now I'm more relaxed than I've been in a long while. He was having a hard time in some areas, too, but we just kind of pulled our strengths together and got it done. I can't believe it took us this long to get together."
"Oh, um, but what about Boruto?" asked Namida.
"Huh? What about Boruto?"
"I mean, doesn't he make you feel relaxed...like Inojin? Maybe?"
Sarada burst out in laughter.
"Boruto?! Make me relaxed?! If anything I'm more frustrated than not after being with him. Don't get me wrong, he has some good parts, but he can't exactly help me with what I need, right now. You girls are funny." Sarada tossed her paper towel in the trash can and was about to leave when the two of them each grabbed onto her shoulder and pulled her back, sandwiching her into a hug.
"Oh, Sarada, you're so grown up!"
Sarada was taken aback.
"Um...thank you?"
"Excuse us for a moment. Don't go anywhere!"
Wasabi started to lose her own composure. She pulled Namida close and whispered, "I know we came here for Boruto, but it sounds like Inojin is making her really happy."
"So what should we do?!" exclaimed Namida.
"We still go through with Cho Cho's plan," said Wasabi, "We already brought the stuff, it would be a shame not to use it. Only, think of it as a treat for Inojin, now. Our girl's got her hands on some long-term commitment material, right there." Namida nodded, and reached into her bag and pulled out a hairbrush and some stray barrettes. They broke formation and pulled Sarada back in front of the mirror.
"Okay, now hold still!"
"What-?!" Sarada was then caught in a whirlwind with the two girls trying to simultaneously fix her hair. Makeup brushes and powder soon made their appearance as well.
"Why are you carrying all this stuff with you?!" exclaimed Sarada. The two girls said nothing but kept up with their handiwork until they were satisfied. Sarada coughed and complained, but was unable to escape. When they finally removed themselves from her and returned her glasses, Sarada was ready to give them an earful, but stopped as soon as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her eyes lit up and her attitude did a complete 180.
"Oh, my gosh; I'm so cute!" gushed Sarada, "You guys are good at this!"
Wasabi and Namida laughed nervously, and before Sarada could ask any more questions they shoved her out the door.
"Go get him, girl!" cried Wasabi.
"We're rooting for you!" said Namida.
"Hey, wait-," replied Sarada, but the two girls didn't give her an inch.
'What are they putting in the drinking water, up here?' she thought.
Sarada bit her lip. She would have to follow up with them later, but right now she wanted to show off her surprise makeover to Cho Cho.
"Sorry for taking so long!" said Sarada, "I got ambushed in the ladies room."
"Ooh la la," said Cho Cho, "Looking fab, darling. Isn't she, Inojin?"
Inojin didn't respond. He was too busy staring at Sarada. Cho Cho kicked him under the table.
"Ouch!" He gave Cho Cho a dirty look and then blushed from embarrassment. "She's right, Sarada, you look very...nice." It was exactly like Cho Cho said - did Sarada really leave to make herself look cuter...for him? His eye started twitching.
"Nice enough to take home to mom?" she teased, "Or, if you're lucky I might even let you take me home, tonight."
"Well, that's my cue to leave," said Cho Cho. "You kids have fun. I've got a mission I'm still working on."
"A mission?" asked Sarada, "Without Inojin?"
"Yep!" said Cho Cho, and she offered no further explanation before leaping up from the table and bouncing away.
"That was weird," said Sarada. She turned to Inojin, "Hey, it's still light out. Want to catch a movie? My treat."
'Stay calm. She's just messing with you. This isn't happening. None of this is real. You're just dreaming. You're in an alternate dimension where Cho Cho is right about everything.'
"Um, sure," replied Inojin.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
At Denki's house...
"Are you sure about this?" asked Boruto, looking at his reflection in the mirror.
"Of course we are!" exclaimed Metal, "We copied the magazine exactly."
Boruto sighed. He didn't like the feel of the product they put in his hair, but he didn't hate how it looked. He wore a crisp white T-shirt and rolled up dark blue jeans and lace-up biker boots. Iwabe helped him into a black leather jacket.
"Trust us. One look at you and she'll want to have your babies!"
Boruto choked on his spit.
"Oh, yeah, very cool Boruto."
The walkie talkie on Denki's desk suddenly crackled to life.
'Red Team reporting. Do you copy, Blue Team?' It was Wasabi.
Denki picked up the device.
"Blue Team copies. What's your status, Red?"
'Wellllllllll...there might be a change of plans.'
"What do you mean? Were you unable to rendezvous with Sarada?"
'Oh, no, we did that. She looks super cute, right now, but…we're kind of rooting for Inojin, now.'
"Um...why?"
'Apparently,' butted in Cho Cho, 'He's long-term commitment material, but when I talked to him he was very insistent that he and Sarada weren't dating.'
Namida cut in.
'He's probably just being shy! Sarada was very adamant that he's been sensitive to ALL of her needs.'
'And he did admit that she's been sleeping over at his house,' said Cho Cho.
"Standby, Red Team. Blue Team needs to have an emergency meeting." Denki turned to Boruto, "What do you want to do?"
Boruto swallowed and clenched his fist. He gave his reflection another glance and then donned a look of solid determination.
"I'm not giving her up without a fight," he said.
Denki nodded and hit the switch on the walkie talkie.
"Red Team, do you copy?"
'Red Team copies. What's your status Blue?'
"Blue Team is moving forward. Is Red Team abandoning our mission?"
A moment of silence passed, and then,
'Oh, heck no! We want to see what happens, next!'
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
A/N: You best bet things are about to get extra messy and complicated from here on out - I'm not quite ready to put everyone out of their misery, just yet. Poor Sarada is the only one left in the dark, right now. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review! This has been fun to write, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.