Chapter Text
“Sheesh” Shikamaru sighed and pried open another pistachio, popping the green salty nut into her mouth as she leaned back from her counter. It had been easy for her to get the job at the new Cinemas though it irked her when the manager Asuma asked her why she was going for such a slow paced job. “Why do people always end up running to me for advice with their personal problems? I got my own stuff troubling me Naruto. What a pain.”
Naruto continued to flick the empty shells around between them and a few clattered to the sticky popcorn covered floor. Naruto's own attempts at securing part-time work during their break had been utter failure. The fact was people just didn’t hire those kinds of temporary workers anymore, let alone kids with little to no experience. “But you’re so good at it Shika, and I know you wouldn’t laugh at me. Please do me this little favour? I’ll do anything.” She said ducking her head so only her large pleading blue eyes peeked over the counter.
“How the hell am I supposed to know what Sasuke likes to do for dates? The most I’ve talked to her was when we had a group project together and even then she didn’t actually talk to me, just sent me emails. It was pretty convenient actually.”
“Ahhh, that doesn’t help at all!” Naruto groaned and mussed her hair in frustration.
It had been almost three months since Naruto had confessed to Sasuke and they had yet to actually go out on a date together, though they did spend many hours outside of school just the two of them, it was ninety-percent of the time Naruto being tutored by Sasuke if not walking to and from one another’s houses. It was beginning to get Naruto down, though her grades had vastly improved and Iruka sensei had been so impressed she had bought her young student a giant frog plushie and coupons for their favourite ramen restaurant.
But Naruto still felt things weren’t moving forward in the way she had hoped.
“Why don’t you ask her yourself what she likes? Would it be that hard?”
“hmm no… but I want our first proper date to be something really special. And it’s not special if you know about it.”
Shikamaru stared blankly for a while and then began sweeping up the shells and threw them in a dustbin. “Just think about what you already know and observe what she tends to like and dislike. It should be simple after all this time.”
“Hey yeah! Okay, this will be easy. Thanks buddy! See you round then!” The blonde replied, happily as she skipped out of the cinema until she realised that she had no idea what Sasuke liked!!! I’m a horrible at noticing things! What am I going to do?
~
As Sasuke walked up to her front door, a strange feeling of dread passed through her like icy water dripping down her spine. The feeling continued when she pushed the key through the lock with a slight tremble of her hand only to find it was already unlocked. Her breathing became unsteady and she fought to calm it with her fingers on the door knob as she struggled to supress a memory. Almost running into her kitchen she was shocked to find the person she had least expected.
“What are you doing here and how the hell did you find out where I live?” Sasuke asked, dumping her messenger bag and jacket in the doorway.
The white-haired woman spun around and swallowed the rest of Sasuke’s onigiri she had planned to save for dinner, her sharp teeth gnashing. “Still rude as ever sassy-uke. What’s wrong with wanting to check out the new digs of my little sis?”
“I’m not your bloody sister Suigetsu. Get the hell out before I make you.” Stomping over to check just how much food remained in her meagre stores. Damn it she ate all my rice balls. “I hope no one else knows where I live?” Sasuke knew her true meaning would be read in that question.
“Hmm, no I didn’t tell anyone. Not the big daddy or that red-head stalker. And just so you know Juugo really missed you when you left. Like she had a few break-downs that everyone knows you could have stopped if you were there.”
Sasuke refused to let any hint of her guilt slip out and her poker face remained as she grabbed a drink of ice-coffee and sat down at her large dining table, sipping it slowly.
“Not even going to offer me a drink Sassy? Not for your big sis?” Suigetsu huffed at the silence and continued her story; Sasuke hadn’t walked out so it must have meant she actually did care. “Big daddy was pissed that you left, but it’s not like he could fuckin’ do a thing ‘bout it since he had no idea where you went. Kimimaro was sent all ‘round the fuckin’ country-side lookin’ for your hot ass. But look who gets the fuckin’ prize. HAHAHA.” Suigetsu spat rice as she laughed and lent back on the kitchen counter with her arms crossing her chest.
“If you tell them, I’ll kill you.” Sasuke told her in a calm-as-ever voice that made you think she was telling you your horoscope.
“Yikes, like I would ever cross you Sassy. I really don’t give a fuck about those idiots, and you got a nice set up here, too big for just one am I right?”
A few minutes went by as Sasuke pondered the question. She did miss them, a little. But there was absolutely no fucking way she was ever going back to that creep and his druggie pimp house. Honestly Sasuke was amazed Orochimaru had gone for so long fostering kids without getting done in, though it wouldn’t surprise her if he had rats in all manner of government positions to be paid off for any whim.
For the three years Sasuke had lived in that place. she had been worked hard selling drugs and weapons that she knew those weren’t the only things that she would be selling if she stayed much longer and one night she slammed a chair into the back of that snakes head and fucked off like her life depended on it.
“You want out too huh?”
“You bet I fuckin’ do.” Suigetsu slammed her fist against wood “I don’t wanna die in that shit-hole.”
“Are you absolutely sure there is no way anyone can find out about this place?”
“No fuckin’ way. I couldn’t even tell Juugo what I was planning. She seriously loves Kim, I couldn’t ask her to come. She’s gonna die in that place, I swear.”
Sasuke slowly stood and wondered if she could ever tell Naruto about these things. Would her only friend hate her? Be disgusted at the thought of her? She couldn’t risk letting Naruto find out those things. It would be too much. The old her screamed inside her head that it was no good, letting another person in would only mean getting hurt. But she wasn’t about to abandon the person in-front of her. Perhaps Naruto was having a greater effect on Sasuke than she wanted to admit.
“You can stay.”
~
Naruto woke the next day with a bubble of determination encapsulating her being and her lips stretched into a wide smile. First she sent Sasuke a quick text good morning and then pried herself from her warm bed to make herself breakfast while bopping to the hits from her radio. By the time she was dressed and ready to walk out the door her cheeks ached but her joy refused to wane.
“Ramen, ramen, raamen~” Naruto chanted; heals kicking up and hips swaying through the alleys between the stacked up apartments, skipping over spilled trash and the splayed legs of the unconscious leftovers from the club around the corner. Naruto remembered the old lady Jiraya had been known to frequent that particular establishment; attempting to pick up young men. Muses she called them. Models for the woman’s vast array of risqué paintings and statues planted around her gardens which welcomed unaware travellers into the artist’s humble workspace, along with various strongly worded complaints.
For a moment she considered asking the baba-yaga for advice on her little problem, but realised that unless she was willing to go all the way to become some enchantress and completely seduce Sasuke in every physical way conceivable, -a thought which had Naruto grinning even wider if that were possible- the result would be a little off target to her blushingly-romantic intentions, though she absentmindedly wondered if Sasuke had ever thought about those things.
Chocolate? No, no sweets, flowers? Maybe… Books? Or a trip to the onsen? No no… actually the onsen sounds like fun! But not really a romantic…
“oof” the grunt came when Naruto bumped harshly into the front of someone and a clatter of objects scattered between them. A pale as a ghost hand steadied Naruto who muttered an apology and bent to help pick up the ink bottle and brushes.
“Oh, Sai! I didn’t see you there.”
Sai was still as strange as ever with her thin smile and soft voice like a tiger waiting quietly to pounce. “That’s fine. You seem to have been thinking very deeply.”
Naruto had been a little distracted which brought her back the subject, “say sai, do you go on a lot of dates? Like, doing things you like to do?”
Sai looked a little lost, “things I like?” her eyes wandered for a moment “I suppose so. I do a lot of that.”
Naruto was shocked, “Really? But… you seem so… well not the type of person to go out with a lot of different people.”
“Oh no I don’t mean that. I do a lot of things I like to do by myself, is that what you meant?”
“Not exactly, what do you do by yourself?”
Sai raised an eyebrow “why do you want to know?”
Naruto blushed and gave a nervous laugh, “ahh well, ya’ know I just wanted to find out because it might help me with something that I was thinking about…” she slowly trailed off hoping that Sai wouldn’t ask anything more, it was too embarrassing! She could deal with people ignoring her, teasing her, or laughing at her because they didn’t really know her, but if someone found something out about Naruto that was true and laughed at her that would really hurt.
Thankfully Sai wasn’t one for prying. “I paint and read books.”
Well that was no help at all. “okay, let’s say there is someone you like a lot, and they like you too, and you want to show them how much you like them? What would you do?” Shikamaru had said to find out what Sasuke liked, but really, what does Sasuke even like?
“Don’t people usually give gifts? I read in a book that giving someone something you made is best because you put effort into making it, although another book said that expensive things are better. And there was one to say you should never give a gift because the other person will feel obliged to give one equal to it.” Naruto's face fell causing Sai to end her statement and wonder if Naruto was feeling unwell.
Wasn’t this difficult enough already? “That sounds way too complicated, Sai. I’ll think about it. Thanks anyway.” Sai nodded and watched for a while; the girl with the long blond pigtails swaying while she walked away.