The breeze was cool and refreshing.

A strong scent of blossoms drifted about the town. It was a splendid evening in an exceptionally beautiful Spring.

“Come on slowpoke!” Naruto waved his arm, like he was directing traffic. “You don’t have to smell the flowers on every tree we pass… do you?” He slowed to a stop and held out his arm.

“Sorry, Naruto-kun.” A smiling Hinata ran to his side and slipped her arm inside his. She used her free hand to straighten a large cluster of blooms in her hair. “But… to be fair… don’t you stop and stare at every ramen shop we pass?”

“That’s different,” Naruto claimed. For a moment, he thought back to a certain Winter night. Drowning in self pity that evening, he never would have guessed that he would be strolling along the street with a girlfriend. No, it was more than that. If he had been asked who he might find to be his best match, he probably would have mentioned Hinata last of all. “You can’t eat flowers.”

“That’s true,” Hinata admitted. “But… noodles don’t grow on trees….” She enjoyed bantering with Naruto. She was opening up more and more every day. But, she wasn’t the only one changing. Naruto was calming down. “No matter how much you wish they did.”

“Wouldn’t that be great!” Naruto closed his eyes and rubbed his belly. “Better yet! That old man should finally put them on the menu at the pub.” He looked over at Hinata, feeling a pang in his heart because she looked so cute. How had he missed that, all those years? “But… that’s enough about noodles… I don’t know why you keep bringing that subject up.” He smirked when she raised an eyebrow in return. “People might think you have a one track mind or something.”

“If you say so… sweetums….” Hinata hid a smile. While no stranger to terms of endearment, she was not one of those girls who used sappy and silly nicknames. But, her sense of humor no longer lay dormant like a hibernating bear. It was wide awake, pilfering picnic baskets when the time was right.

“Shhh… shhh-hhh-hhh….” Naruto was too late. Hinata had seen a number of his you nger friends walking by. Konohamaru pointed and began to snicker. Udon snuffled louder and longer than usual. The other boys began making catty comments. “Great… thanks….”

“Sweetums,” the Third Hokage’s grandson said. “Sweetums!” He rubbed his hands together. Naruto would never live this down. He pointed to the cliff face, taking a moment to stare at Sarutobi’s face. “Look up there, Udon.“ He started counting off the names of the Hokages. After mentioning Tsunade in an aggravated tone of voice, he went on to say “And that’s probably where they’ll carve the Sixth Hokage.”

Naruto and Hinata both looked up at the same time. Neither had any doubt that Naruto’s face would adorn the cliff some day. The only question was whether someone like Kakashi might hold the title before he did.

“Picture this… a neighboring Kage comes to Konoha for a visit… debating whether or not he should sign an important peace treaty.” Konohamaru had become a very flamboyant storyteller. He group of friends hung on every word. “Our ambassador… escorting the great man around the village… shows him the giant face and says: ‘That’s the man you’ll be meeting.” Her paused for effect. “Sweetums.”

The rowdy boys erupted in loud and raucous laughter, startling some of the nearby villagers. Konohamarru struck up a stance very similar to Naruto’s version of the Nice Guy pose.

“So… you can see… Naruto can never be Hokage…like I will.” Konohamaru sounded serious. “We’d be the laughing stock of each and every Nations!” He thumbed his nose at Naruto. “Then again… that was true before the nickname.”

“Hah hah hah….” Naruto fought to keep his temper in check. Nowadays, that was a relatively simple task. “Hah-hah-hah. That’s very funny. Really.” He brushed off one shoulder and then the other, almost as if he were saying that Konohamaru’s attempts at humor were no more meaningful than a piece of lint or two. “Want to know something else funny?” He winked at Hinata. She gave him one of those ‘don’t drag things out too long this time’ looks. “I was walking by a clothing shop the other day. You know… the one with all the manikins in front….”

Konohamaru’s eyes went very wide. He suddenly felt nervous. A sweat drop formed at each temple. Naruto couldn’t have been there that night, could he? The streets had been completely deserted!

Hadn’t they?

“I saw a boy… lets’ call him Hamakonoru….” Naruto kept his voice deadpan.

“Hamakonoru… hama… kono… ru….” Udon wiped his nose and straightened his glasses. “Kono… hama… ru….” He enjoyed math and word puzzles. He could figure this out. “Konohamaru!”

“Keep it down!” Naruto pretended to shush the geeky boy. “Let’s make that our little secret.” He smiled, seeing the look on Konohamaru’s face. “Well… this boy… whatever his name was….” The boys were eating out of his hand now. “…He stood there in front of the teenage manikins and started bragging. He posed like a body builder.” Naruto flexed in exaggerated fashion. “He showed off his newest jutsu. He told them that he was going to be the Hokage. Then, he told them how good a kisser he was….” He met Konohamaru’s gaze. The other boy shook his head frantically.

“Ummm….” Udon tugged on Naruto’s sleeve. “Did he do the clone kissing thing again?” He froze. That was supposed to be a secret. He watched the older shinobi nod his head.

“It was girl clones!” Konohamaru put his hand over his mouth after blurting out that confession . He hadn’t wanted anyone to think he was kissing boy bunshin. Everyone standing there was well aware of his Otoko no Ko Dōshi no Jutsu, the ‘Sexy: Double Knockout Guys Technique’ he had invented use against women.

“Anyway… after that impressive display of smooching….” Naruto put his hands behind his neck. “… I had to listen to the poor guy whine and complain….” He put his arm around Hinata. “Because he has no girlfriend.” None of the other boys laughed at Konohamaru. They didn’t have girlfriends, either. “I suppose… if you guys like… I can tell you an important dating tip….”

The boys shoved each other aside, trying to be the first to beg for that secret. Konoharamu merely stood stiff, a scowl on his face. Udon blew his nose.

“Watch very closely now….“ Naruto moved his hands through the air, as if he were a practicing magician. He then reached out, pulled on the goggles that Konohamaru still wore on his forehead, and let the elastic slap them back into place with a loud ‘thwack‘. “Lose… the… goggles!”

A number of the boys wore similar goggles in homage to Konohamaru, and in ultimate deference to Naruto. Most of them quickly doffed the childish apparel, hiding the eyewear behind their backs. A few tossed them far across the square, towards a number of dumpsters. Konohamaru pulled his down over his eyes in a clear act of defiance. He folded his arms across his chest.

“Well. I guess I showed you guys who’s boss,“ Naruto said, throwing out his chest. “But… you know me… I’m a nice guy. I promise I won’t tease any of you guys about not having a girlfriend….” Now for the big punch line. “…If you promise not to tell Hinata about my girlfriend.”

He was joking, of course.

“Y-You…you found…. You found s-someone else?” Hinata didn’t look the least bit upset. “Finally!” Naruto might be the Fire Nation’s penultimate prankster, but she was no slouch herself. “I am so happy to hear that. It means Granny Tsunade finally found my replacement.” She had begun using his appellations for the Hokage. Needless to say, that did not sit well with the older woman.

“Huh?” Naruto’s brow furrowed. “Replacement?” He was finding it harder and harder to keep up with Hinata’s mental gymnastics. He couldn’t be happier!

“Yes,” Hinata said, removing her arm from around Naruto’s. She took a few steps away. “The Hokage assigned me to be your girlfriend. It was an… ummm… A-Class mission….” She brought the flower in her hair close to her face and took a deep breath. “That’s why I went to the bar that night.”

For just a moment, Naruto was speechless. Then, he felt like smacking himself in the forehead. That was quite obviously a gag! After he stuck out his tongue at her, ignoring Konohamru’s laughter, he immediately squared his stance and shifted his weight.

Hinata always felt a need to show how she truly felt after making a joke like that.

Sure enough, Hinata ran and jumped into his arms, wanting to give him a quick hug. But, instead of holding her tight to him, Naruto spread his arms and let her fall to the cobblestones. “There’s no need for any of that, right? The mission‘s over.” He waved his hand in dismissive fashion. “Tah tahhh-hh-h.” He began walking on his own, whistling.

Hinata picked herself up and brushed road dust off of her pants. She felt a quick burst of pique. Her butt cheek hurt! But, she couldn’t blame her boyfriend. The little games they played together were unpredictable and had no established set of rules. She took another sniff of her flowers, thinking back.

At this exact time a year ago, she could only dream about something like this.

“Are you going to let him get away with that?” It was Ino. The blue-eyed girl walked up with Ten Ten and a number of genin girls. She watched as Konohamaru and his friends tried to catch the younger kunoichis’ attention. They failed miserably and left with their tails between their legs.

“That was pretty rude,” Ten Ten asserted. Like Ino, she had grown closer to Naruto after he had begun dating Hinata. But, she was still very quick to make assumptions where a certain loud-mouthed boy was concerned. “You two aren’t having… you know… problems…” She crossed her fingers. Hinata had made amazing strides after that notorious night at the dorm. She didn't want to see that come to an end.

What would happen to her if Naruto dumped her in a figurative sense, too?

“No,” Hinata said, shaking her head. “It’s one of our games.” She felt her face grow warm. “We’re still very happy.”

“Ohhh-hh-h….” Ino sighed a sigh of relief. “So….” She pursed her lips and nodded her head. “Right now, he’s expecting you to go running to him, right?”

“Will you?” Ten Ten raised one eyebrow after Hinata said ‘yes’. She and Neji had finally begun seeing one another. But, both of them were far too reserved to interact in the way that Hinata and Naruto did.

“Ummm….” Hinata twiddled her fingers. Despite her best efforts, that habit remained entrenched. “I always do….” She shrugged. “I don’t like being away from him… and it makes him smile when I come running….” She hoped that she didn’t make either of them sound needy. They might have deep seated issues to deal with, but neither was desperate.

“I wonder what he will do if you don’t give in,” one of the genin asked. As fate would have it, she wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer.

“She said maybe we should start seeing other people. Baby, things are moving way too fast for me." Naruto actually hated that style of music. But, the title of the song was perfect. “So, I picked up what was left of my pride… and I put on my walking shoes…and I got up on that high road… and I did what any gentleman would do.” He wasn’t much of a singer.

But, he wouldn’t let that stand in his way.

“Oh no….” Hinata’s bit her lip. She knew exactly what she was up against, thinking back to their one and only trip to a karaoke bar. The manager had refunded their money, giving back twice what they had paid, after politely asking Naruto to leave.

“And I thought Lee had a terrible voice.” Ten Ten winced. A man with too much spirit for his own good, Maito Gai… aka Might Guy to some…often sang during their practices. Rock Lee was the only one he could convince to join in. She and Neji had taken to bringing cotton balls and ear plugs to team gatherings.

“Ouch!” Ino shook her head. “I’d rather listen to Choji chomping on chips all day long!” That was a sound that never failed to give her a headache. Nevertheless, her pudgy teammates munching sounded like the sweet harmony of an angelic choir compared to this.

“I just had to ask….” The curious genin girl huddled in a group with her peers. Just when they thought things couldn’t get worse, Naruto proved them wrong. He raised his voice considerably, causing every pigeon on the street to take to the wing:

“I GOT A BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND”

He did a small dance step and then spun, before picking op the lyrics again. A woman stood there staring at him, mouth open, her tilted basket spilling crusty loaves of melon bread on her feet.

“We went and jumped off the deep end… ran off to Nami no Kuni for the weekend… spent the whole day lyin' on the beach… wearin' nothin' but a smile.” He created a number of shadow songs to sing background.

A group of farmers looked like they had stumbled upon a new crop infestation. They had made the mistake of paying attention to the lyrics. The mental image of a naked Naruto sunning by the ocean had them questioning the meaning of life.

“Ummm… so….” Hinata tried to distract her distraught friends. “What were… what were you guys doing today?” She felt torn. If she ran to Naruto now, he’d stop singing. But, she wanted to show Ino and Ten Ten that she wasn’t some kind of wilting flower, afraid to stand up to her boyfriend.

“We were looking for Sakura,” Ino answered, glad for that distraction. “She was very upset this morning. But, no one knows where she went.”

“She wouldn’t tell us why she was crying,” Ten Ten added. “I was hoping that she would be at the practice grounds. But… seeing Naruto….” She fought the urge to put her fingers in her ears. “…. I guess their team has the day off like yours.” She stood taller. As shinobi, she had been trained by Morino Ibiki to withstand torture. “What are you two up to?”

“Playin' kissy-kissy, smoochy-smoochy…talkin' mooshy-mooshy 'bout nothin'…man, I think I'm on to something… hit it guys….“ The bunshin crooned as loud as they could. “Ya know I feel just like a kid again…becauuu-uu-use….” Naruto’s a capella explosion followed:

“I GOT A BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND”

They clones strutted down the avenue, their fancy moves nearly as bad as their vocals. A number of homeowners and businessmen closed their shutters. A member of the Konoha Military Police Force began directing wagons and pedestrians away from the general vicinity.

“Naruto and I are going to play Pachinko,” Hinata replied. “You’re all welcome to join us if you like. It’s a lot of fun. The more the merrier.” She had become much more outgoing over the past few months. She no longer felt uncomfortable around crowds.

“Pass!” Ino’s answer came out in a rush. If they weren’t looking for Sakura, she might have accepted the invitation. If they weren’t looking for their missing friend, and she hadn’t heard Naruto singing!

“Me too!” Ten Ten felt much the same way that Ino did. “Maybe some other time.” She decided to be more specific. “You know… on a girl’s night out….” If it wasn’t one thing it was another. In the past, the adults had all been worried about the demon sealed within a boy. Later, the children of those same villagers worried about the boy causing trouble or making a fool of himself. Now a new fear raised its ugly head.

Singing!

“Kissy-kissy….” One of the genin girls looked sick. “Smoochy smoochy….“ The words were too cutesy. It was too much to take. If Naruto was one of the preceptors at the upcoming exams, none of them would have any hope of making chuunin!

“M-Moochy m-moochy….” Another young kunoichi put her hands over her mouth. Her lunch was threatening to make a reappearance. She wisely decided to join her compatriots, all of who decided to look for the pink-haired girl in a different part of town.

“I love it when she calls me buttercup… she laughs and says I left the toilet seat up…she pops the top for me on a cold beer… and says my buddy's always welcome here….” Naruto created more clones for the sing-a-long. “When I get hungry, she takes me out… I'm ridin' shotgun like a shitzu hound…. my tails a waggin', my tongue hangin' out….” He saw Akamaru streak past, running faster than ever. He would have thought the dog would have stopped and begged for a snack as usual, especially after hearing that last verse. No matter. He belted out the key words again:

“I GOT A BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND”

“I’ll go to him,” Hinata offered. She would do anything for her friends. “I really don’t mind if he wins again.”

“Thank you,” Ten Ten replied, bowing. She whispered ‘B-B-Buttercup…Heaven help us all….’

“That goes double for me,” Ino said. “Make that triple!”

“Once he stops singing, I’m sure he’ll be glad to help look for Sakura.” Hinata never put her own pleasure over the well-being of her fellow ninjas.

“No!” Both Ino and Ten Ten spoke up at once, as if the one girl was being controlled by the other’s Shintenshin no Jutsu. “You stay by Naruto’s side.” Ino finished by saying “I mean… we shouldn’t let this ruin everybody’s day.” The two girls hurried off.

“Naruto-kun.” Sighing an exasperated sigh, Hinata flashed to her boyfriend’s side.

“Hah!” Naruto pumped his fist. “It took a while… but I win again!” He saluted the clones as they began to pop out of existence. “Hey… listen….” He put a hand to his ears. The people on the street had started cheering. “I guess we know whose side they’re on!” He marched on feeling smug, unawares that the applause was meant solely for the curtailment of the singing.

“I suppose you’re right,” Hinata said amicably. “I’ll just have to try harder.” Now was not the best time to discuss matters. Later, when they were alone, she would get him to promise never to sing in public again.

“That’s the spirit!” Naruto put his arm around Hinata and drew her close. The two of them made their way to Inari’s pub, coming to a stop under the large hanging wooden sign. They each had wonderful memories of the storied establishment After all, it was the place where their romance had started. And, while they avoided the bar per se, the game parlor had become one of their favorite haunts.

“Naruto-kun?” Hinata pointed at the sign. She took note of something she had never paid attention to before. She moved her head, looking at one side. It depicted a man dressed in fancy raiment. She leaned the other way. On the opposite side, there was a woman, her face identical to that of the man. Were they brother and sister? Parent and child? “I never asked before. Who is Inari? Is that the name of the owner?”

“No.” Naruto looked incredulous. He had always assumed that everyone knew who Inari was. “The sign will give you a clue. You can’t tell if Inari’s a guy or a girl.” He smirked. “Just like Sai….”

Hinata just rolled her eyes. She had long since gotten used to her boyfriend’s sense of humor. She didn’t really mind, since he didn’t have a mean bone in his body.

“Some people picture Inari as an old man carrying rice. Others think of Inari as a young female food goddess.” Naruto had a particular reason that he had read up on the kami in the past. He would make mention of that in a moment. “There are also people who describe Inari as an androgynous bodvihat-… bohidav-… bodi-…bo-… b-….” The word he was searching for was boddhisatva. “…. Enlightened person….”

“I see.” Hinata slipped her sleeve cuff over one hand, reached up, and used the woven fabric to wipe away a bit of spittle at the corner of Naruto’s mouth. She thought it adorable, anytime he got flustered by a word. Then again, with a few notable exceptions, she still thought that just about anything he did was precious.

“I guess you could call Inari the god of fertility, rice, agriculture, industry, and worldly success.” He hooked a thumb under each armpit. “And foxes.” He might hate Kyubi, but he had a perverse love for foxes. He almost felt part fox at times. “Pure white kitsune are suppose to be his messengers. But I doubt anything like that exists.”

“I can see why you chose this place to drink that night,” Hinata said, taking Naruto’s hand as he went to open the pub door. There was no direct entrance to the Pachinko area. “Inari is the kami of food… hard work… and foxes….” She looked down and examined her fingernails. “She’s not the kami of singing, is she?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Naruto answered. “Why?”

“No reason,” Hinata said quickly. She started coughing. The front room was a wall of smoke. How had she managed to stay there as long as she did, back on that fateful night? A longing heart must be capable of miracles!

The two shinobi waved to the bartender, who pointed at a pair of open chairs. He was just being polite, knowing that the twosome hadn’t had anything to drink since ‘Naruto Night,’ as some of the more mouthy patrons had taken to calling it. That evening had been so memorable, that the blind musician in the corner had made up a very popular ditty called ‘Sakura Sucks’ by some, or the ‘Ballad of the Heartbroken Hero’ by others.

“Not tonight!” Naruto shook his head and smiled. He placed money in the tips jar. The man and a number of the regulars had taken good care of him back then. “Maybe on our anniversary.”

“It’s Pachinko time,” Hinata said. She went over to the bar and gave the kindly man a hug. She looked around the crowded room, sad that the Origami Lady was nowhere to be seen. But, the place was crowded tonight, so the kindly woman could still be somewhere along the back end of the bar.

A large number of coins came running across the floor. Someone at the jukebox obviously had problems holding his liquor. A song started playing, adding to the noise level.

I've been holding out so long
I've been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I've been hanging on the phone
I've been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you

“Wow!” Naruto squeezed Hinata’s hand affectionately. “This sure brings back memories.” He wondered who chose the songs that were programmed into the music player. “That night… every song… it seemed to be about me….” He smiled when Hinata squeezed back. “I hope they’re not too many broken-hearted people here today….”

Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh

Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh

“Me too,” Hinata said, her heart going out to a young man she saw crying in the corner of the room. The table in front of him couldn’t hold another empty bottle, stein, or shot glass. He struggled to hoist a huge Viking horn filled with a frothy drink. “I felt so bad for you that night. I could imagine how you must feel.”

The two of them gamely waded through the throng, trying not to step on anyone’s toes. Business was booming again.

“Yeh,“ Naruto said, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe how much things have changed. Back then, Sakura was the only thing I could see.” Winking at a grizzled man in the back who raised his glass in toast, Naruto leaned over and gave Hinata a playful smack on the rump. That had her squeaking and the man clapping. “The view’s a whole lot nicer, now.”

Hinata blushed, her immediate rush of indignity vanishing back from whence it came. Her eyes widened. “Oh… I forgot to tell you… Sakura….” She felt bad. She should have told him sooner.

Well, I've been haunted in my sleep
You've been starring in my dreams
Lord I miss you

I've been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
It's just some friends of mine that say,
"Hey, what's the matter man?
We're gonna come around at twelve
With some Cloud Nation girls that are just dyin' to meet you.

“Sakura?” Naruto stopped. He tried to shush the drunken people around him who reacted to that name, remembering. But, the reaction spread like falling dominoes. “What happened to S-… my teammate?” He felt a queasy feeling in his stomach. “She didn’t go off on a mission with another team, did she?”

Sakura hadn’t mentioned anything like that.

We're gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, let's go mess and fool around
You know, like we used to"

Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah

Hinata told Naruto about her brief run-in with Ino and Ten Ten, leaving out any and all comments related to his singing.

“Well… we sure won’t find her in here…” He swept his arms about without thinking. That was a mistake. He apologized to the people he mistakenly struck, and handed out coins for the drinks he had knocked over.

Naruto felt torn. He and Hinata had been looking forward to their day off. And, there already were a fair number of people out looking for Sakura. Just the same, he wouldn’t feel right hanging around the Pachinko machines if his teammate was in trouble. He tried to think of anything that she might have said the day before that would serve as a clue. He couldn’t. The noise. The smoke. The crowd. Those were all making it hard to concentrate.

“We could go look for her,” Hinata offered. She knew that Naruto would make a similar offer, if she were concerned about Kiba or Shino. The surging crowd pushed the two of them towards the back of the pub as a group of visitors flooded into the pub. The newcomers were part of a club or society, judging by their matching outfits and ceremonial headgear.

One of the new arrivals put a large item on the bar top before he placed his order. It was an instrument case. His fellow revelers all had something similar, some differing in size and shape.

Oh everybody waits so long
Oh baby why you wait so long
Won't you come on! Come on!
I've been walking Central Park
Singing after dark
People think I'm crazy

I’ve been stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people, "What's the matter with you boy?"
Sometimes I want to say to myself
Sometimes I say

“Thank you for the offer, Hinata-chan,” Naruto said. “I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“You don’t have to, silly.” Hinata used her Byakugan, searching for the optimal path through the crowd. “She’s my friend, too.”

Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh

“LORD I MISS YOU!”

Those shouted words had Hinata freezing. No, not because the next words in the song were ‘I won't miss you child,’ not ‘Lord I miss you.‘ She didn’t know the song. It wasn’t the verse. It was the person singing. Her control of the Byakugan had grown fine enough that she could recognize certain people by their chakra circulatory patterns.

“Naruto!” Hinata reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. “I know where she is!” She pulled him along towards a stretch of the counter that couldn’t be seen from the front of the room. It was enveloped by darkness, thanks to a number of darkened light bulbs that needed replacing.

“Hinata… the door’s that way….” He tried to dig in his heals, but his girlfriend yanked with all her might, nearly dislocating his shoulder. What was she doing? This wasn’t the direction for the Pachinko parlor, either. “What….” He found his answer after he came close to sliding headfirst into the great oaken bar. “Sakura-chan!”

Sure enough, the pink-haired girl sat on a wobbly stool, teetering this way and that. A tremendous number of empty glasses sat in front of her. Based on the shapes of those vessels and the residual contents, she had been doing mixed drinks rather than Sake.

“S-A-K-U-R-A-!”

That shout rose up from a tight cluster of patrons. They bellowed for everyone to quiet down. The hated Sakura was somewhere in their midst! While Naruto’s anger at the girl in question had long since faded away, the feeling had been preserved at the bar like a fly trapped in amber. Someone dropped a wad of paper money in front of the handicapped singer, prompting him to sing the famous tune.

Almost like magic, the group of musicians uncased their instruments, tuned them, and joined in, easily matching an impromptu beat to the singer’s rhythm.

I…hate the rain and sunny weather,
And I… I hate the beach and mountains too;
I don’t like a thing about the city… no, no
And I… I… I hate the countryside too!

And I, hate everything about Sa-ku-ra

I hate everything about you!

A large number of patrons shouted “Sakura sucks!

Naruto clenched his fists and rolled up his sleeves. He didn’t have the luxury of being shocked or surprised. He needed to put a stop to this as quickly as possible. Hinata was asking people individually to stop what they were doing. That wouldn’t work. It was time for his One-Size-Fits-All jutsu. He began working hand seals.

I, don’t like a thing about your mother,
And I… I hate your daddy’s guts too,
I don’t like a thing about your sister,
cause I… I… I think sex is overrated too.

Bunshin appeared everywhere, causing people to be flattened against walls and each other. That might be fun for the perverts and dirty old men, but for most people it was a major annoyance. More than one woman left a throbbing red palm print on some man’s face.

“Eek!” Hinata jumped when someone pinched her on her shapely backside. Naruto jumped even higher when someone did the same to him.

And I get sick when I’m around Sakura,

I can’t stand to be around Sa-ku-ra,
I hate everything about you!
Everything about you,
Everything about you,
Everything about you!

Once again, the crowd shouted “Sakura sucks!”

Immediately thereafter, Naruto had all of the myriad shadow clones putting their fingers in their mouths and whistling as loudly as they could. That got everybody’s attention. Everyone except for the musicians. The bunshin flashed about the pub, gathering up kotsuzumis, shamisens, and shakuhachis. One stuck an apple in the singer’s mouth.

A sullen and slurred voice broke the miraculous silence. “Everybody hatessh me. Life hatessh me.” That was Sakura. She accidentally knocked over half of the empties in front of her, causing a crescendo of breaking glass. “Sasshuke-kun… Sasshuke-kun hatessh me….”

As the clones began disappearing, Naruto stood up on a chair and apologized to the unhappy visitors who had been minding their own business. While Hinata hurried to console Sakura, he launched into a grand speech about his pink-haired teammate, telling everyone how she wasn’t as bad as he had made her out before.

More than a few sots called out ‘Sh-Sh-Shorry Shakura’ when he finished. Other remorseful rabble-rousers asked the waitresses and barkeep to put her next few drinks on their tab. There were a few diehards who seemed unwilling to give up one of their favorite villains; but, they were in the minority.

The activity in the pub returned to normal. Two men fought over at the jukebox. Their drunken wrestling match allowed a smaller timid man to sneak past them. The self-styled Bon Vivant reached inside a sequined money purse and fished out the necessary coins. Pushing well worn buttons, he set another song in motion.

I know you wanna leave me, but I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg, plead for sympathy
I don't mind, 'cause it means that much to me

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, don't you go

“Ishn’t that jusht perfect!” Sakura laughed inappropriately, after hearing the initial verses. “I begged him. I even got down on my kneessh. Did it make a differensh?”

“Sakura-chan… this isn’t like you….” Naruto felt a sharp pang in his heart. His friend must really be hurting. She looked and sounded like a wreck. He blinked rapidly, thinking back to when he was the MPN, the miserable person of the night. Shikamaru and Lee had stopped by to see him. What they must have thought at the time! “Trust me… drinking won’t make you feel better… I know….”

“That’ssh real easshy for you to shay….” Sakura ignored Hinata’s offer to buy her coffee or tea, recently added to the bill of fair in the Hyuuga girl‘s honor. “You have Hinata. Sh-She hassh you. You have eachsh other.” She hung hung, her head, clutched her fists, and cursed life. “It’ssh not fair. It’ssh jussht not fair. I work as hard as everybody elssh.” Tired of all the slurring, she reached inside her purse and removed an herbal remedy.

Instead of stripping and pulverizing the leaves before adding them to some liquid, she crammed a bunch of plant parts into her mouth, chewed, and then swallowed.

Well I heard a quiet man is half a man, with no sense of pride
If I have to cry to keep ya I don't mind weepin'
If weepin' gonna keep ya by my side

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, don't you go

Naruto and Hinata both realized that things had come full circle. He had once sat here, moaning over Sakura. Now, Sakura was pouring her heart out over her lost love. That came as a big surprise. Neither of them seen or heard any hints that Sakura and Sasuke had been dating. Naruto felt a bit mutton-headed. How could he have missed that about his teammates?

Neither shinobi felt any satisfaction at the turnaround.

“I know it must feel bad now,” Hinata said kindly. “It broke my heart, watching Naruto that night. He was in so much pain. But-” She was cut-off.

“Sure… blame Sakura!” The medical ninja covered her face with her hands, before bring both palms down hard on the smooth wood. “It’s always Sakura’s fault. Stupid… useless… ugly….” She shuddered, her face looking bleak. “….Pink-haired Sakura….”

“Hinata wasn’t blaming you,” Naruto said, coming to his girlfriend’s defense. “If anything, we should thank you. Either way, that’s all water under the bridge.” He leaned closer to her, so she would be certain to hear his next words. “I learned a very important lesson that night. I couldn’t have the girl that I thought I wanted. “But that was OK, because I ended up with the girl I needed.” He didn’t hug or touch Hinata, knowing that a show of affection might sting his teammate even more. “I didn’t find her in the bottom of a glass.”

That wasn’t entirely true.

“Gee… wow… thanks… that’s helps a whole hell of a lot!” Sakura began flipping through the drink menu again. “Sasuke was the one I wanted… and the one I needed….” She was in no condition to listen to reason. “Which one do you think I should choose next, Hinata?” She thrust the plastic-covered pages up close to the white-eyed girl’s face.

“I… ummm….” Hinata searched for something helpful to say. Nothing that anyone had said had helped Naruto. It was the goodness of his heart, coupled with a series of misunderstandings, that had led him to chase after her. They had found what they needed in each other, not in drinks or games of chance. “How about a nice glass of Seltzer Water?”

If I have to sleep on your doorstep all night and day
Just to keep you from walkin' away
Let my friends laugh, for this I can stand
'Cause I wanna I keep ya, yeah, yeah, I can

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, don't you go

“Well… let’s see….” Sakura waved off the other girl’s suggestion and pointed to a glass still sporting a little parasol. “This one was called Sailor Moon.” That had Naruto and Hinata looking at one another. They mouthed the name of the drink and shuddered. “White rum… Charleston Follies… Lemon juice… Ice… and Champagne.” She ran her finger around the inside of the glass and then licked it. “It’s an acquired taste, I guess.”

“So… Sakura-chan… would you like to tell us why you’re upset with Sasuke?” Naruto watched Sakura’s face. If the sole-surviving Uchiha had done something inappropriate, he wouldn’t let him get away with it, friend or not!

“This one….” Sakura didn’t acknowledge her teammate’s question. Tears came to her eyes. “This one was Saurian Brandy, I think.” That name had Naruto’s eyes widening. He wasn’t a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination, but he did enjoy a few episodes from the first-run show. “Vodka… Orange rind… Sugar… Maple syrup….” Those ingredients had Hinata sticking out her tongue just beyond her lips.

“I’m sure that Granny Tsunade would be happy to listen to your story, too.” Naruto wasn’t sure what approach to take. Figuratively, all he could do was throw things against a wall and see what stuck. “Not to mention Shizune.” Hinata seconded those recommendations. “You can talk to them instead of us, if that feels more comfortable.”

“I think I would rather talk to the TonTon!” Sakura looked angry for a moment. “Sasuke is a pig!” She heaved a heavy sigh and her sadness took center court again. “All men are pigs.” She tapped another glass. “This one was called Snakebite. Pour some Yukon Jack over ice… add a dash of lime juice… and enjoy.” She put a hand over her mouth, holding back a belch. “This one was called Snakebite, too. Vodka… uhhh… vodka and… yes… Green Chartreuse... and a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce.” She flicked the glass away with one finger, sending it spinning perilously close to the rim of the counter. “Want to guess what this one was called?” She pointed to another glass.

“Ummm… Snakebite?” Hinata wondered why there were so many different drinks with the same name. She didn’t have to wonder why Sakura would choose a drink with that title, however. Sasuke’s connection with snakes was general knowledge now.

“Bingo!” Sakura slapped Hinata on the back. “We have a winner. Barkeep, a drink for my clever friend here.” She tapped a finger on the menu. “There are other Snakebites, you know. I‘m going to tray each and every one of them.” She put her chin in her hands, looking over her collection of empties. “Those won't have the same sentimental value for you that they do for me. Maybe you would prefer… Salty Balls.” She smiled when Hinata jerked, knocking one glass to the floor. “You might not like the Vodka. But it has Orange juice, Grapefruit juice, and Midori melon liqueur.”

“Sakura-chan….” Naruto shook his finger in a reproachful manner. “Hinata’s a lady….” He didn’t mean that as a comparison of sorts. He merely wanted to keep his girlfriend from getting embarrassed. He glowered at the drunken patrons who suddenly glommed onto their conversation.

“Oh… and I’m not?” Sakura slapped the bar top again. Not paying attention to her Tsunade-like strength, she opened a sizeable fissure in the wood. A few glasses plummeted to their doom. She tried to keep her hand from shaking. A wicked look came to her eyes. If Naruto… always cheerful, always getting stronger Naruto… if he tried to tell her what to do, she would simply do the opposite. She had every right, seeing how Fate had screwed her over! “Well then… I bet the lady would like a couple of Slippery Nipples, right? You too, I‘m sure.” The look on Naruto’s face was priceless! “I mean, what’s not to like about Bailey’s Irish Cream and Butterscotch schnapps?”

“…” Naturally, as sweet and innocent as she was, Hinata reacted in just the fashion that Sakura had predicted. She was tongue-tied, her face turning bright red. At first, Naruto was too shocked to get angry. Fighting to hold his temper in check, he opened his mouth. Sakura spoke first.

“No… no… no… Slippery Nipples are not enough!” Sakura felt an immense feeling of power, after feeling helpless for most of the day. Right and wrong didn’t matter at the moment. She snapped her fingers. “Bring my friend something I haven’t tried yet.” She pointed at the drink list and then looked over at Hinata. “Screaming Multiple Orgasm.” When she listed Orange liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Galliano, Milk, and a choice of strawberries or cherries, she doubted that the other girl heard her.

Take that, Little Miss Perfect!

Sakura then went on to heap praise on a number of drinks, namely Sit On My Face; Son Of A Beach; Sip And Go Naked; and Sensei On The Rocks. She mentioned Squashed Frog for Naruto’s benefit, and then suggested her own creation, Such A Wonderful Day, which basically called for any and every liquor within reach.

“Hey… have you noted that every drink she mentioned starts with the letter ‘S’?” One monk sat drinking by a smoking incense pot.

“Maybe that’s because Sasuke starts with the same letter,” his fellow shave pate remarked. The two of them had heard the name ‘Sasuke’ more times than they cared to remember. So had the other patrons sitting near Sakura.

“I have a drink for you two!” Sakura directed that towards the two holy men. “It’s called Shut The Hell Up!” When she raise a single finger the way that the Hokage was wont to do, the men wisely chose to move to different seats. She sighed, and muttered under her breath. “Bacardi rum… Crown Royal… Jägermeister… Everclear… and Grenadine.” Remembering ingredients took her mid off of Sasuke, if only for brief moments.

“I can probably speak for everyone here….” Naruto decided to try another tack. “We’re all very proud of you for your hard work at becoming a mixed drink encyclopedia.” The similarity to his own boozy night was too obvious to overlook. He had regaled the crowd with infinite details about Sake. “Maybe it’s time to remember what you really are. A medical ninja. Isn’t it against your code, treating your body this way?”

“What does it matter!” Sakura began crying again. “What does anything about me matter?” She took her hair in her hand and yanked it, as if she hoped that she could remove it like some kind of wig. She winced. “My body’s not good enough. I’m not good enough.”

“I think we may finally have a clue,” Hinata said to Naruto, finally feeling steady on her feet again. “But… I don’t know if we will help her by forcing matters….” She couldn’t bear the thought of causing her friend more pain, even if it helped her in the long run.

“It helped me,” Naruto claimed. “Talking about things didn’t take my pain away; but, it helped me begin to accept the way things were. Even though I didn‘t know it” He shrugged. “One step at a time… just like learning a new jutsu.” Hinata had been his short-cut that famous night, just the way that multi-clone method that Kaksashi devised had helped him incorporate elemental chakra into his Rasengan mush sooner than anyone had thought possible.

“OK.” Hinata walked close to Sakura. “I’m heading over to the Ladies’ Room. Do you need to go?” Spying the pyramid of glasses that the other girl started to build, she would be shocked if Sakura didn’t need to pee. Away from the crowd… and with a little privacy… her friend might open up some.

“Sure,” Sakura said in a lifeless voice. “I guess that’s better than making a mess out here.” She stood up and pushed away from the bar. “Just because my life is a cesspool, that doesn’t mean I should make the bartender’s job any harder.”

Another song started. Drunk as she was, Sakura frowned when she saw the connection, even though it was a good one this time.

Well, we all need someone we can lean on
And if you want it, you can lean on me
Yeah, we all need someone we can lean on
And if you want it, you can lean on me

Fortunately, there was no line at the restrooms. When the two girls went inside, shielded from the loud music and noisy chatter, they were surprised to find that they had the small chamber to themselves. It took a few tries, but Hinata finally helped Sakura get to the heart of the matter.

“Sasuke… Sasuke-kun dumped me….” Sakura couldn’t bring herself to look in the large ornate glass mirror.

Hinata listened while she reapplied her make-up.

“We had been dating for a few weeks. I thought things were going well. But… but I… but I made a very big mistake….” Sakura shivered. “I should have known it would happen. I’m not that kind of girl, really. If I hadn’t acted out of character….” Tears rolled down her face. She fought to keep from sobbing. While she didn’t really think that things would have ended up differently if she had let them stand as they had been, she felt a subconscious a need to blame herself for the way everything turned out.

“Did you move too fast for him?” Hinata put down her lipstick and faced the other girl. She was fortunate that Naruto’s desires and morals mirrored her own. They were in no rush to do things that might change their relationship for the worse. They would get more intimate when the time was right.

“Yes… no… I’m not sure….” Sakura shook her head, refusing the other girl’s offer of cosmetics. At that moment, in her eyes, nothing would ever make her beautiful or right. “I thought… I thought that….” She sniffed, and then wiped her nose on a tissue. “I thought if we… you know… he might care about me even more….” She rubbed at her eyes, seeing images that she wished would go away. Her at the library reading. Her in the clinic sneaking a few boxes of prophylactics. Her trying to find a way to broach the subject with Sasuke.

“He rejected you?” Hinata could imagine how she might have felt, had she been capable of taking a similar tack with Naruto a few months back. She took her guess one step further. “He didn’t think you were pretty enough?” She still felt uncomfortable around the Uchiha boy. He remained quiet and reserved. His priorities were hard to fathom, and his people skills could use a great deal of work. “Or… ummm… did he think you were a woman of loose morals….”

“Hah! Morals!” Sakura felt bitterness fill her. “He’s the last one who should ever worry about ethics or morals.” She sneered. “He left the village to train with one of Konoha’s greatest enemies. All because he wanted to get strong enough to kill his brother!” She remembered trying to stop him from leaving. She remembered Naruto’s Promise of a Lifetime. She remembered Sasuke trying to kill them both, along with Sai and Yamato. Her voice came out in a whisper. “I don’t know why I still care about him so much. I guess I was hoping he could be like he was before. The good part, I mean.”

“So….” Hinata didn’t want Sakura to dwell too much on the past. She knew too well what that was like.

“I saw desire in his eyes. I know he cares about me, some.” Sakura wiped at one eye. “But… thinking about s-s-sex left him feeling worried….” She hung her head. “And, that worry had him thinking about possible consequences.”

“You mean… ummm… pregnancy….” Hinata thought about Kurenai a moment. Her baby was healthy and strong. He had a patch of hair just like his late father and beautiful red eyes like his mother.

“Yes,” Sakura said, blowing on the mirror, fogging it up in one small area. With one finger, she drew two halves of a heart with matching jagged edges. “But, I’m a medical ninja. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy in addition to condoms.” She blew on the mirror again. Sighing, she decided against drawing a picture of a huge weight smashing Sasuke flat. “It made him think about children. His children to be. The ones that will help bring back the Uchiha clan.”

“He… ummm… he doesn’t think you would be a suitable mother?” Hinata felt her heart going out to her friend. She also knew all about being judged and found wanting. “Or… he… he wants a wife with a Blood Limit gift?” Having overheard the conversations at a number of her father’s meetings, she knew more about politics than she cared to.

“Nothing like that. Not really.” Sakura couldn’t hold back her sudden rage. One punch shattered the mirror and left powdered brick dust covering the sinks. “It was his pride. It was his damn pride!”

“Oh! Sakura. Your hand!” Hinata saw blood dripping out from her friend’s clenched fist. She opened her purse, looking for one of her butterfly-shaped ointment jars. By chance, she chose a pink one.

“No!” Sakura pulled her hand back vehemently. She left a small trail of red droplets on her skirt. “Not pink. Anything but pink.” She placed her forehead up against the cold brick wall. “I… I hate pink….”

That left Hinata at a loss for words. She could make an obvious connection to the heartbroken girl’s hair color; but, how could that possibly apply?

“He said… Sasuke told me….” Sakura’s lip trembled. She fought hard to hold herself together. “He could never restore his clan’s pride… with pink-haired sons….”

“Wh-… Wh-… What?” That question came out in a whisper. Sakura’s story had struck Hinata’s heart like a crossbow bolt. “He… he couldn’t… he couldn’t really mean that….” The similarity to Naruto’s prior plight came to mind again. The thoughtless words and deeds of precious people could sting with incredible intensity.

Especially if the one being hurt wanted the person to be more than just a friend.

Feeling somewhat numb herself, Hinata helped a distraught Sakura make her way back out to the bar area. Naruto was waiting for them, a worried expression on his face. His eyebrow went up when his girlfriend told him that she had found the cause of Sakura’s grief. He sucked in his breath, seeing a red-stained bandage on the pink-haired girl’s hand.

He didn’t see any connection to the song that was playing. But, his teammate did.

They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They're so hard to satisfy, you can tranquilize your mind
So go running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimize your plight

Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more

“I have something like that.” Sakura’s voice sounded lifeless now. She searched for her purse, finding it buried beneath her jacket. “If drink won’t work….” It had been simple enough to get the combination to the restricted drugs locker. It had been child’s play to swipe the sedative bottles scheduled for disposal.

“You shouldn’t….” Hinata reached out, but stopped when Naruto put his hand on hers.

Life's just much too hard today,
I hear ev'ry mother say
The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore

And if you take more of those, you will get an overdose
No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
They just helped you on your way, through your busy dying day

“No… go right ahead….” Naruto stood right next to Sakura. “Drowning your sorrow in all that didn’t help.” He pointed to where the barkeep was placing her empty glasses in a gray rubber bin. “So… try some pills… try lots of pills.” He couldn’t hide the disgust in his voice, even if it left him feeling like a bit of a hypocrite. “Be a coward. But… it’s funny… back when everyone thought you were useless….” In the early days of Team Seven, what had she actually done, after all? “…You might not have had a lot of confidence…but you weren’t a coward.” He turned up his nose. “Funny how things change.”

Sakura recoiled, as if she had been hit in the face by an exploding kunai. Her pride rose up, along with her anger. She was about to say that she hated Naruto, but caught herself. As upset and preoccupied as she was, she realized what he was trying to do. “Maybe you’re right… but… but I don’t….” The tears started falling again. “I just don’t know what to do.” She let the bottles fall from her hand. Naruto kicked them far across the room.

Hinata whispered in Naruto’s ears, telling him what she had learned from Sakura. She watched as her boyfriend quickly worked through a mixture of emotions, including shock, anger, and sorrow. An idea came to mind. She told him about it, prompting him to shrug and say that it couldn’t hurt. He doubted that Sakura would find the hope that he and Hinata had found.

“Excuse me, sir….” Hinata signaled for the kindly old man behind the bar. “Do you know… did the woman leave any of her paper here?” She didn’t specify who ‘the woman’ was, but the pub owner knew exactly who she meant. “I’m… ummm… I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I borrowed some.”

When the man found what she was hoping he would, Hinata launched into a brief history of Origami. She saw a striking symmetry in the events of this day compared to those of ‘Naruto-night.‘ If she repeated the events of that evening, would things work out well for Sakura? After folding paper shapes, she would suggest that Sakura and Naruto spend some time playing Pachinko.

“This is how you start to fold a crane,” Hinata said, showing Sakura how to crease the paper. She had taken up Oragami as a hobby, and had progressed way beyond paper birds. As she worked, she did her best to explain the significance of colors. “Red represents strong love, passion and desire. Dark crimson stands for inner beauty and inner strength. It represents soul mates and a connection without words. Pink represents happiness, tenderness, best friends and sweethearts….“

“R-R-Right….“ Sakura put her face in her hands.

“Orange is a rich color of enthusiasm and energy,” Hinata leaned against Naruto. “Yellow stands for freedom and joy. Green suggests harmony and finding balance, and is also the color of luck and wealth. Blue represents honor and faith. Purple is the traditional color of nobility and courtly love. White represents hope for the future, a fresh start, innocence, and purity.”

“Purity….” Sakura clenched her hands into fists again. “Screw purity!“ She didn’t chuckle at her unintentional joke. Purity had her think of virginity. Virginity had her thinking of Sasuke’s and his issues with hair color. The jerk! The stupid heartless bastard!

“I.. it….” Hinata steadied herself. This didn’t seem to be helping. But, she couldn’t give up. “Silver stands for elegance. Gold represents eternal love and loyalty.“ She flinched when she heard the pitiful noise that Sakura made in the back of her throat. “Ivory means luxury and tradition. It can also stand for quiet and warm caring. Brown and Beige refer to the trust and loyalty of a true friend. Black-” She stopped when Naruto put a finger on her lips. Sakura had sunk lower and lower on her stool. Her chin rested in the pooling liquid of a drink she spilled.

“It doesn’t look like that did any good,” Naruto said to Hinata, thanking her for her effort just the same. He asked why she had chosen Origami, and scratched his head when she gave him her answer. “I don’t think that Pachinko would help, either.” He thought a moment. The best solution might be the simplest. As they say, when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. “The best thing she can do is to get out of this place.” He thought back to his own ordeal. The exercise had done him some good. But, it was laving the whole pervasive atmosphere of the pub that had done him the most good. That, and a certain white-eyed girl. “But I do see value in tradition….“

He rubbed his hands together, a scheme coming to mind.

Hinata took a long breath and let it out. She would trust Naruto, even though the sudden mischievous glint in his eyes had her worried. Her cousin Neji still thought that he had the best eyes in the village. “Do whatever you think is best.”

“Hey!” Naruto poked Sakura in the shoulder, causing her to focus on her surroundings again. “You can’t blame Hinata for trying.” He gave Hinata a thumbs up gesture and a Nice Guy pose. There wasn’t enough light in that part of the bar to ping off of his teeth. “She was pretty smart, wanting to repeat some of the things that happened to me back then.” The emphasis on ‘then’ needed no explanation. “But… it looks like Life can handle things on its own. She and I aren’t needed here.”

“Naruto… I don’t….” Sakura looked puzzled. Her eye lids looked heavy with sorrow. Her movements had gown sluggish and languid. “You’re not really making any sense.” She sighed. How often did her loquacious teammate ever really make sense?

“Hah!” Naruto thumped himself in the chest. “I don’t have to. It doesn’t matter what I say or do. You and I both know that our lives aren’t some kind of cage. It took me to show Neji that we aren’t all prisoners of our Destiny.“ He thumped himself in the chest and nodded his head. “ Just the same… when the wheels of Fate start rolling… the best thing to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Hinata and Sakura exchanged glances and shrugged. A small crowd of Naruto-groupies had gathered, and were hanging on his every word. Even the bartender had stopped in his tending, wanting to hear what the interesting boy might say next. The monks took deep breaths of their incense. The kiseru pipe smokers in the room stopped mid-puff.

“I came here because a teammate broke my heart.” Naruto said that without rancor. “I tried to find relief by drinking every type of Sake available. It didn’t help, and it didn’t give me any answers. The person I cared about was the worst possible person for me.” He didn’t apologize. It was true. That wasn’t any commentary on Sakura as a human being. “The person I truly needed was already waiting for my attention. I just needed to see that.” He nodded to Hinata. “Look where I am today….”

“I still don’t understand.” Sakura made a face. It felt as if she were trapped in a mental haze. “What are you trying to say?”

“Hinata. Please give Sakura the green-colored crane.” Naruto pointed, smiling.

“OK.” Hinata looked at the crane, before holding her hand out to Sakura. Green. Harmony. Finding balance. Luck. Wealth. That was a fine message. Was Naruto’s maturity making another encore performance, despite that impish look on his face?

“It’s too bad you can’t make something like this out of stretchy fabric,” Naruto remarked, rubbing his chin. “That would be perfect! Oh… and it would really rule… if you could sew big black eyebrows on it, too….”

“Naruto-kun?” Hinata was baffled. She couldn’t see where he was going with things at first. But, as she added two and two together, his mention of stretchy fabric and black eyebrows suddenly made sense. Oh no. Not that, Naruto. You aren’t thinking of playing the Rock Lee card, are you?

Sweethearts together
We've only just begun
Sweethearts together
We'll take life as it comes

Sweathearts forever
Two hearts together as one
Everybody needs someone
To tell their troubles to

To share the pain and laughter
In a world beset with fools
To help you with your ups and downs
Someone to heal your wounds

“It all makes perfect sense.” Naruto laughed out loud. “Hinata wanted me more than anything else. That made all the difference in the world. By coincidence… in this very village… there’s somebody waiting for you….” He had to fight to keep a straight face.

“There’s nobody for me,” Sakura asserted, running a hand through her hair, feeling an enormous upwelling of self-pity. “You know how much Sasuke cares about his precious clan! More than he cares about me!” She was still fixated on sharingan-boy.

“Earth to Sakura….” Naruto rapped hard on the top of his friend’s head. “You weren’t listening again.” He dodged the punch that she aimed his way. “It’s… not… Sasuke….” He smiled, reached into his pouch, and took out Gama-chan, his faithful money purse. Plucking out a few coins, he ran over to the quiet jukebox, dropped in the coins, and pushed the requisite buttons.

Sweethearts together
When two hearts beat as one
Sweethearts together

We've only just begun
Sweethearts forever
Two hearts together as one
As one

Everyone so cynical
And says that love won't last
Think about your future
Stop living in the past
Time's not standing still
So stop looking through those tinted glasses

“The guy I’m talking about won’t worry about your hair color,” Naruto calimed when he returned. “He probably won’t care that your caboose has gotten kind of big.” He ducked under another swing. “But it’s not about him. It’s about you. You just need to open your heart to him!” He didn’t really think that Sakura could ever get together with the ninja in question. This wasn’t about swaying her heart. This was about pissing her off. But, she didn’t need to know that yet. “A make-out session would do you both a world of good….”

“I’m not in any kind of mood for your stupid jokes,” Sakura snapped. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

Hinata would normally do just what Sakura had asked. But, she and Naruto had learned to work as a team. A damn good team. She saw an opening and took it. “Who are you talking about, Naruto-kun?” She swallowed hard at the ‘Et tu, Hinata’ look the pink-haired girl gave her.

Sweethearts together
We've only just begun
Sweethearts together
So glad I've found someone

Sweethearts forever
Two hearts together as one
As one

But love is never easy
It's never silky smooth
There's always something tempting
In the wilderness of youth

But I will stay right by your side
The truth will out, you'll realize

“Sweethearts together they've only just begun….” Naruto spoke rather than sand. He then hummed a bit. “Sweethearts together… you’ll be so glad you found someone….” He hummed a few bars more. “Someone brave. Someone dependable. Someone who made himself strong, despite his own inadequacies….” He emptied a black marble bowl full of peanuts, and then placed it on his head, doing his best to simulate a certain someone’s haircut. By the look in her eyes, Sakura still hadn’t caught on. “…Like a certain female teammate of mine….” He grinned when Sakura’s eyes narrowed.

“Ummm… do you mean….” Hinata provided another perfect opening.

“He’s a lot like his sensei,” Naruto added. “Both of them hold themselves to an incredibly high standard.” He coughed. “Konoha’s Prideful Green Beast, and his trusty apprentice.”

“You can’t mean….” Sakura turned pale. “You better not mean….“ She brought a hand to her mouth.

“You know it!” Naruto stood up on his stool, in a Captains Morgan type of stance. “The hard work we do will be for nothing, if we do not believe in ourselves. The burning fire of youth will go out, if we will not look deep within heart. The bashful blossom of love will wither on the vine, if we cannot be honest with our feelings!“ He flexed his muscles. “For some reason… I feel like running laps around the village.” He looked around the room. “Somebody make me a bet that I can lose….”

“That…is… not….” Sakura shook her head, her face clouding over. “That’s not funny!”

“You have to accept the truth, Sakura-chan.” Naruto knew he had struck a raw nerve. His teammate’s nostrils were flaring. The glass she held in her hand showed numerous cracks. “But, you can’t do it on your own.“ He performed the hand seals for Kage Bunshin. “You need help. As luck would have it, there are helpers everywhere.“ He spread his arms wide, including every drunk and sober soul in the room. “It’s my duty tell everyone in the pub about you and Lee.” He gave the clones orders. They began speeding about the room, starting gossip. “That way, they’ll be able to offer you the encouragement you need.”

If that didn’t push her past the point of reason, he knew what might.

The clones began singing as loud as they could. The musicians jumped into action, providing professional accompaniment. Before anyone knew what was happening, the barflies were clapping their hands to the beat.

“SAKURA AND LEE… SITTING IN A TREE… K… I… S… S… I… N… G….”

Naruto gave the Uzumaki Singers a flamboyant ‘V’ sign. Then, he sung the next verse to an irate Sakura. “First comes love… then comes marriage… then comes Sakura with a baby carriage.” He turned to Hinata. “Hey, Hinata! Picture this. Cute babies….“ He pretended to cradle something in his arms. “…All with pink hair and big bushy brows….”

Hinata was feeling uneasy. It never made sense, teasing a starving dog with a pork chop… climbing a metal pole during a lightning storm… or running up the slope of an erupting volcano. She would have felt better if her boyfriend had chosen any of those dangerous endeavors over his current course of action.

“Grrrr-rrr-rr-r….” Sakura couldn’t put her anger and annoyance into words. That song the jerks on the bar had been singing earlier had hurt. But, pain she could deal with. If this new sing-a-long became a staple number here, she’d die from embarrassment! Without knowing what she was doing, she reduced a bar stool to kindling with a single flick of one finger.

She didn’t see the old man add the damages to her considerable tab.

“It will be sooo-oo-o great when you two hook up,” Naruto continued, venturing further out along the razor’s edge. “Ahhh… don’t try to deny it… the signs have been there all along.” He was having fun. He almost forgot the reason he had started the nonsense in the first place. “You danced with him the night you turned me down!” He had no doubt that her decision to do so had been an act of kindness, not a flirtation of any kind.

Hinata decided that there was a way to reduce the number of possible casualties and provide Naruto with the best possible avenue of escape. Walking around to the revelers who stood between her boyfriend and the bar, she asked them to clear a path. They were all happy to oblige.

“That’s correct!” A wizened old man with a barrister’s robe stood up from his table, nearly knocking over his large bowl of candied dates. “I remember you telling us that.”

“If she danced with that boy, she probably had feelings for him.” A middle-aged woman with a small dog on her lap began discussing her point of view with anyone willing to listen. “I know I had feelings for all the boys I danced with.”

“Then that means half the village!” A drunk man slammed his beer mug hard against his friend’s and promptly keeled over. “Oh… you said dance….”

“The young lady probably doesn‘t want to admit her feelings.” One of the monks winked at Naruto. Unlike many of the other patrons, he had caught onto the boys plan. “Least of all to herself.”

“All she needs is a little help,” the other monk said, hiding a grin behind a paper fan he unfolded. “A willing ear. An open heart. A patient and understanding smile.”

“You’re absolutely right!” Naruto called his hands together. “And she has a whole bar full of patient people, with open hearts and willing ears.” That had most of the revelers calling out in agreement. A few rebels yelled out ‘Sakura sucks’ instead. “But… if a whole bar can help… why not a whole village….”

“Na-ru-to….” Sakura looked like a bull that had caught a glimpse of red.

“Leave this to me, Hinata-chan.” Naruto struck a bold pose for Hinata’s sake. She looked like she was ready to award him the price for the choicest ham in Konoha. “You stay here and help them keep Sakura company.” He worked the familiar hand seals. The roof above their heads creaked under the weight of countless clones. One came in and asked for a beer, only to be quickly shooed back out again. “The boys will spread word.” He paused, the zinger already on the tip of his tongue. “I’ll find Lee.” He gave her a secret little hand signal. She should stay out of the way. Things might get rather hectic.

He flashed from view.

“NA… RU… TOOOOO-OOOO-OOO-OO-O….”

Sakura began running, swinging her purse like a bolo. Anyone foolish to wander into her path was knocked over like a nine-pin. The door she slammed behind her sat crooked on its hinges.

The sheer volume of Sakura’s shout had Hinata twiddling her fingers. Should she run after them? It wouldn’t be good to get in Naruto’s way, or have him worrying about her when he should be worrying about himself. She doubted that Sakura really wanted hurt him. Just the same, Naruto had told her a story about the Frog Hermit.

There had been a number of times that the Legendary Sannin had been close to death. The most recent episode involved Pein, the leader of Akatsuki. Before that, the famous pervert had nearly died at Naruto’s hand, when the younger ninja had taken on his four-tailed form. But there had been an earlier incident, one that involved Tsunade. She had nearly killed him with a furious blow.

“Little Miss… are you going to stay here?” That was the bartender. “Are you going to wait until he comes back? If you are, I can get you something from the grill.” He pointed to a chalkboard listing the day’s specials.

“I’m not sure….” Hinata felt antsy. She had that ‘butterflies in the stomach’ feeling. Should she be with Naruto? Maybe. Maybe not. Two’s company and three’s a crowd. When Sakura ran out of steam, he might be able to get her to spill her heart completely. No doubt she really did need someone to talk to.

“You might want to head out after them.” One of the monks walked over to join in on the conversation. The other member of his sect joined him.

“Sir?” Hinata wondered what the man was getting at.

“We heard all that talk about things repeating themselves,” the second man said. “It may not simply be a good ploy. There may well be some truth behind it.” He had heard the story of Naruto and Hinata coming together from Naruto himself, when the boy had come back to Inari’s that Winter night. “Someone runs out of the bar….”

“Someone chases after,” the other monk picked up the train of thought. “Eventually, the one catches the other. Hidden emotions explode….” He nodded when Hinata’s eyes went wide.

“You know what happened after that.” A waitress stepped over and handed the religious gentlemen their orders. “But… I’m pretty sure… any romantic feelings he might have once had for the pink-haired girl must be gone by now.”

“I….” Hinata swallowed hard. Some of her paranoid thoughts from the past resurfaces. She shook her head, trying to chase them away. “I don’t have anything to worry about.” She believed that. There was no way that Naruto could fool her or himself about his feelings. She sedately let go of the dearth grip she had on her pants fabric.

She was proud of her faith in him.

“That girl left her coat behind.” A young man with unbelievably thick glasses held up Sakura’s jacket. He looked at Hinata and rubbed his nose, thinking back to that notorious Winter night. “A coat was part of the story last time, right? Weren’t you the one who ran off without one last time?”

“Yes,” Hinata said. “I suppose I could return it to her.” She took a deep breath and let it out. There was no logical reason to believe that events would unfold entirely the same way they did last time. Why did she keep challenging her own happiness? “But… that can wait… it’s nice out….”

“You might have nothing to worry about,” the waitress said, knowing what Hinata must be thinking. She bent over and picked up the mangled back of Sakura’s stool. “The boy on the other hand….” She showed the wreckage to Hinata.

“Oh!” Hinata put her hand on her mouth. That was the first time that she saw the results of Sakura’s earlier impulse. “Good bye everybody!” She headed out of the bar. Sure, Naruto might be alright by himself. But, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Ain’t youth grand….” A man at the bar held up a glass. Other patrons clinked their glasses against his.

FINIS