Authors: motemote and Rasengan22

Extended Summary: Tokyo 2007. Naruto Uzumaki, an American post-graduate seeking a new life as an English teacher in Japan. Uchiha Sasuke, a Japanese bookstore clerk. Both seek companion for TLC and GT.

Beta: Kaikouken

Authors' Notes (AN):

motex2: As I apparently have to take responsibility for the broken condom of ideas that birthed this gigantic fic-spawn I'm the first to advise you on how you should proceed. This fic has been a long time in the (baby)making and has torn us both emotionally and mentally apart. Days, nights, those inbetween hours where no one should attempt thought, have all succumbed to our insatiable CITNW appetite. I tell you this because I/we hope this story will reflect something of the effort we have put into it. We're proud to present a story that hopefully gives you the ups and downs, ins and outs, and left to rights of a treacherously real relationship between a pair of friends that can't avoid the magnetic pull both of their lives and of their souls. But enough of that mumbojumbo... I hand you over to Raz... who will probably make more sense of that for you.

Raz: Um, I don't think I can follow that up as it surprisingly sums up, though rather longwindedly, exactly how I feel about this collaboration. Only few people will ever know what has been put into the making of this story, and from the bottom of my/our hearts, we hope that you're able to take something away from CITNW as it progresses, because as much as we'd love to keep this little world to ourselves, undoubtedly, we--despite what we may say--really would prefer to share it with you. Please enjoy the story! BTW, the next chapter will come very shortly. After that, we should be updating weekly... if both our schedules allow for it anyway.

motex2: Enjoy!

A light drizzle had followed them as they drove during the early hours of the morning in an attempt to get Naruto to the airport two hours prior to his scheduled departure. Inside the newly purchased silver SUV, it was unusually quiet. At first he had tried to keep the atmosphere cheerful by making conversation. However, being answered to with only grunts and indecisive murmurs did a number on Naruto's waning enthusiasm.

As he sat in the backseat, Naruto looked up into the rearview mirror and was met by a pair of openly intelligent, brown-green eyes. He smiled tentatively and knew that he was squinting in that ridiculous way he did when nervous. Hana used to tell him he resembled some kind of cunning animal like a cat or fox. Reluctantly, he once again turned his attention out the window to watch the series of drab buildings that made up the scenery as they took the final exit toward short-term parking.

"Thanks for taking me," he spoke quietly, still staring out the window, his reflection showing himself the somber expression he wore.

"Hm?" The driver replied, clearly not paying attention.

The driver's older sister, Hana, didn't respond as she stared calmly out the passenger seat window.

"I said thanks for driving me to the airport, dipshit." Naruto grinned, voice teasing.

Kiba grunted in reply, hunching even further over the steering wheel like an old woman. Apparently he hadn't yet woken up completely. As long as they got there safe and sound, Naruto didn't care. He was already busy worrying about the twelve hour flight he had ahead of him. There was a huge ball of uncertainty and fear lodged like rubber cement in his stomach, and that would be the organ's only contents so far that day since he'd been too nervous to eat breakfast. The anxiousness had come and gone as this day grew closer and closer on his calendar, and he was trying not to think about how they would all have to say goodbye soon.

Again, he glanced up into the rearview mirror, but Hana didn't meet his gaze this time. Her expression was unreadable as she stared ahead at the road. Naruto had no idea what she could be thinking. Maybe she was simply focusing on the road in case Kiba passed out at the wheel. He didn't even know what he wanted her to be thinking. This decision had been a year in the making, and since then they'd more or less stayed good friends. Though, he had to admit, their relationship had its awkward moments.

However, that was in the past.

A rush of cold air blew into the car as Kiba rolled down the window. The drowsy, shaggy-haired boy grabbed the ticket from the automatic toll so they could park in the garage.

"Eh," Naruto broke what felt like a heavy, uncomfortable silence. "You guys don't have to stay very long on my account, y'know."

"Mm." Kiba responded ambiguously, driving forward and then breaking at a stop sign.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. We both wanted to take you," Hana said, half turning in her seat to regard him warmly. Her long, brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, exposing her beautiful face to him, those high cheekbones and full lips he'd immediately found attractive even after the first time he'd laid eyes on her at a birthday party for Kiba.

"Thank you." Naruto gave her a small smile.

It was a few minutes later that Kiba found a parking spot near the very end of the row and popped the trunk. The sound startled Naruto out of his dreamy state, and he started rifling through his backpack to make sure his most important items were in the front: his ticket information, passport, program information, cell phone and wallet. He'd already sent what little belongings he had over to Japan.

Without looking at him, Hana was the first to get out of the car and then Kiba followed. Naruto pulled the strap of his backpack over his shoulder, silently cursing having such an early flight. Maybe had it been later, Kiba would have been in a more obnoxious mood and his nerves would have been put at ease if they'd at least bickered back and forth like they usually did.

But this is how it was.

He grabbed at the case holding his laptop and threw that over his shoulder before getting out of the car. Kiba had already pulled out his large behemoth of a black suitcase, which was tagged in case it got lost. The trunk was shoved closed with a loud slam, the SUV moving down with the force of the violent motion.

Naruto tilted his head to the side and gave out a sigh. He stepped forward to claim his luggage and started ahead of them without glancing back.

"Do you guys really have to look so gloomy? You're really killing me here," he joked, reassured when he heard the pair begin to follow him, their footsteps echoing against the cement walls of the parking garage.

Hana didn't say anything, but he heard Kiba growl.

"Like it's my fault'ya picked such a goddamn early flight," the brown-haired boy muttered in irritation. He tugged the hood of his baggy black sweatshirt over his head, his only reprieve from the rain as they walked out from under the protection the garage offered.

"I'm flying to Japan, not Grand Rapids. It's not like there's a flight leaving every half hour." Naruto looked both ways as he started to cross the roadway, which was lined with shuttles and cars dropping off people whose destinations he would never know.

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba grumbled and jogged after Naruto. "Ya sure you don't want me to carry anything or somethin'?"

"Nah, I got it."

Kiba caught up to him on his left side, and Hana appeared at his right. She was unexpectedly somber as they headed through the sliding doors that led to the check-in. He was to meet the group he was traveling to Japan with in Chicago, and one of them was to be his new roommate. All he knew of her was a name and the information they'd exchanged over e-mails recently. He'd been rather surprised to learn he'd be living with a girl, although in the housing application he had stated he didn't really care about gender. It's not like he hadn't lived with a woman before, but this was obviously different.

Silently, the trio maneuvered through the roped-off path that led to the correct airline. Only five people were in front of him, so it wouldn't be long before he'd have to say his goodbyes.

Naruto gnawed on his lip uncertainly, mentally running through the list of things he should have packed and the items he'd need once he got there. On top of all that, he wasn't fond of flying, though he was trying not to think about it. There were so many different thoughts going through his head but it was kind of convenient that way: He didn't have to focus on the train of thoughts that bothered him the most.

"Your fingers are trembling," came the whisper near his ear.

Surprised, Naruto glanced up to find Hana rather close to him, her fingers covering his where he grasped the handle of his suitcase. He smiled, but his eyes reflected his nervousness.

"Yeah." He didn't know what else to say.

Hana removed her hand from his.

"Next, please," called one of the United Airlines workers. Naruto stepped forward while Kiba and Hana waited behind.

He handed over his passport and flight information, adjusting his backpack and answering all the woman's questions politely. She weighed his luggage, tagged it and then told him to drop it off with security, which was just a few feet away.

"Gee guys, this is starting to feel like a funeral. Will you at least say something?" Naruto tugged his suitcase along and still his companions remained silent. It was almost annoying. This would be the last time they'd see each other for a long while. At least until he was able to take one of his breaks from the VONA program.

"Sorry, dude," Kiba mumbled as Naruto handed off his luggage to security and turned around. "It's just I don't know what to say," he added, bowing his head and looking uncomfortable. At his side, Hana returned Naruto's gaze. She wasn't smiling.

Naruto shrugged his shoulder and switched his backpack over to his other arm. "Well, I guess we should say goodbye then."

Kiba approached him, pulling Naruto into a bear hug that had him wheezing and coughing for oxygen.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Kiba whispered into his ear gruffly.

Naruto clutched his friend closer, patting him on the back, eyes shut tightly. "Is there anything you wouldn't do?" He felt Kiba hug him even harder.

"Nah, probably not." Kiba let go. "I'll, uh, go ahead and get goin' to the car. Just, um, call us when you get there, alright?" He turned around and gave a knowing look to his sister that Naruto was oblivious to and walked toward the exit.

Naruto watched his friend's retreating back until he could no longer see him, then glanced at Hana. She approached slowly, eyes never straying from his face. Oddly, his heart sped up anxiously as she came closer. She moved in and chastely kissed him on the cheek before he could react.

"Good luck." She rubbed her thumb back and forth against his cheek, the smooth pad of her finger brushing against the almost invisible scars.

"Hana." Her hand slipped away to fall at her side as he said her name.

This time it was Naruto who stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. Hana's head fell to rest on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her waist. He thought maybe she trembled against him but wasn't sure. He doubted it, but it was nice to think about. That after all this time, she would be sad he was leaving. It was vindicating. Their hug felt warm, but it was nowhere near how it used to feel. It was a strange feeling to hold onto someone he'd once been so madly in love with. Now here he was, leaving for another country, and he didn't know when he would see her again.

Hana let go first.

"I'll call when I'm settled in," he said to her softly, the exchange sounding intimate and familiar. It should have been noisier since it was an airport, but it was as if it was just the two of them within their own little microcosmic bubble.

"That's fine." Hana nodded. "Kiba's probably waiting. I should get going."

"Yeah."

"Be safe, Naruto. Have fun." She gave him a wan, encouraging smile.

Naruto nodded, but there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm behind it. He knew that she knew he was nervous. That's just the way things were between them. He didn't have to say anything.

"Take care." His expression was serious. Something like remorse or sadness flashed in her hazel eyes before it was gone with a single blink of an eye. Naruto looked at her curiously.

She turned away and he followed her with his eyes until she was gone from his sight, his feelings still mixed. He was on his own for the first time in his life. Really and truly alone.

At least until his layover in Chicago.

He kept looking at the place where he'd seen his friends last, his heart beating thunderously in his chest. There was a sudden rush of even more excitement as he thought of what lay ahead. Other passengers made their way around him as he stood in the middle of the tiled floor, thinking.

Another minute and Naruto finally turned away, heading toward the waiting area for his flight.

The weather had caused his flight from Detroit to be delayed, so Naruto found himself running like a madman through the terminal in order to meet his group. By the time he got there, the flight was already boarding. Luckily, the organizer in charge was waiting for him, ready to hand out his badge and a packet of information.

The tall, red-haired woman who looked to be about in her early forties smiled kindly at him as she watched Naruto attempt to catch his breath. "We already went through the group introductions, so your roommate has already taken her seat."

Naruto nodded and apologized again for being late.

"It's not your fault your flight was delayed," she said, still smiling down at him as he hunched over, hands grabbing at his knees and still huffing. "You're not the only one who's late. We're expecting one more person actually."

Naruto looked up and grinned widely, relieved and taking it as a good sign that this woman was so understanding. He might have had a panic attack if she'd yelled at him. His nerves were already jumbled from the extreme amount of turbulence on his first flight, however short it was.

The organizer wandered off as another man about his age came running in their direction, apparently the last one to arrive. Naruto swung his backpack down onto the blue carpeting to dig out his passport and ticket. He headed for the back of the line, his badge now hanging around his neck.

He walked through the corridor after handing the flight staff his ticket. The weather in Chicago wasn't any better than it had been in Michigan. He could smell and hear the dribbles of rain descending on the tarmac through the open slits of the walkway.

"Aw crap. I forgot to get gum," Naruto mumbled to himself. He'd meant to stop by one of the bookstores to get a pack to keep his ears from popping.

Patiently waiting behind a frail, elderly Japanese woman in a wheelchair, he anxiously watched the people ahead of him board. There was an exhilarating feeling thrumming through his body. It was a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He'd only been to Japan once before joining the program, but that had been almost a year ago. Right after he and Hana had...

Naruto bit his lip, casting those thoughts aside. This was his day to start anew. To begin life with a blank slate. He could be who he wanted to be, and he was looking forward to teaching English in Tokyo. He wanted to take on responsibility and become an adult. He wanted to cast aside the image he was known for at his university, not wanting to be remembered as the class clown forever.

Finally, he stepped foot unto the Boeing 777, greeted by two friendly looking flight attendants in crisp blue uniforms and white blouses, winged pins sticking smartly to their starched collars. He offered a shy hello as he turned into the aisle, moving slowly through where the first and business-class passengers were seated and heading back toward coach. His eyes scanned the seat numbers, searching for his own: H 33. He marveled at the size of the plane and amounts of people, many of whom were Japanese. Curious eyes darted up to glance at him, while most people were too busy stowing away their belongings into the overhead compartments to notice.

At last his eyes fell upon his assigned seat number. When he glanced down, he gave a start as a beautiful pair of green eyes met his. The girl's face was framed by strawberry blond hair.

"Are you Sakura?" Naruto asked, biting his lip, because it was a nervous habit he had failed to break.

She smiled sweetly at him, reaching out her hand to shake his. "You must be Naruto," she said, still smiling. "You look just like in your picture."

Naruto cocked his head and moved closer into the seats so he wasn't in the way of traffic. "Heh, yeah. Your accent is so cool. Did you just fly in today?"

"No. I got in last night and stayed at a hotel so that I wouldn't miss the flight." She watched him closely as he opened the compartment to put his backpack away. If he needed anything from it, he could just pull it out later. They'd probably be serving lunch shortly after they took off.

"Great," he said, still preoccupied with shoving away his bag. He slammed the door shut and flopped down into his seat gracelessly.

"Is it okay if I sit by the window then?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I get kind of claustrophobic anyway, so I prefer to be near the aisle." He grinned. "As long as I can lean over you when we land, I think we'll get along just fine."

"Of course," she replied and reached down to drag out a small messenger bag from underneath the seat in front of her. Naruto watched her as her hand disappeared into a pocket and pulled out something shiny. "Want some gum?"

"Sakura," Naruto said very seriously, and she looked over at him, eyes wide at his stern expression.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm in love. I was just kicking myself for not bringing any gum!"

Sakura laughed, and Naruto smiled at the sound. She handed him a piece covered by a pink wrapper. Apparently it was a brand from Australia. Naruto unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth, already taking comfort in the simple action of chewing.

Sakura observed him with unabashed interest. "So I guess we're going to be roommates, eh, Naruto? It'll be fun. Your e-mails were cracking me up. I feel like I know you very well already."

Naruto nodded in agreement, still chewing and then remembered he had yet to buckle his safety belt. "Yeah, me too. At least we have an extra twelve hours to talk and get to know each other even more."

Sakura nodded, eyes gleaming brilliantly. It made Naruto feel so good. Everything about the start of this trip was going so well. His roommate was friendly and cute. Three years ago he might have freaked out at the idea of falling for his flatmate, especially since they would have to live together for the next year.

However, he found there were no immediate thoughts of wanting to get together with her. Not that she would even be interested in him, though she blushed prettily as they talked. No, at this point, he wasn't interested in a relationship. Right now, all he wanted to do was focus on teaching. They'd both be busy anyway.

Rather, maybe they would become best friends. He didn't know anyone in Japan; he couldn't even speak much of the language yet aside from a brisk class he'd taken over the summer.

"So Sakura," he began, content he'd come to the conclusion they could be just friends and live together. "Tell me something I don't know about you."

"Hmm," she made a thoughtful sound. The flight attendants walked by them in the aisle, scanning passengers to make they were buckled in and all the compartments were closed as they readied the plane for takeoff. "Where should I start?"

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Wherever you want. I wanna know everything."

The first three hours into the flight, Naruto and Sakura spent their time talking about anything and everything that came to mind. It varied in intellectual content from what the plastic tips of shoelaces were called (neither could remember) to conversations about their favorite books. Naruto was tickled to find out Sakura had a preference for corny romance novels. She said she couldn't break herself of the habit. Naruto admitted that he found himself fond of classical American literature, especially J.D. Salinger.

More importantly, Sakura had revealed a quirk about herself that Naruto could tease her for as long as they lived in Japan.

"So," Naruto said, the corner of his mouth already twitching as he bit down a chuckle. "You're into anime and manga then?"

Sakura fumed, but took another sip of the soft drink placed on the tray in front of her. "Yes, I've mentioned that already. Don't laugh at me!"

Naruto tried his best. He liked cartoons and all, it was wonderfully mind-numbing to watch Adult Swim into the late hours of night or even early on Saturday mornings. But he tried to even that out by watching slasher and war movies. It was important for his taste in film and television to be well-rounded.

"But that's not the sole reason you're going to Japan, right?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, eyes casually shifting to the large computerized map indicating how far the plane had traveled since takeoff.

"Of course not!" Sakura narrowed her eyes at him as he turned back to meet her gaze, but there was something suspiciously like guilt greeting him.

"Ah, it's okay," he reached over to pat her on the head fondly. "I think it's cute that you like Japanese cartoons and comic books. Really."

She pouted and took another drink of her Diet Coke. "Whatever. So I'm a dork, big deal."

"Aw, Sakura, don't be mad. I think it's adorable. Everyone has their hobbies." He glimpsed around the plane distractedly, staring at faces, some of which were sleeping. Other people had their laptops out on their tray. Other members of their group had stopped by to introduce themselves, and they had promised to meet up once they arrived at the airport.

"So anyway, Naruto." Sakura glanced out the window to take in the clear blue of the sky. The sun was on the opposite side, so she kept the shade open. "I assume you don't have a girlfriend since you're moving to Japan. Are you excited about all the cute Japanese girls you're going to come across?" She turned back to find Naruto frowning at her.

A strange, melancholy feeling overcame him for a moment, making him pause in thought. There was no malice in Sakura's question, but it had caught him off guard. Most people in his life had known his situation with Hana, so they rarely, if ever, asked him questions concerning his love life.

"Naruto?" Sakura looked at him with concern. "You don't have to answer. I was only kidding." She gave a tiny smile of apology.

Naruto rubbed at the back of his head, moving forward a bit to get away from the seat. "No, uh, it's okay. Heh. Um, I don't have a girlfriend. I did have someone I was dating pretty seriously, but we broke it off."

"To go to Japan?" Sakura's eyes were wide with understanding and simple curiosity.

"No," Naruto drawled out his answer slowly. He reached out and fidgeted with the corner of a magazine peeking out from the pouch of the seat in front of him. "I decided to join the program after we called it quits. I don't know. I haven't really dated since then." He looked back at Sakura, returning her sympathetic gaze and grinned. "To be honest, I haven't thought about meeting anyone else." Naruto squinted his eyes and beamed, hoping to reassure his roommate. "Anything's possible, I guess. Work comes first though, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, we'll be pretty busy getting into the groove of things. You're signed up to take Japanese, right?"

"Yeah, I am. That's probably a good idea, huh? Although you probably know quite a bit."

Sakura tilted her head in question. "What do you mean?"

"Well how else do you watch anime and read manga?"

Sakura sighed, instantly moving to thunk Naruto on the top of his head, an action that had already become an endearing habit during their flight so far. "Stupid," she teased while laughing. "There is such a thing as subtitles."

"Oh," Naruto appeared sheepish and ran a hand through his hair. "I knew that."

"Sure you did."

A male flight attendant swept by their seats with a trash bag. Naruto grabbed his empty plastic cup and bag of pretzels and then took Sakura's drink as well, tossing it into the garbage. Both took the time to shift their trays upright and yawned at the same time.

"Heh," Naruto chuckled. "Maybe we should try to get some sleep. You're probably tired from your flight. How long did you say it was again?"

"Well," Sakura counted in her head. "It was fourteen hours from Melbourne to Los Angeles and another four and a half to Chicago."

"Yeesh, and now you're on a twelve hour flight to Japan. You're quite the world traveler, aren't you?"

Sakura chuckled. "You're awfully charming, you know that? What are we gonna do if I start to fall for you?"

Naruto covered his brief look of surprise with a casual grin. He hadn't really thought of Sakura being the one to fall for him. "I don't think that'll be a problem," he said. "Once you live with me for the first week, you'll realize what a disgusting slob I am."

"Perhaps you're right," she said and feigned a disinterested look. "I bet we'll end up hating each other in the end and clawing our way out of each other's presence."

Naruto laughed. "Probably. Or who knows, maybe after this year, you'll wanna live with me again. You won't be able to get enough of this." He tugged at the gray-hooded sweatshirt he'd put on ninety minutes into the flight.

"Oh, you've got me there," Sakura replied sarcastically in her thick accent and flicked her long hair over a shoulder.

"Meanie," Naruto grumbled and pushed the button to recline his seat further. "I'm takin' a nap. Don't wake me up until we get there." He paused to think. "Or unless it's time for dinner."

Sakura snorted. "We just ate!"

"So?" Naruto mumbled as he tucked a pillow behind his head. Shortly after, he was snoring like a baby.

A few intermittent naps, two in-flight movies, and three episodes of some random Japanese game show they couldn't understand later, the plane had begun its descent into Tokyo and would be landing within the next thirty-five minutes. Naruto stretched his arms over his head and felt decidedly in need of a shower. He looked over at Sakura to find her stuffing away her belongings into her bag.

"So, are you nervous?" He laced his fingers together and stretched out his arms in front of him, satisfied when his knuckles cracked.

"Little bit," she said into her lap. "I'll just be happy when we're able to get into the apartments. I'm glad we have a week to get accustomed to it all."

Naruto nodded, already feeling his ears begin to pop. "Yeah, and I'm glad the apartments are furnished, too. I wouldn't even know where to start looking for couches or beds or anything like that."

"Right," Sakura agreed distractedly, snapping the flap of her bag into place and pushing it with her foot back under the seat.

"Right," Naruto agreed. "Hey Sakura?" He was worried that all of a sudden she seemed sullen and nervous.

"Hm?" She finally turned to face him, hand skimming down the front of her red, long-sleeved shirt to remove invisible crumbs. Her eyes shone a more dull green than when they had met almost twelve hours ago.

Naruto smiled broadly. "What's the first thing you want to do tonight after we get settled in?"

Sakura bit her lip, a nervous habit they both seemed to share. She tugged on a tress of her strawberry blond hair. "What do you think about me dyeing my hair?"

"Uh. I think your hair is pretty how it is," he remarked.

Sakura blushed. "Thanks." She pulled at another strand and scrutinized it. "Don't you think it's kind of boring though? Tokyo is so exciting, and I want a change."

"I can understand that." After all, that was his entire motive for moving away from Michigan. "So what color are you thinking?" He figured she'd go with brown or red or black.

"Pink."

"Pink?" Naruto frowned thoughtfully, trying to imagine Sakura with pink hair. And here he thought she was such a conservative, normal girl.

"Pinku," Sakura grinned as she tapped the Japanese dictionary sitting on her lap.

"Ah yes. How could I forget?" Naruto noticed that the sparkle was back in her eyes and couldn't help but agree to whatever she wanted to do. "Okay, sounds cool."

"Really?" She sounded way too excited for what would have been a terribly late hour where he was from. "Or do you think it'll look weird? Is it appropriate for teaching?" She started to appear doubtful.

Naruto chuckled, reaching out to tug playfully at a blond lock. "I think you'll look adorable."

"Yeah well, you have to say that since you're going have to live with it."

"I mean it," he said seriously, still taken with her charming accent. "You'll look good. All the little Japanese boys and girls will be after you."

She slapped him on the arm. "Stop that." She giggled and gave him another slap. "Pervert."

"I can't wait to see all those sailor outfits," Naruto commented in a dreamy voice, eyes glazing over.

"I'm pretty sure they're all underage, so don't even think about it. Do we need to make rules already for overnight guests?" Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed a very intimidating pair of emerald-colored eyes.

"Nah. Not interested. At least not anytime soon. So you don't have to worry about me." He rubbed at the upper part of his arm where Sakura had hit him and winced. She'd actually hit him pretty hard for a playful slap. "But you? I don't care. You can bring over whoever you want. So long as they don't become permanent guests. I hate that kinda stuff."

"Yeah, I understand."

They continued to chat as the plane descended little by little. Naruto hardly even noticed the discomfort of his ears popping and the way his stomach flopped a little as they came closer to approaching the airport.

"I can see the city. It's so beautiful." Sakura gestured with her hand, indicating Naruto could lean over her if he wanted to partake of the view. He did, placing his arm on the rest between them and peering out to see the dark blue of the ocean and the beginnings of the city's skyline. There were so many buildings and bridges, but it didn't look any different than a bigger city back at home. It was almost the same as approaching Chicago or New York.

Naruto listened as Sakura pointed out a few landmarks, mentioning that she'd like to visit them sometime this week, that is, if Naruto wanted to as well. In that moment, he couldn't find the words to tell Sakura or explain to her exactly how lucky he felt to have her as a roommate. They'd been completely comfortable around each other, with no real tension of any kind. Especially of the sexual nature. It was possible that a man and woman could be friends and nothing more. He hoped it stayed that way for as long as took for them to at least become good friends.

So he didn't mind silently sitting, an excited expression on his face despite how tired he felt. Land below began to appear larger and larger, until the landing gear was released with a thunking noise.

Not much longer, and they were just above the runway. The plane landed easily, the brakes creating a noise like a roar. A staticy voice came onto the intercom, indicating the current time and instructions in Japanese, which was quickly followed by instructions in English.

They taxied for another ten minutes before they were able to get out of their seats and stretch. Naruto pulled his bag out of the compartment above them and stuck an arm through the strap. He reached up to grab the bag that held his laptop he hadn't even bothered to use the entire flight.

People flooded the aisle, stretching and yawning or grabbing their bags, ready to shuffle out. Naruto felt a sudden bout of nervousness, so he turned to his side. He found Sakura grinning back reassuringly at him, and in return, he smiled back at her. How could he be nervous now that he had a friend like her? He had a lot to look forward to.

Naruto smirked as he turned around one last time. "So, first stop...pink hair dye."

Sakura laughed. "Why not, right?"

Naruto nodded as he stepped out into the aisle, Sakura close behind. The line moved slowly as they got off the plane, thanking the flight attendants and catching a glimpse of the cockpit. Tired from the flight, they strolled quietly together through the walkway leading to the part of the airport that would take them to customs.

"I think we need to meet everyone once we get to baggage and then we'll split up into vans that will take us to where we're staying," Sakura mentioned casually, throwing her hair back behind her shoulder.

Naruto shrugged, letting Sakura lead them around wherever they needed to go. He was too busy people watching, and realizing just how much his American features stood out as they chugged along through the international terminal. It was while they were walking by the windows that it really hit Naruto this is where he would be living for the next year. If he liked it, maybe it would be a year after that. He didn't even feel homesick or anything; rather, he felt as if he was meant to have come here.

He must have been daydreaming since he felt a gentle, albeit persistent, tug at the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

"Coming?" Sakura gave him an askance look, brows furrowing and enchanting little wrinkles appearing on her forehead.

"Yeah," Naruto said quietly and smiled. "I'm coming."