章 147: Chapter 147

"How many times have you hit him, and he keeps asking you out," Ino then asks, to which Sakura shamefully answers, "…a lot-"

"That's my point," Ino argues. "It's not exactly normal behavior. I'd almost say he's obsessed," Ino says, though she knows it's not as severe as Sakura's obsession. "Even if you tell him it's over, how likely is it that he'll believe you more now, then before?"

"So your solution is giving him my virginity?"

"Don't pretend I didn't claim that land before him," Ino asserts. "Remind Naruto that the earlier he begins to accept it'll never happen between you two, the quicker he'll eventually start noticing other girls." Ino's heart beats a little faster at that. Despite, noting how much this plays in her favor, Ino convinces herself it has everything to do with Sakura shedding the last vestiges of innocence in hopes that what's left will react better to the final prong of her plan. Almost thinking aloud, Ino then asks, "what if Naruto misses out on the real love of his life because he's pinning after you the entire time?"

Her face crunches in confusion as Sakura asks, "why the hell do you even care about his love life?"

"I don't," Ino defends. "Th-this is just to convince him, is all."

Shaking her head at the crisis before her, Sakura shakes her head in abhorrence, citing, "for days, I watched Naruto thinking this has been your plan all along… To force me to fuck the person Sasuke-kun hates the most. Even if you promise not to tell Sasuke-kun, and of course, I deny it to my grave, what's to stop Naruto from telling everyone?"

"Just make him promise not to," Ino answers. "He takes those pretty seriously."

"How do you know," Sakura asks, tilting to look at the blond.

"I was with Kurenai-sensei when she talked with Iruka-sensei about Naruto," Ino answers honestly.

"…Fine," Sakura sadly agrees, feeling hollow in the process.

"I'll be around if you-"

"What are you forcing me to do for the last photo," Sakura sadly asks.

"I want you to ask Sasuke-kun a question for me," Ino plainly answers before they both go over various possibilities of how to go about convincing Naruto.

NARUTO

'You cut the entire waterfall in half and you're already practicing Rasenshuriken?' Naru-nii awes, as he asserts, 'it hasn't even been that long!'

'What can I say,' Naruto hums in happiness before adding, 'I'm just too awesome.' Naruto is atop the waterfall, taking a lunch break with Haku as his clones continue to practice below. He's seated crossed legged with his eyes close, seemingly meditating, so Haku doesn't find it weird.

'Yeah, yeah, mister Awesome,' Naru-nii chuckles to hear himself. 'Yeesh, I really can be like that. Tell me how the new technique feels and where it might be tough.'

'Ne, before that can you tell me who my parents are and who my Godfather is?'

'Well, I said after you learn Rasenshuriken,' Naru-nii hums to himself. '…but you have been doing super amazing so how about I tell you half?'

'Half?'

'Yeah,' his older self answers. 'And I'll tell you the other half after you learn Rasen-shuriken. Deal?'

'Deal!'

'Cool. So, our surname name, Uzumaki, comes from kaa-chan's side of the family, as well as our clan.'

"Uzumaki Clan," Naruto mumbles and he realizes he spoke aloud when the more patient eater, Haku, asks, "what was that, Naruto-kun?"

"Ah!" Naruto coughs with an artificial smile. "Nothing. Just thinking about… about starting my clan, actually. Don't mind me." Once Naruto closes his eyes, he asks Naru-nii, 'sorry, Uzumaki clan, huh?'

'Yeah,' Naru-nii answers, happy to hear Haku in Naruto's mind-echo. 'Kaa-chan's name is Uzumaki Kushina, and we're a lot like her, except she has long tomato-red hair.'

'Uzumaki Kushina…' Naruto mentally repeats, trying to hold in his emotions and keep from tearing up. 'I bet she's a total badass!'

'Oh, man! You know it,' Naru-nii asserts.

'And tou-chan?'

'Sorry, Mini-me,' Naru-nii cuts him off there. 'After you learn Rasenshuriken. But, your Godfather's name is Jiraiya. He's like a super strong legendary shinobi, but he's also a super legendary pervert! He should be in Konoha after the second stage of the Chūnin exams.'

'Jiraiya-jiji,' Naruto mentally laughs. 'Sweet! I can't wait to meet him. This is like the best day ever!'

SAKURA

Sakura and Ino rehearsed for far longer than Sakura felt was necessary. For nearly two hours they planned for different responses but Sakura felt the blond idiot gets to have sex with her. 'It's the luckiest day of his life,' she weakly thought. Ino pointed out to her he probably wouldn't understand it as being lucky enough to have sex with the love of his life and further explained he prioritizes emotional bonds over his own physical gratification. Sakura couldn't understand why Ino was so certain but it never hurt to be prepared.

After a very deep exhale, Sakura knocks on Iruka-sensei's front door and after a few moments, the ever shockingly beautiful Haku opens the door. With a warm smile, Haku tilts around a bit and calls, "it's Sakura-chan," before they both hear a yelping, "Sakura-chan!"

"We were just having dinner," Haku asserts, and Sakura blushes, wondering if the beautiful boy knows how adoringly domestic he sounds.

Rushing to the door, Naruto adds, "you want to have dinner with us?"

Smiling weakly, she simply shakes her head, but thanks them before adding, "Naruto, can we talk."

After his quick, "of course," Sakura leads him to his old apartment. The building is dark and for the most part abandoned, however, between floors two and three, Naruto actually had to kick out some thugs who were harassing one of the last remaining, elder tenants. "Don't let me catch you back here again!" Naruto yelled to the stumbling half beaten thugs. The unexpected one-sided fight between Team 7 and the four thugs actually put her in a slightly better mood, until they reach his old apartment. Once inside, Sakura was surprised to see how clean it all was.

Fortunately his couch, and after she checked, his bed are still there as Naruto asks, "why are we here?"

After much thought, Ino and Sakura had decided on his apartment because it was the last remaining solution to all her stipulations. To mentally get through having sex with Naruto—a thought that sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine—she couldn't do it in the privacy of her own bedroom because she'll always be reminded of it every time she's there; or in Iruka's home, because not only is it wrong, she doesn't want to remember that if she ever has to go to Iruka-sensei's. A hotel room wasn't an option either because she didn't want to pay in any way for this, nor did she want to risk the possibility of being detected either going to or coming from a hotel. And lastly, it's highly possible the building will be razed to the ground, removing the location of this event forever.

"We came here to talk," an evenly breathing Sakura starts.

Luckily it's dark enough she doesn't have to clearly see him if she doesn't focus her eyes, and hears him respond, "you're acting kinda strange. Is everything okay? Is it…"

"…Is it what," she wonders aloud.

"Well, I know Sasuke'll be back soon," he sullenly states, making her wonder when he stopped using 'teme' to refer to Sasuke. "I can tell you've gotten stronger so I was thinking… well, I thought maybe you didn't want to train with me anymore." It's a sad expression on his face that makes her focus.