Forgive Me, Naruto

An Awkward Meeting

Naruto's POV:

I attempt to struggle out of Sasuke's Susano'o grab while he stands there with his arm on his hip, looking irritated.

However, as I'm struggling, I can't help but stare at the guy. It's been 2 years since I've seen him, and so much has changed. He's gotten taller, a bit leaner, and his spiky hair has gotten slightly longer.

He looks...

Good.

I start to feel self-conscious as I notice that he is staring at me too, taking in my changes as well.

"Well? I'm waiting," he says. I snap out of my deep thoughts.

"Let me go first and I'll explain!" I say, still attempting to struggle out of the grab.

It's no use. It's called a Perfect Susano'o for a reason. He finally releases the Susano'o, and I fall on the ground.

"Uh..sorry," he says. He initially offers a hand to help me up, but changes his mind. I get up and chuckle, rubbing my head.

"Ah, Sasuke. Just as lovely as I remember," I tease. I look up and down at his all-black outfit and chuckle again, crossing my arms. "Still emo, huh?"

"Shut it, loser," he says reflexively. He puts his hand on his hip. "You still didn't answer why you were in my house."

"Oh! Right, well you see...uh..." I put my hand in my back pocket where the necklace is, contemplating whether I should give it to him now. No, I think to myself. Not now.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, waiting.

"Kakashi-sensei -- I mean Lord Sixth -- wanted to update you about the mission for tomorrow. Yeah, that's why I'm here, ya know!" I say. It's obvious I came up with it on the spot, but he doesn't push further.

"I was planning to head there now after I settle in, so..." he says.

He seems just as desperate to escape this painfully awkward moment as I am.

"Oh, uh right," I say, looking at the ground.

Trying to look unbothered, I lean on a nearby coffee table where his bag was resting, but my weight knocks it over, sending the bag and its contents flying.

"Shit, sorry!" I say immediately, bending down to pick his things up. I bend down to pick up an envelope that fell out of the bag, but as I'm about to pick it up, Sasuke widens his eyes and quickly snatches it up instead.

I look at him confusedly as he quickly stuffs it back in his bag.

"No worries," he says, flustered.

Deciding I've embarrassed myself enough, I take the opportunity to get the hell out of here.

"Right, so...anyways I'll let you get settled in," I say, trying not to look discouraged.

As I open the door and step out, however, Sasuke finally speaks up.

"Wait."

I quickly turn and look at him expectantly.

"Well, I've...uh...heard from Sakura there's some kind of festival tonight," he says, avoiding eye contact. "I might head there, maybe, I don't know. If you're heading there too then that's cool I guess..."

I widen my eyes in surprise. Is Sasuke...asking me out?

Seeing my face, he quickly clears his throat. "You know what, never mind, it's a dumb ide-"

"I'll be there, ya know!" I say, smiling. His face relaxes. Telling him I'll see him later, I head out before I find another way to embarrass myself.

Once I'm far enough from his house, I look around to make sure no one is watching. Once I'm sure, I pump my fist in the air.

~

Later on, I tell Sakura about what happened while we're eating together at Ichiraku Ramen. She almost doesn't believe me.

"So you mean to tell me Sasuke asked you to come to the Cherry Blossom Festival? Nuh-uh. No way," she says.

"He said you're the one who told him about it, ya know!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, but like...it's Sasuke," she says. I laugh.

"Yeah I know, I was surprised too," I say before taking in a mouthful of ramen.

"So, what are you planning to do? Are you going to talk to him about it?" She asks.

I swallow my food and sigh. I cringe, thinking back to my confession after me and Sasuke's final fight. I never told anyone about that -- it felt too personal and embarrassing -- but she knew how I felt about him.

"I don't know, Sakura-chan," I say, looking down at my food. "I've been sending him letters for the past 2 years while he was away, but he never wrote back once. I'm pretty sure he wants me to take the hint."

"Come on, you know how hard it is to get Sasuke to open up. After all, loving tomatoes and dumplings isn't the same as loving a person. Maybe he doesn't even know what love is," Sakura says.

I look up in confusion. "Huh? They're not the same?" I ask, mouth full of ramen.

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Of course not, idiot. When you love food -- in your case, ramen," she gestures to my bowl, "it's because it fills your stomach. But loving a person -- that's different."

She smiles and looks down at her food, probably thinking about Hinata.

"When you love a person, it's because they fill your heart," she finally says before taking a bite.

I smile at Sakura. "You really...love her, don't you?" I ask.

Sakura blushes. "Yeah, a lot. It's a great feeling, and I want the same for you guys too."

I pay the bill for both of our meals as I think about her words.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I see you at the festival tonight," I say, before leaving.

~

I walk down the street, looking at the cherry blossoms while I think about what Sakura said. I pull out the necklace from my back pocket and look at it again.

"Someone who fills my heart, huh?" I mutter to myself.

I smile and shove it back in my pocket.

Tonight. Tonight is definitely the night.