Desert Flower - [Rewrite]

Chapter 20

The whole floor gyrated with the subtle thumps of music being played by the side. It was, after all, the last get together for all the guests conjured up in the Sand village before they traveled back home. The rush of this year's annual chunin exams had all but died down and everyone honored with the pleasure of being invited to this party was more or less content with savoring these last few moments of luxurious cordial reception before they returned to their meager lives back home.

"You don't look too comfortable, if you don't mind me asking."

"...I'm comfortable."

"Is it the food, perhaps, not to your liking?"

"...No, it's nice."

Naruto sighed, for what seemed like the umpteenth time this evening. It was a given fact that since he was playing host during this gathering, he himself was accountable for making sure each of his guests were comfortable and properly taken care of. But this wasn't how he'd expected to play host, "Listen, you don't have to put up a front with me just for the sake of your grandfather. I won't rat you out, I promise."

His reassurance did seem to have an impact, shoulders slumping, Kurotsuchi heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking a drink from the waiter tumbling around, Naruto offered it to her courteously. Kurotsuchi, apparently not one for formalities when her host himself seemed to have no qualms with her, chugged it down in one gulp.

"I don't really like you all that much,"

Her honest confession made Naruto throat out a warm chuckle, "Yeah, I figured it out a while back you know." his comment earned him a sharp slap to the arm, courtesy of one flustered looking kunoichi.

"Why have you been hanging around me all evening then?"

His blunt question made her flinch, her eyes subtly darted to her back, too subtle for anyone but the keenest of eyes to have noticed. Naruto, did in fact notice it, and glanced back to see her grandfather's feverish eyes trained on her back in the midst of his own conversations, "He put you up to this?" she didn't so much as twitch, too afraid to answer honestly and get caught admitting the truth to a foreign diplomat.

Naruto had indeed been wondering why this girl, one who feverishly hated his guts had been limping by his arm all evening when she could have had better places to be; better people to associate with. Pondering over a solution, Naruto's caught the barest of visages in the corner of his eyes and smiled having come up with a suitable plan to ease up the poor girl's nerves. Offering her a hand, "May I have the pleasure to a dance?"

Looking as if struck by acid, "Never!" Kurotsuchi bit right back.

Maybe he should have offered her ramen instead.

Eyes twinkling with mischief, "Well, I'm glad you feel so pleasantly for me, I'm sure your grandfather will be too once he gets to know how pleasant you are to me." the way her pink eyes narrowed ferociously almost made her look, dare he say, cute. Kurotsuchi instantly looped an arm around his and tugged him along the crowd, straight to the dance floor, "You're the worst." she faux coughed out of everyone's earshot.

"I try, princess."

Reaching the middle of the floor, Naruto settled his palm on the small of her back and smiled when she coiled her arms around his neck. Linking their fingers together, both started moving to the quiet, harmonic beats of the music. Kurotsuchi, being ever the rival, pushed her toe forward and scowled accusingly when he pulled back his own toe from being crushed beneath her heels. Their little battle of feet went on for a minute or so before the girl finally conceded her defeat and let her head be laid down by his hand, her cheek nestled on his shoulder to compensate for the slow music the orchestra had just tuned to now.