Deceitful (A Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 62: Sakura

10-17-19 Updated twice in the same day cause anyone still reading deserves it and it's been in my drafts forever. 

-Author-san 

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Sighing heavily as I shut the door to my apartment and dropping my bags on the floor, I wiped my brow and looked at the place.

The pillows and throw blanket on the couch weren't in the rumpled position I'd left them, which was the first thing I noticed. In fact, as I surveyed my surroundings I realized that nothing was where I had originally left it.

Before, because I'd been in a hurry to grab supplies for the mission, everything was strewn all over the place. Originally before I had left, there were clothes on my coffee table, cabinets in the kitchen opened and scrolls littering the carpeted floor.

Instead, the apartment was organized in the way I'd usually do it, with a few small differences. The scrolls for instance, were relocated to the nearby bookshelf when normally I'd keep them in a trunk in my room. That reinforced the fact that it wasn't me who cleaned and just forgot that I did. The doors to my room and bathroom were open, revealing to me that they also were cleaned.

Earlier I figured I'd have to buy groceries to replace the rotting ones and tidy up, but the place was spotless. I knew that I hadn't even taken out the trash before the mission because I had expected to come back home after that initial morning patrol, not be gone for days on end.

I shook my head slightly, thinking how at the time I had absolutely no idea what the future had in store for me.

Grabbing the bags from the entrance and moving to the kitchen, I set them down with a thud and opened the fridge. To my surprise, it was already stocked with my favorites, no sign of rotting food or old vegetables anywhere.

Fresh fruit, broccoli, a large container of cooked rice and another of chicken breast, lemonade, yogurt, unsweetened black iced tea, and a single slice of cheesecake were just some of the few present. Opening the food cabinet nearest the fridge, I saw my favorite spicy chips, sour candy, chocolate, and a package of granola. Looking back at the grocery bags of bland meal ingredients and comparing them to what was in the fridge, I sighed. 

Yamanaka-san was right.

I was a grandmother at the ripe old age of twenty two.

Idly, I wondered who had stocked the fridge for me. If Naruto was back, he wouldn't have bothered with painstakingly picking my favorites, just would've straightened up a bit and left ramen as his calling card.

Shikamaru was still gone. So was Ino and whoever Sai was. I frowned, making a mental note to tidy up her place tomorrow and take care of her flowers. I didn't have a key but I'm sure I'd find a way in. I'd do the same for Shikamaru but he lived at the Nara Estate still, and though we were friends I doubt his parents would be comfortable letting me into their son's room. I smiled as I caught sight of my favorites again.

If things like this didn't happen so often I would be probably be more cautious of eating strange food in my fridge. Typically, when a friend is gone on a mission longer than expected or leaves suddenly without making preparations for their living space, it's common courtesy to help them out so they have a nice place to come home to.

It was probably Neji who had come in, which was incredibly sweet of him to do so. I made another mental note to treat him to some BBQ when we'd cross paths again.

Just glad that I had a variety of food and a clean home, I did a little dance of happiness before something in my peripheral grabbed my attention.

The flower box near my kitchen window was filled with wilting flowers, evidenced by the dried soil and brown petals. As I was walking over to them, that was when I saw it.