Here After

Springtime of Life

"Sakura-chan."

Sakura was waiting in the line to get her milk. Her favorite strawberry milk. While someone was calling—at this point it sounded like a yelling—from across the room. Sakura obviously did not experience any sign of impaired hearing.

"Sakura-chan!!!" Naruto yelled a bit louder, his voice echoed throughout the cafeteria.

She then chose pretended to be deaf.

"You noisy yellowheaded!" someone started to protested.

"Hey, Haruno, do something about it, he was way too loud," at the front Shikamaru was throwing an irritated look.

"Keep moving, Nara," Sakura shrugged him off.

"Troublesome," he muttered under his breath with annoyed look.

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h E R e • a F t e R

2.

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Hokkaido, 2011.
Spring.

Naruto headed to where Sakura was seated at their usual table. He did not even have time to open his mouth when Sakura pulled his left ear, forced him to sit next to her closely.

"What did you eat this morning, huh? Yelling at me like that, what an embarrassing."

Naruto was struggling to set his ear free, "Itte! Ok sorry! My god!"

Sakura let him go when Sasuke came and sat across her. His hands were folded on his chest, looked uninterested to Naruto's vividly red ear.

"Where's your lunch, Sasuke-kun?"

"Where have you been, dude?"

Sasuke stared at the two. Bemused to their antics.

"I went to see the headmaster, I'm not hungry." Sasuke answered after a pause.

"Again?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke raised both of his brows.

"Don't tell me that you got called because of Hozuki, again?" asked Naruto between his chewed food.

"Tch, why Hozuki all of the sudden? I went there for another reason, Naruto."

The three silent for a moment. Sasuke was looking at somewhere else, seemed preoccupied and had no intention to speak up his mind. Curiosity filled up Sakura's head.

On the other hand Naruto looked fine with it, while gulped down his remaining lunch. It was obvious to Sakura that Naruto knew something, yet he tried to not be bothered in front of her.

"You two have so much things to do these days. Where were you last night, Sakura-chan? I came to your house but you weren't there."

Sakura was surprised that Naruto tried to change topic of their conversation. She awkwardly answered, "Ino and I went to, ngg... we looked for something, graduation stuff, you know I'm a committee," her eyes were shifting from Sasuke to the bread in her right hand which now already in half.

"It was pretty late though," asked Naruto suspicious, "You're not pestered by that bastard again, right?"

"Watarai would not dare making mess with me," that was one too cocky answer for Sakura, that made Sasuke pulled a smile.