Occam's Razor

Going on a Date

Naruto shows up at Sasuke's apartment door within minutes of the first light of dawn.

As strange as it is to see Naruto before noon without a mission or training being involved, it doesn't exactly bother Sasuke. As a habitual early riser, he's been awake for over an hour already.

And yet Sasuke feels the world tilt slightly askew on it axis when he swings the door open— wondering if he's actually still dreaming. He wouldn't have forgotten if they had plans to meet this morning— and yet Naruto's here and Sasuke forcefully ignores the way his heart rate picks up despite no indication of a threat.

Before Sasuke can ask, Naruto grins brightly.

"C'mon," Naruto says brightly, "We're getting breakfast."

A little too dazed to argue, Sasuke takes only a moment to slip on his sandals before following him out into the still waking village.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke manages to ask, once he realizes they aren't headed toward Ichiraku's.

"Ino told me about this new place in the Hokage district," Naruto says, "It sounded like something you'd like, y'know."

"... Is it ramen?" Sasuke asks, already suspicious.

"You hate it when I make you eat ramen for breakfast," Naruto says in a tone that makes it clear he thinks Sasuke is the moron here.

"That's never stopped you," Sasuke notes distantly.

Too bewildered to actually protest, he allows Naruto to lead him through the winding streets as Naruto hums a discordant tune Sasuke doesn't recognize.

When they arrive at their destination, Sasuke can do little more than blink in the closest thing to shock he's felt in a long while.

It's a... tea house?

"They have stuff here from all over the continent," Naruto tells him as he hold the door open for Sasuke to enter first, "Even that weird flowery shit from Iron Country you're always looking for."

"... Jasmine," Sasuke corrects absently, staring up at the finely painted sign that reads White Lotus Tea Emporium.

"Right, that," Naruto huffs, following Sasuke to a tea table near a window, overlooking a pristine little pond next to the engawa that encircles the establishment. The place is completely empty— not even a single staff person in sight.

No sooner have they taken their seats on the plush floor cushions when a server practically materializes next to their table, dipping into a low bow.

"Welcome to the White Lotus," they say, "How can I be of service today?"

When they rise, Sasuke notes the burnt orange of a thick soulmark curving over the right side of their jaw from chin to ear. Their face is otherwise the picture of pleasant placidity— with not a hint of the thinly veiled disdain Sasuke has grown accustomed to receiving from anyone in the service industry since his return— the proprietor of the ramen stand being the one notable exception.

"He'll get the, erm, jasmine," Naruto says, "I'll take whatever— I don't know shit about tea, y'know."

"We have a wide variety of jasmine blends," they say, eyebrow cocked in mild derision— a look Sasuke isn't used to seeing directed at the Hero of Konoha these days. They turn to Sasuke, "Our green jasmine blend from Three Wolves Mountain is our most popular, but I also have a new white jasmine leaf that I recently sourced from eastern Sand near Lake Bunpaku that is said to be uncommonly fragrant. I can get you a list if you'd like to see our other options."