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"No way! You're actually on the same team with them?"
"Yep! Just my luck! Well, for Sasuke anyway... I was pretty stoked about Sakura."
"I can't believe it. The girl you like and the guy you can't stand - selected as your teammates."
"Yeah, but me and Sasuke really grew on each other. He's a jerk sometimes, but still my best friend."
She forced a smile. From what she knew about Sakura, she had little reason to be jealous, but on the topic of 'best friend'...
As if reading her mind, Naruto stuck his tongue out. "You're totally jealous of Sasuke!"
She ripped a fistful of grass and flung it at him. "As if!"
Fine. She was jealous. She crossed her arms and turned her head away. In a trance, Naruto relished in it. Man! It sure is nice having a pretty girl jealous over me! Pervy Sage wouldn't believe it.
But then, a conflicting thought occurred in him, and the feelings soured.
Trying to not sound too curious on the subject, Naruto feigned indifference and leaned back on his arms.
"So... What about you?" He mumbled, acting interested in the sky. "You hang out with anyone else, lately? Other than Ino?"
She felt embarrassed. This topic made her feel like a loser. Sensing her hesitance, Naruto backed off the subject; her silence said it all. Inside, he even felt giddy about it.
They were both relaxing in the shade of the empty training ground, and the sun was setting. Trying to think of something to shift her mood, a lightbulb finally went off in his mind. "Hey, remember that chakra meditation I taught you when we were kids?!"
At the lovely memory, she smiled. "Yeah. It was right at this same training ground, I think."
"Then it's settled!" Naruto reached for her hands. He sat cross-legged and scooted in closer, gesturing her to the same. She shuffled in a bit, but there was still a distance between them, so he pulled her in closer by their clasped hands until their knees were touching.
Still held together, he brought their hands down to rest on their individual knees. His eyes were closed, and, wide-eyed, the blushing Adohira gulped nervously.
He's so cute. The sun goldened his face. She felt embarrassed to think it. Stop it. Don't be weird.
"Take a deep breath with me, and focus all the air into your center. As in, your core. That's your chakra point. Aim the flow of oxygen right there, and..." Naruto set the example, and she followed him dedicatedly. He felt the rumbling in his chakra point already, and a smile graced him. He opened one eye to check in on the pupil in front of him. "Feel that?"
He saw her brows furrow as she shut her eyes tightly. Her head tilted as if she tried to hear something behind her. He noticed how tense her shoulders were - they were nearly up to her ears. Unacceptable. Noting this, he released her hands and held onto her shoulders, pushing down. Feeling this sudden weight on her, her first instant was to push back. Naruto clamped down harder, and her shoulders finally fell.
