Haruno Ryoko

-4.birthdays and cakes

"Where did you go?" asked Sakura as soon as I stepped into the room. She had been bugging me for a while now.

"Nowhere", I replied. I knew she would immediately tell on me, if I told her.

Sakura simply pouted and went back to whatever she was doing. The door opened once again and Kizashi stepped inside. He looked straight at me, "Ryoko, we need to talk."

I nodded and followed him outside. He kept on staring at me as we entered the living room where Mebuki sat on a couch. I managed to keep a calm demeanor outside but inside I was freaking out.

'Shit. They definitely know'

"Take a seat, Ryoko.", Mebuki ordered and I obliged.

"Why were you roaming around with that monster?", Kizashi inquired.

"I don't know-"

"Don't even think about lying." Mebuki interrupted sternly.

"What's the problem with me hanging out with Naruto?"

She scoffed ,"That MONSTER killed your grandmother."

Woah I was just expecting her to, I don't know scold me a bit- even ground me. I didn't think she would dump something like that on a three year old.

"You are not to speak or even go near that monster-", Kizashi ordered.

"His name is Naruto", I snapped before I could stop myself.

"Look at the nerve of this girl, barely three and talking back to us" snarled Mebuki "Why can't you be more like your sister?"

"Enough" said Kizashi "You are grounded and don't let us see you hanging around that demon or we'll have to take appropriate measures."

****************************************

Mebuki kept a hawk-like watch on me the next few days.

I sighed and picked at my food. A shadow clone would be really handy about now.

The topic of discussion on the table was Sakura's new drawing. It was supposed to be a garden scenery though it looked to me like someone ran over it in muddy shoes.

But she was like three so pop off I guess.

"So girls, have you decided what you want for your birthday?"

Oh, it was this week. I had completely forgotten about it.

"Yes!",Sakura jumped up like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life." Can I get a dollhouse for my dolls?"

Kizashi chuckled, "Of course you can my little princess."
He turned to me and the cheerfulness in his voice decreased significantly"And what you want?"

"I don't know, a novel?"I mumbled mostly to myself.

Mebuki and Kizashi burst into laughter, "What would you do with a novel? You can't read! You're three."

Oops

"Haha, just kidding I want a new dress."

***************************

Our birthday came. We cut a cake and Mebuki cooked Sakura's favorite dish. Sakura got a dollhouse and I got a brand new pink dress. Look, pink's pretty and all but literally everything I own is pink. My clothes, my shoes, my room. Pink everywhere.

Anyway, I had hidden some of my birthday cake and carefully wrapped it in a piece of clothing. After I was put to bed, I grabbed it and sneaked out of the window.

I quickly rushed towards Naruto's apartment. It had been more than a week since we last met.

I reached his place and looked for a doorbell. There was no doorbell. I knocked on the door. No response. I knocked again.

After several minutes, I gave up and was about to just storm inside when the door opened revealing a very sleepy Naruto with drool on his face.

"Ryoko chan!", he exclaimed the moment he saw me. He stepped aside and motioned for me to come inside.

The entire apartment was in need of dire maintenance. There was a stink that made me want to throw up. Seeing Naruto's living conditions up close, anger filled me. I pushed it down and turned to Naruto.

He was sulking and avoided looking me in the eye. I sighed, "Here" I handed him the cloth.

"What's this?" He asked turning it over.

"Open it."

He gasped when he saw the cake and his mouth watered. "Ryoko-chan please tell me this is for me because I'm about a second away from eating it."

"It's for you." I confirmed.

He stuffed the cake inside his mouth in a speed I would never have thought possible, smiling impossibly wide.

"Consider this an apology for ghosting you."

Naruto tilted his head, mouth still stuffed "Rwoko-chan you sbeak fummy."  Adorable

I stifled a giggle and cleared my throat, "I mean, I'm sorry for disappearing like that."

He gulped mouth finally empty, "It's fine, but don't ever do that again!"

"Yeah, yeah" I muttered ruffling his hair. Super soft.

"Now, listen" I say trying to sound serious. "We're going to sneak into the hokage tower."

"What? Why?"

"Consider it a prank."

He scrunched up his nose "We'll get caught." He said, despite the mischievous glint in his eyes that appeared when I mentioned the word 'prank'.

"I have an idea", I tell him "on how not to get caught."

"How?"

I smirked.

A/n : this was more or less a filler chapter before the turning point in her life :)))
Thanks for reading <3