"Fate's Crossing

Chapter 7:Protecting What's Mine

Chapter 7:Protecting What's Mine

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room as Ino sat on the edge of the bed, her heart fluttering with a mix of nervousness and curiosity. She glanced over at Naruto, who was getting dressed for the day, his back turned to her as he buttoned up his shirt. Her mind had been wandering ever since their conversation the day before, and a question had been burning inside her, but she wasn't sure how to ask it.

Finally, after taking a deep breath, she decided to go for it.

"Naruto-kun?" she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto paused, turning to look at her with a curious expression. "Yeah, Ino-chan? What's up?"

Ino hesitated for a moment, her cheeks already beginning to flush with embarrassment. But she had to know. "Can I ask you something... personal?"

Naruto blinked, slightly surprised by the serious tone in her voice. He nodded, smiling gently. "Of course, Ino-chan. You can ask me anything."

Ino took another deep breath, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. "Who... who was your first kiss?"

Naruto froze for a second, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't expected that question. His face turned a deep shade of red as he scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed by the memory.

"Uh... well...," he began awkwardly, looking anywhere but at Ino.

Ino's curiosity only grew at his hesitation. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for him to answer. "Come on, Naruto-kun," she teased lightly, though her heart was racing. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Naruto sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. "Alright, alright," he muttered, still blushing. "It was... with Sasuke."

The room went silent for a moment as Ino processed his words. Her eyes widened in shock, and she stared at him, completely caught off guard. "S-Sasuke?!" she repeated, her voice a mix of disbelief and surprise. "Your first kiss was with Sasuke?!"

Naruto quickly waved his hands in front of him, trying to explain. "No, no, it was a mistake!" he said hastily, his face still bright red. "It happened on our first day in the police force. We were outside, and this kid pushed me from behind, and I fell right into Sasuke! It wasn't on purpose!"

Ino blinked, her shock slowly giving way to amusement. The image of Naruto and Sasuke accidentally kissing played in her mind, and before she could stop herself, she burst into laughter.

Naruto, who had been bracing himself for embarrassment, looked up at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to laugh like that. "W-What's so funny?" he asked, still feeling flustered.

Ino, trying to catch her breath between giggles, wiped away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she managed to say, still laughing. "It's just... I can't believe your first kiss was with Sasuke! And the way you described it—oh my gosh!"

Naruto groaned, covering his face with his hands. "It was so embarrassing," he muttered. "The whole department was laughing at us. Sasuke didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. It was a nightmare."

Ino's laughter finally began to die down, though the smile on her face remained as she imagined the scene. "I can't believe it," she said, shaking her head with a playful grin. "Sasuke of all people!"

Naruto peeked at her from between his fingers, still blushing but starting to smile a little despite himself. "Yeah, well... that's what happens when you have bad luck, I guess."