My Trip To... (ShikaIno)

Day 4 - It's A Pub Life For Me

"You're what?" Choji asked. He even dropped a chip from his mouth as he stared aghast.

"I'm going to go to NYU."

"But... Why?" The food lay forgotten as Choji frowned at his best friend. "I thought you were going to go to Konoha University." It was one of those things that Choji was proud of for his group. While other groups of friends were saying their goodbyes and separating ways, this trip was to celebrate their togetherness through highschool and into the next steps of their lives.

But Shikamaru was now breaking that.

"I just don't think Konoha University is the place for me..." Shikamaru muttered as he stared down at his fifth ale while in the pub.

"But... We were all going to stick together," Choji said softly. "I was going to go to Konoha Culinary School. Naruto is joining the police force when we get back with Sasuke. Ino and Sakura were going to join you at Konoha University. We were all... sticking around."

"Well I don't think I should anymore." Shikamaru took a drink. Silence took over the table and Choji picked up his food again. The sound of the pub kept on around them but neither could hear it. Choji felt like he had been hit with an explosion and now all he could hear was the ringing as he finished his meal.

"This isn't about Ino, is it?" Choji breathed out softly, staring solemnly at his friend.

Shikamaru finished his drink.

- - -

"They have sake!" Naruto grinned as he caught sight of a small stand outside of the Mitsukoshi Department Store. The girls had finally finished wandering every inch of the store. "Let's try some! We're finally old enough."

Sasuke shrugged as the girls nodded. They had been seeing the drink all their lives since so many important adults in their life had loved sake. "We still haven't tried anything in Japan," Ino smiled before she held up four fingers towards the bartender.

"What kind of sake would you like?"

The girls looked at each other in confusion before Naruto screwed up his face in puzzlement, "Er -- The good kind?"

The bartender smiled in an attempt to stop herself from laughing at the blond. "Okay. Well would you like dry? Or vintage? Or sparkling sake?"

"Uh..." None of them knew how to answer. They had never knew there were so many different kind of sake to choose from.

"We'll take Himezen sake," Sasuke spoke up when the others failed.

"Cold or warm?"

"Cold." The three others looked at Sasuke, impressed. Sasuke didn't let them faze him though as he pressed his Magic band to the till to pay. He then took one as his own and got out of the line. The other three went into a frenzy to grab their drinks and follow after their smooth friend.

"How did you know?" Naruto asked.

"I can't believe none of us knew more sake since till now..." Sakura mentioned as she looked closely at the drink.

Ino took a sip of it and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. It reminded her of wine, which she usually wasn't fond of but this was stuff was good. "Wow. I really like it."

"You do?" Sasuke looked over at her.

"Yes," she smiled, feeling elation that Sasuke was paying attention to her in particular. "It's actually really good."

Sasuke nodded, looking almost pleased with himself. "It's a favourite of my brother."

"Well... He's got good tastes," Ino took another sip and carefully matched footsteps with him so they were walking together with Naruto and Sakura trailing behind. It wasn't often that Sasuke spoke of his older brother, even though the whole group knew that Sasuke looked very highly up at his older brother, Itachi. Back at home, Itachi was a full blown town hero who had saved the town from a radical with a gun.