After the Storm.

3.

Sakura waited at the entrance gates. She placed her hands on her slightly wide hips and huffed. Naruto was late. As always. Sai sat on the ground a little ways from her sketching and paying the pinkette no mind for he knew Naruto would be late.

"I don't know why you're so surprised he's late, Ugly." Sai says calmly as his hand glides over his sketch paper. "This is Naruto we're talking about. He'd be late to his own funeral."

"Sometimes I like to think he has matured, Sai." Sakura says crossing her arms. She turned and stepped over to the pale raven. Peaking over his shoulder at his drawing. It was a portrait of a girl. Her facial features have not been drawn yet, but she may have a small idea who the girl may be.

"So uh, how's things with you and Ino?" A small smirk appeared on her face.

Unfazed by her messy antics, Sai continues his sketch. "About the same as you and Uchiha." He answers back after a few seconds of silence.

Sakura pales. "Th-There's n-nothing going on between Sasuke and I!" She frowns.

"That's not what Naruto says." He answers. "In fact, he tells me the Uchiha asks about you all the time as if you're his girlfriend."

Sakura's breath got caught in her throat. Her face flushes red as she turned away from Sai and walked back to her original position. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You don't wanna know what he says?" Sai raises an eyebrow, not looking behind him at the girl.

"No!" Sakura quickly snapped his way. "All I did was ask about you and Ino."

"All I did was just tell you our status." He shoots back.

"By saying something about Sasuke and I." Sakura frowned once more. The smug raven finally looked over his shoulder at her.

"You're actually alot more ugly when you scowl like that." He closes his eyes as he smiles. "You should smile more often. It sometimes makes you look better."

Sakura's eye twitched. Quickly, she snatched Sai up.

"Wanna say that again?" She grits through her teeth. Sai chuckled nervously.

*****

"Shouldn't you be on a mission, Idiot?" Sasuke asks. "At this point you're asking for Sakura to break you in half."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he leaned against the mud wall. His left leg supporting himself on the wall as his arms were crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The blonde answers. "I dunno, I guess I just always thought the original team seven would go on their first mission together. How ironic is it that it's in the Hidden Mist village." 

Sasuke twisted his lips. "What's going on there?"

"Hm, the bridge needs to be rebuilt." Naruto says slowly. He unfolded his arms to stick them into his pockets. "Sakura, Sai and I are going."

"It's still team seven." Sasuke smirks.

"Yeah, but I wanted you to come along too." Naruto smiles. "It would've been so nostalgic."

"Hn."

Naruto sighs. "Well I better get goin." Naruto pushes himself off of the wall and picks up his backpack slinging it over his shoulder. He then walks up to the cell and stared in, finding Sasuke in his typical spot. On the bed. "Dude, you need a haircut."

"Why don't you cut it for me then, Moron."

"I pass." Naruto cringes. "I'll be gone for a few days so I'll come by when I get back. Hopefully you don't be in such a pissy mood, girl."