Secrets of the Kitsune

Chapter 40

"Naruto-channn!" the said blond looked up at her name being called out, seeing Ino waving at her in a distance holding Sai's hand. Sai who had joined them about half a year after Naruto got attacked in the Forest of Death and had been a hidden Root member until recently when Naruto figured out how to undo the seal that had been placed on Root members and exploited Danzo's organization which should have been disbanded during Sandaime's time. Sai and Ino began dating after dancing around each other for 2 years, by then, Naruto and Sasuke had already been dating for 3 or so years. Now, the Yamanaka and the pasty artist had been dating for almost 2 years now. The Rookie 12 are no longer rookies... Most of them turned 22 this year and everyone was either a jonin or an Anbu. Both Naruto and Sasuke joined Anbu together and earning a spot each in the bingo book as S-classed ninjas, with their bounties always rising higher and higher with each edition of the book being published.

Naruto raised a hand in greeting, waiting for them to approach her. Ino looked around the training ground at the trees which had many small holes that pierced through entirely. "The tree must be hurting a lot," Ino muttered, poking at the holes. Naruto rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Well, I was practising my new jutsu and I can't exactly practice this on a human you see." Naruto said, gesturing to the holes in the trees which you could see through clearly. Sai smiled a little at Naruto's sheepishness. "Hello, dickless." Sai greeted, they had known each other since Naruto was perceived to be a boy, during one of his root missions to spy on a 5 year old Naruto, Sai knew there was something fishy about Naruto.
"Hello to you too." Naruto said, slightly exasperated at the nickname. Ino bonked Sai over the head for being rude to Naruto.
"I am just speaking the truth, Ino-chan."
"Still, Naruto has a name."
"It is fine, Ino." Naruto said, trying to prevent Sai from receiving further damage. Ino hissed playfully at being stopped.
"What did you guys need?"
"Well, we thought you might have been training with Sasuke but clearly not," Sai explained, Naruto waited patiently for the artist to continue. "But that doesn't matter anymore, let's go to the tea house." Ino and Sai turned and was about to leave with Naruto when they realise that the blond wasn't following them.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked, walking back. Naruto let out a small breath.
"I don't think I am welcomed there," Naruto muttered softly, staring at the ground. Sai and Ino looked at each other. After Naruto had saved the village from utter destruction from the Akatsuki the villagers have slowly begun to accept Naruto as Naruto and not the demon fox they had labelled her to be. Ino pished at Naruto, Sasuke had told her that this would happen if they ever tried to ask her to go anywhere that isn't Ichiraku Ramen.
"Come on Naru-channnn. You do know that the villagers are starting to, well, not be so mean. We promise we will bring you to someplace nice!" Ino said, putting on her best puppy-eyed look for Naruto. Ino was internally cheering in her head when she managed to convince Naruto to go along with them.

"Well, at least let me go shower first." Ino paused for a bit before nodding, "Alright, change into something pretty okay? We might be out for a long time and I heard that you and Sasuke are going out on a date later." Ino exclaimed.
"How did you...?"
"Well... Sasuke can be quite talkative when it comes to you." Ino explained before grumbling under her breath, "and sometimes he refuses to shut up about how pretty you are." Naruto's sensitive ears heard it, making her blush before turning quickly to excuse herself to go home and shower. Ino looked at Naruto's retreating back, Sasuke had told them to distract Naruto for some reason which he refuses to tell them.

"Move it a little bit back."
"Why?! You just told me to move it there and now you want me to move it back?!" Kiba snarled. Hinata let out a sigh before taking the vase from the dog lover and setting it down exactly in the middle of the table, where Sasuke had wanted. "Thank you, Hinata." Sasuke said. When they were finished with the decorations, they stepped back to look at their handiwork.
"Do you really think she would notice that everything is placed in perfectly calculated places?" Shikamaru drawled out, tired from all the climbing and moving they had to do.
"Doesn't matter, even if she doesn't, she can feel the effort," Sasuke muttered.
"Isn't it just a date?" Kiba questioned, "this seems like a lot of effort for a date." Sasuke sighed, it had been really hard to keep his mouth shut about it and all this questioning is making him anxious. He didn't want anyone to know what all the planning was for until Naruto gets the surprise first.

"It's worth it, anything for Naruto." Sasuke said before looking at the sun, it seems like it was almost about time before he has to pick Naruto up.
"Thank you, guys. Dinner tomorrow on me, you guys will know what all these is for then." Sasuke said as everyone said their farewells and left, leaving Sasuke alone in the small clearing where they had decorated to turn into a romantic dinner setting. I just hope that she will enjoy this.