My Lover's Keeper

63. Mine

Shikamaru eyed his best friend again before slipping in his shoes.
"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

"Mhm, I'll call Kaasan and let him know. Besides Yamato-san and Izumi should be back in an hour. I also have three guests keeping me company."

"Yeah it's the guests I am worried about."
Shikamaru sighed.

"Your mom is worried for the right reasons, dattebayo? Iruka is going to flip too once he finds out we were in a car accident this morning."

Shikamaru knew Naruto was trying to comfort him but none of it was quilling his worries.

"Just promise me you'll text or call if you need me." He leaned in kissing the blond's forehead to feel if the temperature rose from earlier.

"Mhm, I promise"

"It feels a bit higher than before." He wanted to go get the thermometer but the blond stopped him.

"I can handle it. I'll be fine, dattebayo?" Naruto reassured him with his famous bright smile.

Shikamaru hesitantly left the premise of his best friend's apartment. If it weren't for his mother's panicked state; he wouldn't leave his friend.

Naruto rested his head on the door. He had wished Shikamaru didn't have to go.

Sakura glared at Naruto as she approached him. She didn't believe for one second he was seriously ill.

Although she couldn't help but notice how baggy his clothes were. Naruto must have been borderline underweight.

The sight tugged at her. No doubt something was wrong with the blond, but she toughened her skin and hardened her heart again before clearing her throat.

"Kaasan has everything ready for dinner."

"Why are you here, Sakura? I can't say we're even friends-.."

"It's not like I want to be here. My parents were worried about you. Just come eat and we'll leave right after." She groaned annoyingly before walking away.

Mebuki eyed the apartment. Everything in it was brand new. She wondered how two high school students could afford downtown rent at such a high maintenance place from the looks of it.
"Naruto-kun, I hope you don't mind my question but...is rent cheap here?"

"Mhm? I don't know. My parents gave me the place since no one was living in it." He small smiled. "Are you looking for something?"

"For Sakura-chan," Mebuki clarified. "She's got a scholarship for-..."

"Kaasan!" Sakura hit the table, it was her life; her parents shouldn't parade it to others. Specially not to Uzumaki Naruto.

"Scholarship?" The boy looked at them. "Aren't you super rich? You should leave it to someone who really needs it, dattebayo?"

Kizashi found it entertaining and a soft chuckle escaped his lips "If we could afford the tuition she wouldn't have applied," he stated the obvious fact.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound presumptuous. I just was under the impression you could afford such things." Naruto spoke worried he might have offended them.

"Maybe in the past." Kizashi looked away as he mumbled those words.

"Let's not have that conversation here, darling." Mebuki rubbed her husband's hand reassuringly.

Once all the side dishes were placed on the table; Naruto had once again thanked them for the food.

"So Naruto-kun, how were exams?" The woman asked, breaking the silence.