Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto!

“I wish.” Hinata said. The girls looked up when the driver announced their arrival at the diner. They exited the car and walked up to the entrance, stepping in after a look at each other.

“Hi! How many?” A waitress at the front of the restaurant asked.

“Four.” Sakura replied. From what she could see, the guys weren’t here. The only booth she couldn’t see came into view as the girls walked by. And it just so happened that a certain four guys were sitting at the biggest booth in the restaurant. The corner booth, which could easily sit ten people.

“Hinata?” Naruto said as he recognized his friend and date.

“N-Naruto, what a surprise running into you guys here!” She said nervously.

“Well, we told you guys we come here all the time, remember?” Naruto said, grinning at Hinata. Hinata nodded her head that yes, she did remember.

“What brings you guys here?” Shikamaru asked.

“Well, the food here was so good when we came here with you guys, we wanted Sakura and TenTen to get a chance to try it.” Ino said.

“Hey!” Naruto exclaimed, “I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you guys sit with us! We can make room!”

“Oh, we don’t want to bother you guys.” Sakura said.

“You wouldn’t be bothering us, we’d be glad to have you guys sit with us!” Naruto exclaimed then looked to his friends, “Right guys?”

“Hn.” Sasuke said as he scooted over from his spot, making room for the girls, and obvious yes. Neji followed his lead, as well as Shikamaru.

“Well, ok then.” Sakura said, while inside Inner-Sakura was rejoicing, “Yes! You’re about to eat lunch with that total hottie Sasuke! Sit across from him! Sit across from him!”  Sakura complied to her inner self as she waited for her friends to slip in. She slipped in last. Hinata was sitting next to Naruto, in the corner of the booth, Ino was across from Shikamaru, and TenTen was across from Neji. Leaving Sakura across from Sasuke. “Scoore!” Sakura’s Inner-self said while doing a little dance. ‘Well, you can stop rejoicing, we’re with other people, remember? He won’t talk half as much as he does when it’s just us. And it hasn’t been just us since the project.’

“Hi, Sasuke.” Sakura said.

“Hi.” He replied.

“So, what’s been up lately?” Sakura asked.


“Lots of schoolwork.” Sasuke said. “It’s like every teacher thinks they’re the only one giving us homework.”

“Yea, I know what you mean. And ca you believe Gai-sensei?” Sakura asked. “I mean, how are we supposed to study for a test in p.e.?”

“Didn’t you buy that book that you needed?” Sasuke asked her. Sakura shook her head no. “Well, you need it. The first quiz is on basketball. It’s written.”

Sakura’s face paled. “But that quiz is Wednesday! I’ll never get a book by then!”

“Relax.” Sasuke said. “I’ll photocopy the pages about basketball out of mine for you. Ok?”

“Yea, that’d be great!” Sakura replied, feeling a little bit relieved.

“How bout you come home with me after lunch?” Sasuke asked her. “I can photocopy the pages for you and we can study together some.”

‘Oh my gosh! A study date!’ Sakura thought as inner-Sakura rejoiced. “Yes! A study date!” Inner-Sakura did a little dance as she punched her hands in the air. “That would really awesome.” Sakura said with a smile.

“Ok then.” Sasuke said as he smiled back at her.


“Oh, yea! He smiled at us!’ Inner-Sakura exclaimed as she did yet another dance. Sakura glanced over at her friends and caught Ino’s eye. Her friend’s were happy for her, she could tell, but Ino wasn’t getting much of anywhere with Shikamaru. They knew that he liked her, so what was the problem? Sakura suddenly got an evil glint in her eye as she thought of something that might help her friend’s plight.

“So, Ino, what are you going to do when that Chouji guy asks you to homecoming?” Sakura asked her friend while watching Shikamaru’s expression. At this question his eyes seemed to harden a bit. Just a little more prodding and Sakura knew that she could make him jealous of their classmate Chouji.

“What?” Ino asked surprised. “I didn’t know that Chouji was going to ask me!”

Sakura looked a little embarrassed. She really should have told Ino sooner, but now she was glad that she hadn’t. “I thought I told you! I guess I forgot. He asked me what I thought you’d say if he asked you to the homecoming.”

Ino looked at her friend, “And you said?”

“I said that I wasn’t sure what you’d say.” Sakura said. Ino gave her the look. “What, did you want me to say, no, Ino would never go for you, so just get over yourself?”

“I guess not. Now I have to figure out what to do.” Ino said as she took a sip of her water.

“Well, you could always go with him; you still don’t have a date yet, remember?” Sakura asked, giving her friend a pointed look.

“Yea, that’s always an option.” Ino said. Maybe she was catching on. “I just really don’t like him that much.” Or maybe not. “Still, I could go with him. I mean, I really don’t want to show up with no date.” Ok, she was catching on.

“Well, this could be your solution.” Sakura said.

“Yea, you’re right.” Ino replied.

“Um, Ino, can I talk to you for a minute?” Shikamaru asked, motioning that they should get out of the booth and walk outside.

“Sure.” Ino said. Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, and TenTen all slid out of the booth so that Ino and Shikamaru could get out. Ino gave Sakura a happy look as she went by her friend.

Ino and Shikamaru walked until they were outside of the restaurant, where no one would over here their conversation.

“You, know, Ino.” Shikamaru started, and Ino just looked at him. “I don’t think Chouji would be a very good date for you.”

“Oh, really?” Ino asked. “And why’s that.”

“Well, you guys aren’t alike at all, and I can’t see you getting along with him. I mean, he eats twenty four hours a day.” Shikamaru said, as he started rambling on.

“Shikamaru, can you just get to the point?” Ino asked him.

“Well, do you want to go to the dance with me?” Shikamaru asked her. “And not just this dance, all of the dances, Ino, will you be my girlfriend?”

Ino threw her arms around him as she nearly shouted her reply, “Yes! Of course I will be!” She took her head off of his shoulder ad brought it back to look at him. He leaned his head down, and she tilted hers up, bringing her lips to his, so that their lips met for a brief second. Ino then took her head away, and smiled prettily at him. Shikamaru reached for Ino’s hand as they walked back into the restaurant, only letting go when they reached the booth.

“Do you guys have something to tell us?” Sakura asked their friends.

“Shikamaru and I are going out now.” Ino said, a small blush on her cheeks as she remembered their kiss from earlier.

“That’s great!” TenTen said, happy for her friends. Neji and Sasuke just ‘Hned’.

“Hey!” Naruto exclaimed. “I wanted to ask Hinata to be my girlfriend, first!” Naruto looked over at Hinata, who was turning bright red, and then realized what he had just said. ‘Maybe Sasuke’s right about that thinking thing. If I did it before I spoke I wouldn’t cause all these problems. Well, there’s only one thing to do.’  Naruto looked back over at Hinata and said, “So, Hinata? What do you say?”

“Yes, Naruto!” Hinata said, her smile was enormous, and they could all tell how happy she was.

Sakura and TenTen smiled for their friends. They were happy, and that made the other two happy. Except for the fact that both girl’s felt left out. They wanted the guys sitting across from them to ask them out, too. Sure, TenTen hadn’t voiced it, but it wasn’t too hard to read the expression on her face.