Gerimis

Sasuke woke up feeling light headed. As consciousness descended upon him, he could feel the slight tautness of bandage wrapped around his eyes and head. He lifted his right hand to reach for his eyes but felt something tugging on the back of his hand. So using his left hand he touched the back of his hand and to his expectation the intravenous needle was still attached to his hand. He sighed and reached for his eyes with his left hand. The realisation of why he was lying down, groggy and bandaged came to him. He remembered that he had just undergone eye surgery so he was visually challenged at the moment. He sighed again at the thought of having to be bedridden and assisted around for at least a day.

Shizune, CHUNIN’s lead doctor and researcher walked into the ward, hugging a super thin tab to her chest. She had only wanted to take a peek at her patience’s condition and did not expect him to be awake already. Seeing him touching his hand to his bandaged eyes, she decided to check up on him for awhile.

“Hi Sasuke, I am Dr. Shizune Kato, I saw that you are awake now. How do you feel?”

Sasuke smirked as he pressed for the button which made the bed back rest automatically elevated.

“Hi…. Doctor,” his voice hoarse.

Shizune took a bottle of water from the bedside table, uncapped it and poked a straw through the plastic covering the bottle’s mouth.

“Here have a drink. It’s watered down tomato, carrot and celery juice. Good for the eyes.”

She grabbed his left hand and curled it around the bottle. He nodded and readied himself for a drink. Shizune tapped the tab to wake it up, and waited while Sasuke sipped on the drink. He sipped steadily until the bottle was half full.

“I need to check your vitals since you are awake. I will scan your finger here.”

Sasuke nodded while he waited for the doctor to press his finger onto the tab. Her warm fingers felt cold against his cold fingers. He realised that she must be outside.

“What time is it doctor?” he asked, knowing that he couldn't use his phone to tell the time since they must have stored it away to let him rest.

“It’s twenty minutes past two. Do you want your lunch?” She asked while placing his hand back on his blanketed thighs.  

“No. I can wait a little more.”

She looked at the tabs screen and smiled. The simple scan showed that his vital signs are as good as she had expected.

“Rest for awhile Sasuke. We will open your bandage later tonight. I will bring someone in for companion if you want.”

Sasuke stayed quiet for awhile and a sudden thought emerged in his head.

“Doctor, I appreciate your concern but I prefer to spend sometime alone here. However can I have my phone back, I am bored.”

Shizune knowing this patient quite well decided to adhere to his demand. Sasuke was the type to follow a regimented schedule, if there ever one. He wouldn’t spend hours on the phone if rest is a priority.

“Ok, I will get a nurse to send your phone. But rest well,” she patted his shoulder and left the room.

Sasuke smiled as he began planning his next dialogue.  

On the other far side of Konoha, Naruko woke up from her afternoon nap. She looked at the clock and lazily dragged herself to the bathroom for a warm bath. She had recently installed a hot water heater for the bathroom, she couldn’t stand being cold and alone. Being warm and alone is better because she can fall asleep right after a good hot shower.  

After putting her belt through the loops and securing the buckle, Naruko lazily tugged down her shirt to half cover the belt, She was on cleaning duty tonight so she did not bother to look presentable. She just bothered to made her face with powder and put tinted lip gloss on her chapped lips. Her blonde hair backcombed and tied into a single ponytail, she left the house in a hooded sweater. These few weeks she managed to carpool with Konan, who took over the night shift from Kakashi who was away somewhere outstations.

Naruko started doing weekend night shifts since two weeks ago when she realized spending weekends alone at the house was boring. The trainee managers have all been assigned to the new branch and other branch, while some employees had quit working to go back to school. So when Konan was blabbing about having to deal with extra vacancies on weekend when more manpower are needed, Naruko jumped at the chance.

Naruko looked at her cleaning schedule and proceeded with her cleaning supplies to the assigned area. She vacuumed the marble floor, swept the parquet floor, and dusted shelves. Two hours passed and she moved on to wiping the glass door of the office.

Konan walked past her and put two thumbs up. Naruko stuck her tongue out at her manager and carried on wiping the door. Cleaning was boring but it gave her mind time to wander while earning money. Naruko counted her extra money and mentally patted her back for managing to save her money for a trip back to Iwa. She missed Chiyo very much. She knew she had been contacting the old woman as frequent as she should so she thought a visit would be appropriate.

Maybe Ino and Sai would like to take a train ride? They said they loved villages did not they?

Having cleaned the door, Naruko moved on to the employees room. She knew that was where the most mess are made. She picked up a packet of thrash bag and began loosening it from its fold. She used gloves and scrunched at her face as she emptied the trash baskets.

Iruka won’t be free for the trip until the semester break which I don’t know when. I am aiming for the school break to come home to Iwa City.

What about Sasuke? Didn’t he say you can take him too?

No he didn’t?

Yes he did.

No!

Naruko laughed at her own self dialogues.

It was true Sasuke did not say he would take Naruko back to Iwa, but he did say she can ask him for anything. If… if she and him can be friends.

Naruko frowned, thinking about the offer. If someone were to look at her, they would see a girl frowning at a bag of trash. But all the employees were at the counter and no one was at the office so no one was looking at the girl.

Naturally Naruko avoided assholes like Sasuke. But there was something about the boy which attracted her. Just then her phone rang from inside her pants’ pocket. Naruko realized she forgot to silence the phone. She promptly took it out and swiped to answer mode.

“Hello?”

“It’s Sasuke? You miss me?”

Naruko could sense the smirk behind the hoarse voice. Why does he sound… sexy?

“I… I..”

“If you are working I am sorry to have disrupted you. But I just want to remind you about my proposal. Have you thought about it?”

“Umm… welll?”

“I can see the gears grinding. Call me back here, when you finally want anything. Bye.”

Naruko arched an eyebrow at the quick call.

“I am looking forward to it, Naruko.”

And Naruko heard the final click.

Naruko let out a harsh breath, suddenly feeling like someone was reading her mind. She went back cleaning and dared herself to take on Sasuke’s offer.

“Three things, anything you want, in return of a friendship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the hospital Sasuke smirk as he disconnected the call. Gai Lee had told him to delay his assignment because his operation is rescheduled earlier.

Now I can face Itachi, I have the same eyes as his. Sasuke thought of his ‘older brother’, and his heart soared at his chance to meet his ultimate opponent.

_________________________________________________________________________

“Wow it had been awhile since I did anything sporty,” Ino said as she exited the futsal court. She, Ino and Konan and two other girls from the cinema had just had a game of futsal against a futsal team they met online through the futsal court website. It was a convenient way of finding same skilled opponents when you don’t have enough players to form the opposing team. The other team had disappeared as soon as the game ended, but before anyone managed to exchange emails and phone numbers. Now being the only ones left, Ino, Naruko and Konan headed for the locker room to get their things.

“Hah. Me too. I think the last time I sweated this much was the other day...” Naruko turned around to finish her sentence but when she noticed that Konan was there behind Ino she turned back around and fell silent.

Konan smiled at Naruko’s unfinished words but ignored the younger girl, she just arched an eyebrow at Ino who smiled knowingly. Konan then headed to her locker and punched in her combination number for the rental locker and took out her drawstring bag. She gave a half salute to the girls and said, “Call me if you want to play futsal again. We can work on your non existing futsal skill Naruko. I should head for work now.”

Naruko unlocked her locker and waved at Konan. She noticed it was an hour before the night shift starts. She had her day off today and was earlier imagining herself at home, lounging on the bed watching some video on a borrowed laptop from Ino, but in truth she was out and playing futsal getting physical and loving it.

Naruko took the bag and sat on the bench separating the block of locker she rented from the block of locker on the other side of the room. She exhaled one long breath and leaned forward while resting her hands and elbows on her knees.

“Oh yeah. Ino.”

“Yeah, what?” Ino wiped her forehead with a hand towel she had fished out of her bag.

“I think I haven’t thanked you properly for saving me the other day.”

Ino smiled at the younger girl. “No problemo. I actually hope to teach you some self defence maneuver should you need to, you know…. Next time?”

“Like really? Like right now?” Naruko tilted her head to one side and blinked at Ino.

“Yes, really. But tomorrow maybe. I am spent from today,” Ino said.

Naruko grinned at the older girl and nodded in agreement with Ino. She used the front of her shirt to wipe her sweat soaked face. Ino reacted by fishing a smaller hand towel from her bag and threw it at her friend.

Naruko thanked her somehow quick reflex to be able to catch the towel before it reach the floor of the locker room. She gave the evil eyes at Ino for not warning her about wanting to throw the towel, but quickly reverted to a smile with her next words.

“Ummm, I haven’t thanked Sai and Sasuke too about you know what,” Naruko remarked while smelling the towel upon grabbing it.

“The towel is new, along with this bag.” Ino lifted her bag at Naruko. “I got it for free from the trip i took last week. New and unused, ok.” She watched Naruko start wiping her cheeks and neck with the towel.

Ino continued “If you really want to pay us back, maybe you can thank us all with home cooked food.”

“I am not a great cook Ino. Sasuke cooks better than me I bet,” Naruko groused.

Ino chortled and went to wrap her towel around her long blonde hair. She looked at Naruko as the younger girl untied her messy ponytail and retied it into a messy bun perched on top of her head. If Ino’s hair is now retouched to the colour of platinum blonde, Naruko’s hair looked yellow under the fluorescent light.

“Well, I had saved some money for a trip back to Iwa, where I come from. The place has a very nice chalet where we can spend next weekend… I also have some friends there who can give us discounts for car rental. Ummm.” Naruko halted. She was still hesitating about the idea of inviting Sai, Ino and maybe Sasuke to her hometown. But she did not want to go back alone.

Ino paused what she was doing and waited for Naruko’s explanation.

“Well, I am asking if you want to go for a trip with me to Iwa, with Sai of course. I think I heard you mentioned that you loved going to villages and there’s this thing called agro tourism in my village. The village folks still do some agriculture stuff and the urban folks come to see us. All expenses paid with discounts. What do you think?”

Ino smiled and shrieked “OhNarukoIlovetheideasoooooomuch!”

She jumped and sat beside Naruko who was smiling excitedly.

Ino continued.” But, I don’t know about Sai. I think he might be unavailable since he is a little busy these days. As for Sasuke, I’ll ask him about it later. Or do you want to invite him yourself?”

Naruko blushed at the mention of his name, actually she had decided to just ask Ino and Sai first. “I.. I.. I actually thought to invite only the two of you for the trip. So even if Sai couldn’t make it, we would still be able to go together.”

“What? Aren’t we all friends? It’s for saying thank you to all of us right?” Ino teased Naruko. She looked at the blushing girl whose eyes were fixated on a faraway spot in the locker room.

“I did not want to make him feel awkward with only him and the two of us, if Sai couldn’t make it.” Naruko explained.

“Ok, I get. Let me make it easier for you Naruko. If Sai is going, Sasuke is going, If Sai is not able to, Sasuke won’t go. Ok?”

Naruko looked at Ino and bit her lips “Really?”

“Yeah.” Ino quickly added “But one more thing, we are paying for the expenses ourselves. We share every expenses detail ok. It would be unfair for us, and Sai would agree with me, if we use your money for the trip.”

“But, I wanted to pay you back?”

“Ok. so you pay us back with the discounts and acting as our travel agent there. Agree?”

Naruko knew she had no choice but to agree with Ino. They would probably be paying for everything for the trip and Naruko was not about to argue and spoil a what was supposed to be a wonderful trip.

And I can send Lee with them for a trip to the highlands while I visit Chiyo.

“Well, let’s go. I am calling Sai to tell him in the car.”

Both girls zipped up their jackets and headed for the car. The futsal court did not have hot water facilities and the two made up their mind to go back home and clean themselves at their own homes. Much more comfortable.

Naruko had just exited her shower when she heard her phone vibrant fervently. She wiped her hands onto her towel and reached for the phone. The call stopped and the display brightened to notify her that was the second missed call while she was showering.

She waited for a moment should the caller call again and when the phone vibrated, she answered promptly.

“Yes?”

“Hi,” the smooth voice called from the phone.

Naruko swallowed and answered “umm.. Hey.”

She had not many male callers except for Iruka and once in an urgent blue moon, Kakashi.

“Ino told me about the trip. You want to invite me too?”

“Ummm… Sasuke… I told Ino that invitation depends on the circumstances.”

“Yes I heard her clearly. But let me treat this trip as your first wish from me as an exchange for a friendship. Anything you want to spend on the trip and anything you want to do, I’ll follow all the itinerary. Now I’ll have to google something about Iwa. I’m in whether Sai is available or not.”

Naruko was fuming. Who was this boy think he is, her bodyguard, her stalker?

“You stalking me aren’t you?” She teased the boy.

“You wish I’d do that don’t you? But don’t flatter yourself. You are pretty but not my taste.”

Naruko shivered at his words. She felt both offended and thrilled, she felt nauseated at herself for entertaining this bastard of a guy. He was brutally honest, stomping down on her but at the same time telling her that she is pretty.

Pretty? I have been labelled that adverb before, but never felt anything about this.

“Naruko, I am aware that friends don’t insult each other until they are firm friends and have undergone some kind of experience together. But I need to be friends with you fast. Urgent, if you really need to ask me how fast. So I am paying for you and going with the trip for you. Meet you at the train station next weekend?”

Again he paused and again she waited.

“Goodbye Naruko.”

Click went the phone.

Naruko rolled on the bed and threw her phone on her bed. She had unconsciously been gripping on her blanket throughout the call and pulling it up, her bed is now unmade.

Laying on the floor she began thinking about her disturbed inner sanctum. She decided that she needed to do something she rarely do, which is to collect information on the jerk bastard known as Sasuke. Usually she asked a person upfront, if she knew the person had something on her, a grudge or an untrue gossip, to settle things once and for all. But Sasuke, who seemed nice, but sounded crazy, needed to be researched thoroughly. Her wary heart told her to just keep ignoring him, maybe to be on the trip, do some nasty stuff so he will forget all about him wanting her.

She sighed and plopped up to wear some clothes. Putting the dilemma away, better to be mulled over when her hunger is satiated.