The Naruto Boyfriend Quiz Results (1/6).
Quiz here.
Others: (1/6) ; (2/6) ; (3/6) ; (4/6) ; (5/6) ; (6/6) .
Characters: Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Neji.
────» Naruto.
The festival is crowded enough that you lose Naruto amongst the people.
One second he's beside you, loudly insisting he smells grilled squid somewhere nearby, and the next he's swallowed whole by a sea of colorful yukata.
You eventually spot a flash of yellow hair. Oh good, he somehow managed to escape the restless crowd.
He's standing in front of a game stall, arms folded, glaring at a dart board. It's quite intense. You've only ever seen him look like that at his rival, Sasuke. This must be some serious stuff.
Curious, you decide to watch.
First throw. He misses completely. The dart sails harmlessly past the board, clattering somewhere behind the prizes.
"… Warm-up," Naruto mutters.
Second throw. This one actually hits the target. For one glorious second Naruto looks victorious. Then the dart bounces off without knocking down the target.
"Okay, that one doesn't count."
The vendor says nothing. He counts it.
Third throw. Miss.
Naruto stares at the empty board for a long, painful second before shooting the vendor an angry look.
"This is total crap!" he shouts, pointing an accusatory finger. "You can't expect me to win when you only give me three tries!"
Several nearby festival-goers glance over, but the vendor doesn't even blink.
"Young man," he says with the exhausted patience of someone who's heard this exact complaint a hundred times tonight, "that's how games work."
"It's a scam!"
Deciding to save him from digging himself into an even deeper hole, you step forward.
"Would you mind if I tried?"
The vendor gestures towards the darts with an amused smile. But Naruto immediately protests.
"Bah! Don't trust this old geezer! He's gonna rig it or something—I know it!"
"I assure you," the vendor sighs, "the game isn't rigged. Your boyfriend may simply be an idiot."
Naruto splutters in outrage. "I'm standing right here!"
Trying not to laugh (too hard), you pick up your first dart. You take aim. Throw! It lands… roughly as well as Naruto's first three attempts.
"Oh."
Your second throw is better. It strikes the target dead center. Then, just like Naruto's, it bounces harmlessly onto the counter.
You narrow your eyes. One dart remains. Surely. Surely, this one— You throw. The dart sails majestically through the air. Past the board. Past the prizes. Past the stall. Straight out through the open side of the tent. Somewhere, in the distance, someone yelps. You and Naruto exchange a knowing look. Ehh, they'll be fine. Probably.
"Nonsense!" you suddenly realize, pointing dramatically at the dart board. "This game is impossible!"
"I know, right?!" Naruto agrees instantly.
But you know him. He sulks for only about two minutes. Long enough to kick absentmindedly at the dirt before something catches his eye in the distance. His entire expression changes. Like the sun breaking through clouds, he lights up with a grin so bright it could light up the world.
"Never mind this," he announces. "I'm gonna win you that panda."
You follow his finger. A massive panda plush sits proudly atop another game stall a few booths away, practically begging to be won. Naruto flashes you the most confident smirk you've ever seen, as though the outcome is already decided. He grabs your wrist and starts dragging you through the crowd.
"Come on!"
You don't have the heart to remind him how much money he has left.
Goodbye, Naruto's savings.
All 6,000 ryō.
────» Sasuke.
The evening air is colder than you anticipated. Not freezing, but cold enough that you find yourself regretting not bringing another layer. You do your best not to complain, shoving your hands deeper into your pockets and hunching your shoulders ever so slightly as you walk beside Sasuke through the quiet streets of Konohagakure.
The village is mostly quiet at this hour. Most of the market stalls have long since packed away for the night. Lanterns cast warm pools of light on the path. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hoots.
It's a lovely night. Or it would be, if only you weren't freezing. Damn it, you should've thought about this before leaving the house.
As you're mentally cursing your complete lack of foresight, something unexpectedly warm settles across your shoulders. You blink. Sasuke's cloak found its way around you.
For a moment, you simply stare at it before glancing at him. He doesn't say anything about it, just continues walking, staring ahead and not even sparing you a glance.
So, he noticed the way you'd been trying to curl into yourself against the wind, and without a word, he'd simply given you the only extra layer he had. You try to thank him, but he just shrugs.
"Thought you needed it."
You pull the cloak a little tighter around yourself and a small, thoroughly ridiculous smile threatens to spread across your face. Oh, he can play it cool all he wants. If he insists on freezing in your place just to maintain the illusion that he's so cool… Well. Who are you to stop him?
In fact… Your house is only a street away. A warm fireplace, fresh tea, and four solid walls sound considerably more appealing than wandering around outside. Surely even someone as aloof as Sasuke wouldn't object to escaping the cold.
You open your mouth, still deciding how to phrase the invitation. But Sasuke beats you to it.
"It's cold," he states.
You stare at him. You are very well aware.
"The inn I'm staying at is on the other side of Konoha," he continues.
You bite back a smile. Your king of insinuation is… insinuating, yes.
"So," you begin, playing into what you know to be his masterplan. "Do you want to stay over at my place instead?"
He hums thoughtfully, pretending to weigh his options.
"… If you insist," he finally answers.
You have to look away before he notices your grin. Of course. He's only borrowing your house because it's closer. It's not like he likes you or anything.
────» Kakashi.
You're halfway through cleaning your apartment when you get the distinct feeling that you aren't alone. You pause mid-swipe with your dust cloth and glance toward the hallway.
"…Hello?"
No answer. You poke your head into the living room.
"Kakashi?"
There he is. Completely at home. He's stretched across your couch, one leg lazily crossed over the other, engrossed in his book (the one that he's always dodgy about when you ask, so you stopped asking). He doesn't even give you the courtesy of looking up. You sigh, walk over, and flick the corner of the book. It slips from his hand and lands squarely on his face. One sleepy eye peeks over the cover.
"Oh," he says, sounding pleasantly surprised. "You're finally done."
You stare at him. "I'm not done."
He hums thoughtfully, as though considering your statement. Before he can say anything else, you shove a feather duster into his hand and point toward the bookshelf. Kakashi glances from the duster… to you… then back to the duster. He sighs, but doesn't complain. Not verbally, anyway.
Several minutes pass.
Then, you hear tiny footsteps. A familiar dog waddles around the corner. Pakkun peers into the room.
"Your man summoned me to get out of cleaning duty but failed to bribe me," he snitches. Wow. You should've predicted this. "I recommend finding a more reliable man, one who doesn't drag innocent souls like me into domestic slavery."
Of course. Of course Kakashi would try to outsource his chores.
"Pakkun!" Kakashi scolds. But Pakkun is gone by the time he can say anything else.
Kakashi then looks at you, apologetically raising his palm. "Hah, sorry… I guess, you'll forgive me if I help you clean?" he humbly concedes.
You scowl at him for a moment before allowing him to make up for his little blunder. After all, two pairs of hands are more efficient than one.
Kakashi lets out the deepest, most long-suffering sigh with a broom in his hand.
Oh, real relationships are nothing like in Icha Icha…
────» Neji.
Your arrangement of the gift looks good.
Neji looms over your shoulder, careful not to let his presence become distracting or annoying.
You furrow your eyebrows, it's good, but it's not yet without flaw. Neji can see it, too. He points to the congratulatory message written beside the flowers.
"We mention good fortune too many times," he says. "The gift is already adorned with peonies, which symbolize prosperity. Repeating the sentiment only cheapens it."
You nod in agreement. The two of you had chosen the flowers with purpose. Purple peonies, to acknowledge the newlyweds' noble standing and to wish them a prosperous, happy life. You don't need to say the same thing seven times.
"Perhaps we should wish them a large, happy family?"
Neji shakes his head almost immediately.
"What if one of them is infertile?"
You laugh. "That's so specific, Neji."
"Yes," he replies, "but we shouldn't be so presumptuous."
Fair enough. Resting your chin in your hand, you reread the message. Neji's handwriting is as elegant as ever. It's simply beautiful.
"Hmm…" You tap the edge of the paper thoughtfully. "What about beauty?"
Neji considers it for exactly half a second.
"No, I know the groom. Beauty has long abandoned him. He'd think we're mocking him."
Ouch. Neji is brutal. Though, considering the groom is an elderly nobleman taking a second wife after outliving his first, perhaps he has a point.
"Health," you decide at last.
Neji hums quietly.
"…Yes."
He reaches for the brush, and you watch him write: 'May you always bloom with health.'
You smile. "The wording pairs nicely with the flowers."
"It does."
He gives the completed letter one final, meticulous inspection, searching for imperfections. Seemingly satisfied, he sets the brush aside.
"If we received wishes like these at our wedding," he says thoughtfully, "I suppose I wouldn't be entirely offended."
You pause. Wait, what did he just say?
'Our wedding'?
You bite the inside of your cheek to keep your smile from being too obvious.
Yeah. Real subtle, Neji.
Manga edits and writing are mine. Please don't repost the writing.
