greeted happily, plopping himself down in front of where she sat quietly. He noticed her hair was down in a low ponytail, whips of hair escaping that framed her face nicely. It suited her. The color blue also suited her. From her crystal-like eyes, to the light-colored shorts she wore. Everything just... mixed. And so he sat with a smile that went unnoticed by both of them, admiring her while they sat there.

"Hey." Yuri replied slowly, fiddling with her nimble fingers as she stared at the ground.

Naruto cocked his head to the side curiously. "What's wrong?"

"N–" She looked up to reassure him, but her voice got caught in her throat all of a sudden. She stared at the fellow blue-eyed boy wistfully. He wasn't in his ninja gear this time, but in casual clothing. Without his headband, his hair lay freely against his forehead, the wind causing it to flow occasionally in the sun. He was also wearing the lily flower in his hair from a few days before, even though it had wilted slightly.

"Yuri-chan..." Naruto poked her cheek, flashing her a small grin. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay." Yuri nodded, returning the grin. She had picked a nickname for him now. One that suited him the best.

But that was also a secret.

"Sakura ditched me for Sasuke." He let out a whine once he knew she was fine, a look of sadness taking over his face.

She pat her thighs, indicating for him to lay down. "Tell me all about it." Her shorts went up the tiniest bit while she adjusted her position on the grass.

He instantly rest his head on her lap and exhaled. "She's always picking Sasuke over me. I don't get it. What do they see in Sasuke? He's so cold towards everyone, never even making an... an... ugh!"

"An effort." Yuri said softly, running her fingers through her friend's yellow hair.

"An effort." Naruto blinked appreciatively. "He has a whole group of fangirls tailing him all the time. What does he have that I don't have?"

"Pity." The bleach-blonde answered simply, continuing to run her fingers through Naruto's hair soothingly. "His clan died a few years ago, right? He always shows up to missions on time, and always walks with his head high wherever he goes, he always has something to say. People think he's strong. He can handle what happened to him, so they find that attractive. They pity him, and get caught up in their feelings. They mistake love for lust."

"You're so smart, Yuri-chan, ya know?" He sighed, looking up at her admiringly.

"Thank you. You're very kind." Yuri replied in the same manner, giggling slightly. "And you're always going to be the best, Naruto. Whether it be in skill or as a person."

"Hey, wanna be my best friend?" He asked after an eternity. The previous tangy orange mixed with blue sky was a midnight blue now, the stars sparkling over them.

"I thought you'd never ask."