❝ are you? ❞

Tsunade-sama has woken up," said Yamato after exiting Hokage's office. "War is coming and we need a Hokage."

"Thank god I didn't become Hokage," said Kakashi, his eyes still focused on reading his book. "That would make me not have time to read my literature..."

Yamato sweatdropped. "Kakashi-senpai, that book you mean ..."

"Hm? What is it, Tenzou?"

"No. Nothing," he shook his head. "And how many times I told you not to call me that, senpai!!"

"Why not? There were only three of us," Kakashi shrugged, then glancing towards the only girl of them who had been silent for a while. "Am I right, Shintarou?"

No response.

The two of them looked at each other. "Shizuka? Are you okay?" asked Yamato with a hint of concern in his voice. He gently shook her shoulder.

"Huh? Yes?" the girl blinked as if she just got back to reality. "I apologize. Did you say something?"

"What happened to you?" Kakashi bluntly asked. "You've been out of it since last week."

"I'm fine, nanodayo," pushes up her glasses, Shizuka stared at them with her usual stoic expression.

"I'm not convinced," Kakashi shut his book and shove it in his ninja pouch. "Something must be going on between you and Naruto. You've been avoiding each other since last week."

"Yes, you don't even fight about red beans and ramen anymore," Yamato added. Staring at her with concern.

Shizuka fell silent. It is true what they say. A week after that, she couldn't bear to see Naruto again. She was embarrassed that she just let her emotions out, that she shouted at him for a ridiculous reason. She felt awkward. And because of that, she started avoiding Naruto.

But, is it that obvious that Kakashi and Yamato find out?

"We just had a disagreement," she replied honestly with a soft voice. "nothing more."

Yamato gives her a reassuring smile. "Well, I hope you can solve that before the war begins."

"Yamato's right," Kakashi nodded in agreement. "And you know... You are very influential to Naruto."

Those words succeeded in making Shizuka stop. Her eyes were perfectly wide, from both shock and confusion. She was sure she heard it wrong. But it was the look in Kakashi's eyes that denied it.

"What?"

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The timber of various sizes lined the road. The constant hammering became a familiar sound lately. The lined tents are also like a mass summer camp. It was all the result of Pain's powerful attack.

In the middle of the street, Shizuka walked slowly. Her gaze was blank and her skin was pale. Like someone who has no intention of living. No energy at all. Kakashi's statement yesterday was still ringing in her mind. It was very confusing and resulted in her being unable to sleep that night.

It was all just what Kakashi said. Why was she so affected by that? And why does she feel so anxious and restless lately? Her heart felt very heavy. Like a feeling of remorse that is very, very deep.

"...Naruto-sama!!"

The shrill voice succeeded in making Shizuka stop. She turned to the source of the sound and saw the girls surrounding Naruto. The center of her problem and thoughts.

Shizuka watched them in a corner for a while, hiding behind a stack of woods. And for some reason, the longer she watched, the heavier her heart became. Emotions overwhelming her, from anger to fear and to confusion.

What's wrong with me?

She gasped. Fingers tightly clutching her cardigan as her breathing hitched for the overwhelming emotions. And she decided to leave there. Walking hastily to her real destination.

Steadying her breath, she calmed herself down before opening the store's door. The fragrance of flowers mixed with earth entered her nostrils. And the colorful flowers spoiled her eyes.

"Shizuka! Fancy seeing you here!" turning towards the source of the sound, she saw Yamanaka Ino with her casual clothes and an apron. The girl smiled widely as she waved her hand. "So, what flower that catches your eyes?"

"I want yellow hyacinth," she said simply. Observing the flowers surrounds her while playing the bandages on her fingers.

Ino raised an eyebrow at the choice of flower before shrugging and begin doing her job. But she couldn't help but to notice how restless the girl looks.

She came back ten minutes later with the flowers bucket. "Here. Yellow hyacinth," Ino gently placed the flowers to her. "Is this related to what happened between you and Naruto?"

Ino stared at her with a cheeky smile. Eyebrow rising as she leaned towards the counter.

"Pardon?" Shizuka blinked in confusion. Does this flower have something to do with Naruto? And why does everyone seem to know about it? Is it that obvious?

"Heh...It's so obvious, you know. For me, that's it," said Ino who seemed to understand what Shizuka was thinking. "Naruto looks sad lately. Even though he put on a fake smile. And you look so distracted. Like you're in your own world. Not forgetting how distant you are with him."

Shizuka bites her lips. "Nonsense," she pushes up her glasses. "Besides, I just buying this for today's lucky item, nanodayo."

"Do you know what that flower means?" before she can reply, Ino continued. "Yellow Hyacinth means jealousy."

"You mean, I was jealous of Naruto?" Shizuka throws her a disgusted look, earning a deadpanned one from Ino.

"No, silly," Ino ran her fingers through her bangs. "You are jealous of other people who are close to Naruto. Or maybe with his fans, since he turned into a hottie after he came back."

Huh?

Seeing the dumbfounded look from Shizuka, Ino deadpanned. "Are you dumb?"

"What did you say?"

"Wait, wait," ignoring her, Ino doves into her house and a minute later she comes back with a book with a purple cover. "Here, look!" flipping a few pages, she shows Shizuka a page full of Naruto's photos. "See the difference?"

Shizuka leaned to see it clearly. So far, according to her, Naruto had not changed at all other than his height and strength. Neither did she observe any more. But from the photos Ino showed, Shizuka just realized it. Naruto who now looks more mature, all of his features look sharper, even his gaze.

She blinked a few times as blush creeping on her cheeks. She leaned back, coughing to distract herself. "Why did you have his photos?"

"We're not talking about that!" Ino waved her hands in front of her face and shoved the book inside the apron's pocket.

"So, you're telling me that I was jealous of his fans?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't make sense. I'm buying these flowers because of Oha Asa."

"But you always say 'Oha Asa always right'," Ino imitates her, even with pushing up her imaginary glasses. "Okay, let's change the topic. What happened with you and Naruto?"

"We just had a disagreement," she sighed.

Ino pouted, placing her chin on her palm. "Why I thought that it was just a love quarrel?"

"Love... quarrel?" her eyes twitching in annoyance.

"Oh you know, like a fight between a couple," Ino shrugged. "Wait! Wait! Don't tell me... you're not a couple? Did you even have any tiny beany love for him?"

beany?

"Love?" she shoots her a disbelief almost disgusted look.

Ino leaned forward again. Arms slapping the counter as her face broke into a determined one. "Did your heart feels weird around him? Did you always think about him unconsciously? Or like when you suddenly want to protect him, wants him save? Did you suddenly care about him? Did he cause you to not sleep or think straight? Did you get moody? Emotional?" she panted as she bombarding Shizuka in one breath.

The girl's words left Shizuka speechless. It felt like everything Ino said was true. But is it really?

"Oh oh, I know that look. Spill!"

And she did. Even though Shizuka is the type to keep everything to herself, somehow she wants to tell everything. Maybe this will solve why her emotions fluctuate. And how her chest is acting weird.

Even though Shizuka never told Sakura anything.

The girl in front of her listened intently to her story. Ino's cheeks are flushed as her smile getting wider. "Oh it's definitely love~"

"Love? Not like?"

"Love and like is different, darling," she sang, twirling while patting her flowers. "When you like a flower, you just pluck it. When you love a flower, you water it daily."

Shizuka was silent for a moment. "So, you're telling me that I'm in love... with Naruto?"

"Are you?"

○○○

She walked with a deep thought running in her mind. Her conversation with Ino opened something in her heart.

But, did she really like ―no, love Naruto?

It felt a little strange for her. She never felt love after her fifth birthday. And now she fell in love with someone?

But if she did love him, why ... why when Shizuka was trying to avoid him?

It would also be awkward if she was on good terms with Naruto again.

Gosh, this new feeling really made her dizzy.

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After Shizuka walked out of the shop, Ino giggles to herself. She twirling again, dancing through her racks of flowers while humming a sound. Arranging her flowers to the exact position, then wiped her hands with a towel.

Ino walked out of the shop feeling excited. Her smile still stuck to her face as she waltzed inside the medical room.

"Oh, Ino!" she turned to see Naruto waving her with his handsome lazy smile.

Ino's smile getting wider if it was even possible. "Naruto!" she beamed, placing her palms on each side of his board shoulder. "Your one-sided are going to end~"

And she sauntered to do her job, humming to herself, leaving Naruto who just blinked in confusion.

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