Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Dance Magic ❯ Dance Magic ( Chapter 1 )

Dance Magic

“I’ll find you again. That’s a promise. So wait for me.”
Sakura sighed as she watched the television screen. The dashing blond kissed the heroine and ran off into the sunset to fight his wicked nemesis. It wasn’t the best or her favorite movie featuring him, but this scene was sentimental to her: probably because it reminded her of a time long ago when she was young and insecure, until she had a chance meeting with him.
Looking back, Sakura could see exactly how the expressive boy made it in Hollywood. His actions back then mirrored the main leads he had been getting recently. She didn’t want to think she was just another fan-girl who had a crush on her favorite actor, but considering that the chances of her ever meeting him again were slim to none, sadly that was what she was.
“Are you watching that movie again?”
Sakura stopped the movie and turned towards her roommate Ino. “It is a good movie.”
“Only because it features Naruto Uzumaki. I’m sure that you’d watch anything that he was starring in,” Ino said as she admired the DVD cover that featured Naruto with an open shirt. “Though I can’t say I blame you.”
“Stare all you want. That’s probably as close as we’ll ever get to him.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you met him once?”
“Yeah, when I was seven. He was just a kid back then. He was the one who saved me from those bullies in Central Park. It was a few years before he started starring in that television series about the child ninja.”
Ino’s eyes brightened. “I remember watching that when we were in middle-school. That was such a great show. So he’s the one you hero worshipped all those years ago. Too bad he’s a Hollywood elite. I doubt he ever steps foot outside of LA unless it’s for a movie shoot.”
“Actually, his parents live in the city. But he spends most of his time living with his god-father in LA to be close to the industry,” Sakura smiled.
“Oh, so there is a chance you could meet him if he ever decided to visit Mommy and Daddy?”
Sakura sighed. “Highly unlikely. His Dad is Senator Namikaze and his Mom is the CEO of Bijuu International. They spend most of their time travelling.”
“His Dad is Senator Namikaze? Then why does he go by Uzumaki? Is that a stage name?”
“Sort of, it’s actually his mother’s maiden name. He stated in one of his interviews, he wanted to earn his success on his own without riding on the coattails of his parents’. He actually had his last name legally changed to Uzumaki before starting as a child star.”
“Wow Sakura. You must be pretty obsessed about this guy to know that much about him,” Ino teased as she poked at her roommate’s forehead. “All those brains are good for stalking then I guess.”
“You’re one to speak. Need I remind you of your obsession with that model you’ve had for the past year?”
“Hey, even you have to admit that Sasuke Uchiha is one fine looking piece of man.”
“I’ll concede that, but he’s still a jerk-wad.”
Ino rolled her eyes. “Just because your Dad had a bad experience--”
“It wasn’t just him,” Sakura pouted.
“Okay, so just because you and your Dad had a bad experience with him doesn’t mean he’s a jerk.”
“Ino, he bumped into me when I was working, told me off and then called me a klutz with a fat forehead,” Sakura said giving Ino a leveled glare.
“So he’s a jerk to hotel workers. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s hotter than hot,” Ino sighed dreamily.
“Keep on fantasizing there. I guarantee that once you meet him, you’ll change your mind.”
“That’s a big if I ever meet him. I have to admit that as lousy as your job is, I am jealous that you get to meet some famous people from time to time. Too bad I have to help out at my parent’s shop. I don’t get nearly as many rich and famous customers at a florist than the Waldorf.”
Sakura shrugged. “Honestly it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. I’d probably be spending my summer waiting tables or something else mundane rather than working as a hotel grunt. It’s only because my Dad’s one of the concierges that I even work there in the first place.”
“A job’s a job. At least you’re getting paid. Three summers of working at my parent’s place and all I get is a pat on the back. That’s hardly going to cover books next year,” Ino pouted.
“Ino, your parents are paying for your education and rent. Need I remind you that I’m trying to foot the bill for most of my expenses?”
“Yeah, why are you doing that again? It’s not like your parents can’t afford to help out.”
“I know that, but I feel like I owe it to them to try and pay for college myself. That’s why I’ve been working part-time since I got my work permit,” Sakura defended.
“You are such an overachiever,” Ino shook her head.
“Better too much than not enough,” Sakura said as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. “Oh, by the way, I’m going to be in late tonight. Dad says that there’s another one of those galas that’s taking place in the main ballroom and I’m needed to stay late. Clean-up duty.”
Ino nodded her head. “Just don’t wake me when you get in. I have to open tomorrow.”
“Okay, later Ino!”
“Have fun at work!”

* * *

The subway ride to the Waldorf was uneventful. It was the same boring ride that she used to take with her father before she started college and moved into an apartment with Ino. In a way, she missed staying with her parents, but the apartment was closer to campus and living on her own was part of her personal mission to become an adult along with paying for her own tuition. Her father didn’t understand why she was doing it, but at least her mother supported her decision. It certainly wasn’t like her parents were cutting her off if the last few deposits into her bank account were any indication. Sakura was tempted to call her father out on it; however, what was done was done. There was no changing his overprotective nature.
Speaking of which, Sakura smiled to herself as she saw her father waiting for her at the service entrance. “Hey Daddy!”
“Hey there sweetheart. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
“Good. And how are things going over at the apartment?”
Sakura sighed. “Same as they were yesterday and the day before that.”
“I can’t help it if I’m concerned about my daughter’s welfare. There’s not much time left in the summer before you start with your second year at NYU. I’m milking my time with you for all it’s worth. Are you going to visit home before the end of the month? Your mother keeps on complaining to me how I get to see you all of the time but she hardly sees you anymore,” the older Haruno playfully chided.
“Don’t worry Dad. I’ll be by before the Fall semester starts. I talked with Mom this morning about it.”
Sakura’s father ruffled her hair. “That’s good to hear. Oh, before I forget, the guests hosting the big gala tonight requested that the servers and staff wear certain costumes during the event.”
“Costumes?”
“Yeah, costumes. Some of them are in the backroom. I haven’t looked at them yet.”
The Harunos made their way to the backroom where other staff were perusing through the rack of clothes. There were costumes of varying genres and sizes. Most of the men’s wardrobe consisted of Victorian Era coats or animal costumes. The women’s wardrobe was a different matter. There were only two choices: bondage fairy or French maid.
“Hey Dad, remember a few years ago when I asked you what you did at work?”
“Yeah.”
“So is this what you meant when you said you basically kiss ass all day?”
“Well, not really. It’s not the worst request I’ve had. But yeah,” Sakura’s Dad pulled out the most conservative looking French maid outfit on the rack, which wasn’t saying much. “Here, wear this one.”
Sakura took the costume and eyed it with disgust. “I am getting paid overtime for this, right?”
“You know Kakuzu, but since the hosts are paying big for the event, he’s feeling generous.”
Sakura grimaced when she heard her father talk about his boss. Kakuzu didn’t like Sakura because he didn’t think that as the daughter of one of his employees, she would actually pull her load. She wasn’t going to deny that it was her father’s influence that helped her get the job, but Sakura busted her butt every day she worked doing everything from taking luggage up to the rooms to cleaning and even to working at events such as the one tonight.
“So, Dad, where are you going to be stationed tonight?”
“I’m at the Park Avenue entrance receiving guests. What about you?”
“Working the hors-d’oeurves and clean-up tonight.”
“Well good luck sweetie. Hopefully I’ll get to see you before I clock out. I hate it when we have different hours.”
Sakura smiled and hugged her father. “I know Daddy, but I’m a big girl now and can handle myself.”
Father and daughter went their separate ways as they prepared for the gala that was being held in the Grand Ballroom. Sakura had heard the buzz going around about the guests who would attend. Apparently, the gala was supposed to be a masquerade ball featuring many big name Hollywood bigwigs. All of the proceeds from ticket sales were going to charities helping war orphans in the Middle East. She thought she heard that the sponsors were the famous musicians: Yahiko, Konan and Nagato, but she didn’t have the time to confirm it with one of the maids. Her sporadic work schedule and duties never kept her doing the same job for very long; partly Kakuzu’s fault since he thought that part-timer equaled slave.
Busying herself in the kitchens, she helped Ayame prep the serving trays with all of the hors-d’oeurves. There were supposed to be hundreds of guests tonight, which meant loads and loads of food. As much as Sakura hated having to work at events like this, the one bright side was that the staff got to have dibs on all of the food that the guests didn’t finish. With that in mind, Sakura smiled to herself as she eyed the hand-crafted artisan bonbons that were being prepped on the dessert spread. Leftovers of those would make her night.
One of the servers poked his head into the kitchen. “The first guests have arrived. I’ll need one set of servers out on the main floor.”
Grabbing a tray of goat-cheese mushroom tarts, Sakura made her way into the Grand Ballroom. The sheer size of the room always caught her off-guard, but this function seemed different than the weddings and conferences that she normally saw being held here. The lighting and decorations had transformed the place into something out of a fairytale. The renaissance style costumes worn by the guests helped add to the picture. What startled her were the different masks that some of the guests wore.
It would be an understatement to say that a few people got carried away with the motif. Some of the masks had colorful feathers adoring them while others took on the appearance of strange mythical creatures; one even had Christmas lights. As exciting as it was to see the different designs that people were wearing, Sakura had a job to do and so she focused on clearing her tray of the delectable food before heading back into the kitchen to grab another tray. She repeated the same motions over and over until the room was filled with almost all of the guests. The DJ located on the main stage was starting to play the more upbeat music to try and get the party in full swing. That meant more guests dancing rather than eating.
As fewer guests were picking her tray clean, Sakura found some time to actually observe the festivities. There were several people who had taken their masks off and she thought she recognized a few famous actors and actresses. She even saw Governor Senju chatting with the horror director Orochimaru and the famous writer Jiraya. Apparently they had all graduated in the same high school class. At one point, she thought she saw the model Sasuke Uchiha glowering in the corner. Sakura made a mental note to never go to that corner. The last thing she needed was for the guy to bump into her, blame her and then insult her forehead, again. She briefly wondered if Naruto Uzumaki would be one of the famous actors mingling in the crowd. Then she remembered that IMDB listed him in post-production on a movie being filmed in Chicago.
A tap on her shoulder caused Sakura to turn toward a male guest. She smiled and offered him the tray of food. “Would you like some soy-glazed ahi tuna on a wasabi crisp, sir?”
The man laughed. “Do you have to say that to everyone who wants some food?”
Sakura was a bit taken aback by the man. Usually guests didn’t try to interact with her. “Yes, sir.”
“I feel sort of old being called sir by someone who’s probably the same age as me. So. Are these any good?”
For the first time, Sakura really focused on the strange guest who had sparked a conversation. He was dressed like all of the other guests, but his outfit consisted of an ornately decorated black vest with a silk cravat. The mask was certainly not the strangest one she’d seen tonight, but the tiny clawed hand on one corner of the mask was a little creepy; even if it looked like something out of an old fantasy movie she had seen as a child. Of course none of that really mattered because the look in his eyes was short of breathtaking. She felt like she was swimming in an ocean of deep blue warmth and wanting nothing but to drown in them. She was so absorbed in his eyes, she couldn’t come up with the standard answer that she usually gave guests, ‘It’s delicious.’
Instead she answered honestly. “I’ve never had one of these so I wouldn’t know.”
The costumed man pursed his lips in thought as he took one of the wasabi crisps. Raising it to Sakura’s lips, he grinned mischievously, “Say ah!”
Sakura had barely opened her mouth to protest when the hors-d’oeurve was shoved into her mouth. The sweet and spicy taste of the fish was spectacular as the mustardy tang of the wasabi crisp awakened her senses. She savored the treat as the flavors rolled around in her mouth. It was delicious.
“So how was it?”
“Really good,” she said with a smile.
“Great! Let me try one,” the man said as he plopped the hors-d’oeurve into his mouth. “Whoa! Spicy!”
Sakura laughed as the man coughed a few times and fanned his tongue. It was easy to feel natural around him for some reason; probably because he treated her like a friend and not some lowly servant. She wanted to laugh and chat with him some more, but a female guest a few feet away had motioned for her so she could sample the food on her tray.
“Well, looks like I have to get back to work. I’m glad you enjoyed the food,” Sakura said before rushing towards the other guest. She didn’t even get a chance to see the man reaching out for her before dropping his hand and looking back at her fondly through his mask.
The rest of the evening was a haze as she found herself peeking through the guests, hoping to catch another glimpse of the man in black. She thought she would see him staring at her from across the room, but then he would suddenly get swallowed up by the crowd. Occasionally, she would start making her way towards him with a new tray of food, but before she knew it, the tray would be emptied and she’d have to return to the kitchen for more. There was something about the man that made her want to talk to him. Maybe it was the allure of mystery behind his identity or his charming attitude; either way, Sakura was disappointed when after working a few hours straight she had lost sight of him.
Rushing back into the kitchen, she checked to see if there were any more trays prepped to go out. Ayame stopped her before she could grab a tray of smoked salmon brioches, “Sakura, why don’t you go ahead and take a break? They’re actually about to start some speeches so we won’t need as many people on the floor until it’s time to bring out the desserts.”
“Okay, I’ll go ahead and take my break then,” Sakura said as she walked out of the kitchen towards the staff rooms.
As she crossed the mirrored hallway, she silently cursed the fact that the break room was on another floor and almost half-way across the hotel. The thought of walking down a flight of stairs did not appeal to her. She hadn’t realized how sore her feet were from running around all night until her eyes landed on the plush loveseat. Sakura knew that if her supervisor or Kakuzu caught her sitting down in the middle of the hall, she’d get chewed out. However, her body didn’t care as she sunk into the seat cushions. Relief was instantaneous and she doubted that anything could pull her out off of the loveseat: professional demeanor be damned, she deserved to relax. Closing her eyes, she let the muffled sounds of the party music soothe her.
“Is this seat taken?”
Sakura turned towards the familiar voice and gasped as the guest from earlier stood in front of her. Too shocked to speak, she quickly shook her head and scooted over so that the man could fit on the loveseat. Once again, Sakura found herself unable or unwilling to drop her gaze from his eyes. He looked and acted as if he knew her or that they were old friends.
“I was hoping I’d get to see you again. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
She was taken aback. No one had ever talked to her with such joyous longing. Exactly who was this man? “I didn’t realize I had made such an impression on you.”
“It’s hard to forget a face like yours,” the man said smiling secretively. “You really haven’t changed at all.”
Sakura looked at the man confused. “Do I know you?”
The man gave her a bright smile and laughed. “Of course you know me! Just like how I know you. You’re Sakura Haruno.”
“Wait, how did you know my name?”
“Do you remember when you were little being picked on by a few older boys in Central Park?”
“Yes I do . . .”
“Do you remember the boy who saved you?”
Sakura’s eyes widened. “Naruto? Naruto Uzumaki?”
The man removed his mask to reveal the familiar face of her favorite actor. “In the flesh.”
Sakura nearly fell out of her seat. “I can’t believe it. It’s really you. I didn’t think I’d ever see you in person ever again. You remembered me?”
“Of course. I made a promise to you that I’d find you again. Didn’t know it would take me years. Do you have any idea how many girls named Sakura Haruno there are in the world?”
“You’ve been looking for me for all of those years? Why? I mean, why me? What’s so special about me?”
Naruto’s gaze softened. “You’re the first person I’d ever saved. You inspired me.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Sakura couldn’t believe that her meeting with him so many years ago had as much as an impact on him as it did her. “I inspired you?”
“You better believe it!”
“I’m surprised to hear that I was able to inspire an actor. What exactly did I do?”
“It was all in your smile,” Naruto reminisced. “My parents always tried to instill into me that good things come to those who help others. I never really got what they were trying to say until that day when I saved you. At the time I was trying to play hero to show how tough I was to those older boys. But then when I saw the look of gratitude on your face, I finally understood what my parents had been trying to tell me. When we talked with each other on the playground, I knew you were the type of person who would make a lifelong friend and that was really special to me. I always wished we had more time to play with each other. You know, I tried looking for you at the same part of the park the next day.”
“You did? So I don’t feel so bad that I tried to find you too. I’m flattered I made such an impression. You were the first person my age to actually talk and play with me. I really wanted you as my friend. So how did that inspire you to become an actor?” Sakura asked.
“That was my God-father’s idea. After I went home, I told my parents all about you and how I wanted to help more kids like I did with you. But the suggestions that they had were so boring and would have taken me so long to do. Then Jiraya got the idea for me to go into acting. Kids love following big name people and use them as role-models. Having written screenplays, he knew several people in Hollywood and thought I’d be able to make it on the national stage and well . . . here I am now.”
Sakura nodded in understanding. “So that’s why you did all of the PBS specials about respect and volunteering.”
“Hey, you watched those?”
“Of course I did. I loved them.”
Naruto raised his fists in triumph. “Sweet! Most of my fans hated those.”
The pair talked with each other as if they were old friends who were catching up right where they left off all of those years ago. Naruto learned about Sakura’s studies at NYU and her personal goal to pay for college herself. He admired her for her commitment, wanting to hear more about her college life and everything else that may or may not have been important. She was more than willing to oblige and learned that he had volunteered at several orphanages back in LA. Sakura enjoyed listening to his description of the kids that he’d met and how he was trying to help them each achieve their dreams.
“I’m envious of you,” Sakura said. “You’re doing so much to help others and I’m just a poor lowly college student.”
“That’s not true. You are doing a lot, you just don’t know it,” Naruto stared into her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re already trying hard to help your family by paying for college yourself when you don’t have to. That shows how you’ve got a big heart. I have no doubt that if you were in my position, you’d be doing just as much if not more.”
Sakura blushed, taken aback by his words. “I never thought about it that way. Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Naruto grinned. He turned his head towards the double-doors leading to the ballroom and smiled as he heard the music filtering through. Naruto stood and held his hand out to Sakura. “Dance with me.”
Taking his hand, she let him pull her into his arms while the soft hypnotic melody played in the background. She felt underdressed in her French maid outfit, but the way he rocked and swayed with her to the music made her feel like a princess. No words were spoken as they both stared into each others eyes, letting the soft guitar rifts lull them into another world where only they existed. Sakura never considered herself a good dancer, but with Naruto leading her into a simple waltz, the pair looked like long-time partners.
When the song ended and the music picked back up to a more upbeat tempo, the pair found themselves stationary in the hall with nothing else on their minds except that they didn’t want this night to end. Naruto wrapped his arm around her waist a little tighter as Sakura squeezed his other hand tenderly. They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t notice the other couple walking towards them until it was too late.
“So there you are!”
Shocked, Naruto and Sakura broke apart abruptly and stared at the beautiful red-haired woman who spoke. Sakura was stunned speechless as she stood only feet away from Senator Minato Namikaze and his wife, Kushina.
“Hey Mom, Dad,” Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. “What brings you out here?”
Kushina walked up to Naruto and whacked him on the back of the head. “Did you think you could get out of the presentation we were going to give in a few minutes for Jiraya?”
“No Mom, I just . . . got caught up in things.”
Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin when Kushina’s eyes landed on her. The older woman studied her for a few minutes before breaking out into a smile. “Ah, I see now. It’s her. I guess I can let the matter slide, but you’re still not getting out of presenting with us. Now come on, we’ve got to go. You can introduce us to your girlfriend later,” Kushina said as she dragged Naruto out towards the ballroom.
Naruto tried to turn back and say something to Sakura, but was stopped when his mother punched him on the top of the head. The young girl watched the family head into the Grand Ballroom when Senator Namikaze turned towards her at the last minute and bowed politely before giving her a reassuring smile. Sakura stood alone in the hallway trying to process everything that had happened. He heart was beating rapidly from her close proximity to Naruto and the sight of his famous parents.
Her emotional high was abruptly halted when she saw Kakuzu at the end of the hall making his way towards one of the upper levels. That was Sakura’s cue to end her break and get back to work. She busied herself in the kitchen taking out the dessert trays. Each time she was on the main floor, she let her eyes wander to try and find Naruto somewhere in the crowd. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. As the party wound down, she found herself too busy with picking up empty plates and glasses to be able to find her childhood hero. Soon the ballroom was completely empty and all of the guests had left the hotel or had retired to their rooms.
She had never been more disappointed in her life. To top it off, they had never gotten around to exchanging contact information. Sakura sighed in frustration that she didn’t know when she would see him again or even how long he was going to be in the city. The rest of the evening went by in a flash as she soon found herself exhausted and back in her room at the apartment. After collapsing into bed, she closed her eyes and hoped that she’d be able to find him again.

* * *

“You met him, you really met him?” Ino said nearly crushing the floral arrangement in her hands. “Why didn’t you wake me when got back last night? This is huge news!”
“I knew you were going to open and I didn’t get back into the apartment until two in the morning.”
“Sakura, there are several instances where it’s okay to wake me up in the middle of the night: when there’s a fire, when the world is about to end and when you meet Naruto Uzumaki at work.”
Sakura rolled her eyes. “I’ll remind myself to interrupt your beauty sleep next time.”
Putting the rest of the bouquets away, Ino turned all of her attention to her roommate. “So, did you get his number? When are you two going to meet next? Do you think you could get me his autograph?”
“Whoa there Ino, calm down! No, I didn’t get his number. We didn’t get a chance to. But he did remember me from when we were seven.”
“The incident in Central Park? He remembered that?”
“I know,” Sakura smiled. “He said that he had been searching for me ever since then. Apparently, I was an inspiration to him.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
Sakura nodded her head despondently. “Yeah it is. But I don’t know when he’ll find me or even if he finds me, how we’re going to keep a lasting friendship. I mean, he lives on the West Coast and I’m here in New York. That’s worlds apart from each other.”
“What about work? Maybe he’ll try to find you at the hotel today?”
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. “I have the next two days off and nothing could make me drag myself back there on my day off. Not even Naruto.”
“What if Naruto was lying in one of the hotel rooms all covered in chocolate and tied neatly with a bow asking for a cute maid with pink hair to service him. Would you go then?” Ino teased.
“Hell yeah!” Sakura said throwing her hands into the air before blushing and pulling them back down slowly. “I mean . . . well . . . it would have to be some damn good chocolate.”
Ino digested the information thoughtfully. “Are you sure you want to be only friends with him? Last I heard he was single.”
“Ino! That’s neither here nor there. I’m more concerned about whether I’m actually going to see him again.”
“And if you do finally see him, then what? Cover him in chocolate?”
“I’m not going to sexually assault him as tempting that may be. Honestly, it’ll be a miracle if I’d be able to keep in contact with him given his busy schedule.”
“I’m sure that if you meant as much to him as he said he did, then he’d make time for you,” Ino said matter-of-factly. “Besides, if he doesn’t do that, then he’s just not good enough and not worth it.”
Sakura smiled. “Thanks Ino.”
The sound of the bell over the door alerted the girls that Ino had a customer. Sakura busied herself pretending to look at the flowers on display near the counter while Ino put on her best sales face to greet the customer. “Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers and Gifts. Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m looking for someone here. Her name’s Sakura,” a familiar male voice said.
Sakura snapped her head towards the customer. There stood Naruto smiling down at her in all of his splendor and glory. They locked gazes and slowly Sakura’s face broke out into a huge smile. Meanwhile, Ino stood staring back and forth between the duo with a look of understanding. Ino walked to the front of the store and flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’ before leaving to take care of some of the flowers on display outside of the shop; giving the pair some privacy.
“You found me.”
Naruto nodded. “I found you.”
“How did you know where I was?”
“I met the nicest man at the hotel this morning who told me where I might find you. He also told me the most flattering things about you and how you liked Starbucks,” Naruto said as he pulled out a grande Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino with whipped cream on top.
It was one of Sakura’s favorite indulgences. Her father would treat her to one from time to time and only he knew how she liked to spend time pestering Ino at work on her days off. “I hope my Dad didn’t tell you any embarrassing stories about me.”
“Only about her love for an actor who she remembered meeting a long time ago.”
Sakura blushed. “Well, I hope that he gave you the fifth degree when he spoke to you.”
“Nah, he didn’t. He was too engrossed talking to my Dad about politics to give me a proper ‘don’t hurt my daughter or I will kill you’ speech,” Naruto grinned. “By the way, my parents want to meet you soon. I tried to find you after the party was over, but the hotel management wouldn’t let me go back into the staff rooms or kitchen.”
“I tried looking for you too when I wasn’t involved in the clean-up. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again after last night. We never got around to exchanging numbers or anything.”
Naruto pulled out his cell-phone and a post-it note. “I already got your number from your Dad. Here’s my number. Call me whenever you want.”
Taking the post-it, Sakura immediately inputted the number into her cell and tried to commit the number to memory. “So how long are you staying? I guess you probably have another movie lined up that you’ll need to start filming.”
“Do you believe in fate?” Naruto asked suddenly.
She pondered the question for a few minutes. “I suppose so. I mean, we were able to find each other again after all of those years. That has to account for something, right?”
“Exactly! That’s what I was thinking,” Naruto laughed. “I just can’t believe the hand that fate dealt us, that’s all!”
Sakura looked at Naruto’s gleeful face with confusion. “I don’t think I understand where you’re coming from.”
“Did you know that for the past year, I’ve been planning on taking a break from acting to start college?”
“You have? But, how come I haven’t heard about it in the news or on any internet databases?”
“I’ve been keeping it a secret. I haven’t told my agent yet and only my family members knew. My parents were happy with the home-schooling I got in LA, but wanted me to return to living a normal life amongst kids my age. So I applied to a few colleges here and was making my final decision on which school to attend. Well, this morning I made my final choice and gave NYU notice that I was going to attend this Fall.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Naruto was going to be going to college with her. He wasn’t heading back to LA to never be heard from again. She was going to be able to hang out with and talk to Naruto whenever she wanted. Sakura couldn’t contain her excitement anymore and jumped into his arms squealing with glee. “Oh my god! That’s awesome!”“I know, isn’t it?” They laughed together nearly knocking over a display in their excitement. “So as an incoming student, do you think you could show me the campus?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want you to get lost on the first day of classes.”
“As long as I get lost with you, I don’t care where I end up,” Naruto offered an arm. “Do you mind if we take a small detour?”
She shyly touched Naruto’s arm before she linked her arm around his. “Sure. But you have to tell me what classes you’re taking and if you’re thinking about joining any clubs.”
“I can do that,” Naruto said as he escorted Sakura out of the flower shop and towards Central Park.