"Want me to show you?"
Naruto stared at Haruno Sakura, his expression unreadable.
Sakura hesitated, a flicker of fear in her eyes but curiosity won out, she nodded.
So Naruto repeated what he'd done moments earlier.
He stepped into the mask shop.
Almost immediately, shouts erupted from inside.
"Damn monster! Get out of my store!"
"You think I'd sell to you? Never!"
"I'd rather starve than let you touch my masks!"
Naruto emerged moments later, hands in his pockets, his face eerily calm as if this were just another Tuesday.
Sakura swallowed hard, her stomach twisting at the sight. That look… like he'd long since stopped expecting anything else.
Her fists clenched. "I'll buy it for you," she declared. "Which one do you want?"
Naruto shrugged. "Whatever." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a handful of silver coins from his system space and handing them over.
Sakura marched into the shop.
The owner's voice turned shrill.
"You again?! That monster just left, don't tell me you're here for him!"
"Since when do little girls want tiger masks?!"
"I'm not stupid, you're buying it for that demon, aren't you?!"
"Wait—hey! What are you—? STOP! I'LL CALL THE POLICE!"
Naruto blinked as Sakura bolted out of the shop, clutching the mask like stolen treasure.
"Naruto, RUN!" she shrieked, already sprinting past him.
"Wait—what did you DO?" Naruto gaped, but the sight of the red-faced shopkeeper charging after them sent him sprinting too.
The man was too fat to keep up. Within seconds, he doubled over, wheezing.
Sakura skidded to a stop, giggling wildly. "Hah! Catch me if you can, old man!" She waved the mask tauntingly. "If you want it back, you'll have to try harder!"
Naruto stared.
Who knew Sakura had this kind of chaos in her?
They didn't stop running until the shopkeeper gave up, shouting curses before trudging back to his store.
Sakura, still breathless, proudly handed Naruto the mask. "There. Now we're even, right?"
Naruto turned it over in his hands. It was slightly too big—perfect for hiding his face completely. A small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.
Sakura's chest tightened. Why did he look so… happy? It was just a mask.
She cleared her throat. "Ahem. So… if you ever need help with stuff like this again…" She trailed off, suddenly awkward.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Really, Sakura-chan?"
He couldn't hide his skepticism. The Sakura he remembered from the original timeline was loud, brash, and obsessed with Sasuke—not exactly the type to go out of her way for him.
Sakura's grin turned sly. She leaned in, whispering: "But there's a condition~"
Of course. Sasuke.
Naruto sighed. "Let me guess. You want something involving him?"
"A photo," Sakura blurted, eyes gleaming. "You're close to him, right? I want one!"
Naruto smirked. "That's it? Easy. I've got one at home."
Sakura's exhaustion vanished. She practically dragged Naruto back to his apartment, momentarily forgetting the whispers about the "monster" she was following.
His place surprised her. Neat. Tidy. Not what she expected from a boy living alone.
Then a horrifying thought struck her, 'A clean room means either a cross-dresser or a fake!'
Her face paled. 'Wait… Naruto and Sasuke…?'
Before she could spiral, Naruto pulled a photo from his drawer.
Sakura's jaw dropped.
"Th-this is…!?"
The photo showed Sasuke in a frilly pink dress, striking a pose that was equal parts shy and irritated.
"This is a NATIONAL TREASURE," Sakura whispered, clutching it like sacred scripture. "Naruto… how does this even exist?!"
The Sasuke at school was ice-cold, untouchable. This? This was art.
Naruto waved her off. "Don't ask. Just take it."
Sakura nodded furiously. "Deal. Any time you need help, I'm in!"
And so, their arrangement began. Sakura became Naruto's personal shopper, braving Konoha's hostile vendors while he supplied her with increasingly absurd Sasuke photos.
Months passed. Winter break approached.
On the last day of school, Naruto waited at the gates.
Sakura hurried over, cheeks pink, and thrust a bag of underwear at him.
Naruto reached for another Sasuke photo—but Sakura didn't take it.
Instead, she stared at him, eyes brighter than he'd ever seen.
"Naruto," she said softly. "Can I… change it to yours?"
Naruto froze.
"…What?"
....