A/N: Happy fourth of July. Unfortunately, I could only do one story tonight for my readers, and I already had this idea in my head. So here's my gift to you. The next holiday goes to the other readers.
Also, this is short for a reason. I'm going by my friend Anna's definition of a one-shot: less than 1500 words. Enjoy, and Happy Independance Day.
This fic was inspired by the holiday and by the soundtrack to Rent, specifically the song Take Me or Leave Me.
It was a wonderful day for having a festival. The sun had just set and there was a ruckous as the lights came out, strung on lines that hung in between houses and buildings. Konohagakure was all decked out for the night celebrating the village's birth. Even as the birds were sleeping, the ninja were all coming out of their hovels to let loose on one night in the year.
They had it all planned out to the fullest. Rumors were around that there would be a fireworks display later in the night. Booths lined either side of the main road. People were flooding into the streets to buy the smoked fish, or try to win a guppie, or to gamble their luck on a game. Children ran underfoot and screamed their excitement. This was one night where they could be up far past their bedtime and get away with it.
Even the adults were acting childish as they dodged the younger generation. They laughed loudly, huddled in a group with friends, or walked side by side with loved ones. This was one night in the year where everyone could relax and party.
Down at the far end, across from a ring toss game and a dumpling stand, two famous ninja stood at a particular stand. One of them, a loud blonde, tried to get his comrade, a stoic brunette, to purchase something at a stand. The brunette, one Uchiha Sasuke dressed in a new blue and silver hakama, kept shaking his head as the childish Uzumaki Naruto, wearing a threadbare red and gold hakama, tried to get him to lend the poor soul some money.
"I won't, dobe. You don't need it." Sasuke had his arms crossed and kept shooting glares at the booth owner. The owner was a spry young woman in her early twenties selling plushies, and she kept shooting Naruto hinting glances. It was a perfect recipe for making the avenging ninja jealous.
"Come on. She's giving it to me for practically nothing! Can't you lend me a little money? I'll pay you back, even." Naruto thrust his bottom lip out in a pout and pulled the innocent puppy eyes he learned from Akamaru out. It was a look that was garunteed to work on even an ice cube like Sasuke. It had worked on many occasions.
Ssauke didn't even bother trying to say no. Instead he sighed inside and pulled out an already dented wallet and brought out a handful of bills. "Here." He thrust the wad of paper into the hyper blonde's hands and put his wallet back regretfully. He knew full well the power behind Naruto's expressions. It was the only way the dobe got Sasuke to do anything remotely insane or fun.
Naruto turned back to the Uchiha heir, who would have been pouting if he had been anyone else. He was carrying a small red fox plushie, complete with button eyes and soft fur. It resembled the Kyuubi no Kitsune greatly, if anyone had taken the time to see the similarities. Only, because it only possessed one tail, nobody paid attention. Naruto was currently cuddling it to his face.
"Aw, it's so cute! Thanks, teme." Most people would have balked at that insult, but between the two, insults had taken the place of pet names. There was no way in hell that either of the boys would be anything less than manly, so it worked out in the end for the both of them.
Sasuke turned around and began to walk away. He pushed through the crowd, Naruto following behind. If anyone had told the Sharingan wielder that he would be wandering a festival with the villages most notorious, knuckle-headed shinobi for a date a good ten or so years ago, Sasuke would have laughed in their face before turning them into a kunai pin cushion. It was embarrassing...especially when his date began to have a one-sided conversation with his new toy.
They stopped at a vendors shop and sat to eat. Naruto ordered, unsurprisingly, a bowl of miso ramen. Sasuke ordered the first thing he saw, which ended up being takoyaki. Their waitress smiled at Sasuke and winked at Naruto before going to take care of their order.
Naruto prattled on about something and Sasuke only paid half attention to it. He was a little busy keeping his face in check. It was some sort of unwritten rule that the only emotions that an Uchiha could show were anger, sadistic amusement, and frustration. Right now jealousy wanted to make a show.
They got their food and Sasuke got his emotions under control. Naruto was shoveling food into his mouth as fast as he possibly could so neither ninja spoke much during the meal. After, Sasuke got out his wallet once again to pay for the meal, sighing internally once more over the loss of so much hard earned money in one day.
He waited for the bill and when the woman who had served them walked over, he handed over the money. But then the annoying girl did something that annoyed Sasuke to no end: she leaned over and slipped Naruto a piece of paper, which Sasuke assumed was her phone number.
The most infuriating part was that Naruto just flashed her a smile and accepted the thing! Sasuke got up slightly angrier than he had intended and began to walk out of the restaurant.
"Oi, Sasuke! Wait up, teme!" Naruto tried to get himself untangled from the traitorous furniture and catch up to Sasuke, but it was in vain. Sasuke made his way into the crowd without looking back.
He swerved and dodged as he wove his way over to the academy. When the crowd finally broke up, he took a seat on the swing and let his mask slip a bit. Jealousy squealed with delight as it was allowed to write itself all over the young brunette's face. That was how Naruto found him a good half hour later, swinging slowly with one arm wrapped around the chain.
"Hey, what was that for?" Naruto's tone was angry and indignant. "You just up and left the restaurant without saying anything and disappeared without a word!"
Sasuke snapped. He had been dealing with people flirting with the guy and now he had the audacity to get mad at him? "What the hell are you talking about, Naruto?" he screamed as he stood up furiously. "I sat there all day watching people flirt with you! I'm supposed to take that all at face and just smile and shrug it off?"
Naruto's brow furrowed with anger. "What am I supposed to do about that? I put up with it for years, teme. You can take it once and a while."
Sasuke stared for a moment. Had Naruto really said that? "I never encouraged them. I never took their phone numbers when they were handed to me, because I wanted to be a loyal partner!"
Naruto blinked and, much to Sasuke's surprise and annoyance, began to laugh. "Is that it? You think that she gave me her phone number? I already have it!" Before Sasuke could open his mouth and retort, Naruto continued. "She helps run Ichiraku's, and that was a free coupon for ramen that she gave me. She works at that place part time."
Sasuke felt like he had been slapped in the face, and his cheeks turned slightly red. "Well how was I supposed to know that?" he muttered.
Naruto walked forward. "I chose you for a reason. I can't help people flirting with either of us, but I wish you would trust me a little more." Sasuke met the blonde's eyes. "If it helps, just remember that I'll always be there when you need me."
Sasuke wanted to say something else, but Naruto silenced him effectively with a tender kiss as the fireworks illuminated the sky.
End One-shot
Thank you for reading this tribute to America's Independance Day.