Chapter 6

Pointless and obnoxious chatter filed my ears. It seemed nobody knew the meaning of personal conversation, everyone all but screamed, even though the listener was just in front of them. I was beginning to regret coming, I mean besides the noise, the smell was horrible, I got hints of booze, puke and another fetid smell I did not want to identify, but I was giving myself the opportunity to feel alive.

The bar was filled up, I could never imagine such a little place holding in so many people, most of them shinobi of course. We had to make our way in pushing and squeezing, I swear I felt someone pinch my ass twice. Obviously half of the people in the bar were already drunk and the other half we're nearly there.

"Oh c'mon Temari loosen up a bit" Tenten of course was right at home here, from the moment we got here, she danced to the music while downing her drinks. She was still doing both.

We had gotten to the little bar around ten and waited a while for the other girls.

Ino appeared first, I swear the girl needs no booze to get in the party mood, she arrived dancing and grinding to random people. I still don't believe she and Shikamaru could actually make a couple.

A few minutes later Hinata showed up, I didn't even see her come in, of course as it turns out, her party outfit was exactly the same as her shinobi one except for the ponytail on her head.

She sulked for the most part of the evening until Ino began to fill her up with drinks.

"Hey Hinata what the hell is wrong with you girl! You're in a bar baby, come on show us a little bit of skin." Hinata blushed furiously at Ino's request. Nonetheless she complied and took her jacket off. Of course Ino by then was drunk and Hinata, well Hinata wasn't herself anymore.

"Where the hell is Sakura?" Slurred Ino, she was really near of being completely wasted and was using Tenten as her support while literally screaming in her ear.

"Oh Ino shut up! You're going to leave me deaf and I don't know she said she would be here at nine, what time is it?"

As an instinct I turned to the door to double-check if she wasn't coming, that's when I caught a glimpse of bubblegum pink hair making a way through the now much larger crowd.

Once she made it through the crowd, I noticed, how time changed our memories.

"Hey girls, sorry I'm late, I came here from the hospital, I didn't even have time to change… Oh hi Temari! I didn't realize you were in Konoha." The pinked haired nin looked really different, I was perplexed.

"Uh… Temari?" I was still trying to realize what had changed when I saw that confused look on her face, it made me realize that sadly yes, I was staring.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sakura it's just that you look somehow different…"

"See, told you!" She shouted at Ino.

"Oh shut it Sakura, different does not mean better" Ino snapped.

"Whatever. Oh and yes Temari, it's the hair. I finally let it grow." But it wasn't just the hair that had grown, the girl had grown also, this was no a teenager anymore, this was a woman, a woman with all of her curves.

Or maybe it was the skimpy nurse outfit. Who knows?

Then I saw the same look. I was ogling again… at her cleavage. Shit.

"I hope I don't look like a complete slut, this outfit isn't mine I borrowed it from a colleague today because mine was missing so it's a bit tight." …and short. Her words were directed at me and I could tell she was a bit embarrassed.

"Don't sweat it Sakura, you look hot! If I wasn't with Shikamaru I'd probably be all over you... Again" Ino was now completely drunk, and her words were barely but nonetheless they were. Both Sakura's and Hinata's cheeks were proof of it.

"Ino!" Sakura looked really embarrassed. One could tell something did happen, but it was not time for those questions.

"You look ok." I had to admit she did look good, well maybe hot is the correct word here.

"Thanks"

The next few hours were a blast, full of laughter, jokes, booze and dancing. Around eleven Tenten thought it was best to take home Ino and Hinata, who was now trying to take off her shirt, before anything bad happened. That decision left Sakura and me alone at the bar.

"You know, you and I barely spoke since the last time we saw each other." Sakura commented.

The last time we actually spoke was when the 'little' incident with Gaara almost took his and Kankuro's life; she was indeed the one who saved him.

"Yeah, I guess we've both been busy on missions…" Now that was a lie, I was busy crying and hadn't gotten the slightest delight in coming to Konoha. She on the other hand was probably away due to missions.

"Well that must be your case, I actually don't go on missions anymore, I run a big part of the hospital and I've been permanently assigned there." She looked really proud when she said that, I guess that was a nice change in her life and now I knew why her hair had finally grown long.

We spoke a bit more about our last encounter, my 'vacations', her new job, Naruto, Gaara and even Tsunade, but it was getting late and we had to go.

On our way out she stopped at the door and somehow looked rather shy.

"Well it's been really nice talking with you Temari. You know tomorrow is my day off maybe, if you want to of course, we could have coffee together?"

It was a good idea and I did need to go out more. "Sure, why not." But somehow it felt as if I had just accepted to commit a sin.

"Great! I'll see you in the coffee bar at 10. Bye!"

As I waved goodbye to the pinkish girl a small smile appeared on my lips…

Haruno…