“I’m cute!” - SceneofSpring - Naruto (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

The neon glow of the konbini sign cast a warm wash over the sidewalk tables, where Inosuke and Sakuragi sat with their cold cans of sake. The outside of the metal cans wet with precipitation in the cool evening air.

Across the street, men in crisp suits streamed out of the train station, their briefcases swinging in rhythm with their hurried steps. The air smelled faintly of fried yakitori from a nearby stall, mingling with the sweet, floral scent of blooming purple wisteria clinging to a nearby telephone pole.

It was so serene, everyone rushing to head home to finally drift to slumber. So quiet and—

“Oi, what are you doing now…?” Inosuke looked at the rosette confusedly, dumbfounded.

Sakuragi had his elbow on the table, his chiseled chin resting on his fist. His pink hair was messily swept to the side, a bit of strands hanging over his eye. He was staring at him with such intensity, his face flushed due to the alcohol. Inosuke shuddered a bit at the heaps of questions regarding his sexuality being processed in his mind. He has a wife and son, for goodness sake!

“What the…? Are trying to make my heart flutter?” he joked, chuckling a bit at how silly his best friend can act when drunk.

“Oh, do I?” asked by the rosette with an innocent tone to it, which made Inosuke stare at him in disbelief.

As if a child explaining, Sakuragi placed a hand on his chest where the heart is located, muttering, “She says I’m… hic I’m cute hic when I’m drunk, heh…!”

This elicited a scoff from the sober blonde, shaking his head as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Sakuragi frowned at this, elaborating, “I’m not joking…! hic She even said hic it was my… hic signature move!”

Rubbing his temple at how this conversation is becoming ridiculous with each passing minute, Inosuke spoke, “Oh yeah? Who said that?”

A moment of silence passed between them before the rose-haired man whispers, eyes closed, neck bent to the side drunkenly, “Sasuko-chan.”

“Of course, she’s your wife, idiot.”

“Iieee… she… hic she…”

Inosuke frowned, scoffing at the sight of emerald orbs brimming with a bit of tears.

“—she said I was cute! hic she said I was cuteee…”

Really, he rushed his work just to hear all this…?!

“You… Did you really call me just to brag about that—?”

“Why was I hic cute…? Why was I hic like that…? Why did I hic make her heart flutterrr?!”

Sighing as he rubbed his temples with both of his hands now, Inosuke stared helplessly at his weeping rose-haired friend. He doesn’t know whether to take this moment to laugh or knock some sense to him.

“Because of that, I hic ruined my own life!” the rosette cried out, sniffing as he beat his chest pitifully. He continues, emerald eyes brimmed in tears, “We wouldn’t hic have been married hic in the first place hicif I wasn’t cute!

“Seems I can’t call you Forehead at this moment,” he stared in disbelief at the sobbing rosette. “You’ve lost your head.”

Chuckling at the shared rhyme and corniness, he ran his fingers through his blonde strands and stood beside the drunk rose-haired man.

“You know what? All you need is a good night’s sleep. Let’s head you home now.”

As then Inosuke props Sakuragi to stand, he gently pushed him away, declining to go home. “Sakuragi! My wife’s been calling me to bring the diapers home already. We gotta go now.”

“Iieee…! I’m not going hic home! Not when I’m hic drunk! I’m—“

“Too cute when you’re drunk, sure…!” Inosuke sighed defeatedly, sitting and leaning back on his chair once again.

“I’ve always been the hic adorable son of the hic cherry blossom tree hic house in Noragakure!”

Sakuragi pouted indignantly, frowning frustratedly. “I was born hic like this…! What am I supposed hic to do now?!”

Inosuke scratched his nape, sighing. “Well, you won’t go home?”

“Just… hic just leave me be! I’ll get home hic safe, don’t worry…” the rosette gave a smile of reassurance, all too charmingly.

How could I believe that when you keep stumbling over your words like a toddler, idiot.

Inosuke sighed, looking away from the conflicted rose-haired male to glance at his side. He could feel himself internally chuckle as he caught glimpse of Sasuko’s bodyguards.

Your wife really is such a tsundere…

“I see. How about we go for a walk? To… wind down for a bit.”

He has to get home fast or else he’d have to hear a lecture either about cheating or irresponsible husbands from his wife, Sai. She really should stop reading about those books written by divorced wives.

A bubbly smile crossed across Sakuragi’s face. “Sureee! Let’s hic go!”