Honesty
by Fujur Preux

Sakura looked at her reflection on Ino's pleading eyes and sighed. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" Sakura said, looking at the other side of the street. "You've never been shy with men, that I know of."

"I just can't." Ino said, placing herself in front of Sakura's line of view, somehow making her eyes bigger than they already were. "Please, ask him. Them. You're their teammate, you'll know what to say! I'll give you anything you want!"

"I don't want anything from you."

"Please! Sakura-chan!"

"Ino..."

"Pretty please?"

"Have you stopped to think about my feelings on the matter?"

"If you don't do this, I'll die from sorrow and despair and you'll regret it forever!"

"That answers the question," Sakura growled under her breath. "And I'm regretting it already."

-

It took Sakura about an hour to fully convince herself of what she was going to do. She was worried about her friend; she didn't want her to suffer, and had tried to tell her the truth, but Ino just wouldn't listen. It seemed, then, than the only way for her to realize she was on a wild-goose chase would be to make her face the facts.

If she wanted a double date, she would have a double date.

-

Of course Naruto'd agreed wholeheartedly. Sai'd said yes too, if only because he apparently wanted to fit in with their friends —there was no way to know only by reading his face, and Sakura wasn't going to ask.

As the girl was leaving his house, Sai said he'd go straight to the library to read all about dates.

Such a lost case, Sakura thought, though not without a small —very small— dose of motherly tenderness.

-

"Friday night?" Ino screamed. "This Firday? You should've told them to wait at least until next week! Oh, my hair! My hair! It's a mess! It won't be ready! There's a lot to do, a lot to do..." Ino went inside her house still talking about how hard would be to be shiny and beautiful for her dream date, passing by Inoichi, who was going out.

"What's with her?" Ino's father asked, although not all that worried, when he saw his daughter running up the stairs.

"We're going on a double date this Friday," Sakura answered.

"Thought so," Inoichi sighed. "With whom?"

"I with Naruto and Ino with Sai."

Inoichi scratched his chin. "Hmph. Naruto as in Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

"Yes."

"And who's this Sai?"

"Our new teammate. He's a nice guy, though a little socially clumsy."

"Is he the one who went with you two instead of...?"

"Yes," Sakura said, bitting her lower lip. She was always hoping he would never be mentioned at all. It still hurt. Yet, she was really glad Inoichi had the tact to say 'instead' and not 'replace', and that he stopped before saying his name.

"I don't know," Inoichi said. "There was some revolt when he was appointed to your team, wasn't it?"

"Political moves have nothing to do with this!" Sakura said, a little more forcefully that she'd intended. "Em, Naruto and I've got to know him. He's all right, really."

"Still, I think you'd understand, Sakura, if I ask to talk with Sai before allowing my daughter to go out with him. Could you please tell him to come over to the flower shop tomorrow morning?"

"Of course, sir." Sakura sighed; what she was beginning to understand was Shikamaru's philosophy.

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At first, Sai was disturbed when he read people who went out on dates were —or wanted to be— romantically involved. But then he got to the parenthesis in which it was stated friends could go on dates too. That set him at ease, specially since Naruto was going with Sakura. Now he wanted to do nothing but his best on this new experience.

The books he'd picked up in the library said one should always try to be on the good side of the other's family. Therefore, Sai was happy to know Ino's father had invited him over to his flower shop. That'd be a great opportunity to get on his good side.

The "Truce With The In-Laws" chapter was very specific about how both the man and the woman had to wear their best clothes when meeting their SO's (Significant Other, said the footnote) family. Sai mentally repassed his wardrove. The best one he had was his combat suit. He smiled; that'd do nicely.

Also, honesty was an important keyword. Fine, then: Sai would answer very honestly every question Ino's dad would ask him.

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Inoichi wasn't exactly expecting to see his daughter in a male —and darker— version going into the flower shop that morning. Nevertheless, that sort of explained Ino's infatuation.

"Good morning, sir," the boy said, smiling broadly.

"Good morning," Inoichi said. "You must be Sai."

"That's correct, sir."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Yamanaka Inoichi."

"Nice to meet you too, sir."

"I've been told you want to go on a date with my daughter."

"More like she wants to go out with me," Sai said, shrugging, the smile still on his face.

"Hmph." Knowing Ino as Inoichi knew her, that wasn't new. Though Sai was the first one to say it up front. "But you will go out with her."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you mind if I ask you why?"

"No, sir, I don't mind. It's because Naruto is going too, with Sakura, and because I've never had a date."

Inoichi raised his eyebrows. "Then, I assume, you're not interested in her at all."

"Oh, no. I am interested in her; I want us to be friends."

Inoichi winced. Friends. In the state Ino was, when she found out about this, there'd be a week —or even a month— of hell in the house. "I think you should talk to her as soon as possible."

"About what?" Sai looked puzzled.

Socially clumsy, indeed, thought Inoichi. "About you just wanting to be friends, because she wants you two to be more than that."

"Ah!" Sai grabbed his chin with his right hand. "The book said something like that. But it also said friends could go on dates too."

"You know, maybe it'd be better if you cancel off the date."

"Why?" the boy asked, a little hurt in his voice. "Before I came here, Naruto showed me the clothes he bought for Friday and I'm dying to see him wearing them."

Inoichi's heart skipped a beat. "You... want to see... Naruto?"

"Yes. I'm not sure about black being his color, but he wanted to be all formal, even though we're not going to a fancy place. He also said he'd do his best to tame his hair; I'm sure he'll look really good if he manages it."

"So. You're interested in Naruto more than in Ino."

"I'm interested in him in a different way I'm interested in her."

"I see..." That was the truth behind the outfit.

"It's fine if she goes out with me, then?"

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Sai met Naruto halfway to his house. The blond ninja, panting, grabbed Sai by the shoulders, shook him, and asked him if he was all right.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Sakura told me you were going to talk to Ino's dad. How was it?"

"Good. He's a nice man."

Naruto relaxed. "That's a relief. I thought you'd tell him something, you know, you."

Sai smiled again. "I was honest. Honesty opens many doors."

"I don't know where you read that, but sounds about right."

"It was in one of the first books on human relations I read."

"Great. Let's go get ready for Friday, then!"

"I've to talk to Ino about you, first."

"About me?"

Sai nodded, wondering if he should be honest with Naruto too.



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