Forever Mine

Chapter 22

[Seven Months Later]

The off sound of a unique bell echoed throughout the shop just like it always did. It attracted the attention of the lone brunette sitting at the front counter, her gaze falling back to her magazine once she noticed who'd walked in.

"I see you're back already." Tenten greeted.

"Do you have my usual purchase?"

"Yep," she stood from her seat. "I have it all bagged for you and everything, give me a sec."

Sasuke watched her disappear to the back of the store and then approached the front counter. There was a magazine she was reading similar to the ones Ino was always flipping through. It surprised him considering she wasn't the type to spend her time reading through something so girly, after all, she tended to act like a boy half the time.

"Here you go," Tenten said once she emerged from the back with a bag in her hands.

Sasuke checked to make sure everything he needed was inside and then handed her the money, and as usual, the brunette never gave him back his change.

"Why don't you ever look at other things?"

"This is enough," Sasuke answered, not mentioning how she'd stolen enough of his money already.

"But I got a whole lot of new stuff recently and well..."

Sasuke watched her take a look around, the store was empty as it always was. People always took their usual orders, never sticking around to find anything new. Only genin or kids from the academy took their time to check what new things she had on display.

"I can make a deal for my most loyal customer." Tenten smiled brightly at him. By loyal, she meant favorite, which was only because he was the only one who didn't demand for his change back.

"Maybe some other time." Sasuke lied. "I have a mission."

"Will you be back this evening?"

"I should be."

"Wanna meet up later then?" she asked.

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. He knew it would get him out of joining his anbu squad for dinner, something he didn't enjoy doing.

"I'll be there around eight," he assured.

Tenten nodded and then flopped back down on her seat, focusing back on the content in front of her as he left to start his mission.

For the past few months, Sasuke had been training with Tenten and Lee. It started one day when he accidentally ran into them on the training grounds.

Lee had been pushing his teammate a little too hard causing her to not improve as well as she should be. At the sight, he found himself offering to teach her while her teammate worked on his own intense training without being held back.

Eventually, their accidental encounters in the training field became intentional.

The two teammates were the only ones in Konoha 12 that Sasuke didn't have any type of actual friendship with. They were all in the same friend group, yet weren't people he'd hang out with alone—not until now.

After the war, everyone in the group forgave him thanks to his teammates. They spoke to him fairly but weren't close enough to freely approach and talk to him casually. It wasn't until he officially came back that they started seeing him as a friend.

His friendship with the guys began when he willingly joined them for a drink without Naruto or Sai being present. When they realized he wasn't as stuck up as they originally thought, they started asking him to join more often and he didn't mind as long as there was alcohol.