Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. If anything, Hinata owns Naruto.

Cinnamon Rolls

Konohagakure: Residential District

"That would be 35 ryo, please."

A woman in her mid-thirties opened her coin purse and took out a few coins. She then handed them to the girl working the register. The cashier smiled warmly at her customer who was holding her daughter's hand. She processed the payment and handed the woman a cinnamon roll wrapped in brown paper. The child happily took the item from her mother as they went out of the store.

The store was a mixture of warm and charming rolled into one. Six square tables with four chairs each mainly occupied the store's interior. The register on top of a wooden counter sat right beside a glass display filled with pastries. The establishment was illuminated by the ceiling lights that gave off a warm orange glow and by sunlight coming in from the wide glass windows in front of the shop. The windows also has some pastries inside a glass display counter and flowering plants hanged above. The delicious scent of bread and coffee wafted through the air and permeated every corner of the shop.

The cashier was a young woman in her early twenties. Her skin was pale and it stood out with the striking contrast of her flowing, black hair. However, her most striking feature was her eyes. They were featureless and almost white with only a tinge of lavender. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a black skirt that reached past her knees. A black apron went on top it all. The cashier continued to look at the pair with a gentle smile as they slowly walked away from the shop.

"Hinata, do you need help closing up the shop?" asked a pink-haired woman who emerged from the storage area.

The other girl appeared to be the same age as Hinata but with a slimmer build. Her pink hair framed her face and on her forehead was a purple diamond marking. She wore a pink shirt and a pair of white pants. With a smile on her face and a cheerful sparkle in her green eyes, the girl approached Hinata.

"It's okay Sakura. I can do it myself." Hinata smiled back at her friend.

"Oh c'mon Hinata. It's fine. I'll help you. You must be tired after working the entire day alone. Things were kind of busy at the hospital a while ago so I was a bit late in coming here to help." Sakura replied as she began taking out the bread trays from the display window.

"No, no. Sit down and rest Sakura. You worked hard in the hospital already. Just having company is enough help." Hinata stated as she tried to take the trays from Sakura.

Sakura sighed.

"You always keep thinking about others Hinata. I told you, it's fine. Besides if we work together, then the faster we can finish and go home, right?" Sakura said.

Hinata was silent for a moment and smiled at her friend.

"Thank you, Sakura." the lavender-eyed girl warmly said.

Uzushiogakure: Commercial District

"Welcome back, Naruto."

A red-haired woman smiled at a blonde young man who just entered her office. The room was particularly spacious; the blonde had to cross a generous distance from the door to the red-haired woman's desk. The office desk was made of carved wood and in front of it were two chairs that matched the desk's carvings.. On top of it sat a laptop and stacks of papers. Behind it was a wide glass window that let in sunlight and gave a spectacular view of the cityscape.

The woman seemed to be in her mid-thirties, with long, red hair, and blue eyes. She wore a white, long-sleeved blouse with a black blazer on top paired with a pair of black slacks and heels. Upon the young man's entrance, she stood up from her seat to welcome him.

"I'm back, Mom." Naruto replied with a smile.

The young man had spikey, blonde hair and blue eyes although his were a brighter hue than his mother's. Both his cheeks bore three whisker-like markings. He wore an orange tracksuit with black patterns at the sides.

"I told you to wear something more appropriate every time you go here, didn't I?" the redhead reprimanded her son.

"Well, I'm not here for official purposes, am I?" Naruto retorted.

"Still. What would people say if they see Kushina Uzumaki's son walking into the office like this? They might say you're not taking your work seriously. I just don't want you to end up like your no-good father." Kushina stated.

Naruto sighed. His mother never really got over her issues with her husband.

"So how did your studies abroad go?" Kushina asked as she motioned for her son to sit down.

"Well, I learned a lot, I guess? I mean, I'm not really good at academics and I'm more of an experience-based learner. But I think the things I did manage to pick up there would be helpful." Naruto smiled at his mother.

"That's good to hear. That's why I called for you here actually." his mother nodded, taking out a folder out of her drawer.

"You mean, I'm actually here for official purposes? I was about to take a trip to the local onsen right after I got back too." Naruto asked in disbelief.

"And what?! Try to peep at the girls again?! I swear Naruto. I will beat you to a bloody pulp once you get in trouble again because of what your godfather keeps teaching you." the redhead growled with a murderous glance.

The blonde recoiled at the thought and promptly shut himself up.

"I wanted to check on you ever since you arrived. But I also thought, it's time for you to get the hang of things in managing our company." Kushina continued, satisfied with her son's silence.

She handed the folder to Naruto who looked at it hesitantly.

"Take it." Kushina pushed the folder in his hands.

With a deep sigh, Naruto took the folder and opened it. He quickly glanced at the file within and read a few lines.

"You want me to lead the company's expansion into the food industry?!" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Yes. Uzumaki Corp. has been well-known as a leader of innovation in various fields but we never really got to trying anything on the food industry. And what better way to test out what you've learned than this, right? Besides, if you succeed on this, then I'll have no more worries once you take over my position." Kushina replied with a smile.

Naruto simply looked at his mother and then his gaze fell on the name displayed on her desk.

Uzumaki Kushina. CEO.

"I don't really think I'm cut out for-" Naruto began.

"Nonsense. I'm sure you'll do a great job. And we're just experimenting this time. We'll start small-scale first. No pressure." his mother waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"I don't think starting a café is small-scale." Naruto fired back.

"Well, you told me already that you're more of an experience-based learner so why not try it out? Besides, I already have the construction team start the project already." Kushina nonchalantly stated.

"So I had no choice in the matter since the beginning?" the young man sighed, defeated.

"You do have a choice, dear. Pick between…" Kushina rummaged through her desk drawer.

"…this one or this one?" she continued as she held two keys in her hands.

"What is that supposed be?" Naruto's head is beginning to spin.

"Your house key of course. You'll be managing the café in Konohagakure so you need to live there, you know." the redhead said as she placed the keys on her desk.

Konohagakure: Residential District

It only took the two of them half an hour to close up the shop. After checking that the doors were properly locked, Hinata and Sakura began their walk home. The street lights that lined the path were already on as the light of the full moon bathed everything in a silvery glow. A gentle night breeze blew through the silent street and with it came the subtle scent of the green cherry blossom trees which grow along the road.

"Thanks again for your help Sakura." Hinata smiled.

"I told you, it's nothing. We're friends. That's what friends do." Sakura assured her.

The two of them got to know each other ever since Hinata moved into the apartment where Sakura lives. When Hinata introduced herself to her neighbors, Sakura offered to help her get to know the city by accompanying her around town. After this, they became good friends and often helped one another.

"Do you have a shift tomorrow?" asked Hinata.

"Nah. I'm off tomorrow so I guess I'll have time to clean my house. I can drop by the shop in the afternoon." Sakura replied.

"Are you sure? You should stay home and rest Sakura. You might get sick if you overwork yourself." Hinata said, her brows furrowed with concern.

"Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look." Sakura laughed as she flexed her arm.

They reached the corner of the street and Sakura noticed something different.

"Oh? I wonder what they're building here?" the pinkette pointed at the lot fenced in with construction barriers.

"I didn't see that this morning. Maybe someone's building a house?" Hinata guessed.

"Or a bakery." Sakura said.

""Eh?!" Hinata gasped.

"Just kidding. That would be bad for business so let's hope it's not. Besides, I'm sure it won't be a business establishment." Sakura laughed.

"…You're right. Let's get going. It's getting quite dark." the raven-haired girl picked up her pace.

Sakura took one last look at the construction site and followed Hinata.

"I forgot to get some of your famous cinnamon rolls!" Sakura called out as she finally caught up with her friend.

-End of Chapter 1-