A/N: Hello, I'm OragamiBeauty! You can call me Gami, if ya wanna! Read & Review, please.
Me no own Naruto, so you no sue, m'kay?

~*Marionette*~

"I'm really looking forward to going to Konohagakure High School next year. I can't wait."

Slowly I lift my head, staring out at the audience. My hands rest on the podium, relaxed, my nails perfectly manicured, the nail polish a midnight blue with silver streaks. My chin is tipped up, shoulders back, spine perfectly straight, posture alert but open. Lips -no lip gloss, no lip stick, just chap stick- curved into a friendly smile, cheeks flushed. Humble. Friendly. Responsible. The stance…

… of a Superior Marionette.

~*-^-*~

~*Marionette*~

I tug the brush through my waist-length tresses, staring at the face in the mirror.

Cherry-blossom hair, pulled back with a pale grey headband.

Sour-apple eyes, fringed by naturally thick dark pink lashes.

Pouty lips, bow-shaped, perpetually smiling.

Smooth, translucent complexion, like ivory porcelain.

The face of a beautifully-painted puppet…

…of a Superior Marionette.

~*-^-*~

~*Marionette*~

I set my lunch box -HelloKitty- in between Naruto's ramen cup and Sasuke's canister of tomato soup. We were such an imperfect little tripod.

Uzumaki Naruto, the troublemaking guy with a contagious grin.

Uchiha Sasuke, the moody prettyboy that scowled more than he spoke.

And then, me. Haruno Sakura. Top of her class, the captain of the Konohagakure Junior High tennis team, Principle Tsunade's favorite student, the girl that everyone was friends with.

Naruto and I chatted pleasantly, with Sasuke throwing in sarcastic comments every so often. Some of the others started to arrived.

Yamanaka Ino and Akamichi Chouji -the most unlikely, adorable couple in our grade- were the first to sit down. Then Hyuuga Hinata, who is in love with Naruto -though the idiot is completely clueless-, and Hyuuga Neji.

"SAKURA-CHAN." And there was Lee, holding the hand of TenTen. I don't know her surname. But, she's nice, as is the enthusiastic Lee. Nara Shikamaru was late getting here, as always, but he sent me a lazy smile before he sat down. Inuzuka Kiba, with Akimaru, sat down, immediately stealing Shikamaru's apple and launching into a loud story about third period Math.

People kept arriving, and even those that didn't sit with us stopped by to chat. So many friends, all smiling and laughing -with the exception of Neji and Sasuke, but that was to be expected-, all having fun.

And me, the one that was supposedly the glue that held this motley crew together.

I felt as if I were stuck inside a glass box, staring out, watching them through a thin barrier. The barrier…

… of a Superior Marionette.

~*-^-*~

~*Marionette*~

The day I left was a wonderful day. I would miss these people, these friendly people that I loved so very much.

But I couldn't stand it anymore, this pressure to be perfect, to be happy.

And so I ran away to Daddy. In Amegakure. Where I could reinvent myself.

I ran away from this perfect little world, this perfect little stage.

I broke the strings that bound me to this strings that pulled me along in this perfect life. The strings…

… of a Superior Marionette.