A/N This is sort of a rewrite, not a rewrite, since I didn't know where I was going with that first story, so now there will be plenty of changes- if this doesn't work, just know I'll won't be gone. It only had one or so chapters anyway...

One more thing, I'm going read through this, and may even repost it if there are BIG errors- if there are small ones, I will screw around with it later and make edits. I know its hot off the press, but please bear with me.

Chapter 0 – Get It Together, Naruko

Let's start with names. Naruko Uzumaki is my name, being a badass is my game! I was just another chick from The Leaf Village that was going to be something someday... Believe it! Now, may be a little bit hasty, and a bit more of a hard-headed individual, but I wasn't set in my ways... so you better believe it, yup.

But my life wasn't a cool and breezy sunny day because I was a female ninja—I didn't fit into that box of 'Standard Kunoichi'. My chakra control was screwy at times, my chakra was scarce, and my skills were not something to be proud of. Growing up without knowledge of what it was to be a woman, or anything that would happen to me day to day, let alone all the misery and anger in-between. It was because of the Demon Fox I lost my parents, and my sanity. But let me tell you, that it was a real flip off to truth.

And lately, I didn't think I'd ever learn how to love somebody different than Sarutobi. Does that make sense...? I didn't need to be strong physically to bring myself up, I had all I needed. My great teacher that risked his life when Mizuki tried to kill us both and make me turn my back on everyone, and my great best friend who I helped from day one of the Kunoichi class- their names are Iruka Umino and Sakura Haruno. Honestly, I couldn't lose either of them. The fact that I gave my life to those people, and they didn't turn away from me... it was all I ever wanted.

After having no one for so long, I knew thing would turn for the better... I knew it all along. My precious people that I would save me from despair, and I'd protect them until my final breath had drawn. But even now I question if I should protect them, since I may never be placed on the same team with Sakura, and Iruka will still be one of my greatest teachers to me, but I wasn't going to be around that much anymore. Why should I try to protect them now?

Well it's simple really.

Through it all, I still cared for them. They were family.

Yeah, it doesn't look so bad now, but with three people in my life, it was a start...

Here we are, we're about to go on a magical ride, and I'm a little ditzy. But anyway, here's a great story for you! BELIEVE IT!

But how would I keep those people in my life? I didn't know.

...

Does it make sense that I didn't care about Sasuke? I didn't know all the details of his "hard life," but Sasuke looked like a brat to me. Yet Sakura ogled and drooled all over his footsteps. Sakura would love to sit in Sasuke lap like a dog... like the perverted, love-obsessed, and frivolously vain girl. Sasuke wasn't one to laugh, cry, or even show emotion other that dissatisfaction with a mild sense of curiosity for all the doting he received. He knew he loved it and that's why he...

"Hey, did you see that? He looked at me!" said Sakura.

Sakura looked at him with hearts in her eyes. I sighed... he looked like he was glaring out the corner of his eye.

Sasuke eyes were narrowed as he just stared on, ignoring the hearts in Sakura's eyes... Sasuke probably never worked hard day in his life for all I knew. Best grades on exams... best physicality... best awful hairdo that girls his age thought was 'Cool'... it's ridiculous. My best friend who though I had doubts that she would even grow into an independent mind rather than a selfish, inconsiderate... well, at least she didn't have a fantasy about me.

I may have been a bad student and an even worse metaphorical 'bad egg,' but at least I keep my distance from weirdos like Sasuke. I couldn't wait until the day when I would pulverize him into the dust. Then Sakura would be able to see that there were other fishes in a big ocean of guys, and never would there be a problem... oh no, since it was NOT HAPPENING.

Screw Sasuke. Believe it.

"Sakura, don't you think he's a little bit of a..."

"I know, he's such dreamboat, right? Wait, do you like him?" she said, looking at me with sad eyes.

"I was going to say, he's a bit of an asshole. Why do you like him so much?" I said.

I bore my teeth in rage. Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"Well, if you don't like him, then why are you so jealous."

"I could care two flying flips about him..." I said, turning my nose up.

"You know, it's okay. If you like him that is. We're still friends... right?"

Seems to me like we'd get into a big fight, but I defended my right to speak the truth.

"I don't know, what would you do if I wasn't on your team?" I said, kind of stating what I felt, "What would you do if you weren't on my team and I was on Sasuke's, better yet."

"So that's how it is..." she said, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Well, I don't know, all I know is that isn't going to happen. We'd be friends forever."

"Friends don't share those types of bonds... they break them when one thing in someone's life chages."

Sasuke was now casting a shadow over the both of us, and Sakura didn't even notice until the light in the room was covering us both.

"Alright, will you guys just shut up if I just sit next to you. Your petty argument is getting on my..."

"Shut it, go take a hike." I said.

Turning way, I folded my arms. Everyone shot me looks, staring daggers at me, but I wasn't listening to Sasuke complain, and I didn't want Sakura to get any ideas. I could care less about either of them... if Sakura was my friend, I'd see in just a sec.

"Um. Sure, Sasuke." she said, not sounding as thrilled as she did before.

I stared. I just flat out stared. She just invited the seat that usually the last person to class sat in, and that was usually Shikamaru. Now Sasuke was occupying it, almost... he began sit when I said.

"Why don't you go sit somewhere else, huh?" I said to Sakura.

She looked at me. Strangely enough, she didn't seem to look at me with anything like a sorry expression. It was rage...

"Look. Sasuke finally wants to sit next to me and..."

She gave a whole speech about how she would finally get the chance to be friends with him and maybe... maybe something more, and I went nuts. My eyes widened in shock. My way of jealousy, I admit, but not because of Sasuke, I heard a lot of chuckles because by then, I had stood on the table, getting right in face. He looked surprisingly uncomfortable but still swelling with arrogance, he narrowed his eyes.

"Alright! Dogfight." said the boy from behind me and he leaned back and turned with his elbow. This was this elbow of my fate, straight in the rear of my knee length orange skirt.

"Oh my freaking... she kissed Sasuke!" said Ino from the back.

Sakura was staring as blood rushing to my face. I would have objected, but Sasuke seemed to like it since he was wrapping his tongue deeper and deeper into my mouth. Then we he and I couldn't breathe anymore, surprisingly, I knew he was pervert as soon as I detached. Fuu... looked over to Sakura and thought I was dead.

But she was crying. What the hell? He face and teeth were both tensed, and she was trying to hold it in. "Fine, if you like Sasuke, you can have him."

She picked her ass up, stood over one boy and he moved over quickly.

Then Shikamaru came in, seeing everyone stare at us, and wondered as he said... "What the..." he cursed. "Oh boy... do I have to sit there...?"

...

The final day of the Academy or better yet, the first day of being a ninja continued. It turns out, I was in the same team as both Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke seemed to be twice as annoying, and Sakura was rather quiet when the three of us sat down for lunch. I knew Sakura wouldn't eat without Sasuke so I tagged along.

Sakura finally spoke like wasn't there, "So, Sasuke, I remember this from a long time ago, is it true that you like Naruko? I remember hearing this from Ino..."

"Ino lied." I said, remembering the exact words... "She just did that because she likes Sasuke and to ruin our friendship all those years ago."

"We're friends?" she said aloofly.

I was more than a little pissed, now. I was going through the final stages of the five stages of anger.

"I don't like either of you. Being stuck with moody pink and sunshine is the worst thing that happened since kissing you, Naruto." said Sasuke. "What about that doesn't fit my image, idiot... freaking heck if I didn't know."

The fact is, Sasuke, you did like the kiss and you knew it. Sakura's smarter than that, though.

"Right. Sorry." she said passively, like she wasn't even thinking about how angry that made me or even her, if she was angry.

Wait a minute. If she loved Sasuke, then she must believe that bull about Sasuke liking me. Again... it was a long kiss, and I couldn't even tell. I was even having doubts now.

It occurred to me after a minute of seething. Without believing that Sasuke was mildly intrigued with Sakura, like I said about everybody that Sasuke encountered that 'liked'him, it didn't look so good that he was now in denial of ever doing it. And I didn't even know if Sakura knew that... I was pretty cleaver, right?

...

"Naruko, guess what?!"

In the clearing, walking outside the darker parts of the forest, I remembered the day when she loudly said, "I like someone."

For a moment, I was happy for her, since she was my friend. "Can she be our friend, is she nice?"

"It's not a 'she...' it's Sasuke. I like Sasuke!"

"Well, look and hear, girls." said a young girl with platinum blond hair.

Apparently, Ami's goons Kasumi and Fuki joined up with Ino.

"Ino, back off." I said.

I hated Ino with a passion. She made Sakura cry! God, now what, is this memory going to give me more indigestion, more from my riceballs?

"Well, I heard Sasuke likes Naruto's long hair. It's obviously prettier than a short pink top, even with that pretty bow."

"Really...?" said Sakura. She looked at me with a sad face.

"Ino, you're a liar... who is this Sasuke Idiot anyway...!?" I said.

"See you later!" said Ino.

They laughed as they walked off, Fuki sticking her tongue out and Kasumi blew a raspberry.

"Wait, you never talked to him?" said Sakura.

Well it sorts of got better from there. Sakura said she was still my friend if I didn't like Sasuke. I was content on never liking that guy, absurd as it sounds. Me? Like Sasuke? You got to be joking... he was my rival.

...

When I got up from the bench, I smiled, and stood up, becoming optimistic.

"Well, what's the point of being so sour to each other. I dislike the both of you now, but we're a team. We must show the world that even with our dynamics we can overcome anything. Who's with me!?" I cheered, raising my fist in the air.

"I don't think so because neither of you understand me at all." said Sasuke.

"Understand what? We're all friends, right?" I said, "Sasuke, at least admit that I don't plan on losing a friend today over you."

"Naruko. I think this is a little absurd." said Sakura, "We don't need a pep talk."

Sakura glared at me viciously... more viciously than a mama panda and her cub. Why she was being so ugly now, I didn't know, but neither Sakura nor Sasuke wasn't going to let this go.

Sasuke grunted. "Really? We? When was this team anything to me? I literally just must work with two idiots that can't handle themselves. Not likely."

I was about to lash out punch him in the gut. Maybe throwing up would make this idiot understand.

"Sakura is NOT an idiot. She's way smarter than you are." I screamed.

"And insulting me bluntly is supposed to help me understand why I'm a part of your little team? I don't want any connections. I'm all alone and I don't need anybody." said Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you don't have to be alone!" I said. "We can at least try to understand why you're so alone so you don't have to be."

Sakura looked down sadly and I gritted my teeth. Then Sakura ceased all movement, then looked up.

"Sasuke, she's right—"

"You're even worse. Always fawning over me, crushing on me... you're useless Sakura. All your life, you've been useless to Naruko and everyone else... and now you don't even understand where we come from." said Sasuke. "Naruko never knew her parents, and that's why she's been alone and she hated you when you didn't see that you were useless. She didn't even tell you that she was an orphan. How could you trust somebody that never even knew how to love in the first place?"

Sasuke stood up as Sakura cried.

"Just because you c-can't love doesn't mean you can't try..." said Sakura. "I may have had parents, but I've always been alone, too."

Sakura was sobbing as Sasuke walked away shaking his head. Out of pure rage, I ran up to him, throwing a punch at me and literally kicked me 3 meters back and my pigtail fell out of place. Since I was wearing tight shorts underneath my orange skirt, I didn't reveal or even skin my legs. When he stared back, his eyes were glowing red.

"And idiots like the both of you don't have to waste time with me, because I knew love... but that was taken away." said Sasuke finally.

"So, he acts like the best in town, because of your stupid glare and your bigotry, did you ever thing for a moment you weren't the only one who lost something...?" I said firmly.

"Heh." he ticked.

"That my friend I treated like a sister, was traded for an bastard that stole my first kiss!? How dare you tell anyone how they feel or if they're alone or not. I have precious people to take care of, and now you're one of them whether you like it or not!"

"Then you like me?" said Sasuke.

Sakura shoved her hands in her face.

Sasuke laughed evilly, "Hit the road or admit it."

"I've always liked you! That's why I thought I could help you..."

"Well, then you're naive, because I gave you a kiss, and you took the bait. You can never help me."

...

That's the Intro Chapter. I'm thinking about making these chapters 3000 words, the standard, but I fell short of that goal, so, whatever...