Chapter 1: Prologue

Ino's POV

I've never regretted moving to Konoha two years ago. Sure, I missed everyone who I left behind in my home town, but I was moving on to a new future. I have new best friends: Sakura Haruno, the daughter of a successful pair of movie directors/producers, Sasuke Uchiha, the heir of his deceased parent's corporate company, and my boyfriend, Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Konoha Intelligence Agency agents. Every day with them is amazing; they're such great people. At first I was an addition to the tight trio, but now I know that I've been accepted as a member of their group and turned their group of three into one of four.

Sakura is my best girl friend. Most people around town know her as the outgoing daughter of those two movie buffs, but after getting to know her, I can tell she's got her insecurities and doesn't have the perfect life everyone thinks she has. We've become each other's best friends, knowing exactly what the other needs during a hard time. (Ice cream for me, and shopping for her!). If I may, I'd say that we are the closest of friends anyone could have.

Sasuke is a little less open, but I've gotten to know him pretty well too. He's Sakura's boyfriend and I still can't believe they haven't been together for longer than they have. Sure, it's been two years, but with their chemistry and perfect-couple image, you would've thought that they were soul mates from the beginning. Sasuke's a pretty good guy, tends to keep to himself, but is open around Naruto, Sakura, and now me. The moment Sasuke warmed up to me was the moment I knew I was in with them.

…Now to Naruto. I don't even know where to start! I think I'm in love. That pretty much sums it all up. He's the most amazing guy I've ever met, so open and carefree and always smiling. Naruto can be hyperactive and fun during the day, but cool and romantic at night. Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with him. Oh, right, it was the first party that I went to when I first moved to Konoha… Naruto's party. I sang on stage that night, and we hit it off right away on the dance floor. Then afterwards he invited me to stay after the party with Sasuke and Sakura. That's right, that's when we started. Man, that was such a wonderful night; I met the man of my dreams.

After that party things started to happen pretty fast. I barely got a taste of the fast life of Upper Konoha before I was thrust into the whirlwind of government operations. At another one of Naruto's parties, the four of us were abducted by Konoha Intelligence Agency operatives and taken to KIA headquarters, where Naruto learned that his father was actually the fourth Hokage (the head of the entire Agency). His father had left Naruto with a key before he died that helped the current Hokage take out the terrorist group, Akatsuki. With that key and cooperation from the Sunagakure Intelligence Agency, KIA was able to destroy the threat once and for all. Oh, and we also won the war against Sound.

All that happened two years ago, and since then our lives have been as easy as they can be. With persuasion from my friends, I've signed a record deal with my parents and my first album went multi-platinum. No one was as surprised as me. Once I built up my own bank account separate from my parents', I decided to move in with Naruto. We share his condo in Upper Konoha and at first we would fight over closet space, but we've worked it out. I moved in about three months ago. Now that I live closer to everyone (it was a 30 minute drive to Upper Konoha from West Konoha Hills, where my family's estate is) life's been awesome. It's all about the nightlife here; it's normal to sleep at 3am and wake up at 1pm, and that's just if you have dinner at The Strip (Upper Konoha's wealthy retail district)!

There's never a dull moment here. In fact, there are so many things to do that it's impossible to get to all of it! But tonight was a special night, a night that we couldn't miss for our lives.

Tonight was Sakura's 21st birthday, probably her most important birthday in her life, besides her 16th and 18th. The four of us, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and I, were having an early dinner at Setsuna's, our favorite restaurant along The Strip. After our private dinner, Sakura was hosting a very public party at her penthouse in Haruno Tower. It was going to be a busy night.

We all held filled wine glasses in our hands as we watched the hands of the watch on Naruto's outstretched hand tick the seconds away. "3…2…1! Happy birthday, Sakura!" Naruto counted down then shouted. Right when the clock hit 8:20pm, we raised our glasses to our lips and sipped the red liquid to celebrate. I put my wine glass back on the table, smiling at the birthday girl.

"Oh, man, that was the best wine I have ever tasted, especially since it was – finally—legal!" Sakura said, grinning. Being the last of us to turn 21, as I had turned 21 six months ago and both Naruto and Sasuke were 23, she was also the last to have her first legal drink.

"Yes, well, congrats and all, but let's get to presents!" I said giddily, pulling a large, gift-wrapped box from below the table and handing it to Sakura.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything," she started.

"What are you saying? Of course I had to get you something! Now open it!" I urged her on, pulling out my phone to take a picture. I watched as she carefully took off the bow and wrapping paper, taking care not to make a mess. When she finally took the lid off the box her eyes lit up.

"OH MY GOD NO WAY!" she squealed when she saw what was inside. My present to her was a pair of high-heeled Christian Louboutin black leather ankle boots. "But… how did you know I've been dying to get these?"

I smiled. "Extreme vigilance." Sakura raised her eyebrows at me and I laughed. "Alright, alright, I've actually been stalking you and I noticed you drooling over these, so I got them for you." She laughed and shook her head, acknowledging my joke as she pulled the shoes out of the box. Bringing one of the shoes to her face, she kissed it, posing for my camera. I snapped the picture.

"Thanks so much, Ino," she said, giving me a genuine smile while putting the shoes back into the box and closing the lid.

"I'm next!" Naruto declared next to me. He pulled a silver bag from under his chair and handed it to Sakura. She gratefully accepted it, separating the tissue paper and removing the small wrapped box nestled inside. Sakura pulled it out and flipped open the lid to reveal a pink digital camera.

"Thanks Naruto!" Sakura said, turning the camera over in her hand and smiled at the blond.

"Hey, that's not all there is to it! I've already recorded something on there, check it out!" Naruto said, pointing at the device. With a questioning look, Sakura turned on the camera and accessed the recorded videos. Sasuke, sitting next to her, leaned over to watch the video Naruto had me record of him earlier. Even though I couldn't see what they were seeing on the little screen from across the table, since I had recorded it I knew exactly what they were watching: Naruto rapping a happy birthday message. Sakura laughed harder as the clip progressed and even Sasuke started to chuckle.

When they were finished watching it, Sakura was in tears from laughter. "Oh—oh my gosh, Naruto, you're such a terrible rapper!" Naruto shrugged and smiled. "But I love you! Thank you so much!" She came around the table to give him a hug. Before she returned to her seat, she gave me a hug too. After Sakura recovered from her bouts of laughter at hearing Naruto rap, Sasuke handed her his present.

"Here, Sakura," he said, giving her a long silver box. It was so obviously a jewelry box and I raised my eyebrow, curious. She took the box from his hands, a slight blush going over her cheeks. Even after two years of being together, Sakura still blushed when it came to Sasuke. That's so sweet! I thought to myself.

I leaned over the table a little to see what Sasuke had gotten her. Resting on a little pillow inside the box was a small pendant attached to a delicate silver chain. The pendant was in the shape of two interlaced hearts, each lined with green gemstones. It was sparkly and shiny and twinkling and everything a girl could want.

A wide-eyed Sakura silently watched Sasuke take the box from her hands, removing the necklace. He undid the clasp and held it up. Sakura, snapping back to reality, hastily moved her pink hair to the side, allowing Sasuke to secure the necklace around her neck. "It matches your eyes perfectly," he said before he brought his lips to hers. Sakura wrapped her hand around the necklace, squeezing it tightly, her other hand going around her boyfriend's neck. He pulled back a little and whispered intimately against her lips, "Happy birthday."

Naruto and I watched as they continued to kiss, and before things got a little too far Naruto lightly coughed into his fist. "Ahem."

The couple broke apart, a heavy rose covering Sakura's cheeks and Sasuke grinning coolly. "So… is it time to party yet?" I asked.

Sakura checked the time on her phone. "It's 9… The party starts at 10. Yeah, we should go."

"Alriiiight! Let's go!" Naruto cheered, standing up. We walked out of the restaurant and out into the street towards Naruto's orange Lamborghini. The lights of the city blended together as we zoomed down the streets towards Haruno Tower, music blasting, revving up for the night that was just beginning.