Kings and Queens
By: asteriskjam

A/N: I was reading this one manga about these girl friends and I thought, hey, I'd like to write about girl best friends. Naturally, I picked the Konoha girls. This had initially been something of a character study and experimentation with group dynamics (I love quirky gangs and all that) but it somehow...evolved. Into something with an actual plot. I'm not even sure if this will be updated (I'm awfully horrible about chapter fanfiction) but you know what? I'm not writing this for anyone other than myself so that should just be ok.

WARNING: Un-beta-ed and hardly edited (at least I didn't anally go over it multiple times, like I usually do). Am feeling totally unapologetic about it, too. :)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the world's a stage and we are all but players

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Math notes, math notes. Who needed them?"

"We all did, Forehead."

"…Not a very nice way to ask, Pig."

"Please. Forehead. Please."

"…Let's not fight, guys…"

"Not again, please."

"Math notes for Hinata-chan! Math notes for Tenten-chan! Math notes for…huh? I seem to have made an extra set of math notes! Hm. I could've sworn these were for somebody grateful. But I don't see anyone else here, fitting that description…"

"I swear, Sakura, you can be such a pain in the ass!"

"Hm? Still not one word of recognition? I guess I'll just toss these then."

"…Sakura-chan, don't—"

"Ugh, Ino, Sakura. Please don't make a scene."

"Hey! What the hell! After I gave you that manicure on Saturday!"

"Still not a nice way of asking!"

"…I'll use the apple green polish next time!"

"…with the white tips?"

"…Sure."

"…Here."

"Whew. Crisis averted."

"What can I say? My manicures are the greatest this school has ever seen. They could probably end wars, if, you know, the presidents of countries were into that sort of thing."

"…Probably."

"By the way, Tenten, this coming sleepover, what kind of nails would you like?"

"The same. As always."

"Clear? Again? Sure you don't want some color?"

"You know I'm not really into all this in the first place, Ino. And if I were, the polish would probably chip horribly after one judo practice."

"She likes the clear, 'cause it hardens your nails, right, Ten?"

"Yup."

"SIGH. What about you, Hinata?

"…Mmm, you don't have to, Ino-chan."

"Oh, come on, Hina! We've been doing this for years!"

"If she didn't do our nails every other weekend, she'd probably spontaneously combust."

"Funny, Tenten."

"I try."

"Oh, what about animals? Ino, you could do animals right? That would be cute, huh, Hinata? She could do tiny bunnies or something."

"…!"

"She likes it."

"After the sleepover, you guys are all coming to my softball game, right? It's against Sunagakure!"

"Yeah, wouldn't miss it!"

"…Un!"

"Ten, you better kick their asses! That stupid Temari girl's been totally getting on my nerves lately."

"I'll dedicate a home run to your rivalry."

"…Oh hey, look, test scores!"

"Mmm, our Sakura-chan's number one again, huh?"

"That forehead had to have some kind of advantage."

"Quiet, Pig, I still have English notes."

"…Mou, Tenten-chan scored number seven."

"And you got number 11, Hinata!"

"I got 21. Hmm, I guess to make up for my outrageously good looks, God blessed me with only an above average brain."

"…I swear, Pig. What goes on in that head of yours…"

"Enough you two. Class starts in like two minutes."

As the four girls continued to chat about this and that, they easily overlooked the awed glances and the quick gossip that surrounded them as they passed.

There went the rulers of Konoha's Kunoichi Preparatory for Girls. (Appropriately, nicknamed 'The Queens.')

The foursome of girls that had the school at their beck and call. The quartet of young women who controlled every going-on whether they knew so or not.

Each individual was strong and capable, sure, but their mismatched personalities made for a distinct and rather sturdy friendship.

They had an odd group dynamic.

Haruno Sakura. Book smart, but could be rather oblivious. Defensive and righteous and stubborn. Bit of a short fuse. Also, sarcastic. And cheerful. Really cheerful. Extremely cheerful, almost to the point where it was annoying.

Hyuuga Hinata. Very sweet and often, naïve. A huge animal lover. A pacifist, if she could help it. Prayed for non-confrontation. Found it hard to say 'no'. And painfully, painfully, painfully shy.

Yamanaka Ino. Gorgeous and Ditsy. Vibrant and a little bit shallow. Loved life and basking in attention. Go-getter. Very loud too. Sometimes, so loud, you wished someone would just put a lock on her mouth and tragically misplace the key.

Tenten. Tomboy. Liked physical activity and moving all the time. Simplistic. Didn't like overly complicated things. Friendly type. Didn't pay much attention to trends and the like. Ever.

But at Konoha's Kunoichi Preparatory, they were probably the females that garnered the most attention.

Sakura was the 'smart one.'

Not that they all weren't intelligent. The four girls excelled in a number of subjects. Hinata was particularly fantastic at English, Ino was (surprisingly) adept in Chemistry, Tenten was a History Whiz. But Sakura was most literally the 'brain'—a full Advanced Placement course load, full marks, and generous loads of teacher recognition.

Hinata was the 'kind one.'

Not that they weren't all nice. The four girls were actually rather sweet for teenagers their age. Sakura liked helping at the hospital in whatever time she could spare. Ino was really into tending to flowers and the whole 'Save the Earth' movement. Tenten enjoyed meeting new people in general. But Hinata was the real 'sweetheart'—everything; children, pets, pedestrians, the elderly, tended to flock to her because of her innately gentle aura.

Ino was the 'pretty one.'

Not that they weren't all beautiful. The four girls probably made up one of the more attractive cliques in the entire school. Sakura was quite an exotic kind of beauty with her bubblegum locks and her teal eyes. Hinata had a cutesy, girly sense of style, with her long dark hair and timid clear orbs. Tenten owned the understated, natural look with her clean, neatly pinned brown locks and auburn eyes. But Ino was the serious 'charmer'—silky blonde tresses and lightning blue irises; smooth plains of pale skin and a 'va-va-voom' figure.

Tenten was the 'sporty one'.

Not that they weren't all active. The four girls happened to be particularly vigorous. Sakura was co-captain of the tennis team. Hinata enjoyed swimming and placed in competition. Ino loved any form of dance, from jazz to hiphop to ballet. But Tenten was the true 'athlete'—she had endless reserves of energy and worked out often; with her speed, strength, and excellent hand-eye coordination, she easily did well in nearly every sport.

It was because of their individual strengths that they ruled Konoha's Kunoichi Preparatory, whether they meant to or not. Sakura controlled anything intellectual. Ino took over anything social. Tenten was in charge of anything athletic. And Hinata, in all her gentleness, made the rest of the student body comply; made them feel as if the four of them deserved all this power.

It was kind of hard to grasp.

They were just so…different. If you had observed them apart, you would have probably thought them closer to being enemies than friends.

And you would be dead wrong.

Because if there was one thing that this group of four diverse, amazing, up-standing young women had in common, it was that they were extremely protective of one another.

They had grown up together. They saw each other through the good times and bad, through the thick and thin. They considered each other sisters.

And there was nothing, absolutely nothing that could break their bond.

Hopefully.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That fucking hurt, bastard!"

"Well, you weren't fucking shutting up, dobe."

"Quit using that vulgar language, or I swear I'll kill the both of you."

"…So troublesome."

"It was the bastard's fault, Neji!!! I was just commenting about how that girl's skirt was riding all the way up—"

"Shut it, dobe."

"Shut it, Naruto."

"Shut it. Please."

"WHY DON'T YOU GUYS SHUT IT!"

"…"

"—OUCH!"

"Anyway, Shikamaru. Math notes?"

"…Yeah, yeah. They're right here. I swear, if you guys weren't who you were, I'd have killed you for making me do this troublesome thing."

"Right."

"I couldn't do the notes, Shikamaru! Obviously! You were there! At my soccer match! I had practice for like the whole week!"

"…I wasn't there. I was at home, sleeping."

"WHAT?"

"Be quiet, dobe."

"You probably wouldn't have done the notes either way, Naruto."

"I so would have! I swear, I'm getting this!"

"…Sure."

"Anyway, we…appreciate this, Shikamaru. I had familial duties the entire weekend."

"Hn. …Itachi came over."

"…Let me guess, you spent the entire weekend trying to best him in anything."

"…that fucking bastard refuses to be defeated."

"Language, Uchiha."

"HAHAHAHA."

"Do you want to die, Naruto?"

"…no more fighting. God, so troublesome."

"You'll beat him eventually, bastard. Maybe in level of jerk-ness. You're the biggest asshole I know!"

"…I'll kill you--!"

"Quit it the both of you! Naruto, Sasuke you guys got us in trouble enough for this month, hell, enough for this lifetime. If you both don't stop, I swear I'll make you stop."

"…You guys are too loud. Giving me a headache. Shut up, or I swear, I'm ripping these English notes."

"…"

"Let's just get to class."

"We're still going to that concert this Friday, right?"

"Yeah, whatever. I've got the tickets. Yours will be going in the trash, dobe."

"BASTARD!"

"…Troublesome."

As the four guys continued to bicker about whatever it was, they effortlessly ignored the intimidated looks and the fast whispers that enveloped them as they walked through.

There went the rulers of Konoha's Shinobi Academy for Boys. (Appropriately nicknamed 'The Kings.')

The foursome of boys that directed the school with an iron fist. The quartet of young men who ran every facet of the educational facility whether they meant to or not.

Each individual was competent and talented sure, but the discrepancies in character made for a diverse and rather durable friendship.

They had a peculiar group dynamic.

Uchiha Sasuke. Extremely attractive, but wasn't all that cocky about it. Well rounded in the academic and athletic area, if he wanted to be. Hard-headed and a little bitter. Not very social, preferred to brood. Alone. Personality of a rattlesnake.

Uzumaki Naruto. Boisterous and rather, tactless. Said whatever was on his mind. Honest and always bursting with energy. Had a knack for trouble-making. And really, very, extremely, loud.

Nara Shikamaru. Quiet genius. Smart about things like strategy. Liked Shogi, cloud-watching, and sleeping. Thought the world to be troublesome. Lazy to the point where he could lie in his bed or on the couch or in the grass for days if undisturbed.

Hyuuga Neji. Orderly. Clean, well-managed image. Polite to a fault. Stickler for rules and a bit of a tight ass. Didn't enjoy 'letting loose'. Could be kind of boring, actually. Needed to get out more. Desperately.

But at Konoha's Shinobi Academy, they were probably the males that acquired the most notice.

Sasuke was the 'hot one.'

Not that they all weren't good-looking. The four guys were probably the most striking bunch in the whole school. Naruto had boyish good looks with his bright blond spikes and cerulean eyes. Shikamaru was all sharp features, quick dark eyes and black hair pulled back in an effective ponytail. Neji's features were a little on the effeminate side with his long, clean chestnut locks and pearl irises. But Sasuke was the literal 'Adonis'—healthy black-blue locks, bangs sweeping over smoldering charcoal eyes; pale skin drawn over the taut muscle of a perfect physique.

Naruto was the 'lively one.'

Not that they weren't all vigorous. The four guys were involved in a lot of extra activities. Sasuke was co-captain on the track team. Shikamaru (surprisingly) proved to be a pretty good archer. Neji was a born kendo star. But Naruto was the real 'competitor'—he had stores of energy that people could only wonder about and whatever he lacked in technique, he easily made up for in determination and stamina.

Shikamaru was the 'sharp one.'

Not that they weren't all bright. The four guys surpassed several in the certain classes they were interested in. Sasuke was particularly brilliant in the physical sciences. Naruto did rather well in trade subjects like shop and drafting (amazingly). Neji spoke several foreign languages. But Shikamaru was the serious 'genius'—without even meaning to, he could store volumes upon volumes of information in his brain and could analyze said information in a matter of seconds.

Neji was the 'well-mannered one'.

Not that they weren't all decent. The four guys happened to be rather respectable for boys their age (in spite of their constant fighting, of course). Sasuke was pretty generous with children and chose to spend his required community service hours at orphanages. Naruto was extremely righteous in an almost literal way for he defended weaker students from bullies, saved cats from trees, etc. Shikamaru had been taught from an early age, the importance of chivalry. But Neji was the true 'mediator'—he had a calm, reserved composure and though he was strict, he was also rather approachable.

It was because of their distinct aptitudes that they ruled Konoha's Shinobi Academy, whether they knew so or not. Sasuke (ironically) controlled anything societal. Shikamaru took over anything remotely educational. Naruto was in charge of anything in the sports department. And Neji, in all his rigidity, made the rest of the student body conform; made them feel as if the four of them merited all this authority.

It was a little hard to take in.

They were just so…different. If you had observed them apart, you would have probably thought them closer to being enemies than friends.

And you would be dead wrong.

Because if there was one thing that this group of four dissimilar, extraordinary, highly regarded young men had in common, it was that they were extremely defensive of one another.

They had grown up together. They saw each other through the good times and bad, through the thick and thin. They considered each other brothers.

And there was nothing, absolutely nothing that could break their bond.

Hopefully.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So it's settled then."

"…Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's not like I really have a choice, do I? I foolishly gambled away my building."

"You've never been a good gambler."

"Shut up. I know that. I just can't believe I have to give my girls up to you, the hugest, shittiest pervert on the face of this planet."

"…What do you mean, give them up? You'll still be there as my vice."

"…I want co."

"I'm guessing you're not 'Beggars can't be choosers' kind of person."

"I'd like equality. They're both our kids and I want the same authority. Besides, you still owe me for jam I bailed you out of last year. Take it or leave it."

"Fine. FINE. But I'd like for the girls to wear this uniform I drew up!"

"…You are such a god damn pervert!"

After a rousing session of drunk Tsunade pummeling her old friend (and major perv) Jiraiya into the ground, the principal of Kunoichi Preparatory and the principal of Shinobi Academy signed a contract to merge both schools to form Konoha's Ninja Institute.

With their pens, the two commanding officers, unknowingly sealed the fate of eight distinct individuals and engraved the promise of an all-out battle of the sexes, in stone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: HUZZAH. To be continued...or not. XD