Author's Note: First fanfic! It's NaruSaku, it's high school, and it involves broken friendships, gangs, and danger.
"Talking"
Thoughts and flashbacks
Inner Sakura
Inner Sakura in a flashback
Catfish swimming in your orange juice
Chapter 1: Meet Sakura
I could hear the voices around me, I could see all the people surrounding me, but I couldn't believe that I was really here. Konoha was a rough city where gangs were many and violence was everywhere. Not where you would expect the smart, good girl to want to live, but what can I say? I had wanted something more exciting than my quiet life in Kiri.
Maybe it'd be best if I started with an introduction first. My name is Haruno Sakura and I'm not exactly average looking. My short pink hair and emerald eyes make me stand out more than the average girl. I was always considered smart and had a good reputation as one who always stayed away from anything remotely bad.
But everything was going to change.
-
"Sakura," my father said, "your mother and I have something to tell you. Do to some relocations at work, we're going to be moving. Now I know you have a good life here, but I'm sure you'll have no trouble adjusting."
I just stared at him, at a loss for words.
"Oh, Sakura, dear, try to understand," my mom begged.
"Where?" was all I said.
"Konoha."
Excitement filled my mind as I imagined starting over in that gang-filled city, somewhere where I could be different. I hadn't said anything to anybody, but I hated my life. My friends were all boring and smart like me, but they were content with being that way. I, on the other hand, longed for adventure, to be someone other than the goody two shoes braniac. I wanted to move to Konoha more than anything.
"I'm sure I'll do fine," I assured them, hoping they couldn't see the maniacal grin I was fighting.
Inner Sakura, on the other hand, wasn't fighting at all.
"All right! Konoha, here we come!" she cheered.
I had first developed this alter ego when I realized that I wasn't being the one I wanted to be. When I couldn't show my true feelings, Inner Sakura was born.
In a few weeks, I would be starting my new life.
-
There I was, and it was unbelievable. Konoha High was nothing like my old private school, I heard words that I had only heard on the movies my parents didn't know I was watching, and I had seen three fights already, even though I had only been there ten minutes.
I was absolutely loving it.
"Whoa, whoa, check him out," Inner Sakura said, but she didn't have to tell me that. Down the hallway stood an extremely attractive raven haired boy with onyx eyes. He was surrounded by four girls and five boys, all of which were almost as attractive as him.
There was a blonde girl with crystal blue eyes, another blonde, this one curvier, with teal eyes, a girl with blue hair and white eyes (thank God there was someone as unusual looking at me), and a brunette with brown eyes for the girls. As for the boys, there was a rugged brunette with brown eyes, a tall guy with black hair and sunglasses even though we were indoors, a plump auburn haired guy, a black haired boy with a ponytail, and a boy with long black hair and white eyes like the blue haired girl.
Judging by height, the teal-eyed blonde and the white-eyed boy were seniors, while the others were juniors like myself. And the way they stood together just screamed "Gang!" I adored them.
"Oi, new girl, I know what you're thinking," a redhead with glasses said, approaching me. "And you need to stop. They'd never let a newbie in, they won't even let me in."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The name's Karin and I know you're daydreaming about being a member of Konoha's Eleven." She gestured to the gang I had been gawking at.
"Eleven? But there are only ten of them," I said, confused. "Oh, by the way, I'm Sakura."
"The eleventh member isn't over there. The knucklehead usually shows up later than the rest," she replied.
"So they'd never let me in?" I asked, discouraged.
"Highly unlikely. I wanted to be a member more than anything, but they didn't want me. Also, it's best not to fantasize about Uchiha Sasuke."
"Sasuke?"
"The hot one. Yamanaka Ino- she's the shorter blonde one- is most likely his girl. The other blonde is Sabaku no Temari, the brunette is Tenten, and the shy girl is Hyuuga Hinata. The boy with white eyes is Hyuuga Neji; he's Hinata's older cousin and Sasuke's closest friend. If it weren't for him, innocent Hinata wouldn't have considered joining. The fatass is Akimichi Chouji, but don't call him that to his face, ponytail is Nara Shikamaru, and the last one is Inuzuka Kiba," Karin replied.
"So, I shouldn't want to join and I shouldn't fall in love with Sasuke?" I asked.
"Exactly," she said, nodding. "I used to be obsessed with Sasuke, but I got over him when I fell in love with my retarded best friend."
"Hey, hey, is that any way to talk about me?" someone behind us said, and we both turned around to see a boy with light, almost white, blue hair smirking at Karin.
"Oh, shut up," she said, but I could tell that she cared a lot about him. He was definitely the best friend she was talking about. "Sakura, this is Suigetsu. Suigetsu, this is the new girl, Sakura."
"Oh, so she's the one who switched from Kiri Academy." He inspected me before nodding and saying, "She's doomed."
"Shut up, Suigetsu! She'll do just fine!"
"Yeah right. She's from one of those prissy schools, where everyone follows the rules. She won't last a day here," Suigetsu said, shrugging.
"Of course she will, as long as she sticks with us!"
Only ten minutes into the day, and I already had two new friends. I knew I should be grateful that people were already being so nice to me, but I still wanted more. Despite what Karin said, I wanted to make Konoha's Eleven into Konoha's Twelve!
-
Karin and Suigetsu introduced me to their other friend, a redhead named Juugo. He seemed clearly relieved at having someone else around; he was obviously a third wheel. But from the way Karin nudge-nudged and wink-winked, it seemed she expected us to hook up. He seemed nice enough, but never in a million years.
All through the day, I stared at any member of Konoha's Eleven that I happened to have class with, wondering what it would be like to hang out with them. Karin's words couldn't keep me down, not when I wanted this so much. It was just what I had in mind when I heard that we were moving to Konoha.
At lunch, Karin caught me staring at them again and laughed. "Still thinking about it, Sakura?"
I blushed. "I just…"
"I know, I know, they're fascinating, but you'll get used to it after a while. I just want you to know that I know how you feel."
"Karin?"
"Huh?"
"There's still only ten of them. Where's the eleventh?"
"Hmmm…he must be out sick today. If he were here, everybody would know it. He's that kind of person, if you know what I mean."
I did.
"Oh, I see. You mean the loud, obnoxious, LOOK-AT-ME kind of person?" I asked.
"Exactly."
"I definitely know what you mean. Back when I was in elementary school, my best friend acted just like that."
"Yes, but did he have ridiculous blonde hair?"
I fake-gasped. "Karin, you psychic, how did you know?"
"Just a wild guess. Maybe all of them are blondes."
"Maybe so."
I had no idea what awaited me the next morning.
-
"Sakura, how was your first day?" my mom asked when I walked in that afternoon.
"It was great, I already have three new friends."
"Oh really?"
"Yup. Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo. How are you enjoying it here?"
My mom grinned. "I really like it. I actually met up with one of my old friends who used to live in Kiri. Maybe you remember her? Kushina?"
"Oh, yeah, her," I said. "Well, I'm gonna go get to work on my homework now."
"Kushina? Who the hell is she? Her name sounds familiar, but I don't have a clue who she is!"
I whizzed through my homework with ease and continued to wonder about my mom's old friend. Who could she possibly be? Who did mom hang out with when I was younger? I spent most of the evening pondering this, but then my thoughts returned to Konoha's Eleven, my dream of being a member, and the mysterious eleventh member.
-
When I got to school the next morning, I immediately began searching for Karin. When I couldn't find her, a turned around to head to my locker, only to run into a blonde haired, blue eyed boy who-
Wait a second!
"Naruto?"
"Sakura?"
Author's Note: What will happen now?
Sakura: Remember to review!
Me: And tell me what story you'd like to see after this one!