Hello there. My name is DevilJess and I have a problem. I have been reading one too many good Naruto High School fanfics. Now I have these plots that keep running around in my head. It is becoming distracting, so I decided to write a few of them down. These one-shots will be now put in a collection called 'It Must Be High School'. They are not in any order. However, they are all in the same "storyline" so they same characters will always be in lunch together, class together, etc. I will let you know where abouts the story takes place in the storyline before the chapter starts. Maybe when I have them all down I will put them in order.

I should also warn you that there are three OC's in this series. The reason? There were no enough girls for the amount of teenaged boys we have running around. We still don't have enough, but it is better.

Before every story there will be story stats. Pay attention to them.

Story Stats:

Title: Why Sasuke Hates Sai

Summery: Sai is curious about Sasuke, who is best friends with Naruto, who likes Sakura, who is best friends with Ino, who is beautiful. It must be high school. "What was said about me?"

Pairings mentioned (this does not mean that the pairing is supported in this story): SaiXIno, SasuXIno, KibaXIno, NaruXSaku, NaruXHina, SasuXRyo(OC), SasuXNaru

Placement in storyline: N/A

It wasn't really Sai's fault that he wasn't good with people. It wasn't like he didn't try. Sai really did try. He tried hard to relate to people, but he just couldn't do it. There was something about people in general that baffled the student. Sometimes they were happy, sometimes sad, and still other times they were angry. Sometimes they were all of these and sometimes they were none of them. Sai was sure that if people could get rid of their emotions the world would be a better place. Sai also knew that almost all of the people in the world disagreed with him.

Despite the fact that they had a wide and unhealthy range of emotions, Sai could figure most people out. Their emotions made them understandable. He could always tell by their overly expressive faces exactly what they were thinking. A grin for happiness, a frown for the opposite. They would make an expression and state something in a tone of voice that would give away their intentions, almost before they knew it themselves. Sai could always read people, and that was what kept him from being a social outcast, which he gathered from peoples actions was not a good position to be in.

However, there was one person in particular that Sai couldn't figure out. Sasuke Uchiha had about as much emotion as Sai did himself. The stoic boy didn't speak much. He stood away from the think of the crowd, much like Sai, and he watched with dead eyes. The biggest difference at first sight between Sai and Sasuke was the fact that Sasuke was sometimes dragged into the conversation that was being carried on around him. He didn't always go willingly, but the Uchiha boy went. He would join in for a short amount of time to appease his friends, then go back to watching them. Sai wasn't pulled into the conversation on any day. Sai put himself there. He was always trying to make himself more appealing to people. Sai wanted to be good with people. He wasn't very good at talking to people, but he tried to practice whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Sai was always confused at the fact that Sasuke Uchiha got so much attention. The teenager had girls flocking to him and boys envious of him. He could talk to anyone and say anything, he just didn't. The youngest Uchiha was as quiet as a mouse and still attracted more attention then a heard of rhinoceros on a stampede. He did all of this with very little emotion. Sai couldn't help but wonder why. Sai had read in a book once that in a position of power, socially or otherwise, often provoked strong emotions and opinions in an individual. Those emotions and opinions would eventually lead to the downfall or strengthening of the individual's position. The Uchiha seemed to have almost no opinions, yet he was in a place of power. Sai was truly baffled.

The Uchiha had a best friend named Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto was the kind of person who was everyone's friend. Naruto had even been kind to Sai on a number of occasions. Sai very much liked Naruto for that. Naruto was the Uchiha's only true friend. Uchiha and Uzumaki went everywhere together. They did homework together, asked girls out at the same time, and were caught pulling pranks together. The only time Sai had ever seen Sasuke show emotion was when Naruto was involved. It had always been that way, ever since they were in elementary school.

Sai, after much deliberation and studying, realized that the only possible explanation for this behavior on the Uchiha's side was homosexual feelings for the Uzumaki. Sai was now very interested. He wanted to know how the Uchiha felt about that. Sai had never studied someone with homosexual feelings before. Sai decided to ask Sasuke a few questions, just to figure out how Sasuke felt about being homosexual.

Now, Sai was never coy about anything. Sai didn't know why one would hesitate to say or do anything. There was no reason for hesitation. Once he decided on something he usually just did it. There was no time for sensitivity and poise either. Sai was a very straightforward person. It was during lunch that Sai decided he wanted to know what the Uchiha thought about his sexuality. Sai didn't waist anytime considering the reactions of his friends.

"Sasuke-san, how does it feel to be gay?"

The reactions around the table varied from Naruto and Sakura Haruno's bug-eyed and red-faced shock, to Ryoka Simons's mocking laughter. Sasuke himself grew still. A moment ago he had been prodded unwillingly into joining a conversation with Kiba Inuzuka about the pet shop that was going out of business down the street from the one Kiba's mother owned. It was the last of the competition in the area and Kiba was trying to convince Sasuke to hold the celebratory party at the Uchiha estate. Now the brunette was edging away from the Uchiha hastily. Sai only wondered why for an instant before the youngest Uchiha fixed the offending boy with an angry onyx glare that normally reduced hardened criminals brought into Uchiha Prison to tears. Sai just stared blankly back at the angry boy and wondered what he did to offend him.

"I wouldn't know, Root." Sasuke said icily, calling Sai by his last name, "Why don't you tell us?"

There were a few snickers and Sai became even more confused. Usually that facial expression was reserved for anger but Sai was sure that Sasuke was gay. If Sasuke was gay then he wouldn't be shouldn't be angry about any questions Sai asked, would he? Sasuke must be confused. Sai decided that he was going to clear things up for the young Uchiha.

"I don't know. That is why I was asking you. You are gay, aren't you Sasuke-san?" Sai asked, doing his best to defuse any anger that the other boy had with a smile. Sai had read that a smile is the bast way into a persons heart. According to his social conduct book when you are in someones heart and well liked by them they are less likely to be angry with you. It seemed logical to Sai that a smile should cause any person to be friendlier to him. This time, as every other time he tried this tactic, his smile failed him.

"What makes you think I am gay?" Sasuke hissed, his rage mounting. The Uchiha's pale skin was flushed with anger and the tip of his carefully gelled hair seemed to quiver slightly. Sai watched in fascination, wondering for a second how much gel the other boy put on the back of his head to make his hair stick up like that. It made the Uchiha look like an crested bird. A very angry and slightly deadly crested bird.

"Well, you obviously have a relationship with Naruto-kun." Sai pointed out, using a familiar suffix on the end of the Uzumaki boy's name on request. Naruto liked to be a friend to everyone and he insisted that everyone should always refer to him in a familiar way. Said blond boy had been snickering at the arguing boys a moment ago and he was now staring at Sai, shocked. Sai understood Uzumaki's shock. Naruto didn't expect Sai to have figured out their relationship. Sai smiled at them again to show that he only had the best intentions.

That was when sickly Hinata Hyuga fainted. Sai considered her lucky, as she fell right onto Tenten Higarashi, who caught her. Tenten held up the frail girl easily which was not really a surprise. Hinata fainted a few times a day and Tenten was a very sporty and strong girl. Tenten could probably easily bench Hinata. It helped that everyone at the table was expecting Hinata to faint as soon as the words were out of Sai's mouth. It was common knowledge that Hinata liked Naruto. Well, common knowledge for everyone except Naruto.

"Me, gay, what, no." Naruto sputtered, eyes wide. Ryoka seemed to have fallen off of her chair at Sai's announcement and she was now curled up on the floor holding her sides from laughing so hard, wavy silver hair spread out all over the cafeteria floor. Naruto and Sasuke both fixed the girl with equally unhappy glares. "Shut up, Ryo-chan." The girl just laughed harder.

While Ryoka laughed until she cried Sai couldn't help but notice that Sasuke had turned slightly pink around the edges, if you looked really hard at his pale features. Sai smiled again, suspicions confirmed. To Sai the blush meant that Sasuke really was gay and that he just wanted to hide it for some unknown reason. Sai was actually very wrong.

What was causing the youngest Uchiha to blush slightly was the girl on the floor holder her sides and laughing her brains out. Ryoka Simons was a well-known transfer student from America. Her mother was full Japanese and Ryoka was fluent, so language wasn't a problem for her. Her mother had married an American and moved to America with him shortly before she was born. Barely a year later John Simons had died in a car crash that took seven other lives. Kiku, Ryoka's mother, had been very upset. Even worse was the fact that at the time Ryoka's mother had known almost no English. Kiku couldn't get a job and they had ended up in the American slums. When Kiku won the lottery out of a stroke of luck she had used the money to move back to Konohagakure, Japan. Ryoka still wasn't well off, but she was tougher then Tenten and her temper was worse then Sakura. Knowing all this Sasuke had begun to kind of admire her. Now she was laughing at him.

The Uchiha grit his teeth and fixed his glare back on Sai Root. The foolish boy had caused all of this. Sasuke could not let his actions go unpunished. If there was anything Sasuke was willing to do it was get revenge. Sasuke cast his eyes around the room, looking for something to punish Sai with. If he had to he would pick up one of the chairs and beat the offending boy with it, suspension or no suspension. Lucky for Sasuke's flawless school attendance record, Sasuke spotted Ino Yamanaka. Ino was the kind of outspoken, loud, and opinionated girl most avoided but Sasuke had seen Sai watching her with a glimmer in his dark eyes. Sasuke wasn't a psychiatrist, but he knew a boy crushing on a girl when he saw it. Sasuke's family weren't the talkative kind of family and he had learned to read people. It was useful in more ways then one.

When Naruto saw that glint of excitement in Sasuke's eye that was almost never present he assumed the worst. Naruto blanched in horror. "Sasuke-teme! I'm not gay. I like Sakura-chan, remember? So we can't be together!" Sakura nearly fell off her chair at that. Ino, who also happened to be Sakura's best friend, started laughing.

Sasuke froze mid-plan and stared, shock barely concealed on his face. Ryoka began to laugh harder, clutching her sides and rolling back and forth on the ground. She looked like she was about to pass out from laughter. Sasuke glared at Naruto. "What the fuck, Dobe. I am not gay."

The blond boy tipped his head to the side with a slightly relieve expression. "Are you sure?" Sasuke was ready to throw both the falsely grinning Sai and Naruto out the window.

"Of course I am sure you baka!" he hissed. Ryoka was on the ground, face red from laughing and tears streaming down her face. She was obviously having problems with her breathing. Sasuke turned to Sai and did his best to stay calm. He began to execute his plan. "Root, you really shouldn't lie about people. Do you want me to have to tell Yamanaka-chan what you said about her?" Sasuke smirked in triumph as Sai's dark eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

Time seemed to stand still for Sai when Sasuke said the name Yamanaka. Sai tried to figure out what he could have possibly said about her. As Sai racked his brain the world seemed to turn in slow motion to the blond girl, who's face looked shocked and curious. Sai took a precious second to appreciate her another time. Ino had become beautiful in the last few years. Her fearless personality was one that seemed to attract Sai's attention and he wasn't sure exactly why. Then time was speeding up again, with Sai still lost confused. Ino voiced her thoughts, just as she did anytime she had thoughts.

"What was said about me?" Ino tossed her long blond ponytail over her shoulder and grinned at Sasuke. It was well know that Ino was one of many girls in the Sasuke-fan-club. The club was filled with girls that liked Sasuke in varying degrees. Ino was in the 'if-I-could-date-him-I-would-but-I-don't-stalk' category. Ino wasn't a hardcore Sasuke fan-girl, she was even know to date other guys, (like Kiba in seventh grade) but if he asked something of her she would probably do it. Anything he said she would believe. Sasuke grinned like a jungle cat going in for the kill.

"I just thought that I would tell you how I overheard Sai in the guys bathroom the other day commenting on how you were a dirty slut."

Ino's mouth dropped open. Ino was well known for being flirty and having a bubbly personality. However, she wasn't what anyone, by any standard, could rightfully call a slut. Sai's stomach seemed to knot itself. He didn't understand why Sasuke was doing this. There was a collective gasp around the table as everyone registered what was said. As expected Sakura was the first to recover.

"What the hell?"

Sai found himself punched across the jaw, hard. The impact moved his entire body around so that he could see behind him. There stood Tenten, standing tall with brown eyes narrowed to slits. She was no longer holding Hinata up. That task seemed to have been given to Kiba for safe keeping. Sai briefly wondered if he would survive before Ino stopped her friends.

"Guys, stop it. You don't wanna get suspended." Her voice was strangled and for some unknown reason Sai found himself worried about her. He turned back to see her standing strong as ever, but her eyes were sad.

"But Ino-pig-" Sakura started, using her childhood nickname. Ino cut her off.

"But nothing. What he says doesn't matter because he is wrong." Ino's eyes hardened to a flat, angry blue. She glared at Sai. "He doesn't matter." And Sai wasn't sure why, but he was sad. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind and he tired to calm everyone down with a smile. Ino ignored him and turned to continue her lunch.

Sasuke watched Sai break and for a moment he felt guilty. He had just ruined whatever small chance the socially challenged boy had with her. Sasuke pushed the upsetting feeling to the back of his mind and turned back to his lunch.

"Damn." Came Ryoka's slightly accented voice next to him. He turned to see that she had recovered from her laughter and was now standing behind him, rust colored orbs amused. He watched her back, attempting to show no emotion. "That was a low blow, Uchiha-san." Sasuke shrugged it off and her eyes seemed to flash scarlet. "What did he do to deserve that?"

Sasuke nearly explained, but he caught himself. Admitting to Ryoka that her laughter was the fuel to his anger would be like admitting that he thought it was possible that he liked her. Admitting that would probably be the end of his world, so he shrugged again. "He was annoying." Sasuke said, turning to his default reason for everything; annoyance.

"So you admit that he didn't say that about Yamanaka-chan?" Sasuke may have had questionable feelings for Ryoka, but at the moment he was inwardly cursing her observation skills. He did the best he could under the conditions he had. He grunted.

"Hn."

"I'm waiting for an answer."

"Hn."

"I'm going to take that as a yes," She hissed angrily, "bastard."

"Hn." was his only reply. She glared at him, then stalked over to Ino, who was appeared upset and was holding up a conversation with Sakura and Hinata. Hinata seemed to have come to while Sasuke had been talking to Ryoka and it appeared that Sakura was filling the shy girl on the events of the past few minutes as well as comforting Ino. When Ryoka made it to the girls she cut Sakura off. Sakura seemed angry for a moment before Ryoka explained herself. Sasuke would have watched them further if Naruto hadn't chosen that moment to intervene.

"Teme, you really lied to Ino-san?" The blond asked, eye's wide and disbelieving, "I would run. She could kick your ass. Remember what she did to me last spring when I stole her curling iron on a dare? I could barely walk for a week." Sasuke smirked at the memory.

"Dobe, you deserved that. You weren't supposed to look in her underwear drawer." Nruto chose to ignore Sasuke's justification.

"Teme, it doesn't matter how much you like Ryo-chan. Pissing off Ino-san is not worth it." Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, trying to keep an eye on the reaction of his female friends when he suddenly realized what Naruto had said. Sasuke sputtered for a moment and turned to Naruto, mask of indifference gone.

"Who told you?" the Uchiha hissed. Naruto feigned heartbreak at Sasuke's accusing comment.

"Teme, you wound me. I have know you since birth, so-"

"Kindergarten." Sasuke corrected without thinking. He smirked slightly at the memory of there first meeting. It involved a lego car and Shino Aburame.

"-I think I can tell when you like a girl." Naruto went on without pause, far too used to Sasuke correcting his mistakes, "But you seemed to have just driven her farther away. I mean, did you see those death glares, Teme? Not even Sakura-chan can top that." Sasuke looked up at the group of girls.

Then the girls looked at him. Sasuke did his best to rearrange his face from the smirk, but they had already seen. All three girls glared before Ino said something to the other girls then stood up. She looked around the room only to find that Sai was gone.

Ino couldn't believe this. Sasuke had lied to her. She realized that it probably shouldn't surprise her, he wasn't exactly the nicest person and it wasn't like they had any special connection. He had just lied to another fan-girl. Ino gritted her teeth and stomped out of the cafeteria to find Sai. Sasuke did his best to ignore her. Instead he watched Ryoka, Sakura, Hinata, and now Tenten chat. He kept his face smooth when they talked about him. He kept his face smooth when Tenten sent him a chilling glare. He kept his face smooth when Hinata looked timidly at him. He kept his face smooth when Sakura stared, wide-eyed and still overly shocked, at him. But when Ryoka cast him a hateful glace he felt his mask breaking.

This was all Sai Root's fault. He came into the cafeteria with his stupid questions and questionable intentions. Sasuke scowled. Sai was the one who made Ryoka hate him. Ryoka was sending looks of loathing at him and he was more then upset, he was furious. Sasuke Uchiha decided then and there that Sai Root would hate the rest of his high school experience, all because he offended Sasuke on a day in October of Sophomore year.

Sai himself was sitting on the steps of Konoha High School watching the city below. The school was built on a hill overlooking the entirety Konohagakure. Sai watched the skyline, but he didn't really see it. He was thinking about Ino and trying to decipher his new emotions.

First of all, there was a guilt that Sai was sure came from walking out on the situation. There was also a slight bit of guilt that he had made Ino unhappy. Despite the fact that he would have never said such a thing about her he still seemed to feel guilty for it. It was a strange feeling.

There was also the sadness. He could call it grief, he could call it disappointment, he could call it emotional pain, but he knew that in truth it all came from a deep rooted sadness. He was truly interested in Ino and she had shut him down on a false rumor. It was almost painful and Sai knew that it shouldn't be. Sai finally knew for sure that emotions were the worst thing in the world.

The last thing that Sai felt at that moment was an intense loathing for Sasuke Uchiha. He hated the rich, hansom, stuck-up boy that controlled the hearts of the girls. He hated Sasuke's carefully gelled, chicken-ass hair. Sai would have continued to think about how much he hated Sasuke Uchiha for a good long while had he not felt a presence beside him. Sai turned to look, not bothering with a charming smile, and he came face to face with Ino Yamanaka.

To say that he was shocked was an understatement. She had just been chewing him out in the cafeteria a few moments ago, now she was sitting next to him on the front steps of Konoha High with an amazing blush adorning her cheeks. Sai wondered for a moment if she was coming to apologize, but then he remembered the anger and hurt and he realized that she was probably there to eat him alive with words. He sighed and prepared himself mentally.

"I'm sorry for jumping on you like that." she apologized, looking away from him. "I shouldn't have said those things without knowing the full story. Sasuke-kun was just being a jerk for no reason. You aren't worthless to me." What started out strong ended up a whisper. She glanced at him from the corner of one sapphire eye.

To say that Sai was stunned was an understatement. He stared at the beautiful girl in front of him expressionlessly for a few seconds before the warm feeling spread through his body. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, or where it came from, but he knew that it was beautiful. It was a wonderful feeling. For a second Sai considered naming it love, but he dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his mind. For now he was just content to sit here on the steps of the school and enjoy her presence and the warm, wonderful feeling she brought with her.

For the first time in his life Sai loved emotions. They were wonderful feelings that enriched the human experience. Sai wanted to experience every emotion the world had to offer. He didn't mind the fact that emotions clouded logical thinking, or that they could be the cause for the worlds problems. Emotions were a wonderful thing that he never wanted taken away from him, or anyone else for that matter. Even the stupid, evil Uchiha.

For the first time in his life Sai smiled a true, happy smile. And to his wonder and amazement Ino smiled back.

"It's no problem, Yamanaka-san."

"Call me Ino-chan." Sai frowned.

"It is customary for people to give their friends nicknames. May I give you one?" Ino giggled at him and smiled.

"As long as it is a good nickname." Sai examined her for a moment before deciding on one that he deemed perfect for her.

"How about 'Beauty-chan'?" Ino's eyes widened in shock. She watched him for a moment, before grinning like a fool. Sai thought for a second that she was going to reject his nickname and he felt like an idiot. Damn these emotions. Suddenly she spoke.

"Beauty-chan it is." Sai grinned back at her, all the weight in his tense shoulders lifting. That was when the bell rang. Ino cursed softly and Sai decided to ignore his only friends foul mouth.

"Let's hurry up, Beauty-chan." he said, grabbing his bag off the step below him. Ino smiled at him and stood up. She had no bag with her. Cool people didn't need bags.

They walked to class together. Sai left her at the door to Asuma's classroom. As soon as the door had shut behind her he found himself grinning. People stared at Sai's new smile as he whistled down the hall to his next class.

In case you were wondering, Ino does not necessarily like Sai. She is just a friend who was embarrassed by her own actions. And once again, in case you were confused, Ryoka is an OC.

Please review. Please don't review hating on the pairings or the fact that it is a high school fic. Review on my writing or the storyline. Thank you.

~DevilJess-chan