Pink with Envy

A/N: I do not claim ownership of or infringe upon the copyrights of the Naruto series. I merely use popular characters for recreational, non-profit fan-fiction.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."

- Winston Churchill, renowned British Prime Minister

Sakura's POV

Hello! Welcome to Hell. . .I mean, my life. No, wait. I meant Hell. My name is Sakura Haruno. I have a stepbrother named Naruto, who is only a few years older than I am. We grew up with my father and his mother, who raised me as her own. She is very pretty, and a very kind woman. There was never any doubt that she was the only mother I had ever known, since my mother died due to complications with my birth. Through our childhood, Naruto and I lived a pretty normal middle-class life in rural America with our kind and caring parents. We love them dearly. We also love our little town of Rockport. I skated through middle school with a few friends I'd grown up with. But a few years ago, I started high school. This began an entirely different story.

During the summer before my freshman year of high school, my stepmother insisted we finally fix my teeth, which were not quite noticeably out of line. But since I was about to get my wisdom teeth removed, it would have been a great time to do it. So there I was, with a not-so-attractive mouth full of metal. Not to mention puberty hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only was I suffering from that time of the month now, but the acne started popping up like crabgrass. My mother supported these changes, telling me that it was a rite of passage in my teenage years. Oh, how I hated my teenage years. My hair, which I had not paid too much attention to beforehand, had now become unattractively unruly. Any humidity in the air made my hair turn from long and stringy natural pink locks into a frizzy, tangled mess. It was very difficult to manage. With my high I.Q., I somehow never accomplished the discovery of a proper hairbrush or styling mousse. Or a hot oil treatment. Well, let's just say I had a lot of problems going on. A popular little taunt happened to be directed at my oversized forehead, as well. "Billboard brow." What bitches.

To top it all off, my best friend ditched me. I couldn't believe it. She was friendly with me on the last day of school, but she had already started hanging out with Karin and a few other popular girls. The mean bitches of the school. Out of the eighth grade class, we already seemed to have some well-developed girls who were known to be "loose." Karin led that group. That reputation only accelerated in high school. I'm sorry to say that Ino fell into that group, soon enough. Ino Yamanaka had been my best friend since we were teetering little toddlers. Ino's father, Inoichi, was very close friends with my dad. They worked together in City Hall. I'm not sure what Ino's father did, but it was very hush-hush. I believe he did a lot of investigative work.

Did I mention my father was the mayor? Well, he was. His campaign started not too long before I started the eighth grade. I thought that it might win me some "coolness" points, but I was mistaken. No one gave a crap. It was all about me and how I looked.

My fashion sense was. . .a rather dull sense. Definitely not a sixth sense. The way those girls treated me made my self-esteem plummet. My wardrobe tended to reflect this. My mother, as caring as she could be, did not help by buying me stylish clothes. "Being the mayor's daughter," she would tell me, "means carrying yourself in a dignified manner." Well, I didn't do that in those frumpy clothes that looked like they were donated from a nursing home. I wasn't allowed to wear a lot of makeup, either. My mother, an active member of the PTA, didn't want her daughter sending mixed messages to the boys. There was a message, alright. Nothing good, though. Just more opportunities to be tormented and ridiculed. I wore a lot of unflattering cardigans and loose-fitting, or ill-fitting, pants. If I wore jeans, they certainly weren't fashionable lowriders. My staple accessory were my thick-rimmed glasses. I loved them and grew attached to them because I could hide behind them. I felt like it was some sort of buffer against the things I heard and the shoves I felt on my back.

My slightly older stepbrother, Naruto, happened to skate through. . .just about everything. Naruto was talkative and energetic, and somehow easily made friends anywhere he went. Naruto also turned out to be very handsome as he grew into his teenage years and hit his growth spurt. Naruto shot up like a weed one summer, and the high school basketball coach took notice. Naruto tried out and made the team, playing both football and basketball in his freshman year. Both teams made it to the playoffs, with his help. But Naruto could only handle one sport, and he chose football. During Naruto's sophomore year, Rockport High made it all the way to the State Championships, but sadly lost in overtime. That was all thanks to the incredibly talented (and incredibly handsome) Sasuke Uchiha. These two boys were like night and day. Sasuke was a brooding, James Dean-like character with an apparent grudge against all authority. Needless to say, the city of Sandersville was not too reluctant to let him go. Well, they missed their best wide receiver. But if it wasn't for Sasuke's unbelievable skills on the field, they would have run him out of town of a rail.

Sasuke Uchiha was every teenage girl's dream. He was tall, reaching almost a full inch above Naruto. He had jet black hair that looked like it was casually styled in a strange, spiky hairdo. Sasuke came from money, so he had a nice wardrobe. He also happened to have a really cool car - a midnight blue Porsche Carrera, to be exact. His family had a lot of money. The Uchihas and their wealth goes a long way back, so Sasuke was pretty much born with a platinum spoon in his mouth, so to speak. Who needs silver when you can afford more? Sasuke was also a bad boy, which made guys intimidated by him and girls drool over him. Unlike a young celebrity like Justin Beiber, this was a dreamboat standing right in front of you in the lunch line or walking through the halls right past your locker. It was real and close to home. And as if this wasn't enough to faint over, Sasuke Uchiha happened to sit right in front of me in the back of Kakashi-sensei's class in my junior year of high school. This was a senior-level math class, but I more than qualified for it.

Guess who else qualified for it? Karin and Ino. Karin was seventeen and should have been at this level by now, but apparently either failed one math class or was held back at some point - in elementary school, I think I once heard. Honestly, I didn't give a damn and wasn't surprised in the least. But Ino was only able to qualify for the upper-level class because I helped her with her math in middle school. She must have forgotten that. I wish Naruto wasn't a math idiot, or else he'd be in this class to help me. No one would dare say anything to me in front of my protective older brother. But as friendly and sweet as he was, he was a bit of an airhead. He was a little oblivious to the taunts and other abuse I was subjected to day in and day out. For some reason, I never wanted to burden him with my problems. So I never shared much of it with him or my family. I was too ashamed of the things they said that I didn't want to say any of them out loud. I knew a lot of it was true. My clothes, hair and complexion were a disaster. I was a moving target.

One instance in high school was in October, close to Halloween. For a fall break, the only several-day break we really received before Thanksgiving, the Student Government Association somehow negotiated a "Halloween Bash" school dance on that Friday night. The theme was "Ballroom Blitz." We were all to dress up in ballroom-like costumes; masks were optional, except in my current aesthetic position, where it should be mandatory. Karin and Ino didn't fail to share the same opinion with jeers and taunts from their respective seats. I wanted to die.

As the dance approached, I listened to the chatter in the hallways, classrooms and lunchroom. I did have the lucky acquaintances of my two true best friends, TenTen ad Hinata. TenTen didn't come from a lot of money, but she certainly was a spitfire of a girl. Don't mess with this girl. TenTen looked like a very plain, simple girl with not much to say, but don't get her started; she's easy to piss off. And she's also a black belt in karate. Seriously - don't piss off this girl. She'll disrespect you and your mother, then kick your ass for good measure. And that's just a warning. Hinata was the complete opposite. Though she was pretty and did come from a bit of money - a lot of money, actually, Hinata was painfully shy. Hinata blushed any time one of my brother's football buddies asked to borrow a pencil. In fact, Brandon Thatcher once asked if she had an extra pen one morning in homeroom, and the poor girl just plain fainted! One guy that would make Hinata faint at the drop of a hat was my brother. Hinata had maintained this silly little crush since childhood. . .only now it borders obsession. Guess where Hinata always wants to hold our study sessions? My house. Where is the best place to just hang out? My house. Where's the best place to grab a bite to eat? My house. Crimeny! The girl lives in a freaking mansion!

The girls and I planned on attending this event together, because none of us could see any date prospects coming our way. We knew we were social outcasts. But why not have a little fun? After an entire week off from school, we needed a night out. At least, that's what my mom told us. Naruto had a date already. He hooked up with a pretty girl named Ayame, who was a cheerleader from Sandersville. Guess who Sasuke was going with? That bitch named Karin.

My stepmom took care of my costume. I was going to be a pretty little princess, or that's what I understood. When she showed me the dress the night before, my jaw dropped. The dress was very pretty. And appropriate for a four-year-old's Halloween costume. I couldn't believe it! She didn't mean to at all, but my stepmom really let me down this time. Did she even understand that this was a ball? Or that I'm sixteen and not six? I simply thanked her and locked myself in my room to cry alone. I was used to that.

About twenty minutes later, Naruto knocked on my door.

"Hey, Saks? You in there?"

"Mm. . .yeah." I sat up on my bed, my tears long since dried. But my face was still a bit puffy. I tucked my hair behind my ears and wiped my eyes a bit.

"Can we come in?"

"Yeah, sure." I was assuming it was my stepmom, with that hideous embarrassment of a dress. I was wrong.

The doorknob turned, and I climbed to the edge of my bed to sit and talk. But when I looked up, there stood a very pretty girl.

"Hi, Sakura! I'm Ayame. It's very nice to meet you!"

"Oh. . .uh, hi."

"Wow! You have a cute figure!"

"Heh?" What in God's name is this crazy girl talking about? I'm hideous! A joke! The laughingstock of my school!

Sensing my uneasiness, Naruto interjected. "Ayame is studying fashion design. She's planning on pursuing it in college in the fall. She's already applied for scholarships."

I was shocked. Ayame was a senior! I never expected my brother to go for older girls, even if it was just a year. But she was going to college soon! What a difference!

"Oh."

"We're good friends." Oh, so I guessed wrong. Naruto might have had a crush on her, but they weren't dating. "And when she was here last, she saw your picture from eighth grade on the mantel."

"Okay. . ."

"And I thought you'd be perfect for a practice mannequin for me! A live model!"

"A what?" What the Hell was this girl thinking! I didn't think I had a lot to offer.

"You're perfect! Even with the braces! If I didn't think they fit with the picture, we could always take pictures with a closed smile. But the hair and makeup would be a different story. . ." She trailed off, obviously mulling over ideas in her mind. You could practically hear the gears turning in her head. "Stand up for me, please."

I did as I was instructed. I did a little twirl on command, too. I wasn't sure about where this was going, but what did I have to lose? Naruto looked confident, so why not?

"I saw the dress downstairs. It was probably cute ten years ago, but that just won't do for the dance tomorrow night. I have a prototype from a dress I'm not wearing. It was my second choice, but it's still absolutely gorgeous. You look to be about the same size as me. Are you a size 6?"

"Well, just about. Yes."

"Perfect! And we're almost the same height, but I'm just a smidge taller. A nice pair of heels would cover that. I wouldn't have time to take up the dress to make it a little shorter."

"O-okay."

"Would you mind if you came over to my house tonight? You could spend the night. It's just me, my mom and my little sister. You can sleep in my room tonight. This might take more than 24 hours to pull off. But we can do it! I need to stop by the store to get a few items, but Naruto can drop you off at my house. Right, Naruto?"

"Yep. My sister needs a good night out. She's been a little depressed lately, and the girls at school aren't exactly nice to her. I think it'll do her good to blend in for one night."

"Why are you talking about me like I'm not here?" I was a little scared about this, but I agreed to it. Now I'm taking my insecurities out on my caring and helpful brother. "Sorry. You didn't deserve to get spanned at."

Naruto appeared right in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders to comfort me. "It's okay. Everything will be okay. Amazing, actually. You're in good hands with Ayame."

Ayame beamed. "My house in twenty?"

"Sure. We'll be there."

That night, Ayame was able to correctly size and fit the dress to my body. Her little sister, Keiko, came in to help. Keiko was in the 6th grade. Such a sweetheart! Ayame's mother was also very kind. I met her briefly when I came in earlier that night. Ayame must have let her mother in on my predicament before we got there, because I could see the sympathy in her eyes. It was a familiar look, and I hated receiving it.

All I could say about the dress that that if this was a rejected choice, then Ayame's dress must be unbelievable. This dress was very elegant. It was a slightly sexy shiny pink dress with gold and white lace detail on the bodice. The skirt was just flowing pink. It didn't take away from my hair color. It looked like a very expensive ball gown. I can't believe Ayame had made it herself. It must have taken a long time to make. That kind of painstaking dedication should be rewarded. If she needs a recommendation. . .I'll write it up today! This girl had better receive a scholarship. Seriously, she should just send in before and after pictures of my transformation and let that speak for her amazing handiwork.

Later on that night, I was introduced to a hot oil treatment. Not so bad. Neither was the other new thing called a defining mask. While I sat there with this goop in my hair and on my face, Keiko gave me a great manicure and pedicure. Darn, she was good! The next morning, we returned to the same spot to finish what we had started. The defining mask worked wonders! Ayame's most amazing piece of magic was what she called a "healing stick." It was a 24-hour spot treatment for acne. Not only did my acne reduce overnight, but it was subdued by lunchtime. Before a lunch break, my hair was washed using a pull-out shower head sprayer. Ayame used shampoo and conditioner for frizz control and a healthy shine in my hair. Then she towel-dried it and added some pomade for more control and other special effects that I wasn't familiar with yet.

After a quick pizza break for lunch, Ayame hit me with a variety of different makeup kits. She definitely rolled out the big guns. After making me wash my face with scrubs and cleansers, I used a moisturizer. Ayame seated me at her vanity and turned her swivel chair around to face her. She first used a primer on my face. Then she used a mineral foundation that matched my skin tone well. I was wearing blush, eyeliner and a good bit more dramatic eye makeup.

Ayame then turned her attention over to my hair. Oh, it needed a lot of work. But she was a brave girl, and soldiered forward. After I was given a hot oil treatment to tame my hair at the roots and give my scalp some relief, we washed my hair and introduced me to styling products. With some shine-infusing shampoo and intense leave-in conditioner, Ayame blow-dried my hair with a professional blow dryer. I knew it felt different already. I almost freaked out when I saw a healthy-looking body of hair flowing over my shoulders.

"Uh-uh. Not yet." Ayame rolled out a small case of shears. "Your pink hair is to die for, but these uneven layers and split ends have got to go."

As she trimmed, I noticed a crooked smile. I think Ayame was enjoying it just a little too much.

Soon enough, gorgeous layers and a shorter length that still fell below my shoulders fell before me. If I was almost shocked before, now it was just written all over my face. I was like a cupcake with pink icing on top. It looked that good!

Keiko brought her sister a big train case full of makeup, and Ayame selected several items to match my very fair complexion. Before long, I had a base of primer and mineral foundation, with heavy makeup on my jade green eyes and full, glossed lips. Light blush adorned my cheeks. We picked out perfect costume jewelry to match my dress.

With about two hours to spare for the painful school dance, I was finally ready to put on that killer dress. I gasped when I stole a glance at the bathroom mirror. Not too bad! I had never taken the time to fix myself up. Both my parents still saw me as a little girl, and were too used to me being a tomboy or a geek to even worry about makeup or my wardrobe. But that didn't mean I shouldn't have fixed myself up a little. . .I was a train wreck!

Ayame had me stand in the middle of her bedroom while she and Keiko maneuvered with the dress to get it around me. I have to say that it wasn't easy. But when it was on, I felt very different. I had never felt so feminine. I looked in the floor-length mirror on Ayame's closet door. I was speechless. I looked like a supermodel! My rosette locks were fixed in a swooping updo, while the makeup actually made me look quite a bit more feminine and mature. I barely noticed my braces, though they weren't invisible. And the dress. . .it hugged the curves I was still growing into. My dad would have had a heart attack had he seen me. But I didn't care; I liked that I looked grown-up and. . presentable in society!

Ayame was getting ready, too. Her dress was just as gorgeous, I must say. She wore a turquoise and black dress with intricate patterns. She was already beautiful, but now she was drop-dead gorgeous. And she made me feel the same way. While we were talking, I learned a good bit about her. She was very pleasant. Ayame had only been seeing Naruto for about a month, but there was a strong connection. She was even considering applying for whatever college offers Naruto an athletic scholarship. We knew he was due for an athletic scholarship, since we were aware of all the scouts paying attention to him and a few recruiters leaving my parents phone messages. Sasuke was receiving similar attention.

About an hour before the dance, I realized Hinata and TenTen had no clue where I was.

"Ooh! Where's my cell phone? I need to call my friends."

"Oh, there's no need. Naruto called me earlier this afternoon. He said TenTen stopped by, and he let her know you had plans for the dance. They understood."

"Plans?"

"Oh, didn't Naruto tell you?"

"No, not yet." Naruto had just walked in Ayame's bedroom. "Your mom let me-" His head turned over to me, his mouth still open. "Holy crap! Sakura! You look like. . .a girl!"

"Thanks, jerk."

"Oh! I mean. . .you look. . .different! You didn't look like a guy before! You're just more. . .girly. . .in that stuff. You look great."

"Thanks. Ayame took care of me. So, what are my plans that I didn't know about?"

"Oh, heh." Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head. "You see. . .my friend's date canceled on him at the last minute, and he already had a tux rented that he couldn't get a deposit back on. . ."

"Who?"

"Shino."

"Huh?" I knew who Shino Aburame was. He was on the basketball team with Naruto. He was also cheering for his friends at every football game. They'd been close these past few years of high school. Shino was a pretty popular guy and also a senior like Naruto, so I was a little shocked that he would agree to take me to. . .well, anywhere. Shino happened to be a gorgeous guy. Would I faint? He was going to be seen with me in front of almost the entire school. Was he crazy? As great as I looked, I was quite a bit apprehensive. Looking the part was easy, since I had Ayame's help. But playing the part. . .of a popular guy's date. . .as a pretty girl? How could I possibly measure up to the other girls? To the senior girls?

"Shino remembered you from a few years back, though you probably haven't seen each other in a while. He was surprised he hadn't seen you around school."

'That's because I'm insignificant. He's passed me in the hallways almost every day.' I just giggled to brush it off Naruto's mind.

"So, Naruto. . .how do I look?" Ayame jumped up from her chair and twirled around to give Naruto a great view. Naruto smiled wide.

"You look great. Enchanting." Naruto slipped over to Ayame's side and wrapped his arms around her waist, and wasted no time in surprising her by picking her up and giving her a twirl. . It was a cute sight, I had to admit. "But I think I might need a little help. I can get these pants and the shirt on. That's the easy part. But all those other parts are a little confusing. What goes where? Bow tie? What the Hell? Help?"

Ayame giggled. "Here. Let me help you." She led Naruto into the bathroom and shut the door. I shrugged and moved to follow Keiko downstairs.

After about fifteen minutes, Ayame and Naruto joined me downstairs. We had only been sipping on tea for a few more minutes until the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it. It's Shino." Naruto stood up and got the door. I began to go into total panic mode. I knew it wasn't a real date or anything, but I wasn't prepared for this! Damn Naruto for not cluing me in! Hell, he knew I'd chicken out if he told me earlier. Clever bastard. Big bros always know.

Shino popped around the corner, with Naruto in tow. He looked handsome, of course, in a crisp black formal suit and slate gray button-up underneath. He looked kinda sleek. Incredibly handsome. Oh, what was he going to think of me?

"Wow, Sakura. These last few years have been good to you. I-I m-mean. . ." Shino gulped. He gulped nervously, just by talking to me! This is new. "Forgive me for staring. You. . .look. . really beautiful. Thank you for letting me take you to the dance tonight. I'm afraid my original plans fell through." He leaned in to kiss my cheek politely. He hovered a minute to speak into my ear, something else that was new. "Looking at you, I'm glad they did."

I turned beet red. My vibrant hair paled in comparison. Th-thank you for going with me. I didn't have a date." I probably should've kept that to myself.

He just chuckled. "No problem."

"Shino. You're not dressed in a period costume. We'll have to change that. Get over here." Ayame still had a little bit more magic up her sleeve to make us look like the most killer group at the dance.

We were expected at the dance in a mere hour. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Oh my gosh! How was I going to do this! TenTen and Hinata! Help me!

"The limo's here." Naruto ordered a white limo for his group of friends. He led Ayame out onto her front porch to see it.

"Awesome! You didn't have to do this! But it's wonderful!"

Naruto beamed. He turned to look at me. "You ready?"

I gulped and nodded. Shino stood by my side. He looked down to give me a comforting look. He extended his arm, and I slid my small hand around his muscular limb. Oh, my lord! He's definitely been training hard. He's definitely scored extra points with me, so to speak.

We marveled at how luxurious the interior of the limo was. This must've cost Naruto a fortune! We turned the stereo up and talked and laughed the whole way. But we weren't going straight to the dance, as Naruto clued me in late in the game. . .again.

"We just have one more pit stop."

"Heh?" Ayame didn't know, either.

"Sasuke."

I choked on my soda. It wasn't pretty. Shino patted me on the back. Not a great start to the night.

"We're just swinging by to pick up him and his date." Naruto made sure I was okay.

"Oh? And what lucky girl did your friend snag?" Ayame also made sure I was okay before paying attention to Naruto again.

"Oh, some girl in Sakura's grade. Karin."

Ayame made a face. "Oh, her?" The face she made after that could've burned a hole in the back of someone's skull. Ooh, Karin can leave a lasting impression on people, that's for damn sure.

I leaned over to talk privately with Ayame. "Something tells me there's a story to tell. I have quite a few myself."

She nodded her head. We'd discuss it when we can get out of earshot of the boys. Ayame leaned back into her seat and turned back to Naruto. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable being in the same space as that girl. She and I. . .don't get along well."

"Eh. What's wrong with her? She's a little flirty, but all girls are kinda like that."

Shino snorted. He mumbled under his breath, but I heard most of it. He's had quite an experience with Karin the bitch-whore. Something tells me she had something to do with his date dumping him before the big dance. That whore. Okay, so it worked out nicely for me, but still. . .she's a dirty, filthy, inexcusable whore.

"Here we are. Look, it's no big deal. Sasuke isn't really into her. He's just kinda. . using her. I know, I know. I don't approve. But Sasuke won't settle on a girlfriend. He's. . .well. . y'know. . ."

"A pig," Ayame interjected. She's obviously met the gorgeous. . .erm. . .pig. Total pig. Right.

The door then opened. "Hey, man!" Naruto moved over, with Ayame on the other side to distance herself from the drama queen and handsome pig. Shino and I sat opposite them. Sasuke slid in next to Naruto. Karin was squeezed into an inappropriate and slutty red dress, which wasn't really a ball gown but appeared more like a cheap prom dress. Ayame glared daggers, but had a look of nausea at that atrocious getup. She scoffed and looked away, her arms folded. Karin noticed her disgust and smirked. Then she looked my way. She gave me an indifferent expression ad turned to loop her arm around Sasuke's. The stupid bitch didn't even recognize me. Hello! Pink hair! Well, maybe it's for the best.

Sasuke's POV

The interesting rosette from my math class sat right across from me. Oh. My. God. She was gorgeous. She was too busy giving a death glare to Karin, so she didn't notice my wandering eyes. Holy crap. Where had this been hiding? Hair fixed, makeup, those curves. . .sensory overload. I had to check to make sure my nose wasn't bleeding. A wave of nausea suddenly came over me as Karin wrapped her arm around mine. I didn't tell her she could touch me. Doesn't she know who I am? Well, of course she knows who I am. I'm a star athlete from a prominent family. The bitch has no idea how lucky she is tonight. She'd better be worth it, like Shino and Kiba said.

I turned to Naruto and decided to lightly chat with him to take up the awkward silence. "The big game is next week. Coach says you're starting."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Yeah!" He pumped his fist in the air in a feeling of victory. I have to admire him. He likes to win, like me. He's motivated and ambitious, like me. He's talented and hard-working, like me. He's a good friend to have, as well, because he's honest and loyal. "I wasn't sure, because practice hasn't gone too great with me this week. But I just couldn't get my mind off this gorgeous girl. . ." Naruto turned to look at Ayame. She looked beautiful, as usual.

Of course! Ayame, the queen of home economics and the president of the fashion club back in Sandersville, transformed Sakura into. . .a presentable young girl. She needed a good bit of help. I hope she doesn't let it go to her head. Beauty can be a curse. Look at Karin. . .oh, don't. She only thinks she's pretty. She flaunts herself like a piece of raw meat at a kennel. Ah, a kennel - like E.T. phoning home. God, I don't think I can last the night. She's so obnoxious. But he's a "sure thing." And I have a lot of steam to let out before this week's practice - right before we play our season-defining game.

"Sasuke-kun, don't you think this is going to be great? You and me. . ."

"Hn."

Karin looked confused. She didn't like it when I wouldn't converse with her. Her goal was to get into my pants, which would probably happen. But why does that have to involve small talk? I wasn't interested in what she had to say. In fact, It would be a lot more pleasant if she would just shut the Hell up. She was used to guys fawning over her, mainly because of her reputation. I wasn't about to do such a thing. I just shut her down, which confused her and made her more eager to try to win me over. Only I'm not really interested in her.

To tune Karin out, I trained my sights on Sakura. She was making small talk, herself. She must be Shino's last-minute date. I thought Naruto was fixing him up with his sister, though. This girl looks nothing like him. They can't be related. He must've found the potential of this girl before blowing off Naruto's little sister. The bastard. Wait. What do I care? She's beautiful and interesting, though I don't know why Karin and Ino mock and bully her. And why isn't Karin doing that right now? Doesn't she recognize. . .no, I bet she doesn't. She is a moron.

Oh, thank God. We're here.

This chapter is actually set three or four years in the past. Present day will come soon! Just wait to see what's going to happen next! Shockers! Naruto becomes a very confused boy. Sakura and Shino are getting to know each other much better. How is Sasuke going to deal with the girl he has a secret crush on? How is the raven-haired jackass even going to figure out he has a crush on her?