Endless Fields

Chapter I

Loud. It was incredibly loud. It best described the party. Uncomfortably loud. Rubbing her wide forehead, hidden behind pink tresses, Sakura again wondered how Naruto, a friend of her since middle school, managed to convince her to attend this graduation party. All she remembered was a series if insisted pleases and how he wanted all of his friends there with him, before she finally relented and followed him.

Grabbing her phone, she quickly dialled in the address and started to search up for a way to go home. She had a feeling that she was going to be bored, and would most likely leave after an hour. On a random note, she found it utterly ironic that it was being hosted by someone from a completely different school.

Pocketing her phone, she was glad she'd brought along something to write. Standing off to the side of everything, she looked around the den to find a relatively silent place to sit and write. Nothing. Every seat and nearly every square inch of floor was occupied by someone. She glanced over towards the alcohol table, and typical Naruto, he was already mixing drinks while socializing with his friends, and being obnoxiously loud as usual. She couldn't help but chuckle. The same old loudmouth she'd met back in middle school.

Looking around, she then tried to find someone that she recognised, hoping some of her friends attended. Sadly, she didn't recognise anyone. It was still quite early. Maybe they're just running late, she thought to herself. Until then she settled with being the typical anti-social oddball of the party. Something that wasn't new to her at all.

She approached the drink table, grabbed a plastic cup and poured some pop. She didn't trust the punch. It was bound to be spiked in either case.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Sakura took another cursory glance around. Still no one. She glanced out towards the yard, noting a few empty lawn chairs. Smiling a bit to herself, she quickly weaved her way through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone or spill drinks.

"Family's been alright." Sakura stopped mid-step, recognising the voice. "I haven't heard from my brother in a while, and mother's been cutting back on her hours for the last couple of years."

Looking back, she tried to determine where the voice had come from. Seeing nothing she tried to filter out the noise, and quickly followed the voice to the best of her ability, smiling when she spotted the familiarly spiked hairdo of an old friend.

"Sasuke-kun," she called out, calling out towards the raven-haired man who'd apparently was in a conversation.

Hearing his name called, Sasuke turned around, expressing surprise and shock when he recognised who it was. "Sakura," he replied in surprise.

"How've you been?" she greeted. At least there was someone she knew.

He gives her a noncommittal shrug. "Worse than I hoped, better than I expected. I can't complain I suppose."

Sakura smiled in response. "You haven't changed much, have you?"

Again, he gives a noncommittal shrug, before he suddenly remembers. "Oh Sakura, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." He steps aside to allow Sakura to see the person he'd been speaking to. The moment Sakura had a clear view something clicked in her mind. She felt she'd seen this person before. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something told her she should know this person. Long blond hair, pale sapphire eyes, creamy alabaster skin, it all seemed so familiar. And from what she could tell, the blonde was feeling that same sense of déjà vu.

"I feel like I've met you before," the blonde slowly said, clearly unsure of what she was seeing.

If Sasuke took note of the sudden awkwardness, he showed no outward response. "Anyways, Haruno Sakura, this is Yamanaka Ino. She's a friend –"

And then it suddenly clicked.

"Ino?"

"Sakura?"

Sasuke couldn't help but raise his brow, surprised. "You...know each other?"

For a moment, neither could say anything as they tried to take in the person before her. Some, afters so many years of not seeing each other, just one look and instantly they recognised who the other was.

"Is that really you?" Ino tentatively asked, as she slowly apprised the girl before her.

"How long has it been?" Sakura slowly asked, taking in the full grown woman before her.

"Seven years...I think," Ino slowly replied.

"Um...not to interrupt, but...you know each other?" Sasuke asked, curiosity written clearly across his face.

"We attended the same elementary school, before I moved away," Ino answered. Arching a thin brow at Sakura, she pointed to Sasuke. "So...how do you know Sasuke-kun?"

"I knew him in middle school and through his soccer team," she answered.

Ino blinked in surprise. "Who else on the team do you know?"

"Naruto," she flatly answered.

Again Ino expressed her surprise. "Same school I guess?"

"Essentially," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "They just continued into the same high school." Nodding to them, he wordlessly excused himself and disappeared to play host.

Left to their own devices, the two girls took a moment to take a look at each other. Sakura felt a pang of jealously as she took in Ino's figure. Her shapely legs, curvy waist, a bust that a lot of women would kill for, toned muscles, Sakura felt herself drawing her jacket closer around herself. Despite her height growth, hardly anything else followed. Not much of a bust to speak of or even a noticeable waist, she felt small compared to Ino. It didn't help that Ino was still the taller between the two of them, even after all these years.

"So how've you been these days?" Ino finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Okay...I suppose," she mumbled, her eyes shifting around the room, looking anywhere but Ino.

Ino nodded. "That's good." She laughed a bit as she took in her surroundings. "Some party, isn't it?" Sakura mutely nodded, unsure of what to say.

Ino looked back at her friend, and extended her hand. "Congratulations for graduating."

Sakura smiled a bit, and shook Ino's hand. "Same to you, Ino."

"So I'm curious, what are you going to do now?"

"Well I won a scholarship for Toudai," Sakura answered a bit more confidently. "I'm trying to get into medicine."

Ino looked upon Sakura impressed and surprised by her choice of major. She voiced her opinions as she led Sakura to the refreshments where she helped herself to a can of beer.

"But won't that take you more than 4 years?" Ino asked before drinking her beer.

The pinkette shrugged noncommittally. "I find it interesting. I don't mind it."

Ino eyed Sakura for a moment, before letting out a sigh. Nodding for her to follow, she walked past the mass pile of coats, easily pulling out her jacket from the mess and throwing it on. Turning right around, she led Sakura out into the yard where people grouped in pockets throughout the modest garden.

Leading Sakura into a corner, Ino wheeled around, and looked at her disappointedly. "Have you already forgotten everything I taught you?" Sakura looked at her confusedly, not sure what Ino was talking about. Ino looked surprisingly hurt.

"What happened to the Sakura I remember back when we were 11? The one with the big smile? The one who I thought how to be confident with herself? I mean look, you're hiding your forehead again."

Sakura looked away from Ino, as one hand shot up threading through her pink tresses. She stopped tying her hair some time in middle school. The only thing she continued to practice was keeping her hair short, no longer than her neck. No one really seemed to care if she hid her forehead or not, so she never really did bother to continue the practice. Eventually she looked back up at Ino with a wan smile and shrugged.

"Whatever happened to that ribbon I gave you?" Ino asked, placing her free hand on her raised hip.

"I...I lost it," Sakura meekly answered. It wasn't completely true. "It was buried somewhere in a pile of old clothes she had buried in her closet. At least she hoped." Sakura wondered why Ino look disappointed.

"Sakura," Ino sighed aloud. Looking over Sakura's choice of cloths, she couldn't help but frown. It was saddening how Sakura looked. An old windbreaker, clearly a man's t-shirt, a pair of baggy denim, and old running shoes. She noted how Sakura's tattered messenger bag. She idly wondered what Sakura's wardrobe looked like.

Those seven years apart really changed Sakura, for the worst. Ino wondered what would've happened if her family had never moved. Would she have been able to help Sakura grow? Would she have seen the bud flower into something beautiful? It hurt to see Sakura looking like a wilting flower, long before it had reached its potential.

Ino looked back towards the house where everyone was. She'd come here to party, to drink a bit, and to enjoy her graduation. She wanted to see old friends, catch up with people, and just hang out. She then looked back towards Sakura, who was awkwardly fiddling with the cup in her hands. It felt strangely like elementary school again. But somehow, she knew she'd made her decision even before it came up.

"Remember that promise I made to you, when we first met?" Ino asked as she starting to make her way back into the party.

"Not really," Sakura replied.

Ino gave her a warm smile and lightly poked Sakura's forehead, like she'd done all those years ago when they first met. "I promised you that I'd help you blossom into a beautiful flower. I intend to keep that promise."