-Chapter 1-

By Rinny

First day. Yay. More school. Exciting, huh? I glanced around the room to see a lot of new faces but more old ones. I saw people I knew when I was seven. I saw my former best friend, Momoko Iahara. Don't get me wrong, we didn't fight or anything, we just went our seperate ways. Sad thing was, I missed our childhood friendship...

"Alright class, welcome back and to a new year. I'll be your instructor, Iruka. To start off the new year, we'll have a refresher course."

Everyone groaned.

"Ah, I know, well, first up, Aiko and Sasuke."

I leaned over to see Sasuke stand up and glare at me. Made me regret hvaing to go against him.

I strolled down to the front and stood next to Sasuke.

"Good luck!" I said with a smile.

"Yea..." he managed.

Sasuke Uchiha, a pretty boy with passion. I swear, I could just smack that cold dead expression off of his face.

"Alright, you'll be demonstrating the shadow clone techinque. Whoever creates the better one will recive an A, the other I will judge myself. You may begin."

So, I started, we both shouted out the jutsu and created our clones.

Mine was perfect, and looked just like me. His was...also perfect...great.

"I think we have a tie. Both Sasuke's and Aiko's are outstanding. Good job you two!"

"Good job. I there anything you can't do?" I asked jokingly.

"Yea..."

Another cold answer. What does he have against nice people, or people in general?

While others were going, I walked over to Sasuke just to see if he's say something other than "yea".

"Hiya, Mr. Uchiha."

"Hi..."

"How ya doing?"

"Fine, what do you want Aiko?"

"Just a friendly convo, thats all."

"Right, well, I'm sure Sakura would love to chat with you."

Oh man, is he lucky I'm nice. Seriosuly, what does he have against me?!

"Alrighty Mr. Rock-Hard-No-One-Can-Break-Me, I'll go, but hey, it was worth a shot."

I walked away, that was gratifiying...Wow, why did it bother me so much?! Whatever, just a phase.

Still, I had to see if maybe I phased him just a little bit.

I turned to look at him. He was in his usual position on head on hands and staring intently on the practice below. But something was different, he had a slight smile on his face.

What was I expecting, his arms open for a kind embrace??

But it was nice, but why a smule? What was going through his head?

I'll leave the idea alone for now. I've got this wild idea to go chat with an old friend. Momoko.

"Hey Momoko, what's happin'?"

"Oh, hi Aiko, not a lot, you?"

Wow, a stable convorsation so far, much unlike that of mine and Sasuke's...

"Same, ya know, Sasuke can be a real ass.."

She laughed a little.

"Yea, I try not to bother him, too much of a pretty boy."

I laughed a little too.

We were talking like we'd never stopped being friends. She hasn't changed, I'm glad.

I smiled.

"He's lucky I'm not one of the girls flaunting over him."

"Haha, yea, he's got a friggen fan club."

We both chuckled.

"Well, enough about him, how are things?"

"Pretty good, can't complain. It's just, a pop quiz on the first day? I already know I'm gonna hate this year."

"Oh, Momo, don't worry, you've always been very smart, you'll ace everything, I know it."

"Thanks, it's a talent." She joked. " I miss out little talks, whatever happened?"

"I guess we just went our seperate ways. I miss them too..."

"Momoko and Shikamaru" called Iruka

"Ah, I'm up, talk to you when I get back, k?"

"I won't move an inch."

Momo, we're talking. Were friends again. The thought made me smile. Only two years passed since we last talked, but it felt like a century. We used to do everything together. We were like sisters. We stopped talking after my father passed away. Acually, I stopped talking. I became depressed and shut everyone out. Even Momo.

But I'm not like that anymore, I'm a new me.

New year, mew me, new and old friends...

-Chapter 2-

By Garnet

As I walked down to the shadow clone assingment, I couldn't help but to think how great that it was Aiko and I were talking again. The school years tore us apart, but not like became enemies, she just blocked everyone out after her father died.

"You know the drill, best gets an A, the other I judge." said Iruka.

Shikamaru and I both created excepetionally good shadow clones.

"I guess we have another tie."

I walked back to my seat silightly angered.

"No one has ever been as good as me now this lazy genius boy comes around and matches me in brain and talent!" I thought to myself. " Well, not for long..."

Soon my convorsation with Aiko resumed and we were in the old usual argument of who was better, Sailor Moon or the Power Rangers. We eventually settled on Power Rangers because the Megazord would crush the Sailor Scouts and then Iruka called for the end of class.

"Bye Aiko"

"Bye bye Momo"

Aiko and I gave each other a hug. On the way home, I remembered how Shikamaru matched me earlier.

"I will beat him."