Headbands and Pre-pubescent Hormones
CHAPTER ONE- The antics of Ino Yamanaka
"Ne, Forehead." Inquired the blonde admiring her nails in boredom.
"What. Ino-pig." Responded her pink haired best friend in annoyance.
"I'm bored."
Sakura looked up from the medical text book she was reading and glared,
"Just because you're bored, doesn't mean you get to distract me from my work to entertain you."
"Aww, but it's so much fun!"
Grinding her teeth together in irritation, Sakura turned her attention back to the book in her lap.
"Oh I know what we should do! We should play a game!"
Before Sakura could utter a word, Ino had snatched the book out of her lap and held it high over her head.
"Ino-pig!"Sakura growled, "Give it back!"
"Fat chance, Forehead! If you want this back you have to do something in exchange!"
"Grrr. Like what?"
The sound of the door opening, directed their attention away.
"What's going on?" asked their brunette haired weapons specialist. Following behind her was their timid friend Hinata Hyuga.
"Ino-pig won't give me my book back unless I do something for her! And I have Medical training in half an hour!"
"I-Ino-chan, that's not very nice. You don't want to make her late." Hinata said concerned.
Ino briefly rolled her eyes,
"It's just some harmless fun. And if she wants the book back, she'll have to do it sooner or later. Besides,"
Ino pointed a hot pink nail at her best friend in smug satisfaction,
"If you're successful, you'll be even closer with Sasuke-kun!"
"What are you talking about Ino-pig?"
"Yeah, Ino, I thought you were after Sasuke."
Ino waved her hand across the air in an uncaring manner,
"PU-LEASE, Sasuke may be a hottie, but he's so boring now. All he ever does is train, I want a guy that's going to pay attention to me. Which is why I'm looking for someone else. But that's besides the point! Forehead! I want you to go and get Sasuke's headband from him!"
"Like he'd ever let me do that!" complained the pink haired medic in training.
"Then, get Neji's."
Sakura felt her mouth drop,
"HUH? You want me to get Neji's! Neji barely knows who I am, let alone what I look like! Ino! I'm going to be late for training!"
Ino leaned back in her chair with a sinister grin,
"Well my dear, it looks like you better hurry up then and get one of those headbands!"
"Ino."
"Yes?"
"I hate you."
"Likewise, now get going forehead! I'm bored!"
Sakura examined the various training grounds, in hopes of finding one of the two unsocial ninjas. Luckily for her, they ended up being at the same training ground that day. Praying to god, she would be successful, Sakura decided to try Sasuke first.
"Sasuke-kun!" she called out to him. The raven haired prodigy stopped his heated training to look up at his rosette haired teammate coming towards him.
"Sakura." He said without any emotion.
"I-I um have a question." She said feeling her face go hot.
"What, I'm busy."
"C-Can I borrow your headband…"
"No."
Sakura looked at him dumfounded, "Y-you…you don't want to know why?"
Sasuke went back into the stance he was in before and begin his training once again.
"No, I don't care. The answer is still no. Go annoy someone else."
A frown begun to cascade over her face.
He didn't have to be so rude, She thought with a sigh.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked you. Fine, I'll just go ask Neji."
The mere mention of the Hyuga's name, made Sasuke's training cease.
Did she just say what I think she said?
Her response had not been what Sasuke had been expecting.
"Sorry to bother you," Sakura said shortly, and started walking away.
"Wait, Sakura!"
She was already gone. Sasuke watched her like a hawk as she started to approach his rival.
Neji had stopped training long enough to notice the mild spat that had occurred between the two teammates and to see the pink one come stomping across the grass towards him. Now, Neji was also beyond smart enough to realize quite quickly that the formation of a hateful stare in the Uchiha's eyes was being directed towards him.
Is he jealous?
Neji turned his attention on the neophyte medic who had finally reached him. He didn't understand why Sakura Haruno would be interested in talking to him? They were barely acquaintances.
"Neji-kun, can I please borrow your headband."
Neji rose his eyebrows in mock surprise at the suffix she added at the end of his name.
"And why, Haruno, would you need my headband."
Sakura glanced behind her to see Sasuke's gaze was focused back on her. Turning back to the Hyuga heir, Sakura forced a smile.
"Well… um, you see…" Sakura's voice trailed off, trying to think of a reasonable explanation to meet the Hyuga's inquiring stare.
"Haruno, I don't have all day."
Sakura's head drooped lower, squeezing the hem of her vest in anxiousness; she stammered everything out at once.
"I. . .er Ino-pig is making me do it! She said if I didn't get yours or Sasuke's headband that she wouldn't give me my medical book back! I have medical training soon; I don't want to be late! Please Neji-kun! Sasuke won't let me have his, and I'll give you my headband in exchange!"
Neji watched her ears turn a darker shade then her vest, glancing towards the Uchiha; he was slightly amused to find the raven haired prodigy glaring at him. Smirking internally, Neji let out a obligatory sigh.
"You shouldn't take part in trivial nonsense. Learn how to say 'no'."
Sakura heard the rustle of something; she peered up in surprise, to watch him pull out his headband and extend it toward her.
"Well?" he asked impatiently. "Do you want it or not?"
Sakura felt a victorious grin stretch across her lips, she had never been so relieved or so excited in her life.
"Th-thank you so much, Neji-kun! I'll pay you back, I promise!" she gushed out taking his headband from him. Neji ignored the piercing glower Sasuke was sending him and allowed his mouth to quirk at the corners.
"Whatever. Just don't make me regret it; give me your headband."
Sakura fumbled to take her headband off in a hurry. She gave it to him with a giddy feeling in her stomach as he tied her headband around his forehead.
I didn't think he'd be so nice. . . Sakura thought with a mild blush. Realizing she was blushing, made Sakura mentally punch herself.
What the hell! You cannot be crushing on him! NO NO NO NO! Sakura Haruno, snap OUT OF IT!
Neji watched her facial expressions change in light entertainment.
"Is that all you needed, Haruno?"
Sakura snapped back to reality she nodded, flushing in embarrassment.
"H-Hai! I'm sorry, I'll leave you be! Thank you so much!" With that she turned on her heel and sprinted back towards the Yamanaka Flower Shop, leaving Neji alone once again. Neji peered back in the direction of the Uchiha phenomenon once more, he looked ready to slaughter him. Smirking yet again, Neji returned to his training.
"YOU GOT IT?" Ino and Tenten both exclaimed in utter shock. Hinata shared an expression of similar surprise. Sakura bobbed her head happily.
"Yep! Neji was really nice and lent it to me."
"HE LENT IT TO YOU?"
"D-does Neji-san have your headband then, Sakura-chan?" Hinata questioned giving her friend a nervous smile.
Sakura nodded once again, her smile becoming even brighter,
"I gave it to him, since he gave me his."
"Is he WEARING it?" Ino demanded at the blush that dusted their friends cheeks, all three girls knew it was an obvious yes.
Ino fell back in her chair, causing the café table to rattle as she shook her head in disbelief.
"Well I'll be damned."
Sakura felt the top of the headband with a smile,
He's not as cold as I thought…maybe we could be good friends?
"Forehead! What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing. BY the way Ino, where's my book?"
"It's here of course."
" I Know that, where?"
"I'm not telling" sang the blonde.
"INO-PIG!"
Despite her best friends antics, Sakura couldn't help but anticipate the next time she'd meet Neji.