Hello all of you lovely readers!

I present to you: The Konoha University chronicles! This takes place in an AU where the Naruto characters are not ninja, they're college students!

I had this idea when I was thinking about what each Naruto character would major in if they went to school, and then each of these ideas popped into my head! Every chapter (except for the first two) will be centering around a different character and the various situations they get into.

As such, each chapter will have a different rating, genre, etc. Some are longer than others, and some are short little snippets. I'm not publishing them as separate stories because they go together.

You do not have to read these in order! You can pick any chapter! They're titled with the character they center around :) You can pick your favorite!

This first one is just a general intro to the characters (what they major in, what activities they do, their relationships to other students, etc.), but told through a narrative.

Anyways, thank you for reading! Please enjoy :) This chapter is told from Sakura's point of view.

Again, these do not have to be read in order!

Chapter 1: Welcome to Konoha University!

...

"What? No!"

I roll my eyes as I listen to my roommate's overly dramatic phone conversation. When Ino gets into her girl-talk over the phone, it's like she reverts back to her days of being a stereotypical 'popular' high school girl.

...Even though we're sophomores in college.

It's enough to make me sick.

Sure, Ino's my best friend, but sometimes (like tonight) she gets to be a little much. It's past 11:00 PM right now and she's currently having a loud squealy phone conversation with some girl she knows from her hometown.

"Ino, could you keep it down a little?" I whisper loudly. I hate being the person who interrupts a phone call, but I'm trying to work on something and it's getting really hard to concentrate. I'm currently hunched over my laptop and furiously typing up a lab report, but I'm also dressed in super comfy sweat pants and all I want to do is keel over and sleep. "It's late and I want to finish this thing and get to bed."

Ino giggles obnoxiously and covers the receiver of the phone as she looks over at me. The look she's giving me is apologetic and I know she doesn't mean to bug me. She mouths something unintelligible before returning to her conversation. "Yeah! Mhm, I know, right? Oh my god, I know! I know! I know!"

I roll my eyes again and set my laptop down on the bed beside me. I seriously don't feel like doing this anymore and I'm frustrated. It's late, dammit! Am I a bad person for wanting her to be a little more considerate?

I lay down on my bed just forcefully enough to make the mattress springs protest audibly. When that gets no reaction out of her, I respond by pulling a pillow over my face and groaning. I hope she gets the message. (Okay, maybe I'm being a little too passive-aggressive, but I can blame it on sleep-deprivation, right? I'm a pre-med student and a biochemistry major and my patience is running pretty thin at the moment.)

"Uh-huh. Listen, girl, I gotta go. It's getting late."

There's a pause in the conversation and I listen hopefully. Maybe she's finally done!

"Noooo! Wait, really? Oh I feel for ya! But really, I miss you! We should sooooo hang out when I get home! Love ya! Mwah!"

Ugh. Barf.

She finally hangs up the phone and sighs.

I sit up, irritation taking a backseat to my curiosity. "So... who was this girl again?"

Ino flips a wrist and shrugs. "My best friend from high school. I'm not actually going to hang out with her, that's just something you say to your old friends when you don't want to hang out with them anymore but you don't want them to hate you."

I frown at her. "Isn't that a little... fake?"

"Well yeah, but it's like some unspoken part of girl code. You make vague plans you have no intention of keeping just so you can keep your old 'friends' in your life."

I know it's better to just nod and shrug than to try and understand Ino's convoluted preppy girl logic.

"Anyways, whatcha workin' on?" Ino asks, getting up from her bed and walking over to her dresser.

I wearily look at the laptop sitting on the bed next to me. "Oh, I was working on my lab writeup for anatomy and physiology, that's all. It's not due tomorrow though, and I don't think I can take any more work for the night."

She rifles through her dresser and pulls out a set of lavender silk pajamas. "Weren't you just working on a lab writeup the other night?"

"We have lab writeups due every week and I also have organic chemistry to do."

I just had to go and pick one of the most work-intensive majors out there, didn't I?

"Ahhh," Ino says in understanding, getting dressed for bed.

It's okay, though. For all of the (silent) complaining I might do, I don't even need to remind myself that I love it. I want to be a nurse or a medic, and biology and chemistry are fascinating. I just wish the coursework wasn't so stressful. It seems like I'm always working on things and everyone else around me has free time.

"So are you almost ready for lights out?" Ino asks, sitting on her bed.

I arch my back and lazily turn onto my stomach, moving my laptop to the floor beside my bed. I'm not going to get any more work done tonight, and sleep is most important at the moment. "I'm ready if you're ready."

I wait for her to turn out the light because the switch is on her side of the room, but she doesn't move.

She looks like she's thinking or that she's going to say something. The gears are turning in her head and it's written all over her face.

"…You know who I think is hot?" she asks finally. There it is: the question I knew she was going to ask. Ino often likes to talk about boys and she thinks she needs to set me up with people because I don't have nearly as many romantic encounters as she does. This kind of conversation is to be expected by now.

I smile and let out a one-syllable laugh. "Who?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

I make a face. "Ino..."

Ino looks at her me in disbelief. "Oh come on! How can you think that man isn't totally hunky?"

"Yeah, he's attractive, but he's also a complete douche, Ino. Plus he tries way too hard to be a 'bad boy' with all of his piercings and stuff. I think his brother Itachi is hotter."

Ino widens her eyes and I immediately regret giving her another guy to critique. I'm tired, right? I can't get into girly gossip sessions at 11:30 at night!

"Oh you know, you're absolutely right!" Ino says. "Not about Sasuke, I mean, but about his brother! He's a totally sexilicious senior."

I prop myself up on my elbows, chuckling a little. Maybe a little talk about guys can't hurt.

"I don't know if 'sexilicious' is the right word, but he certainly is a lot more pleasant than his younger brother," I say.

Ino follows my lead and props herself up on her elbows as well. "Oh yeah, forehead? Well tell me, then. Who do you think is sexilicious?"

"Ugh Ino, I would never use that word seriously. Ever. It's too... juvenile."

She looks shocked. "Well there's gotta be someone who gets under your skin! I'm just going to start listing names until I find out who it is."

"Ino, please…" I say with a sigh. "I don't have a crush on anyone in particular. Yeah, there are tons of good-looking guys in our huge group of friends, but I mean..."

She looks delighted at the prospect of setting me up on a date with someone. The thought makes me shudder.

"Hmm... How about Naruto? Kiba? Ooooh Kiba's hot... Um, Shikamaru? Choji? OOH, what d-"

She rattles off a list of names and I immediately hold my hands up in the air. "Whoaa, okay, slow down a little," I say. She's starting to talk way too fast and I seriously can't answer all of those questions in rapid-succession. "You know, I'm gonna start asking what you think of them too."

She nods. "Fair enough."

I look at the floor thoughtfully. "Hmm... Naruto is cute. I like his smile and his eyes and how friendly he is."

"I agree," Ino sighs. "That boy just has a way of making me feel like I've known him forever. Everyone loves him."

"Sooo Ino-pig, what do you think of Kiba, then?" I ask, following the order of the list of our friends she named.

Ino sighs dreamily again. "What a babe. That guy is smokin' hot. He's athletic and smart and he loves animals. AND he sings! I don't think you could make a more perfect man if you tried."

I give a little chuckle. I can't help but agree with her. "The boy is pretty darn attractive," I say. "Like an 8 out of 10. I'd give him a higher score if he didn't smell like dog and if he wasn't such a... well, he can be a real pain in chemistry class sometimes, but Shika and I need him."

Her eyes widen delightedly at my slip-of-the-tongue and I immediately regret it. "Ooh, 'Shika?'" she laughs at the nickname. "So what do you think about 'Shika,' then?"

I can feel myself blushing a little. "Oh stop it, Ino. He's just a friend and we're in a lot of classes together, that's all," I explain.

Sometimes I call him because I know it gets on his nerves and it's fun to mess with him. Ino thinks it means something else.

"Well I grew up with the lazy butt-munch, and I wanna hear what you think of him!" She says, raising her voice excitedly. That's right, Ino did grow up with Shikamaru and his roommate, Choji.

I carefully choose my words, not wanting Ino to pry any deeper. "I think I'd find him sexier if he wasn't so lazy," I say. "I'll admit though, it's kinda cute. Plus the long hair and ear piercings and the brains are what make him attractive."

Ino nods enthusiastically. "Intelligence really gets me."

"Why, pig, because you lack it?" I tease.

"Watch it, billboard-brow; I am smart!"

"Oh please, you're such a blonde sometimes and you know it."

"Oh shut up."

I laugh softly and sigh. "You know I'm only kidding, piglet. So... your thoughts on Choji?"

She smirks guiltily and avoids eye contact. "Well I don't know..."

I narrow my eyes at her and smile knowingly. She's suddenly putting on the shy act and I know she's not telling me something. I've suspected for a very long time now that there's chemistry between Ino and Choji, but neither of them have done anything about it. "Oh come on..."

Ino brings her hands to her cheeks and smiles shyly. "Ah fine. I think he's sorta... kinda..."

"Spill it."

"I think he's adorable," Ino blurts. "I mean, everyone used to tease him for being chubby but I think it's... cute."

Bingo! My suspicions are confirmed and I'm honestly surprised it took her this long to admit it to me. She's usually so up-front about this kind of thing and I'm always the first to hear who she likes.

Ino sits up in her bed and looks at me eagerly, crossing her legs pretzel-style. I can feel a looming sense of dread. She's not ready to sleep yet. I encouraged the boy-gossip too much.

She clasps her hands together excitedly. "So?"

"So what?" I ask reluctantly.

"So what other guys do you think are attractive?" She asks.

"Ino, it's late..." I tell her.

"How about the guys that live in the same dorm building as Kiba and Naruto?" She asks again, ignoring my plea for sleep.

Fine, I'll entertain this conversation for a little longer. I'm already sleep deprived enough as it is, so how bad can it be if I lose a little more sleep? (Hint: really bad).

"You mean Shino?" I ask. "And Lee and -"

Ino gasps really loudly and covers her mouth with her hands. "And Lee's roommate Sai?! God I think that man is dreamy," she interjects.

Here we go again. "Okay, for one, Shino is weird and hides behind sunglasses all the time. He's also obsessed with bugs. Lee is dating Tenten, so I'm not even going to say what I think of him. Sai is an interesting character, that's for sure," I list in order.

Ino's still clearly lost in her own little dream world and I'm not sure she heard anything I said. She's still stuck on Sai. "He's so amazing... He called me gorgeous one time and he's got these magnificent abs."

"…And he's socially awkward and sickeningly pale and doesn't know how to treat people," I say bluntly.

Sai's got a good heart and he means well, but seriously I speak from experience. I know him well enough to say that with confidence.

Ino shakes her head from side to side in denial. "But he's learning! He's a sociology minor!"

"And…? Ino, the guy is almost clueless when it comes to social interaction. Yes, he's attractive on the outside, but he can be so rude sometimes."

I almost tell her about how Sai says the opposite of what he thinks, but I hold back. There's absolutely no use in starting an argument this late at night. I can barely get this whole boy conversation under control as it is.

"Poor Temari," I say, changing the subject slightly. "These walls are paper-thin and she's stuck hearing us talk about guys at midnight."

Temari lives right next to us and though I'm sure she's used to Ino's loudness by now, it's still a good point to make. We have to be considerate.

Ino's eyes light up and I know I haven't derailed the conversation any. Sigh.

"Do you think she'd want to join in!?" Ino cries.

"That would be a no, Ino."

"Aww... Oh! What about her brothers?!"

I give her a 'what the hell?' look. "What about them? They live downstairs and I'm absolutely sure neither of them wants to talk about cute guys."

Ino looks at me, exasperated. "No, I meant to ask what you think of them!"

I almost slap a hand to my forehead. Bringing up Temari was supposed to stop this boy thing and it only ended up adding fuel to the debate. "Ino, please, it's getting pretty late."

"So?"

I groan. Clearly she's not going to drop it until we discuss nearly every male we know.

"Okay, fine." I sigh. If the only way out of this is to go along with it, then I'll comply. If I resist, it'll only be longer before I can get some precious sleep. "You know I like having Gaara as a friend and doing homework with him," I say. "He's nice and quiet."

"That's not what I meant! What about their looks?" Ino asks.

Ughhhh. "Ino…" I sigh.

"Come on! Don't you think Gaara's red hair and tattoo and ear piercings are hot?! And come on... He wears eyeliner! Talk about badass."

"Fine, Ino. Yeah, I think he's pretty darn good-looking. And so is Kankuro."

"Ew, really? Sakura, the guy likes face paint and dolls! He's a junior for crying out loud and he plays with dolls."

Okay, now she's just being rude (as if she wasn't being rude before she insulted Kankuro).

"Have you ever seen him without the face paint?" I ask, gesturing here and there. "He looks good. And they're not dolls, they're puppets. He's a massage therapy and theater double major! Of course he's going to work with props and puppets!"

Ino is frowning slightly, her gaze focused on her toes. She's wiggling them back and forth and analyzing her nail polish from the looks of it. "Mmm you know? You're right. He also wears eyeliner..." she says.

I nod. "Yeah, he does."

"Mm theater guys are actually pretty hot, come to think of it."

"Ino please, can I just get to sleep already?"

"What's that one guy's name... Those guys that hang out with Sasuke's brother..."

I frown. Ino's really not making much sense. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes how much she jumps around from one subject to another.

"Who, Itachi's roommate?" I ask. "Kisame is a marine biologist, not a theater guy."

She gasps dramatically. "Ew, Kisame is gross. No, the other guys! The redhead and blonde... Umm... Oh! Sasori and Deidara!"

"I happen to like Kisame," I say matter-of-factly. "He's a really nice goofy guy once you get to know him. Plus he's on the swim team."

"Sakura likes the fish boy," Ino teases. I don't regret defending Kisame, but I don't want her turning everything into an accusation of affection.

"Ino, stop it," I say calmly. I hope my lack of a defensive tone shows her that I'm being serious. "He's just in the biology department like I am, that's all."

"Fine... So, how about Sasori? Deidara?"

"Deidara looks suspiciously like a male version of you, Ino. He's got the long blonde bangs and ponytail and everything. And he's an art and theater double major."

Ino gasped. "Do you think he's gay?" She asks, sounding excited. "Because he and his roommates are kinda hot. Mmm… imagine if all three of them were into each other…"

"Ino, stop it. Just because they like art and theater and happen to look kinda feminine does NOT mean they're gay!"

"Sasori is a cutie," Ino says dreamily. "And he's so good at acting and making props."

"You know, he also has puppets."

"SHH! Those are minor details!"

"Oh, so puppets are okay for Sasori but not for Kankuro?"

"Oh hush."

I take the opportunity to stop conversing. "Well, goodnight then."

"...What about their roommate?" Ino continues, blatantly ignoring me. "Don't they live in a triple?"

I groan. "Ino, please, I have to get up bright and early tomorrow. Can I get some sleep?"

"Oh fine, forehead. You're such a killjoy sometimes," Ino grumbles.

"Am not."

"Well, then who's the other guy they live with?" She asks. It's like she thinks that my answer will prove that I'm not a killjoy. "The one with the silver hair..."

"Hidan?" I mumble, hoping she can see that I'm clearly not amused.

She snaps her fingers in realization and looks at me with widened eyes. "Yeah! The one with purple eyes and the hot body. Hidan's his name!"

Now she's just being silly. It's really late and I'm sure tiredness has gotten to the both of us. Hidan might be really good looking, but surely she can't be focusing on looks alone. "Hidan is really loud and obnoxious," I say.

"He's also a swimmer, you know."

My patience is running really thin. I don't know why I'm as irritated as I am, but I feel like a short fuse right now. She's ignoring personality traits in favor of looks.

"Do you even pay attention to anything but looks?" I blurt. "The guy can be incredibly rude and all you care about is the fact that he swims."

Ino looks at me in shock. "God forehead, no need to be rude," she shoots at me.

I frown and stare at the ceiling. Great. I'm the one who's losing sleep and now my roommate is mad at me? Okay, well I was a bit rude. I'm not usually this way and I know I shouldn't be taking my stress out on my best friend.

"Ino... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap," I say sincerely. I'm tired but now I care more about making sure Ino knows I didn't mean it.

"It's whatever, Sakura. Let's just get to sleep." Ino says in a flat tone of voice. She gets up and turns out the light.

I put my hands over my face and sigh. Ino's upset.

A few minutes of silence pass in the darkness, and the more and more I think about it, the more I realize that I shouldn't have gotten so impatient with her. She was really only trying to have a harmless conversation about guys and I was being a killjoy. I should have been more willing to go along with it.

"Ino?" I ask tentatively, hoping that she's still awake.

"Yeah?"

Oh good, she's not asleep yet. I have a chance to reconcile with her and I know just how to do it.

"Well, Neji is pretty hot..." I say.

…

In the dark of the room, Sakura couldn't see Ino smile.

But the blonde did smile, and Sakura's attempt at appeasement had worked.

So, what did you think? :) I promise it gets better around the third chapter. As always, please feel free to comment and critique, but don't be rude. Also, suggestions are welcome! I've already got twenty-one chapters figured out, but if you get an idea for a new chapter surrounding a character I've introduced, I'd be glad to hear it.

-Gallade