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Chapter Title: You've Got Everybody Fooled

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Everyone saw Sakura these days as one thing, a girl with a good head on her shoulders who knows where she's going with her life. The perfect role model; if only her life was that easy.

Sakura glanced at her own reflection within the hospitals bathroom. On the outside she did appear to be strong willed and put together, and her personality matched. But truth was - Sakura was going through a major identity crisis.

Sakura trailed her finger down the curve of her face. "Who am I?" She asked herself. Because lately, she honestly didn't know. Life was moving around her so fast; so many things were happening at once, she had to act on instinct. She never had the time to stop and think, about who she was, about what her purpose was, about what she wanted out of life.

Over the past year or so, she had grown into a robot. A rule abiding, expectation meeting, robot.

But under all that shiny metal, she was really just a girl who was trying to find herself. A girl that was trying to cope with the cards life dealt her, even if they weren't the best. A girl who was trying to move forward, but kept taking tiny steps back. A girl who needed someone to love, a girl who longed for something more than what she had. Underneath it all, she was just a girl silently calling out for help.

"Tsunade-Sama said to meet her in her office right away!"

The words right away rung in Sakura's head, how long ago had it been that Udon gave her that message?

"Ugh" She stated, turning on the cold water faucet. She ran her hands under the water, and splashed her face, hoping this would wake her up from the trance like state she had been stuck in since she left Naruto's room. She grabbed a paper towel out of the wall dispenser and wiped her face, heading out of the bathroom.

It didn't take Sakura long to reach the Hokage's office, considering it was right around the block from the hospital. She hesitated outside the door for a minute though, a natural reaction when she was late. There were times when Tsunade wouldn't mention her tardiness at all, and then there were days were she would yell about it for what seemed like hours. Sakura sighed; she'd have to deal with it sooner or later, right along with everything else in her life. The only difference; this is one of the things she couldn't put off for another year.

"It's about time you showed up." Ino said from across the room. Damn, she hadn't even been in the room for five seconds before someone started nagging on her. But Ino, why Ino?

"What's Pig doing here?" Sakura asked, voice laden with attitude. Of course, the statement wasn't hateful; it was just a natural reaction.

There was a point in both Sakura's and Ino's life where the two girls hated each other; a point in time where they would have paid for the opportunity to slit the others throat. They had to be better than the other one, no matter what the cost.

In the end, they winded up paying with their friendship. True, during the Chuunin exams they did reconnect a little, acknowledged each other's strengths. And true, they didn't down right hate each other anymore. But the fact still stood, they were no longer best friends. They no longer confided in each other for everything, they rarely talked, and when they did they were usually arguing.

But those rare moments when they did get along, those small moments of peace, those were the best. During those times, everything felt in place, everything felt right.

Tsunade gave both the girls a quick over view, matching each of their strengths and weaknesses. Sakura was strong, intelligent, and could easily rely on her instincts. Yet Ino was sly, slick to the tongue, and had become an excellent manipulator of the mind. As different as their talents were, it was clear to see that they were, and always had been, equal rivals. Tsunade knew this. She also knew how to work with it.

"A message came in from Suna today. Due to their lack of ninja at the current moment, we have agreed to help them with a few minor missions until they got their situations straight."

Tsunade pulled a scroll out of her desk drawer, and tossed it to Sakura. "You two will depart tonight, and head towards Suna. Once you're in a twenty mile radius you two will set up camp and patrol the borders until sunrise. You can take turns if you wish, I don't really care. The following morning you will deliver the Scroll to their headquarters and return. Simple, no?"

Sakura twitched her lip, she had never been sent on a mission with just Ino. But due to the fact that both of their teammates were either injured or out on a mission of their own, it made sense. It wouldn't be that bad, they could take turns patrolling, and she wouldn't even have to so much as hold a conversation with Ino.

"Why are you sending just us?" Leave it to Ino to question the Hokage.

"Umm, because I can do as I please? The many perks of being in control." She perked her feet up on the desk. She still had about ten minutes before Shizune would stampeded in, harassing her about business that needed to be done. Tsunade sighed, some things never changed.

The three sat there for a few minutes in an awkward silence. Well, for Ino and Sakura it was awkward. For Tsunade, it was a nice relaxing time.

"Well, I guess I'll go get ready." Sakura mumbled, skidding out of her chair. She left the office without even a second glance at Ino, without a care. Although, if she would have turned around, she would've saw that pain that was clearly written all over the blond girls face. Ino's eyes tilted toward the ground. [i]"Why does it have to be like this?"[/i]

To anyone who had actually paid attention to the entire Sakura – Ino fiasco, they would be able to see that Ino was only going along with it because she had to; there was no other choice for her. It was only too obvious that she never wanted any of this to happen.

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Ino watched as Sakura walked away from her. Was this really all over? Every piece of their friendship that they worked so hard to build, threw out the window just like that? Ino stared, dumbstruck, out into the space where her best…ex best friend just departed. Ino felt the tears well up in her eyes, releasing every ounce of pain that had overcome her being. She furiously wiped away the tears, only babies cried.

"Fine then!" She screamed into the air, knowing fully well that no one else could hear her.

"I don't need you! I don't need anyone! I can do it on my own Sakura, you'll see!"

With that Ino got up and stormed off as fast as her little legs could take her. She could forget her, she could get over this. She'd just have to focus her attention somewhere else; she'd have to make new friends.

She could survive without Sakura, she swore it.

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She had never been more wrong.

It was cold, the air was blowing, and Ino's teeth were chattering. She headed off to her empty apartment, the residence of her empty life; to pack her bags, to leave for a mission that should've meant more to her. This could be her chance to fix things, her chance to make things right.

Ino shook her head, the doubt in her mind too vividly clear. That would never happen.

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Sakura rumbled through her closet, looking for something halfway decent for her to sleep in tonight. She had grown so accustomed to wearing nearly nothing to bed that she had forgotten where she hid away all her pajamas. Finally she came across a pair that she had owned since she was about twelve.

"They'll do" She muttered, tossing them into the bag. She reached up to her coat, but as she brought the coat down a shoe box came tumbling down with it.

"Dammit!" She exclaimed as the contents of the box spewed all over the floor. She angrily threw the coat to the side as she began to rummage up the crap that had fallen out of the box. What was all this stuff? Old ticket stubs…ancient perfume cases…pictures…

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks as she came across a glass frame, a frame that she hadn't seen in years. She flipped it over, and felt her heart drop to the floor. It was an old picture of the original team seven. She remembered what this box was now; it was where she stuffed in all the crap that she wanted to forget. She ran her finger over the picture, before quickly whirling the dreaded thing back into the box. But as she did so something pricked out from behind the picture and Sakura simply couldn't help her curiosity.

She pulled the item from behind the photo out, and took a glance at it. It was an old picture of her and Ino, she remembered now. She had placed the picture of Team Seven over this picture to signify that she had a new life. That she no longer needed Ino.

But nothing lasts forever.

Sakura grabbed her bag and nearly flew herself out of the room. She didn't want to deal with this anymore! Life was just out to get her today, she swore it.

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Sakura waited impatiently at the Konoha borderline. There were so many things that she could've gotten done before she got here. But noo, she had to storm out of her house like a freaking idiot, to leave herself sitting out here in the cold for an hour and a half.

And they called her a medical genius.

Finally, FINALLY, a figure began to come into view. Sakura sighed, thank god, she was so sick of sitting her alone with her thoughts. She then remembered that it was Ino who was about to bring her presence, and her mood just went downhill from there.

"You ready to go Forehead?"

Sakura cringed, those nicknames they had for each other should have worn off years ago. Sadly, some things never change.

"No, I think I'd like to stay here and freeze my ass off for a few more hours." Sakura stated flatly.

"Well, I guess if you really want to…" Ino trailed off.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Let's just go you idiot."

And with the leap of a heel, they were off.

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A/N: FILLER CHAPTER. You know, one of those chapters that not all that great, but has to happen to get things going. –sigh- My next chapters will be far better, just need to get things going.

Ok, review guys! They force me to write faster! By the way, no one guessed the song! D: Try this one? :]