To anyone who had this story on alert, I am SO SORRY that it took so long! There were delays with the beta-ing, and then I was busy with mock exams, and then I sort of forgot that I was supposed to be uploading. I know, it's no excuse... Anyway, I hope you'll keep reading anyway! I intend to get into a routine of writing and uploading, or at the very least avoid such a long delay next time. Thank you! And enjoy!

Disclaimer:

I still don't own Naruto, and I'm still not making any money out of this story.

Study In Contrasts

I woke up the next morning, surprised to find I was quite comfortable. I couldn't move my arms though, Kiba was lying on one of them and the other was trapped between the two of us, so I had no idea what the time was.

I tried to move my head a little, hoping to see a clock or something, only to find that Kiba's chin was resting on top of my head. I was well and truly trapped. I couldn't help but let out a short laugh at that and I decided to give up on learning the time. I leaned my head on Kiba's chest, forget school, I was perfectly happy where I was thank-you-very-much!

I must have dozed off again since the next thing I knew Kiba was shifting slightly, tightening his arms around me, then letting go to stretch.

"Morning dozy," I said with a grin, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah thanks, like a log. How about you?"

I smiled, and stretched as best I could with my arms still trapped. "Same. Can you see the time from where you are?"

Kiba squinted around the room, "Er, yeah, looks like," he sighed "ten to nine. We're not even out of bed and we're late for school."

We both spent a moment trying to get out of the sleeping bag, only to find that with the position we'd got ourselves into during the night it was completely impossible to get to the zip.

"Well... this could get interesting," Kiba muttered, then we both started to laugh. Something about the inherent ridiculousness of the situation, combined with the fact that it was first thing in the morning and we were both feeling kind of silly.

"Do you think we'll have to be here all day?" I asked, still giggling,

Kiba joined in, "We might make the news: Two Teens Starve to Death in Sleeping Bag!"

"Who said anything about dying? I bet I could get out if I pulled your arm off or something."

"Oh sure, that'll help," he got out in between gasps, "why don't you try breaking your ankle? Maybe that will give you some more room?"

It wasn't that funny I guess, but we were totally beyond reason. In fact, we were in hysterics. Which is probably why we didn't notice a certain sombre Uchiha standing in the doorway. That is, until he spoke.

"You're still here."

We froze, and I took it upon myself to explain: "Um, yeah, sorry about that, um, we're a bit..."

Nope, couldn't say it.

Kiba and I dissolved into giggles again, as Itachi stood, watching with his usual distance as we got ourselves together.

"See, we can't really-" Kiba's attempt at explaining ended in a snort of laughter.

"I see."

Itachi walked over to where we were killing ourselves laughing, and casually unzipped us, sending Kiba sprawling onto the cold floor. He jumped to his feet with a yelp.

I stood up too, turning to thank Itachi, but he was already vanishing through the same door he'd arrived from.

I looked at Kiba, who was pulling on his jeans (we'd both slept in our underwear), and I went to get my clothes together.

It was almost ten before we got into the car and set off for school.

I put my feet up on the dashboard in front of me. "Sooo, how late are we gonna be?"

Kiba peered at his watch, "Um, about... two hours in total? Is it a record?" He asked cheerfully, adding with a grin, "And by the way, feel free to get your filthy feet off my car any time."

I poked my tongue out at him, "Like you really care. And yeah, it's our record, but Temari wasn't in 'till lunch once. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah I remember. But getting back to the topic of your feet, why wouldn't I care about this car? I saved up for about two years for the thing!"

I acknowledged that with a nod, remembering all the paper routes, car boot sales and dog walks Kiba had taken part in to raise the money for his precious car. And all before he was old enough to drive, talk about thinking ahead!

"Question. Why was your first car such a pile of crap if you were gonna get one of these all along? Why wait? You've had the money since you were about ten."

Kiba shrugged, "I wanted to make sure I was okay with driving on my own, I guess. I only had the thing for a month anyway."

"Partly because nobody we know would be seen dead in it, right?"

Kiba was one of the oldest of our group of friends, so he was among the first to turn 17. Apart from Temari, of course. He'd been driving around with his older sister for a couple of years, so he passed his test first time in the week after his birthday. We'd intended to make him drive us everywhere until the rest of us passed our tests, but when we saw the wreck of a car he'd bought...

Kiba chuckled, "Nah, it was just 'cos I really wanted this car! Like I was gonna let you guys influence any decision of mine. The expression on your faces when you saw that original though... hilarious. Freakin' hilarious..."

I swatted his arm, "Oh I get it. You bought the crappy one precisely because you didn't want to have to drive us around. I see now. Well, that's really nice."

Kiba laughed, trying to whack me back without losing control of the car. I retreated to the very edge of my seat, still giggling. "Okay, okay, I surrender."

Kiba grinned smugly, "Thought you might."

I rolled my eyes and settled myself into the seat. It looked like we were getting close to school.

/\/\/\/\

Kiba pulled smoothly into one of the parking spaces in the sixth-form only car park. We got out of the car and looked briefly at each other before heading over to our group's usual meeting place.

What, you seriously expected us to head for class?

You have a lot to learn.

When we got there we found Kin and her little followers, Dosu and Zaku, sitting with Temari. I sat myself down on the low wall where Zaku was perched to light a cigarette.

"Hey guys, what's new?"

Temari stretched lazily, "Nothing much. 'Cept you guys pitching up hours late. It's a wonder you bothered showing up at all!"

Kiba snorted, "You're one to talk. Anyone know what I'm missing now?"

Kin dredged up a tatty, slightly dog-eared timetable from the depths of her shoulder bag, waving it in Kiba's direction. "We take most of the same subjects."

I was amazed, "You still have that? After a whole week? It only took me a day and a half to lose mine."

Kin flapped the paper more insistently at Kiba, while he looked at it as if it was likely to grow teeth and eat his hand if he touched it. "What did you do to that thing, Kin? It hardly qualifies as paper anymore!"

"Just take it."

Kiba rolled his eyes, and lightly snatched the paper.

"FYI, I like to keep the timetable 'till I know it. Problem with that?"

I smiled, "Chill out Kin, no-one's taking the piss. So Kiba, discovered anything?"

He scrunched up his nose, "Mmmm, it lookslike I'm currently missing out on a thrilling lesson of 'mathematics,'" he said, then grinned with relief. "That's okay. I was worried we might be missing something important."

Temari and I let out a synchronized snort of laughter. I turned to her, "Go on Temari, you take this one."

She composed herself, "Okay Kiba, I'll bite. What exactly qualifies as important to you?"

Kiba's grin widened even further, "Lunch. Obviously."

I rolled my eyes as Temari fell about laughing again. Kin threw a cigarette at Zaku, "Light."

He raised an eyebrow. "Magic word?"

Kin looked thoughtful for a moment, then put on her best innocent face, "Um, moron?"

Zaku scowled at her, and then at Dosu as he handed her a lighter.

"Well I'm keeping the cigarette then," he grumbled. Kin laughed, "You're welcome to it. Dad just bought a truckload, so I've got 'em coming out my ears."

"Doesn't your dad care that you keep taking them?" I asked, though I quickly regretted opening my mouth. Kin turned her best 'are you joking?' look on me, and immediately I felt like sawing off my own foot to provide a distraction.

I tried to laugh it off, "I'll take that as a no then!" Kin laughed with me, and everything was alright again. Until Zaku decided to blow a mouthful of smoke into my face, that is.

"Ew! Gross," I waved it away frantically.

Kiba laughed, but kicked Zaku's foot lightly, "You know she hates that."

Zaku grinned, "Sorry... it's just, the look on your face." Dosu and he proceeded to imitate me in a state of disgust: "ooh, please, desist!"

Kin grabbed a handful of gravel and chucked it at the two of them, "Behave yourselves, freaks."

Temari laughed, "Kin, is that any way to treat your minions?"

Dosu and Zaku looked horrified at the idea, but Kin grinned slowly. "Hmmm, the idea has potential. Minions! Fetch me a soda!"

The two minions were obviously not seeing the funny side quite yet. As the four of us dissolved into hysterical laughter they sauntered off, trailing their last shreds of dignity behind them.

/\/\/\/\

I checked the clock: ten minutes to go until the end of this Spanish lesson. I flicked a paper pellet at the girl in front of me and hid a yawn behind my hand.

I hate Spanish.

The teacher was lecturing away, oblivious to the fact that nobody was listening. Well, either oblivious or just not caring. Hard to tell.

I doodled on my page, then doodled on my hand, then doodled on the desk, then looked up at the clock again.

Nine minutes to go.

This is why I skip class so much. It's boring and it takes forever. I have limited hours in my life, why would I want to waste any of them listening to some old person with an over-inflated ego try to tell me how to conjugate Spanish verbs?

I flicked some more paper at the head of the girl unfortunate enough to be directly in my line of fire. She turned around, looking amused.

"Okay, enough Ino. I'm actually listening here!"

I pulled a daft face at her, "Well excuse me. Ten Ten have you turned into a swot?"

"No, I just don't want to fail Spanish. I quite enjoy this subject, even if you don't!"

"Damn right I don't," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "What a waste of time."

She sighed, exasperated. "Why did you take it if you hate it so much?"

"Dunno," I shrugged. "I think it was because of the exchange. A few weeks away from all my other classes, and my mum, sounds incredibly appealing."

"You'll be kinda lost if you go on the exchange without knowing a single word of Spanish."

"Hey, I know something! I can say 'voulez vous cou-"

"Ino, that's French!"

"Ten Ten! Ino! Could you maybe save your conversation for after school? You only have to wait five minutes."

We giggled, and Ten Ten turned back to the board. I sighed loudly, and went back to doodling. It was likely to be a long five minutes.

/\/\/\/\

"FREEDOM!"

I flinched, not prepared for the outburst.

"Um, ow? Did you have to yell that into my ear?"

Kiba scratched the back of his head, unashamed. "You need a lift home today?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Today I'm walking."

Kiba nodded, he knew me well enough not to push the issue. We dawdled slowly in the direction of the car park.

"Any plans for tonight?"

I shook my head. "Don't think so. Not yet, anyway. You?"

"Nah. Don't think mum would let me out anyway."

I smiled at him, "Fair enough. I'll text you later."

We had reached the car park. Kiba gave me a hug. "Cool. Talk to you later then."

I hugged him back, enjoying the warmth, before letting go to walk away.

"Bye!" I called over my shoulder, and Kiba waved from the driver's seat of his car. Even from several meters away I could make out Akamaru, paws up on the very dashboard I had had my feet on earlier.

I turned away and got my ipod out. Time to get moving.

It was a forty-five minute walk from the school to my house, so I very rarely went by foot in winter. Days like that day,when the wind was as cold as ice and seeming to cut right through to the bone, I would almost always get a lift from Kiba (or, as it was until recently, with Kiba's sister, who used to pick him up on her way back from work).

I only ever walked if I had something big on my mind that I wanted to think through (my brain works best when I'm walking), or when I wanted to be late to piss of my mother.

Or both, as was more common.

I pulled my ipod out of my pocket, shifting through songs to find the one I wanted to listen to.

In this farewell there's no blood there's no alibi

'Cos I've drawn regret from the truth of a thousand lies

So let mercy come and wash away what I've done

I sighed, consciously matching my footsteps to the pace of the music. I'd get through a lot of songs in the journey home.

When I eventually got to the front door I let myself in, knowing by the fact that the bottom lock was open that mum was already home.

Perfect.

"I'm home," I called out, infusing the statement with as much resentment as I could dredge up.

"So I can see."

I looked up; mum was standing at the top of the stairs (they come right down the front hall, so the bottom of the stairs is right by the front door).

I raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, hanging my jacket up on a hook by the door.

"And where the hell have you been?"

I could hear her trying to control her voice. She wasn't doing a very good job of it though – the worry, anger and frustration were seeping through, coloring her words in a way that was subtle, but clear enough if you knew what to listen for.

I dragged my eyes up, putting on my best 'are you thick?' face (courtesy of Kin).

"I've been at school, duh."

Mum gave the sigh of the long suffering. "You know what I mean Ino. I mean where the hell have you been as in yesterday afternoon, last night and this morning."

I shrugged. "Party." Sorry mum, that's need to know information. And I don't think that you really need to know. Or even want to know, not that it matters.

"Ino!" My name came out like a swearword, amusing me.

"Get out of the way, mum. I'm going to my room."

I walked up the stairs, bag slung over one shoulder, head down. Mum shifted to the side as I passed allowing just enough room to squeeze through. I didn't slam my door when I got to it, I knew that the soft and deliberate click of it closing fully would be a million times more effective.

I could hear her outside my door, probably debating whether or not to knock, so I plugged my ipod into the speakers and set it up at almost full volume.

I chose a song that I knew mum wouldn't like, "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance, and pressed "play", letting the music fill all the dead air left by everything mum and I stopped ourselves from saying.

And now, for those of you who are wondering why I didn't turn it up to full volume right away, it' s because I was saving absolute max volume for the chorus.

They say that

teenagers scare the living shit out of me

they could care less as long as someone'll bleed

so darken your clothes

or strike a violent pose

maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

I heard a tentative knock at the door. "Ino? Ino? Won't you open the door and talk to me?" Her voice sounded desperate, whiny, needy.

I scowled, ignoring her.

"Please? Ino, I just want to know where you were... what you were doing. I was worried sick."

A little anger was starting to creep back into her tone. Good. She's no fun when she's being pathetic.

Oh great, the chorus was back. I sang along as loud as I could, emphasizing the swear word. Little things like that, which normal people can just let go, annoyed mum worse than almost anything else.

"Ino! Open this door right now! You ungrateful girl, I ask a perfectly reasonable question and all I get is grief! How dare you? Out with god-knows-who all night, not so much as a word of warning to me. What on earth did I do to deserve this?"

I let out a short, sharp laugh at that.

The question that all of the parents ask themselves when they end up with kids like me. Where did I go wrong? What did I do? Why me? Like they're the ones that are suffering.

Oh yes, it's so very difficult for the adults, isn't it? We have no idea what a struggle it is. How trying we are. Right?

"Ino? Are you even listening to me?"

She was sounding more doubtful now. As if maybe I'd climbed out of the window while she was ranting.

I wouldn't put it past myself.

"I'm going downstairs now. We'll talk at dinner."

Resigned. Honestly, the number of emotions she could go through in five minutes were truly impressive. She should have tried to make some money off it, rather than using it to bore me to death every other afternoon.

Talk at dinner, would we? Not if I had anything to say about it.

"Ten Ten, this is an urgent distress message from the Yamanaka household. I repeat, an urgent message. Agent Ino requires immediate rescue from dangerous enemy territory. Request speedy backup and any available cash for dinner. I'll bring some too. Over and out."

I sent off the text message, smirking. Ten Ten never lets me down.

Sure enough, within ten minutes I had my reply.

"Agent Ten Ten is on her way with close to £25. Unless agent Ino is a greedy pig, that should be enough for both of us. See you in twenty minutes, HANG IN THERE!"

Almost exactly twenty minutes later – that girl was always uncanny with her timing – Ten Ten was outside my window, waving.

I left my room, music still blaring, tip-toed down the stairs and opened the front door silently, slipping out into the cold afternoon air.

The sound of the front door closing was completely covered by my loud music, but even if it hadn't been, by the time mum could have gotten to the door we would have been long gone. Running down the street, enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of the escape.