Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Dedication: To Echo Uchiha and KukiRew, my two first reviewers! :D
Rant: I was so excited when I saw the response I got that I immediately strated writing. It didn't turn out well, but I rewrited it all and it looks better now. And I noticed some mistakes in my first chapter and I will fix that... someday xD Anyway, today I'm going to Rix Fm festival! And then school starts at Monday. Why I am telling you this is because I probably won't be able to update before Monday!

After Shikamaru and Chouji left, we ate lunch. Both I and Naruto quickly finished, and I hurried upstairs to pick clothes for the party. Not that I wanted to impress or anything. But if Sasuke was there I wanted to look good. And that's not because I fancied him. It's not.

I choose simple blue jeans and a t-shirt in the end – why bother when he wasn't going to be there anyway? – and turned on my laptop. Sakura had sent me an e-mail, and I could imagine what she had written. She was so predictable.

From: Sakura Haruno
To: Ino Yamanaka
Subject: Why I Even Bother Being Your Friend

Since you already think its fun to destroy my party – why, oh why? – I've decided to ignore you.

Sakura

From: Ino Yamanaka
To: Sakura Haruno
Subject: Because You Love Me

Hello, my dear friend! I've missed you sooooo much. The party is going to be really fun! Can you guess what I'm wearing? Of course you can, you know me so well! Anyway, who's coming? Sasuke? And did I mention Naruto is really looking forward to meet you again? Don't worry, I am too. Even though we met yesterday.

That's how you ignore someone. You even informed me, stupid.

Ino

From: Sakura Haruno
To: Ino Yamanaka
Subject: Don't Be So Sure

I give up. You win. Now I'm just going to cry out my sorrow in a corner and Sasuke will come and save me from you and we'll live happily forever after. Okay, I'm not that corny.

Anyway, seems like everyone's coming! I'm so excited!

Sakura

From: Ino Yamanaka
To: Sakura Haruno
Subject: Why Not?

Sounds good! See you at six!

Ino

"That's Kiba's house." I pointed at a large red brick house on the left side of Naruto.

We were walking to Sakura's party, and I took the opportunity show him all of my friends – and enemies – houses. Several dogs barked as we walked past Kiba's house and I jumped.

Naruto laughed. I glared at him and then turned at a corner to see the Hyuuga compound. Actually, you couldn't really see it, since there was a big stone wall between the compound and the street. The wall itself had lots of climbing plants hanging onto it, relying on it for support. My cousin looked troubled by the high wall next to us and I would've been to, if I wasn't used to it.

He stopped. "What's behind the wall?" he asked curiously.

The Hyuuga's weren't really that familiar with the rest of the town's inhabitants, and you almost only saw the Hyuuga children in school. I knew Naruto would ask more questions if I answered his first and I almost felt that I didn't want to explain. But I did so anyway, because he'd found out some way even if I didn't tell him.

"The Hyuuga compound."

"Why is there such a big wall?" He looked bewildered.

"Who knows? They just don't really like being with other people. They're a big clan, and only interact within the family." I had no idea how to make it clear to him, but gave it a shot.

"Oh. That's weird," he said, and frowned as he looked up to the top of the wall.

"Yeah," I replied, happy he didn't say anything else.

We started walking again but the whole walk suddenly felt very awkward. I wasn't used to talk to Naruto about serious things. Passing the avenue, we arrived at Sakura's house.

The house was white and not especially big, since Sakura's family didn't have much money. There was no weed in the garden – Sakura's mother was a perfectionist, a trait Sakura had inherited – and the plants all looked like they came directly form a picture in a gardening magazine.

Sakura opened the door just a second after Naruto had ringed the bell. I entered to see a spot-free hall and puffy eyed Sakura. She was looking like she'd just been crying and I could tell by Naruto's gaze lingering on her eyes that I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Sakura! Nice to see you again!" Naruto exclaimed, giving her his hand. She shook it insecurely.

I greeted her with the usual "Forehead!" and she leaded us into the living room. Sakura and I sat down on the beige sofa while Naruto dropped down in an armchair.

"What's up?" I asked my best friend. She started crying immediately, and Naruto looked terrified.

"No ones coming!" was the only thing I could decipher before the sobs started muffling her voice.

"Slow down," I said and tried to not roll my eyes, "and explain again."

"The boys all decided to go doing boys things and just a minute before you came, Chouji called me and told me everything and said he was so sorry! Then he promised he'd show up with Shikamaru, and started apologising again. I just can't believe they'd really ditch me!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and when she finished explaining both me and Naruto had an arm around her shoulders. She was shaking, and even though I thought crying maybe was a bit too much – I'd be really angry instead – I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Sakura's whole face was red and she clutched the lower part of her skirt.

"They all promised! And yet they let Tenten – she's a girl! - come with them, but to call Sakura and say they weren't coming to her party was too much of a hassle! Everyone hates me!" I flinched at the last sentence. The Haruno had always been thinking low thoughts of herself. Not like the Hyuuga girl in my class – former class, I had to remind myself – but to me the negative thoughts sometimes stood in her way.

"Sakura!" I exclaimed and untangled myself form her shoulders and Naruto's arm and stood up to try to give a look of authority. "They do not hate you! They just were too caught up in their plans to consider your feelings."

She started crying more. "See? They don't care at all about me…"

I sighed. How was I going to explain to her that just because it happened once again that they did something mean – intentionally or unintentionally - didn't mean they hated her.

"Chouji doesn't hate you, and both he and Shikamaru are surely on their way now. So put a smile on your face and we'll have a blast!"

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed and stood up next to me, flailing his arms. "Don't be depressed now! The five of us will have so fun those other types will curse the fact they weren't here!" Sakura suddenly looked like she didn't mind Naruto that much; in fact, she looked like she really appreciated him.

"But-"

"No buts!" Naruto and I yelled at the same time, and he pulled her up from the couch.

I walked over and stood right in front of her, and prepared myself for a line that we had many different versions on. With on last breath I started.

"Say after me. I, Sakura Haruno, am a very beautiful girl with a wonderful personality. Even though my forehead is so large it covers one half of my face, I am still cute and adorable. I do not care about those people who won't come to the party and I certainly don't feel hated by them," I said in one breath.

"I, Sakura Haruno, am a very beautiful girl with a wonderful personality. Even though my forehead is so large it covers one half of my face, I am still cute and adorable. I do not care about those people who won't come to the party and I certainly don't feel hated by them," Sakura said reluctantly.

Naruto grinned and we dragged her out to the kitchen to prepare the food she'd just left standing after the call from Chouji. When the meal was done – French fries and hamburgers – Chouji and Shikamaru had arrived, and the former apologised so many times Sakura in the end told him to shut up.

The meal itself was nice, and we talked about everything. Sakura was still looking a tad sad, but she was trying to be enthusiastic. Naruto entertained us with embarrassing stories from his hometown.

"So when I'd gotten really drunk – a big mistake, by the way – Manami, the girl who hosted the party took me outside, she said it was because quote 'I don't want to explain why the ingredients of ramen and the rest of what your puke will contain is on the rug of our living room to my parents' unquote "

I giggled while Sakura shook with laughter. Chouji snickered and Shikamaru just smiled.

"Of course, I was too drunk to even think of a reply, so I instead turned to the left and threw up. Guess what it hit?"

"The car." Shikamaru started chuckling.

"Yeah, Manami was so surprised she tripped and yeah, she fell right at the puke. I haven't been to her house since."

"What a surprise." I rolled my eyes.

Naruto laughed, and Sakura looked visibly happier now. "Yeah… but we're still friends."

"That's nice," Chouji commented, and took a bite of his hamburger. "Has anyone else gotten drunk?"

The rest of us shook our heads.

We went outside to have a soccer game on Sakura's backyard – girls vs. boys – as the sun started to sink down below the horizon. Shikamaru was goalie while I and Sakura decided to not have one. The smell of fresh-mown grass was hanging in the air, and for once I actually liked it. At the end of the game, Chouji and Naruto had done so many goals each I stopped counting. Sakura had done three and I had succeeded to kick the ball between the two bushes that were goalposts once. But I was pleased with my performance.

"You girls really suck at soccer!" Naruto exclaimed as we all lay down in the grass after the match.

Sakura punched him in the shoulder and pouted while Naruto grinned. "We weren't that bad. Chouji's just an amazing left-back player, and," She turned to Chouji," you're good on the right side too!"

"Yeah, it's not fair! If Chouji had been in our team you guys wouldn't have had a chance," I said, agreeing with Sakura, for once.

"Are you praising only Chouji because you want to annoy me or did you suddenly forget about my amazing forward skills?" Naruto said solemnly.

"You don't have amazing forward skills," Sakura and I said in unison.

Naruto raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Of course I do!"

Usually, he'd say believe it after the sentence, and I suddenly realised how much he'd changed. He was so mature, but he was still the hyperactive Naruto I knew and loved, just in a more adult form. I couldn't decide if I liked or not.

"What time is it?" Shikamaru asked with a slight tone of boredom hinting through.

"22.00." Sakura turned to look at me. "When are you going home, Ino? I don't think I need your help to clean up anymore…"

"I told dad we'd be home by twelve," I stated, and we all fell silent again.

Naruto then decided we were going to play spin the bottle, in his own way. Shikamaru was reluctant at first but I literally dragged him up the stairs and he accepted his fate as I dumped him on the floor of Sakura's room. The rest of us settled down in a circle, while Shikamaru rubbed his head.

"Ino, did you have to grab me by the hair?" He sighed. "It wasn't really necessary."

I didn't answer as Sakura nudged the bottle in Naruto's direction. He caught it and looked at us with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"The one the bottle points on has to eat a spoonful of butter!" He seemed pleased, and I released a sigh of relief. That wasn't too bad.

According to Sakura, it was. We all gathered around her as she tried to take as little butter on the spoon as possible. Naruto motioned her to take more and when she brought the spoon to her mouth and swallowed, she grimaced a lot and drank lots of water.

"It really doesn't taste well if you don't have something accompanying it…" she muttered as we bolted upstairs.

The game continued, but at 23.20 we stopped because suddenly it was time to go home. As Naruto and I waved at Shikamaru and Chouji before continuing our walk, I couldn't help but sighed. He looked at me curiously, "What?"

"It didn't turn out as I thought it would this morning." I glanced at him. He looked like he'd had a great time at Sakura's

"But it was fun anyway!"

"Yeah!" I agreed and we hurried home.

As we tumbled inside, dad and mum were already asleep, so we quietly made our way upstairs. As I turned on the light in my room, a shadow of a person was shown. My heart stopped beating. It was a burglar. I was going to be killed and on my grave they wouldn't even know what I wanted them to write and - oh. It wasn't a thief.

But why was he sitting on my window sill?