Poor Itami

She was sitting on bench in Konoha, remembering her days in the village. It's not her home, never has been, never will be, but it's where she lives. She always wondered about where it is she's meant to be, but her time in Konoha has served her well. She remembers her first day at the Academy.

*Flashback*

"Hey, Sakura. Look!" a girl with blonde hair that covered one eye yelled. She was pointing at her. A girl with pink hair looked to where ino was pointing. Sakura laughed at the girl, laughed at her mid-length (or you could say up to her neck, or however long Sakura and Ino's hair was when they were young. Btw, they are all in their little kid forms), spiky, orange hair, her ripple-like patterned eyes, her paper skin and her torn dress, laughed at her, laughed at Itami. A boy with black/blue hair came up to her. He seemed unfazed by her strange appearance.

"Sasuke, no! Get away from her!" Sakura yelled. Itami felt like she was about to cry.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked. She stood, shocked that someone cared, for a moment, and then nodded. He smiled then walked off.

"Man, Sasuke's such a show off," the laziest boy in Konoha groaned. She walked up to Shikamaru and giggled.

"Sasuke's a jerk. I almost hate how he's so nice to me," Itami confessed. Suddenly, she felt this feeling, like someone was behind her. She turned to face a very angry ino and pissed off Sakura. Before they could do anything, their teacher, Iruka sensei, entered and the class began.

*End Flashback*

Itami sighed. The memory was one she wished to forget. It was getting dark out. Clouds were starting to come in and it began to bucket down. Itami was not wearing winter clothes. She wore a short dress that was slightly torn. She got up and walked to her apartment, all the way on the other side of town.

When she got to her apartment, she banged on the door three times, jiggled the handle and opened the door. Her apartment was on the dodgy side of town and it was a wreck. There was no key to the door, you just perform the actions she did earlier to enter, meaning anyone could get in, the wallpaper was barely there anymore, it just looked like concrete, and all her furniture was falling to pieces. She threw her drenched bag on the floor and entered her bedroom. It wasn't much, just a creaky bed, a wobbly bedside table, a wardrobe with only one door, since the other broke off, and a lamp without a globe. (Don't ask me if they had light globes. I couldn't be bothered checking). She sat on her bed and felt something squishy under her sheets. She jumped up and pulled the covers back. Maggots were crawling all over her bed.

These weren't here when I left and no way so many could get here in that short amount of time by themselves. Ino and Sakura. They're the only explanation. Oh well.

Itami got some sheets and made a makeshift bed. Satisfied with her effort to make the bed comfy she laid down to go to sleep. Suddenly, a small, furry thing came up to her and snuggled into her arms. Itami opened her eyes to see her Maltese-shitzu cross puppy, Koinu, under her arm as she drifted to sleep on the floor.

The next day, she woke, got up, feed herself and Koinu, got dressed and headed to her lazy best friend's house. On her way, she bumped into Sakura.

"Oi slut." Itami stopped to the sound of Sakura yelling at her. She turned and the battle began.

"Just cause you're a ninja now, doesn't mean you can push me," the pink haired nin complained.

"Can't take it, pinkie? Then maybe you shoulda thought twice about becoming a ninja 'cause you're in for a hell of a lot more, billboard brow!" Itami fought back.

Sakura took a step forward and spoke, "no one calls me billboard brow."

Itami took a step forward herself and replied, "Actually, billboard brow, everyone does."

They were about to be mere inches from each other when, Shikamaru and Sasuke stepped in between them.

"That's enough you two," Sasuke silenced the bickering girls.

"Oh, Sasuke! I new you would save me!" Sakura yelled. He, in return, simply grunted.

"I thought you were coming to my house, not going to scream at Sakura," Shikamaru grumbled.

"I was when that bitch went off at me. And for no reason," Itami replied. Sasuke glared at Sakura. He couldn't believe his team-mate would try to hurt someone dear to him.

"Whatever, let's just go, troublesome woman," Shikamaru groaned, placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her away from the big fore headed nin.