A/N: I do not own Naurto. Enjoy. :) This has been editted!

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The High School Chronicles

Episode two: Talent Classes

It was a rather silent morning. When Sakura woke up, Hinata and Tenten were long up, in the toilet changing. Ino was still in bed and Temari was doing her computer work.

"Hey," she went over to Temari, "what time is it?"

Temari glanced down at the bottom right hand corner of the blarring screen, "7:45 am, still quite early."

She was already changed, donned in her black oversized jacket with a dark purple tank and jean skirt with purple stockings. Today, the first in a very long time, she had her black, rectangular framed spectacles on.

"It's been really long since you wore that," Sakura pointed out.

"Yeah," Temari didn't divert her eyes from the computer, "the words are freaking small."

"Small," Sakura squinted at the screen, "what are you doing?"

"Oh, it's kind of like a class project, Genma sen- sei give to us. You know the class I have that you guy don't…"

"Right, video class," Sakura said.

"That," Temari nodded, "the video has to be about 'The Worst Thing Ever' I'm not sure what can qualify as the worst thing ever."

"Good luck," she patted Temari's shoulder, "remember to wake Ino up."

She started heading towards the toilet until Temari stopped her.

"Wait," Temari turned her office chair around, "we are not on good terms after that controversy."

Sakura gave the oh- right face, "you shouldn't let Shikamaru tear you guys up, it's been only a day of high school and so many things happened. Ino got 'dumped', you guys get caught in class and Ino and yourself are already not on good terms. If this was a book, I tell you, it'd be bestseller for 8 weeks!"

Temari frowned, "you make it seem like we- Ino and I- are fistfully fighting for…for Nara. Do you think like that? I seriously don't like Nara, he's such a badass, an idiot, a dumbo, a bastard, a fucktard…"

Sakura was trying to calm that angry woman down, "ok, ok, I get it."

"He's so annoying, it kills you just to hear his loud and obnoxious breathing, pisses you off more than Ino does and … and…god! THE WORST THING EVER!"

Today Ino shifted her table again. This time next to Hinata, because if she shifted next to Sakura she would be next to Sasuke. Temari was kind of pissed of with Sakura with the idea of Shikamaru being the subject of her video.

"Really," she recalled Sakura saying, "You should consider that thought."

She glanced at that lazy genius an aisle across her, casually, he looked back. Her brows furrowed. He turned to his other side. Temari looked at her sister sitting next to her. It pains her so much to see the resemblance of their parents in her. The dark hair, the chalked black eyes and even her accent. Her hair was blond, her eyes were teal and she spoke with a unusual slang in her voice. She wasn't traditional like the rest of her family and even if she was, it didn't look like a suitable personality for someone with her kind of face. It would sort of suck to find out that you're an adopted child that your birth parents didn't want.

"Hey," Tenten nudged her, "what are you doing?"

She looked up at the black board, "thinking. Thinking about the worstest thing ever," she immediately pointed at Tenten, "and it's not Nara."

"Then bingo," Tenten smiled, "you don't need to write about Shikamaru anymore."

Suddenly, something so out of the blue just plopped onto Temari's desk. It was a note- from Shikamaru.

"What now," she unfolded the note, "at least he got the name right."

Shikamaru: Like I'd allow you to do that.

He was eavesdropping! She crunched the note and threw it back at him, when Kurenai sen- sei wasn't looking. It bounced of the chuckling man's head.

Ino sat there fiddling around, clearly troubled. Hinata and Sakura looked at the blackboard, copying down the equations and questions. She saw everything that happened back there. It was filled with chemistry between the two parties. Her compact mirror laid angularly to keep the drama occurring at the last row in view. Temari never liked people, so why was she bothering about Shikamaru's business?

"You know," Hinata said while scribbling, "these are all tested."

She ignored Hinata, "let me copy that," she reached over to grab Hinata's worksheet.

Hinata shifted it away, "do it yourself, that way you'll understand."

Ino scoffed, "once Shikamaru becomes my boyfriend, I'll have nothing to understand."

"Hey Hinata," Naruto turned to face her, "is that your name?"

"Ye…yes…, Naruto- kun," she stammered and blushed madly.

"Shino- emo, doesn't talk much," Naruto spoke louder purposely prompting Shino to hear, "Kiba and Lee," he snickered, "sucks at maths, so do you know how to do this sum?"

Question 2b. Hinata skimmed through her almost completed worksheet for question 2b. It was all the way at the front. That was how slow he was. Maybe the question was hard.

2x+x-x+y=_

Yeah, that was really hard.

Such a simple algebraic sum, yet the kid, sitting right at the front, in clear view of the board and teacher, doesn't know how to solve it. Naruto has got to be the most dim- witted blond ever. There was a saying of 'dumb blonds'. Hinata never took it too seriously, Temari was blond, she was definitely not dumb, Ino… er…she has a lot of fashion sense, overly exceeding fashion skills, so not dumb. Naruto, what was he? Simple- minded? She didn't want to sound offensive but this was the advance class. Only the top few in the school could get in. How come such a fool got in? This standard belongs to the average middle class group.

Then it hit her, like a meteorite, like shoe some angry person threw. Seriously, if Ino had paid attention to the conversation between Naruto and herself she would be, indeed, handy in this situation. She was very sure Ino could solve that sum.

She quietly giggled inside.

Naruto was flirting with her!

But, no one has ever flirted with her before. She didn't know how to respond to this flirtatious remark. For once in her life, she hoped she had Ino's brain instead of her naïve mind. It was crazy because it was like second nature to Ino to respond and even pass her own flirtatious statement. It was like learning a whole other language to her. Foreign and inexperienced.

There was another way though, to answer his question. Pretending to be stupid and unequipped in the art of seduction, he might turn away without giving a face. After all, she didn't want to seem desperate or anything, Naruto was, as a matter of fact, one of the unattractive guys in her class. Among them were Lee and Chouji, possibly Kiba, but he was fine to her.

"It's 2x+y Naruto- kun," she smiled that innocent smile.

"Ok, whatever," Naruto turned back to his desk to write down the answer.

Whatever. In some complex concept, Hinata kind of knew for certain that Naruto was flirting with her.

She looked at the clock. . Talent class was next. That was the only lesson that they had apart, which was actually fun.

The talent class split the student population into clubs and societies to enhance their individual talents. They could chose their own club to join when their enrolled into the school. There was a wide array to choose from. Hinata chose the art club. Sakura chose the Red Cross. Tenten went for the soccer club. Ino settled for the modeling club and Temari joined the movie making society. It was a 2 hour class, drilling you into your different talents. And like normal subjects there were homework, projects and assignments given.

They were doing stretches before beginning the real thing. The president of the club, Pein, was leading the routines. He looked scary and unapproachable- just like Anko- but he was actually nice to you if you listen to him. They say that he had a gang of friends which are all seniors, like him. They follow him everywhere he goes. People in their year and majority of the juniors looked up the him and his friends. Pein was so popular and well- known through out the school that he was elected prom king three years, since he was a freshman, till the previous year. Of course the prom queen was also always his girlfriend, Konan, also part of the gang. Just like her boyfriend, she was silent and lifeless, many people call her the 'blue bird' because of her beautiful, natural blue hair. The other people included, Deidara, vice president of the art club. Sasori, the president of the drama club and Tobi as vice. Hidan was weirdly in the yoga club, posing as their president. Itachi was taekwondo school champion with Kakuzu in second place. Zetsu was the president of the gardening club as well as Kisame, captain of the swim team. The ten of them, make up a gang of highly educated, self- disciplined and responsible student leaders.

"Tenten," Pein called her, "you're the goalie."

She nodded and started heading for the goal post.

"Wait!" Pein called, "is that alright? Do you want to be a player?"

He was kind. Looks can really be deceiving. No one who talked to him would expect this kind of attitude from a guy with piercing he made multiple seem like a small number. They went all the way up the bridge of his nose and all round his ears. He had bloody red hair and eyes that scare the creeps out of anyone. But all in all, he was very unexpected.

"I don't mind," she smiled at her kind president and gave him a thumbs up.

She continued to walk towards the goal post when she heard Pein shouting at a few people behind her.

"You guys are late," he yelled at them.

From across the field ran two boys one blond, one ravened haired.

"Rock Lee and," Pein read from his clip board, "oh… and the legendary Uzumaki Naruto." He looked up grinning, "I've been curious how a legendary soccer player like you might look like."

"Oh, it's nothing," Naruto was being modest, "I'm not a soccer star or anything great."

Pein nodded, "ok to- be- star, show me what you got."

From the goal post, Tenten was within earshot. She heard everything the two of them said. Legendary? That dumb blond? Maybe that was how he got into the advanced class, through soccer. Who knew you could do that?

"Today you'll be learning the first and most essential way of art," Konan spoke, "painting."

Everyone had an easel and pastel colors each. They all sat in a circle behind their easels, listening to their leaders in the middle.

"What we did yesterday was to gauge your standards," Deidara said seriously for once, "today we get started on the serious things. Painting a… cup!"

There was moan that rushed through the class. Hinata didn't say anything. She didn't want to seem proud in anyway. The first impression counts, everyone here were strangers to her. She'd only met them yesterday. The only person she knew was Sai, from her class. Though she can't really say she knew him well.

"No, no," Deidara laughed, "joking! Ha! Caught you fools AGAIN! No, we're going to paint the first image that comes to your mind when you hear the word… secret."

"Get started," Konan said curtly, "remember shape, color, texture and form. Pass this up to Deidara on Friday. For those who don't hand up…" her eyes turned into an icier shade of blue, "pray."

The look in her eyes sent chills down Hinata's spine. It was as cold as ice and hard as stone, it pierced right into her pupil, like Konan was specially directing the warning to her. It wasn't a delightful feeling but she was sure she could hand in the work within 3 days, which was an exceedingly long time required to finish a piece of work.

"Secret," she thought out loud, "I have no secrets."

"It doesn't have to be a real secret you're keeping," Sai came in out of the blue, "it can be the feeling you get when you hear the word, the words you think of when you hear it."

"What are you going to draw?"

He smiled and whispered something into her ear that made her grin.

"Oh," she giggled, "that's funny."

He shrugged.

"I guess I'll draw something like that too."

"Work it girl," the sen- sei catcalled, "strut that booty- licious body of yours girl!"

It was already half way into the modeling class. They were having strutting lessons today on the runway. It was harder than it seemed on TV. They had to walk with the balls of their feet touching the ground before that heel and constantly stay on the line that was taped onto the runway. Orochimaru sen- sei said that they would be learning to strut on platforms tomorrow and heels the following day. To Ino, it was all a breeze, she took modeling lessons when she was younger and modeled for small brands like Paradise Kiss, Happy Bunny and LolaAtkinburgTheFame. She wasn't renowned like Orochimaru sen- sei, an International model for CosmoRepublican and Allure. Although he was he was male, he modeled for women clothing as he had exceptionally good feminine features. He had skin fairer than paper's fair and hair so long and black like the night sky. It was such a delight to have him as an instructor.

"Oh look who's here," a girl with red hair came over to Ino, "the infamous Ino Yamanaka."

She flashed a fake smile, "right, I like being widely known, umm… what's your name again?"

"Karin," she snapped, Mrs. Karin Uchiha."

Uchiha? Sasuke fall for this, this anorexic girl instead of her? And guess what? She was myopic! She wears spectacles! She was practically half blind!

Ino looked out for the flaws present on this bitch's physical self. And whoa did she have two utterly, repulsively fat legs. How can she become a model- or better yet- Sasuke's girlfriend?

Dreamer!

"Exactly which class are you in?" Karin asked.

"Same class as Sasuke," Ino snapped, "Mrs. Uchiha wanna- be."

She stared at Ino for a moment before snorting.

"Ha! I can see past your lies Yamanaka Ino," Karin chided, "there are several leak holes you need to mend before telling them."

Lies? Did the idiot need proof? Or was she just plain jealous?

Orochimaru sen- sei was waving for Karin to come over, "Karin darling, come over, you're not as good as Ino dearie to rest."

Karin scoffed and Ino merely laughed.

"Don't you dare laugh at me Ino," Karin almost screamed, "cause if you do I will-"

"KARIN!"

"Another time amateur," Ino laughed, "Oro sen- sei is calling you."

Karin walked away.

Was that I threat? From this scrawny little twig? What was she going to do? Camouflage in a tree and scare the wits out of the people passing? Hide behind a pole and trip the passerby who didn't notice her log- fat leg sticking out of no where? What could she do? Definitely not beat her up, the wind could blow her away with the slightest puff. One day she was going to disappear and all that will be left of her is her ugly, fat legs and a pile of tiny organs.

"Oh," Ino laughed sarcastically," I'm so scared."

Orochimaru sen-sei was waving at Karin to come over," Karin Darling, come over."

Karin turned to walk away, after taking a few steps, she looked back at Ino.

"You better watch out."

Shizune sen-sei demonstrated the way to bandage a patient's wrist using a roller bandage, twice before everyone got it. They were now grouped up in twos and bandaged each other's wrist, both left and right. Sakura didn't know anyone there, well, except of course, Hyuga Neji, strangely, he was here. She thought he'd take some divination class or some fortune telling club.

They were hogs and hogs of girls surrounding Neji dying to be his partner. He looked irritated, annoyed and really really pissed off. So did the other guys, who joined the club for the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, it should be a good experience, for them.

"Sakura?" A girl who introduced herself as Fumiko came up to her.

"That's me," Sakura looked up at the tall and lean senior.

"Yeah," Fumiko shrugged," It was getting kind of a mess with the whole'I-LOVE-HYUGA-NEJI' thing so I assigned partners."

"So," Sakura rocked back and forth on her heels," you're my partner?"

She nodded and gave Sakura her hand.

Sakura unrolled some bandage and held it onto Fumiko's wrist. She started to go over and under, around Fumiko's wrist making sure that it's not too loose for nor too tight. She noticed a deep cut under side of her wrist. Fumiko realized that she had noticed her cut.

"Oh that," she shrugged," I accidentally sliced that part while helping Sasori with his puppet making. The blade went quite deep." She stroked the scar.

"Sasori?" she continued wrapping," Is he studying here?"

Fumiko nodded, "he's the president of the Drama club, I don't know why puppeteering is considered as a form of Drama."

She didn't have more to ask. But the silence was awkward. Fumiko's gaze was spine-chilling, just like her boyfriend, Sasori. She had seen him before, the red headed, sleepish looking senior in the cafeteria before, with his pack of friends. All seniors, 15 of them. Most of the senior girls talk about them, how they were all good looking people. Some flirted with the guys that did not have girlfriends like Hidan, Kakuza and Kisame. They say it was a pity how Yui had Itachi, Fumiko had Sasori, Milla had Deidara, Caroline had Tobi and Aki had Zetsu. Not saying they weren't pretty or anything, they did look really really nice. Yui, pronounced as you-ae, was tall and lean, perfect to be the basketball team captain. Milla was talented and well versed in playing the flute, she was the school band conductor. Caroline was captaining of the fencing team in the school. She is known as the 'masked swordman' for she could defeat her opponent blinded. Lastly, was Aki, member of the National Archery Team, similar to her boyfriend, she has green hair. But the true beauty was Konan the 'blue bird' with her ravishing looks and glassy countenance, she was mystifying. Maybe that was why the guys allowed her to be the tenth member of their gang, the Akatsuki. They never allowed the other five girls join the gang. And even though they weren't in the gang they didn't seem to mind, cause they were always together.

"There," Sakura finished wrapping Fumiko's wrist, "is it okay?"

Fumiko examined the bandage around her wrist, "a little tighter would be perfect, but this is fine."

They were one of the fastest proceeding classes among the rest. Yesterday, they were quickly briefed on the rules and regulations of the society. There wasn't much to learn, everyone was experienced, skilled. The software was the latest model, Temari had read about it before from one of the lastest issues of 'Digital Times', the nerd's guide to the future! Today, they were stuck using the computer to conduct their research on 'the worst thing ever!" Genma sen- sei said that it was okay to go out filming the video only after they passed up their storyboard draft to him. She stared at the white sheet of paper settled in front of her, on top of the landscape position were the words 'storyboard- the worst thing ever' underlined.

There were a few topics she had in mind. First, was when Ino really started hating her. That wasn't that bad, she could live without Ino, but she'll sure miss her constant whinning and her spend- thrift ways. Second, well was being abandoned by her parents and her sister, Tenten, because they thought that it was time to let her go as the orphan she was. But because she couldn't be one. Third is a really dreaded topic for her- Shikamaru. She tried as hard as possible to make him the last resort. But each time she gets a lead on either the first or second topic, there was always this thing that drove her to the third.

"Like I'll allow you," she imagined him saying.

That seriously pissed her off. Who does he think he is? Some god, some president? What makes him think that she couldn't make him?

"Temari," Genma sen- sei came beside her,"your topic is really really bad eh?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"Look what your doing to your storyboard," he beckoned.

She looked at the ball of paper she unconsciously crunched. She released it in shock, it almost hit the floor but Genma caught it.

"That's the spirit to have while filming this theme," Genma laughed, "yours must be really good."

"I don't if really good is the right term," Temari muttered,"more like damn pissing me off."

"keep up that good work," Genma patted her head like she was a dog,"Pour out all your feelings in this video."

"Pour out all your feelings" his voice echoed in his head," the feeling of hatred? Irritation? Spite?

She laid back in her chair and thought about it. The word feelings. If she were to really to make a video of hating Shikamaru, how would he feel? That was first- considering how Shikamaru would feel. All she knew was that if Ino were to publicly announce that she hated her, she would feel enraged, betrayed and most of all mournful. That was probably how he would feel. She'd never expected this to ever come down to caring about someone she hated. Never.

"Half an hour more," she thought.

"Next," Tobi called, "Sabaku No Kankuro," he looked up at the dully dressed student, "foreigner?"

"Yes," Kankuro stepped forth, "shall I begin?"

Tobi nodded and stepped away, then he noticed that Kankuro had brought a black suitcase along with him.

Kankuro settled on a stool at the center of the performing space, the black case n his lap. He slowly unclasped the lock and inched open the lid. Before revealing his treasure, Kankuro looked up at the other drama club members and almost hidden in the darkness, the not- so- comical Sasori.

"Here goes, "he thought as he pushed away the box to reveal a life size puppet.

It totally shocked everyone. Some fainted- drama club, what do you expect?

The puppet looked fake, one look you'll be shocked by it's haunting appearance, a second glance assures you it's only a puppet.

Tobi grinned at Sasori, "your first disciple."

"Where did he say he was from?" Sasori asked curtly.

They were having a mini competition to see was the taekwondo master among the freshmen, sophomore and juniors. There were three competitions conducted at once to speed up thr process. The winner of the competition were to go up against Kakuza and if, if he or she won, then he/ she would go up against Itachi, the school champion three years running. It would be impossible to defeat him.

"That guy is in the competition for 5 rounds already," Kakuzu pointed to a purple haired male in the ring nearest to them, "that girl, the dirty blond one, only her second win."

Itachi nodded, observing the fighting tactics of the two Kakuzu pointed out. Then his eyes lingered to the third ring. there was a black haired boy, a head shorter than him. A freshman, he assumed. He never seen him before but he looked so much like himself, except, younger.

"Coach Uchiha," a girl with two ponytails came up to Itachi, "may I go to the toilet?"

"Out of the training room, to the left," Kakuzu directed.

The girl ran off.

"Kakuzu," Itachi murmured, "who's that boy at the last court?"

Kakuzu squinted his eyes to look, "oh, that one. He came in today, claimed that he had just transferred from another class, that's why he didn't come yesterday."

"Which round is he at?" Itachi asked keeping his eyes on the boy.

"He's at his eighteenth round, very impressive," Kakuzu commented, "and now that you brought this up, I think there's something you should know about him."

Itachi looked at Kakuzu expectantly.

"Setting aside the fact that he looks awfully like you," Kakuzu said in an intense tone, "he is a Uchiha."

Zetsu had gone out of the toilet and left the people of the gardening club alone in the greenhouse. He told them that as soon as the class was over they could go off on their own. Which means he might not be back until then.

Earlier that day, Zetsu has reiterated that the gardening club was the most boring talent class they could ever have, which was why he chose it. There was no hard work needed. All the 'fun' was already over when they finished planting their seeds, the only thing they could do now was to record the progress of their seed.

Truly, it was boring. They all just sat there staring into space. Shino even talked to the ants that were crawling on the edge of the pot (yes, it was that boring). He had chosen this class because of it's low number of applicants, that way there wouldn't be any fan girls around him stealing his air.

There was that familiar sound of clonking wood in the air. Shikamaru sat there alone in the blazing sun of the school backyard, wasting his life away by staring at the clouds. Nobody dared go against him in a game of chess as they knew of his skill. He wished that he had chosen another class other than chess- which his dad strongly insisted on. Chouji was surely happy, being surrounded by what he lived for- food. Kiba- which he hardly knew- is very satisfied with his class, for Yui the 'hot' senior was captain of the basketball team. The others, well, he couldn't really much be bothered, it was far too tedious, or rather troublesome to take note of such things. He knew which class Chouji was in for obvious reasons and Kiba was the second loud mouth after Narutard. But somehow or rather, there was always this particular class which he had been really interested in, not because of whatever shit they teach inside, but rather a member of this society.

Temari Ten.

He had found out, within short interaction with her, that it assumed him more than ever to tick her off. She was challenging and the expression she gives when she doesn't understand your words -priceless. She was like all her friends combined together; quiet (not shy) like Hinata, smart like Sakura, brave like Tenten and … and well, nothing like Ino. But there was always this thing about the look in her eyes that made her Temari and not Hinata, Sakura, Tenten and most definitely not Ino.

But the weirdest part of this was: being the genius he was, he simply can't fucking understand, reason, explain what made Temari so… special, in a sense, that whoever she passes was inclined to her.

Normally, he'd come up with reasons, tons of them, reasons why this thing is like that, or why this thing worked this way. Then, he would lay in the grass all day canceling out the different theories. But, he had never, never in his life, sat down and think, deeply about an issue.

And so far, he had no hypothesis.

"Hey, Gaara," Kankuro shouted from across the school foyer, "how's band?"

"You're too loud Kakuro," Gaara muttered, lugging his cello behind him.

On a bench nearby, were Ino, Sakura and Tenten. Apparently, Tenten was telling them about how freaky it was to see Naruto actually being focused on something.

Asuma released Shikamaru earlier, cause he wasn't in a game and besides, his chauffeur was already here.

The four brothers, just drove out of the school compound in their individual cars.

Chouji was still munching on food in the cafeteria and just a few feet away from him was Naruto, Kiba and Lee.

"What's taking them so long?" Tenten looked at her watch, "it's already 2:30."

"I have like tons of homework to do," Ino whined.

"We have tons of homework to do," Hinata pointed out, "we're in the same class, remember?"

"Sorry, sorry," Sakura came running round the corner, panting, "it wasn't Temari's fault, I accidentally dropped the bandage roll and it rolled all over the floor."

She stopped to sling her bag properly, then followed the others to where their jeep was parked.

The mood was slightly lighter, Ino didn't really show as much unhappiness towards Temari as she did yeaterday. Surprisingly, the rumors died down, but they never completely vanished. There was always a certain bitch called Karin to bitch about it in modeling class to remind everyone how desperate Ino was.

Sai glanced at the picture he scribbled with his left hand while the other was on the wheel. He recognized the familiar patterns, prints, until he remember where he'd seen them made a four way call with his brothers and put his phone on loud speaker. The phone rang it's familiar tune over and over again, until they all picked up.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, "I'm driving."

"I drew something," Sai muttered.

They understood.

"It wasn't over yet," he said, "not a simple as we thought it was, it's still here."

"What is still here?" Shino, the slowest asked.

"The complication."

**End of Episode two**