Growing Up With Dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the Naruto characters. They belong to Misashi Kishimoto. As well, I do not own any of the characters from The Big Windup! They belong to Asa Higuchi.
WARNING: YAOI. Boyxboy. Don't like it, don't read it. As well, we have changed some of the characters from Naruto and Big Windup. Names and faces will remain the same but ages, personalities, occupations, etc will be altered. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING! Also, a majority of the cities are real cities in Japan. The ones located on the Island, Yumenoshima, however, are fake. So the Island itself and the cities, Shi Yume, Kaigen no Yume, Chīsana Yume, and Nōmin no Yume and the Mountain, Hoshi No Miyama, etc, and anything else on the Island is fake.
EXTREME DRAMA!
Chapter Four – The Tides of Change
It's kind of amazing, how fast time can go by. It was a year ago when Iruka brought Naruto to watch his first Minor League game. Only a year ago when he was such a problem child and nothing seemed possible. 12 months later, Naruto had done a 180 and become a normal child again. All thanks to baseball. If it weren't for baseball and friends who actually liked Naruto, he would still be stuck on that downward destructive spiral.
The scars on his cheeks had healed since then. He no longer hid them underneath bandages. People definitely had asked what happened to them since the scars weren't white. They were thin, black lines, 3 on each cheek. Naruto never spoke about how he got them. Not even when Daisuke and Ryder had asked about them. He kept his mouth sealed and he was ok with it. He didn't want people to know what was going on.
So people just stared at him. Giving him accusing looks but he was used to that.
And here he was, a year later, with 2 of the greatest friends he could ask for, getting better grades in school, no longer too much of a trouble maker. Well, he still liked to cause trouble now and again but not as often or as horrible as it used to be.
He was a happy sixth grader. He strutted through town, making his way to the baseball fields where he liked to meet up with Ryder and Daisuke on days off. Today was one such day but Daisuke had said he was really busy and couldn't come today. That left Ryder and Naruto alone but they were ok with that. Ryder was so close to being a guy that it wasn't hard to like her.
Mounting the crest of the hill, Naruto fingered his scars and stared down at the empty diamonds. Beautiful. The mound, the plates, the mowed outfield, it spoke soft, inviting words of freedom to his heart. He joyfully made his way to Field 3, where they always met up together.
But as he got closer, Naruto noticed there was someone already there who didn't look like Ryder. The person had black, spiky hair instead of short silver curls and wore dark blue and black clothes instead of jeans and a t-shirt. With a snarl, Naruto realized it was Sasuke, sitting at his favorite field. Since Naruto had bashed his face in last year, they hadn't spoken to each other. Naruto was fine with that because that meant Sasuke and his fag friend, Suigetsu, wasn't picking on him anymore.
So what did the prick want here?
The 12-year-old blonde made his way over to the statuesque Uchiha. "What are you doing here, Sasuke?" he demanded. Leave it to Sasuke to ruin the great day that he had been having.
Sasuke turned to Naruto and smirked, "Just came to scout out the area for the best place to sit and watch you make fools of yourselves at the big game," he remarked.
"Get lost, Sasuke. Stick to the gym where your only talent is," Naruto snapped. Baseball was still a touchy subject for Naruto. He was still new at it. Granted, this would be the first game of the season, but Naruto would be damned if they lost. Sasuke needed to stay in the gym and play basketball and keep his pointy, arrogant nose out of Naruto's life!
"Calm down, freak. I'm sure there will be more than just me out here to watch you mess up. Iruka, for example," Sasuke hissed. That one hurt. Naruto knew how much he had hurt and pushed Iruka but that was between the man and him. Sasuke had no business saying that.
"Careful, pretty boy. We don't want another accident like last year. How long did it take for the swelling to go down? 2 weeks? I beat you pretty bad... and there are no teachers or adults out here to stop me this time," Naruto threatened. If he didn't know any better, the blonde would say he was a dog with his hackles raised.
Sasuke's smirk disappeared for a moment and his eyes flashed with fear, a look Naruto had become uncomfortably familiar with. The smirk returned quickly enough. "So you really are a monster, hey Naruto?"
The words stung. They hurt. They dug deep and burned like salt in an open wound. How dare he? How dare he say that so casually? How dare he use that tone; mocking and contempt? Was that what everyone thought of the boy? Is that how everyone viewed Naruto? Sasuke may be a perfect A, teacher's pet type of student but he was really no better than Naruto. Naruto was a mischief maker and an attention getter but Sasuke was far, far worse. The Uchiha got off on hurting others. Besting others and degrading and pushing them down, adding insult to injury and enjoying the suffering.
Sasuke was evil.
"Watch it, Uchiha," Naruto ground out, feeling his hands clench into fists.
"Did I strike a nerve in that dark heart of yours?"
"I said watch it, Uchiha... you have no heart you bastard!"
"Funny, that doesn't usually bother demons like you."
Naruto couldn't really remember much after that. He knew he went berserk and tried to beat Sasuke and, for the first while, he was succeeding. But Sasuke must have learned how to fight because next thing the little blondie knew, his ass was handed to him and he wound up on the ground unconscious.
...
Sasuke walked away victorious and proud. While he had to admit that Naruto had caught him by surprise at first, it didn't take the Uchiha long to switch into his protective mode. Thanks to his brother teaching him martial arts, Sasuke was able to kick Naruto down fairly quickly.
The only downside was that Naruto's little girlfriend was there and stopped Sasuke from beating Naruto to within an inch of his life. Sasuke wanted to. He wanted to show Naruto how much it hurt. Last year was the last time Naruto would ever get the upper hand on him! This year was pay back.
Let the silver haired girl fawn over the little demon. He needed someone to love his awful personality and his disfigured face. She had run up behind Sasuke and, with surprising strength, flung Sasuke away from the unconscious monster and screamed at him to leave so Sasuke did.
Hands in pockets, the prideful Uchiha walked away. He heard her call her other boyfriend before calling for an ambulance.
Sasuke felt he didn't need to stay for all the emotional bull crap that was going to come. He was above that. So was Itachi. Sasuke wanted to be just as perfect as Itachi. Who wouldn't want to be as perfect as Itachi?
Naruto... Naruto could never be Itachi. Naruto would never understand what it took to be like him... Sasuke couldn't be associated with someone who couldn't measure up to him...
No... Naruto had to go...
...
"Daisuke! Oh Gods, Daisuke, please, I know you're with your family at the Inn right now but Naruto's unconscious and bleeding and I can't... please meet me at the Hospital!" Ryder sobbed into her cell phone as she cradled Naruto's head in her lap. His nose looked broken, blood poured from a cut on his forehead and his nose. His lips were split, his eyes swollen and Gods knew what was wrong with the rest of him. Sasuke had gotten him good...
"Dammit, Ryder...Who did this?" Daisuke's voice sounded annoyed and panicked.
"Uchiha! Do you even have to ask? He's had it out for Naruto since Naruto beat him last year... Daisuke please..."
"Ok, ok, I'm on my way, hold tight."
The call ended and she tried her best to stop the bleeding with her jacket as she waited for the paramedics to show up.
"Naruto... Naruto, hey, if you can hear me I want you to know that help is coming..."
Of course the boy didn't respond and Ryder wiped her tears on her arm. Her bright green eyes burned but she wouldn't look away from him. No. She wasn't going to let him slip from her.
"You hold on, now, ok? I'm here, Naru-chan," she tried hard to stop crying and make her voice as comforting as she could. Help couldn't come soon enough! Why weren't they faster?! She could hear the sirens faintly in the distance but 1 minute felt like 4 years to the panic stricken 12-year-old girl.
...
"He should wake up soon, don't worry. I'm so glad you were there to get him to the hospital though, Ryder..." the male voice was very familiar to his muffled ears.
"Sasuke really did a number on him... I can't believe that jerk!" a girl's voice answered.
"You're positive it was Uchiha?" a boy's voice asked.
So tired... why are they talking so loud?
"Yes, I'm positive! I shoved Sasuke off of him and he just walked away with his hands in his pockets and a stupid smirk on his stupid ugly face!" the girl cried in exasperation. So loud...
Naruto moaned and turned his head away from the sound. He hurt. He had felt worse but still... he hurt. The physical pain was great but his emotional pain was worse. As he slowly woke up, he remembered what happened. He remembered all too clearly the Uchiha at the fields, the taunting and name calling, the fight... Naruto sighed and opened his sad blue eyes. Sasuke and Naruto hadn't been friends for a long time but that was crossing the line. That really was it. There was no saving their friendship. There were no Band-Aid solutions to fix this wound.
"He's waking up. Hey, Naruto, can you hear me? How are you feeling?" the man's voice belonged to Iruka. Naruto looked at him with foggy eyes and nodded solemnly. "Hey, buddy... we were worried about you..." Iruka's voice was soft and gentle instead of reprimanding and scornful. Naruto appreciated that.
"Sorry," the boy croaked, his throat sore. Iruka handed him a glass of water from the table beside Naruto's bed. Naruto forced his aching body to sit up and he drank gratefully.
"Are you ok, Naru-chan?" Ryder asked, her short silver hair a wild mess around her face. Her bright green eyes were wide and wondering.
Naruto managed a weak smile and nodded. "I'm ok, Ryder... thanks... and thanks for bringing me here," he murmured. The blonde glanced around his hospital room for the first time and saw nothing new that really interested him. His nose itched and he reached up to scratch and yelped as he touched it. It was incredibly tender and sore and there were bandages across it to hold his cuts closed. "Oooowwww..." he moaned.
"Yeah, Sasuke really did a number on your nose. I think he broke it but that's the only thing he managed to break. The doctor said everything else was fine," the boys' voice rang out and Naruto looked around. He located the area where the voice came from but he saw no boy. He saw a really cute girl dressed in a pretty, traditional kimono.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked, suddenly quite intrigued by the cute girl by the door. His head tilted cutely to the side, his golden mop of hair flopping with the movement.
Ryder giggled and looked at the girl. "Naruto, that's Daisuke."
Naruto frowned deeply and looked over the girl. She had longer hair than Daisuke but it was the same forest green. She was wearing cute, square framed glasses but had the same muddy brown eyes. But there was no bandage on her nose like Daisuke usually had so Naruto could see the scar only a little under the nose piece of the glasses.
Daisuke, feeling very uncomfortable, blushed and squirmed under Naruto's gaze. "I was working at the Inn when Ryder called... I didn't have time to change..." he explained. Naruto blinked, blinked again, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and blinked again.
"What...?" he finally said.
Ryder burst into hysterics and Iruka was smiling but said nothing as he watched the scene unfold. Daisuke squirmed even more, his face growing brighter by the second. "I work at my family's Inn, Nemui Inn and its run by my Mom and Sisters but sometimes they need help..."
"So you dress like a girl?" Naruto asked, completely disbelieving.
Ryder's laughter doubled and Iruka sniggered before composing himself again. "Well... the Inn is only run by females..." Daisuke explained rather uncomfortably.
"So...your Mom dresses you like a girl?"
Ryder was crying and doubled over on the floor. Iruka looked out the window, trying desperately not to laugh.
"Well... yes... Mom says I look good as a girl and that customers feel more comfortable around women so... Mom and Saiya, my older sister, dress me up and I help around the Inn..." Daisuke looked like he would really rather be somewhere else. Even back at the Inn surrounded by gawking males and crooning females than explain why he dressed like a girl to Naruto... it was his dark secret and only Ryder and his family had known about it but now... he only hoped Naruto wouldn't tell anyone.
"Ok... so... does that mean you have another name too? For the Inn?" the blonde questioned. Ryder had finally stopped howling with laughter and had crawled up from the floor. She was reduced to small fits of giggles. Iruka's face was a little red from his strain of fighting back his own laughter.
Daisuke went a shade darker. "Actually, yeah... It's D-Delilah..." his voice cracked and squeaked a bit with girlish tremor.
"An American name?"
"Yes... Saiya picked it out... said it was exotic and intriguing..."
"Cool... so uh... I guess you don't want me to say anything," Naruto smirked and looked 'Delilah' up and down again, relishing this moment of knowledge and blackmail.
"Please don't," Daisuke whimpered and looked away.
"Ok, I promise I won't say anything," Naruto smiled, his blue eyes closing, a big grin spreading across his pink lips. Iruka patted his head affectionately.
"You ready to go home?" the man asked.
Naruto nodded. Though he requested that Ryder come home with him to keep him company. Of course Iruka never said no. He also offered to give Daisuke a ride back to Nemui Inn to continue working and Daisuke regretfully took the offer.
...
During the spring break, a month or so after, Ryder and her family were planning to take a trip out of the city to see some family. Because of where their family was located, it was close to Daisuke's family Inn so she invited Naruto to go on the little day trip so he could see for himself where Daisuke worked.
Of course, Naruto was super excited about seeing Daisuke in full costume again. He wanted to see 'Delilah' at work and keep those mental images, and maybe some real photos, for himself. The weekend came and Ryder and Naruto packed into the Izumi family car with her 2 older brothers Kio and Ryuzaki.
A half hour later they came up to the Nemui Inn and Ryder and Naruto jumped out. "We'll be back in a few hours, sweetie, so stay out of trouble!" Atsushi, Ryder's father called.
Naruto sniggered, knowing that her father had no idea Ryder really wasn't the perfect little girl he thought she was. "Ok Daddy!" she called back in her fake, sing-song voice. The second the family car was out of sight, Ryder sighed, rolled her eyes, dug in her backpack and pulled out her t-shirt and boy-shorts to change into. She really hated the dress she was in.
They strode into the Inn which was bustling and loud with people in the lobby. Ryder ran to the bathroom to change and Naruto stood by the wall to wait, looking around. A pretty teenager was standing in the front greeting customers. She had forest green hair like Daisuke but it was lighter and tied back into a long braid down her back. Her stormy grey eyes were framed with black eye liner and her cheeks had a light rosy flush with her lips painted red. She looked a very pretty sight in her dark orchid fading to dark blue kimono trimmed with a silver moon and lined with clouds.
She had to be Daisuke's sister. She looked extremely similar to 'Delilah'. The girl looked to be about 17 and she stood so poised and friendly and graceful as she greeted the customers. But then her dangerous eyes locked onto little Naruto and immediately the smile left her painted face. Naruto squirmed, wishing Ryder was back.
The girl strode over, all power and business, "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was still polite but had a very sharp edge on it. Naruto felt like he was intruding and wanted to leave.
"Uh... uhm..." he fidgeted with his backpack strap, "I'm Daisuke's friend... Naruto..." he couldn't look her in the eye.
"Oh, you're here for Daisuke..." she sighed exasperatedly and rolled her pretty eyes. "I'll go get him for you."
She walked away with a bitter air around her. Naruto breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she turned a corner and out of sight. He slumped against the wall. "Phew..."
Ryder chose to come back at that moment with a grin on her thin face. "So, you met Saiya? Scary, isn't she?"
Naruto glared, not saying anything. "Where's Daisuke? I wanna leave," he pouted.
"Naruto-kun! Ryder! What are you doing here?!" Daisuke yelled in shock as he came around the corner to see them. He was all dressed up again with the long green hair, glasses and dark, navy blue kimono fading to purple and trimmed with silver stars. This time, Naruto couldn't see the scar spanning the bridge of his nose under the glasses and quietly wondered why.
"Surprise! We wanted to visit our dear friend, Delilah!" Ryder grinned evilly.
"Like I don't have enough on my plate!" Daisuke muttered, looking around the lobby cautiously.
"What's the deal?" Naruto asked.
"Sakaeguchi-kun has been stalking me," Daisuke whimpered, pulling Naruto and Ryder into a little room off to the side to talk to them without being seen. "He hasn't left me alone all day!"
"Sakaeguchi-kun? From class?" Ryder asked, feeling no sympathy what so ever.
"Yeah. He moved here last year with his family but because of the paperwork for their new house, they ended up staying at our Inn for a week until it was all ready to go. But since then, he keeps coming back to visit and asking for me! Saiya is just loving my torture!" he cried, tugging on his long hair in torment.
Naruto sniggered and Ryder clapped a sarcastic hand on Daisuke's back, "Well, have you tried telling him you're a boy?"
"NO! Are you crazy!? That's so embarrassing! I could never admit to that! What would he think of me then? He would never want to be in my class ever again! That and Mother would kill me for telling a customer..." he sobbed, frantically pacing the small room.
"DELILAH!" a loud, female voice rang out, "ROOM SERVICE FOR 307!"
Daisuke cringed and whimpered pathetically. "I have to go... wish me luck..." he sighed. He peeped out the door to check and see if the coast was clear before taking off down the hall, doing his best to run down the hallway in his kimono.
Ryder and Naruto laughed hysterically as they watched him go. They were exiting the room and walking around the Inn when they ran into Sakaeguchi. Ryder recognized him immediately and a wide grin spread across her face but this was Naruto's first time meeting the boy.
He looked to be their age with short brown hair and shining chocolate eyes. He was dressed quite casually with blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He looked excited, like he was looking for something and Naruto laughed in his head.
"Hey, Sakaeguchi-kun! What a surprise! What are you doing here?" Ryder called, waving the boy over.
He smiled and waved, walking over to greet them, "Hey, Ryder-Kun. I'm here to see a friend." He turned to Naruto and bowed politely, "Hello, I am Sakaeguchi Yūto."
Naruto, a little startled and caught off guard, bowed back, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you."
Sakaeguchi turned back to Ryder and smiled, "Have you seen a pretty girl named Delilah by any chance? I came to see her but she's always so busy! I can never catch her!"
Ryder grinned mischievously, "Ah, I think I heard her called up to the third floor! You should go now before you miss her!"
Sakaeguchi didn't even stop to say thanks or goodbye. He was gone in an almost cartoon-like poof of smoke. Naruto and Ryder looked at each other knowingly and burst out laughing. Ah, what a fun day this will be!
...
At the start of the Grade 7 year, Gaara felt a little nervous. He was being transferred to a new school and starting a new life. Mihoshi Junior High School was going to be his new start. His refresh button. Temari, now 20, was working hard on getting her business degree and still supporting her brothers. Gaara had gotten used to life without Orochimaru and was slowly starting to appreciate the work and effort Temari and Kankuro had put in to help him.
Kankuro, now 16, was already in Mihoshi but in the High School. Separate buildings, same campus. Gaara felt a little tense. From his years of delinquency, his reputation had more than likely preceded him. He was worried that despite his efforts, everyone would still see him as the One-Tail Demon, Shukaku. He had turned a new leaf and was really trying to put in the effort to be a better person. Really. But after years of being a rebellious and disturbed child, it was taking a lot more effort than he originally thought. But for his family's sake, and for his own, he was trying to make the change.
The morning hours marched onwards as Temari worked on the days' lunches for her brothers down in the tiny apartment kitchen. Kankuro was in the shower like he was every morning. And Gaara? Gaara was staring at the ceiling while lying on his small bed. His school uniform was hanging, untouched in his closet. The red-head was slowly gathering the courage to put it on.
A new school. A new life... was it possible that kids such as him could be saved? Were kids like him even worth the trouble? He didn't really think so but perhaps... a new change of location, a change of people and lifestyle... maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
Maybe.
He stood slowly when he heard Kankuro get out of the shower and he started putting the uniform on, telling himself that this wasn't going to be so bad. Uniform on, school bag in hand and trying not to look like he would murder everyone, Gaara made his way downstairs. Temari smiled brightly when she saw him all dressed and ready for school.
"Goood MORNING~!" Temari sang, handing him his bento.
"What the Hell was in your coffee this morning?" he grumbled, stashing his bento in his school bag.
Temari frowned for a moment before smiling brightly again, "Oh, well just your usual stuff, coffee grounds, sugar, milk, the souls of my enemies..."
Gaara rolled his sea-foam green eyes with a sigh. Kankuro came down in his uniform. Because he was in high school, he got the dark blue blazer style uniform with a silver tie to show he was in grade 11. It looked classy and sophisticated and made Gaara slightly jealous. Because he was in middle school, he had the traditional dark blue Gakuran style uniform with the stiff collar with his year stitched into his collar. He was a first year middle school student so the number 1 was stitched in gold and the buttons were gold as well. No cool blazer, no nice coloured ties.
Girls were luckier. Whether in middle or high school, they wore blazer style uniforms and just had different color ribbons to show their years. Stupid girls.
Temari bothered Kankuro with her silly perkiness as she gave him his bento too and he muttered his grumpy good morning back. Then, after a quick breakfast, the boys were out the door and on their way.
New life... new life... new life... Gaara refused to believe that things wouldn't get better. They had to. He would make it happen.
...
Ah, opening ceremonies. A dull but mandatory part of starting every school year. However, Haruno Sakura didn't really mind. It was always one of her best moments because she could see Uchiha Sasuke. Her crush. Her love. Her future husband. He really loved her too...he just wasn't aware of it yet.
Opening ceremonies always had to be attended in full uniform and Sakura did so reluctantly. She liked to be able to accessorize and make a statement with her wonderful fashion sense. She wanted to show off to Sasuke, give him a taste of how cute and unique she could look when she wasn't stuck in her drab school uniform. Silly school rules... she would just have to make do with what she had. So she wore her blazer open, her shirt half untucked for aloofness. She wore her red ribbon, showing she was in grade 7, loose and not tied properly. Her skirt she kept the same but she wore white loose socks with cute blue flats.
Looking in the mirror that morning, Sakura greatly approved of her 'bad ass' image and thought Sasuke would for sure notice her. He had to! The grades sat in their own sections and organized by last name so Sakura never got the chance to sit close to him but she could still keep a good eye on him if she pretended to flip her hair back and look to the side as if she were bored.
There he sat, looking beautiful as always. Straight backed, cool and statuesque. Hot. But... for some reason he looked like he wasn't paying attention to the ceremonies and the Principle speaking. He was talking, no, flirting with a girl sitting behind him! Uchiha Sasuke...flirting...with some girl that wasn't her!? What was going on?
Panic flooded the 12-year-old, pink haired girl. It wasn't fair! She never had a chance to speak with him yet and some other girl encroaches on her territory? The cruelty! The torture! And there was nothing Sakura could do but watch and wait with angry green eyes until opening ceremonies were done.
Sakura vowed right then that no matter what it took, she was going to win Sasuke's attention and have him want her so bad that he won't even look at other girls. She would make it happen. She would. Sasuke was hers. She looked back up at the Principle who was still talking on and on about expectations and rules and crap. The Principle was tall and majorly busty with long blonde hair and scary looking amber eyes. Someone Sakura wouldn't want to piss off...
But still the pre-teen looked to the side and used her peripheral vision to spy on that home wrecker flirting with her Sasuke. The worst part about it was that Sasuke seemed to enjoy her conversation! The girl was turning his brain to mush! She wasn't even all that attractive either! Red hair that was messy on the right side but long and straight on the left with red eyes to match. Sakura thought she looked rather plain and homely. But maybe it was the messy hair? The brown glasses? The fact that she was playing with a pocket knife like it was a toy?
Sakura didn't like her...
...
The first couple of day of school went by really fast as they usually do. When the days came to sign up for clubs, there was no question about who was joining where. Sasuke signed up for basketball, of course. Sakura and Ino signed up for cheerleading. Naruto, Daisuke and Sakaeguchi, now that they were all in the same school, signed up for baseball. And Ryder...well... Ryder was out of luck...
"What do you mean there's no girls baseball team?" Ryder almost yelled at Tsunade, the Principle of Mihoshi Junior High School.
"Sumimasen, Ryder-chan, but there really is no girls' team here. Not enough girls are interested in baseball or any other sports really. There's a tennis team, badminton, volleyball, cheerleading... can't you pick one of those?" Tsunade sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. Of all the people in the world, only Ryder's parents and Tsunade-baa-chan could call Ryder '-chan'.
"No, Tsunade-baa-chan! You know I love baseball... you've been to my games and seen my awards... you've seen everything I've gone through to hide it from my parents! You have to let me continue!" the silver-haired girl pleaded with wet green eyes. She wasn't crying, just tearing up out of anger.
Tsunade sighed again and looked up at the trio. Daisuke, Naruto and Ryder all looked angry and willing to do what it took to make Tsunade change her mind. "There isn't anything I can do, Ryder-chan..."
Daisuke's muddy brown eyes lit up suddenly and he stepped forward, "Ah, Tsunade-Sama, what if...Ano, what if Ryder-kun joined the boys team? Pretended to be a guy?"
Naruto's bright blue eyes lit up in amazement, "Daisuke, you're a genius!" he cried.
Tsunade's eyes even went wide at the wild idea. "Daisuke-kun, it's a brave thought but there's no way I could possibly do-"
"Tsunade-baa-chan! Pllleeeeaaasssseeee... you have to let me join the team... please! I'll get good grades all year and I won't get into any more fights, I promise!" Ryder begged and threw herself on the floor with imploring eyes and a puppy dog pout on her cute pink lips.
"You don't know what you're asking from me... it's not just about your grades; there's so much behind this... you'd have to pretend to be a boy not just in baseball but in school as well otherwise people would question it..." Tsunade started listing off all the others things that would have to happen and the young girl looked completely willing to do them all.
"I'll do it. I'll wear pants, keep my hair short. I'll change in the bathroom stalls. I'll get good grades... anything, Tsunade-baa-chan!"
Tsunade glanced from child to child. They all looked determined and willing... they are willing now but... what about when a few weeks had gone by, a few months? Would they be willing then? Tsunade would be putting her job on the line to let Ryder parade around as a boy just to join the baseball team...
She sighed and, against her better judgement, nodded. "Fine... but you have to do everything possible to keep this a secret... all of you... Ryder, you are officially a boy of Mihoshi Junior... I'll get you a boy's uniform..." she went to the storage room and heard a chorus of cheerful and victorious shouts and laughter behind her.
Well, at least she made 3 happy... now, the hard part...not getting caught...
...
Yamanaka Ino, a pretty little blonde girl with dazzling blue eyes, was walking down the hall to the restroom with hall pass in hand when 3 boys walked out of the Principles office with cheerful smiles. She recognized the trouble maker, Uzumaki Naruto. The other two she didn't recognize. One had dark green hair and brown eyes with a bandage on his nose. The other one though, was the one that caught her attention. The boy was a tad shorter than the other two with brilliant messy silver hair and amazing soft green eyes. He looked so handsome, all trimmed and neat in his Gakuran uniform.
Ino's heart skipped a little beat as the seventh grader instantly fell in love... she had to know that boy... before the 3 walked away and out of sight, she called out to Naruto. Regretfully. She never liked the tanned boy. He was strange and dark and rude. But out of the group, he was the only one she recognized.
"Yes, Yamanaka-san?" Naruto answered. Daisuke and Ryder stopped as well.
"Oh, I just wanted to know what club you joined?" she asked, not really interested, but being 12, there really wasn't much else she could think of.
"Oh, I joined baseball. What about you?"
"I'm in cheerleading! Isn't that great?" she turned to the two unfamiliar boys. "How about you, uhm..." she paused, waiting for them to state their names.
"Ah, I'm Kazumi Daisuke. This is my friend, Izumi Ryder. We all joined baseball," the green haired one spoke.
"Pleased to meet you! I'm Yamanaka Ino. Anyways, I have to get back to class! Nice chatting with you! Ja ne!" she called as she bounced away back towards her class, her blonde pony-tail swinging, a light blush tingling her cheeks.
Izumi Ryder, huh? She only hoped she could see more of him! He was such a gorgeous boy! Halfway back to her class however, Ino remembered that she never got the chance to go to the bathroom...
...
Ok, I am SO SORRY to all my readers who have been waiting patiently for me to update! I know it`s been months and I feel like such a horrible person for not updating sooner! Please don`t hate me!
So much has been going on and only now has it settled enough for me to grab a few moments of peace and my significant other is being SO supportive and giving me the space I really needed to get through this. So, again, I`m so sorry, but here is a new chapter for you guys. I really hope you enjoy it... It`s really starting to pick up now and the plot is thickening...
Anyhow, thanks again, as always, to Bubbles who really helped out with this chapter and reminded me of where we were going with this chapter.
THANK YOU READERS FOR BEING PATIENT AND SHOWING SUPPORT TO THIS STORY!
Love you all,
TLC