A/N: This is the next chapter. I know that I have not updated in a long time; either forgot, was too tired or something else. There was a time where I forgot the plots to this story and just postponed it. Enough talking.
Wr. 250716
UPD 270716
UPD 080816
Read on.
Chapter 4: Ocean Pearls
The Following Day
Ino, for once, woke up early to make both their bento boxes and gave herself some little extra helping while Sakura was still asleep. Thinking back on yesterday, Ino was thinking how the class acted towards each other and how Tsubaki just hid within his arms.
Sakura.. make up your mind. We don't want another death.
After she had finished preparing, Ino walked over to her bag and picked out a schedule which only class representatives got from their private meeting with the school council. Guh! she squinted to make sure what she was reading was correct and released a huge sigh of worry.. "-and I have to keep this a secret".
Within that time Sakura had already woken up.
Sakura bathed herself before getting changed. She saw that the lunch boxes were already made.
"There is a first time for everything, huh?" surprised by Ino's actions of preparing lunch.
XXX
In the mean time, Hinata was brushing her hair while looking in the mirror.
Do.. I look pretty? she asked herself.
She heard a knock at the door, it was her younger sister, Hanabi Hyuuga.
"What is it Hanabi?" she asked her brunette sister.
"Mother told me to say breakfast is ready.." Hanabi said, leaving.
The blue-haired Hyuuga pulled her skirt on and her white socks, as well as her plain brown shoes.
"I can't continue like this. Today is the day!"
Hinata pulled out a piece paper.. or two from her desk drawer and started writing. After she had finished, she placed both letters in an envelope and headed to her family's dining room.
Ino and Sakura had exited there two-person house and before Ino had locked it, Sakura did a mini-shriek.
"W-what is it?" the blonde asked.
Sakura knelt down and picked up a gem-type sphere which had fragments of chakra locked within them. "It's an ocean pearl!" she said as she took it inside and stuffed it into her drawer specifically stashed with them. These gems have their worth in the sea, as their are legends of what can happen or charms which can be made by collecting a specific number and crafting into an item.
The gems themselves are found at shore on the Hyomen's surface but the land-humans see no use in them and crush them to create energy or fuel.
Ino sweat-dropped, "You sure do love collecting those. How much do you have now?"
Sakura shrugged, "The drawer has them at mid-height, so maybe a little over a hundred?"
The Yamanaka was shocked by the number but knew her friend had her reason for collecting them.
The two swam up to surface and started crawling out like turtles.
As the two had gotten closer to the school's entrance, they had seen their recently-made friend, Hinata.
They called out to her. There were waves from both sides.
"Oh, Tenten-san is not with you both?"
"Tenten moved to another sea-village when we were younger but we don't really know where it is ourselves.." Sakura and Ino informed her.
Hinata started smiling. "I'm just glad that I made friends at all. At my previous school, I rarely used to talk to anyone and I met Naruto-kun during my last year there. But now there is a High School built between the shore and the city for both surface and sea humans. I am glad I met you three."
The other two were falling into fake tears.
"Heh? Sorry!" Hinata worried about upsetting them.
The cherry and vanilla started laughing, "Such a good girl".
They had then seen Kiba and his dog, Akamaru.
Ugh.. THAT dog again! they both said at the same time.
At the entrance of the school, they could see their other friend who would make their group complete.
They hurried and met with Tenten, who was changing shoes at the shoe lockers; some students decide to leave their shoes at the lockers and switch them before leaving. Others would wear their plain-brown shoes the whole day and change or take them home.
"Hello!" Ino tapped her back. "You switch back to the usual bun-buns?" she questioned, as Tenten nodded.
The brunette walked with the three towards their classroom but the door was locked, which was a sign that it was not the opening time for the classrooms.
The four stood on the other side of the hallway from the class door.
"So.. do you all want to hang out at lunch? Or maybe eat in the classroom together because Ino and I made our own lunch." Sakura asked the blue-haired girl and the brunette.
The two thought about it, "Well.. any is fine really."
"Heh~ I thought you would have plans with Sabaku?" Ino teased Tenten by getting close-up to her face and nudging her with her elbows.
Tenten pouted, her cheeks a little flushed. "We are just getting to know each other, it's not like there is any romance into it.."
"Oh my, oh my Tenten-san. Isn't that what you want~?" her friends all asked at the same time.
"Kyah! Scary! Scary! You all said the same thing without communicating!"
Afterwards, Kakashi Hatake-sensei was walking from the staff faculty office to unlock their classroom door.
The girls walked in before he could even say anything.
"Well girls, if anyone asks—I am off to buy some food for lunch".
The four nodded.
XXX
Students started entering the classroom. Eventually, Naruto and Gaara arrived.
Sakura started growling quietly at Naruto, as Ino watched Sakura and joined in.. for the fun of it.
Hinata started whispering in the Yamanaka's ear. Ino's eyes widened.
"SO soon!" she had accidentally spouted out loud enough for a few of them to hear.
Tenten and Sakura glanced at each other before saying, "Heyhey, let us in on the conversation!"
Utakata entered the classroom quietly and placed his bag at the side. At that moment, Naruto pulled Gaara with him to converse with Utakata.
Kakashi walked by, "Yama-yama, I forgot to mention. The two of you, there are student council meetings on everyday and you both need to attend."
The Yamanaka's and Ameyama's eyes turned white, "WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!" they thought to themselves.
"-And Haruno-san, they need you to collect papers from the faculty office. Have fun."
Sakura got slightly angry, "Why always me?"
Ino patted Sakura. "There-there. It is because you are smart, all of the teacher's attention is on you."
She stood up from her seat, "You aren't any less intelligent than me.."
As Sakura walked out of the classroom, she looked at the bulletin board. It mentioned that the school will start posting student test scores and midterm rankings. An imaginary heavy stone fell on her, crushed.
She then headed to the teacher's room to get the class printout papers.
By that time, the majority of the class students for each individual class had arrived and the hallways started getting crowded.
Back at the class
Tenten started talking with Gaara, "Come to think of it, there are so many students at this school".
Gaara agreed, "There are much more in our grade than there are in many others. Especially since our school is brand-new AND we do not have any seniors; so we are the first years, as well as the only students in this place."
The girl with the buns-hairstyle smiled, "You are so knowledgeable!"
Ino and Hinata started waving, "Love.. love.. l-"
Tenten stared at them.
"-LAVENDER!" Ino said, loudly.
"Tenten, you must be hard of hearing. I said lavender, who knows what you heard." Ino finished by looking at her nails to avoid Tenten and started whistling.
Utakata was chuckling inside that he could not hold it. Ino couldn't see his face but she could tell that he was listening in on their conversation.
A little while later, Tsubaki Yagura walked in.
His friends, as well as Ino and co. looked at him. He had a darker expression after yesterday's event.
Utakata knew how Yagura was not feeling well today, not because of yesterday but in general.
"Hey! Tsubaki, how about a-" Naruto started on him.
"Move it.." Yagura cut in.
"C'mon. I was just going to-" Naruto continued.
"MOVE.. now. You're annoying me," he raised his voice a little to the point the Uzumaki had flinched, Scary! and went to sit in his seat with the window view.
Gaara, the three girls and Naruto were slightly shocked.
Yagura did not know he was being "scary", he just felt tired enough not to realise it. He kept watching outside the window, the seat next to him empty.
XXX
The full class was in conversation and there was a little over ten minutes before the homeroom class starts.
In the mean time—Utakata asked Ino, "Where is your sister?"
Ino tilted her head, "My sister?" she responded.
"Umm.. Haruno?" Ameyama said, trying to recall Sakura's name.
The Yamanaka slammed her head down and started laughing, Kyahaha.
Yagura glanced, hearing their conversation and noticed that she was not there.
"Oh, she isn't my sister! Well, she is my cousin though. A lot of stuff happened to both our family and now we both live under the same roof. I don't want to spoil anything Sakura doesn't want me to," Ino explained to Utakata and technically Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, Tenten and Yagura who were secretly listening in.
The door opened to the class, everyone thinking it was Kakashi. Knowing that the man has such mischievous plans, everyone fell silent, looking forward and waited for him to pick on someone.
It was Sakura, but they did not know that..
Some students at the back tried looking at the corner of their eyes but they could only see a moving pile of paper.
"Huh.. why is everyone quiet?"
The students all closed their eyes and Sakura slammed the papers down at the front desk. "Hyuuga-san," Sakura said in a husky voice.
Hinata skyrocketed from her seat and stood straight, "YES?", as everyone opened their eyes to see Sakura.
The lot of them started laughing.
Ino chuckling. Sakura walked slowly towards her seat—looking at the floor, as everyone continued their previous conversations.
Most papers were class work, while the other half was a message about the school cycle and systems.
Our class runs on a rotational timetable, so every lesson changes each week. Our school year is also a little longer than all the others, mostly because it is brand new and they are using us as the "beta-testers"
As Sakura was walking to her seat, she started humming an original song.
Ocean pearls.. Ocean pearls..
She pulled her chair back, Ino looked at her. "You are still on about those?!"
The Haruno sighed, "I still need more!"
Tenten was asking Gaara about his family, if he had brothers, sisters and some trivial matter.
Sakura noticed Yagura, "Where were you earlier?" she asked.
He looked away, "Why do I have to tell you, dekorin?"
She could feel a vein on her forehead, "Now look here-"
"I was with one of the teachers, having a conversation.." he interrupted.
She wondered, "Which teacher?"
Before he could answer, Naruto cut into the conversation.
"Tsubaki, forgive me. Forgive me, the others kept forcing me to apologise!" he put his hands together and looked down.
Ino and Tenten gave a sheepish laugh because they forced this apology from Naruto and told both Gaara and Utakata to agree to not being his friends anymore.
"Okay! Okay! I get it, I forgive you. Now.. move, your face.. too close.." Yagura accepted his apology while pushing Naruto's face away.
Naruto moved to Sakura. "Hey! What's life in the sea?" he asked curiously.
"Just because he forgave you doesn't mean I have," the cherry-blossom haired girl told him.
"Wah!" Naruto flinched.
The Haruno looked at the Yamanaka. "We both live in the same house and we have this patch of land where we grow vegetables and fruit. We also have a rice paddy and stuff of the sort."
Ino leaning back on her chair and pointing her thumb at Tenten, "This trouble-maker used to live in our same village until she moved due to family circumstances."
"Huh? Trouble-maker? How could you say that?!" the brunette screeched.
The platinum-blonde covered her ears, "For starters, weren't you the one who broke the fountain? Weren't you also the one who set out all the village lights? I have more, do you want me to continue?"
"Ah! NO~! That was in the past~!"
Hinata could only smile as she stood next to her group of friends.
Naruto noticing this, he picked up her seat from the front and placed it so she could have a seat.
"Wh-wha? B-but class will start soon!" the blue-haired girl told him.
"Then I'll move it back and take the blame!" he smiled at her.
Tenten and Ino put their hands on their cheek, "Seems like they'll be fine".
Kakashi walked in.
"SO quickly!" Naruto and Hinata gawked.
The dark-blond Uzumaki hurried to place her seat back upfront.
XXX
After the class had settled down, Kakashi started by coughing.
"I was being lectured by Kato-sensei that I haven't given a good enough explanation of the sea to the students. Yamanaka, please explain some stuff you know".
Ino looked around and pointed at herself, clueless.
Sakura raised her hand up.
"Oh, Haruno. Do you want to explain in her stead?" Kakashi asked in a please-do-so manner.
Sakura shook her head, "Since you were being lectured, don't you think you should do it? Or maybe I'll tell you what's written in the last chapter of the book you are reading?"
"Wha?! No! NO! .. Wait. Haruno. You read this book series?" Kakashi asked in interest.
Ino had cut in. "No, BUT we do know the author of the books. In fact, he lives in our village.." she teased.
"HE DOES?!" Kakashi not paying attention to the class.
Sakura and Ino looked at each other, "We could get you his auto-"
"GET ME HIS AUTOGRAPH!" Kakashi Hatake-sensei said loudly, handing his book over to them.
The two sweat-dropped. "What's so special about that perverted old-man's autograph anyway?" Ino whispered in Sakura's ears.
The Haruno shrugged. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Kakashi then gave the class their printouts. "After all the classes do their tests, we will post everyone's results on the school bulletins outside the class," he told them—to which the majority of the class moaned upset about.
Usually, he would talk more about what would be happening but he left early today, leaving the class to wait over thirty minutes for their actual lesson to start. "Make sure you are not late for your first lesson. We meet back here after break and your second lesson after lunch with me is cancelled, but you are still in here. Use it as a self-study period." he told them while exiting the homeroom class.
Hinata quickly got up and pulled her chair to the back, "Hello-hello.." she gave them a creepy smile.
The rest shuffled back once.
"Anyway. You have already mastered that technique, huh?" Naruto asked Hinata.
Utakata sweat-dropped, "What technique is there in pulling your chair to the back?"
Naruto and Hinata glared heavily at the brown-haired boy. The brown-haired boy had his poker-face on, making their glare ineffective.
Ino put her bag on. "I'm going to buy some juice," she told her friends. Sakura looked at her, "With your bag on?". Ino nodded, "A LOT of stuff is in here and it would be bad in the wrong hands!" the pale-blonde told her. Her friend got up, "I'll go with you".
The blonde opened the door as the pink walked out. She turned around, "We'll be back in a bit," she said to Tenten and Hinata who were sat next to each other (as well as Gaara). Ino gave Tenten the I'm watching you gesture before leaving.
Utakata walked over to Yagura, "Did you practice yesterday?"
Yagura looked up at Utakata from his seat. "I didn't. I practice when I feel like it. Doesn't have to be at the same time". Utakata nodded, "Right".
The brown-haired boy put one of his earphones on and took out his notebook. He started answering some of the questions which were related to the upcoming test.
Yes, Utakata cares about both his reputation and his grades. Eventually, he couldn't answer some and asked Yagura for help which then the both started studying by combining tables.
Naruto was talking to Gaara and both Hinata and Tenten, since they were trying to avoid studying. Tenten looked at Naruto, "Uzumaki, what type of girls do you like?" she asked for Hinata's sake.
"Err, maybe nice and beautiful ones? I don't really know. It's just a random feeling of when you like someone.." he answered.
Tenten clapped, "Well done. You avoided a few traps there".
Gaara looked at Tenten, "What type of guys do you like?"
Tenten froze, "Eh.. Eh!?"
Hinata smiled. "She told us she likes quiet and mysterious ones. She also likes knowledgeable ones too!" the Hyuuga informed him.
Gaara didn't know how to reply.
Naruto got the group to push their tables forward to listen in on Yagura and Utakata's conversation but they were only studying.
With Ino and Sakura
"Ino, what lesson do we have first?"
The Yamanaka pulled out her lesson schedule, "We've got.. science studies.. ugh!"
Sakura put her hands on her chin, "I see. Well, I don't look forward to that but we rarely get science because it is an optional study but we have to study it from time to time. We'll get the option to remove it later."
"Oh yes!" Ino punched her fist in the air.
As they continued walking to the vending machine outside, they saw Kiba, Akamaru and Shino.
"Aren't those guys in the class next to us?" Ino asked.
"I think so. They seem like best friends but why is he allowed a dog?" Sakura questioned.
They avoided Akamaru but Kiba and Shino kept looking at them. "Have we seen them girls somewhere? Their uniform is slightly different from ours, meaning they are from the ocean" Kiba said.
Shino pushed his glasses up, "You mean the sea."
Sakura and Ino arrived at the vending machine.
Ino had slot her money in. "Yoshi. Apple juice for me and Sakura—what do you want?" she asked her cousin.
The pinkette told the blonde they forgot to ask their friends if they wanted anything.
The blonde tapped a majority of the buttons on the vending machine.
"Uh.. what are you doing?" the Haruno asked.
"Well, we don't know who likes what. So, let's just buy everything?" Ino started laughing slightly.
As they were walking back to the classroom, they started talking about their uniforms.
"We are the only two girls who wear the long-sleeved uniforms. Tenten, Hinata and every other girl wear the short-sleeved ones." Ino said.
"That is true. I find the long-sleeves more comfortable"
—"Right? But as it gets hotter in the summer we'll just wear the short-sleeves with a thin long-sleeve piece underneath." Ino told her.
The door to the classroom opened.
Sakura looked to see her seat taken by Utakata Ameyama.
Ino sat on Utakata's seat and Sakura sat on Ino's. Ino took her apple juice and gave Hinata and Tenten fruit tea.
"We bought too much. Sabaku, want some?" she gave Gaara whichever he chose.
The Yamanaka gave Sakura two water bottles. The Haruno only needed one.
The Yamanaka looked at the black coffee in disgust and gave it Shikamaru, "You better be grateful, you pineapple.."
Shikamaru drank it as if it were nothing.
"Gross! You are like an old man." Ino said after he drank it.
Naruto took a drink for himself and one for Utakata—saying to Utakata that he bought it himself.
"Hey, ask before you take!" Ino shouted at him.
Sakura walked over behind the studying Tsubaki and stared over at his work. He didn't notice her.
He could feel someone breathe behind him and quickly turned around. "Ah! You creepy forehead-girl!"
"That's mean. I was just going to ask if you wanted this extra water bottle because we bought too much.." she said. "I'll give it to you," she added and put it behind his collar as it slid down his back.
"IT'S freezing!" he tried getting the bottle out of his back.
Sakura smiled sheepishly, walking back to her (Ino's) seat.
Within the last few minutes before homeroom ended, Kakashi walked back in. "I also forgot to mention.. Hyuuga, Haruno, Yamanaka, Uzumaki, Nara and Ameyama are on cleaning duty at lunch." he said as he walked back out.
The 6 sighed heavily.
XXX
The girls started walking to their next class. Ino told them that they forgot the drinks and their bags they bought and Tenten and Hinata followed. Sakura continued going to the next class.
There was a note on the table. Ebisu, their teacher asked for the person who enters to hand out the textbooks before he actually arrives to class.
Sakura started placing a textbook in front of every seat.
The door slammed open and Sakura dropped the textbooks. She looked at the door to see Tsubaki, "You scared me.."
Ouch.. the weight of the textbooks hurt my foot.
"What, so only you're in here?" Yagura asked Sakura as he looked around the room. The room was silent for a while.
Afterwards, the students came in slowly.
Then the teacher, Ebisu, walked in and designated everyone to a seat.
"Yamanaka, Haruno, Ameyama and Tsubaki on the back-right table. Hyuuga and Akiha at the front. Aburame, Inuzuka and Uzumaki on this table.." after Ebisu told them all where to sit, he started writing on the chalkboard.
Ino sat across Utakata and Sakura sat across Yagura. Why do we have to be with them? they all said out loud.
All the students opened the textbooks and started reading.
A long while later
...
"And now try placing the powder in the solution and record any changes." the teacher told them.
Naruto and Kiba were fighting over who were to do the experiment.
Ino placed the powder in the tube. "Ooh, it changed colour." she said as she then wrote in down.
...
"That ends our class today."
The students got up from their seats and placed the textbooks in the class book cupboard. They all then left to their next lessons.
Before they knew it, it was already lunch.
The selected six bought their lunch or took their homemade-lunch to the classroom.
"Okay. Naruto clear the desks, Hyuuga clean the windows, Yamanaka dust out the chalkboard erasers, Haruno and Ameyama mop the floor." Shikamaru Nara told them.
Ino put her hands on her hips. "Why do WE have to listen to you?" she asked.
"I'll wipe the chalkboard. Uzumaki clear the desks; Hinata, clean the windows; Ameyama mop the floor; Nara too. Sakura, do what you want." Ino told them.
"I guess I'll sweep the floor." Sakura said.
Now who's ordering us around
The Ameyama stood silently as the Yamanaka noticed. "Hey~" she called out to him and waved her arms.
"Utakata" she said his name.
He snapped out of his daydream. "Did you just call me by my first name?"
Ino pointed at him. "I told you I would, didn't I?" she smiled slightly.
He kind of smiled back in an aggressive way. He looked at her once more.
"Now get cleaning!" she ordered him.
He got angry. Grr..
Tenten along with Gaara and Yagura walked by. "Having fun cleaning?" she asked the six.
"It's very fun. It keeps you fit too. Maybe you should join too!" Ino told Tenten with a fake smile.
Naruto was chasing Shikamaru around. The two knew each other from their previous school.
Tenten asked Gaara how did he become friends with the other three.
"Me, Ameyama and Tsubaki were always friends since childhood. Although, Ameyama and Tsubaki knew each other longer. We met Uzumaki when we were growing up but we didn't go to the same school until now. I feel sorry for myself for having him as my best friend. He does do some good sometimes." Gaara explained his relations to the bun-bun.
Naruto dropped the dust on Sakura accidentally.
Tenten looked at Gaara with the signature giraffe face she learnt from both Ino and Sakura. "Some good.. like that?" she pointed at the situation.
Gaara couldn't reply and sweat-dropped.
"Now I have to clean myself up instead of the classroom!" Sakura whacked Naruto. Ino joined in as a joke but whacked him too, "You create so much trouble!"
XXX
They ate their lunch after they had finished and it was the free self-study period since Kakashi was absent.
The majority of the class used the time to speak with the others.
"We have another self-study period tomorrow!" Ino said to the Haruno. The Haruno put her hands together and gave a happy-cute "Shannaro!"
Yagura and Gaara hearing this. "Sh-shanero?"
Ino and Tenten waved their hands, "Don't ask.."
The Hyuuga sat next to her friends and said, "I'm going to study for the maths test. Who's with me!?"
Everyone looked away for a second.
After the session ended. It was time to go home.
Utakata tapped Ino's head with his book, "We got student council meeting."
Ino slumped as she walked, Hmm-hmm, she looked at Sakura.
Sakura looked away, Don't give me those puppy-dog eyes..
"Well, I forgot to mention. I joined the tennis club, but we don't star until later in the summer. But I am going to go home now." Tenten told them.
Gaara volunteered to walk her to her bus-stop.
Neji came to pick up Hinata and escort her home. Usually, they would have someone drive them home.
Sakura was left in the classroom with Yagura.
Utakata told Yagura and Sakura that it would be an hour longer during his break from the meeting. He also said the two should head home because it was already late.
The meeting lasted longer than expected because it was the first one. Sakura decided to head to a store which sells the gem she was looking for and Yagura got on to the bus which took him to a store he wanted to buy a drink from on the way home.
When Sakura arrived to the shop, she found what she wanted.
"I'll give you a deal miss. We get these scooped up a lot but we don't really have any use for them. I can sell them to you at low prices." the shop owner who works the later shifts told her.
She was pleased. "Thank you very much." she said as she bought the one that was there. The man told her they usually find one every one-to-two days from net-harvesting.
When she exited the shop she bumped into someone. "Sorry.."
Huh?
"Why are you here?" she looked to see Yagura wearing his jacket over his school clothing.
"I could ask the same. I usually buy food for dinner or a snack before I go home. Since my mother is coming home late tonight, I thought I would buy something just in case.. So, why are you here?"
She picked out the gem from her pocket. She held the gem which had chakra locked in and looked even greater at night in her hand. She smiled as she showed it to him because they were one of the things her mother liked.
"Ocean pearl.."
A/N: This chapter lasted longer than expected. It was actually meant to be longer but I cut some stuff out for the next chapter instead because I was going way over my minimum word-count. Anyways, I'll try update more often. The maintenance on the site can get annoying too.