Chapter Four

Several things happened over that next two weeks.

The four people, two girls and two boys, even had lunch together underneath a tree in some grass in the central courtyard. All the time. Sasuke and Naruto bickered a lot. Sakura and Hinata chattered cheerfully in their middle and pretended not to notice, ignoring both confused boys, only stopping the fighting when it got physical. Because of this, neither boy looked spectacular in the eyes of anyone, but they did form a grudging respect for one another.

Ino started refusing to look at Sakura and Sasuke's part of the room. She took to crying and times of silence that genuinely worried Sakura. Shikamaru and Chouji became her constant companions.

Ami stayed far away from Sakura and Hinata and started sitting defensively with Kiba and Shino.

And Iruka kept reporting all of this, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment, to the Hokage. Who was very, very interested.

But he was even more particularly interested not only by the idea of the foursome… but by the idea of the two partnerships switching, and Sakura taking up an anonymous foreign correspondence on the side.

It was like watching an entertaining television programme through paper reports. For once, the Third Hokage had no idea what was about to happen - and it thoroughly delighted him.

Day Two

Sakura and Hinata traded cosmetic tips. "I love what you do with your hair!"

It took Sasuke and Naruto exactly five minutes to break into a bickering argument, ten minutes to come to blows, and two minutes for both girls to get between them and calm them the fuck down.

Ino was very weepy and huddled with Shikamaru and Chouji a lot. They talked in nothing but whispers.

Ami approached Shino and Kiba aggressively and said, "We're friends now," and sat next to them.

Kiba sighed and said, "In the words of Shikamaru: Troublesome."

"Indeed," said Shino flatly.

Day Three

Sakura and Hinata chatted about schoolgirl life.

Sasuke and Naruto had retreated to bitter and acidic barbs that they were secretly beginning to enjoy.

Sakura began walking home with Sasuke, Hinata with Naruto, both girls feeling badly about how things were turning out. Conversation went… surprisingly pleasantly… as long as they held back and didn't go too deep.

Ami tried to give gossip to her new friends. Kiba told her to shut up. Shino concurred. Ami pitched a hissy fit. Ami quickly got over this when she realized it was getting her nowhere.

Ino laughed unkindly, and then immediately started breathing hard and clutching at her head. Shikamaru and Chouji had to talk her through her "panic attack."

Iruka started to wonder what he had done.

Day Four

Sakura and Hinata traded sympathetic talk about families. Sasuke and Naruto listened curiously, and privately envied the girls for having a family at all.

Ami retreated into being the sullen, pug-faced girl in the back of the room with Shino and Kiba as her fellow rebels.

Ino began smiling at Chouji and Shikamaru and treating them with genuine kindness.

Iruka breathed a little easier.

Day Five

Both partner couples half-heartedly tried to learn something about each other again separately. It was frustrating and there was no spirit in it.

After that, they quickly went back to foursome desks and lunches, and easy walks home chatting idly in a friendly way about this and that.

Hinata and Sakura were starting to realize that the boys were much less objectionable this way.

The girls spent time pampering themselves alone, blessedly free, all weekend.

Day Eight

The foursome realized they were all slacking, but they were beginning to like hanging out with each other and didn't have the heart to continue as before. They also felt somehow like some small portion of this limbo was coming to an end.

Sasuke and Naruto varied between acidic barbs and actual civility. Sakura and Hinata smiled at each other and gave a sigh of weary relief.

Then Sasuke and Naruto were suddenly at each other's physical throats and the girls exasperatedly had to intervene again.

Day Nine

The friendship teasing started.

The four began tentatively making easy, teasing jokes toward one another.

"You know," said Naruto in a rare moment of insight, "that bonding thing we're supposed to be doing? We actually kind of are."

The others were thoughtful.

Day Ten

Sasuke and Naruto's barbs had taken on a friendlier, sparring, even jesting tone. This seemed to be how they communicated.

Hinata could admit to Sakura that she didn't really have feelings left for Naruto, and was mildly interested in interviewing Sasuke.

Sakura admitted in turn that she wanted someone to yell at to take out all her leftover frustrations on how it didn't work out with Sasuke.

Hinata seemed worried.

Day Eleven

Sakura clarified that after all this, she actually did want to try being Naruto's friend as well - "he has a dorky, hyperactive kind of charm" - and she was curious about the pen pal exchange…

Hinata relaxed and smiled knowingly, with exasperated fondness.

Day Twelve

In secretive, girlish whispers one day in the courtyard during break, right before another (surprisingly?) blessedly free weekend, it was decided between the two women.

The announcement came quite suddenly to Sasuke one day.

"Sasuke," said Sakura, who had dropped the -kun somewhere along the way. "Hinata and I have mutually decided we would like to switch partners."

Sasuke whirled around incredulously on their walk home from school. "... What?" He felt oddly like he was being broken up with. "Wait… you're interested in Naruto?"

"No, I'm not!" Sakura snapped. They had stopped on a walkway back toward where they separated to go to their different homes. "We just want a switch! Look, you'd still have five weeks to learn ten simple facts about Hinata. How much are you really learning with me?"

"But… but you…" And now Sasuke was confused and flustered.

"What?" said Sakura, glaring. "I like you?" Her narrowed eyes and tone were dangerous.

Sasuke paused, his face veiled. "... I thought we were friends," he said, and turned away, becoming colder. "My apologies -"

"Wait! We are friends!" said Sakura, softening and running up to put a hand on his arm, exasperated. He paused, tense and not looking at her. Obediently, she removed the hand and he relaxed. "But that's just it, Sasuke. I've been realizing… I don't think I like you that way anymore. We're not good together… romantically. I don't mean this in an accusing way, but I give a lot and I don't get anything?

"And I don't think that's anything intrinsic to you or to me, I think it's just… us.

"But I think," she added tentatively, concerned, bending to try to look into his face, "that I would like it a lot better… if you were my friend, and I got to talk to you about what's going on with Naruto, and you got to talk to me about what's going on with Hinata-chan."

Sasuke relaxed. "That… would be nice," he admitted, still feeling oddly… disappointed. Possibly because he'd finally become close to someone loyal and romance would have been easier. "I… don't want you to become the person I turn to just because I'm close to you and I trust you," he admitted. "Not if it wouldn't be… healthy."

He finally looked at her sideways. Sakura relaxed in relief.

"Oh, thank God," she said, half collapsing against a nearby wall on the sidewalk. "After Ino, I'm a little kunai-shy about losing any friends."

Despite himself, Sasuke smiled, amused. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll work with Hinata. Less… baggage, anyway. For everyone, I think."

Sakura understood what he meant. She nodded and smiled.

"I thought we were friends!" Naruto was exploding somewhere else in the village on a similar walk home from school.

"We are, Naruto, we are!" Hinata hurried over and put up her hands, concerned. She had also dropped the -kun. "Nothing would change, except that Sakura-chan would get to ask you questions instead of me! Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"It…. it is…" Naruto realized, blinking. He straightened. "Wait," he said, puzzled, "that's all that would change? Then… why the change?"

"... Because I used to like you," said Hinata firmly, taking a deep breath, "in a romantic way. And… I don't anymore. So I think this is… best."

Naruto had been turned around so many times in this conversation he had no idea how to feel. "Oh… okay." He blinked uncertainly. "I… Hinata, you gotta believe me, I genuinely had no idea.

"So… we're all still friends… but I get to be partnered with Sakura-chan?"

Hinata nodded.

"Wow, that's amazing!" he exploded, grinning. "I mean - I'm sorry, and I'm not sorry. You get what I mean? You're cool, and I'm glad I got to know you, but… it's Sakura-chan. It's different with her. So… happy, but not happy."

"I do get what you mean," Hinata admitted, with much feeling. "And… it's better this way," she admitted to herself. "I mean… you and me… can you imagine?" she said softly, her eyes distant.

Naruto tried to picture it. "I think… I've never had anyone like me before, so it could have happened… and I think our entire life would have revolved around my problems," he admitted with remarkable self awareness. "At least Sakura-chan just yells back."

Hinata smiled. "That is… remarkably mature of you, Naruto, thank you," she said warmly and sincerely.

Naruto wouldn't really be out of her life. He would just be a different part of it. And now she had other friends, too.

"So come on," she said, and she led a confused Naruto by the arm…. to meet with Sakura and an equally confused Sasuke on a Konoha street.

"Changing of the guard," said Hinata, smiling. "The way it was meant to be. We'll be starting to spend more time as partners again, too. But we'll all still be friends," she added quickly, just to be sure.

"We're telling Iruka-sensei tomorrow, but he kind of already knew," said Sakura, smiling, her nose wrinkling in amusement. "And! I'm getting a pen pal as well, so hooray for me!" she added proudly.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other across the distance, tension between them… And then Sasuke smirked.

"I don't know if we can hate each other anymore, dobe," he admitted, quietly amused. "I think we finally have something in common - we just got switched out for newer models."

Naruto grinned. "Good luck," he said.

"And to you," said Sasuke warmly, as the two girls smiled and walked across the distance, passing each other and winking.

Hinata took Sasuke's side. Sakura took Naruto's side - with the anonymous pen pal application filled out and firmly clutched in her hand.

Naruto looked longingly over at Sakura. Her face hard and determined, Sakura stared straight ahead and not at Naruto, seeing decisions only she could have come to.

Both Hinata and Sakura were ready to bravely face the new future.

"... You want Gaara to participate in Konoha's pen pal programme?" said Kankurou incredulously, somewhere in the desert Hidden Village of Suna.

Gaara had to admit, his brother had a point this time. "... What would we talk about?" he asked in a tone of fervent confusion, a little furrow between his brows.

They were all standing in a little rustic wood classroom in Suna, a desert storm blowing beyond them outside, Baki - a dark skinned and deep voiced bald man in dust colored ninja flak vest uniform - standing in front of them. All three of the Kazekage's children were before him: Kankurou in his black animalistic outfit and warlike face paint, Temari statuesque and curvy with intricate buns of dusty blonde hair and an elegant, deadly huge fan attached behind her back…

And Gaara, the youngest. Still in his final year of Academy-level private tutoring, not that he needed it. He was tall and slim, with a striking mess of dark red hair, the gold skin tone of most people in Suna, and bright green eyes framed with black, kohl-like markings. "Love" was tattooed ritualistically up and down over one of his eyebrows. He wore deeply red and gold clothes and a woven sash tied his goard of sand to his back. Unlike Sasuke, he was not dark and dour and quiet - in fact, in his own frigid, straight-backed way, it was impossible to tell what Gaara was thinking at all. He fit perfectly into the nobility of his strict and solemn, severe culture and he rarely spoke aloud. Gaara never revealed anything about himself. One of the countless reasons why the idea of his having a pen pal was so puzzling, even for his fellow Suna nobles.

"Konoha is supposed to be our biggest ally. It has to be Academy students," said Baki, "and the Kazekage would find it… wise…" He looked at Gaara meaningfully. "If one of his children would participate anonymously. For appearances and diplomacy's sake."

Gaara paused from his inner skeptical scathing. "... We'll be anonymous?" he said expressionlessly.

"Yes," said Baki quickly, eagerly. "Letter, email, whatever you want. All you have to do is learn ten important things about each other and submit that in written form."

Gaara tried to picture it to himself, what it would be like, talking to someone through letter from hundreds of miles away, someone outside his father's realm of influence, someone who had no idea who and what he was and what he had done. Someone he couldn't even see. Complete anonymity. He found he didn't know, and he also found that he was somehow dissatisfied with… not knowing. What it would be like.

"Fine," he said abruptly, cold as always, "but not for my father. For my own brief curiosity. And I'm using email, not the village birds of prey. It's simpler."

And Gaara left, with three bewildered Suna ninja behind him.

"I feel pity for whoever poor soul gets Gaara for a pen pal," said Kankurou distinctly. Temari scolded him without any real heart right before the door shut and Gaara was down the hallway of the clay adobe round building, down the wood stairs, and out of earshot.

Out the door at the bottom of the staircase, fearlessly into the sandstorm, he slipped away and disappeared into the swirling walls of whitish sand.

Sakura and Hinata did the appearance changes together in Hinata's room.

Hinata had already visited Sakura's room one weekend of pampering, but it was decided that since Sakura's parents were in her own exasperated words "nosy," Hinata's clan's ignorance policy would be more suitable. Besides, Hinata had a better sleepover bedroom anyway.

So they sat in Hinata's bedroom and did their work. Sakura took a kunai knife… and chopped off all her pink hair until it was chin level. She stood there in front of Hinata's mirror, her work finished, pink hair littering the carpet around her.

Her final tie to her crush on Sasuke - severed and gone. Now she had chin-length pink hair and wore a red summer dress with shorts.

Hinata had learned a jutsu just for this very moment. She closed her eyes, sitting on her bed, put her hands in a hand seal, concentrated her chakra power…

And her dark hair grew around her until it slunk, shiny and thick, down past her breasts. She opened her eyes.

Her final tie to her crush on Naruto - severed and gone. Now she had long blue-black hair and wore a reserved sweater and pants set.

"... Do you think we're being overdramatic?" Sakura asked, smiling uneasily.

For once Hinata was the confident one. "Oh, no," she said seriously. "I think this could end up having enormous significance."

The boys met the girls outside the classroom door the next morning in surprise.

"Hey, your hair is… different," said Naruto uncertainly. Sasuke was staring.

"Thank you," said Hinata, smiling, Sakura beaming beside her.

"We decided it was time for a change," said Sakura. "Come on. Let's go tell Iruka-sensei what we've decided."

As the boys followed the girls into the classroom, still bewildered, Naruto muttered to Sasuke, "Damn, girls are weird."

"Well," said Sasuke, who realized he couldn't disagree.

They approached Iruka at his teacher's desk, and Iruka's eyes widened in surprise. Seeing the girls' changed haircuts, the entire classroom went still and dead silent as all staring eyes turned to the front. A soft gasp could be heard from Ino's part of the room. Only Ino knew that Sakura had grown out her hair to attract Sasuke.

Cutting it was a signal she'd given that up and considered other things to be more important.

"Iruka-sensei, Hinata-chan and I would like to switch partners," said Sakura with certainty. "I agree to work with Naruto, while Hinata-chan would like to work with Sasuke. We still have five weeks and this is allowed, yes?"

Everybody heard it - Hinata had gained a suffix and Sasuke had dropped one.

"... It certainly is," said Iruka slowly. "I must admit, I know you were thinking about it, but I didn't know you'd actually go through with it…

"Alright. I approve. Let me write the change down."

"Oh, and Iruka-sensei? I would like to apply for an extra-credit penpal." Sakura held out her application. "I would like to learn from someone in a foreign culture."

Iruka smiled, delighted. "I'm glad people are taking me up on that! Good for you, Sakura. I accept." He took the application from her hand.

As Iruka bent to scribble down the changes in his grade book and on his project sheet, a thunderous, raucous chatter of surprise suddenly erupted all across the classroom. This was all anyone in their class would talk about and wonder about for the rest of the school day, but all four sources of the gossip would know to stoically keep their mouths shut.

Everyone outside their foursome was clearly baffled.

Iruka leaned closer to the four at his desk so he could be heard over the rabble. "It's all set and cleared away," he said. He put his finger slowly down a list on his teacher's desk… "Ah! This one looks good!" he said, pleased. "Sakura. Here's the contact information for your new anonymous penpal. Also an Academy student, obviously. Your age, in fact. He's from Suna and he prefers email."

He held out a slip of paper.

"Fine by me," said Sakura, pleased, taking the slip from Iruka's fingers.

"And now you go to your seats," said Iruka. "Class is about to start."

They all separated and left his desk for their table, some important things irrevocably changed.

Only Naruto now thought - hoped - that he might gain romantic attachment from his partner exchange. He smiled happily, dreamily, over at Sakura as she now sat neutrally beside him at their table, Hinata beside Sasuke. Naruto blissfully ignored the pen pal information currently clutched in Sakura's hand.

Naruto was still pinning his hopes on winning over Sakura. Everyone else? At this point they'd settle happily for simple friendship. And their calm, forward-looking expressions showed it.