Chapter 3

Why again?

Looking around what it was that she saw was her one very simpleminded friend. Sakura wasn't even remotely like her at this point. What was it that she had been aiming for to find in her friend? It wasn't anything pretty as much she could think back onto it. Or something likes that… Thoughts like that had for some time taken up some space there in her mind. Still looking at her friend she saw all those things that she no longer wished for to see. It had started to gnaw at her after a whole year that what it was that she found in Sakura was something that was equal to friendship. It had started to change her views to the point where she was actually starting to almost step in to do something about it. That puppy-love kind of friendship was something that wasn't supposed to make things… more difficult.

Still she was here for the first time to act on those thoughts in her head. She hadn't really thought it through. What was it that she would be able to teach her very young friend? Would she actually be able to teach another academy student what it was that she was doing for all those years? "What is that you expect from this minor sparring with me Sakura?" Smiling almost amiably at her friend Ino was making sure that Sakura's full attention was directed at her.

"You told me that you would help me get Sasuke's attention this way! Don't tell me that you changed your mind about him…" Sakura's little trembling lower lip made her look all the more her age. Perhaps that was what it was that she was aiming for? It wasn't for nothing that she was the smartest girl in her age group. It was just that she hadn't employed it in that direction and with that kind of power that was needed to make a difference.

"I think that you will learn all that you wish to leave and nothing more unless you trust me with this." Ino's face was the same smiling one yet still there wasn't anything there that spoke of what it was that went on in her mind.

That was enough to make Sakura worry a bit. She had faith in her friend. She even knew for sure that there was nothing of the kind of thinking that would make her a rival at all. She knew that there were plenty of things in her friend that was there to make her a formidable rival. She had seen the way that she had about herself the ease with which she spoke back to the instructors of the academy, the way that she only got the exact grades that she told Sakura of in advance. It was a scary thing. And then she would disappear from anyone's radar. There was only this weirdo browboy that she saw some times to pick her up. There were no smiles shared between the two of them. And also there was the attention that she got from the… Naruto wasn't really something that she wanted to think too much about. "I want to find out exactly how much and how far I can trust you. Only what it is that I don't know about, what it is that you should let me know that I should trust you about. And whatever else there is there that I never would have found out otherwise?" There was a great deal of change in her posture and something else. But her face was very different. "I have always trusted you Ino…"

It actually hurt Ino to not change her facial expression at all. "I can see how Lee never stops talking about you." Turning around she motioned for Sakura to follow.

Lee was there in the glade. It wasn't the same Lee that she was used to however. Brows were all the more glued to his forehead and those weirdo eyes held a sort of intensity was something that she was almost to fear. But more importantly to respect… Ino was all the same though. There was some sort of something that came out from the interaction between the two of them. She had seen Lee before yet it had always been at a sort of distance and there was always some sort of youthfulness about him. She saw only scary seriousness here. How she knew of him was also only through knowing Ino. "Hello. I am Haruno, Sakura." Reaching out a hand she saw only a slight oh so slight raising of those amplified eyebrows. But that was all that she saw. She didn't register the slight go ahead nod from Ino for Lee to loosen up yet there was very little of it there. Somehow he wouldn't loosen up in front of Ino.

"Welcome Haruno-san. I am Rock Lee. I will be your trainer." Shaking her hand lightly it was something beyond what it was that she would be able to stomach there.

She had trusted Ino to be there and support her. Instead when glancing at Ino she saw a sort of intensity directed at her. Even as she saw Ino sitting down on a stump of something she looked intent on having merely to be there and not to be there for her in the way that she had wanted. Yet there was something that she was forcing from her. 'What it is that you want from me Ino??' Gulping down a virtual something she loosened the hold on her new trainers hand before looking down at her feet after stepping back a step and only glancing at Lee through her long locks of pink hair. "What are we going to do?" It was directed at Lee yet what it was… What it was, was something weak.

Ino was happy to a degree for what it was that she saw here. There was no doubt about Sakura being there. Looking at her she could feel something akin to pride already. Looking slowly at Sakura's slowly raising head she saw what she wanted to see…

And that is the transition that was Sakura into what she is to become.

Worshipping the names that were the standard of the Academy wasn't something that worried Ino that much. Looking at the students milling about after being called forth for the final exam of the Academy graduation procedure she saw Naruto focusing with a sort of intensity that she rarely saw. He was contained and he was keeping things in making sure that whatever it was that inside of him would feel it. 'A block of ice under the weight of the skies above even the heads of kings and gods alike!' A little prayer was what it was. A confident little prayer.

Even though she had already passed the exam she was waiting inside the compound for Naruto to exit and for him to appear the way that he would should there not be the kind of an event that she knew there would be. When he came out from the same door that led back to the class room Naruto's head was hung low. "Hi. I waited for you."

It was something of a stunning change that she saw in him there. Just as her words reached his ears… It was a slow change yet not so slow as to make for boredom. It was attractive even. Whatever it was that had shaped Naruto into what it was that he and no one else would ever be able to Looking at him she somehow reached out in a welcoming gesture seemingly something of an embrace. Thoughts that were in her head were there making things happen in her head and in the rest of her body. She wasn't surprised in the least when Naruto's soft yet hard physique melted against her frame a soft sob heard through his body against hers. Even now Naruto was heavier than her and his weight forced her onto her knee's her own knowledge of her own strength failing her as she clamored onto his frame as he shuddered tears forcing their way through eyes closed shut.

It would a full five minutes of wracking sob before his tears would stop. Ino could only draw her fingers within his blond locks of unruly fiery hair for the duration as she felt his body heat as he held her so close as to achieve some form of release from the pain that he felt. He could feel nothing other than a certain need for her to be there as someone. Just someone that was there for him…

Mizuki was spotted seeing Naruto there hugging onto another girl of a similar age. He even recognized her to be Ino Yamanaka related to Inoichi Yamanaka. It luckily enough didn't matter for him that there would be some more time to await the commensal of his plans. He had seen a greater amount of skill in the blonde demon as he was known to him during the examination yet he had known that no matter how much pride that Iruka felt in his favourite student that there was nothing there that would pass anything that was unable to do a bunshin. He was forever in for the bunshins. Naruto was still nearly there. He had been way closer than he would have thought. There was a sense of confidence that was there in the demon that he had rather have not seen. Yet the way that he had melted against that single friend of his it made him sure that there was something that would be enough for his little scheme to happen. All that he had to do was to make sure that once Naruto was off from the other girl that he would take to revealing his little plan in a sense to Naruto. 'The little demon is still right there where I want him…' He awaited Naruto outside the door leading outside to the schoolyard. He would meet Naruto there in some time.

Once Naruto's wails had all but died out Ino pulled his face to hers making their noses almost touch. Looking into his wide eyes her own eyes were teary. Not the same way as Naruto's yet they held a degree of emotion that she wouldn't be able to hold back once Naruto left. 'Damn this youth of mine…' All curses were stifled though as she angled his head as to kiss his temple softly gently even.

Putting one hand under his chin she lifted it so that she could kiss at the tip of his nose. Not moving back more than one centimeter she breathed hotly onto his face her eyes half lidded. "I believe in you Naruto. More than anyone else in the village even I believe." Opening her eyes wide she even smiled as she let go of his chin and sat back on her haunches letting a very small distance between the two of them grow forth. "You are too good for this to stop your dreams Naruto-san. I promise you." It was with that she left quickly turning around on her haunches standing up straight and running off. "Never give up, Naruto." It was the last words that she muttered so slow as to almost disappear under the effect of emotions of a kind that she wouldn't be able to feel at ease with at all. There were too many things that were wrong about every thing that was all of a sudden completely right.

((This is the end of the sequences of events that are taking place before the arrival of the moment when the teams are revealed and their Jounins are assigned. Also I will tell you now that there aren't going to be any changes to the way that things have happened so far. All will happen here in the way that you are all familiar with. There will be only the slightest change in kissing events. Also there might be some additional changes to the way that Sakura and Naruto will interact. All that I know that there are only a precious few that are actually following this story since the title is so clever! Oh and also for those of you that are so inclined… If you wish for pairings then I will oblige. Perhaps even up the rating of the fic if that is what you are wishing for. I have more experience with that sort of material than I am willing to tell of. ))