A/N: Kinda late chapter. I have a really good excuse! I spend New Years at my home, I threw a party with my friends and.. well, let's just say I'm grounded until summer XD.
AGAIN! I changed this chapter too and deleted some paragraphs.
Chapter eight: Changing
Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata were all sitting at the back of the bus, Sakura and Hinata sitting on two seats and Sasuke with Naruto just in front of them.
Sakura was excited. For the first time in her life, she spent an hour in front of the mirror to get ready—and it turned our pretty well. Of course, it was her mother that made her do it. She didn't really care about her appearance, she only wanted some comfortable clothes and, luckily, the ones she was wearing were just fine. She observed that people were staring at her which made her anxious, but as soon as she met with Hinata and the two boys, she forgot about the glances she received.
Another thing that she observed was that Uchiha was giving her a weird look. It wasn't a glare but something.. Kinder? She couldn't really place it a name.
"Sakura, you look very pretty." Hinata told her for the second time.
"Thanks, Mom made me wear these. I actually feel weird.."
"Why Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. He was turned around, facing the girls.
When Naruto turned around, Uchiha did too.
"I don't know, I'm not used wearing this kind of clothes.."
When she said this, she could clearly see Uchiha changing his expression. Again. He had that face again.
God, what's wrong with him?
She ignored it.
"Hey guys." Someone said.
It wasn't until then that Sakura observed the person next to her disappeared and in her place appeared the class president—Yamanaka Ino.
"Ino-chan, you're sitting here?" Naruto asked enthusiastic.
"Yeah, we totally are!" The person next to the class president said. Sakura recognised him too as he was another classmate—Inuzuka Kiba.
Naruto frowned when he saw the boy. "Oh, he's here too.."
"Yeah, won't this be great? We'll have the best road and a lot of fun!" Kiba said.
He was even louder than Naruto, Sakura stated.
Sakura then observed that Yamanaka Ino was looking at her, more like analysing her.
"Sakura-san.. Is it?" She nodded.
The blonde smiled, she looked stunning. No wonder she was the beauty of the school. Sakura was aware that Yamanaka, Uchiha and Naruto were good friends.
"We never got the chance to talk even though we're in the same class." The blonde said.
Sakura was feeling weird. Yamanaka Ino was trying to start a conversation. She wasn't good at meeting new people and socializing since she never needed friends. It was then that she realized something-she changed. Since she met Uchiha and Uzumaki, not that long ago, she changed a bit. Before she met them, she would feel losses off by anyone who would start a conversation with her, not that somebody besides Hinata ever tried to, but now, she wanted to try to get along with the class president. She seemed like a nice person.
"I guess it's hard being the class president. There's council meetings and.. Such things.."
Oh shit, I'm losing it. Just be natural Sakura, natural.
Ino giggled. "Yeah, you're right." She stopped for a moment and stared at Sakura, she was feeling weird being stared at. Just when she was about to say something, Ino continued. "I hope we'll get along on this trip, Sakura-san."
Sakura nodded and smiled.
"Hey guys, let's play something!"
Sasuke was a smart person, he understood a lot of things, but he was sure that he would never understand Haruno Sakura. Once she's this normal girl that's trying to talk with others, then she ignores everyone and puts on a cold facade. But when it comes to him, she's the most annoying.
She was hiding something and Sasuke knew what. Her life at home must be hard and she doesn't want others to find out so she pushes them away. But even so, she's still a teenager longing for friends and fun. She was the most interesting person he has ever meet and he could never predict what she would do next. She surprised him the most when she told him the truth in the infirmary.
This trip would be fun with her around.
"Hey guys, let's play something!" Naruto said.
"What about truth and dare?" Ino suggested.
"Let's play already." I joined the conversation.
"You go first Ino." Naruto said.
"Ok, Sakura. Truth or dare?"
I could tell by the look on her face that Haruno has never played truth or dare before.
I bet she won't tell us that she never played before.
"Dare." She replied.
Knew it.
"I dare you to tell me where did you buy that top, it's gorgeous."
Sakura blushed a little, surprised by her dare. I was surprised too. I've played truth and dare before and she has always had the wildest dares. She probably decided to go easy on Haruno.
"I think it's from Stradivarius."
"Clothes talk, booooring." Kiba said disgusted. Ino shot him a deadly glare.
"Ok Sakura, you go next." Ino told her smiling.
Haruno looked around, she probably didn't know what to do next. 'Idiot.'
"I chose dare." Sasuke said.
"Oh." She mouthed. On the next moment, an evil grin appeared on her face. He forgot whom he was talking to, damn. "I dare you to call me Sakura-sama for as long as the trip lasts."
"No way in hell." He replied.
"You can't refuse teme!" Naruto jumped.
Sasuke knew too well he couldn't refuse. Actually, h could, but they would have to cut his hand. Thinking about calling Haruno that way, losing an arm didn't sound so bad anymore.
After analysing and deciding there were a lot of things he couldn't do unless he had both hands, he sighed and face-palmed.
"Fine." He accepted. "Damnit." I cursed under my breath.
"Fine what?" Haruno asked.
Damn you, Haruno.
"Fine.. Sakura-sama." He whispered the last part.
Everyone started acting like excited kindergarten kids.
"My turn." Sasuke said. It was then that he observed the Hyuuga girl sitting shyly on her seat without saying a word. "Truth or dare?" He asked her.
She suddenly raised her head. "T-Truth."
He thought about what he should ask her when he spotted something small and green on her pocket. "Is that gum?" I asked.
It was only then that he realized what he had done.
"Do you have gum, Hinata-chan?!" Naruto asked.
"Hi, I'm Kiba, is that gum?" The dog-boy asked looking at her with puppy eyes.
"Hinata, I didn't think you'd hide something like this from me!" Haruno said too.
Hinata looked at everyone panicked. She took the gum and shyly handed the packet to them.
"P-Please, don't hurt me."
Kiba and Naruto started fighting over the gum as Ino and Haruno started laughing at Hinata's reaction.
Sasuke uncounsciously smiled looking at Haruno laughing.
They arrived at Kyoto in the afternoon. They had to separate in groups, which meant Sakura had to separate from Hinata. She, Ino, Naruto and Sasuke had the rest of the day for themselves. They will start the visiting tomorrow.
"Where should we go?" Naruto asked looking on a map.
"Should we go eat something?" Ino suggested.
Just then Sakura's stomach grumbled. She put my hand on it and blushed.
Ino giggled. "I'll take this as a yes."
"Let's go to KFC." Uchiha said. Sakura has never been there before, so she could only agree like Naruto and Ino.
KFC turned out to be a big fast food restaurant. After eating a few crispy, she was convinced that it was the best food she have ever had.
"S-Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Sakura looked at him still chewing on my delicious food. "You should.. Erm.. Be careful. Yeah, be careful."
It was only then that she realized everyone was looking at her and she was the only one eating.
"What do you mean?" She asked after swallowing.
"Erm.."
"You ate a lot, Sakura." Ino said. "I mean.. You ate twenty crispy and ten hot wings. You may feel bad later, fast food isn't really healthy."
"Oh, don't worry! My stomach is made of iron."
After another hour, they left KFC and decided to walk around and visit anything that seems interesting.
"Hey teme, let's go to the arcade!" Naruto said enthusiastic.
"No." Sasuke replied shortly.
"Are you afraid I'll win? Well, I always knew your hair looks like a chicken's butt for a reason."
That was all it took Naruto to make Uchiha almost kill him. "I'll kick your ass."
And so the two of them left to the arcade, leaving Sakura and Ino alone.
The blonde sighed. "Those two will never change."
Sakura suddenly became curious. How long has Ino known Uchiha and Naruto? What bond do they have?
"How long have you known them, Ino?"
She looked at her and smiled.
"Let's go take a sit and talk, shall we?" She asked pointing to the café next to the arcade.
Sakura nodded and followed her. They girls sat at a table outside, from where they could see the boys.
"I know Sasuke and Naruto since we started high school." Ino begun. "It doesn't seem that long, does it?" She asked smiling kindly.
Sakura could only stare at her for the first moment, she was very beautiful.
"Two years and half, I think it's a long time." She replied.
"To be honest, I don't think it's that long. I've been friends with Kiba for ten years now." She giggled. The tea they ordered came. "Thank you."
"Wow, that's a really long time." Sakura said.
She was wondering how. Just how, after all this time, they were still friends? She has always believed that people come and go, nobody will stay with you forever except family. Maybe this is the reason she didn't make friends until she entered high school. She was afraid of being left alone again.
"Even so, in those two years, I, Sasuke and Naruto did so many things together that it seems like ten years have passed." Ino continued. Sakura didn't understand what she meant and she probably read that on her face. "Time is relative. You can live two years without doing anything special, without feeling the fear of risking something nor the joy of knowing you risked and won. But you can do all those things in a month and live more than you did in two years."
It seemed logic. Everything she said made sense. In that moment, she realized that I wasn't living anymore. She didn't risk anything for as long as she could remember, she didn't create bonds fearing they might be cut. She has never suffered, but neither did she feel happiness.
"What are you doing, girls?" Naruto came asking, Uchiha just behind him.
"Hey, who won?" Ino asked.
"Of course me." Uchiha replied all cocky. He then looked at Sakura.
"Let's forget that, it was just a game!" Naruto said defending himself.
"That's what you say every time you lose." Ino said giggling. "Anyway, it's already past seven. Should we head to the hot springs?"
"Yeah, I think we should." The pink-haired girl replied remembering they had to be there by half past seven.
After the students took a bath—the best bath Sakura have ever taken—they headed to the rooms.
Every group had a room reserved, which seemed absolutely weird. The boys and girls will sleep in the same room?
It was only when they entered in our room that Sakura saw the room was split in two parts by a small, paper-made wall. There were two futon on the left side and three on the other.
"Wait, why are there five futon?" Sakura asked.
All of them looked at each other. It wasn't until the door opened behind them and revealed a well-known person that they finally understood.
"Come on students,let's go to sleep." Jirayia-sensei said.
There were only four teachers on this trip and about fifteen groups, why did they have to sleep with a teacher?
Jirayia-sensei looked behind him on the hallways and then closed the door behind him.
"Ok guys, let's start the party!" He said.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"I only acted like a teacher because that old hag was checking on us." He said probably referring to Tsunade, the headmistress. "She told me to keep an eye on those two." He said pointing to Uchiha and Naruto. "But anyway, I got vodka so who wants to play The counting game?"
"Me, me!" Naruto said.
"Is it legal?" Sakura asked looking at the one litre bottle of vodka.
"Let me explain the rules." Jirayia-sensei said coughing. "We sit in a circle. Someone starts with one. Each person says a number but you can't say seven, his multiples or number that contain seven. If someone says any of the forbidden numbers, they drink." He said proudly rising the bottle of vodka. "Oh, instead of the forbidden numbers we'll say 'whiz'."
Sakura didn't really understand but it seemed easy. She just had to concentrate and she won't have to drink. She won't refuse a challenge.
"I'm in." She said.
"Me too." Ino joined.
"Teme plays too." Naruto said and Uchiha nodded.
"Alright, let's sit." Jirayia-sensei said.
They sat in a circle. It was Sakura, Ino, Jirayia-sensei, Naruto and Sasuke.
"1." Jirayia-sensei started.
"2." Naruto continued.
"3." Sasuke said too.
"4." Sakura said. It will be easy.
"5."
"6."
"Se-whiz!" Naruto said. Jirayia-sensei handed him the bottle. "Shit." Naruto cursed opening the bottle. He took a sip and only by the look on his face Sakura could tell that she didn't want to taste that thing.
"Ok, we'll start over. Naruto starts. Let's make it faster. By the way, if one person says whiz, we'll change the rotation."
Damn, it's gonna be harder.
"1." Naruto said.
"2." Sasuke continued.
"3."
"4."
"5."
"6."
"Whiz." Sasuke quickly said.
The rotation changed and Naruto fast continued. "8!"
"9."
"10."
"11." Sakura quickly said. Everyone was really fast.
"12."
"13."
"Whiz." Jirayia-sensei said smirking.
"15." Naruto continued.
"16."
"Seventee-whiz! Wait, I meant whiz." Sakura said quickly.
"We have no mercy, Haruno." Jirayia-sensei said.
She gulped as Naruto passed her the bottle. She smelled—it didn't smell that bad.
Ok, it's just a sip.
Sakura raised the bottle and took a small sip. At first she didn't taste anything but after she swallowed, her mouth and throat started burning. She coughed thinking she will throw up, but she didn't.
"Sakura, are you alright?" Ino asked.
"Y-Yeah." She replied.
No way I will back down.
"Are you sure?" Uchiha asked surprising me.
The girl nodded. "1." Sakura started counting.
The game was harder than I thought. It will be an interesting night.
