Okay, this one's a bit longer than my previous chapters, but probably not as intense! I think you may be pleased with some semi-cute scenes, however. Thank you to h00djr for the reviews! And I know, I suck so much for not combining chapters 8&9! I don't know why I wanted to split them so badly, but I just feel like I had to. I think it's because I'm really mean xD And also, it's funny when people are like 'zomg! i needa knowww what happennsszzz!!" -ahem-

Title Credit- The Beatle's "Help"

Enjoy~

Kari didn't really care too much about being late. As some may guess, she's not the biggest school-conscious person out there. The only thing she cared about was keeping her grades moderately good so that she could play tennis and soccer.

As she put her attention back to fixing herself in the mirror, there was a knock at the door.

Kari opened her mouth as to say, "Come in," or "Be right out," but then quickly shut it. She had to do a double take on the situation.

Who would be knocking at a public girl's bathroom? Seriously, out of all things to do, what girl would knock on the door?

Kari laughed a bit and heard the knock again. It was followed by a voice this time. "Kari, if you're not in there, then I'm gonna feel like the biggest baka," the male voice muttered.

"Shikamaru?" Kari called. Her glazed eyes were wide and her nerves started going haywire. Shikamaru cracked the door opened just enough to see Kari.

"Kari," he couldn't bring himself to say anything else. After grabbing her makeup off the sink and shoving it into her bag, Kari walked over to the door and slipped outside it.

Shikamaru seemed disappointed that Kari was done crying. He risked getting in trouble for being late, plus roaming around the halls without a pass, (and let alone, he even opened the door to the girls bathroom) just to comfort her.

"Listen," They both began. The two looked at eachother, blushed, and laughed.

Kari awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Let's just both say; Apology accepted?" she suggested with a nervous smile.

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah. That sounds good. It looks like we both messed up, ne?" He smirked down at her, and she nodded with a smile.

"Are things with you and Lizzi gonna be okay?" Shikamaru asked.

Kari rolled her eyes. "Obviously, but we still need to talk. I guess we just don't understand eachother all that well right now," she let out a defeated sigh.

Shikamaru nudged her. "Don't worry about it."

"Nara Shikamaru! Akasuna Kari!" someone hollered down the hallway. The teenagers quickly looked up to see none other than their principal.

The fiery, blonde-headed, and busy woman; Tsunade—or, to Naruto, Tsunade-baachan—was standing right down the hall from them. Her eyes were locked onto them like targets. Kari turned to Shikamaru, who had turned to her. They both weren't too sure of what to do, so Kari thought of something quickly.

"Oh, Tsunade-sama! We were just heading to class," she smiled and bowed, "Just a little late, I know. Gomen nasai."

Shikamaru copied Kari's actions. "Hai, we're on our way to class now."

Tsunade furrowed her brow, "Well, you better get there quicker. Now!"

"Hai! Tsunade-sama!" they spoke in unison and began to speed walk randomly down the hallway.

When they were halfway to Kari's homeroom, Shikamaru stopped in his steps.

"Eh?" Kari tilted her head in confusion at Shikamaru.

"My class is in the other direction," he mumbled, "Troublesome…"

Kari giggled, "Well, you better hurry then! Bai-bai, Shikamaru-sama! See you next period!" She waved brightly and ran into her classroom. Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I didn't even get to ask her out…" he thought aloud.

Kari walked into her homeroom and scanned over the room. Lizzi, nor Naruto, were in class, which was strange, because they were both in school earlier. Of course, Kari knew this very well.

"Ah, Akasuna-kun, you decided to show up to class," Kakashi said to Kari.

"Oh yeah!" Kari had almost forgotten that she was late, "Gomen nasai."

Kakashi shrugged and gestured for Kari to take a seat. "I won't mark you tardy this time, but just don't let it happen again," he said indifferently.

Kari took a seat next to Sakura, seeing how she obviously wasn't going to sit next to Sasuke, and it would be weird to sit next to any random person that she didn't know. As she sat down, Sakura quickly turned to her and smiled. There was about five minutes left in homeroom, so whatever gossip Sakura wanted to talk about, she would have to talk fast.

Sakura spat out the first thing on her mind. "What the hell were you and Kozuki arguing about earlier?"

"Well," Kari began reluctantly, "It's kind of a long story." She glanced up at the clock and thought about how she didn't want to tell everything to one of the biggest gossips in the school.

"Just tell me in short then!" Sakura suggested. It could noticeably be seen that she was too anxious for some good gossip. Perhaps the school has been dry the past couple of days?

Kari sighed and chose what she was going to say carefully. "You know how Shikamaru and I kissed at the Sakura Festival, right?" Sakura nodded. Kari lowered her voice, "Well, Sasuke had kind of 'forced himself' on me yesterday at the park."

Sakura gasped and looked over at Sasuke across the room, "No!" Kari nodded.

"Yup. And Shikamaru saw it, and then he left and Naruto got into a fight with Sasuke and then I ran after Shikamaru and he wouldn't listen to me and I guess Lizzi took his side," Kari finished quickly.

"Really?" Sakura couldn't believe that her beloved Sasuke would do something like that, "I don't believe it! Did you, you know, give in at all?"

Kari bit her lip. "A little," she admitted, "But I've always had an attraction to him... I don't like him, though!" Kari added the last part as she saw Sakura's facial expression change.

Sakura smiled, "Oh, well, I'm sure you and Lizzi will make up! You guys are best friends, ne?" Sakura was hopeful.

"Yeah," Kari agreed.

Sakura looked from Gaara and back to Kari. She lowered her voice and began talking again, "Now, tell me about what you said to Lizzi. Didn't you say that she ditched you to…" Sakura was cut off by the bell. Kari couldn't have been more relieved.

Kari acted like she didn't hear Sakura as she quickly walked out of homeroom and to her next class. Geometry was awaiting her, after all, with all its "youth" and such.

"-And with the powerful instincts of youth, you will all be able to figure out the measurements of these angles!" Maito Gai lectured the class.

"Gai-sensei, you're so right!" Kari exclaimed after his speech with tears in her eyes. Gai looked at her with suspense. She grabbed her paper and held it up in the air. "The measurements are 30, 60, and 90 degrees!"

Gai clapped his hands and praised his pupil. "Akasuna-kun, your youth has prevailed!"

The class was filled with yawning kids who were already annoyed with their math teacher's curious ways. Kari, however, was now in a better mood since things with Shikamaru cleared up, so she decided to make the best out of her sensei's shenanigans.

"Kari, can't you calm down? You're embarrassing yourself…" Shikamaru whispered to her, "I even feel a little embarrassed for you." Kari merely stuck her tongue out at him and sat back down. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and resisted his head on his desk.

"Shikamaru-sama! Don't sleep in Gai-sensei's exciting and youthful class!" Kari shook Shikamaru's shoulders. He let out an annoyed sigh and glanced over at her to see Kari wearing a mildly stupid grin. Even though Shikamaru wasn't going to admit it, her crazy antics really did amuse him.

Sasuke, however, was glaring at the pair from a few seats away. He continued to send either one of them death glares throughout the entire day. Yesterday at the park, Sasuke was so sure that he had won Kari over. Who could resist one of the "oh-so-attractive" Uchiha boys? Who wouldn't pick him? Especially when being compared to the lazy and boring Nara Shikamaru! Sasuke just couldn't understand Kari's actions at all, and it just made him want her more.

I suppose you are all disappointed that Lizzi and Naruto's whereabouts have still not been said. Well, it's stuff like this that drags out a drama, ne? We'll find out the conclusion to that mystery in a couple chapters^^ And I suppose you all are still confused on where Yumi went! And what about Sasori? Is he going to find out about that kiss anytime soon? All very good questions, and the plot will be unravelled in chapters soon to come... In like, a couple weeks? xD I'm such a b*tch!