Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Okay, here's the tenth chapter to "Play My Song". I know wow! We've hit double digits in this fic! It's like amazing!

I hope you enjoy!

Play My Song
Chapter Ten: Flash!

Haruno Sakura was confused.

Deeply, truly, undeniably confused.

Ino, her best friend since childhood, liked Naruto?!

Naruto, who used to (or still has) have a crush on, Sakura herself!

The pink haired girl was beginning to feel the markings of a strong migraine.

As she walked toward her dorm after the school day had ended, Sakura knit her brows together in thought at the rather puzzling situation she was currently being forced into. Running a hand through her cherry colored locks, she gave a long, heavy sigh as she fiddled with the key into the door to her room. She was still trying to process everything when Hinata met her at the door, ivory eyes widened with some kind of worry/excitement.

"Sakura!" She called out her friend's name as she clasped the pink haired girl's arm.

Sakura was slightly taken aback. She had never recalled a time when Hinata was so forward with her, "Yeah, what is it?"

"Ino likes Naruto!"

She blinked.

"Huh...?"

"I-Ino..." Hinata said, this time with a little less force, "...likes Naruto."

"I know that...but how do you know?"

"Ino told me..."

"Baka pig." Sakura said. If she kept telling everyone about her new found, out of the blue, crush on the Uzumaki boy, it was sure to get around to him sooner or later. Most likely sooner, knowing the majority of students at Konoha High. And she wasn't sure that Naruto felt the same way about her. So...she knew it wouldn't be good if the loudmouthed blonde found out before Ino was ready for him to know.

It was quiet for a while, with Sakura's thoughts occupying her mind, until the emerald eyed girl found something to address in her roommate's odd behavior, "Why are you acting so worried, Hinata? You're over Naruto, because you like - "

Hinata interrupted her, which was strange for her to do, "Yes, I know..."

"Then why the manic look?"

"I dunno...it's just odd to me Sakura."

"Because it's the guy you used to like for so long?"

"N-No...because, if anything, I'd imagine you and Naruto being together..."

Sakura's eyes widened and her mouth nearly dropped open, "ME?! With Naruto?!"

Hinata closed her eyes in a kindly smile, "Well...he does seem to be really fond of you, Sakura. And you two get along really well. I've also noticed that the fighting between you two is more...friendlier than it was when we were just kids..."

The Haruno girl sighed, closing her eyes as she felt the pang of the headache reimerge, but then opened them once again, the emerald pools meeting the ones of ivory that looked so much like Neji's, "Because we are friends. Just that. I mean, he is a kind, sweet guy, but...I only see him as a brother, actually. Like a relative. He's very close to me like that and I wouldn't do anything to mess it up."

Hinata nodded understandingly and gave Sakura another one of those smiles that could melt anyone's heart. Specifically someone in particular... Sakura found herself thinking somewhat bitterly.

"Hina - " Sakura was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"I'll get it!" Hinata called out to no one in particular, before racing to get the phone.

Just a second later, as Sakura was putting up her things on her rather untidy side of the room (dirty in comparison to Hinata's and Tenten's sides of the room), she heard Hinata's kind voice say, "Oh, hello, Temari!" in a bright tone.

After conversing a few minutes with the feisty blonde, Hinata turned to Sakura, pale hand over the bottom mouthpiece of the phone and asked, "Temari and Ino want to come over for a sleepover tonight...is it okay with you?"

"Sure...I don't care." Sakura then realized that their new brunette roommate wasn't in the room with them, "Hm, do you think Tenten would mind?"

Hinata asked this over the phone to Temari. Once she received an answer, she relayed it to the carnation haired girl, "Temari says that Tenten was actually the one who suggested it in the first place."

Sakura shrugged, "It's fine with me then."

The navy haired Hyuuga then closed the conversation with a few more comments and sweet words and hung up. "They said they'll be here before curfew. They've already okay-ed it with Kurenai-sensei."

"Alright..."

"Are you alright, Sakura?"

Suddenly, Sakura realized she had allowed a sad look to overcome her features and quickly replaced it with a smile, "Oh, yes! I'm perfectly fine."

If you say so... Hinata thought, twirling a piece of short navy locks around her fingertips.

Hinata was right. Sakura wasn't okay, for a million different images began flashing through her mind's eye as soon as the words "sleevover" were mouthed.

It brought on a memory from a while back...a memory that only Sakura would remember.

It was about a year ago. At the time, the foursome of girls had one of their popular sleepovers. It was fun, which they always had fun together, but this was one of the occasions where they could talk about whatever they wanted to and do whatever they wanted - play video games, watch movies, etc.

But, Sakura knew Hinata was extremely uncomfortable, despite the fun atmosphere that was previously there.

"Oh, come on, Hinata!" Ino complained, looking her in the eye, icy blue meeting calm white. "You gotta like someone!"

Temari looked from Ino to Hinata, "Seriously, Hinata. There has to be someone who you've thought of as cute or that you might like as more than a friend

Hinata shook her head slowly, "I've never really thought about it..."

Ino groaned, "Hi-na-ta!"

Temari sighed, "It's alright, if you don't wanna tell, you don't gotta tell."

Ino, with an air of hurt, looked at her blonde friend, "But - Tema! We told her who we liked."

The spiky haired girl sighed, looking to the softer girl with a kind gaze, "But, we're kinda forcing it out of her...and that's not good..."

Closing her eyes, feeling a sense of defeat and disappointment at not getting her gossip, Ino gave up the chase to find out who Hinata secretly liked. "Dammit..."

Sakura just looked at the three other girls in the room. They had all tired from playing video games, doing each others hair (Ino was the only one who wanted to do that particular thing), and all that other stuff, and had retired to their sleeping bags that were laid out on the floor in a semicircle around the television. She was currently sandwiched between Ino and Hinata, and Temari was on the other side of Ino.

It was only about an hour before the two blondes dozed off, after watching only the beginning of some horror movie, leaving Sakura awake to stare blankly at the movie screen, thinking that the navy haired girl was asleep on the other side of her, until she heard her timid voice speak up.

"Um, S-Sakura?"

The pink haired girl turned her head to meet emerald with pearl. "Hm?"

"I trust you...can I tell you something?"

"Of course, Hinata."

Sakura watched as her navy haired friend gulped slightly, as if gathering her nerve to say whatever it was to her.

"I just had to tell someone..."

The Haruno woman gave her an inviting smile, pearly teeth gleaming, "Of course."

Hinata smiled back, "Sakura, there's someone..." She trailed off, staring at some lint on the floor before meeting her eyes with a shaky smile. "...someone I like...that I didn't feel comfortable telling Ino and Temari."

This immediately piqued Sakura's interest and she leaned closer, giving her a reassuring smile, "You can trust me, Hinata. I swear I won't tell."

With a nod of her head and a blush gracing her cheeks, Hinata gave a light chuckle, "Well, I really like him and I know someone else who does too and it might endanger our friendship if I were to tell Ino - "

Sakura's eyes widened marginally. Ino - Ino liked -

"It looks like you've beat me to the chase, Sakura..." Hinata stated with a small smirk, "...the one I like..."

The pink haired girl felt her heart skip with anticipation and a sense of hurt.

"...is Sasuke."

Sakura never revealed to Hinata that she was also crushing on the brooding Uchiha. It would just complicate things, was what Sakura always told herself. It would complicate hers and Hinata's friendship and also put a competitive streak between the two, which had happened with her and Ino before. She hated the feeling, and didn't want it to happen again.

So she wouldn't tell Hinata.

She pretended not to notice the way he looked at her and smiled with a strange kindness that only being around the girl could bring out. Her attempts at ignoring his and Hinata's time together were only half successful, because no matter what she tried, her mind and thoughts always drifted back to him, her heart would always hurt, and her brain would always rack her head with questions.

She managed to keep a cheerful front on most of the time.

Innocence was always bliss, even if it was forced naivete.

Forcing a sigh, Sakura turned her head to the door and the obtrusive noise that now penetrated the air.

"Hello, everyone!" Ino shouted with a loud enthusiasm, throwing a suitcase overflowing with various items onto the floor in between the beds and the television. "Let's get this part started!"

Temari entered soon after, carrying bunches of chips, dip, drinks, candy, and all sorts of junk food, "Hey, people." She greeted casually.

Sakura greeted both of the rambunctious blondes with a grin and said, "Hey, where's Tenten?"

"Oh," Ino began, "She said she'd be here in a few. She was just going over some things with Neji about the song they chose for Anko-sensei's class. Glad we already went over ours in class, ne? All those two pros did was play catch up the whole hour."

Sakura gave her a wry glance, "Were you prying in on their conversation, Ino?"

The blonde looked to the left in a shifty, knowingly guilty way, "Um...no."

"Ah, liar." Temari smirked as she laid out all the food items on the floor in front of the other random stuff Ino had thrown carelessly onto the floor. "You looked like one of those private investigators on those cheating couples shows."

Ino gave her a defiant look, "Just because I was taking notes on their conversation doesn't mean I am a - "

"Wow, that is kinda creepy, Ino." Hinata spoke up with a light smile on her features, trying to keep back a chuckle.

"H-Hinata! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"But I thought Temari was on your side..."

"No! Not anymore! She betrayed me!" Ino pointed to the other blonde in the room, "Judas!"

Temari scoffed, "I doubt that has anything to do with this."

"You're both traitors."

Sakura interrupted this joyful ploy on words with a smile and a clap of hands, "Okay, anyway! Let's watch some movies!"

"But," Hinata interjected, looking at Sakura with kind eyes, "Tenten isn't hear yet."

"She'll probably be with Neji for another half hour," Temari suggested, laying out all the snack food in front of the sleeping bags that Sakura had just put into place, "We can start a movie until then, I guess..."

"Or we can talk!" Ino chimed in, holding out her index finger as if to prove a point.

"Oh, yes," Sakura said, almost rolling her eyes in a playful way, "I'm sure Ino would just love to talk about her new found romantic interest, although she was stalking Neko."

"I was not stalking him!"

"Sure you weren't, and my name is Harada Riku." Sakura said crassly, arms folded as she plopped onto a sleeping bag.

"Nice to meet you, Harada Riku."

"Shut it, Yamanaka."

"Sakura," Sakura turned around at the sound of Hinata's voice, "Why do you call Neji Neko?"

With a rough laugh, Sakura turned around, connecting eyes with the shorter girl.

This is gonna be a long story.

Tenten sighed, looking at her brunette partner with a smile, "So I guess it's finally done, ne?"

Neji nodded expertly as his ivory orbs went over the lyrics that he and Tenten had so carefully translated from English to Japanese. Both had a talent for doing so, being the recording artists that they were. "This'll definitely get us an A."

The bun haired girl smiled, sighing once more before pressing her cheek against Neji's shoulder. The brunette Hyuuga stiffened slightly, somehow not wanting that kind of contact from her at the moment, before getting up from his seat and brushing his clothes off. Tenten looked dumbfounded at him, wondering what was wrong with him. He never used to be like that when she did those little gestures...but why now?

"Are you feeling okay, Neji? You look a bit pale."

Neji turned and plastered a smile on his lips, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. No need to worry." He gave a carefree laugh to illustrate his point.

"Well, I do worry about you. You haven't seemed yourself since you've came to this school."

"Hm?" Neji quirked an eyebrow. This topic certainly piqued his interest. "I don't know what you mean, Tenten."

"You just seem distant from me," Tenten forced a laugh, "And I guess I'm not used to it, ya know?"

Neji's gaze went from one of curiosity to one of warm understanding as he kneeled in front of Tenten with a soft smile, "I'm not meaning it if I am...this school is just going to need some getting used to."

Tenten nodded and got up, breaking her gaze with Neji. "Can I ask something?"

The Hyuuga chuckled, "You just did...but I'm sure you can ask something else."

There was no smile on the brunette girl's lips as she looked up, meeting Neji's pearly gaze once more, "What...what is your relationship with Sakura?"

Neji felt his heart skip - out of nervousness at her question or due to the fact that it was so sudden, he didn't know which - and gulped.

Tenten probably sensed his state of unknowing, so she quickly said, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Are you scared to find out? A voice in her subconscious cried out.

Are you?

"There is nothing between me and her...okay?"

Tenten's eyes lost their shine and she sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day, "Alright."

Neji grasped her shoulder loosely, "I promise."

The brunette girl nodded, accepting that answer with some difficulty, because it sure didn't seem like they were "nothing" as Neji put it.

"Alright, well, I better be headed to my dorm, Neji. I'll see you tomorrow!" Tenten said, opening the door and looking back at him with a bright smile, realistic to Neji although it was forced. "We're sure to get a good grade!"

Neji raised his hand to wave, "See ya, Tenten."

The door shut behind her.

As Tenten walked to her dorm, she suddenly regretted inviting everyone over for a party. She really just wanted to be alone with her thoughts at this moment in time, but maybe being around such cheery people as Ino, Hinata, Temari, and Sakura would help her a bit.

She remembered Neji's words.

"There is nothing between me and her...okay?"

She groaned as she turned the corner.

No matter what he said, Tenten couldn't shake the feeling that he was lying.

End Chapter Ten.

It's been long enough, ne? I'm so glad I finally got this chapter finished! I really needed to go into overdrive there for a minute! Haha.

Anyway, the story wasn't as goofy and silly as previous chapters, simply because I actually needed this one to have a serious mood and explain some things I had teased about in previous chapters.

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed it! Please review with your thoughts and comments on it!

Arigato!