Section 27: Jealousy Rules

Sakura and Naruto walk down the long dirt road with each other, and both seemed reasonably cheery. They were heading to the center of town for the Genin meeting address from the Hokage, Tsunade.

Sakura, blushing, glanced over to the unaware Naruto as they headed down the long dirt road. "It feels weird having a kare... especially since it's a boy like Naruto... I should probably tell everyone soon... because I know he won't... Plus, I'd want to see the looks on their faces when I tell them that I love Naruto anyways! Their jaws will hit the floor!"

"Sakura-chan...?" Naruto was looking over at her with a stupefied expression, "..are you ok? You're all red!"

Sakura smiled back, "What an idiot... he thinks I'm sick and doesn't understand I'm blushing... No I'm fine! Thanks Naruto..." The two continued down the road until they reached a wall of people, all crowding around in the center of the village.

"Awww, damn it! We can't see anything!" He crossed his arms in disappointment, "This sucks!"

"Idiotttttt!" Naruto turns back to Shikamaru, who is running up to him frantically with a distressed look. When he reached Naruto, he grabbed him by his outfit in desperation, "Look... you got to hide me! This crazy blonde guy is after me! If you see him... tell him you didn't see me!"

"...Ah-reh?" Naruto watched him pass by, and jump into the shadows of a side entrance. Then he heard and saw in the far distance, Inoshi running up screaming still.

When Inoshi reached Sakura and Naruto, he halted and leaned forward, huffing and puffing for air. "Where's that boy!? That Shikamaru!?"

"Oh, hi Ino's dad! Eh, he's right in there..." he said pointing exactly when Shikamaru was.

Sakura flew forward, "Naruto!"

Shikamaru flew out of the shadows, "You idiot!!" Inoshi shot his head towards Shikamaru, drawing him to jump back in fear. "Look... look Mr. Yamanaka... nothing happened, and this is..." He chuckles nervously, "...this is all just a big misunderstanding, right?"

Darkness fell over Inoshi's figure, and his eyes lit up in fury, "Do you take me for a fool?!" He slowly started stepping forward with his hands held out, ready to strangle someone.

Naruto looked at the two in confusion, "Huh? What's going on?!"

Sakura bashed Naruto over the head, "Idiot! Why'd you have to tell Inoshi where he was?!"

"I didn't know...!" Naruto retaliated, waving his fist around.

Shikamaru curled up in petrifaction after being cornered into the shadowy nook. "Crap! He's going to give me the beating of my life!"

Ino then came out of no where and jumped in front of Shikamaru, covering him up, "Don't dad! ... Leave him alone... It was my fault that I was like that."

"You mean you SHOWED him your half naked body?!" Inoshi shouted, pulling back in shock.

Sakura and Naruto shoot up screaming, "EHH?!?! Half-naked body?!?!"

"Dad... me and Shikamaru are together... I'm sorry... I just thought it'd be ok..."

Naruto looks out of the corner of his at Sakura with a disenchanted look, "...You never show me your half-naked body..."

Sakura bashes him over his skull in rage, "Idiot! Don't push your luck!"

Inoshi sighed despondently, "Ino... I should be sorry; I'm just being overprotective of you." Points suddenly towards Shikamaru, "...but if you hurt my baby... I'll break you in two!" Inoshi started to walk off without saying anything else, "I'll see you at home, Ino."

Both Shikamaru and Ino sigh in relaxation, and slump into each others embrace.

Naruto runs in front of them, "I can't believe you two are together now! What the hell is that!"

Shikamaru smugly nudges his chin up at Naruto, "Humph... you're just jealous because you don't have anyone..." Naruto looks back at the two, and looks down to the ground shamefully.

Sakura looks over to him, and smirks in a concerned fashion, "I knew he wouldn't say anything... That's not true!" She walked up next to Naruto, and affectionately leaned up against him, with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Me and Naruto are together now too!"

Shikamaru and Ino both lashed out at once, "EHH?!?! Are you serious?!"

Shikamaru put his hand to Sakura's forehead, "Are you feeling alright?!" He points to Naruto in disbelief, "Him?! The idiot?!"

Naruto gunned forward holding his fist out to Shikamaru, "What do you mean idiot?!"

Sakura stayed back, giggling at Naruto's reaction, "He's my idiot now!" She walked over slowly next to him, and kissed him on his cheek. Naruto grinned ostentatiously towards Shikamaru, in response.

Shikamaru turned pale in disbelief, "...Naruto... has a cuter girl than I do..."

Ino grabbed Shikamaru by his shirt, and pulled him violently close to her face, "What do you mean CUTER?! Maybe, if you like girls with big foreheads!"

Sakura twitched her head towards Ino angrily, "Well at least I'm not hideous like you, Ino-pig!"

Ino waved her fist furiously in front of her face, "What'd you say!?" The two locked eyes combatively, and a clashing blot of electricity manifested between them. Naruto and Shikamaru stood in the background, rubbing their heads in embarrassment.

They coincidentally both thought at the same time, "...Girls..." They both then sighed helplessly, while their girlfriends went at it.

-------

Shino and Romi walked together up to the entrance to town, where they both halted holding a bug cage each, full of a variety of different insects they've collected. Shino looked down at the box, satisfied while Romi shyly watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"You look happy, Shino."

He looked back up at her, "Oh... yea, I guess I am." He scratched his head nervously with his only free hand, "I'm just glad I have some one now, that I can share an interest with."

Romi bounced up smiling brightly, "Oh? I'm glad you feel better!"

"... and I'm glad it's you, Romi." She opened her eyes and looked back a little stunned, "I had a really great time with you." She looked down blushing with a small grin on her.

"Eh? Shino?" Shino looked over to where the voice came from and saw Rock Lee standing on a tree branch with a baffled look on his face. "Since when do you have an ichuunoonna?"

Shino dropped his head as a drop of sweat rolled down his head, while Romi stood behind his blushing at the thought.

Tenten flew in jumping, landing next to Lee wheezing, "...Lee...! You're too fast...! Wait up for me next time!"

Lee rubbed the back of his head, which was turned towards Tenten standing next to him, "Sorry Tenten...!"

She leaned into Lee, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Its ok, honey..."

Shino froze up and looked at them both, "...Honey...?!" His eyebrow rose questionably, and the sound of glass breaking rings in the background as a sound effect, "...since when do YOU have an ichuunoonna?!"

"Heh... last night... it was weird, just happened." Lee leaned back nervously, "...I still don't get how it happened really."

"Oh..." Shino shrugged up to them, "Ok...?" He noticed a rustling to his left, and peered over cautiously at a large bush next to him.

Out came Neji, who had been gone for a couple of days before then. Tenten noticed him popping out, and waved frantically "Neji! You're back!"

He glanced up real quick, then looked away again, "Yea... my training went better than planned... But, what's going on here?"

Shino looked over to Neji with his arms crossed, "Lee and Tenten were finished telling me about their new relationship..." Neji's head twitched slightly in shock, and then looked up at the pair in disbelief.

"Tenten... and Lee? What... happened?" He clenched his lips tightly, "Why him...? ...I could have sworn she liked me... Or well I thought... That's great."

Tenten wasn't oblivious to Neji's reaction, and looked down, feeling guilty. "Did I hurt his feelings...? I thought he didn't like me."

-------

Sasuke walked alone down the street side with his hands tucked deep into his pockets. He had his eyes shut, and his typical angry expression. He heard someone yelling from behind him, and turned back, slightly annoyed. Off in the distance, he saw Kiba and Hinata running up to him. He paused and waited for them to reach him.

Kiba got there first with a smile on his face, "Hey! What's up? Where you going?!"

Hinata lagged along, and stopped at a distance, letting her shyness get the best of her. She stood still, scared of Sasuke with her hands up at her mouth. She was probably one of the only girls who didn't like Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at Kiba without answering, but from his expression, it was clear he wanted him to go away, only Kiba didn't get it. "...well?"

Sasuke looked down to the ground, and shut his eyes, "...Go away, Kiba."

Kiba looked back, a little irritated, but knew his place between them, and sucked it up. "...Fine." He turned back to Hinata, still looking over his shoulder in the direction of Sasuke, "He scares the crap out of me when he's mad." He walked up to Hinata, and looked over to her, "...Let's get out of here..." Hinata nodded, and headed off with him.

Sasuke watched them as they walked off silently, "Humph... I'm fine by myself..."

As he walked through the city, he noticed the gathering in the center of town, and decided he should probably attend. He headed up, following the crowds, until he noticed Sakura and Ino, fighting rabidly with each other. He kept walking up to them, until he noticed Naruto and Shikamaru separating them, respectively.

When Sasuke reached, both Sakura and Ino shot up blushing, "Sasuke-kun! Hi!"

Naruto and Shikamaru turned pale, and their faces grew long, "...are you serious... they still have the hots for him..."

Sasuke smirked and looked away, "What's going on around here?"

"Oh, there's just some thing for Genins going on... but what's new, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said, still glowing.

"...I just got here... so nothing really... you?"

She looked away nervously, because she needed to tell him all about her and Naruto's relationship, "...oh, well, a lot... I guess..."

Naruto bested into the conversation with every shed of obnoxiousness he had, while holding up his pinky, "Me and Sakura are this!"

Sakura bashes Naruto over the head again, "Idiot! You should have let me tell him!" Sasuke stood their emotionless on the outside, but his eyes widened as he watched them together.

"How could she date that idiot...? He's taking everything from me...!" He cringed and clinched his fist tightly, "...but why should I care...? It's just that annoying Sakura, he can have her..." He looked up at her, as she was consoling Naruto from her punch to his skull, and he felt a stabbing pain in his chest, "...why the hell!?" He turned away boorishly and began to walk away, "Humph, I'm going."

Sakura turned her head, a little surprised, "Sasuke-kun, wait!" But he kept walking away anyways, without saying a word. "...I'm sorry Sasuke-kun..."