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Hey, guys! Sorry for the extremely long time it took me to update this… Just had a severe case of writer's block somewhere in this chapter. Anyway, to make up for it, this one is twice as long as the first two. So there. Enjoy, and please, please, PLEASE don't forget to sign a review on your way out. Thanks:-)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto… but I sure wish I did. Sighs

Chapter 3: The Rice Cakes

The pale crescent moon hovered silently among the clouds, shedding faint, ghastly rays upon the sleeping village of Konoha. Over by the south woods, the creatures of the night made all kinds of peculiar sounds. Owls sat hooting atop lofty branches and frogs lazily croaked in their murky homes by the marsh. A long, mournful wolf howl echoed in the distance while the crickets chirped their never-ending medley of songs.

Back in town, a girl lay in bed quietly listening to these sounds. She got up, ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and looked at the small clock on the table. 3:37 a.m. A short sigh escaped from her lips. She hasn't been able to enjoy a wink of sleep since the onset of the night. Sakura looked enviously at her blonde friend who was sleeping soundly beside her.

At least you were able to get some shuteye, she thought.

Sakura observed Ino's face. She seemed to be happy now, her rosy lips curved into a small smile. She was so different just a while ago when she was hysterically crying over her lost love. Sakura now understood why Ino invited her to spend the night at her place. The pain from her heartbreak had built up inside her for over a week and she needed someone that she could confide in. Ino knew that keeping it in wouldn't be good for anybody.

Sakura knew this as well, which is why she was planning to tell someone about her problem. Someone who cares and is sensitive to the feelings of others. Someone who was Uchiha Sasuke's exact opposite.

Someone like… Naruto.

She quietly stepped out on the balcony, basking herself in moonlight. She thought about the events that took place just yesterday, for they could already have changed her life forever.

( Note: This is a flashback that will benarrated from Sakura's POV )

It all started three days ago. I could sense that something was terribly wrong with the village, but I didn't know what. The town fortifications were once again being strengthened, and more and more shinobi were being recruited and trained. Rumors have it that another cold war loomed above the horizon.

Then it happened. Sasuke-kun was chosen by Tsunade-sama, along with Neji and Kakashi-sensei to go on a mission to the Mist Country. It was a special A-rank mission and there was a big possibility that none of them would come back alive. Details were disclosed only to the ranking officials of the Leaf, so all we citizens could do was pray that no harm would befall them.

It was about four in the afternoon when the team assembled at the town park, awaiting Tsunade-sama's orders. I was holding a small basket of rice cakes in my hand as I walked past the park's vine-strewn gates. I was planning to give some to Kakashi-sensei and Neji, but most were for Sasuke-kun. After all, they could travel for days on end without food so I figured a little nourishment before they left would be helpful.

Further on, I met a group of jounin who were on their way back to the village. Gai's extremely loud voice was booming in the distance, ranting about how he'd definitely be chosen to lead an A-rank mission someday instead of his number one rival Kakashi.

I waved at the group to catch their attention.

"Excuse me, do any of you know where Kakashi-sensei is?"

Gai was the first one to speak.

"Yeah, he's over by the lakeshore. We've just been there ourselves. Have you come to say goodbye too?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, I've prepared rice cakes for them."

"How thoughtful! Kakashi-san is lucky to have a student like you…" He said, eyes glued to the basket, "Say, uh, do you mind if I…"

"Not at all," I replied, offering him the rice cakes. "Please help yourself."

Gai picked one up and popped it in his mouth. He thanked me with his 'nice guy pose' and his ever-famous Gai-smile that twinkled with a distinctive 'twang' sound at the end.

I smiled back as I watched them walk away. I found it quite strange that Asuma didn't show up. He was the only jounin who didn't come to greet sensei.

I walked on and saw the shimmering blue lake in the distance. Two people were sitting together. The one with the tall bushy hairdo was undoubtedly Kakashi-sensei. The other was a woman. I soon recognized Kurenai, a female jounin. Crouching under a leafy shrub that was in the way, I discovered that they were holding each other's hands. But that's not all. I saw Kurenai leaning in to give him a kiss – or at least that's what she would have done – if it weren't for that annoying piece of black fabric that he constantly wore to conceal the mysterious appearance of his face.

Whoa. No wonder Asuma wasn't around today.

I emerged out of my hiding place and stifled a laugh when I saw Sensei drop Kurenai's hand faster than a hot potato. I startled him, that's for sure.

"Yo, Sakura…" he called out, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I was a bit reluctant to approach for I had clearly disturbed their moment. I learned from experience that creases on Sensei's mask meant that he was frowning, and we were usually in trouble whenever that happened. He started to grow impatient.

"Well, what is it? You know it's not nice to bother adults, especially when they're discussing something important."

"Uh, Kakashi-sensei, I heard you were going on an important mission and I thought you might like some rice cakes." I said, holding the basket out to him. I also offered Kurenai some, who took a piece and thanked me kindly for it.

My gray-haired sensei dipped his hand into the container and pulled it out with a couple of rice cakes between his fingers. He raised it to his mouth, but stopped half way, suddenly realizing that he wouldn't be able to eat it without taking his mask off in front of us. Kurenai noticed this too, and she couldn't help but laugh at Kakashi's little dilemma. Some men really acted strangely around women. I guess he was one of them.

Sensei sheepishly placed the two cakes into the right breast pocket of his green jounin vest.

"Maybe I'll save this for later…" He thought out loud.

Seeing my work here was done, I wished him good luck on the mission and waved goodbye to the couple.

"Oh, Sakura, one last thing…" he called out.

I turned around, smiling. "Hm? What is it?"

"Do me a favor. Don't tell anyone what you've seen here today. Got it?"

I stifled another laugh. "Sure, sensei. My lips are sealed."

"Good girl," he said, his visible eye showing how relieved he was.

Over by a large grove of cherry blossom trees, I caught sight of another sweet couple lying idly on the grass. As I came closer, I saw that they were kissing. I'm not talking bout some normal kiss though.

I'm talking bout one hell of a serious lip lock.

Guess what, they turned out to be no other than Neji and Tenten.

The moment she saw me, Konoha's weapons mistress immediately pulled away from the tight embrace. Embarrassed, she straightened her wrinkled clothes and tried to remove all traces of the deep blush that appeared on her face.

Neji, who wasn't aware of my presence yet, looked like he wanted more of Tenten's lips. He tried to pull her back down but she shrugged him off and informed him that I was here.

I think they could've gone on for hours if it wasn't for me. Go get a room, I'd say.

"Hi, guys!" I greeted cheerfully. Tenten chirped a bright hello while Neji grunted and smiled.

We sat down on a soft spot of grass and I offered the couple some of my special rice cakes. Tenten took a piece and bit daintily on it.

"Wow, Sakura, did you make these? They're great!"

"My mom and I made them together. We decided on giving it as a good luck present to the team."

She turned to her lover. "Neji-kun, please try this."

"Well, maybe just one…" He selected a big piece and chewed it thoroughly, appraising the flavor inside his mouth. A welcome sound was heard.

'Mmmm…'

Tenten giggled. "Sounds like he liked it."

I pulled Tenten to one side while Neji sampled more of my rice cakes.

"So, how was it?" I asked, winking at her.

"How was what?"

"You know… it." I started making kissing gestures.

"Oh, that…" Tenten muttered, blushing deeply. "Guess you caught us red-handed, huh…"

"Was it your first time?"

She avoided my probing eyes and looked bashfully at her feet.

"Aww, come on, you can tell me." I urged.

Tenten took a deep breath and shook her head. "Its not my first time to be kissed, but this has got to be the longest one."

"Ooohh, really? Bet it must've been fun." I teased, elbowing her.

She paused for a while and smiled, probably reminiscing how dreamy that moment was.

"Well, it was okay… so-so, I guess…"

"Ha! So-so?" I scoffed. "What do you mean? You were having the time of your life!"

Tenten glanced at Neji to make sure he wasn't eavesdropping and leaned in to whisper something.

"If you ask me, his nose was too big… It kept getting in the way…" She smirked mischievously. "But at least he was kind enough to eat a breath mint!"

We both laughed heartily at this comment of hers. Our mirth apparently caught Neji's attention, who turned around and approached us.

"Hey, what's so funny?" He asked, beads of rice stuck near his mouth.

"Oh, nothing." Tenten replied. "I was just telling Sakura how big an appetite you can have."

I peered into the basket. To my utmost surprise, it was already more than half empty. Neji had unconsciously wolfed down ten of my rice cakes!

As I headed towards my last destination, I decided to do a little arithmetic on the contents of my now light basket. I made twenty cakes. Kakashi-sensei took two. Gai, Kurenai and Tenten each had one. Neji ate ten. That leaves… hmm, let's see… five more for Sasuke-kun.

I checked my timepiece. It was now past five o'clock, and the brilliant orange sun was beginning its descent to the west. My thoughts drifted to Neji and Tenten, who were tickling each other silly when I left. They really looked so cute together.

Deep down, I envied Tenten so much. Not because I had a thing for Neji, but because she was happy. She was in the arms of the man that she truly loved. I wanted to feel that happiness too, and I realized only one person could give me that.

Sasuke-kun...

I let out a deep sigh. Get real, I told myself. That would never happen.

I was pulled back to the sad reality upon hearing several excited female voices in the distance. I peeredto see what was going on, curious to find out what the commotion was all about.

Then I saw him. He was lying on the grass, his back against the roots of an enormous tree, with both hands cupped behind his head to serve as a cushion. He wore his usual outfit. Black shorts and a black shirt that bore the Uchiha clan's fan-like crest. His cold, onyx eyes glared fiercely at the myriad of crazed girls that surrounded him, worshipping him like some sort of god. This gesture only meant one thing: Fuck off, or die. The fan girls never seemed to get the message though. They appeared to be enchanted too much by his gorgeous physique to pay any attention to his vicious eyes.

Actually, I couldn't help but feel sorry for these poor creatures. If any of them knew Sasuke-kun like I did, they wouldn't bother trying. One of the things he hated most about his life was his annoying fan club, who trailed him unceasingly, screaming earsplitting "We love you, Sasuke-kun!" wherever he went.

I couldn't blame them, though. Uchiha Sasuke's looks were worth dying for. I'd gladly get down on my knees and worship him too, if only I could get him to go out with me.

I looked around. Almost all of them had brought presents for Sasuke-kun. Gifts ranging from sumptuous delicacies to expensive new clothing were there. I glanced back at my handsome teammate. It looked like he had no intention of accepting these gifts. I suddenly felt ashamed of my humble offering to him. It was like feeding a king some leftovers. Five rice cakes plus a little something in my pocket.

Although intimidated by the extravagant presents that the other girls had brought along, I was determined to give it to him no matter what.

Having made up my mind, I briskly strode forward, and tried to squeeze through the massive crowd of girls that blocked my way. All of them shot nasty glares at me, but I pretended not to notice. They reluctantly gave way as I politely said "Excuse me" to everyone I bumped into. Halfway through, though, a massive girl who crowned herself president of the Uchiha Sasuke fan club stopped me from going any further.

"Who the hell are you and where do you think you're going?" She demanded. "We have been ordered by the Master to set parameters. No one is allowed to come within ten meters of Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke-sama! They are treating him like a god!

"Excuse me, my name is Haruno Sakura and I've come to give him a present." I said courteously, showed her the basket in my hand.

Without warning, the bulky girl snatched the container from me and peered inside. I didn't even have time to object.

"Ha, you call this a present?" She scoffed. "Back of the line, just like everyone else! Anyone who wants to see Sasuke-sama must wait their turn!"

I scowled and opened my mouth to object as I reached for my basket. The large girl, however, refused to hand it over. She flashed a toothy grin, as if to irritate me.

"And next time," She mocked, "Try bringing something better than this shit you call food!"

To my utter horror, the big bitch threw my basket into the air. I watched helplessly as it tumbled in mid-air, spilling all of its contents. It landed with a loud thud several feet away. I pushed towards the end of the crowd, hearing muffled laughter from behind. I examined the basket. One side of the handle broke off due to the force of the crash.

I groaned. This was what mother used to carry vegetables from the marketplace. She would kill me if she found out what happened to it.

By now, I had caught the attention of the whole group. They were all laughing, making fun of my predicament. I was made to look like a fool in front of two dozen people and I almost cried from embarrassment.

But that wasn't all. The fan club president thought of something else. She picked up an object that lay near her feet.

"Hey, Haruno, you forgot something!"

She tilted back and swung her arm forward. The whole crowd suddenly fell silent, waiting eagerly to see if the thing would hit home.

Before I knew what was happening, something collided with my forehead. It exploded into a million pieces, the particles raining down on my hair and face. I wiped some of it off and recognized what they were. Rice beads. That thing was my rice cake.

"Bullseye."

The crowd roared with maniacal laughter. The bitch's friends were even patting her back and commending her for her astounding marksmanship. Talk about adding insult to injury.

That was the last straw. Something within me snapped. All of a sudden, a torrent of rage flooded by entire being. I felt the inner me screaming murderous intent at her. I tried to control it but I just couldn't, and I didn't want to. The bitch had crossed the line. It was a good thing I didn't have a kunai at that time or she would have been dead by now, her fat throat slit wide open.

All of them were still laughing. I clenched my fists and stood up. Eyes locked on her, I surged forward and covered the distance between us in no more than a couple of seconds. The next moment, I was right in front of the target. Focusing all energy into my right arm, I threw my chakra-packed fist forward. She never saw it coming. The punch connected and I buried my entire fist into her face. She flew several meters back, knocking down girls behind her like an oversized bowling ball. She landed on her fat ass, nose bleeding from the impact.

Now I was surprised. If a punch like that could destroy solid rock, imagine what it could do to human bones! Tsunade-sama taught me that herself. She called it her "insane strength."

But by the looks of it, this girl wasn't unconscious, even if she took a direct head shot. Hell, she was even starting to stand up! Looks like she has enough blubber on her face to prevent an attack like that from doing too much damage.

She stood up, cursing under her breath.

"Get her! Get that little bitch and beat the shit out of her!" She ordered her minions.

Almost instantly, the crowd turned into an angry mob. They charged against me as one girl. I assumed a defensive stance and braced myself for the coming onslaught. I took down one, two, three, four, five, all the way up to ten, but there were just too many of them. Even though I was more experienced in combat, I was heavily outnumbered 24 to 1.

I had to run. There was no other option. I started forming hand seals and soon, three of my replications emerged. We took off in different directions in order to confuse them, but the precipice I was stepping on broke off. I fell and they had me cornered. There was no way out this time.

This is it, I thought. They rushed towards me. I slowly closed my eyes.

A voice echoed in the dark. "Katon, Blazing fireball no jutsu!"

The next thing I knew, a wall of fire was scorching before me. I inched away and squinted at the figures on the other side of the flaming barrier. A boy was there. He was facing them with arms outstretched, blocking the way of the crazed girls who were after me. Stunned, I realized that he was trying to protect me. I heard another voice, which I recognized to be that of the fan club president, except that she sounded soft and apologetic now.

"I-I'm very sorry, Sasuke-sama… I didn't know that she—"

"Silence!No one touches her from now on, understand?" He growled, the whites of his eyes flashing dangerously. "Now, get out of my sight."

The stout girl nodded, and like an obedient dog, obeyed her Master and was gone like a shadow.

>>>---THIS JUST IN!--->

Okay, that's it for Chapter 3. Please let me know what you think. Just click on the "GO" button at the bottom of the screen and type away! Thanks again:-)