Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.
Author's Note- Ah! You guys are so sweet! (Hugs reviewers) Well, I guess I'll have to keep this up to avoid being hunted down with an axe. Lol.
Chapter Two
"Sakura," Ino started, "The mission starts in three weeks, right?"
"Yes," Sakura said. Both girls were currently sitting on a bench at Konoha Park, watching birds fly by and all that good stuff.
The Yamanaka girl frowned. "But…aren't Sasuke's and Shikamaru's weddings only a month away?"
"So that gives us a week to complete our mission and get back in time for the wedding."
"You think we'll return in time?"
Sakura shrugged. "Only time will tell."
Ino sighed and sunk back in the concrete bench. "I'm just really stressed out right now." She grumbled. "I feel like I can chop down a whole forest."
The strawberry haired jounin sat and stared at her friend. "Well, you sort of almost did when we were training."
"So?" Ino huffed. She then turned away and kicked her legs sadly. "Besides, I really thought we had something going…" Sakura's face softened at her and rubbed her back reassuringly.
"Come on; let's go get something to eat. I'm sure that'll cheer you up." Ino nodded and followed her friend as they headed in town.
Sakura lifted a single, slender hand up to raise the navy curtains of Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Instantly, her nostrils were assaulted with the sweet aroma of steaming ramen as it was being served to eager customers, whom gobbled and slurped it up desperately. The girls took a seat at an empty booth and noticed a great commotion near the front bar.
"Oh, ho, ho!" Asuma chuckled, "Looks like the girl's got an appetite! You've got competition Naruto."
"What?" the kitsune perked up, "Me? No way!" He growled and sat down next to the girl. "Hey, give me fifteen bowls of ramen! I'll show this girl how eating ramen is really done."
Ino raised a toned eyebrow. What girl? What was going on over there? She quickly scanned the crowd and noticed a few familiar faces, like the entire rookie nine, and a few others they knew like Genma, Kurenai, Iruka, and Kakashi. Ino stood up higher and saw who they were crowding around. There, locked in a heated eating contest, was Miyu and Naruto. Shikamaru was leaning on the wall mouthing something that looked like "Troublesome." Standing near them was Sasuke and Takara, her arms draped shamelessly about his shoulders.
"Oh no," Ino gulped, "Guess who's here."
Sakura looked up from the menu. "Who?"
"Shikafnjaru and Mirytau." Ino muttered, making it hard to hear what she was saying.
"Come again?" Sakura pretended to tweak her ears.
"Sasumekfe…nd Terkrfnj." Ino mumbled.
Sakura looked at her like she had just sprouted two heads. "A what a what?"
"Saskufdj…aifnd Trekrfdsan."
"Star trek? What?"
"SASUKE, TAKARA, MIYU, AND SHIKAMARU!" Ino slammed her fists on the table. Instantly, several people from the crowd looked over to see who caused the ruckus. "Oh shit."
"Hey, it's Ino and Sakura!" Naruto ran over and plopped down at the seat across from them. As the waitress served the ramen to the girls, Naruto grabbed Sakura's bowl and started slurping it. She sweat dropped. "Mmffr," Naruto said with his mouth full, "What are you guys doing here? Come to celebrate Sasuke's and Shikamaru's fiancées?"
"Actually, no. We just came here to get a bite to eat."
"Ah, well, join in the fun anyways!" Naruto then turned around to face the crowd. "HEY EVERYBODY! SAKURA-CHAN AND INO ARE HERE!" A whoop of appreciation erupted from the mass of people.
Sakura twitched and punched him in the back of the head. "Naruto, you idiot."
Ino covered her face, "Um, Sakura, I'll be right back." The blonde then stood and hurried to the bathroom. Sakura sighed and watched as the people ignored her and continued celebrating She heard a chorus of "Shikamaru, Sasuke, you guys are such lucky bastards!" the more mature adults said "I'm very proud of you boys and hope you have a wonderful marriage." a more colorful comment echoed through the crowd as well, "I hope your relationship is as fertile and bountiful as the fresh spring flower in the summer that grows by the fountain of eternal youth!"
Sakura giggled a little and rested her head against the booth. She stayed like that for about half an hour and quirked an eyebrow when Ino didn't return. Just as she was about to get up, a figure took the seat across from her.
"Hey," it said.
"Sasuke," Sakura nodded at him.
He nodded as well and watched the crowd party. Takara had left for the bathroom and Miyu was looking a bit woozy form all the ramen and sake that was going around. Though Sakura didn't see it, Sasuke's usual tense disposition had relaxed slightly.
"I know you've heard this about a million times over, but I hope you guys have a wonderful marriage."
"Hn," he said.
"So, how did you meet Takara?"
Sasuke grabbed a shot of sake from a passing waitress and sipped it, "We were passing through the Village Hidden in the Rocks and I saw her getting attacked in the forest. I saved her and wound up wounded. She took me to her place and healed me."
'I bet she did more than heal you,' Sakura thought with disgust as she glanced at Takara's thin outfit. "I see."
"We found out we had a lot of things in common."
"Love at first sight?" Sakura offered.
"Hn." Well, that was as close to a yes as she would get. Sakura fought back the urge to scream.
The Haruno girl dug into her purse for something. When she found it, she pulled it out and wiped it off with a napkin. Sasuke glanced at her. "Here," she thrust it in his hands. He didn't say anything but merely quirked a brow at her. "I was saving it for when I got married but I think you and your fiancée deserve it more."
Sasuke poked at it curiously. He held it up. It was a simple white gold band with a smooth, pink, oval-shaped stone in the center of it. Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her, as if saying "Pink? Are you sure it's my color?"
Sakura giggled. "It's a special stone. It will lead you to the one you love if you ever happen to lose her. It belonged to my grandmother and she used it during the ninja wars to find my grandpa before he could be lured into a trap and killed. It's also said to bring good fortune to the couple."
The Uchiha examined the object and slipped it onto his finger. It fit perfectly. He glanced uncertainly at Sakura. This gift seemed so mature and thoughtful of her, unlike the bottles of champagne and Icha Icha Paradise novels Jiraiya and Kakashi gave him, ramen coupons from Naruto, and tons of other hectic things.
"Thanks," he said.
"No problem," she smiled.
As she turned away to watch the others celebrate, Sasuke couldn't help but take his eyes off her. She seemed so much more mature than the girl he knew so long ago. Well, then again he rarely even talked to her, so how could he know she changed? He half expected her to lock herself up in her apartment and bawl her eyes out and curse Takara with all her might. Surprisingly, he was wrong. She had accepted their engagement and even gave them a thoughtful gift…….Was this really Sakura Haruno?
"Sasuke-kun," a certain redhead said as she loomed over the two. It was Takara. She glared menacingly at Sakura, as if saying what-do-you-think-you're-doing-with-my-man. Sasuke smirked at her and pulled her into an embrace.
Sakura felt her chest tighten. Suddenly, she caught sight of Ino returning from the bathroom. She quickly stood up. "I'm sorry I have to cut this meeting short but I've got to get home. I'll see you later, Sasuke." Sakura bowed respectively at the couple before leaving. Ino followed her.
A certain redhead with piercing violet eyes stared at the girls. Miyu and Shikamaru stumbled over to them.
"Sasuke-kun," Takara traced a single polished finger along his jaw line, "I'll be right back; I need to use the rest room."
He glanced at her and gave a reassuring squeeze, "Fine. Don't take too long."
"Shikamaru-kun," Miyu chirped, "I need to go to the bathroom too!"
"So troublesome," he sighed, "Go ahead."
Miyu grinned and ran after Takara, "Hey! Takara-chan! Wait for me!"
Her deep crimson lips curved into a coy smile. "Don't miss us too much," she winked. Both girls walked to the corner and felt their lovers' gazes still lingering on them. As soon as they rounded the corner, both girls broke into a fast walk. They strode briskly past villagers and ignored all those who greeted them. Soon the females found who they were looking for. There were Sakura and Ino, sitting and chatting with each other.
"I don't like them," Miyu wrinkled her nose at the friends.
"Neither do I," Takara huffed, "I think Sasuke-kun still feels something for that wench."
"No," the auburn haired girl protested, "Maybe it's just teammate concern."
"Concern my ass," Takara snarled and flipped her hair behind her, "Sasuke's gaze lingers on her longer than I like. And I see your Shikamaru-kun sneak a few glances at that blonde slut also."
"What?" Miyu's mouth hung agape, "Seriously?"
"Don't you watch him?" Takara smirked. She knew Miyu was a clingy and highly jealous person, and she was using that trait to her advantage.
Miyu tensed and fidgeted with her fingers, "Yes… Well, I thought that since they were friends and stuff-"
The Kido woman cut her off, "Friendship can always turn into something more. Besides, I heard that Shikamaru-kun and she used to go out."
"WHAT?" Miyu yelped and placed her hands on her hips, "Well I'm going to give that girl a piece of my mind! And you should go tell off that pinky freak too. We'll teach them to mess with our men!"
Takara smirked. 'Perfect.'
The child-like female marched up to Ino and Sakura, Takara in tow. Miyu growled at Ino and loomed over her, despite her somewhat short stature.
"Oh," Ino looked up, "Hello Miyu-san."
"Don't 'Hello Miyu-san' me," she wagged a finger in the blonde's face, "Stay away from my Shikamaru!"
"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.
"You know what. Takara says that you two are going to try and steal our fiancées away, and that's just plain rude!"
"What the hell?" Ino stood up and narrowed her eyes, "Shikamaru and Sasuke are all yours. And why would you say that, Takara?"
"I see them stealing glances at you every now and then, and I don't like it. So back off." She scoffed and crossed her arms over that skimpy dress of a thing she wore.
'What the fuck?' Sakura and Ino wrinkled their faces. 'Talk about over possessive much.'
"Sasuke…looks at me?" the Haruno girl looked downcast, "No… He's never considered me anything more than a teammate."
"Don't flatter yourself," Takara scowled at Sakura. "You're just some depressive, wannabe ninja that will never get a good man because you have a wide forehead and weird pink hair."
Instead of sinking lower in her chair and letting her already negative self esteem fall further, Sakura became filled with a new kind of rage and loathing for the dark red haired woman. At first Sakura had felt envious of her beauty and how she was blessed with Sasuke, but now all she saw when she looked at Takara was anger.
"Hey!" Ino growled and became ignited with the same kind of fury Sakura felt.
"Don't talk to Takara-chan like that!" Miyu stepped in between them.
"Go away, midget." Ino shoved the amber haired girl back.
Miyu looked stricken. Back in her old village, they had always used to tease her about her lack of height and said that she would never become successful. The words hurt so much that the Ishiguru girl quit training to become a ninja. But then, Miyu showed them all when she ran off with Shikamaru. And now this smutty blonde was calling her a midget and threatening to take Shikamaru-kun away!
"Bitch!" Miyu screamed and punched Ino. The Yamanaka girl let her do it. Miyu smirked at her success but then frowned when Ino turned her head back slowly.
"I'm glad," Ino said in a shaky voice, "I'm glad that Shikamaru didn't go for me, because if he was interested in clingy wenches like you then I never want to be his dream girl!" She screamed and launched herself at Miyu.
As the girls wrestled, with Ino obviously winning, Takara and Sakura glared at each other. Sakura unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists. Her shoulders shook as she stared at the smirking Takara. The more she stared the more the woman seemed to turn into a demon in her eyes.
"I don't know what Sasuke-kun sees in you," Takara sneered, "You're just a sad, ugly thing that will never be anything more. If Sasuke hadn't insisted I would have never allowed such an atrocity like you come to our wedding. Why I ought to-"
Takara didn't have time to continue as Sakura raised a stiff hand up and brought it crashing down across the redhead's cheek. She cried out and pain and clutched her face, stumbling back from the force of the slap. Sakura's chest heaved up and down as she glared down at the woman.
Takara hissed and silently pulled out a kunai. She was a kunoichi too; more advanced than Miyu but was nowhere close to Sakura's level of power. Takara was more concerned with her looks than anything else and usually lounged around during missions and let her teammates fight for her. As much as she hated to admit it, Sakura once used to be like that. But not anymore- she had learned the error of her ways.
"I wouldn't do that," Sakura's tone was laced with venom, "Don't try and pull that kunai out on me. You know it's pointless."
"Don't fucking tell me what to do, bitch!" Takara screeched and rushed at Sakura, knife in hand.
The pink haired jounin didn't even flinch. Her face was blank and her eyes had narrowed. Without wasting even an ounce of chakra, Sakura's hand shot out and grabbed Takara's arm, twisting it around and using her other one to point the kunai at her throat.
"Leave us alone. We have done you no wrong." Sakura then threw her to the ground. Behind her, Ino was finished kicking Miyu's butt up and down the street and chucked her right next to Takara.
Takara and Miyu grumbled under their breath and was about to rise again when two familiar voices stopped them.
"What's going on here?" the voices of Sasuke and Shikamaru roared. Instantly, Miyu and Takara feigned injury and collapsed dramatically on the ground. Sakura and Ino rolled heir eyes.
"Miyu!" Shikamaru ran up to her and picked her up. Ino's already shattered heart stung. "What happened?"
Miyu moaned, "I-Ino attacked me…"
Oh god. That sounded so fake. Takara nodded and said the same things. "They were jealous about us marrying you…"
WHAT! Ino's icy cerulean eyes expanded to the size of tires as Sakura restrained the mad woman. "LET ME AT HER, I'LL RIP THAT BITCH'S MOUTH OUT!"
"So troublesome," Shikamaru glared at her. Ino didn't feel anything. Her heart already pained too much to feel any more pain.
Sasuke growled at Sakura, "What did you do to Takara?" he demanded.
"You know what, Uchiha?" she said his name so despicably, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU! I HOPE I DIE ON MY MISSION SO I NEVER HAVE TO SEE YOUR HIDEOUS, COLD HEARTED FACE AGAIN! YOU HAVE HORRIBLE TASTE IN WOMEN. WHY I BET EVEN YOUR INSANE BROTHER ITACHI IS A BETTER PERSON THAN YOU! And YOU Shikamaru, I thought you were the smartest ninja in the world. I guess I was wrong since you made such a dumb choice in choosing Miyu over Ino!"
Ino gaped at Sakura. She fell to her knees and bowed before her.
Sakura's face was red with anger as her shoulders hook with unadulterated fury. She took pleasure in watching their jaws drop and eyes widen. Shikamaru's throat went dry as he struggled to produce some sound. Miyu was biting her nails and Takara looked like she wanted to strangle Sakura. Sasuke just stared at her with his jaw hanging open. There was an indiscernible emotion on his face. Sakura scoffed and grabbed Ino and sped off in the opposite direction.
Reviews. No flames.