omg…sorry for the freaking long update, but I sort of lost inspiration for a while there. Oh well, I've regained it, but to keep myself from doing it again, I'll try and move the updates to weekly instead of like every two days. Sorry for any angry thoughts or such about this, but I can't help it…
Thankies for Beta-ing, Rayray XD
Enunciated stuff
REALLY ENUNCIATED STUFF
"Speech"
(A/N:)
Chapter 5:
For the second time less than 24 hours, I awoke with that comforting smell floating around me. I snuggled deeper into my sleeping bag, not wanting to get up into the brisk morning air. I felt a warm breath on my neck, and a shiver went down my spine.
I whipped around to find Sasuke's head behind mine, his sleeping bag half thrown open. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up—he'd scared the crap out of me. Apparently waking up next to someone breathing down your shirt isn't something that I was used to. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face, laughing inwardly; in my shock, I'd gotten myself up anyway. I looked around. Naruto was stretched out, his sleeping bag thrown open, snoring quite loudly.
I sat up higher and stretched…sleeping on the sand was more comfortable than I though it would be. It was like those weird mattresses that like…molded themselves to the shape of your body, except the sand was cooler, and there was the salty smell of the sea every time you breathed in. I looked out over the sea…the sun had just risen, and there were still hints of red and purple drifting among the clouds that were floating on the horizon.
I stood and walked over to the changing rooms, pulling on a sheer skirt over my swimsuit instead of the pants. I took off my sweater and pulled arm warmers on to keep my arms from being cold. I didn't really care if I looked weird—it wasn't like anyone would be up at this time in the morning anyway.
The water felt warm on my toes…well warmer than what I was used to swimming in anyway. The only lake back at my old town had been so cold that every time I went in, my lips turned blue in ten minutes.
I bent down to pick up a seashell, and washed it free of sand when a wave came rushing back up the shore. I ran a finger over its edge. It was a pretty pink and purple colour, and almost completely smooth. Waves washed sugary white sand over my toes, as I watched a flock of birds fly over the sea.
I turned back towards the teachers' circle, but they were all still asleep. I laughed to myself; Anko looked exactly the same as Naruto, and Kakashi was wrapped up so tightly in his sleeping bag he looked like a worm with a bushy silver moustache or something. Walking back to beside where Sasuke lay, I opened my sleeping bag and grabbed my watch. It was about 9 o'clock, so everyone should be getting up soon. I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye and turned to see the raven-haired Uchiha beside me waking up.
He leaned up and rubbed his eyes tiredly, yawning. He looked at me, "You up already?"
I nodded, laughing inwardly at him; his hair, normally so neat in its spiky doo was all stuck in weird directions, and one particularly rebellious strand in the middle of his head stuck straight up in the air. Maybe his hair was like what happened to mine if I didn't use conditioner and blow-dry it after a shower; a will strong enough to defy gravity.
"S'anyone else up?" he rubbed his left eye, the right one staring at me, half closed with sleep.
"Nope. Even all the teachers are sleeping."
He stood up, and attempted to put his hair back into order. Walking to the changing room, he muttered tiredly, "I'm just gonna go change into something."
"Okay…?" And he had to tell me that because…? I cast the though aside and walked back over to the ocean. I crouched down and watched a couple of brightly coloured minnows swimming around the shallow waters, buffeted around every so often by the current and undertow. When one unfortunate fish ended up stranded on the back, I smiled and flicked it back into the water with the shell I still held in my hand. The minnows were nice, and pretty in their own way, but I was too freaked out by fish to touch one with my hand.
Sasuke sat down beside me. He had changed back into his swim suit from yesterday, and another Uchiha symbol t-shirt, this time a dark shade of violet. His hair dripped from places, and the neck of his shirt was wet—he'd probably stuck his head into a sink to try and get his hair to flatten out.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes. "If you don't mind me asking…why did you break up with Shitahe?" I blurted out suddenly. I blushed…Should I have asked something like that?
"I don't mind…it's just…well I never really liked her in the first place, and I was getting fed up with having to be with her all the time when she never did anything for me. I would have done it sooner, but her brother, Keiji kept threatening to strangle me."
"So that's who that weird dude is that's always around her!" that pale face had often been on my mind ever since seeing him for the first time. Hah, I told myself as his face faded from my mind. Now I knew who he was.
He nodded, "And I always found them together, so I never got the chance to end it with her."
"That sucks…"
He laughed quietly, "Well actually since it's over now, I don't have to worry about her again, do I?"
"I guess not, "I remarked with my eyebrows raised. Why was I acting so stupid all of a sudden? I sighed inside and looked out over the sea again. My stomach made a loud grumbling noise.
Sasuke looked at me in surprise, a smile on his face, "Hungry?"
I laughed, having said the same thing to him before. "A little bit."
"Me too. Let's go bug one of the teachers…but I'd prefer it not be Anko…she's as grouchy as Naruto if you wake her up before she says you can."
xXx
"AAAIIIIIIIIIIIII!" I gulped down a glass of orange juice, nearly choking myself in the process, but my mouth wouldn't stop burning. I stuffed a piece of toast in my mouth, and made the mistake of biting again into a part that had that weird 'ketchup' on it. I yelped and dove for the water pitcher, choking down more liquid. Ino thumped her hand on my back, trying to help me swallow.
"Jeez! Breathe woman!"
My eyes let tears run down my cheeks of their own accord, as if to express how much the sauce had burned. I coughed and gulped down another glass of orange juice. Handed to my by Tenten. "W-what was that!" I managed to blurt out from between swallows.
Sasuke grabbed the bottle that I'd mistaken as ketchup and read the label. "Anko's special extra hot Tabasco sauce." His eyebrows rose, and he continued, "Home brewed with the best chili peppers in the world."
My eyes continued to tear. "Well that cleared my nose!"
Everyone laughed, and Anko came over, grabbing the bottle from Sasuke's hand. "Well unless any more of you want to go through the same as her, you'd better stay away from my sauces, okay?"
I nodded my head vigorously, only making everyone around laugh harder. Owwww…I felt like ripping my tongue out of my head and scrubbing the nasty off with sand… Sasuke clapped his hand on my back.
"You okay?"
I nodded, eyes still watering. "I think I'll live…"
Naruto laughed, "Remember when I tried that stuff a couple years ago?"
Ino rolled her eyes, "When your throat swelled up because you had too much and you had to go to the hospital ward for a week?"
"N-naruto-kun was al-llergic to it, w-weren't you?" Hinata asked, her white eyes looking at him in a concerned way.
He gave us a foxy grin, thumbs up, "But I survived!"
I laughed; he was the type of person who didn't really even take potential death seriously. "But why would you drink it in the first place, Naruto?" I asked.
He rubbed a hand on the back of his head. "Shitahe told me I couldn't do it."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Dobe…" He turned to me, "Most of the things that happen around here are because of her."
"Hah, at least I didn't date her for two years, Sasuke-teme!"
The raven-haired boy whipped around and bopped the whiskered blonde on the head, "Shut up, dobe."
Naruto rubbed his head, and narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. (A/N: You know, those squinty eyes he always gets when he's annoyed :D) "Hmph," he muttered, turning away from the Uchiha, an air of distaste around him.
Anko walked back over to us, "You guys done eating?"
Everyone nodded, except for Chouji who was still shoveling down toast and eggs. The sensei rolled her eyes, "Well everyone else can go and throw their plates away, and get ready for today. Make sure you have your bathing suits on. And you Chouji, hurry up and finish eating."
I walked over to the change rooms with Ino to put my arm warmers away. Now that the sun was full overhead, I didn't think I'd need them anymore. I grabbed a green clip from my bag that matched my eyes and used it to keep my hair out of my face. The wind had picked up, and it was beginning to get a little annoying.
Ino put a light jacket on over her bathing suit, leaving her hair down for once. She grabbed a tiny clip and pulled a piece of hair from the middle-top part of her head to keep it out of her face, and walked out the door. I followed, goose bumps running down my arms. Maybe keeping the arm warmers would have been good?
xXx
"Oiii! Sakura-chan! You gonna come in?"
"No silly, she ate too much breakfast, and she's afraid she's gonna sick."
"I do not!" I splashed salty water onto the face of the offender—a grinning Ino. "The water's just…"
"What? Too wet?" Ino stuck her tongue out and splashed me back.
I scowled and jumped in. Picture an inexperienced swimmer jumping into the deep end of a pool. Got that in your head? Now picture that someone as me, despite the fact that I knew how to swim quite well. Somehow I managed to swallow a large amount of salt water, and began coughing. Struggling to breathe, and keep my face clear of more water, while treading at the same time was too much, and I began to sink. A hand wrapped around my waist, helping to keep me afloat so I could clear the liquid from my windpipe. I looked to my side, eyes watering to find Sasuke treading water…his hand around my waist.
I felt my face go a brilliant shade of red, and forced myself to stop coughing.
"You okay?"
"I-I think s-so." I blushed more and mentally slapped myself several times. How could I be so dimwitted? Jumping into the water and swallowing half the ocean the first time I go under! I knew how to swim! Maybe my brain was having spazzes.
"Oi, you sure you know how to swim, Saku?"
I made a face at Ino and splashed her again. "If I didn't know how, then how could I be here right now?"
I received a cackle from her, "Because Sasuke's holding you?"
I felt the hand around my waist go stiff, "You okay now?" I nodded. Sasuke removed his hand, and I treaded water on my own, thankfully managing not to inhale anymore salty water. (A/N: omg…salt water tastes like crap if you've ever accidentally drank it or something while swimming)
"You seriously sure?" Ino said to me in a mocking fake baby-voice.
"YES INO! I'M SURE!"
She gave me another evil grin, "Then I'll race you over to the flag pole!"
"You're on!"
Tenten, floating nearby on a noodle rolled her eyes, "You guys are so immature. You know that?"
I grinned and nodded.
"Well woohoo to you then, my absent-minded friend." She waited until we were lined up, and waved a piece of driftwood in the air as some sort of make-shift flag.
I giggled as Neji ducked to avoid being clubbed in the head by the wood. He narrowly avoided it the first time, by ducking under the water. The second time, he was forced to make some sort of waterlogged Matrix move to avoid being hit. Neji, normally so prim and proper waving his arms about and flailing in the water to avoid being clobbered by a piece of rotting wood…I couldn't help but smile. Tenten unknowingly continued to wave the stick about, waiting for Ino to tie up her hair.
"On your marks, get so, GO!"
"Huh?"
"Sakura! Hurry up! Ino started already…this is so troublesome…" Shikamaru gave me a push in the back, and I started off.
Treading water was and still is one of my weaker spots in swimming. I felt my joy for swimming return when I began to kick my legs froggie style…but Ino was still ahead of me. Not by far though, as I caught up after a few strokes. Maybe I should have given her a longer head-start on me…she sure wasn't one of the strongest swimmer's I'd ever seen.
Despite this, Ino still turned to me with a grin, "Sinking yet?"
My regret of a longer head-start vanished instantly. "Oh yeah? Well at least the current isn't pulling me alongunlike someone I know!" I retorted sarcastically.
"Hah, as if. I was waiting for you to catch up so we could actually start from the same point!" And with that, her strokes strengthened…but not by much. I found myself ahead of her by about a meter within a couple of seconds.
I can't help it, but gloat. If there was something in the world I'd ever have Ino challenge me to again, it would not be swimming.
xXx
"Okay! Listen up everybody! Today's activity is a scavenger hunt! But not only that, it's underwater! After you get all your snorkeling gear, we'll give you your maps, and make your pairs!" Anko's cheery voice rang out over the beach, startling a few of the seagulls nearby. "Come on people! We don't have all day!" She threw a tennis ball from somewhere at the back of a slowly walking Shikamaru's head.
"OI!" He stumbled, his hands trapped in his pockets, kept from helping him keep his balance. He tumbled over, and sat in the sand, frowning at his widely grinning teacher. "Owww…Sensei is so troublesome…"
"Well then hurry up!"
He grumbled something under his breath and stood up, walking towards the snorkels at a much faster pace. I swore I heard Anko and several other teachers laugh quietly at him, but when I looked, no one was.
"Here, try this one for size." Tenten handed me a snorkel mask and flippers.
I slipped the mask over my head, and found it slightly too tight. "Too small."
She took the mask, and slid one of the clasps at the side open farther, then handed it back to me. I tried it back, and found it was fine. The flippers fit too, so I made my way back to where the teachers stood.
Ino was already there, a mask perched upon her head like a large disfigured hat or something.
"Hmm…I wonder how they're going to make the teams this time…" Ino looked at Anko, who was busy fiddling with something behind her back.
I dropped myself down onto the sad beside her, "I don't really care, as long as I'm with someone I know, and not some random guy from somewhere I've never even seen before."
Ino laughed, "They'd never do that. But sometimes you're with people you don't like very much, that wouldn't make a very good team or something."
I snorted, "The only person in the entire world 'I don't like very much' is Shitahe, and she's not even here. And why wouldn't someone make a very good team?"
"Well…there are some people who don't listen, or something just as bad."
I looked at her expectantly, but nothing else came out of her mouth, she simply flicked her head towards the teachers, as Anko was talking again.
"Well, now since all of you are here, let's make these teams, shall we?" She pulled out a toy bucket from behind her back—she'd been fiddling with it before. "This has the names of all of the boys here. Since there are an even number of guys and girls, then the girls will each come up one at a time and choose a name. No swapping, though! Once you get your name, Kakashi-sensei will be right here ready to write it down, okay?"
She looked over to Kakashi, expecting a nod or noise of some sort from him, but he was silent. She gritted her teeth and swung the bucket into his head. He finally nodded, visible eye making that same annoyed from that Shikamaru had had on his face.
"Okay! Now come and line up!"
I shall admit this now. Despite the fact that Anko was one of my favorite teachers, she often acted as though we were only 8 years old or something, while all of us here were at least twice that, or older. I sighed, and got to my feet, standing behind Hinata.
"W-who do y-you think y-you'll be t-teamed up w-with, Sakura?"
"No clue, but I hope it's not that guy," I muttered, pointing to a guy with a black bowl cut and an ugly green Speedo who had winked at me in return.
Hinata gave a quiet laugh, "T-that's Lee…Rock Lee. He m-may seem really w-weird at first, b-but he's actually r-really nice."
"You know him?" I looked at her in surprise.
"N-not really that w-well, b-but he was in two of my c-classes last year."
"Well if you think he's nice, then he must be, huh?" I was just going by my gut, as Hinata wasn't really that open and friendly around any guys she didn't know.
"S-sorta…"
"Sakura, pick a name!"
Ino nudged my back, and pointed towards Anko, who was holding the brightly coloured plastic bucket out in front of her like an insane offering to some sort of God.
I took a breath and reached my hand in, shuffling around the folded papers before deciding on one and pulling it out. I closed my eyes and opened the paper.
"Sakura! You got him!"
Bwahaha, another cliffhanger :p please don't kill me...oh, and if anyone found trouble submitting reviews that were unauthorized, I checked, and it was set to off. I fixed it, so they should work now. Sorry about that --;;
Reviews are loved,
Citree
