N.O.-S.A.N.C.T.U.A.R.Y: Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took so long, I was writing it out in my notebook first and I couldn't get any ideas...

Once again I apologize if you think I am a Sakura-basher; I am not, I'm just giving the spotlight to her rival.

School is coming, so that means I probably won't be on the computer as much or writing stories. So I'm going to update faster, this story should be a few more chapters before the end…

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Please read and review, no flames.

I would like to thank my great beta reader –Kristine x3-

Chapter 10: Another Point Of View

A pink-haired kunoichi headed for Team 7's training grounds, her sea-foam green eyes planted on the ground below her. She thought back on Sasuke's encounter with her ex-best friend Ino. Sakura was definitely jealous; it took her some time to get where she stood with Sasuke, even if he only acknowledged her as a fellow teammate. When she saw Sasuke and Ino talking, her was filled with rage and jealousy. She clenched her fist and looked up into the rich blue sky.

She thought back on ending the friendship between her and Ino over the Uchiha prodigy. At times she felt it were a mistake; Ino had always been there for her. When Sakura had been made fun of because of her forehead, Ino gave her the confidence she didn't know she had. Ino stuck up for Sakura when she was teased. Sakura looked up to Ino as her remodel.

Ino was always beautiful, confident, and talented. Sakura wanted to be just like her. Sakura sometimes found herself upset for ending such a great friendship. But, when she learned that Ino had liked Sasuke as well, Sakura decided that they would be rivals; Sakura promised herself that she would win Sasuke's heart and become greater than Ino. She would prosper, she would not lose…

Sakura finally arrived at Team 7's training grounds, seeing Sasuke there already leaning against a tree. Sakura approached him, taking a deep breath.

"Hello Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke grunted in response.

"Where's Naruto? I expect Kakashi-Sensei to be late, but not Naruto." Sakura said.

"Hn…Naruto is probably stuffing his face with ramen." He said in his usual cold tone. Sasuke had opened up a bit more to Sakura and Naruto, which made her happy that it was progressing.

Sakura chuckled and then looked down. "By the way Sasuke-kun, I want to say, sorry for being so nosy the other day." She quickly bowed and stayed there in sign of respect.

Sasuke looked at her, about to say something, but then saw Kakashi and Naruto. Noticing Naruto and Kakashi's chakra, she raised her head to yell.

"You're both late!" Sakura said, pointing at them.

Naruto ruffled his hair in embarrassment. "Sorry about that Sakura-chan, I was hungry so I stopped by the ramen bar!" He explained and sweatdropped.

"You baka!" Sakura huffed.

They began to train, practicing aiming kunai at targets. As they practiced, Sakura noticed Sasuke seemed a bit distracted. He chucked a kunai at the wooden target, successfully hitting it. His onyx eyes kept glancing in a certain direction. Sakura hit a few targets and bent slightly, panting. She looked in the direction in which Sasuke looked. She narrowed her eyes; Ino was training, sparring with Shikamaru, Chouji watching them.

Sasuke is looking at Ino…but why? Sakura contemplated. Am I really losing to Ino, again?

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Ino made her punches become swifter; Shikamaru dodged her punches, catching her fist. Ino aimed a kick at him to break his grip, causing him to let go of her hand and duck to avoid her kick.

"Not bad," Shikamaru said, dodging her kick and aiming punches at her.

Ino smirked. "Well of course, you have no idea who you're fighting with!" She said confidently, holding her arms up defensively while dodging his punches. She was feeling good today for some reason, feeling like her old self.

Shikamaru jumped to her right and started rapidly kicking at her. She continued to dodge his attacks, smirking while ducking and shuffling to dodge his kicks. As she looked up, onyx met blue. Her eyes glimmered in surprise, as she made eye contact with Sasuke, making the mistake of letting her guard down.

She felt a blow to her face, sending her stumbling backwards.

"Never let your guard down." Shikamaru smirked cockily.

Ino stuck out her tongue. "Shut up," She wiped the blood trailing from her mouth. "I'm exhausted let's take a break."

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Sasuke threw another kunai into the target. He felt his heart racing; when he made eye contact with Ino, he thought his heart jumped out of his chest. He never liked making eye contact with people, it always meant that there was a connection, and connections were useless. He growled frustratingly and threw more kunai into the targets. He didn't understand what was going on with him. He had started thinking about Ino a lot more now, she wouldn't leave his mind. It made him angry and he was confused.

"Okay take a break," Kakashi said while turning a page to his perverted book. The mysterious jounin glanced at Sasuke. "Something wrong, you look furious."

Sasuke retrieved his kunai and looked at his sensei. "No." He replied plainly. As he took the kunai out of the targets, his onyx eyes glanced in Ino's direction, watching her sit down on a flat rock and drink some water.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, watching Sasuke sit down.

Ah…young love…Just didn't think it'd be Sasuke out of all people…Kakashi thought, smiling through the fabric of his mask.

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Ino drank from her water bottle and sighed.

"How did you get so distracted back there?" Shikamaru asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I just let my guard down," She then smiled. "Just know that it won't happen again." She smirked confidently.

Shikamaru smirked. I'm glad she's back to her old self. He thought.

Ino looked up at the sky. I didn't realize that the spot we chosen to train was near Team 7's training grounds…It's too late to leave now, it would make it obvious…Ino thought. She thought of when they made eye contact, her heart starting to beat faster.

"Ino!"

Ino didn't pay attention to her teammate, her mind elsewhere. Suddenly a kunai was thrown in her direction. It took her a few moments to register what was aiming straight at her.

"Whoa!" Ino rolled out the path of the kunai.

"Shikamaru!" Ino glared at her teammate.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he watched the kunai pierce the tree, right beside Sasuke's head, slicing off a thin strand of his raven-hair. His onyx eyes were narrowed angrily.

"Look what you did!" Sakura exclaimed. "You almost hit Sasuke-kun!"

Shikamaru yawned and shrugged.

"My bad, sorry." He said nonchalantly.

Ino hit Shikamaru in the head.

"Are you crazy?"

"Youch!" Shikamaru grabbed his head.

Sakura glared at Shikamaru and then turned her attention to the raven-haired ninja.

"Are you alright Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grunted and drew the kunai from the tree. He tossed the kunai to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru caught the kunai and twirled it around lazily.

"Hey next time watch what you're doing! Someone could get hurt!" Sakura said.

Ino frowned, running a hand through her hair. "He said sorry Sakura."

"Are you blind! Sasuke-kun could have gotten seriously hurt!" Sakura exclaimed worriedly.

"You're blowing this way out of proportion. I'm sure Sasuke would have dodged it anyway." Ino glowered.

Sakura glared back. How dare Ino say she was overdoing it! But she wondered, was she yelling at Ino on Sasuke's behalf, or for her own personal reasons? It was definitely for Sakura's own personal problem with Ino. She looked over at her teammates.

Naruto laughed, pointing at Sasuke.

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke said and hit Naruto.

"What was that for Sasuke-teme!" Naruto glared at him.

Sakura looked and saw that Ino and her team had left…

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It had been a few hours after training, and Sakura was sitting in the park, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She sighed.

I can't believe Sasuke was so distracted today…Ino is winning, and even though I don't want to admit it…she is. Ino is ruining my chances of being with him…I made a promise to myself that I would win his heart…and I can't break that promise. I have to do this; I can't let her take him away from me… She thought.

Sakura wanted to be the one that people envied and respected, she wanted to get the positive attention, she wanted Ino to be envious of her, instead of her always being envious of Ino.

She supposed that is why she wanted to win Sasuke's heart. To make Ino envious of her…For Ino to be the one to lose for once...

As she looked around, she saw Ino walking in her direction, eating an apple. Sakura stood up and walked over to Ino, stopping in front of her.

"I will not lose to you."

"Likewise." Ino retorted.

And then they both went their separate ways.

N.O.-S.A.N.C.T.U.A.R.Y. - Hoped you liked! As you can see I'm getting things moving now! So expect more Sasuke/Ino moments for the sake of the story.