Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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Like Liquid Rouge
Four.
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Perfection cannot be achieved.
Only endlessly pursued.
Knowing this, would you still seek perfection?
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"Haruno Sakura," the speakers of the school's morning assembly crackled. "You are violating the school dress code again! Kindly see to it that the red ribbon inclusive with the girls' uniform is by your neck by recess."
Sakura rolled her eyes, but dug into her skirt pocket to pull out the thin, dark red ribbon anyway. She looked at it in disgust, and was about to shove it back into her cotton pockets when a long, pale hand stopped her.
"You should abide by the rules, you know," Sasuke reprimanded quietly, tugging the ribbons from her fingers and lifting her collar up so he could tie them for her.
Sakura considered being cruel, considered pulling away from Sasuke, because she was supposed to be mad at him.
Looking up into that perfectly doll-like face, she realized that she couldn't.
Her gaze drifted to the sky over his shoulder, hidden behind the looming walls and painted buildings of the school.
The misty, thin clouds overhead were an interesting shade of gray, blotting out the blue with its mass and size. 'Cirrus clouds', her mind informed unhelpfully.
Funny though, that everything today felt as saturated a gray as the skies overhead. Even Sasuke seemed to lack his shining, cool, sharp attitude he was so infamous for, instead being replaced with this melancholic shadow of a man.
"Its an insult," she sighed, tilting her neck up so he could tie better. "To have us seniors wear such childish ribbons to our already childish uniforms."
Which was true. Her coat hung low, covering most of her skirt, letting only a little glimpse of the dark blue to peek out. It was cute, but also highly immature and unprofessional.
Well, aren't we in a hurry to grow up?
Sasuke sighed, like the conversation tired him. "Just follow the rules, Sakura," he scolded, in that oddly quiet but not unpleasant voice of his one last time before turning away.
She gave his back a wary glance before floating away to find Ino, not bothering to retort with a snappish comment. It seemed, felt wrong to disturb the rare serenity of the quiet morning.
Which, by the way, didn't last very long.
"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, successfully shattering the wispy, glimmering silence that was so comfortable but a moment ago. She frowned at him, annoyed. It was a nice silence, damn it!
Sasuke must've thought the same thing, because he turned around to glare at the blonde who dared defy Sasuke's unwritten book of holy commands and demands. "Idiot," he hissed, with more venom than it usually had.
"Asshole," Naruto retorted back, more out of habit than actual insult.
"Homos," Sai scoffed, rubbing his impending headache. Did they just have to make this much Goddamned noise this early in the morning?
Sakura groaned and slapped Naruto on the chest, because he was closer to her than the other two. "Not this early in the morning guys, please."
Things didn't get any less irritating after that.
"Sasuke-kun," Karin cooed, smiling at him with both her eyes and those lips. "What'cha reading?"
Sakura rolled her eyes from her spot behind their table in the Chemistry Lab. The teacher just had to pair Karin and Sasuke together, didn't he?
Sasuke gave her the look he usually reserved for people who were being monumentally stupid—they were in the chem lab, studying chemistry. The contents of the book was distinguishable to be Chemistry from first glance.
She was trying to make small talk, and Sasuke didn't like small talk.
"Karin," he commanded flatly. "If you have nothing to say, then don't."
Her own lab partner (a weird silvery-haired boy with an equally weird name) snickered, leaning forward to get a better look at Karin and Sasuke. "Have you ever seen a girl that desperate?" he gestured vaguely at Karin and her current attempt of attracting Sasuke's attention.
Sakura didn't usually talk to random guys she didn't know well, but Suigetsu was insulting Karin, and, amidst her inner seething, she grunted a reply. "I agree," she smirked angrily, tapping her pen impatiently hard against the table.
Sakura's gaze slipped back to the table in front of her, watching as Sasuke turned his head minutely towards Karin to say something. She wished she knew how to lip read. Whatever he had said worked, because Karin put on her glasses and turned away.
Out of the corner of Sakura's eye, she spied Naruto and Sai attempting a temporary peace treaty in order to get their experiment done. Judging by the way Sai had just attempted to stuff his chemistry textbook down Naruto's throat, it wasn't going very well.
Sakura sighed. Their chemistry teacher really sucked at pairing pupils up.
"Karin," Sasuke called warningly, his gaze and tone now sharp after her refusal to shut up and back off. "I suggest you stop before my respect for you slips down another notch."
Karin froze. Such cruel words! She bit her lip and put her thick glasses back on, muttering a "Hmph!" as she flipped her head away, as if to make up her lost pride.
Sasuke glared. Girls were so annoying.
Sakura sighed, flipping the exercise book that the teacher had just returned to the class to the first page, to see if she made any mistakes.
Her pink brows drew together. She frowned, then flipped to the second page. The third page. The fourth page. The fifth page. The sixth page…
The word "bitch" was scrawled over every page angrily, in pencil.
She glared. Stupid petty high school grudges. Too bad she didn't know who did it—returning the favor would have been highly pleasurable
Ah, well. Look on the bright side—at least they used pencil instead of pen. Unsatisfied, Sakura started erasing the ugly scrawl off the first index page.
'Somebody really, really hates me,' was the first thought that came to mind when she entered class the next morning.
Sakura stared at her plastic seat, the words, "World's #1 Bitch" written across the front of it in marker pen.
Calmly, she switched her seat with the one next to her and plopped down on the new, free-from-graffiti seat. Sakura rested her chin on the back of her hand as she waited for the rest of her classmates to arrive.
Their first period was Additional Mathematics, something Naruto and Ino didn't take.
Uchiha Sasuke strolled into class casually, and then froze when he was three rows away from his seat.
The words "WORLD'S #1 BITCH" was written across his seat in bold, marker pen.
Sasuke glared. Sakura was the first suspect, since she sat right next to him in Add Maths class. He narrowed his eyes at her casual stance, trying to find something in her body language to call her out on the crime.
Sai, who had been behind Sasuke, tilted his head to the side as he scrutinized the words.
He smiled in amusement when he saw the seat. "So very true!" he grinned now, flashing his pearly whites.
Sasuke's glare hardened even more, if possible. Then, after deciding that he did hate the world after all, he plopped down on the seat, snarling at anybody who dared look his way.
Sakura, amidst her inner sadistic amusement, decided to speak up to save her own life. "I swear," she said, crossing her fingers under the table. "That I have nothing to do with this."
Sasuke turned to her then, eyes locking with hers, trying to find the bluff.
A pause.
He sighed finally, turning away to face the blackboard. Whatever. He didn't care about all this petty high school crap. Everybody in the room could jump off a cliff and burn themselves to death for all he cared.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto laughed, spraying them all with spit and chunks of food. It was recess, and Sakura had just explained the cause of Sasuke's sulking to Naruto.
The three twitched, and attempted to disinfect themselves of Naruto's saliva immediately. Sakura wiped a tissue across her cheek with more force than needed.
Ew, what if she got a pimple tomorrow? Naruto's spit was poisonous, damn it!
"Can we lend the school camera or something? We have to take a picture of this," Naruto exclaimed, and she caught a glimpse of mushy orange and green. Sakura leaned away, scrunching her nose.
"Naruto! Damn it, don't talk with your mouth full!"
"Right, right," Naruto waved his arm impatiently, chewing furiously before swallowing.
"Retard," Sasuke hissed. "If you get a camera, I swear you'll never celebrate Father's day. Ever. For as long as you live."
Sakura grinned, happy. Sasuke was so cute when he threatened to castrate other males!
Hm. Her sadistic side must've been more dominant than anybody thought.
Sai poked into the conversation, ever the helpful friend. "There's nothing to castrate," he informed joyfully.
Naruto turned red. Ganging up on him? Not fair! "Sakura-chaaaaaaaaan," he whined. "They're bullying me!"
Sakura sucked in her cheek. "I have no comment."
"Traitor!" Naruto gasped childishly. And also adorably. He really was too cute for his own good, with that baby face.
Sakura laughed. This sense of normality was rare, better to treasure the moment while it lasts.
"I think," one girl whispered to another. "That she's sleeping with all three of them."
"No, she only has eyes for Sasuke-kun. Can't you see the way she drools over him?"
"Its kind of shameless, don't you think? The way she wants all three of them."
"I wonder how many dicks she's sucked, how many asses she's wiped, to get that far and that high on all three of their priorities list."
"So, what? She's the school slut?"
Sakura walked out the school gate, oblivious to the whispers wrapped around her. Maybe she was ignoring them. Maybe she was just too sassy to let them get to her. Maybe she didn't care about all this petty, mediocre high school rumors.
Whatever the reason, the rumors never stopped, and if anything, the whispers got louder.
"So cheap," a guy behind her scoffed, purposely loud. Because that was what teenagers did—pick a fight and then pretend they don't know what you were talking about when you confronted them.
Was it a coward's way of picking a fight? She wasn't sure. Maybe it was just one of those things a teenager did, what with their rebellious hormones and irrational thoughts, spurred on by the adrenaline of a moment.
The small crowd of his peers laughed, and he seemed to get more motivated. He cupped his mouth and yelled, "How much? How much?" He was facing the other direction, but Sakura knew it was directed at her.
Sakura turned around. "Excuse me?"
The boy hesitated for a moment, mentally and unconsciously sizing her up, from the way he drew up to his full height. But then suddenly he was drawing back again.
"Nothing," he mumbled, and then slouched away.
Sakura turned around, and predictably saw her three best friends there. Naruto crossed his arms, watching the boy walk away disdainfully. Sasuke glared at the group, and slowly, reluctantly, they disbanded, muttering small goodbyes to each other.
"What happened?" Sai cocked a brow.
Sakura contemplated her answer. She could bite her lip and say nothing, avoiding further trouble and suppressing her irritation. Or, she could say something, and watch with satisfaction as the three pummeled the stupid boy to the ground.
Selfish, angry, and a little hurt, she opened her mouth. "He called me cheap," she said, tone carefully blank.
The effect was immediate. Naruto straightened up to his full height, eyes glassy and body rigid, tense. Sasuke glanced at the retreating figure of the boy sharply. Sai stared at her, as if trying to goad her emotion.
Naruto dropped his backpack on the floor and made his way towards the boy, striding in big, powerful steps. His breath hissed out, deep and controlled. Inhale. Pause. Exhale.
Sakura changed her mind. She didn't want to see them gang bang that boy, stupid as he was. The first one to throw the fist was the one at fault.
She caught up next to him. Sakura had to run to catch up. They were halfway across the clearing now--it wouldn't take long to reach the oblivious, retreating figure of that boy.
"Don't, Naruto," she warned, catching the sleeve of his uniform.
"Sakura," he hissed, still glaring at the retreating figure. "I can't just let him go like that."
"Naruto," it was Sasuke's voice this time. He and Sai stood just behind them.
They shared a look. The look. It was that rare moment again, the one where Sakura was left out. Judging from Sai's eyes, he was in on it too.
Sakura sniffed the air, like a wolf. "I smell... a conspiracy," she snapped sarcastically. "You're going to pretend to back off now, when in reality you three will go beat the shit out of him the moment I'm back home."
Sai snorted. "Don't flatter yourself, stupid girl," he scoffed.
Sakura narrowed her eyes, and stepped in front, hands on her waist. The three boys stood next to each other, straight like a soldier, as if Sakura was their commander. Her brain racked for something she could pin them with, something she could use.
She could think of nothing.
"The first one to throw the punch will be the one to meet my fist," she finally threatened. "And, considering the fact that I train under the Tsunade for boxing, it will hurt."
Sasuke looked at her, unimpressed. "Hn," he agreed, as if deciding that her punch would be worth it.
Sakura backtracked, and mentally slapped herself. Repeatedly. Over the face. Like a threat would work on boys!
"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, Sai," she whimpered, and they froze. Sakura hardly ever let anybody see this soft, sensitive side of hers anymore, not since she turned 12, after Sasuke's leave. "Please, please, please don't do it. It'll hurt me. You know it'll hurt me. Do you want to hurt me?"
They didn't answer, bodies made of statue and stone.
A car honked. Her Rolls Royce was somewhere in the background, with Kakashi in the driver's seat. He was leaning over the steering wheel, looking positively bored.
"I have a new driver," she laughed nervously, still using that small, weak, voice they all remembered. She was babbling, another habit she had shed off since she was 12. Since Sasuke left. "He's Hatake Kakashi. He's really nice, we spoke over the phone. Its his first day working as my driver today, you know?"
Naruto sighed, reaching one muscular arm out to catch her in a headlock. "Fine, Sakura-chan. You win."
She smiled. "Yay," she breathed, reaching over to peck Naruto on his jawline.
"I have to go, see you all later, okay?" she smiled, looking younger and smaller than she had ever been. She walked away, her hair swishing to and fro in the wind. "Be good!" she called out, just before she slammed the door to her car.
Naruto grimaced as he watched the back of her retreating car, growing smaller by the second.
He hated lying to her.
Sasuke glanced around, eyes dark, like that of an eagle. A hawk. "Which way did that little fag go again?"
Sakura bit the top end of her pencil, chewing the plastic a little. She had just finished the book report for that "Life" book, and it was surprisingly good. The honor of a soldier dying for his country, the pain and love and bitterness that left your heart with a wound; it was different, to say the least.
Different, in a good way, of course. There was no way she could not get an A, with a report like this!
Satisfied with her proof-read, she flipped her dark folder open, carefully slipping her precious book report into the clear pockets. She took her organizer out and crossed out "book report", smiling as she noted that she was finished with all her tasks.
What a control freak.
She sighed, collapsing on her bed. She felt tired. School was getting harder and harder again. More so than last week, when she was on the phone with father.
That boy with his "You're cheap," sneer. Her chair, with that #1 Bitch thing. Her notebook.
She closed her eyes. It was definitely getting harder.
Why did things always have to be so complicated? Why did whoever it was who was behind all the hurtful rumors single her out? Whose fault was it? Was this karma?
She frowned. Whatever. She would be out of high school and into college-slash-university in a few months, anyway.
She curled into a ball on one side of the bed. The sheets were so soft.
It was the first time she slept without dinner.
A/N: I hope you had as much fun reading as I had with writing.
Thanks for all your reviews, you have no idea how much those mean to me.
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Would you believe me if I said I dislike Gossip Girl? To be honest, I only like the sarcastic comment of a sentence injected after a few paragraphs, haha.
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Also, I was in the bookstore the other day, and saw the book. "Be careful what you wish for". I didn't even know it existed. Now I feel kinda bad for bashing it. Meh.
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Review? Don't hesitate to tell me if its bad.