As we stared at each other I tried to figure out what I could say to make this a little less

As we stared at each other I tried to figure out what I could say to make this a little less…weird…awkward.

I turned around at the sound of light footsteps and saw the purple haired bully, Ami and her two lackeys coming up behind Sakura and I 'Looks like your having a lot of fun today.' Ami smirked and I knew I had to stand up for her. Because if I didn't, who would?

"I never thought I'd fight you. At least I didn't think it'd happen this soon…" my words were slow as I tried to figure them out while throwing images of a weaker pink haired girl being bullied out of my head "But I won't go easy on you." We stared at each other but I knew for a fact that neither of us was truly here. I could see that glazed over look in her eyes. She, like I was remembering the past. "Yeh!! Go Sakura!! Woo!" it was Naruto again "Don't lose!"

"Begin. " At the words from the jounin to our side we both leapt forwards, Sakura feinted this way and that before throwing a round house kick to my head but I ducked, then lowering my stance into a horse stance (my legs spread out and bent at the knees in a sturdy position) I punched to her mid section. She however, blocked.

Damn it…. She's not going to make this easy is she…

Blows later, kunais were thrown and we were already a bit tired, though this wasn't too bad compared to Asuma making me run. I had just landed an uppercut and she left the clearest opening. Everything happened in slow motion and out of instinct my right fist was flying at her face and she winced, knowing that she couldn't block it. But damn it! If she hadn't winced I would have knocked her out stone cold and been on my way. Ninjas never hesitate but…what was I suppose to do when the memory of her staring at me, blush fresh on her cheek from shyness floated past my eyes? Damn it though!

The punch, a punch for an opponent, for a fight, for a fair match ended as something else entirely…it ended as a slap across her face. A slap that held how much I missed her, my anger and disappointment at our broken friendship…a slap…

She looked at me, staring in confusion. Her calculating eyes screamed that she understood me. Or maybe…realization? I don't know… But I stared back at her then…I winced. I had slapped her…I had done it. That pitiful girl who called me a Cosmos and she, herself a mere thoroughwort, a tiny little sprucing that complemented the Autumn Cherry Blossom…I slapped her…

"All right, listen up Ino." I gasped in surprise then noticed her clenched fists…what was going on??

"I'm not going to fight with you over Sasuke."

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?? Where did THAT come from? Did she just say that I wasn't even worth the time?! Oh hell no! That's it, no more nice Ino!

"What did you say?!" the words spilled out of my mouth in outrage as I awaited her explanation "I'm not the same weak, needy girl I used to be. You're not even on my radar!" that little….that was a painful blow….but I wouldn't let her see it. I won't be weak, I won't be real. I'll be exactly who everyone thinks I am and I'll play right into her hands. I know that she said that to rile me up, get my blood boiling. However it did the exact opposite to me. I made my heart stop and my blood freeze. Goosebumps were prickling up on my arms and my sense of hearing became strangely heightened.

"And you're not Sasukes' type INO-PIG" she snarled at me…that…that bitch snarled at me of all people.

"Sakura!" I shouted eyebrows furrowed "You better watch your step! Do you have any idea who your mouthing off to?! You're a crybaby…Sakura!"

"So I'm the bud that hasn't flowered huh?" a tingling sensation went up my spine and I had to resist the urge to shiver as even more memories plaque me.

"A-ano…Ino-chan…" Sakuras head was bent down and her knees were pulled to her chest. I sat in a similar position only I was looser and more comfortable. "Gomen, what?" the sunlight was shining down on our petite forms just sitting in the grass.

"Why did…" her eyes flashed to the ground in shame "why did you give me this ribbon?"

"Nani?" I stared at her confused as she looked back at me in embarrassment before inquiring even more "What is it supposed to mean?"

I giggled softly then smiled "Well…actually…" I looked to the sky with a smile "I thought it would be a real waste for you to wilt away as nothing more than a bud." Out of the corner of my eye I saw her eyes widen then a blush steadily appear on her cheeks as she twiddled with her sandals. I followed her example only with a sad smile as I gently played with a yellow field flower. "I mean…how sad is it for flowers to never bloom?"

A large gust of wind blew over us causing my short hair to waver gently. I looked to her wide eyes "Because for all we know that little bud…" two Sakura petals twirled around each other in the wind in front of our faces "it may become even more beautiful than the Cosmos." I giggled again. Did she understand? Did she hear the flowers voices, the flowers saying that she would become great? Saying that she wouldn't need to rely on me later on? Did she understand?

"Hey. We gotta finish our assignment."

She answered softly, if a bit fragile but continued to sit there. Was something wrong?

"What's wrong Sakura?"

"Oh I just got a bit of dirt in my eye when I fell." I laughed. Oh…

"Hahah. You're so clumsy."

The memory was so fresh in my mind, as if yesterday. Those days….
Sakura lifted her hands up and began untying her headband. My vision was overtaken by white that turned into green and pink. Two blurs of red and purple were in front of each other. If I zoomed in closer those blurs became us. Two ninja, two friends. Or rather…two ex-best friends

Sakura had just finished telling me how she got onto Sasuke's team and was giving me back the headband "…and when I put this headband on my forehead…that's when I become a true shinobi." We put our hands together "Me too….until then…." Another flash of white flashed past my eyes and tiny white dots faded away to revealed the girl standing in front of me today. I smirked. I knew what she was doing…and I understand! Sakura…

We both tied our Hita-ate onto their rightful places and stood across from each other. Here goes the real fight. Because this time…let us use our full powers…and to the best of our ability…have a fair fight!

I had just caught Sakura by binding her with hair that I cut off of my head. Hah! That's what she gets for underestimating me! She thought that I was going to try to enter her mind , tch, as if I was stupid enough to do that without her immobilized. Well now I'm in her mind and DAMN is it weird. Everything here is constantly in motion, swirling, luckily it's pretty calm in here, absolutely no resistance. I smirk as I began to move around in her body, allowing myself to become comfortable. It's kind of weird being in somebody else's body but after awhile you get a feel for it… It's really hard to explain but, each person, each body is slightly different because the way they think and eat and basically treat themselves. My best bet is that her spirit is moving around so much because she's changing and growing. Other than that she's pretty healthy, although there is a little bit of resistance here…It could be looser, probably her being on guard.

"Woooo! Yeh!! Go Sakura-chan!" 'Naruto??'I felt myself droop a little bit 'why won't anyone cheer for me?' "YEH!! WOO!"

I mentally slapped myself, I wouldn't let them know what I was thinking and…and what if somehow Sakura could hear my thoughts? That would definitely not go well. Tch.

Thinking about that though I began to laugh... There is no way that I know of that she and I could inhabit her body at the same time. There's enough room, I suppose…but the control would be much too hard to deal with. "Good try…Sakura…" Maybe she can here this, or maybe she can't-one thing is certain though. Everyone else can. My new face widened into a smirk, teeth bared and all. Wonder how I've made her look to everyone?

"Beat her up, Sakura-chan!"

'Heh…' my voice echoed all around me. It was a bitter sound that I was unused to hearing 'It's all over now...this is it…Ja-ne..Sakura-chan.' Her arm began to raise slowly, I was drawling out the full effect. Still, a little bit of doubt pinched at me. I shoo-ed it off.

"I, Haruno Sakura, will give-" "NOOOOOO!" I stiffened 'that little gaki…1' "Sakura-chan!' I glared; he was only denying the inevitable.

"Damn it…he's so noisy." However…I couldn't help but wish that Chouji or, or even Shikamaru would care that much to be loud…to cheer for me…

The blond boy bent over the rails and cupped his mouth with both hands to increase the loudness of his already loud voice. "Look how far you've come to get to this point! It's going to be a disgrace if you lose to that…uhm…" he looked a little out of it as he tried to think of something to say "that…that Sasuke obsessed freak?!"

My heart would have stopped at those words had I been in my original body however…no…nope Sakura's heart was still beating. Is that how he really thinks of me? That I'm an obsessed freak?! Tch…no more than his favorite little cherry blossom here. The one whom ignored his affection and felt for the ever handsome Sasuke-kun! No more than Naruto's obsession for her!

All the while the smirk never wavered on Sakura's face. I wouldn't let those words mess me up. A ninja has no emotion! "It's useless telling those words to me right now."
ZIP!
Like that my control was almost snapped from me. A jolt of pain went through my mind and I felt the area around me began to burn hotly like the sun on a summer day. No, now it was like being in lava. However hot it got though I remained frozen…somehow…She's resisting…how is this possible? I began to panic because as far as I know she should be out like a light. The chill rose up though and its icy fingers tickled the back of my neck. "NARUTO SURE IS NOISY!" shit… I know that voice…

"I can't believe that I let Ino do this…" "Sakura… I can't believe…this can't be…" my hold on Sakura's hair tightened. She couldn't be here! This interference!! This isn't possible!

I grunted in pain. Imagine having a screaming voice in your head while being trapped in an oven or on a grill or something then having ice laid on top of you. That could almost describe how I felt.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her voice was that of a battle cry as she pushed against me, calming my scream "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I'M GIVING UP!"

'what is it?' I thought confused as a freezing cold hand pressed against my face. This part of Sakura…who would have known she would have such a monster like this in her?!

She rose up in front of me as if a giant on steroids. "MONSTER?!" she bellowed, voice all around me. My essence seemed to quiver beneath her and suddenly, all too suddenly I couldn't breathe. A constricting force wrapped around me and there seemed to be a blurry yet faintly visible outline of hands around me. "INO! YOUR GOING TO BE IN WAY BIGGER TROUBLE THAN YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN IF YOU DON'T LEAVE RIGHT NOW!" 'noo!' I screamed in frustration 'I can't…ugh I have to leave right now!' with my last bit of wavering strength I made Sakura's fingers weave together 'kai!2' suddenly, like a gust of wind I was back inside my own body. I slammed into myself unceremoniously, as if I'd run into a brick wall. All the air was knocked from me. Luckily it seems that Sakura was in no better state than I. Still….

"How can you…have two spirits?! Just...just what are you?!"

Sakura stopped huffing enough to smirk "Someone who's just as strong as she is beautiful. Tch. I mean, a girls gotta be tough if she's gonna survive something like this." I wanted to snarl at her but decided that took too much strength, strength I didn't have. Slowly both of us rose to our feet, sweat dripped down my chin. Now everyone thinks I'm weak! If I lose to her…

"This ends right now!"

If I lose to her…. Memories swirled in my head and made me dizzy, or maybe that was my lack of chakra. No…I refuse to be weak… but…she's just Sakura… Our fist met each other's cheeks and suddenly I was flying backwards.

No… no she's not stronger than me. She can't have gotten this much better than me, at least not that fast… I…or maybe it's I whom has gotten weaker…

I tried to rise from the ground and through blurry eyes I saw Sakura doing the same. But…but it's too hard…my vision is fuzzy and little black dots are swimming around in front of me.
So…I've lost…well…ok…

"Hey…hey Ino…hey…" ugh…that voice is so annoying… jeeze I just want to sleep… "HAHA! Your awake!" there was a probing at my side but now it's stopped. I smiled. Good…now I can sleep.

"HEYYYYYYYYYYY!" I screamed. Somebody was shaking me by the shoulders. "Back…OFF!" and so I punched and what do you know, it lands. Opening my eyes I stared in wonder at the grinning Naruto. He laughed and scratched the back of his blond head.

"Naruto… why?" he stopped laughing and opened up his beautiful orbs of blue.

"Eh?" of course…the guys a bit slow but jeeze…. "Why did you wake me up first?"

Yep, that's right. Dunder head over here, instead of waking up his pink haired crush, woke me up. Cute…but an idiot none the less.

"Uhm…uh..because uhm…" he blushed…probably out of embarrassment from realizing what an idiot he is. Tch….Boys these days.

"Errr but never mind that!" he threw his hands into the air "Your technique is so weird!" His eyes sparkled and I felt my face heat up…minimally of course. Must be the blood flowing. "I mean, how do you go into someone's head? That's just, just so cool!" Cool? I raised an eyebrow. I usually was NOT called cool when I used that technique. Most people were a little put off by it actually…which doesn't make sense because I mean, look at all the other things people do with their chakra. The ones I do are hardly weird compared to others.

"Well…." I heard a grunt and stopped talking to look to my side. Sakura's eyes were hidden by her bangs however the pace her chest was rising and falling at led to one thing. "So your waking up huh?" I smiled at her as the others continued to yell. I shooed Naruto away and he began to cheer.

"Yeh!! Tenten use the power of youth!" that sounded like those two weird guys with the bowel cut…but never mind that. Sakura seemed confused as she gazed at the backs of the boys.

"Our match is already over" I explained softly her eyes instantly became glossy and she began to nibble on her lower lip "So..so did I lose then?"

I wanted to laugh. But no, that would be rude. She thinks she lost to me? No…it was the other way around… I turned my head, blond bangs swinging to hide my face and act as a barrier "That's no fair. I'm the one who wants to cry…." And it was true. I did want to cry. I never will become better… but technically it was a tie "to think I tied with you…I can't believe that happened." I closed my eyes to cut off the tears in my eyes. "Here." In my hand was her forehead protector. I held it in the air for her "Guess you finally got a flower to bloom. A beautiful flower." Breath…breath…she needs this. I told myself. She deserves this.

There was a sharp intake of breath "Ino…" I began to giggle… it was almost like how we used to be… the weight in my hand vanished as she took her headband

"But Sakura, the next time we fight you don't get to take the easy way out by fainting." This was getting way to serious though. To deep for me…I needed to change it around so that I wouldn't spill my guts on the floor right then and there. I won't let her know I miss her. I won't! Then I remember the one thing that would help get rid of this…this abominable silence! I leaned forewords "And don't forget. I won't just hand over Sasuke-kun to you, understand?!"

I laughed in my head as her fist began to shake. Tch…she doesn't even realize that she took the bait does she? "Oh yeh Ino?! Well that goes double for you! Pig!" I glared at her but inside I was smiling, oh well, might as well play this predictable character out a little longer.

"Now the seventh match. Naruto Uzumaki and Inuzuka Kiba." We all watched as the dropout ran down to meet the handsome but sharp around the edges boy Kiba. Kiba had one hand on his hip, the other dangling lazily at his side. Hood on his head and Akamaru staring curiously out of his jacket he was quit the figure. Naruto was ecstatic.

"I've been waiting forever for this!" Naruto shouted with his arms waving around, "so don't take it personally when I beat you down!".
Oh oh…. Naruto just seems to have a knack for pushing people's buttons… Suddenly dog boys index finger was pointing at Naruto angrily "Just what makes you think you can beat me?! Anyways that's what I was going to say, only not so politely! Right Akamaru." There was a yip in reply.

Oh boy… these two together…that's like trapping two hurricanes in a room. I sweat dropped as Naruto threw HIS finger foreword.

"Oh yeh?! Well…Talking's easy! Let's see what you've got to say when I'm done with you!"

I feared for Naruto. Kiba wasn't one who you could so easily mess with. Hopefully though he wouldn't use Akamaru on Naruto…things then could get realllly ugly…yet…I'm curious on what Naruto can do…just a little bit. Right at that thought Kiba set Akamaru onto the ground.

"Are you kidding me? What's that pup doing here?! He'll get in the way!" I nearly banged my head into the railings at the boy's stupidity. Doesn't he know about the Inuzuka clan?!

"Deal with! I never go into battle without Akamaru by my side." "Yip! Yip!"

"Come onnnn. Isn't that against the rules or something?!"
Oh. My. KAMI! Will they ever start to fight?!

"Akamaru. You stay right here and leave this to me, I've got it."

"GO ON NARUTO! GET HIM!" I allowed my eyes to linger over to Sakura. I'd cheer for Naruto too but… I'm afraid... what would everyone else think of me? Besides I didn't hear him cheering for me… but…what if he did…

"Tch... Kiba sure is lucky..." Chouji started to munch on his chips, the ground was now open to diss Naruto...but...'but he might have a chance!' I wanted to scream. "Yeh Naruto's definitely got a little to no chance thing going on...last time was only a fluke because he felt truly threatened at his and his friends life..." I sweat dropped. If Shikamaru thought that then...but...

I clenched my fist tightly around the pole and swallowed a lump in my throat. Wetting my lips I decided to speak "No..."I think that he might bring more to the table then we think, I mean, remember how he went all powerful and stuff? Remember? It wasn't a fluke! That was him!"...he has no chance." What the hell?! I stared in confusement at the ground as Kiba and Naruto continued to argue. But...I didn't want to say that! Why did the first snobby response come out?! What the hell is wrong with me?! I can't control myself any more?!

"Yo Ino, you alright? Munch munch munch" the boy with the endless stomach spoke to me with a tone in his voice; worry. I suddenly felt bad. I love attention. Attention, when people show me they care, I just lap it up like a dog. But…but it's horrible of me to purposely get pity out of a kind hearted guy like Chouji…

I waved him off "Yeh...I'm fine." down below me a fight was starting...I definitely will pay attention to this.

So...Oh. Meh. GEE! This has taken a millennia to get out. Cheese and crackers. Yes Ida. I do have to say, that I suck. . so anyways eat me. ahha. that was directed at Ida by the way for people reading this XD

So anyways in that which twas read were numbered random things of crap.
So like the numbers were there so you could get what they mean yeh. so…

Gaki1 xXx Gaki is translated into brat
Kai2 xXx Kai is translated into 'release' in the Naruto world.

Also thanks to the many people that have reviewed, favorited, and put Ida and I on their Alert. We luffs you guys Oh. And I am so happy for summer because the free time...well until everyone starts using me as the personal slave . but hopefully I can dodge that for the most part... and find internet o.O Otherwise, expect fast updates D

Mkay, this is Ida aka Lamps and I'm posting this for elishia since she doesn't have that much access over there in the South –insert Southern accent-

Ill try to get my part up soon and then we'll see if elishia can get hers to me or posted by herself, but don't expect that much.

Hearts hearts and all that jazz.