Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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♥ Chapter XX: Troublesome Trouble! Shikamaru's Plan♥
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"So?"

"'So' what?" said Shikamaru, slightly annoyed.

"What's your plan, genius?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms, looking highly displeased.

"I've no plan as of yet. But listen", he added, lowering his voice as a giggling Cindy, clinging to Sasuke, walked past the library's open door. "I've heard some rumors… that Sakura is dating James."

Everyone stared at him, gaping.

"WHAT!" Ino, Naruto and Tenten shouted, looking half-furious and half-surprised.

"My dears, please be quiet", said the librarian, looking distressed.

"I told you to listen", Shikamaru hissed as Sakura and James passed, chattering happily.

"OK, we're listening", Neji said, putting a hand on Tenten's shoulder which was quivering out of an odd combination of rage, shock, sadness and other explosive feelings.

"We've no evidence yet that Sasuke is dating Cindy", Shikamaru explained.

"But they're together all the time!" Naruto complained. "And they're… they're snogging, damnit!"

"Shh!" Temari hushed him. "Continue, Shikamaru."

"Well, they're together all the time, and they're making out, but it doesn't prove anything. It could just be that Cindy is flirty as she always is, it doesn't actually mean that they're officially dating."

"Of course not", Ino frowned. "Because she's officially dating his cousin."

"Yeah. Which means that if we can awaken some guilt in Sasuke, maybe we could make him realize the situation and have him push away Cindy", Shikamaru finished.

"But that wouldn't work." Naruto wrinkled his forehead.

"Why?" Ino demanded to know, and gave Naruto a 'don't-insult-my-boyfriend's-intelligence-if-you-don't-want-to-die' look.

"Because Sasuke's cousin was the mere reason why Cindy broke up with him to begin with", Neji filled in. "That'd mean he wouldn't mind making Cindy cheat on his cousin."

"Heartless teme", Tenten muttered, and then added: "But how about Sakura? Any ideas?"

"I-I've one. I… I think so, at t-t-the very l-least", Hinata stammered, raising her left hand slightly.

"We're eager to hear you, Hinata-chan", Naruto encouraged her. Hinata blushed and gave him a grateful glance, before saying:

"Sakura-chan w-would probably b-b-be easier to calm d-down if C-Cindy-san left."

"Hmm, yeah. Anyone knows when she's leaving?" Temari asked. They all shook their heads.

"But firstly", said Shikamaru, "We need to know what happened clearly. We need clear facts, not 'maybe'-rumors and 'if'-guesses. First of all, we need to clear out that conversation from the day before yesterday."

"So it all began with James coming." Tenten arched her eyebrows thoughtfully. "And he asked where Sakura was, didn't he?"

"And then someone answered that she wasn't here, I think", Ino added. "And then James said something that made Sasuke-kun mad…"

"Aha. There's a clue", Shikamaru said, with a slight smirk.

"I think he said that Sakura was sick. But that couldn't have made Sasuke angry, could it?" Tenten looked puzzled.

"He might've been the cause of her illness. But that seems highly impossible, unless there was poisoned food or similar at the party", Neji added. "It must've been an event at the party that they were talking about. Sakura seemed perfectly healthy and content before the party."

"Yeah. Maybe she skipped school?" Temari suggested.

"Sakura-chan? Never", Naruto answered with a tone of disbelief in his voice.

"What did she say after that?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Well, Cindy said something like, 'You're hanging around with my cousin only because of me'." Ino sighed. "I don't get this at all."

"M-maybe she meant that S-Sasuke-kun was with S-Sakura-chan b-because she w-was like C-Cindy-san…", Hinata stammered.

"Hmm. That'd be a good enough reason for Sakura to stay at home", said Neji.

The conversation continued. At last, they had gathered enough details to get what was going on.

"That teme…!" Naruto spat. "He was with Sakura just because… just because she was like Cindy? And then he dumped her because of that… that… that…"

Naruto couldn't find any suitable words, and argued hotheadedly with her brain to find a good insult.

"… bitch?" Ino supplied helpfully.

"Yea", Naruto finished, content.

"That doesn't sound like Sasuke", Shikamaru frowned.

"Yeah… you're right." Tenten frowned too. "We all know Sasuke as a nasty ice cube, but seriously… use Sakura for that? She's not a tool!"

"You've got a point there. Maybe it's a misunderstanding…", Neji said and heaved a sigh. The other sighed too. Their planning was getting nowhere…

"How troublesome", Shikamaru commented as always, and everyone sighed again.

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"Sasuke-kuuuuun, what do you think about my dress?" said Cindy with her most charming voice. Sasuke felt for a moment to tell her to act normal, when he realized that Cindy was acting normal… at least, what was normal for her.

"Hn", Sasuke simply responded. He hid a grimace. He didn't like Cindy's dress at all; it was white, pretty and short… but every time he saw it he wanted to puke. Sure, Cindy was pretty, but it just didn't suit her… he fought with his mind for a while for the perfect model in the dress, and found a satisfying image of a girl in the dress, a girl with green eyes and pink hair -

What was he thinking about again? Sasuke shook off the thought. Why do I keep thinking about Sakura? he thought furiously as Cindy babbled on about all the new dresses she had bought.

"Sakura", he said with slight annoyance, "Shut up. You're annoying."

Cindy frowned.

And frowned.

And frowned.

"What?" Sasuke said, even more irritated.

"Sasuke-kun", Cindy said accusingly. "My name is not Sakura."

Oops.

"And don't tell me to shut up. That's very rude, in case you haven't noticed. Besides, annoying is the least I can call you, because all you ever say is 'hn' and 'aa'."

"Hn."

"See, there you go again!"

You're supposed to ask whether it's a 'yes' or 'no' when I say 'hn'. You're supposed to say 'oh, sure' when I tell you to shut up, he thought, frustrated.

That's not Cindy, Inner Sasuke yawned. That's Sakura. She says all the stuff you were thinking about before.

"Sasuke-kun, are you angry with me?" Cindy said with a sweet voice and leaned closer to him. "Hm? Hm?"

Yes, Sasuke answered in his thoughts. Because you're not acting normal.

"Don't be angry, okay?" she continued softly and leaned in to kiss him. Sasuke responded the kiss with closed eyes, but when the kiss ended and they both opened their eyes, he thought once again that Cindy had pink hair and green eyes.

CINDY HAS BLUE EYES, NOT GREEN! he yelled in his mind.

Can you be quiet? I'm trying to listen to my iPod, Inner Sasuke answered.

"Sasuke-kun? You look weird? What is it?" Cindy chirped.

I can't tell her. She'd go berserk, Sasuke thought.

"Nothing", he grunted.

"Oh, you're so grumpy", Cindy pouted. "Why can't you be a little romantic?"

"What do you want me to say? 'My beloved cherry blossom'?" Sasuke made a grimace.

"That sounds like a good nickname, Sasuke-kun", Cindy beamed. Sasuke vomited in his mind.

HEY! Why must I always clean up after you? Inner Sasuke complained as he watched Sasuke throwing up inwardly.

"Sakura, that's what James calls you", Sasuke said after some inner puking.

"For the forty-eleventh time this morning, Sasuke-kun, I'm not called Sakura! My name is Cindy! C-I-N-D-Y!" Cindy then calmed down and smiled with a sickly sweetness again. "You must've been with her too much when you were missing me, ne? That's so cute of you… Sasuke-kun."

And they kissed again.

Yeah, that must be it, Sasuke thought as the kiss deepened. I must've hung around with Sakura too much when Cindy was away, and that's why I keep thinking Cindy is Sakura now.

But he had a feeling it wasn't the truth.

---

"My dearest cherry blossom", said James in his most seducing voice, "You look wonderful today. Simply wonderful."

Sakura hid a grimace as he bent forward and kissed her cheek. "Uh… arigatou, James", she tried to thank him gratefully, as she started walking with a quick pace to prevent him from kissing her any further.

Suddenly, she felt herself crashing into someone.

"Ouch!" said Sakura as she fell backwards onto the floor. In front of her stood a very familiar person with black chicken-hairstyle, accompanied by none other than an even more familiar person with gold-brown hair and blue eyes.

"Sakura", sneered Cindy scornfully.

"Are you okay –", Sasuke began, but was interrupted by James.

"My beloved cherry blossom, how are you? Did that bastard hurt you?" James shot Sasuke a nasty glare, but Sasuke growled menacingly without the slightest trace of fright.

"I feel pretty alright", Sakura responded as she arose, taking James' hand. She saw Sasuke twitch a second, to her delight, as James' grasp of her hand tightened slightly.

"Sakura, can we talk for a moment?" Sasuke asked abruptly.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke", Sakura replied coolly, narrowing her eyes and emphasizing the fact that she didn't pronounce the suffix '-kun'. "I'm actually speaking with James-kun right now, aren't I, James-kun?" She beamed up at James, who kissed her cheek, and she saw Sasuke twitch again.

"Yes, you are, my beloved cherry blossom", he murmured and kissed her other cheek too.

Twitch. Twitch.

"… Oh, James-kun", she sighed with pretended happiness.

Twitch. Twitch.

"Sakura-chan…" James bent down to kiss her…

"Let's go, Cindy", Sasuke muttered and began dragging away Cindy, much to her dismay.

"Ouch! Let go, Sasuke-kun! It hurts! Ow… where're we going!"

Sakura pulled away from James' kiss as soon as Sasuke had disappeared out of sight, feeling as nauseous as though she had just kissed a frog. Or even worse, a slug.

Which she had just done. She had kissed the perverted slug James.

Sakura ran for the toilets. "Where're you going, my dear cherry blossom?" James called after her.

Sakura didn't answer. Halfway to the toilets, she leaned towards a wall and ejected the hamburger she had had for lunch.

---

"James, our plan was to drive Sakura away from Sasuke-kun so I could've him and you could have Sakura!" Kari spat at him in a shadowy, empty corner of the schoolyard. "How can you abandon me now? Our plan is far from complete! Have you realized that that thing Cindy is still together with Sasuke-kun?"

James shrugged. "I don't care. My part of the plan has succeeded. I've gotten Sakura as my girlfriend, and there's nothing more I could ask for."

"Really?" Kari smirked a ruthless smirk. "How do you know if she won't return once Sasuke-kun's dear Cindy leaves, eh? Don't you want to assure that Cindy leaves now so that Sasuke-kun can be mine and Sakura yours?"

"Certainly not. If she returns to that bastard once Cindy leaves, I'll make her stay forever. And if Cindy still leaves, then we'll just have to solve the problem then and after that, everything will be fine."

Kari gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "Is that what I get as thanks, eh? I help you two get together, and you can't even help me get Sasuke-kun? How cruel of you."

"I warned you I'd stop cooperate once I got Sakura", James reminded her with a cold voice. "And if you don't mind, I'll return to her now."

"Do you want me to tell her that you actually planned with me that we'd drive her and Sasuke-kun apart from each other? Is that you want?" Kari threatened.

"Ah, if I must be reminded, I can remember that you were the one saying the final thing that drove her away from the bastard. Why would she believe you when you've betrayed you two's friendship?"

Damn, Kari swore in her thoughts. And I thought that he was stupid…

"Therefore, I'm sorry to announce our plan has come to an end. Goodbye", said James and walked away, leaving an angered Kari.

---

"Well, I've a plan", Shikamaru sighed as the group met again after school.

"Finally. We've been discussing this all day, and I've already received a headache due to all thinking", Ino groaned, and massaged her hurt head.

"So what's your plan?" Tenten asked, ignoring her friend's complaints.

"I don't think you'll like it, but it's our last chance…" Shikamaru heaved another sigh. "How troublesome."

Happy 300 reviews! I'm glad that I've received so many reviews, all thanks to you guys. Please continue to review!
Thank you for the patience (even though I've to say to some, if you were SO eager to see updates, why didn't you bother reading WHY I can't update? -.-). I'll update once in a while, when I feel for doing so, and I hope you won't mind that. Right at the moment, I've caught a cold, is sitting here coughing so hard in front of the computer it feels like I'm gonna throw up, have been crying so hard my eyes sting (his funeral is on Thursday, and I don't wanna go because it means I'm letting go of him, that I know he's gone, which I don't wanna do), feels like my world is upside-down.

And thanks for all the concern guys... I know I'm not alone. I've my friends and family irl, all who're very supportive (even though some are lesser -.-)... but still, I miss Zed. Really, really much. And it feels really hard to write anything right now. (For you who're really impatient, the next chapter is already done, I'm working on the twenty-fifth chapter right now and despite trying, my writing feels so "soulless", so... empty.

Right now, I'm depressed, confused and angry. I swear, if I meet that motorbike rider someday, I'm gonna kill him for sure. And I'm normally not a particularly violent person since I'm not really strong (if you don't count with my nails), but once I get mad... you should look out. And if that GODDAMNED motorbike rider is reading this, then... FUCK YOU, YOU ASSHOLE, YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU IDIOTIC BASTARD... (Sporty Thievz - Hitmen: I want him dead. I don't care how you do it, I don't care when you do it, I just want him dead. I want his mother dead, I want his father dead... I want his DOG dead!)

Sorry for bothering you with my personal problems. Gomen nasai gozaimasu.