Chapter 2

"Man double history really sucks!" complained Ino, while flopping to the ground under the sakura tree, with a tired look.

"Tell me about it! I finished my new magazine already!" added Tenten, falling to lie down on her back.

"It is-isn't that b-bad." Hinata tried to cheer them up, with a smile.

"Yes Ino. I am surprised that the two of you managed to stay awake." Joked Sakura as she sat down nexted to Hinata, with a smile.

They sat there for a few minutes casually talking, complaining, about their double history lesson. After five minutes a whole bunch of people came sat with them and Ino immediately shot up with excitement.

"Ok everyone! I want you all to meet Sakura!" she said with a huge smile. "So Sakura the guy with the long, brown hair is Neji, Hinata's cousin. You met Tenten. Then the guy with the weird haircut is Rock Lee, but call him Lee and…"

"Your youthfulness is overflowing with the flame of youth! Sakura, my cherry blossom please give me the honour of being your boyfriend!" shouted Lee, kneeling down in front of Sakura, who looked utterly confused.

"Lee!" said Tenten in low hiss, looking very annoyed, while dragging him away from Sakura.

"Ok… Then the guy with the dog is Kiba. The one next to him is Shino. Then that lazy, idiot is Shikamaru and the one with the chips is Chouji. You know Hinata and of course you know Naruto. The guy with the chicken butt on his head is Sasuke." Explained Ino, pointing at each different person. They either said a 'hello' or nodded or mumbled 'troublesome', but all welcomed her into the group.

Now they were lounging around, enjoying their lunch and casually talking amongst themselves. Sakura stayed relatively quiet, listening to the girls talk and update her with what she had missed in the past twelve years. She smiled, laughed and threw in a comment every now then but let Ino, do the rest of the talking. Though, the whole time she could feel someone watching her, subtly but still watching. She took a glance around and saw Sasuke was staring at her. She stared at him for a second and gave him a small smile and he just looked away, again! Sakura turned back to listen to Ino talking. Sometimes it was so hard to be polite all the time, but her father would be upset with her if she didn't show such politeness to one of his clients son's. She inwardly sighed, another thing her father drilled into her head, to never sigh for it was bad manners and ruins one's posture. The light breeze moved a lock of her hair out from behind her ear; she reached up and pushed lightly back. She felt his gaze again on her; she turned her head, fully, and looked at him, a fake smile on her lips this time.

"Is there something I can help you with Sasuke?" she asked in tight, but still polite voice.

Sasuke stared at her for a second, noticing the fake smile and the tightness in her voice. "Hn"

Sakura just widened her smile, and then looked back to Ino, showing her a genuine smile.

"So Sakura tell me what you've been up to since you left? I mean come one surely you had to leave behind some broken hearts right?"

Sakura giggled a little bit. "No Ino, there weren't any boys." Sakura said, calmly. "Life? Well I guess the usual. Academics being top of the list and sport activities. I didn't have time to have a boyfriend, I mean you understand right? Well I better go; I see that I have Maths next." Sakura said in an even, but a slight hint of sadness in her voice.

"I have maths as well, would you like me to show you the class?" asked Neji, Getting up and grabbing his bag.

"Thank you Neji, that is very kind of you. I will see you all later and it was really nice to meet you all." She said, giving everyone a final smile, before she disappeared with Neji.

"Oh Sakura." Whispered Ino, looking at where Sakura just walked away, with a sad look in her eyes.

"Yeah, poor Sakura." Said Naruto having the same sad look in his eyes.

Everyone stared at the two, curiously and confused. Ino saw them; silently asking what was wrong and sighed.

"Sakura's dad is very strict, he doesn't accept anything less then a hundred percent. Ever since Sakura's mother died, her father took away a chance for her to actually breathe without having some kind of rule behind it." Ino said looking at the ground sadly.

"Yeah. Sakura always wants to make sure that her father is pleased, so she sacrifices more then someone should, always making sure that she gives a hundred and ten percent in everything she does." Naruto said looking to the side, he shook his head, and then put on a huge smile. "But it's all good! Sakura is like super smart, and is good at almost anything she does!" he said in happy tone.

The bell then went off, and everyone went to their different classes.

…

It was the end of the day, her first day back home, with her friends and new friends as well. Sakura was busy standing with all her new friends when she saw her ride, she gave a polite bow and 'goodbye' and hoped in to her father's limo. She knew her father was inside so she made sure her movements were a graceful as they could be. Once she was seated, she sat quietly, waiting for him to speak first before she did.

"How was your first day at school?" asked the deep, stern voice of her father, Hiroto Isamu.

"It was very well, father." Sakura replied softly, but politely. Looking at her father with a passive face.

"Very good. I see you have made good friends with my clients children." He said, looking out the window as they drove away.

"I was aware of that, once I learnt their names." She said, still keeping a passive face on.

They were silent for a while. Sakura wasn't allowed to speak, until she was spoken to. She stared out the window thinking of all her new friends that she made today and the amount of homework and studying that she must do that afternoon.

"You will give them these then. They are invitations to a business party that I am holding, their families attendance is very important." He said while sliding a pack of envelopes towards her.

"Yes father." She said, grabbing them, holding them on her lap. They fell into silence again. Sakura stared out the window, she knew what he was doing, and didn't like it one bit, but she had no say in it at all. At least she would be able to see her friends, though that would mean that they would hear the big announcement, that is if he finds someone of which suits his standards.