Sakura has never considered herself very popular, in fact, it was more than likely the opposite. Ever since junior high, the other girls seemed to turn their noses up at her. Sasuke had done that since they were in the cradle, but that didn't mean everyone else had to! The only people who seemed to acknowledge her were Naruto, her Chem teacher, Tsunade, and occasionally Ino, if she felt like it.
Right now, she's cursing herself for letting that happen. Having allies in this game would be great advantage, and all she's got is Naruto, who she couldn't afford to wait for when everyone started coming out. She has no idea where that idiot is right now, her fingers are crossed that he's got something good to defend himself with and isn't hurt already. She hopes he's gotten as lucky as her.
Sakura has darted as quickly as she could to the part of the island that used to be residential. There were around 15 houses, side by side, scattered across the property. She'd picked the one closest to a large thicket, in case someone tried to sneak by in the bushes. As soon as she was well hidden inside, she'd tried to make a trip wire out of string and nails she'd found in the house.
The trap was a bit too simple, but she was still sort of proud. For now, all she can do is stay here and keep a look out for Naruto or anyone else she can trust. It's been a few hours since the game has started, and she's done nothing but running and hiding. She's scared enough as it is, and hasn't even moved from her lookout spot since she set up the trap.
Her lookout spot happened to be underneath the kitchen table, where she could see out a nearby window when it wasn't dark outside. There isn't any way to tell time, she guesses it's probably around six right now. Who knew so much could happen in just a few hours? Her life had been turned upside down by that Orochimaru freak, for no reason at all. Deep down inside, she knows there HAS to be a reason.
It's no secret that Konoha is home to some nasty pieces of work. Sakura won't deny that she's done some things too, okay, she's done a lot of things she shouldn't have. However, that's no reason for her to die. Even Deidra and Sasori didn't deserve that kind of punishment. The purpose of the program was to get rid of youth that would slow down the government and be a burden to society (She'd had to write an essay on the topic last year.)
She was planning to become a doctor when she graduated, like that was going to slow down the government. It just wasn't fair. Suigetsu's death was still on her mind, ever since she'd left the classroom. She didn't like him at all, hate was a strong word to say, but she'd hated him with every fiber of her being. He'd corrupted Sasuke, back when they'd been good friends.
Sakura and Sasuke were close for a long time, and together they were a permanent fixture of Naruto's friend group. The three of them did everything together. You would never see one without the other two. Except for Sasuke, he tended to drift off on his own. People never really were his forte. When he started hanging around that Suigetsu and Karin, everything changed. It was the little things first.
He became even more distant (If that was even possible for a guy like Sasuke), he stopped hanging around them, and even stopped coming to school for awhile. When Sakura had showed up on his doorstep, crying and begging him to come back, he'd just slammed the door right in her face. That had been last summer, Sasuke had improved since then. She hoped his change of heart really wasn't fake.
Sakura sighs, her fingers drifting to her Uzi that's been lying in her lap. When she got here, she unpacked her bag and was pleasantly surprised to find that her weapon was a gun. Not just any gun, but a very good one, a semi automatic Uzi. She could really do some damage with that. For once, she didn't feel completely useless.
She clutches the gun in one hand and uses her other to quietly unzip her bag. By some miracle, she'd managed to sneak her phone onto the bus when they'd left for the trip. The video had told them that phones and internet wouldn't work on the island, and any attempts would just redirect the line to the school building, but she has to try.
Shakily, her hands press the buttons for emergency contacts. Her mom and dad are on there, but what good can they do? The government killed traitors of any kind. There had be some other way for her to get help. She's scrolling through her contacts again, when there's a slight rustling of leaves outside. The footsteps that follow afterwards are so soft and careful, she doesn't notice them.
A branch outside cracks, and both of Sakura's hand instinctively drift to her gun. The phone slips out of her grasp and falls to the wooden floor then, the screen busting immediately from impact. Shit, that phone was supposed to be her means of escape. How could she be so careless? A broken phone is the least of her problems, because someone is trying to open the locked door. The doorknob rattles, but doesn't give way just yet.
She tries to squeeze her body even further against the wall, silently praying that the tablecloth will hide her if the intruder comes inside. The person outside tries to open the door again, and she points the Uzi at the doorway. Sakura isn't sure if she should shoot or not if they do get inside, is she really going to play the game this easily?
Maybe she's overacting, the person could be totally innocent. Still, she's absolutely terrified. All of a sudden, the door swings open. This person knows how to pick a lock, what kind of teenager could do something like that so easily? The stranger steps inside, obviously avoiding the tripwire like it was nothing. Whoever this is, they're just outsmarted her.
"Who's there?" A feminine voice calls out. Her shoes click against the floor while she inspects the house, and Sakura stiffens. She's sure she knows this voice, she just isn't sure who's it is. "I'm not going to hurt you." Oh god, this girl had heard the phone hit the floor. From her hiding place, Sakura can see the edges of the girl's skirt, and her unnaturally pretty legs covered by her stockings.
The girl is looking around the kitchen now, opening every cabinet and peering inside. Please please please go away, Sakura silently pleads inside her mind. She doesn't want to have to shoot someone who might not even be dangerous. Pots and pans clatter to the floor, and it seems like she's checking everything. Once that part of the kitchen has been searched, footsteps start to come closer and closer, until-
"Ah, there you are," says the girl nonchalantly, and Sakura has to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. Ino had lifted the tablecloth up, to find Sakura under the table with her knees hugged to her chest. Her eyes widen in shock, she really can't believe what she's seeing.
"Ino!" Sakura says excitedly, and she feels almost silly for being afraid. There was no way Ino was going to kill her, she was probably just as scared as Sakura was. Ino grins and reaches her hand out to help her up, Sakura gladly taking it once she's crawled out from under the table. The two girls embrace, and Sakura smiles happily, she's so relieved.
Ino's blue eyes drift down to Sakura's Uzi when breaks free of the hug, and she says, "You're the last person I expected to have THAT." Her eyes are full of something, jealousy? Sakura feels sort of bad, Ino must've gotten a lousy weapon. Thankfully, they'd ran into each other.
"I know, I got lucky!" Sakura says happily, dusting her skirt off to stand beside Ino. It's only been a couple of hours, so she hasn't expected any sort of major damage, but Ino looks as flawless as ever. She doesn't have a single scratch or hint of dirt on her, hell, even her lipstick isn't smudged in the slightest. There isn't a hair sticking out of her perfect blonde ponytail either. She doesn't look like she's been running around in the woods, compared of Sakura.
When the woman had called her name, Sakura had sprinted as fast as she could. It didn't matter that her shoes got dirty or she tripped a couple of times, she wasn't going to get caught. Briars and branches had nicked at her legs and gave her a couple tiny cuts that had mixed with dirt on her legs, but she didn't care as long as she was safe. There were no mirrors nearby, so she could only guess that she looked like a mess compared to Ino the beauty queen.
"You look like shit," Ino says, as if she's reading Sakura's mind and broadcasting her thoughts. Sakura just rolls her eyes, even in a situation like this, her friend was going to say those things!
"Sorry, I forgot to bring my makeup to the death match." Ino's expression turns angry at that comment, but her face quickly softens. "Anyway," Sakura tries to change the subject, "Are you okay?"
Ino nods. "Yeah, Choji is with me. He's out at one of the other houses trying to find some crap we can use. We're gonna try to find Shikamaru soon, he's the only one I know who can gets us out of here." Sakura is relieved to hear that Ino hasn't mentioned anything about killing yet, so she assumes that neither of them intend to obey Orochimaru.
"I'm glad you've got Choji. Naruto is supposed to meet up with me later, I haven't seen him yet." She knows Ino thinks Naruto is an idiot and all, but he could be a good ally. They're almost best friends too, she isn't leaving him behind!
"Mhm.. he's practically useless though. Can't run, can't fight too well, can't help me out, I don't like those qualities in a man," Ino says sadly. She's seriously going to say that about Choji? He wasn't a bad guy, just a little lazy.
"But you've got me now, we can work together to find a way out. I'm sure Choji has something he's good at too, maybe not in combat, but something else," Sakura tries to reason. With Ino here, she doesn't feel too scared anymore, and has a reason not to hide like a coward. She's going to leave with Ino and Choji, and they're going to find Shikamaru.
Ino's eyes have that glint in them again, like they had when she saw Sakura's gun. "About that.. do you remember when you got that dress I wanted? During Golden week? The pretty red one without the straps, do you remember?" Her tone is harsh, and it makes Sakura back away just a little. Why was she asking this?
Sakura swallows, and her eyes are anywhere but on Ino. "Yeah, I remember. Why? I thought we were leaving now?" She picks her bag up off the ground and hoists it over her shoulder as if to confirm that, never loosening the grip off her gun. She's puzzled by Ino's sudden reminiscing, especially about a bad memory.
Ino shrugs her question off like its nothing, and continues to ramble on. "Do you remember when Sasuke was in the hospital and I stayed by his side for two days? You told the nurses to tell him that YOU had been there all that time." Ino's glare is dangerously icy, and her smile is long gone by now. Sakura's eyes widen. She had no idea anyone knew about that, it was supposed to be between her and the hospital staff.
"I'm sorry, I should've told you.. I was so worried about him." Sakura replies solemnly. It's obvious Ino doesn't care about her apology. She just turns around and stomps back towards Sakura, channeling her frustration about a different incident this time.
"I almost got the highest exam scores last year, in all of my classes. But y'know why I didn't? The teachers were all praising you, cause I was only second best. 'Sakura is a genius!', they'd tell me. 'She's amazing!' No one likes you, if you're not the winner." Ino says, her words piercing Sakura like a dagger. For all these years, she's always tried to do better than the other. It had almost turned into a real competition. She had no idea Ino felt the same way, behind their seemingly false friendship. That didn't mean she hated her and wished for her death, Ino was still her friend no matter what.
"Two years ago, you punched me in the face and gave me me a black eye. For days, everyone laughed at me like I was trash. They all wouldn't stop talking about how I got my ass kicked by someone like you." Ino spats, and it's obvious that she's not playing around anymore. She inches closer and closer to Sakura, and pulls something silver out from under the waistband of her skirt. A kunai.
"Ino, I-"
"Shut up, you dumb bitch. I don't know what Sasuke, Naruto, or HIM, see in you, you're nothing but useless! You always take everything from me, thinking you're so much better. For years, I've been jealous of what you think you are. Everyone thought you were so beautiful and smart, even with that enormous forehead, not to mention your ego!" Ino screams angrily. She's had enough, and finally pins Sakura against the wall, pressing the tip of her blade against her neck as a warning.
Sakura doesn't have time to get a word in, because Ino has already started yelling again again, but she's got to do something fast or Ino will kill her. She's too shocked to react at first, until Ino's free hand grabs Sakura's collar to hold her still, while the other holds the Kunai. Sakura doesn't think, she just kicks Ino in the shin, earning a pained cry. She lifts the gun to aim it, but Ino throws a punch at her arm and causes it to drop to the floor. The gun's safety was off, and the moment it hits the ground, a loud bang is heard and a bullet is wasted. The sudden gunshot surprises Ino and she jumps backwards in shock, letting her guard down.
Sakura uses this moment to get away and dives for the floor. She crawls towards her weapon, and her hands are nearly on the smooth metal when Ino grabs her by the hair and pulls hard. It smarts a tiny bit, but Sakura's pain tolerance is way above a tug to the hair. She tries to wriggle free, but Ino's shoe comes down on her back to leave her in an immobile state. No matter how hard she struggles, Ino's foot has her pressed against the cold floor like a lion does to it's prey right before it tears into it.
"Just give up, Sakura. I'm not gonna stop till you're dead. There's only one winner this time, and I'll be damned if it's you!" Ino shouts in triumph. Sakura already knows the other is smirking, and the kunai is now inches from her skin. Her trembling fingers reach out for the gun again, but Ino is quick enough to move her foot to step on the outreached hand. Sakura screams when her fingers are bent back from the force, the pain is enough to make her want to do more than scream. She doesn't want to die here, she can't die here. She won't die here.
While Ino moved her foot, she was too hasty to realize the opening that gave her enemy. The throbbing pain is searing through every inch of Sakura's hand, but she manages to grab Ino's leg and send her falling on her face. The kunai is thrown across the room, and Sakura uses this opportunity to get her firearm back. In a quick motion she reaches for the gun and holds it as tightly as she can, spinning around to face Ino. Obviously, she's still flat on her face, but unsurprisingly recovers quickly.
Sakura aims the gun right at Ino's chest, but some sort of invisible force has stopped her from pulling the trigger. Her finger is resting right above it, something is just preventing her from squeezing it like she's supposed to.
"Guilt, huh? You're too much of a pussy to do it." Ino says, pulling herself off the ground to sit up. She's as defenseless as it gets, besides her fists. She'd be gone in an instant if Sakura just pulled the damn trigger. What's stopping her? She doesn't know exactly how to describe the feeling. Ino's death would be out of self defense, she'd went in for the kill first. Sakura just can't bring herself to kill someone who's been in her life for nearly her entire 16 years.
Sakura's face turns serious, and she lowers her gun and looks Ino square in the eye. "You don't deserve it. Sure, I'm pissed off at you right now, does that give me the right to end your life? I thought you were my friend, and I don't care if you say otherwise. You still are."
"I don't have time for this mushy shit," Ino states. It's barely a second before she dives right back into the fight, her fist colliding with Sakura's jaw. Sakura didn't have time to block the attack, but with Ino leaning right over her, she has time to do something else. Ino's fist is smashing into her cheek, but despite that, Sakura squeezes her eyes shut. She takes a deep breath, aims, then fires.
BANG
Then it's over. Ino falls to a crumpled heap beside her, looking utterly shocked. Two bullet holes are pierced into her stomach and one in her chest, blood oozing out of each one of them faster than a leak in a pipe. She's losing blood so rapidly, a red puddle is quickly forming around her and growing. Ino's face twists into an expression of excruciating pain. Sakura is so shocked she can do nothing but sit and observe what she's just caused. For once in her lifetime, Ino looks utterly pathetic.
"I-I.. can't believe you," She mutters weakly. There was no doubt the shots were fatal, so Ino is fighting her impending doom as hard as he can. Her eyelids are starting to flutter, but she struggles to keep them open so she can finish what she has to say. The pain she's in right now must have been unbearable. "You've beat me... again. Gotta hand that to you."
"Do you hate me?" Sakura asks hesitantly. "I'm so sorry.." She still can't believe what she's done just now. With a heavy heart, she puts the gun down and goes to Ino's side. She's not wounded, but somehow, everything hurts.
"Don't..apologize. Maybe.. I was just jealous... you were.." Ino trails off in a daze, she's fading so fast. "God, I'm.. tired." She's so out of it, Sakura figures she doesn't even notice when she places Ino's clammy hand in hers. They stay like that for a couple minutes, until Ino gathers enough energy to speak again. Ino doesn't even look at her, she just speaks in that weak murmur in her last moments. "You're- You're.. my.. best friend." Sakura can't expect anything more from her than that.
"You're my best friend too. I wish it didn't have to end like this." She has to bite her lip to keep from crying. This is all too much for her to handle. She would give anything for this to just be one of their pointless quarrels that ended with them not speaking for a couple days. Years prior, if someone would have asked her if she would end up gunning down her closest friend in the future, Sakura would've thought they were crazy.
Ino's struggling to stay conscious, it isn't much longer now. She's still managing to talk, even if it's barely audible. "It sucks.." Most people hoped their last words would be something more meaningful than "It sucks", obviously not Ino. The body on the floor goes limp, and Ino Yamanaka is no more. For someone so loud during almost everything, Ino dies in a such a quiet way, it seems almost unnatural. She doesn't protest what's going to happen, or cry, or scream.
Sakura feels like an entirely different person now that she's killed someone. It wouldn't have pained her as much if it had been someone she didn't have such a bond with. From the time they were small children, Sakura and Ino were friends. Their friendship wasn't the healthiest thing, but they had a bond not many people could understand. In Junior High, Ino started hanging around a new group of friends, something that seemed to strain their relationship. Every other Friday night, she still climbed through Sakura's window after curfew, like nothing had happened and they were still best friends. Sakura wanted nothing more than to go back in time right now to days like those, maybe she could have prevented this.
When the initial shock wears off, she tries to stand on her wobbly legs and look out the window. Those shots would attract people, unfortunately. What she's going to do is risky, but it's common courtesy. Sakura stumbles outside, being careful to not been seen as she sneaks to the back side of the house. She crouches along the sides of the building, until she reaches the small patch of flowers. Whoever had been living here before the Program evacuation had a garden full of violets. There aren't a lot left, but they're all she's got. She crouches down into the dirt and grabs as many as she can fit in her hands, making sure that she doesn't rip off a single petal.
When she's satisfied with the amount, she returns back inside the house and walks over to where Ino's corpse lay beside the dining room table. Ino's hands are so cold, but that's to be expected. She can't flinch over something like that. Sakura takes the small boquet of flowers, and wraps Ino's lifeless fingers around the violets. It's her last thank you. Ino always loved flowers more than anything, so she hoped that whenever Ino was now, she was smiling down on the sight. Sakura gathers her supplies up again and places everything back in her bag, except for the gun of course.
She says goodbye to Ino one last time, and leaves the house with tears pooling in her emerald eyes.
Ino storms down the hallway, pushing through the crowds to reach Sakura before she goes to lunch and drifts off into her group. She's keeping a secret that's about to make her burst inside, she has to corner Sakura before she's rescued from confrontation again.
"Sakura, come here! We're having lunch together, you said so yesterday," Ino says sweetly, ignoring the confused look the other two standing beside Sakura give her. She's never liked that Naruto, or Lee either. For some reason, Sakura attracts those two losers like ants to a piece of candy. Anyway, that's no why she's here. Those two need to get out of the way, and fast.
Sakura looks even more perplexed than Lee and Naruto combined, but she tells them she did make a promise and that she'll see them later. Both of them nod and continue on to lunch like it's nothing. She watches them until they leave the building, before she turns to Ino with a frown.
"What's up with that?"
"Nothing really, I just wanna chat." Ino's words leave her with an odd feeling, but Sakura shrugs it off and follows her to their usual meeting place. Tons of kids liked eating up on the roof, just not in weather like this. If anyone wanted to have a private conversation during school, they'd do it up there where no one could eavesdrop without being caught. The two girls climb the stairs in silence, and Ino makes sure to shut the door carefully when they arrive at their destination. The cold November air whips at their skin, making Sakura shiver.
"Shouldn't we just wait? I'm freezing!" She tells Ino, trying to pull her coat around herself tighter. It's close to snowing temperatures, for crying out loud. Ino just sits on the side of the roof, and gestures for the other girl to do the same. Sakura has a feeling she's not getting out of this. Whatever 'this' is, she doesn't quiet know exactly. Still, she does what she's told and sits down beside Ino.
Ino's blonde ponytail is starting to get messy due to the wind blowing it around so, usually her hands would get right to fixing the smallest flaw in her appearance, but not today. Something big must have happened to her for her to not fuss about her looks. Maybe Sasuke's noticed her after all or some nonsense like that. Yeah, and pigs can fly.
"So, Sakura. Let's cut to the chase. You've been spending a lot of time with Naruto lately," She says, like that's some sort of taboo. Sakura doesn't exactly like what she's insinuating.
"He's my friend, why wouldn't I?" Sakura replies, fiddling with the buttons on her coat uncomfortably. If this is another lecture about what an asshole he is, she doesn't have the time to sit here and listen to it.
Ino keeps her mischievous tone and says, "I think it's kinda funny. A few years ago, you wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole, and now he's your best friend."
"You said the same about Shikamaru, and you're out drinking with him nearly every weekend." Sakura shoots her a glare, Ino doesn't notice. It really is getting chilly out here, she wants to get this interrogation over with before her arms freeze off.
"At least he doesn't act like a 12 year old." Ino snorts. She thinks her sarcastic comments are always comedy gold. "I heard some great gossip though. Your weirdo friend lives in that trashy old orphanage downtown, everyone knows that, but what they don't know is that he's been sneaking out at night. Would you happen to know anything about that?" Sakura's eyes are fixated on her stockings and she pretends to be studying them intently so she doesn't have to see that smirk.
"No, I don't," She admits in honesty. That piece of information was new to her, she has no idea what he does after curfew. Stuff like that isn't really her business. Sure, they hang out nearly all the time, but he always comes over to her house and brings his guitar or new movies he's bought off the black market. Visiting the orphanage makes her feel just a tiny bit uneasy.
Ino doesn't like this answer, and she's starting to pout. "C'mon, you're the only one that would know! Is it something illegal? Is he in a gang? Is he-"
Sakura just has to cut her short, she can't stand it. "No, if you care about this so much, why don't you ask him instead of me." Ino isn't used to being interrupted like that, so she looks like someone's just slapped her across the face. Ouch.
"He won't tell me anything," Ino insists. "Pretty please, can you find out why? Kiba wants to know too, not just me."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because, you act like he's my boyfriend or something. I have nothing to do with whatever's going on, and why would I?"
Ino's next remark is something that make's Sakura feel absolutely betrayed. "He may not be your boyfriend, but he's keeping your secret." Mixed with the cold atmosphere, Sakura feels even more frigid than before.
"That's another thing you're wrong about. He doesn't have a clue." Ino snickers, it's obvious she doesn't believe a single word of what she's saying.
"You really want me to believe I'm the only one?
"You're not." Sakura has to admit. Someone else is bearing the burden of what she's been hiding inside for all these months. She'd never tell Ino who it was in a million years.
"Then it's not a real secret." Ino says playfully, resting her palm against her cheek in boredom.
"Can we just shut up about it?"
"Fine, Fine. But don't think he isn't going to find out. Everyone's going to find out about it eventually, and when they do- I'm really going to pity you."
Sakura feels sick then, and it isn't just from missing her lunch.
39 students remaining.
Author's note: This took me way too long. I've had a headache for 3 days, and by the time I stopped feeling like shit I got writer's block. Bad writer's block. Can you guess what Sakura's big secret is? Probably not. She's not in Akatsuki or any stupid plot twist like that, just warning you. The action was sorta anticlimatic, but aren't Ino and Sakura's fights like that anyway? *Shot*
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