Tuesday came along as rough as a bunch of rocks. Naruto didn't sleep well the night before, just thinking about Sakura. He kept up that mental battle with himself about telling his dear friend about his feelings towards her.

Geez...I don't know what to do! The blonde said to himself.
And you're telling me because...? Another voice came and interrupted him. It was like...a mental conscience. Naruto named his conscience "Yoko", even if it was a guy.
Because I don't know what to do! That's why! He replied. Naruto added a little mental "duh" to his answer.
Well, could you stop bugging me about it? You might as well forget about her. His conscience replied to the boy. She's probably gonna go out with the guy, big deal.
Of course it's a big deal! Naruto mentally cursed at the conscience. I love her!

Naruto's conscience, a.k.a. "Yoko" rolled his make believe eyes. That is...if he could...if he DID have eyes. That's probably what you just think. You're probably blinded by her to actually see the world around you.

Whatever. I'm ignoring you. Naruto said in a cold, indifferent way to Yoko that was so out of character. The blonde boy, in a bad mood, took a piece of bread from the table, and left for school in his usual barely tucked-in uniform. His backpack, on one shoulder, and him, walking down the street, lazily as ever, and totally not looking forward to school. As he neared the school, he noticed Sakura waiting there, at their normal waiting spot. It was a big tree right in front of the school. It was near the street, so it was easy accessible when you get to school to sit down and relax before the horrendous classes at the school.

"Hey Sakura-chan," he greeted the pink haired girl rather differently...like meaner or indifferent.
"Oh, hi Naruto-kun," she replied. Sakura stayed quiet, looking up with her apple green eyes, at the leaves, then the clouds (A/N: Shikamaru would be yelling at her for taking his habit, but he's not in here). Naruto stayed silent as well, if Sakura didn't start something to talk about...the conversation was never really meant to be.

"So...Sakura-chan, anything new?" he said, trying to break the silence between them. The green eyed girl replied to her blonde haired friend with a confused "Huh?" Naruto stayed silent, waiting for a decent response. Sakura then started to resume staring up at the sky.

For about 15 more minutes, silence still was bountiful around the two best friends. Finally, the silence had been broken.

"Hey Sakura-chan, do you wanna get Hinata-chan with me?" he asked her. She didn't reply, observing the raven haired boy, who had just arrived. She still hadn't replied. Naruto sighed, knowing that Sakura was too lost in her own thoughts, and staring at Sasuke. So, he went alone, to go get Hinata.

Naruto had walked down the path, arriving at the bus stop. Naruto didn't see why Hinata couldn't have just walked. I mean, she lived closer to the school then he did. It probably had something to do with eh whole "heiress" thing. But that wasn't the blonde's problem. His problem now was Sakura. The blue eyed boy was too concerned about his pink haired friend, that he didn't notice a pair of pale lavender eyes looking at him.

"Naruto-kun...Naruto-kun?" she interrupted the boy's trance with the girl. "Naruto-kun? What's with you today?"
"Oh, Hinata-chan! Sorry, I was kinda...occupied." he replied to his blue haired friend.
"It was about Sakura-chan, isn't it?" she sighed. "Isn't it?"
"Yeah," He said. Naruto was as Sakura when he was talking to her. Or...more like when he was trying to talk to her.

"Well, are we gonna go to class now or what?" she asked the day dreaming blonde. "Naruto-kun?"
"..."
"Naruto-kun?"
"Oh, sorry Hinata-chan, yeah. Let's go," he replied, still looking in Sakura's direction.

Hinata gave a look of worry, which Naruto's blue eyes didn't exactly catch. She sighed as Naruto walked ahead towards the classroom.

As Naruto and Hinata entered the classroom, the blonde and the blue haired girl saw a familiar girl, lying on the desk...looking emo.

"Sakura-chan...Are you okay?" Hinata spoke up as she and the blonde walked towards her.
"Sakura-chan...Wake up!" the blue eyed boy began to repeatedly poke her shoulder.
"I'm fine...I'm fine!" she replied in an irritable tone to Naruto. "Naruto-kun, would you please quit poking me?"
"Oh..Sorry Sakura-chan," he obeyed his friend request rather sheepishly.

The 3 friends continued a conversation about life...and Naruto felt rather bad whenever Sakura would occasionally look back at Sasuke with a passionate crush look in her green apple eyes (he came in a while after Naruto and Hinata did).The blue eyed boy felt like melting to a little puddle of him...and possibly have Hinata clean him up or something. The Hyuuga always had his back, through the thick and the thin.

"Alright class! Get into your assigned seats now!" the teacher screamed at the students (yes, they all came after Sasuke and while Naruto, Hinata and Sakura were talking). They began to take action and scramble around the classroom like ants running about on the ground.

"Okay, now that I have your attention, I'd like to make an announcement," she said.

The class sighed at her statement, then she gave a menacing glare, possibly translating to: "Listen up, or I'll kick our asses"

"Anyway, do you remember the project I was talking about at the beginning of the year?"
The class nodded.
"Well, I figured, it's about time we put that project into action.
Groans of reluctance filled the air.
"And you don't work alone!"
Cheers.
"You work in partners."
Groans.
"Your partner will not be of the same gender...just so that no fooling around happens."
Some "yays!", and some more groans. Like half and half.
"But I choose the partners."
The "yays!" were overpowered by groans of discouragement and reluctance. Still...it was better to follow teacher.

"I'm going to read off the names before I start explaning the project." She said.

Naruto at his desk stared at Sakura's pink head of hair, hoping to be paired up with her. Please let me be with Sakura-chan! Please let me be with Sakura-chan! He pleaded silently as the teacher read off the names.

Sakura on the other hand, was hoping for it not to be Sasuke. Please don't let me be with Sasuke-san! Please don't let me be with Sasuke-san! Apparently, she didn't wan to go anywhere near him, in the fear of embarrassment. Hinata apparently was hoping for the same thing. She was aslo hoping to be paired up with Naruto, since he's pretty much her only male friend in the class.

"Umm...let's see here...Uzumaki Naruto and..."

Please be Sakura-chan, please be Sakura-chan! He silently prayed as he mouthed his hopes also.

"...Hyuuga Hinata,"

Mentally, Naruto groaned with an "I really don't wanna do this" look. But he was also grateful that it was Hinata and not some stupid girl in the class. Hinata was pretty damn smart after all. Hinata sighed with relief. Thank you!

"Next are...Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke."