Author's note: and we're back to thursday updates. hopefully, it'll stay that way. loads of credits for this early post go to darkness of the blue moon, my awesome beta reader who edited this in record time. you're the best! reviews, anyone?

Chapter 4

Conversations

Yamanaka Ino leaned back on her iron-wrought seat, studying her friend carefully. Haruno Sakura sat opposite her, sipping her oolong tea daintily as her green eyes held Ino's blue ones unwaveringly.

Sakura had been Ino's unofficial best friend since they were five. Eleven years had passed since then, and they now moved in different circles. Sakura had gone on to become a top student, her life focused solely on academics, while Ino had proceeded to become a social butterfly, gaining popularity throughout the entire student body. Still, they met together at least once a week, in an out-of-the-way café just behind their school.

Today was not any different from their usual quality time. It was their first meeting since the start of the semester, and Ino was bursting with news-juicy rumors about the students, naughty scandals, titillating blind item gossips. Except that her friend was acting differently. Today, Sakura had a fragile aura about her, as if she had received a terrible blow and was holding on through sheer will. Her movements were measured and careful.

Steeling her resolve, Ino put down her cup of rose tea, and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Sakura, in the middle of biting into a piece of blueberry cheesecake, put her fork down and smiled. "Nothing is bothering me, Ino. You seem troubled, though. Are you sure you are alright?"

Ino frowned. "Of course I am. I have never been better, actually. Class B is the same as usual, great atmosphere, not too slow, not too demanding."

Sakura smiled wanly, and said nothing more.

Ino sighed. When they had first enrolled in Konoha Academy, the two friends had been placed in Class A. Back then, they had both been enthralled. Ino had pursued to study in Konoha Academy primarily to get close to Uchiha Sasuke, and she had dragged her best friend (who didn't object; she was also equally obsessed about the guy) to take the entrance examination. Ino's enchantment, however, gradually waned as the first semester dragged on; Uchiha Sasuke's single – minded determination to challenge anyone he deemed a worthy opponent, as well as his heavy emphasis on mundane things like ranking and grades was a major turn – off for Ino. Come second semester, Ino purposefully got into Section B, and she's loved being the queen bee of her class immensely.

In a way, she understood Sakura's dejection at being placed in an entirely new—and different—setting. Ino had gone through the same process. She also knew that unlike her, Sakura had not wanted to be thrown out of Class A. She loved it there. Unlike Ino, Sakura thrived on Sasuke's challenges, breathed on that man's praises (however sparse they may be). Sakura lived for Sasuke.

Before she knew it, Ino was sighing again. "So, how is Class F?" She prodded her friend. "Are you fitting in with your classmates?"

Sakura shrugged delicately. "It is alright, I guess. Most of my classmates are indifferent, although they were amazed to see me at first."

"Met anyone interesting?" Ino wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

"Not really, no," Sakura replied. "But there's Nara Shikamaru in my class. Uzumaki Naruto too."

Ino's eyes narrowed, her mind instantly zeroing in on one name. "That lazy pile of bones is still in Class F? I thought he'd be bored by now and move to Class D at least."

"He's currently the class president, and he's planning something," Sakura replied carefully, immediately grasping Ino's reference to Shikamaru.

"Please," Ino said dismissively. "The only time Shikamaru plans is when he wants to escape his sweet mother, that incorrigible guy."

"He wants to start a summons war."

Ino nearly choked on the dregs of her tea. "He what?" She half – screeched as she wiped her lips with a table napkin.

"He wants to start a summons war," Sakura repeated amusedly.

"I heard you the first time," Ino snapped. "The nerve of that guy! Doesn't he know that he's got at most 5% chances of success?"

"I'm sure he knows," Sakura responded, her forefinger tracing the rim of her teacup, "but the rest of the class doesn't."

"Oh God," Ino murmured faintly. "Does he have a plan at least?"

"He says that he has, although he has yet to explain anything to us. He just up and announced it on the first day, then the next day, it's as if nothing happened. The whole class has been on the verge of teetering these past two weeks. Too much excitement and tension."

"Well, knowing him," Ino commented acerbically, "he's probably planned until ten steps into this game. That's everything to him—just a game."

Not far away, inside his room, Shikamaru sneezed. Naruto, whom he had invited over for dinner, looked at him, momentarily distracted from his frenzied attack on Shikamaru's PS2. "Someone's talking about you," Naruto said slyly. "I wonder who it is."

"What a drag," Shikamaru responded drolly. "Your smell just irritated my nose, idiot. Go take a shower for a change."

"Hey!" Naruto cried, offended. "You're such a mean friend!"

"Blame it on Ino," Shikamaru shrugged irritably. "Her meanness is communicable, you know. It really rubs off on others."

"Yeah, whatever," Naruto answered uninterestedly, his mind going back to his game. "What've you planned for the summons war, anyway?"

"We'll discuss strategies on homeroom tomorrow," Shikamaru said. "If everyone agrees to my plan, we'll be ready to take down E the day after."

"You've mapped it all out?" Naruto sounded incredulous, even while furiously punching the controls, his eyes glued on the screen.

"Oi," Shikamaru protested. "Can't you get any harsher on my joystick? That's not cheap, you know!"

Naruto did not reply. He continued pounding.

Shikamaru sighed. "I've already made three squads for our battle against Class E. You won't be joining the main fight though," he said. Somehow, Shikamaru could feel Naruto's aggression; it was radiating off him in waves. Shikamaru did not really understand it, but he somehow suspected the reason for it.

Last week, Naruto had been in a bad mood entirely, snarling at anyone who dared as much as cross his path. Sakura, on the other hand, had been depressed, her eyes glassy and all teary, as if she's ready to cry any moment. Everyone had steered clear of the two's paths.

Shikamaru vaguely wondered if Naruto had confessed on the rooftop, and got rejected. But even as the idea formed in his mind, he rejected it. Depression isn't the usual reaction for a confession, and Sakura certainly wasn't at all awkward around Naruto. Naruto, though, acted awkwardly around Sakura, almost as if…

Shikamaru contemplated on the chances of Uchiha Sasuke fitting into the equation.

Naruto's reply, three minutes too slow in coming, almost cemented his hypothesis. "I don't care if I may not be able to fight against E, D, C, or B. But I will be in the battle against A, Shikamaru. I will rip that bastard apart with my own two hands."

Shikamaru just shrugged, too wise to reply.

Back at the café, Ino scrutinized her friend with a degree of uneasiness. Outside, the skies had grown dark, and the time to leave was drawing to a close. Still, Ino felt that Sakura was still burdened by something, something that she hadn't cared to divulge to her own best friend. Ino knew she was dying to, but she didn't know how to.

And so, she asked gently, "Is there something you want to tell me, Sakura?"

For a moment, Sakura remained silent. As the seconds ticked by, Ino feared she wouldn't tell. She was about to say that it was okay for Sakura to not tell her if she didn't want to, when Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "I talked with Sasuke – kun last week, Ino."

Ino stiffened. She knew the implications of Sakura's words. Still, she had to ask, "And? What did he say?"

"He doesn't need me anymore, Ino," Sakura said in a small voice.

At that moment, Ino sincerely wished she had a gun so she could hunt down that bastard who had been her crush (what had she been thinking?) and put a bullet through his black heart. Sakura's face when she had said those words was a mask of agony.

Ino understood her friend's pain. All her life, Sakura lived in an isolated world. As a child, her earnestness had been understood by children her age as being a trying hard wannabe, and rejected her based on it. In fact though, it was the expression of Sakura's driving need to please others, to meet expectations. Sakura had never had a normal childhood. Her parents had divorced when she was still a baby, her father leaving her with her mother in order to travel the world. Her mother, in frustration, had thrown herself into work, unconsciously neglecting her own child in her need to form an outlet for her own emotions. And so Sakura had grown craving for her mother's attention, and then consequently, everyone else's approval. Everyone had ridiculed her for it, and only Ino had understood.

Ino had come from almost the same background. Although her own parents doted on her, they were both busy individuals; her father's business in the shipping industry ate up all his time, while her mother, a social butterfly, spent all her time either partying or resting up for the next party. Ino had also known what it was like to be neglected by one's own parents.

And so it also pained her to see her friend in such a dismal state, rejected by someone she had depended on doing what her mother failed to do—acknowledging her. Ino couldn't help but feel pity for her friend. "He probably doesn't mean it, Sakura."

Sakura smiled bitterly. "Oh, but he does, Ino. He meant it. He even called me annoying. Again."

Oh, heavens. Ino was at loss for excuses.

Sakura continued, her distress evident. "I'm in Class F now. And I feel like Sasuke –kun has abandoned me. It's like—I feel like a ship who lost its anchor, Ino. I don't know what I did wrong. It's not like I meant to get sick on the first day—"

"You're right with one thing, Sakura," Ino interrupted her rambling gently. "You're in Class F now. You and Sasuke–kun, you're on opposite sides of a line, Sakura. It doesn't mean you've done something wrong, it only means that things have changed. You have to accept that. Sasuke – kun shouldn't factor in your life anymore."

"But—"

"Join in on Shika's little war," Ino advised. "It sounds interesting, don't you think?"

"Yes, but—"

"Who knows, we might have to contend against each other. Now I wonder,' Ino said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Can you beat me?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized the implication of Ino's words. Of course! Ino was in Class B. It wasn't the same as before, when they had both been with Sasuke, fighting whoever together. This time, they were on two different teams, teams that would inevitably clash as Class F fought to rise to the top.

"I don't think I've told you, but I'm Class B's president now."

As her mind whirred with numerous possible scenarios, Sakura could only coherently put up one thought. 'Holy shit!'

the action scenes got pushed back to the next chapter again. i'm really stalling.

belated thanks to KeshvsWhitepoison, whose reviews were instrumental in the improvement of my writing this story. ^^,

keep it coming, guys.