Everyone Just Wants to be Accepted

"Oh! If it isn't Haruno-san. Hello and welcome to Konoha High School." Says an old voice.

I behind the black-haired beautiful guy and see a smiling old man with short white-hair, tanned skin and heavy wrinkles. He wore a black suit, white shirt and red tie. His black eyes held a kindness that I have only ever seen from Shizune. "I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the principle of this school."

Slowly, I stand up, my heart pounding in my chest as it filled with nerves. I would have to find a way to calm down soon. I don't want my body to start rejecting my heart.

I smile around the guy's shoulder and bow towards the principle. "Thank you for having me. I was told you wanted to see me before I start class?" Inner snorted and my head tilted slightly at the sound as I glance in her direction before returning to see Sarutobi-sama's eyes narrow.

He knows.

Well it wasn't much of a surprise. Given that I am physically weak and have a mental illness, of course he would know. His secretary traveled six hours to give me a placement test.

"Well Haruno-san if you would come in I will give you a run down on how the school operates given your condition." Sarutobi-sama eye smiled at me before turning toward the guys and giving them a glare. "As for you two, when Miss Haruno-san is out of my office you are both to give her a tour of the school then head to class. All three of you have the same homeroom, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

The blond jumped up from the floor, "Oi, Jiji how come I have to work with him," he rudely pointed to the black–haired guy. "I could show Haruno around by myself!"

The black-haired guy snorted as he smirked, "Really Dobe? Really? If you walk around the school by yourself you'll somehow end up slamming your head into all the lockers." With that said he finally moves out of my way as I walk towards the office. He takes my seat while the blond sat back on the floor; his elbow is on his knee as he held his face up with his fist.

I smile awkwardly before walking in the office with Inner trailing behind me. I close the door after she enters then takes my seat across from the principle who sat in his big leather chair behind a wooden desk.

"Now Haruno-san," he began. "I am well aware of the troubles you have gone through in your life, and still face even now." His fingers interlock with one another in front of his face and gazes over them. "Yet your circumstances are quite different then what we have had here. Which, once you get acquainted with others you will understand, is saying a lot." Sarutobi-sama chuckles, both Inner and I share a glance before he continues. "From your file I understand that is your natural hair coloring, so I will not tell you to dye it as I do for other students. However, the real problem is your health." He sees my worried face and sighs. "I understand that you are heavily medicated, for students here we have to hold all medical supplies in the nurse's office. Due to your needs you will have to carry them with you at all times. I want to make sure you know that there are some students here who would try to steal your medication. You must not let others take them."

"Duh," Inner said. The pipe now rests on her shoulders as her hands grip each end loosely. "Does he think you're an idiot like the blond out there? Of course you won't let anyone else take your meds."

A cough brought her gaze back to the principle.

"Don't worry Sarutobi-sama, I won't let anyone touch my medication." A sad smile. "I need them in order to live after all."

He held my gaze for a moment before reaching into his desk and pulling out a paper.

"While in class do your best to pay attention to the lessons." He holds out a sheet of paper towards me, I reached over and grab it.

It is my class schedule. I have seven classes instead of the usual eight. First it's Homeroom, then it's Trigonometry, after that it's Literature, Lunch, Physical Education, Choir, and finally History.

"Due to your condition, we are aware you need to work out regularly. During P.E you are required to do the routine stretches with the class, after you will work only on cardio activities. Your instructor, Gai, will have his top student over look your performance and accompany you during your work outs." He explains.

I nod. I should have known. Of course I will have to work out; my heart needs to stay strong if I want to make it to the ten year mark.

"How come I don't have a seventh period?"

The old principle glanced down, "I have been told in advance by your physician Shizume that you would need to be let out of school slightly earlier due to your weekly visits. As such you will have a free period for your last this semester. When next semester comes we will have a meeting with you, your parents and physician to see if giving you a full schedule would be a hindrance on you or not."

I nodded as Inner growled. My eyes went towards her; she gripped the iron pipe tight while her face was held in a snarl. She hated the thought of me being weak. It meant she is weak too.

"Tell him you can handle it," she demanded. I rolled my eyes before returning to Sarutobi-sama, who was watching me intently. His mouth still hidden behind his hands.

"I know you cannot control your…visitors. But do try to keep your interaction with them minimal while in class to not disturb the other students."

For a moment I just stared. How could he ask me that? I don't interact that much with Inner, she never interfered with my studies before. I try not to gain any attention from the demons but sometimes that, even with all my medication, is unavoidable. I mean, it's not as if I want to draw their attention! It just happens. I do keep calm around most and I know I won't start jumping around and attacking others like I had done as a child. I am safe to be around.

But he basically just called me…an annoyance. A burden, it hurt more than anything.

"I'll do the best I can," I spoke as calmly as I could as Inner's demon markings started showing. I had to get her out of there before she hurts me or the old bastard of a Principle.

"That is all I ask," Sarutobi-sama replied with a small smile. "You're dismissed. And once again, welcome to Konoha High School."

I nodded packed my belongings and left. As the door was closing I thought I heard a small crash but I ignored it. If the old bastard was dropping his stuff it was none of my business. I'm still too insulted and angry to care.

"Ohi! Haruno!," called the blond who now sat on Iruka's desk with one leg dangling. He has a can of soda in his hand and grins mischievously at me. "Let's ditch class and get to know each other better! We could go to my favorite ramen shop that's down the street. It's called Ichiraku and it has the best ramen in the world! What do you say? Go on a date with-" he was cut off by a flying pencil that hit his forehead.

I laughed as he fell dramatically onto Iruka's paperwork sending it flying all over the place.

Inner chuckled as she stood close to me. Still far from the blond as he sat up with a growled Teme. I looked over to the black hared boy and saw his answering smirk. My anger evaporated when the pencil flew. Shaking my head I walk to the door to leave the office with my guides following me and bickering at each other like a married couple.

"Ohi! Haruno my name is Naruto Uzumaki!," exclaim the blond. He tilts his head towards the ebony haired boy. "The Bastard is Sasuke. You ever need something ask us." His bright smile cheers me up even more, making me forget the humiliation I felt from when Neji and Tenten abandoned me to get away from my weirdness or the prinicle's insult.

I grin, "well in that case could you show me where to find my locker before we go on at tour of the school?" Naruto nods his head so fast I imagined he was a bobble head for a moment before I handed my schedule over to him. We turn to the right and head down the hall.

Sasuke grunted in response before he spoke, "what was Sarutobi saying about visitors that upset you so much?" He didn't look at me when he asked he just kept looking straight ahead in the empty hall way.

I bite my lip. All my cheer left me in a rush as Inner growled at him for making me upset again. Naruto must have been paying attention to me because he too growled at Sasuke. Even though Inner is uneasy around the blond he was much more comforting then I would have thought. I instinctively knew he wouldn't run away from me.

I took a deep breath, "I'll tell you but promise me neither of you will tell anyone else. If anyone was to learn it I should be the one to explain." The both look at me their eyes showing confusion before they agree.

I ruefully smile, "The reason our principle said that was because I'm schizophrenic." Both their eyes widened before Naruto's closed in confusion and he scratches his head. I chuckle. "It basically means that I see things that to others are not really there. Well my case does. For others it isn't always that they see things but that they hear them. When I was little I met another girl with schizophrenia and she swore she heard other people's thoughts and could manipulate people because of it." I shrug thinking of Ino always made me sad. She was right, she could do that but she always tried to show off and couldn't it control all the time. Then she was taken away and I haven't seen her since I was 7. I miss Ino-Pig.

Shake my head looking at Inner instead of the boys shocked faces. "But I am on medication and while it hasn't gotten rid of 'visitors' as our principle called them. The worst won't show up so long as I'm on them. So all of my visitors are, well not nice, but nowhere near frightening to say the least." I grin, "I won't upset others because I see beings they don't. I know better than that, it's rude. But he didn't seem to think that and had to remind me."

It was quiet for a bit and I worried that they will stop talking to me. Even though we just met they accepted me far quickly then I would have guessed. And besides, I didn't tell them in a moment of panic. I told them and explained that I would not be a danger or an inconvienience.

Suddenly I was attacked by Naruto and being crushed in a bear hug.

"Haruno! Don't worry! We'll still be friends! Hey could you tell me who visits you! It would be cool to talk to them too!" I froze in shock. Naruto accepted one of my "flaws" so easily. And he wanted to talk with Inner too? Tears formed in my eyes. I haven't felt this happy since Shizune gave me my test results a few months ago.

I hug the blond back just as fiercely as he hugs me as I start crying tears of joy. Then I heard a sigh and felt a hand on my head. Sasuke pats my head for a few seconds but then retreats. But I don't care, he showed that he too accepted me. I look over to Inner who had a giant smile on her face that I know mirrors mine.

I finally made friends outside the hospital. And they accepted Inner too.

It might not be that bad here.

A/N:

Sorry this took so long. I intended on making this a chapter about Sakura going into her first class but then thought "hey; team seven needs a moment to come to terms with what is one of her most obvious issues." Though they haven't seen her respond to any of her bad "visitors" yet. They will. Eventually…

For those of you thinking, "Hey! Sasuke wouldn't act like that!" I specified in the beginning this was an AU. He isn't a prideful avenging ninja here! Plus he hasn't been given a lot of screen time yet, neither has Naruto for that matter. Both will be important to Sakura's new life outside the hospital and their stories will be similar to cannon but not the same. Because of that the characters may be a little OOC but not much(except Sakura because lets face it we love stories where Sakura isn't the one in canon otherwise we wouldn't be reading or writing fanfiction about her). Because it's a different environment people change depending on the way they grew up, nature vs nurture. Sasuke's nature is to be prideful but because he was nurtured in a less dangerous environment he isn't psycho avenging crazy got it? Sasuke is still prideful but not as much. And the reason Naruto keeps calling her Haruno instead of Sakura is because he doesn't know her first name. When he remembers it then he will call her Sakura.

Question what should their school mascot be? A monkey? Somehow a leaf just seems...pathetically sad.