Day 49
Ino walked into school as usual that morning, hand in hand with Shikamaru (who had the usual lazy gaze and walk… it was, of course, too early to be awake). She had eaten the usual breakfast: a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. She was wearing some usual clothes and felt her usual self. Shikamaru held onto her hand with the usual protective grip, and her heart felt the usual lightness that came with being in love.
However, as she walked in and saw her usual group of friends, it seemed to be a rather unusual day.
Sakura and Naruto were screaming their heads off about something, and not in the childish, arguing way they usually did (It just goes to show you how perfect they are for each other, she had usually thought, they're so childish!). Kiba was barking loud about it too, clearly as angry as they were, with Hinata standing shyly behind him and nodding her head quickly in agreement to most things they said. A few paces away, Neji and Tenten were also frustrated, but communicating it with other seniors, and doing so more rationally.
Ino and Shikamaru exchanged confused glances, and decided it would be safest to approach Neji and Tenten first. However, when doing so, the male Hyuuga waved them off and told them to talk to Naruto, who had the full story, and to leave him alone. Growing frustrated themselves, the couple backtracked a few steps to where Sakura and Naruto's yells were finally understandable.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT BASTARD!"
"Naruto, I know it's annoying, but people have different paths!"
"LEAVE KONOHA LIKE THAT!? HE'S GOING TO PAY! BIG TIME!"
"Hey, hey!" Shikamaru waved his hands and groaned, "Keep it down? My ears feel like they may bleed."
Naruto growled and looked away, and Sakura sighed and patted his shoulder, "Just a frustrating start to the day."
"What's going on? Dish, please." Ino commanded.
Sakura sighed, "Rumor has it that Sasuke's transferring schools."
"What!?"
"Yeah, to Oto Academy."
"So it's true he's been hanging with that crowd?"
"Supposedly." Sakura turned her full attention to Shikamaru, "You know how he's trying to beat his brother, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wait, what?" Ino shook her hands in confusion, "Sasuke has a brother?"
"Uchiha Itachi," Shikamaru explained, "He applied and got into AAP after graduating from Konoha Middle School. Sasuke hasn't lived it down ever since, and he's determined to reach as far as his brother has."
"What's AAP?"
"Akatsuki Acceleration Program." Sakura added, "It's an extremely exclusive program that allows students of a certain caliber to skip their remaining grade levels and spend two years doing acceleration work to prepare for college ahead of time. Those who apply really aren't supposed to until sophomore year, but Itachi managed it after eighth grade."
"Wow."
"Apparently, Oto has a similar program, or something for juniors, and Sasuke's determined to go through with it," Naruto growled, "There are five students temporarily transferred here from Oto to watch him and judge his… worthiness, or something."
"We were thinking we'd all watch them watch him, and see if we can keep our star pupil in this school." Sakura nodded, "He's one person we don't want to lose."
Naruto and Shikamaru both harrumphed, one because of a supreme rivalry, the other because he had already bested him in one extremely important scholarly field.
"Do you know who they are?" Ino asked.
"Yeah," Sakura fished a list out of her pocket, along with some photos, "Sasuke may be tight with Oto's principal, but I'm tight with ours. Principal Tsunade gave me all the information." She flipped through them, continuing, "Naruto and I will handle Kimimaro. Kiba and Hinata will be watching Ukon. Neji and Tenten will take care of Kidoumaru, and I think Choji said he'd watch Jiroubou." She handed a picture and paper to Shikamaru and Ino, "That leaves you Tayuya."
A pink-haired female stared back at them blankly from her picture. She wasn't very flattering by her looks, Ino thought, not much for her to work with. A hat fit snugly on top of her head.
Shikamaru scanned over the paper and sighed, "Lovely, a flute player. We get the band nerd."
(A/N: BAND NERDS RULE!)
He looked over everyone standing before him, "Remind me why I should care what Uchiha does with his life?"
"Because he's a star football player, second in the class, and junior class president. He does a lot. We don't want to lose him."
Naruto mumbled a few words of anger in Sakura's general direction, mostly lingering on the subject of a certain chicken-ass-haired bastard about to betray his school. Sakura merely punched him before smiling sweetly to Shikamaru and Ino.
"Just keep an eye on here, I'm sure it won't be much trouble."
Oh, trouble it would be
Shikamaru continued to read on about their new subject, Tayuya, as he and Ino walked down the halls later that day to their fourth period Web Mastering Class. He had one arm draped protectively around her shoulders while he used the other hand to hold the paper to his face. Ino was looking around for the 'Sound Five' (as they had been so rightly named just recently by the search party), trying to decipher faces from one another throughout the crowd. So far, efforts had been futile and there was no sign of the pink-haired flutist, but they were determined to catch sight of her by the end of the day.
"Ah, here we go. This will help."
"What?" Ino snapped her head around to look questionably at his face.
He used his thumb and index finger to separate to pages apart from each other in his hands, "They were stuck together. Seems that Sakura gave us Tayuya's schedule, too."
"What is it, then?"
"First period band, obviously, it's marching season," he mentioned, "But the good thing here is that she's got web mastering with us this period."
"All right! We can go meet her now!"
"Great," he groaned, "I get to lose my nap time and watch a band nerd all period."
"You don't always sleep."
"…shut up." He shoved her through the door to their last class of the day as she laughed about his last-minute remark, apparently too lazy to come up with anything witty. However, in the midst of laughing so hard she accidentally bumped into someone on her way in, receiving a loud 'oomph!' on both ends.
"Watch where you're going, will you!?"
"Oh, sorry! Ah…" Ino paused as she found herself looking into the face of the pink-haired flutists Tayuya, whose face was scrunched together in a mad glare. She dusted the sleeves of her white sweater and straightened out the bottom of it, then pulled down on her beanie. Apparently, no teachers had gotten on to her about the 'no hats' rule yet.
"Ah, are you Tayuya?" Shikamaru asked as Ino straightened her own clothes out as well. The mentioned grumbled and squinted at him.
"Maybe. Who wants to know?"
"Nara Shikamaru," he held a hand in gesture to himself, and then to Ino, "and this is my girlfriend, Yamanaka Ino." Ino managed a smile even though she had already grown to hate the grumpy flutist.
Tayuya surveyed them for a quick moment and nodded, "Yes, I am Tayuya from Oto Academy."
Shikamaru nodded, "We've heard the rumor often enough today. How's Sasuke looking to you guys?"
The pink-haired girl shrugged and looked to the side, "I haven't seen him yet today," She said, "I was supposed to have third period with him, but something screwed up with my schedule. They're fixing it tomorrow."
Tayuya remained silent for a while, leaving Ino and Shikamaru to stand there awkwardly with her as students filed in for class. Ino nudged Shikamaru and mouthed to him 'Talk to her! We have to keep an eye on her, remember?' In return, he glanced at her with a face that said, 'What do you want me to do!?'. She sighed angrily and shoved him from behind, causing him to take an involuntary step forward and accidentally bump his arm into Tayuya's. The pink-haired flutist glanced back at him with an annoyed glare.
"So… Err… Tayuya." He began, and glared at Ino sideways, "I suppose you… uh… are keeping up with your classes fine?" Shikamaru asked, scratching the back of his head nervously. Tayuya only made a small grunt in reply. The pineapple-headed boy shot his head back over to look at Ino, eyes slit thin, telling her that it was her turn now. But before Ino could speak herself, their conversationalist began her answer.
"They've stuck me in my worst class. History, have it third period." She rolled her eyes, groaning, "Hate it. But I'll be out of it tomorrow if they fix my schedule."
"Well, that's good." Shikamaru and Ino both nodded, wondering how to droll this out any longer before class began. What they were actually supposed to be doing with her was not something the knew of, but they did know Sakura and Naruto would pummel them if they didn't have something to say about the girl when they met up after class.
"Yeah, I suppose." Tayuya locked her eyes onto Shikamaru, "I have work to do after all."
"Class!" Asuma roared a split second after the tardy bell rang throughout the halls, "Sit down in your seats so I can take roll!" As Shikamaru and Ino scampered off to their seats, their teacher nodded to the one person left standing, "Ah, you must be the transfer, Tayuya? We have an empty seat here." He pointed to a computer on the edge of a row in the back. "You'll need help getting caught up. Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru, who was already nearly asleep, lifted his head from his arms and looked up at Asuma, dreading his next words. Ino laughed across the room.
"You're smart, help Tayuya."
"But-"
"Do it!" Shikamaru groaned and stashed his pillow behind his backpack underneath the table, then kicked off the floor and rolled across the room to Tayuya's station in his rolling chair. Tayuya paid him little attention. Ino, on the other hand, felt more jealous of her every moment.
"Assignment's on the board, get cracking!"
Day 50
"There she is." Shikamaru mumbled to Ino as Tayuya walked into Web Mastering that morning. He leaned onto the table beside Ino where she sat atop it while fumbling with a few strands of his hair.
"How was class with her yesterday, by the way? I never asked."
"She was quiet. And didn't really look me in the eye a lot. Kind of just stared at the computer hard the whole time."
"Yeah?" She let go of his ponytail and hugged his shoulders from behind. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You must have been awfully tired," she teased.
"Mmph." He mumbled, looking away. Ino laughed and waved down Tayuya, motioning for her to come over to them. The flutist did so, but hesitantly, with a raised eyebrow. Ino smiled warmly at her, despite the fact that she disliked her hateful attitude.
"Did you get your schedule taken care of?"
Tayuya paused, then shook her head, "No."
"That's too bad." Shikamaru mumbled grumpily.
"Yeah, well, they didn't fix it right."
"What? So they did fix it? What was wrong?" Ino asked, intrigued.
Tayuya disregarded Ino, looking only to the Nara boy whose head was turned away and not even noticing her, "I didn't take the schedule change because they would have taken me out of this class."
Ooooh! Drama? Yes. Wahahaha.
I don't know how long this on will last. But time wise… I think they're in early November? I checked my calendar and counted days to see approximately when it is now, but I forgot it XDDD.
Yes, I'd like to confirm JUST IN CASE that these new kids mentioned in this chapter are indeed the Sound Five from the series, just all… high-school-ified. You know, thought I'd clarify just in case. XD Tayuya's the only girl, too. I just realized that. Lawl. I probably should've made it six and did something about Ukon and Sakon, with some twin dealie, but the story isn't about them so OH WELL.
REMEMBER, EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING THE SASQUATCH FREEZES UP IN THE ARTIC CIRCLE AND TURNS TO ICE, AND THEN PEOPLE COME AND CHOP OFF HIS FEET!
Save the Sasquatch, kids.