Chapter 9: Tournament

'A very, very long week!' Thought Sakura as she watched her students stretch this way and that, waiting for their turn to show what they've got...at 3:15 pm.

They waited in the front of the audience that had gathered to watch the tournament.

Looking to the right she saw their competition, a bunch of kids a little older then her own students...the youngest looked about 13 and the oldest around 18...really it wasn't fair, her oldest student was 15.

"Well well well, it looks like it's still you against me." Someone said from behind her, but she knew who it was right off the bat.

"No, it's my students against yours," She turned to face his horribly long blond hair, his pail blue eyes, his annoyingly cocky smile. "Deidara." She sighed.

"Sakura," He smiled. "How long has it been...2-3 years?" His students now were standing around him, listening to their conversation.

"Around that yeah...why, dreading the days we were apart?" She asked, eye lashes fluttering.

He laughed but didn't reply. "Who is she Deidara?" One of the older boys asked.

"This is Sakura...we battled a few years back."He answered.

"Miss. Sakura..." Hanabi whispered tugging on her arm, once she got her attention she continued. "What does he mean you 'battled?'"

"The little girl doesn't even know what battling is!" One of Deidara students laughed, pointing to Hanabi.

"Why don't you back off!" On of Sakura students said in a threatening voice stepping in front of her.

"Why don't you?"

Sakura stepped in front of the two boy's, the look in her eyes made Deidara's student quickly back down in fear and surprise. "Save it for the stage!" She growled, her own students knew that tone...she was very, very angry.

"Don't tell us what to do, or Deidara is going to beat you again!" Another of his students spoke.

Sakura couldn't help the bark of laughter that startled them all. "Are you going to tell them the news or should I?" Sakura was smiling from ear to ear.

Deidara looked from his students to Sakura, anger and embarrassment clear on his face. "I never said I won." He mumbled under his breath.

"You mean to tell me we've been training under a loser!" A rich snobby girl asked in annoyance.

Deidara opened his mouth to defend himself when Sakura spoke, the same voice that held authority and anger. "He's not a loser...He's a very good dancer...I was just better." She added with a smirk.

Their conversation ended when Deidara's students were being introduced.

They all got in their stance and started dancing to 'Baby got back.'

Sakura felt the need to cover her students eyes...the way they were dancing was not something they should be going in public...finally she did cover her students eyes.

When they were done the crown clapped, mostly out of consideration.

"Beat that!" One of them said breathing deeply as she walked by.

"With pleasure!" Hanabi said bumping her shoulders into the other girls.

Sakura smiled as they got into stance and waited for the T-Pain to start. Once it did Deidara students quieted down and watched in amazement. Her students didn't use their butt, breasts, or pelvis as a way to get attention, the way Dei's kids did.

As they finished the crowd went wild, Sakura smiled as they held each others hands, creating a chain, and all bowed at the same time. Then they ran off the stage and bombarded Sakura with hugs. "That was amazing you guys!" She praised. "Not one miss step, not one slip up...you were perfect!"

After Sakura praised her students one of the judges called Deidara and Sakura to the stage. "We've talked it through...and it was a very close race, but the winner of this years dance tournament is..." She paused dramatically then a smile broke across her face. "Miss. Sakura's dance studio!"

The crowd all cheered and she could hear Ino's high pitch scream.

Sakura's students all screamed and and ran onto the stage with Sakura, jumping up and down.

The judge handed Sakura a check for $500 and a small trophy, which she would put in her studio. She smiled got on her knee's and embraced her students.

-With Itachi-

Her pink hair was up in a high pony tail, she wore a pair of black shorts, some ultra high-high tops, and a white tank top.

The pride on her face for her students was unmistakeable.

She looked out in the crowd and her eyes connected with his, she didn't look away and neither did he.

She smiled and waved at him, a small smile spread across his face as he waved back.

-With Sakura-

He waved back and Sakura could feel her heart beat quicken it's pace, he looked great, his hair was back in it's usual hair tie at the nape of his neck, he wore a black button up shirt and black jeans.

His dark eyes held hers until Sasuke smacked him on he back, Itachi's eyes turned to his brothers, and they started talking, but Sakura couldn't hear them...they were to far away.

-With Itachi-

"What?" Itachi hissed at his brother who interrupted his mental conversation with Sakura.

"Ask her to come to the beach."

"She is your friend, you ask her."

"I'm not the one who's head over heels for her." Sasuke argued.

Itachi growled at his younger brother. He said nothing but headed towards the stage.

-With Sakura-

Itachi was walking towards them so Sakura left her students to their celebrating and sat on the edge of the stage.

He stood in front of her looking at her hands were they sat in her lap. "That was an impressive routine." He said calmly, but Sakura could tell he was nervous by the set of his broad shoulders and the line of his strong jaw.

"Thank you."

He was silent for a moment then looked up into her eyes. "My brother and a bunch of your friends are going to the beach tomorrow and I was won- I mean Sasuke was wondering if you wanted to come." He said quickly looking back to her hands.

She couldn't help but smile. "Well, I don't know..." She saw his shoulders slump slightly. "Do you want me to come?"

His eyes shot up to Sakura's, he took a deep breath. "It would make it much more tolerable." He said honestly.

Sakura smiled brightly. "I would love to come!" His shoulders relaxed Sakura noticed.

"Sasuke will be thrilled to hear that." He smirked, then turned and left with the crowd. 'This will be fun, beach tomorrow, visiting parents the next day, and the water park after that...yeah,fun.'