I am a terrible person for not updating sooner, I am so sorry but I have been terribly busy with work and life and organising a trip to Japan this July! I'm so excited :)
This chapter is dedicated to Nou Nou Amgel, my 190th reviewer, and all of you awesome reviewers out there that left me so many heartfelt and kind reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
Chapter 13
..~**~..
"Kaori, you have to be quicker!" Yuugao-sensei yelled from her seat as she watched the squad perform the entire routine before her. "Nanako, you call that a high kick? Tenten, your legs need to be snappier after that toe touch! Ino, you keep missing your cue, start again!"
It went on and on and on and once they were done, Yuugao-sensei made them split into smaller groups focusing on the more difficult parts before moving onto stunts.
Sakura had come a long way already as a flyer since her first practice. Yuugao-sensei's ridiculous hardcore trainings had improved her skills vastly and she now felt confident with a liberty at both prep and extension level. Yuugao-sensei had hoped that either she or Ino would manage a scorpion by Friday, but neither of the girls could hold it long enough. However, they had been working on pop cradles, which had an awesome effect in the routine and something Sakura definitely enjoyed. She was thankful Tenten, Hinata and Kagura were her bases as she had to trust them completely to catch her whenever she was off balance.
She had never imagined how dangerous stunts could be, nor how physically challenging cheerleading actually was. Which was why she was growing to love it so much. It was thrilling, it was hard, but it was fun and it kept her in great shape.
"Alright, girls, gather round, that's enough for today," Yuugao-sensei called to them and they sat down on the mat for a final round of cool-down stretching. Sakura had come to expect this final part of practice as the time when their coach would individually call out each girl and tell them where they needed work. It was almost like homework except when she told Ino that she was too skinny or Matsumi that she needed to work out harder to keep her stomach flat. Most of the time, Yuugao-sensei would tell Sakura to work on the routine but this time she asked the pinkette for a favour instead.
"Sakura, could you help Karin stretch out for a little while? She really needs the help with her splits. It won't take long, just help her through basic stretching and make sure she keeps her back straight."
Sakura nodded, her eyes flicking to Karin, who looked away.
"Everyone else you're free to go," Yuugao-sensei told them, clapping her hands. "Tomorrow, I want to see everything go perfectly or we will be practicing all night if we have to! So make sure to practice those dance moves until you can do them in your sleep! Okyo, stay behind as well, we need to go over the lighting effects."
Everyone stood up and Sakura said goodbye to the girls as they walked off and approached Karin whilst Yuugao and Okyo headed to the other side of the dojo.
No one had even acknowledged Karin as they left. She was left sitting on the tatami, watching the backs of her retreating teammates. Her red eyes then snapped to Sakura.
"Did you come here to gloat?" she sneered, stretching her legs straight out in front of her.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Why? Does it look like I'm gloating?" she bit back.
Kain noticed the annoyed look on Sakura's face and shrugged.
"Just let me help you stretch." She stood behind the redhead and pushed her torso slightly as Karin easily reached for her feet.
"Don't forget to breathe," Sakura added after a moment as she noticed Karin holding her breath. The redhead did as she was told and soon shifted to a split position.
Sakura watched her as she helped. She had never really looked at Karin before since the girl had always been too nasty for Sakura to bother with but now that she was up close, Sakura realised just how pretty her teammate actually was. Her skin was pale and smooth with light freckles dusted on her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were a deep red and almond-shaped giving her natural cat eyes that Sakura immediately envied. She could only achieve that look on her eyes with make-up. Finally Karin's hair, although wild on one side and straight on the other, framed her face perfectly and gave her a unique style which for some reason worked for her.
Sakura had wondered how Karin could have ended up with Sasuke with such a bitchy attitude and a permanent sneer on her face, but seeing past that, she felt as though she understood how the Uchiha could have fallen for her.
It was true that Karin had done bad things judging by what Naruto had told her, but Sakura also knew that that didn't automatically make her a bad person. After all, Ami had been the one to vandalise her locker and attack her in the bathroom.
"So, are you nervous about Friday?" Sakura asked, trying to start a conversation as she kept her hands on Karin's back.
"Not really," Karin answered, her tone sounding genuine rather than disdainful.
"I am," Sakura admitted, thinking about the amount of people who would be watching. "What if we screw up?"
Karin gave her a cold look. "We won't. You should trust Yuugao-sensei. She knows what she's doing."
Sakura merely nodded and shifted to the side, holding Karin's back leg upward at a 90 degree angle, whilst giving the girl helpful advice for her splits.
"Do you want to try a ring leap? I can hold your arms back and -"
"Sakura," the redhead cut in, her tone somewhat softer and Sakura stopped.
Karin turned her head, straining her body to face the pinkette. "Is it true what Ami told me about what happened in Suna?"
Of course, that's what she wants to talk about!
Sakura dropped Karin's leg and stood up. "Well I guess it depends on what Ami said, but I'm sure whatever she found out was probably true."
Karin nodded, shifting her legs to stretch them out in front of her again. "Wow. I'd heard that Suna was a pretty rough place but I always thought people were exaggerating."
"You guys have it easy here," Sakura answered with a dry smile. "Right, well I need to head off but it looks like you're managing just fine by yourself. Maybe next time you can help me out as well, yeah?"
Karin nodded and as Sakura was about to leave, she spoke up once more.
"This doesn't change anything."
Sakura turned around, watching the redhead stare at her intensely.
"Once we're outside of practice, nothing will have changed between us. We're not friends."
Sakura sighed before nodding. "No, we're not friends – but we're teammates and no matter what you did last Friday, the girls shouldn't be giving you a hard time. I'll talk with Ino and Okyo tomorrow."
Karin stared back in surprise and Sakura merely smiled. "However, if you want the other girls to like you then stop acting like a bitch and come hang out with us next time."
Feeling as though she had said everything she wanted, Sakura turned on her heel and left the dojo, waving Karin goodbye before slipping inside the changing rooms.
..~**~..
..~**~..
Sasuke stood by the hideous orange car, cigarette in hand, as he watched with a calculating gaze his best friend lean his arms on top of his car and drum his fingers impatiently on the roof.
Naruto was unusually quiet which meant that something was off.
His game had been all over the place during practice although Gai-sensei had barely noticed since he'd been focusing on the seniors for Friday's game. However, Sasuke had noticed and so had their friends. And he had a feeling it all had to do with the annoying pink-haired girl that they were currently waiting for.
"Naruto!"
Speak of the devil… Sakura came running towards them, still clad in her cheer uniform and gripping her shoulder bag tightly.
"I'm sorry, Yuugao-sensei asked me to -"
She stopped short as she noticed Sasuke, her cheeks flushed and random strands of hair falling out of her ponytail. Her eyes were bright and wild and her unguarded expression was suddenly replaced with a surprised one.
"Oh, Sasuke -"
"I'm taking Teme home as well," Naruto explained to her quickly, opening the driver's door. "And don't worry, the girls told us you'd be late."
Sakura nodded and Sasuke flicked the butt of his cigarette away before heading to the passenger seat. As he opened the door, however, he remembered Sakura's fear of cars.
He turned to face her. "You okay riding in the backseat?"
She looked at him, stunned, until a smile grazed her lips. "Yeah, it's fine."
Once inside, Naruto's god-awful music switched on and he took off, heading for Sakura's home first. The ride was quiet until Sakura complained about the heat and opened the backseat window.
"So are you guys nervous about Friday?" she asked, fanning herself with a notebook.
"Are you kidding? Tanzaku's a joke! If we don't beat them, we don't deserve to make it to the championship. They never make it past the Inter-High," Naruto exclaimed, his usual self once more. "How about you? You nervous about your first performance?"
Sakura groaned behind him. "I'm worried about all the dancing we have to do."
Naruto laughed at her until he stopped at a red light and suddenly turned his music off, his face serious once more.
"Hey, Sakura-chan," he began, his gaze flicking to the rear-mirror view, where he could see her. "Jiraiya called me earlier. He wanted to know why the Akimichi's were bitching at your mom at the hospital on behalf of the Matsuda's saying you broke their daughter's nose."
I guess that's why he's been so weird since practice started…
"WHAT?" Sakura yelled, leaning forward in her seat. "Are you serious? What did you say?"
"I covered for you," Naruto told her quickly. "I told him it was an accident, that she'd bothered you and totally deserved it, but an accident all the same. Apparently Baa-chan defended you too and once she got involved, the Akimichi's apologised. Jiraiya also said they were both worried about you especially after all the fights you got into back in Suna."
Sasuke noticed the sudden tension in the car after Naruto's words.
What the hell does that mean, 'all the fights'?
It seemed Naruto was also looking for answers. "Sakura-chan, what did he mean by that?"
Sakura leaned back in her seat and turned her head to face the window. "Jiraiya really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut."
"Sakura, I covered for you and you know how much I hate lying to him," Naruto continued, shifting gears and turning into Sakura's neighbourhood. "You owe me and the least you could do is tell me what happened in Suna."
"I already told you," came her cold reply.
Sasuke noticed Naruto's hands gripping the wheel tighter. "Sakura…"
"Really, Naruto?" Sakura snapped. "You want to talk about this right now? In front of Sasuke?"
Sasuke could instantly tell she was just using him as an excuse to avoid the subject and it seemed Naruto knew that as well.
"Fine, but then answer me this," he started looking annoyed as he parked outside of Sakura's apartment and turned around to face her. "What did Ami say to you to make you so mad?"
Sasuke was surprised by Naruto's question but said nothing, preferring to watch Sakura's reaction instead.
"I know you, Sakura-chan," he continued, his tone softer than before. "You usually don't care what people say about you and I've never seen you get violent before so what did she say to make you want to break her nose."
"I didn't mean to break her nose," Sakura answered with a sigh, putting away her notebook inside her bag and avoiding all eye contact. "It's just that… well, she talked shit about my dad."
She opened the car door and stepped out before Naruto could respond. "Thanks for the ride, I'll see you guys tomorrow."
They watched her leave and Naruto switched gears again before driving away.
"She's hiding something," Sasuke spoke up after a while.
Naruto tapped his fingers loudly on the steering wheel as he waited for the green light. "I know. She probably hasn't told Ero-Sennin and Baa-chan the whole truth either."
He fell silent again, lost in his thoughts until the light switched.
"What happened to her father?" Sasuke asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Naruto glanced briefly at Sasuke without saying anything, making a turn towards the richer side of town.
"Teme, haven't I told you already?"
"Hn." The truth was Naruto had probably already told him in the past but Sasuke no doubt hadn't listened. Naruto was always rambling on about a lot of things.
"Kizashi died four years ago," Naruto explained after a moment, keeping his eyes on the road. Sasuke noted the sadness in his voice but waited for him to continue. "It was a car accident. He was driving back with Sakura from Konoha towards Suna when a drunk driver crashed into them on the highway. Sakura was the only survivor – she was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Her leg and a few of her ribs were broken. It happened just after New Year's. I still remember getting the call from Baa-chan."
Sasuke found himself listening intently to Naruto's every word. He didn't know why he cared so much but something about Sakura losing her dad resonated within him. After all, he too knew what it was to lose a parent.
"She doesn't talk about him much," Naruto added, as an afterthought. "She was pretty close to him and his death is still a sore subject for her. No wonder she broke Ami's nose…"
Sasuke remained silent, realising just how little he knew about the pink-haired girl, who was quickly integrating his circle of friends. She was still a mystery to him and although he had found out a little about her past, he was still missing pieces of the puzzle.
And those missing pieces piqued his interest.
..~**~..
..~**~..
Sakura walked to her building door, nervously biting on her nail. Damn, Naruto for being so nosy, and damn Jiraiya for not keeping his mouth shut!
Her thoughts were quickly interrupted when she spotted her mother's car in the parking lot even though her mother had specifically told her she'd be working late that night. What surprised Sakura even more was the sleek black car parked next to her mother's which belonged to her aunt, Tsunade.
Shit!
Quickly rushing inside the building, Sakura ran up to the stairs to her apartment, but stopped dead when she noticed a man standing outside the door.
The man was wearing a black suit and as he turned to face Sakura, she noticed he was also wearing a radio earpiece.
He looked in his mid-twenties Sakura guessed with straight shoulder-length brown hair and a matchstick plucked between his lips.
As soon as he caught sight of Sakura, his lips twitched into a large smile and Sakura realised she was still wearing her cheer outfit and that the pervert was totally checking her out.
Thankfully, the door to her apartment opened and Tsunade appeared.
"Sakura, get in here," she barked, standing in the doorway and Sakura trudged up the remaining steps. "Shiranui! Didn't I tell you to wait in the car?"
"Someone has to be with you at all times, Hokage-sama," the suit answered as Sakura reached the door.
She could see her aunt glaring at the man in return. "Fine. But if I catch you staring at my sixteen year-old niece again I will personally castrate you!"
With that she slammed the door shut and ushered Sakura inside where her mother and Jiraiya sat waiting for her around the kitchen table drinking tea.
"You have a bodyguard now?" Sakura asked her aunt as she dumped her school bag at the foot of the table and grabbed a chair.
"Yes," Tsunade answered, obviously not wanting to go into detail. "But more importantly, tell us exactly what happened at school and why the Akimichis are insisting that you broke Matsuda Ami's nose."
Feeling her mother's worried gaze on her as well as her aunt's stern one, Sakura sighed in annoyance. It was going to be a long evening.
..~**~..
..~**~..
School the next day was back to normal again. Ami's sudden expulsion from Konoha High was the main gossip of the morning and since nobody apart from Sakura's group of friends knew what had happened, wild rumours began to spread about the black-haired girl.
Fortunately no one had bothered Sakura or stared at her since she'd arrived that morning and her fellow classmates even began to acknowledge her again. Karin, on the other hand, true to her word, ignored her on purpose although she refrained from making any nasty comments.
"Sakura, I'll see you at cheer practice later," Tenten exclaimed after their afternoon Biology class and before Sakura could respond the brunette turned down the hallway and quickly made her way towards Neji.
Sakura watched her playfully bump into Neji's shoulder as she caught up to him and noted the gentle look the Hyuuga gave her in return. Although the feelings between the two were more than obvious to everyone, nothing had changed since the girls' night at Amnesia.
Ino had suggested locking them up somewhere during Friday's party until they finally pounced on each other but Sakura had a feeling neither of them wanted their friends interfering.
Reaching her locker, which was thankfully back to normal, Sakura stashed away her heavy books, before taking her Chemistry one out.
"Hey, Sakura, you got a sec?"
Sakura closed her locker and was surprised to find Shikamaru slouched against the lockers with his friend Chouji standing beside him.
"Sure, what's up?"
Shikamaru turned to Chouji, who shyly stepped forward. Clasping a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, Shikamaru then slipped away through the crowd, leaving a surprised Sakura alone with Chouji.
She didn't know the Akimichi boy very well, having only interacted with him during a couple of lunches where all the other boys had been around. He was childhood friends with Shikamaru and Ino she knew and also a member of the basketball team although he skipped training a lot and never played any actual games. He seemed mostly like a quiet guy, who knew a lot about food and cooking as Sakura remembered from the few conversations she overheard, and according to the girls was incredibly nice.
However, Sakura didn't know what to make of him as he stood before her nervously, looking down at his hands.
Oh God, I hope this isn't what I think it is…
"Sakura-san," he finally spoke up, looking at her. "I wanted to apologise on behalf of my clan for Ami's behaviour and assure you that the Akimichi will never speak so disrespectfully to you or to your mother again."
He then bowed his head and Sakura was completely taken aback. She had heard the full story concerning the Akimichis from her mother and aunt the previous night. Apparently the clan head had called her mother at the hospital accusing Sakura of bullying and violence and threatening to demand that the school council expel her for her actions. No matter what her mother had said to defend Sakura, the Akimichi wasn't satisfied until Tsunade had stepped in.
"Oh… um, that's quite alright," Sakura answered, slightly embarrassed by his actions. "You don't need to apologise, Chouji-san, your clan couldn't know Ami was lying. She tried to fool Kakashi-sensei as well."
He looked up at her again and she was surprised by the look of regret and shame on his face. "It will never happen again and you will be glad to know that we reported Ami to the school council and she was expelled for her actions. We are truly sorry."
Sakura had already heard about Ami's expulsion from Ino during homeroom as well as the whole school apparently since everyone spoke about it, however, she was surprised to find out that the Akimichi had reported her. It seemed they hadn't liked being played with.
"Thank you, Chouji-san," Sakura answered with a smile. "Your words mean a lot to me."
And truly, they did. After all, no one had ever apologised to her or felt bad for her before back in Suna.
Chouji looked relieved and pulling out a bag of crisps from his backpack, he offered them to her.
..~**~..
"One last time girls and then I'll promise I'll let you go," Yuugao-sensei announced, fiddling with the CD player. "Take five for now and then we'll start from the top."
Sakura groaned and reached for her water bottle at one end of the tatami before sitting down. Tenten stood beside her re-tying her buns whilst Hinata and Ino continued practicing a couple of steps.
"Weren't we supposed to rehearse some chants today?" Sakura asked, between two gulps of water.
"Oh God, don't bring that up now or we'll never get out of here!" Tenten warned here, grabbing her own bottle.
Sakura blew her bangs out of her face. "Do you think it's going to be this intense every time?" she asked, watching Yuugao-sensei moving from group to group, giving everyone last minute advice.
"I'm afraid so," Okyo piped up behind them. "However, once we win the cheer competition you girls will be thanking her. Now come on, let's make this one our best routine ever so she can finally let us go!"
Okyo headed back to the center of the dojo whilst Sakura and Tenten groaned in exhaustion.
"Come on, let's get this done so we can head to Ino's after for our girls' night," Tenten urged Sakura, hoisting the pinkette back up on her feet. "You are coming, right?"
"Are you kidding? Manicures, pedicures and facials free of charge, plus girl talk?" Sakura asked, her face lighting up with a smile. "Of course I am!"
..~**~..
The following morning it was suddenly Friday and although Sakura would have liked to forget all about the game until it was time to perform, it was virtually impossible seeing how the school had been painted red, black and white with decorations.
Sakura walked to her locker in awe of the sheer amount of effort the school had put into supporting its team and the amount of excitement that resonated within the hallways. Everyone was talking about the upcoming basketball game and everyone had decided to wear the school colours for the first game as was tradition making Sakura feel out of place in rolled up jeans and a green halter-neck.
She was relieved to find Ino wearing a pair of white shorts with a purple top as she reached homeroom.
"I don't do red," she explained to Sakura as she took a seat beside the blonde. "It clashes with my skin and hair. The only red clothing I'll agree to wear is the cheer uniform. Nothing else."
Sakura wanted to tell her that she looked just as good in the red uniform as anything else but she was distracted but Naruto's loud arrival, wearing his jersey with black jeans and yelling at anyone who'd listen how Konoha was going to kick Tanzaku's ass. The other guys seemed their usual selves but the rest of the class was psyched and even Kakashi spent ten minutes talking about the game once he'd arrived.
This school is insane, Sakura thought whilst feeling the butterflies in her stomach multiply by the minute.
By lunchtime, her stress levels had increased ten-fold and as she sat down to eat with the rest of the squad, she could barely swallow anything.
"Sakura, you have to eat," Hinata urged discreetly beside her. "It'll be even worse if you faint during the game."
Picturing herself fainting on the basketball court in front of the large crowd of spectators, the pinkette immediately grabbed her onigiri and started nibbling on it. There was no way she would let herself mess up during the squad's first appearance.
The afternoon went by far too quickly for Sakura's liking and she barely listened to the teachers as she thought about the upcoming performance.
Halfway through class she received an encouraging text message from her mother, who wished her good luck, making her smile and ease up a little. Her mother couldn't make it to the game but Sakura preferred it that way.
Once classes were over, Sakura found Naruto in the junior hallway with the rest of their friends putting away their school books.
"Good luck in the game," Sakura wished the blond, pulling him into a hug.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you dance like an uncoordinated monkey," he joked, causing Sakura to gasp and punch him in the arm.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" he exclaimed, holding his arms up. "I'll sure you'll do great."
Sakura stuck out her tongue at him before Neji announced it was time for the guys to leave.
The girls wished them all good luck as they headed for the gym and the cheer squad then met up in the changing rooms with Yuugao-sensei.
"Alright, girls, gather round," their coach called out once they had all arrived. "We have two hours before the game starts, which means you have one hour to get ready and go through your steps once last time. After that we will head to the dojo for a warm-up, go through the routine once with a few chants and then head to the gym. Usually we would already be on the side-lines before the game starts but as this year you have a new coach, a new squad name, and new outfits, you also get a special entrance."
The girls buzzed in excitement around Sakura.
"Now enough about that for now," their coach continued, "Go get changed first. Okyo and Ino, you're in charge of everyone's hair, I want to see everyone with high ponytails. Kaori, you'll help me with make-up."
..~**~..
Sakura peered behind the black curtain set up in a corner of the gym, hiding the locker rooms and the cheer squad from the rest of the public.
Her jaw dropped at the sight.
The gym was packed with people in the stands and press on the sidelines. Loud music could be heard all around over which a commentator was giving a detailed description of both teams and exciting the crowd.
"We're so screwed," Sakura told Ino as the blonde joined her. "I thought we'd only have to perform in front of part of the student body – you know, like in a normal high school. But this -"
She waved her hand at what lay beyond the curtain.
"This is insane! I don't think I can perform wearing this skimpy outfit in front of so many people!"
"Nearly 3,000," Tenten pitched in, causing Ino to give her a look.
"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick," Sakura said weakly, trying to picture herself dancing on the basketball court.
"Don't think about it," Ino tried to comfort her. "Yuugao-sensei is the best in the business and she's prepared us for it. I trust her and so should you - she knows what she's doing. Besides, didn't you compete at a regional level in gymnastics? I'm sure there were more people then."
"There were and it made me feel nauseous every time," Sakura answered honestly.
Ino shook her head at her. "You'll be fine, you have to stop worrying. You're part of a team now and we'll manage together."
Sakura nodded exhaling softly through her mouth.
"Alright girls," Yuugao-sensei told them, just as the commentator began to announce the beginning of the game. "You all know what you need to do. There's no need to panic, you are more than prepared. This is only the first game and once you see the poor level of Tanzaku's cheer squad, I'm sure you'll feel a lot more confident."
The teasing smile on their coach's face made Sakura laugh.
"Now go have fun and make me proud!" she ordered with a large smile just as the announcer's loud voice could be heard.
"And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the new and improved varsity cheer squad, the Konoha Kunoichi!"
The black curtain was pulled back slightly and the girls ran out onto the court Sakura, Ino and Kaori breaking into a tumbling routine as the others jumped and shouted, waving their pompoms around and getting the crowd riled up.
The amount of applause was astounding and Sakura smiled and waved along with the rest of her squad before moving onto the sidelines. She quickly noticed that the Tanzaku cheerleaders dressed in blue and white were already in place on the other side of the court. Sakura was handed some pompoms as well and they got into position to welcome the players on court.
Quickly Tanzaku's team was introduced by the commentator and they appeared on court with some applause and lots of cheering from their squad.
Sakura couldn't help but check some of the players out.
"That's Tenten's ex, Shun," Ino whispered loudly beside her, pointing out to a tall brown-haired guy with a number 5 jersey. "He's a pretty good player."
Hearing the girls talk, Tenten turned to glare at Ino, who smiled back innocently but then the commentator announced Konoha's team and the crowd went wild.
They better not lose, Sakura thought to herself, wondering how long the cheers, the press, and cameras would last then.
She watched the basketball team arrive waving at the crowd and cheered loudly along with the squad.
Soon enough the referee called for the starting players and three seniors along with Sasuke and Naruto positioned themselves on the court. Ino gave Sakura a run down of the other players' names and positions and she quickly found out that Sasuke played power forward whereas Naruto played point guard.
The whistle was blown and the game began. Konoha caught the jump ball and then everything went crazy fast. Players ran from one end of the court to another, passing, and dribbling so quickly that Sakura wasn't always sure who had the ball.
The intensity and high-paced play of both teams completely surprised her and within seconds Sasuke opened the score with a slam dunk.
"Is it like this every time?" Sakura asked Ino in awe.
"Yeah pretty much," Ino answered with a large smile. "Although it looks like Tanzaku is just as riled up about this game."
The game continued at the same intensity and Sakura enjoyed watching the Konoha players use their skills to pass amongst each other confusing Tanzaku's defense. Naruto and Sasuke were particularly good at behind passes with each other, demonstrating just how well they knew each other's moves and thoughts.
"Sakura, stop staring and start cheering," Tenten exclaimed with a laugh, nudging her slightly and Sakura lifted her pompoms again and joined in the chant.
She cheered loudly with every shot and by the end of the first quarter, Konoha was already leading by 6 points.
The players switched baskets and Sakura noticed Tenten's ex, Shun standing a lot closer to them this time. Before the referee gave the whistle starting the second quarter, he trotted towards the sidelines, wiping his brow with his jersey whilst showing off his toned stomach.
"Looking good, Ten-chan," he greeted with a large smile that caused half the girls to blush. Tenten blushed so deeply that Sakura could barely contain her laugh.
"Oh yeah, real smooth, Ten-chan," she whispered to the brunette, who immediately covered her face in shame as Sakura along with Ino laughed at her.
The game resumed and this time, Naruto and Sasuke had been switched with Neji and another senior. Konoha played just as well as in the first quarter, keeping a high-paced play and dominating their opponent. Neji seemed unstoppable, scoring three-pointers one after another and looked almost smug as he stole the ball right from Shun's hand. Sakura continued to jump and cheer, although her mind kept thinking of the routine.
Soon enough the whistle blew and blood drained from her face. The players quickly cleared the court, returning to the side benches where they were handed water bottles and towels and listened to their coaches. Within seconds, the commentator announced that the cheerleaders would be performing during half-time and the blue and white Tanzaku cheerleaders invaded the court, preparing themselves for their routine. The lights suddenly dimmed, voices hushed and the music began.
"Let's see how good they are," Ino whispered and Sakura nodded, keeping her eyes on the squad performing to Call Me Maybe.
She watched the tumbling, jumps and dancing and noticed the crowd sing-a-long and clap to the music. They know how to engage a crowd but their dance moves aren't great.
The routine ended with a beginner's stunt, a double based thigh stand.
"We totally got this," Tenten announced, dropping her pompoms to one side. Hinata agreed, patting down her uniform and looking focused.
Tanzaku's poor performance seemed to have boosted all the girls' confidence and Sakura, catching Okyo's concerned gaze, smiled widely in return.
"Let's do this," Okyo announced and as the commentator spoke up again, the girls stepped forward onto the court, riling up the crowd and getting into starting positions.
I can do this, Sakura thought to herself, taking deep breaths, I've practiced for two weeks now, I can do this.
Black Eyed Peas' Pump It music began and Sakura looked straight ahead, ignoring everything around her, and launched herself into a run before kicking into a complicated tumble.
She tumbled, jumped and danced to the music, letting it flow through her body, fill her with energy and giving it her all. She remembered all her cues at the right beat, snapped her legs straight at every jump and smiled as best she could.
C'mon baby just pump it, louder, pump it, louder…
Finally the stunts came and her full-ups and liberties into cradles went without a glitch. The stunts were tiring but the adrenaline pumping through Sakura's veins made her keep the fast-paced rhythm and Kagura, Hinata and Tenten did a great job, holding her upright and helping her keep her balance.
Turn up the radio, blast your stereo, right now…
As the song came to an end, Sakura positioned herself in the front and along with Ino dropped to her knees, posing like a cat and throwing her head back.
Breathing heavily but smiling all the same, her eyes met Sasuke's dark, smouldering ones looking straight at her. Naruto sitting beside him stared at her as well, his mouth hanging open.
There was a moment of silence where Sakura's heart clenched before the crowd erupted into loud cheers and applause.
Holy shit, we did it!
..~**~..
Thank you for reading! So yes, party, kiss and all the rest of it next chapter. I'm sorry about that, but this chapter was already long and I like taking my time developing relationships. I hope the basketball game and routine seemed real. All the basketball stuff is mostly inspired from recently watching Kuroko no Basuke, a very good anime btw.
My faith in Kishimoto-sensei has been restored! Those of you who follow the manga and have read the recent chapters will know what I'm talking about so feel free to gush all about it in a review/PM.
Question: How do you feel about a serious take on an OC insert fic? As in an OC that suddenly falls into the Naruto world without knowing it and tries to figure out what the hell is happening, not a made-up Naruto character. One such example of a good OC insert fic is A Play With Words by XER9AF. I know these types of fics can be terrible but I have this plot bunny in my head that won't go away so I thought I would give it a try. Would you guys be interested?
Next update will be before I leave for my trip, I promise!
sai xx