Sakura screamed in frustration at her pillow, where was Shisui when she needed him?
'I wonder what this is..' Sakura thought looking down at the file in her hands
Without much thought she walked into the kitchen where her parents were discussing what to do in the next vacation. "A teacher from the academy sent this..." Sakura mumbled lifting the file up a bit for her parents.
Her parents paused turning to her, their faces a bit strained.
"You still don't want to give up on being a ninja?" Her mother asked
Sakura shook her head choosing not to speak.
"Saku-chan, you're not exactly ninja material" her father added
"But I'm improving!" Sakura protested
"Are you so eager to die?!" Her mother yelled losing her temper. Perhaps she had gotten her temper from her mother.
'Stay strong Sakura'
Sakura herself lost her temper "It's better than suffocating under this roof!" She yelled not holding back at all
"You're always telling me what to do, how to act and who to be. Well, I'm tired of it! I'm sorry mom, dad, I'm sorry I can't be your perfect little girl. This is the path I've chosen and if you really love me then you would accept it and support me!" Sakura didn't wait for their reaction as she bolted out of the kitchen, tears of frustration streaming down her face.
Oddly enough she felt relieved. She finally told them how she felt.
"WHY IS LIFE SO COMPLICATED?!" She screeched into her pillow, she knew she was making things seem harder than it was, but it was true.
Why did things have to be so complicated?
Why did Shisui had to be a ghost? Why did her parents not support her? Why did Sasuke have to lash out on her? Why did she have the ability to see ghosts?
Too many why's and no answers.
Sniffling slightly Sakura lowered her pillow, she was panting and her eyes were puffy, but she felt a bit more relieved as her eyes slowly started closing. The book on socializing and the book Ino-chan lent her lay on her bed as well.
The next morning.
Sakura wasn't surprised to find that her parents weren't there when she woke up. They were probably avoiding her just like she was avoiding them.
Even with that, her mood couldn't get any brighter. After all she had read the file Iruka had given her during her quiet breakfast.
Turns out she had been transfered in another class where her potential could continue increasing! There were two advanced classes, Sasuke was in one of them. The pink haired girl couldn't deny the small part of her that wanted the boy to be in her class. It looks like she still wasn't completely over her crush, but it was a working progress.
'Well, we can't expect our crush on that jerk to disappear so quickly...' Inner agreed with a sigh
Nodding in agreement to Inner Sakura slung her brown messenger over her shoulders and brushed the dust off of her open light blue jacket.
"I'm off!" She called out as a force of polite habit. She had one hour of training before the academy would start and she planned on making the best of it, she needed to improve the fireball technique after all.
She didn't stay more than ten minutes, because her she could only use the technique once before getting tired, but she was glad to note that the size had increased.
Instead she had decided to try and meet up with the eccentric Anko, if only to ask where the ninja got her senbon.
As expected she had found Anko in the dango shop munching away on her "breakfast" dango. Sakura wondered where all that food went, but she wasn't above declining Anko's offer to join her for breakfast despite having eaten earlier.
But then again eating helps to restore chakra as well, see both the body and the chakra coils need energy to burn. The body in order to fulfil normally body functions and the coils in order to produce chakra. Or at least that's what Sakura understood from the medical book she had read in the library. She did take Shisui's words on her having the talent to become a medic seriously.
Even so Sakura was a bit embarrassed for being late again...
°•○•°•○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°
"Sorry I'm late, Anko-san forced me to help her pack up her dango!" Sakura blurted out when she entered the classroom. Her face flushed in embarrassment.
"It's okay Sakura, we were just starting" Iruka said in an understanding way
Sakura sighed in relief, that is until she realized that all eyes are on her. She bit her lips as she looked up at Iruka with a slightly scared expression. She was scared that someone would say something mean or so.
"This won't happen again, I promise" Sakura firmly said
Iruka merely smiled at her "I hope" he said motioning for her to come to him
A small sheepish smile escaped Sakura as she walked over to Iruka.
"Class this is Sakura Haruno, she's transferring to our class this semester. Treat her kindly, okay?"
"Hai!" The class chorused
Sakura took this chance to survey the class, a small part of her disappointed that Sasuke wasn't there, but then seeing the bright blond hair of Naruto cheered her up.
"Sakura-chan!" He yelled motioning for her to sit at the empty seat next to him.
Sakura hesitantly glanced at Iruka "May I sit next to Naruto-kun?" She asked
Iruka seemed surprised before he nodded, "Be my guest, although Naruto can be a little talkative" he jokingly warned.
But both knew that 'little talkative' was an understatement.
Sakura however was still glad that she was allowed to sit next to her only friend in this class. She noted that Naruto's smile got wider when she sat down next to him. "Hey Naruto-kun" she lamely greeted taking out her books.
"I didn't know you were going to be in my class, ttebayo!" Naruto whispered loudly
Sakura sheepishly smiled "That's because I found out today"
"Shut up, you two are so loud...!"
Sakura jumped in surprise finally noticing that she was sitting in the middle of Naruto and someone else. A boy who had his head on the desk and seemed to be trying to sleep. His hair kinda looked like a pine-apple
"I-I'm s-sorry..." Sakura stuttered out
"Maa, don't worry about that lazy guy. He's always sleeping and never talks" Naruto whispered in her ears, but Sakura had a feeling that the lazy boy heard anyways.
"Okay class, today we'll be going over the shinobi rules!" Iruka exclaimed as he grabbed a white chalk and began writing the rules down without having to even look in the book.
Sakura decided to go over the book Ino gave her again, because Shisui had her memorize the shinobi rules about a dozen times already.
She was just on the part about cosmos having healing properties before the sleeping boy yawned seemingly waking up.
"Isn't that Ino's?" The boy suddenly asked
Sakura admits that she was surprised as she turned to face the lazy boy "Yeah, Ino-chan lent it to me" Sakura easily informed
"So you're the flower Ino's been nourishing" The boy muttered to himself
"Excuse me? I didn't catch what you said?" Sakura sheepishly asked. Lately she's been really sheepish.
"Nothing" the lazy boy said plopping his head back on the desk, "I'm Shikamaru Nara by the way"
Sakura gave a hesitant smile "It's nice to meet you"
"Troublesome..."
The two never noticing Naruto's eyes flash with jealousy. Sakura-chan was his friend, he wouldn't let anyone take his friend away from him. "Sakura-chan, I'm bored!" He whined earning Sakura's attention back.
"Mou, don't be so loud Naruto-kun. I'm sitting right next to you" Sakura lectured momentarily forgetting about her classmate as she conversed with Naruto.
They talked about everything and nothing. Sakura noticed that although Naruto had no problem sharing his love for ramen with her or how nagging his grandpa was, he never shared anything else. Almost as if there was nothing else to Naruto except pranking, ramen, being Hokage and his grandfather.
Before she knew it time had passed and it was now time for lunch break. Before she could ask Shikamaru of he wanted to eat with her and Naruto she was dragged off by Naruto to Naruto's lunch spot which was the tree that had a swing.
Naruto for once wasn't talking as he leaned back on the tree.
"Don't you have a bento?" Sakura curiously asked
"Nope, don't worry I'm not hungry Sakura-chan"
As if to contradict Naruto his stomach started growling.
'Remember he's an orphan. He probably can't afford it or can't cook' Inner mumbled
Sakura mentally nodded as she opened her own bento, "I'm on a diet, so you can have mine" she lied pushing her selfmade bento towards Naruto with a smile.
"Eh?! But you're so pretty Sakura-chan!" Naruto protested
Sakura blushed at being called pretty, she still wasn't used to it. "It's just a one week diet," Sakura informed grabbing a fried shrimp with her chopsticks and shoved it in Naruto's mouth, "Now shut up and eat"
°•○●○•°°•○●○•°°LATER•○●○•°°•○●○•°°•○●○•°
Sakura knew her face was pale when she entered the forest clearing or as she liked to call it Shisui's spot.
"You seem a bit pale there Sakura, have you seen a ghost or something?" Shisui joked
It was a lame joke, "Something" Sakura mumbled
"Which was?" Shisui pressed on
"The prize for Senbon, how can anyone afford them?!"
Shisui's mouth fell into an 'o' "Mission funds or clan sponsor"
"I clearly lack both" Sakura couldn't help but snark
Shisui nodded in agreement "That you do" as if it was an unsposken rule both didn't mention anything about yesterday.
"Mou, I'll have to figure it out on myself then" Sakura mumbled crossing her arms
"Well, we can start on Genjutsu now. I'll start you off with a simple D-rank that causes black spots in a person's vision"
Seems like Shisui knew how to cheer Sakura up as usual. Eagerly Sakura took out a notebook to write down everything Shisui is about to say.
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Sakura stuck her hands in her pocket bobbing her head along to the song Shisui was humming. For once Sakura was the definition of peace. Chakra exhaustion did make the girl feel a bit...ehh more airheaded?
Beside that she enjoyed these moments with Shisui. The silence was not awkward at all, and she felt comfortable.
It was probably around six that she arrived to her home planning on doing a month's work of homework so she'll have more training time.
Naturally nothing ever goes as planned because there in front of her was her best friend Ino Yamanaka sitting on the porch with a messenger bag and suitcase.
"Ino-chan?" Sakura asked coming to a halt in front of the blond
"Sakura, you're late!" Ino accused
"I am? For what?" Sakura asked tilting her head to the side
"Girl meeting!"
"There was a girl meeting?" Sakura asked, her tone getting more and more confused. She was sure the girl meeting was supposed to be on Friday, not Wendsday.
"Yes! I just said so!" Ino answered
"...is she always like this?" Shisui asked sweat dropping at Ino's logic
"Ah," Sakura mumbled, she knew she was always submissive to Ino and Ino's needs, "Then how can I make it up?" Sakura seriously asked acting as of she had done a grave crime
'Skipping out on a girl meeting...how disgraceful of us. And Ino-chan will never let us live it down...'
"We are having a sleepover at your place today and then mine tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because I said so"
"Ah, okay then" Sakura nodded at Ino's logic as she took out her house key from her pocket, "We should go grocery shopping, my parents' aren't home right now. Probably away."
Ino nodded in agreement "We need to get chocolate, candy, dango, ice cream and chips. Drinks too."
Sakura nodded in agreement mentally noting to increase her exercise time tomorrow. She purposely avoided mentioning the fact that Ino was on a diet, to her Ino was okay already without the diet.
And she wouldn't really admit it. But she missed Ino a lot. It seemed like forever since she's spoken to her best friend.
As Ino babbled on about her clan training Sakura absently nodded her head along, she did hear the important parts though, like how Ino's learning the mind transfer jutsu and will be training with two other kids.
"Shikamaru?" Sakura asked interrupting Ino
"Yeah, he's the type of guy that doesn't have a single motivation and wouldn't know the term hard work unless it hit him in the face" Ino complained crossing her arms "He's overly lazy and sleeps all day. Makes me wonder what he does at night"
Sakura couldn't help but giggle at Ino's comments,which was similar to what Naruto had said "Sounds like him alright"
"Huh?" Ino asked
Sakura opened the door to her room easily, "I sit next to Shikamaru-san in class"
"But Shikamaru's in Iruka-sensei's class" Ino pointed out
"And as of today so am I" Sakura smiled at Ino's surprised face
"That's awesome! Great job Sakura!" Her friend grinned tackling her into a hug "Now we'll definitely be in the same class next year and we don't have to worry about Ami!"
°•○●○•°°Chapter end°•○●○•°
Next chapter : Girl Time
Next next chapter : The boy who can control the weather.
Question Corner!
1. Which spirit should Sakura see next? And why?
2. How do you think Sakura will get the money to buy her ninja supplies?
3. What do you think about Sakura and Ino's relationship?