A/N - It's not a competition she says, as she posts a 13 page chapter.

Yeah okay. Game on.

Only ten pages, but. Chalk full of goodness.

Clapback Chap for Kat is presented to you by the Writing Games.

Bring it.

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto

Song used for this chapter - Tristam x Karma Fields - Build The Cities (Empire Of Sound) & Kiiara - Feels (AWAY Remix)

"Alright champ, I get what you're saying."

My dad stood before me with his arms crossed as he nodded, sounding very understanding and patient. My stomach continued to toss without reason as I twisted at my fingers, sitting on my bed as my eyes wandered on anything other than him. The sickness continued to climb my throat as we stayed like that for a few more seconds.

Dropping his arms, he wandered over and sat next to me in bed. Giving me a smile, he assured, "I know it feels like a really big decision and your entire life depends on this, but you have to remember Sakura wherever you go you're getting a scholarship. It's all paid for. Keep your grades up and you can enjoy all that college has to offer anywhere you want, ya know?"

"I'm just... still confused on what I want to do."

"And that's okay, but don't over think it. These schools are begging you to come there. Their at your mercy, they will be as flexible as they need to." He squeezed my shoulder as he sighed and stood up, "That being said, I will give the University a call today and explain what's taking so long with the package. At least we already filled it all off, so whenever you're ready we can mail it. In the mean time, do you want to do two more packages for the other college you're thinking about?"

I nodded, not having any other reason to give another answer. He promised to have them for me after practice before walking out with another encouraging smile.

xXx

My stomach continued to turn as I thought about the conversation with my father earlier today.

He assumed my hesitation was due to me making a major decision in my life, but I wish it was something as simple as that. No, not even simple. As obvious as that. Because me being confused about a major decision like college would make a whole lot more of sense.

Instead, I was tossing and turning over the idea because of a girl...

Jesus Christ, this was my future and I was bothering with the idea that maybe I should stay near by because of Ino, unlike what I originally hoped for; and that was to get as far away from her as possible so I could actually focus for once in my life.

It couldn't have been healthy to let someone have so much control of your life, it just couldn't be. But despite the argument I was making with myself on how unreasonable this was, I couldn't shake how I felt. And what I was starting to feel was that maybe, just maybe, I should go to a college close to Ino just in case whatever this was between us actually turned into something.

God. What shitty timing. Right before college, out of the entire lifetime I spent with her...

"Sakura... Sakura... Sakura move!"

I blinked to find myself at practice, dribbling the ball a quarter into half court. My eyes caught the movement of the girl coming to swipe it from me at the last second, and I had just enough instinct to fake it to the right before slipping the ball behind my back to dribble it to my left.

But the instant I made the move, I fell to the ground with a low groan of pain hissing past my lips. I blindly clung to where it hurt, squeezing it tight out of pure reaction as I curled to my side. In the distance as I heard a string of curses. Maybe they were from me.

"Shit, I think she might have fucked her ankle," I heard Temari say as hurried footsteps grew closer.

"How do you break your own ankles making a play?" One of the girls joked with a group of laughter following.

"Shut the fuck up," Temari snarled as I continued to bite my tongue as hard as I could to keep from making any more embarrassing noises, "She isn't getting up. She's hurt."

The rest of the team grew quiet with worry as Temari heaved me up and slung my arm around her shoulder. I grimaced as I maneuvered, but it was nothing compared to the glare she gave the rest of the team, "What the hell are you standing around for? Go get ice, and go get Coach."

They rushed off as I hopped towards the nearest bench with much needed help. When I finally managed to slump down in my seat, I covered my eyes with my arm as I laid my head back trying not to think of the pain. I felt Temari standing in front of me, almost could see behind my closed eyelids her crossing her arms.

After a moment, I listened as she asked, "How bad is it? Can you move it? Do you think you'll need a tape?" At the questions, I attempted to twitch my ankle slightly to the left only for me to hiss an intake of breath as I ground my teeth together. Temari instead let out a very tired sigh, "You aren't going to be playing in next game."

"Why the hell not? I'll be better in a few days, that's plenty of time," I grumbled, finally letting my arm fall from my face.

I watched her as she gave me a silent look. Dropping her arms, she informed, "We'll see. But I'm talking to Coach today, and I'm telling him myself that you're out until you can get your head right."

My face twisted in disbelief. Furious, I spat, "No the fuck you aren't, Temari."

"Watch me."

She walked off right after that.

A couple of minutes later, Coach was telling me I was suspended until further notice.

xXx

The knock at my front door had me growing even more annoyed and agitated than I already was. With tape now around my ankle keeping it stiff and in place, and ice placed carefully on top of that, I was in no postion to attempt to answer the door. But it was early afternoon and my parents weren't home yet, leaving me to be the only one in the house to even bother opening the door.

And I was starting to lean towards not doing so.

But when the knocks shifted for the rings of the doorbell, I could no longer tune them out to 'enjoy' the show on television. So with a growl of irritation, I slowly managed to limp my way towards the noise that refused to end.

When I finally managed to answer yet another doorbell ring, I wasn't any less annoyed to see Ino standing there.

Her worry not only etched her face, but was obvious in her voice as she asked, "Are you okay?"

I frowned, "I'm fine, why?"

"I heard... about your ankle," Ino started slowly, eyes falling to my bum leg as it hovered slightly from the ground, "And about you being suspended..."

My jaw set as my grip on the door handled tightened, "Been talking to Temari, huh?"

"She's worried," she attempted to defend, but with one glare the rest of her statement died in her throat. Taking a breath, I controlled my now rising irritation and the string of comments I had waiting at my lips about the situation. Instead I stepped back to allow her to enter.

She took a few steps inside, but stopped and turned to me as I closed the door and limped closer to her. I tried very hard to keep the obvious grimace from my face, but realized I failed when I noticed her panicked eyes just as I gripped the wall to keep from stumbling forward. She took a step towards me and I glared again to keep her away, but this time she wasn't effected. She continued to come to my side and carefully wrapped an arm around my waist to help. Sighing, I gave into allowing her.

After a few minutes of tedious work that should have taken only seconds, I managed to sit back down on the couch with an exhausted sigh. I rubbed at my eyes as a pending headache began to form, but paused when I felt eyes on me. Peaking at her, I watched as she bit her lip before leaning forward to pick up the bag of melting ice I had.

I frowned, knowing what she was getting at, "No way in hell. I can do it myself."

She gave a huff, "Not effectively. Now swing your legs on my lap before I break your other ankle."

A surprise snort left my lips, amused by her threat. With another hard frown by her, I was moving my legs to rest on her thighs and watched as she almost tenderly placed the ice pack on my hurt ankle. Giving in fully, I laid back onto the couch with her in silence.

We stayed like that for a few graceful minutes until the peace plummeted.

"What's been wrong, Sakura?" Ino asked quietly when time began to tumble.

I sighed, staring at the ceiling. Eventually, I mumbled, "Nothing Ino. I only managed to fuck myself up."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was only you having a simple accident," she replied, stomping on any hope to avoid the pending conversation. "It's not only that. Temari told me how you're practices have been recently. And how you're almost always hung over when you show up."

I'm not sure why the hell I was surprised, but hearing it blew my mind on how much Temari actually indulged in her conversation with Ino. She already had the nerve to get me kicked from the team for who knows how long, but she even went as far as pushing for Ino to get involved. Shutting my eyes, I found my patience being lost as I muttered, "She needs to fuck off."

"If you wanted her to, you wouldn't be making it so obvious that something is up."

I opened my eyes to glare at the ceiling, because she was right. I was doing such a shit job with keeping myself together it almost looked like a cry for fucking help. Taking another breath, I muttered, "That was awhile back, it hasn't been like that recently."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Ino, I'm sure," I said firmly, sliding my eyes to her only to see she was already watching me. Setting my jaw, I demanded, "What?"

"You're lying."

My face twisted, "No the hell I'm not."

"You expect me to believe you magically managed to get better?" She asked.

I sat up, getting impatient, "Get better from what? There wasn't anything wrong to begin with. Temari is just overly concerned with my life and I wish she'd stop."

"Maybe I'd believe you if I didn't notice the same things she was pointing out," she muttered, eyes slipping to my ankle.

I tossed my hands up, "Jesus Christ, why are we having this conversation if you and Temari already have everything figured out apparently? Why does anything I have to say matter?"

My bubbling anger halted the second her eyes locked on mine. Her gaze within them were indescribable before she looked away again and mumbled, "Because it's different Sakura. Hearing it from you... It's completely different."

My heart sank at her words.

Frowning, I pulled my eyes away from her and forced the stomach turning thought away, "Well I don't know what else you want me to say... Because I'm telling you nothing is up, even back then."

Unbelievably her lips lifted in what could have been mistaken as a smile, but it was too much of an emotionless gesture to even be considered as one.

"Alright."

Swallowing, I nodded. Not knowing what else to do as I waited for any other sort of reply, I eventually laid back down onto the couch without a response.

We stayed like that watching TV in silence until my parents came home.

The entire time, my stomach tossed uneasily.

X

The second Ino left, I knew that enough was enough. Heading up the stairs fairly quickly as I used the railing to swing me from one step to the next, I closed myself into my room and dialed Temari's number.

This was the real conversation that had be pending for far too long.

It didn't take her past the second ring to answer, yet even then there was nothing but silence greeting me.

She must have known what was coming.

"You wanna tell me why it's so hard for you to take two steps back bro?" I asked quietly after several moments passed with her not saying a word. "I mean I get it, we're close. But at this point you're not giving me much room to breathe over here."

"Thing is Sakura, I've given you plenty of room to breathe and watched you drown anyway(1)," Temari drawled casually. She paused before continuing, "So me being a decent human being, I gave you a hand."

"You call getting me kicked from the team a hand?" I snapped.

"Suspended," she corrected lazily. "And with what you're saying, you should be happy. Just gives you plenty of space for that room you're pissy about, right?" She paused again, waiting for a response I didn't have. Eventually I heard her snort, "That's what I thought. You don't really give a shit about the team. So speak your mind Sakura, I don't have all night."

"You need to stop talking to Ino behind my back, Temari," I growled in warning.

She laughed, "I'm sorry to admit it to you buddy, but with the shit job you do trying to string yourself together even Naruto would have turned a wandering eye eventually. You really think Ino wouldn't have picked up on any of it? "

"Crazy part is, it isn't anyone's fucking business to pick up on anything. Especially when there isn't shit to pick up on!" I informed with a grind of my teeth, thinking again of the look in Ino's eyes. "Stop worrying her for no reason, Temari. "

She sighed, "I sure as hell hope you didn't say that to her. None of her business. She's hurt enough as it is."

"I told her I was fine so she didn't have to hurt unnecessarily," I bit out.

"Yet here you are, hurting her intentionally," Temari said with a snort. "I get it Sakura, seriously. I know for a fact that you honestly wholeheartedly believe you are okay. But for you to sit here and tell me that it's none of our business to worry about you, just shows how you honestly can't be trusted to make your own decisions anymore. As your very good friend, I'm telling you you're not okay. And I'm lending a helping hand."

I felt my anger rising, "I don't care how much you think you know me, Temari-"

"Another example on how I can no longer believe your opinions," she cut me off in a low dangerous tone, "Because I fucking dare you to comment on how 'I don't know you'."

I set my jaw, "I just want to be left alone and not have to be concerned on who the fuck is worried about me now."

"You don't fucking act like it, Sakura," she snapped, officially losing her patience. "Now in theory, you could believe I'm just making all this shit up, just like you believe you're fucking okay and how I supposedly got you so twisted that I lost the ability to tell you about yourself. But let me burst you're little fucking bubble. With how you act, you're playing yourself. You walk around here like you don't give a shit-"

"Because I don't!" I shouted.

"But at the same time, you're getting drunk every night at some random fucking party that you started to go to by yourself," she went on, officially silencing me. "Yeah man, I've noticed. Even Naruto said he randomly ran into you one night without anyone's company. Oh, and if there's no party you can find? You're grabbing a bottle for the night to keep you company instead. And after you're done celebrating when there's nothing to celebrate for, because that was the only reason any of us drank so much, you come into practice hung over and dazed. Half the games you play you're not even in your right mind for, and when you manage to slam back into reality, you're fucking hurting yourself."

My ankle throbbed in reminder.

"And that's not just physically, you're fucking festering over there like some open wound. Like you're too damn hurt to bother to recover. But do you know why it's such a hassle for you to close up what I'm sure you think is a gash, but I know for a fact it's only a god damn scratch?" She only paused for a split second before continuing, "It's because you sit here and keep telling yourself nothing is wrong, and keep preaching none of this is our business and there isn't anything we should be concerned about, but your behavior is literally shouting otherwise.

"So what do I do? I hover. And I keep a close fucking eye on you. You're over there bitching and moaning about the space you're given and the room you have left to breathe in, but I almost literally watched you choke on nothing cigarettes and alcohol. You created your own ocean to drown yourself in, and you managed to do it on your own with the freedoms you were given because I gave you the benefit of the doubt." She stopped to laugh, "You don't want to concern yourself with who's worried about you now? If you gave slight of a fuck with your fake ass demeanor of not giving a shit, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If you concerned yourself at all with what we thought and why we worried, you would have started acting right ages ago. But guess what Sakura. You haven't. Didn't. And here I am, taking matters into my own hands because you want to pretend your a fucking adult, but you're squirming like a child in the dark."

There was complete and total silence as my body shook and my teeth mashed together. My hand gripped my cell phone so tightly I was sure it was going to groan and break under the pressure.

"But yeah you're right Sakura, I don't know you." Temari finished off, before snorting, " The fuck out of here with this bull shit. And the next time you call me, it better be to have an actual conversation and not me having to sit here and explain things to you like your a student in first grade, because even I don't have the patience to deal with this shit. And for once in your life, stop intentionally hurting everyone around you. Because if you could stop focusing on yourself for two seconds, you would realize that you are."

With that she hung up.

I stood there in my room as I tried to restrain the urge to hurl my phone into a wall. Instead, shaking, I pulled the phone from my face and snatched the keys off my dresser.

It burned me up inside to prove Temari right, but I no longer cared. If I was going to make it through tonight, I was going to find a pack of smokes and some company to drown myself with. Whether it was a bottle or another random girl at a party.

X

"Oh my god. Oh fuck. Deeper. Please. Please deeper."

Sweat covered my brow as I hovered over the girl below me, forcing her legs to spread wider as I continued to dig my fingers as far as they could. I watched as her eyes shut tight with her face pinched with ecstasy, but growled in annoyance when I could only think of one girl and how I hated that the moans I heard now didn't match the ones I desperately wanted to hear.

So I curled my fingers harshly inside of her, pressing against a spot that shot the girls eyes open as she arched her back and saw stars. And I watched the hazel green eyes as I continued to move my fingers, drunk enough to imagine they were a crystal blue.

The digging in my back only wandered my imagination further as I finally made the girl scream.

I shut my eyes as I pulled away from her slowly, not feeling the least better.

"Christ if that's what I was missing out on, I seriously wish I would have stopped that little friend of yours from taking you away that night," the girl mumbled from behind me as I sat up and moved towards the edge of the bed.

"Oh come on, Sakura. I know you're a loner, but you can't be leaving so soon," she whispered as I pulled my shirt on. Just as I was about to stand up, she grabbed my hand and tugged me back, "Don't do that. I feel cheap enough as it is."

I set my jaw, turning back to her and feeling a twinge of what I could only fathom was guilt. But the sensation was so slight it almost could have been mistaken of me wanting to feel some sort of remorse. As she tugged at my neck, pulling me down for a slow kiss, I moved my lips against hers because I felt like I owed her that much.

She pressed her forehead against mine as she mumbled against my lips, "Stay for a little while."

"I have to get home while I'm coherent enough to drive myself there," I murmured, pulling away again, "Sorry sweet heart."

"You're starting to hurt my feelings," she whispered, watching me with her hazel green eyes again, "Sweet heart? Like you forgot my name."

I couldn't decide if the churning in my stomach was the sickness of the alcohol mixing or even more guilt. She gave a soft smile and a sigh, "It's Hazel. Please try to remember it. I really do want to hang out more."

I gave her a frown, "Sorry. I'm really drunk... that's no excuse though. I should have-"

"It's okay," she stopped me, sitting up to let the sheets fall from her naked chest. "Honestly I almost forgot your name too."

She was lying. I knew for a fact that she was. She was too nice of a girl to be randomly fucking at a party, and she was especially too nice of a girl to be fucking around with me. But I overstepped and practically didn't take no for an answer when I somehow managed to run into her again at this party.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I muttered, "Listen Hazel, you're entirely too good for me. Just chalk me up as a prick and forget I ever existed. We haven't seen each other since that one party months ago, I'm sure it'll be easy enough for me to disappear."

"You give me the best sex I've had in my entire life, and then you top it off with something like that." She moved to grab my phone from the near dresser and handed it to me, gesturing for me to unlock it. Once I did, she took it again and dialed in her number, saving it without a word. I watched her as she did so, looking up to catch her eyes again as she smiled slightly, "I'm sorry, but if you're trying to run me off you're doing the exact opposite. It may have worked if you didn't sound so broken saying for me to forget about you... That and I know that it's a bit too late for me to even try."

I took my phone as she handed it to me again, staring down at the number with a sigh. God I wasn't even trying, and I was still ruining everything around me.

"Hazel..."

"Call me. Okay?" She asked softly, ignoring the desperate plea in my eyes, "Say you will, Sakura."

I pulled my eyes away, nodding. But she wasn't satisfied. She leaned forward and grabbed my chin, pulling my gaze back to hers as she repeated, "Say it."

Her persistence pulled an empty smile to my lips, "I'll call you later, Hazel."

"Good," she said with a nod, pulling away to sit back on the bed, "Then if that's the case, I guess you can leave me here like some cheap one night stand."

My smile fell, but she rolled her eyes, "I'm kidding. And just so you know, pricks wouldn't care if I said something like that. So you're giving yourself away at this point."

Shaking my head, I stood up from the bed, "I'm telling you now, you're better off staying away from me."

"And I'm telling you now, I better get that phone call," she retorted, giving me another smile, "How else am I going to know you made it home safe?"

I snorted, giving her one more small smile before l moved to leave the room, as I did she asked curiously, "Is there a reason you are limping?"

"The special pain pills I managed to score from a buddy of mine are starting to wear off," I muttered while I grabbed the handle. I opened the door and stepped out, but stopped as she called out, "By the way. You have a lot of missed calls. You should check on that."

I frowned as I glanced at my phone, mumbling thanks before I walked out.

The music was loud and pounded in the rhythm of my pending headache as I attempted to maneuver my way out of the house party. When I finally managed to get outside, I had trouble remembering where I parked my car. It took fifteen unnecessary minutes of me walking around randomly hoping to spot it, and once I did it took another five minutes for me to sit there and get my mind right enough to make it home.

The drive went by like a blur, half of it I didn't even remember and was almost surprised that I managed to pull into my driveway. Finding some strength to thank whatever higher source that helped me get home safely, I stumbled out of my car and moved for the front door. I was so focused on getting into bed so I could pass out that I didn't even realize Ino was sitting on my porch. I'm almost positive she would have scared me to death if I hadn't been so drunk to do nothing but stare at her blankly surprise.

"Where have you been?" She asked quietly, standing up from the steps with a worried frown.

"Out," I muttered, moving to step past her and towards the door.

"You weren't answering any of my calls," she continued as she stepped in front of me, searching my eyes for some sort of explanation, but I couldn't handle her gaze.

I looked away and mumbled, "I didn't hear any of them."

"Sakura, where have you been?"

"I was at some party, I don't even know where," I answered tiredly, "I'm almost too drunk to stand, so if you can please move so I can get into bed that would be great."

"Too drunk to stand, but you thought it was smart enough to drive yourself home?" She asked in disbelief, snatching my keys from my hand, "Too drunk to hear the fucking phone ring, but not too drunk to put yourself behind a wheel. What the fuck, Sakura."

"How else was I supposed to get here?"

"Maybe if you would have answered my calls, I would have been able to come get you!"

"My bad Ino, I didn't even know you called until I was on my way home."

I moved to step past her again, but she stopped me. I gave her a tired look, unable to muster the energy to do anything else. She continued to watch me as she shook her head, saying softly, "Sakura, I need you to stop. Please."

My eyebrows pulled together, "Stop what?"

"Stop this, whatever this is, before it gets worse," she explained, gesturing at me. "Do you know how worried I was?"

Shaking my head, I struggled to comprehend, "Worried about what, Ino? I just went out to a party and now I'm back perfectly fine."

"Worried about the fact that I called you twenty times and you didn't pick up once. Worried that something might have happened and you did something stupid this time. I felt sick, physically sick, on what could have happened. I walked all the way over here just to make you're okay."

"I am legitimately confused on what had you worried in the first place," I confessed, completely at a lost. "Seriously, we just saw each other earlier today. Few hours later, you're blowing up my phone. What the fuck."

"Temari told me I should check on you."

Instantly, all at once like being stabbed with a hot iron rod, I felt my anger and irritation flare. Snatching back my keys, I snarled, "Jesus fucking Christ, you guys don't know when to stop."

"Because you don't give us a reason to!" She shouted, stepping in front of me again as I tried to move past her.

"Stop fucking yelling or you'll wake up my parents," I hissed with a glare, "And get the fuck out of my way. I seriously don't feel like having a round two today."

"Honestly, I hope they wake up. Maybe they can explain how stupid it was to drive drunk tonight," she glared back, and with us so close I could see the redness in her eyes.

The sight of it made me sick as I thought of what Temari said, accusing me of hurting everyone around me. And while I wanted to deny it, I couldn't as I realized that Ino had been crying. I began to shake at the realization, my body almost forcibly rejecting the reality that confirmed my suspicions from earlier today.

She knew.

I set my jaw and said quietly, "Go home, Ino."

"No, because you need-"

I backed her into the front door, and very carefully placed my palm just inches above her as I looked straight in the eyes and repeated slowly, "Go home."

She stayed in stunned silence for a moment, a moment long enough for me take my keys and unlock the door without taking my eyes away from her. Once unlocked I pushed it open, stepping past her to go inside with only a slight pause to drop my keys in her hand.

She turned and gave me a hurt look, asking quietly, "Why do you keep pushing me away?"

I only watched her, because I knew that wasn't the question that bothered her most.

Her eyes shifted as she whispered out, "Why did I have to find out from Temari what school you decided to go to?"

The last little bit of strength I had left to deal with any of this shit cracked along with her voice.

With nothing else to offer her, I mumbled, "Take my car and get home Ino."

I couldn't stand her hurt expression any longer, so giving myself a little mercy I shut the door.

Cut off my phone.

And went into my room, locking myself inside with the little space left I had to breathe.

(1) Fuck yes, love a play on words.

There we go. Chapter 14. We are wrapping it up folks. Final arch is now. Presented to you by the Writing Games featuring a clapback chap for Kat.

Just rolls off the tongue right?

Anyway let's point out a few things. I asked Kat herself how savage she thought Temari was on a scale of 1 to 10. She answered 12. So there we have a lvl12 Savage Temari LITERALLY smacking down the law. She no longer can deal with this shit. Oh god. No chill. Does she ever tho? But I base her character off of an actual friend of mine, and I know for a fact she would put me in my place if I got out of hand.

Sometimes you gotta hurt peoples feelings to force their eyes to open.

Other than that. Sucks to be Sakura man.

This was hard to right because sure while Ino and Sakura are fuck buddies at the moment, they are also best friends. So mixing the two, I bet it's hard to imagine that this is all one big problem. The fact that they are fucking around, the fact that Sakura is still thinking about jetting off, and communication issue they began to happen BECAUSE of fucking around. It's like a bundle of cluster fuck and I'm trying to write it.

More like beat it with a fucking bat.

Anyway read review, tell me what ya think of the clapback chap for Kat.

Make sure to check out her stories too btw.

Shycadet loves. out.