I managed to find Sakura, she seemed to have fainted after she screamed. The one thing I'll give her credit for is, she's some heavy sleeper.

"Haruno! Wake up damn it!"

Still nothing, I would question whether she was dead or not, but I could she her chest go up and down from breathing. I was beginning to run out of options...

'Well since you won't wake up... I'll force you' and with that I punched her in the face. And it did the trick because she shot to her feet immediately.

"OWWWW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

I shrugged "It was my last resort to wake you up and you're welcome."

"Why should I thank you?" she snapped and then cried out in horror "oh no! Sasuke-kun, he was hurt! I have to save him!"

I rose an eyebrow "why what happened?"

Sakura stuttered "the skies went dark and I got scared then Sasuke-kun had kunai stabbed in him... OH GOD!"

I could feel a wet drop on the side of my head "the skies went black? Are you sure you didn't just fall under a genjustu?" I asked boredly.

"Shut up Tomoko! Unlike you I love him and he loves me!"

"Oh get over yourself!" I shot back "anyway since you're so hell-bent on helping him, we should go together then figure out how to get the bells".

"What, so you can try to win Sasuke-kun over?" she asked snobbishly "I don't think so... I'm coming Sasuke-Kun!" and ran off.

This is the reason I didn't want to be on the same team as Sakura! She probably one of the most selfish people I've ever met. Suddenly my trace of thought was broken when I saw a fireball about a mile away.

"Only one person is able to do that..."

"Sasuke... what happened to your mouth? It's all burnt to a crisp" I asked him. I stopped at Sasuke's disrict so we could walk to the academy together. This is how we'd always meet in the mornings, since I had now moved out of the Uchiha's home.

Personally, I didn't want to leave, I had gotten so adjusted living with them. But Haruo was becoming a his own man, and understandingly, he wanted his independences and not to mention how in debt we were to the Uchihas.

We didn't move too far, just a flat two blocks away from the compound. I guess my brother took into account that I wanted to live close to my best friend.

Sasuke looked up at me "are they that bad?" Sasuke's was sat on a bench not far from to compound enterance.

I sat down next to him and examined his face "I'm the one asking the questions here!"

Sasuke gave me a nervous laugh "Don't worry Tomoko-chan, I'm just improving on a technique my father taught me".

I gave him a puzzled look "So that requires burning your mouth off?"

"No silly..." he teased "it's a technique where you blow out fire!"

My eyes widened "Wha? That's cool Sasuke! May I see it when you perfect it?"

Sasuke gave me a smile "Of course! After my father, you'll be the first to see it!"

"Awesome! Well, we best get moving, or we're going to be late. Haruo would have my head if I'm late".

We both began walking down the street, not without passing some of our classmates along the way.

"Oh look! It's Sasuke-kun!" I heard one girl squeal. "Oh my gosh he's so cool!"

I glanced in his direction, the look of slight irritation was apparent on his face. I don't know why he complains about it so much, I have it a lot worse.

"it's Mori-San, she thinks she's so cool hanging off Sasuke-kun like that".

Hanging off him?! I'm walking next to him!

"I hate her! She thinks she can have him all to her self".

I sighed heavily, there was one downside to being friends with Sasuke, practically every girl in the academy hated me, so making more friends was difficult.

"Sometimes a wish I was a boy" I mumbled. This caused Sasuke to give me an odd look and laugh "what? Why do you want that?" He asked between chuckles.

"Less attention from the rest of the girls, honestly, they put the female gene to shame" I grumbled. By now, Sasuke was in fits of laughter, which caused my to demand why he was laughing at me.

"I'm... ahaha, I'm not. It's just, ahem, even after knowing you for so long, you always surprise me. It's comforting... you know what I mean?"

This caused Sasuke to smile sadly, "you know Tomoko-Chan, the house isn't the same since you and Haruo moved out, I really miss you."

I gave him a puzzled look "How could you miss me? I'm not that far away from you and you see me every day at the academy".

Sasuke shrugged "I know but... it just isn't the same. Before I could literary walk across the garden to see you but now..." he didn't finish.

I stared at him blankly then chuckled, wondering how I could word this, "well, you could still walk across the garden to see me, only now it's a little further to walk!"

"Tomoko-Chan..." he mumbled in amazement.

"I'm still here for you Sasuke, and I always will be. You're my best friend after all, we gotta stick together!"

Sasuke grinned "Thank you... Tomoko-Chan..."

It's funny actually, at that time, the thing that I was looking to the most, was seeing Sasuke's complete technique. But the day I found out about his training, was three days before the massacre happened, I never knew he managed to complete it till now.

It made me question one thing, did he get to show Fugaku-leóf (sir) before he passed on, after all, at that time, Sasuke was hell-bent on getting his attention and trying to outshine Itachi.

'Itachi...'

I was well aware that it was him who committed the massacre, but at times I found it hard to believe. He was so gentle and caring, sure he had a funny way of showing it, but I could see he was a genuinely nice person. He was the first person I trusted from konohagakure, mostly because he fascinated me. He wasn't around much, but when he was he always made time to see me and Haruo.

'But he slaughtered his clan' I reminded myself. I never found out why Itachi did it, because Sasuke wouldn't tell me, Sasuke didn't tell me a lot of things after that and that's when...

"AHHHHH!"

My head snapped upwards... I recognise that scream anywhere.

"SASUKE!"

I immediately jumped through the trees to find him. But wait, what did I care? He treats me like shit and tossed me like trash, why should I help them?

"Remember Tomoko, this person maybe someone who you don't exactly see eye to eye with. But if they are good in their own way, it is our duty to help them at all costs... that is one of the many lessons Mitsuko teaches us".

'Damn you mother!' I thought. But she was right, it was against my morals to not help someone in need, even if it is Sasuke. Then I heard another scream, only this time it was female. This made me frown "if she's fainted again, I'm gonna do more than punch her."

I finally reached Sakura to find her past out on the floor... again! "Sakura for goodness sake get up!" I yelled, as I ran towards her, but was cut off when someone callec my name.

I turned to the source and... Well, I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but all I could see was Sasuke's head sticking out the ground.

"Eh?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't faint..."

I couldn't hold it in any longer, I laughed so hard it hurt my sides.

"What the hell is so funny about this!?" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Haha... er..." I cleared my throat "it's just..." but I couldn't form a sentence as I started laughing again.

"Urge sorry..." I cheered wiping the tears from my eyes "it's just... you totally deserve it!"

"And how do I deserve it!?"

After finally calming down, I walked forward and then crouched down to his level "because you're a self-centred moron, who actually thought he could take on a Jounin... think about it?"

He remained silent, only because he knew I was right. He did this all the time when we were kids. Sighing heavily I started to dig my hands in the dirt and toss it to the side.

"What you doing?" he asked rather rudely.

I scoffed "what does it look like I'm doing? I'm digging you out dope!"

Once again he stopped talking, leaving an awkward silence hanging in the air. I wanted to congratulate him on achieving that fire justu he just performed, but even if I did he'd just brush it under the rug like a nuisance.

"I touched one of the bells" he suddenly told me. I continued digging, hoping he'd get the hint to stop speaking, but he didn't.

"I guess my fire justu was too predictable..."

"Okay there should enough room for you get your arm through" I said cutting him off. As I stood back up he wriggled his arm free and managed to pull himself out.

"How did you find me anyway?" he asked standing up.

"Simple, I saw your fire justu, then followed Sakura's tracks".

"But... what made you think it was mine? It could've have been Kakashi's"

"Sasuke..." I told him sternly "I lived with your clan for about four years of my life, did you honestly think I'd forget that you're whole family are fire users? Trust me, I just knew, even if it was my first time seeing it."

Sasuke looked at me confused "wait, I never showed you when we were kids?"

I shook my head and frowned "No you didn't, why do you care anyway?"

"Oh... Sasuke-Kun, don't worry I'll save you" Sakura mumbled in her unconscious state.

"You're girlfriends asking for you" I told him and started to walk away.

"She isn't my girlfriend".

I chose to ignore him, what was the point in talking if he wasn't gonna corporate in this mission.

Sasuke walked over to her and knelt down, as for me, I kept my distance. When she did wake up, she didn't hesitate to practically pounce on him and start squealing, much to Sasuke's delight.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, 'well... She's awake now, no use in sticking around' I figured and walked back into the forest.