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Everyone's stomach was pretty filled up, beside for Choji, whose belly seemed to have no end. As Ino was about to take the last piece of meat on the grill, Choji snatched it right in front of her.

"Choji, give that back! You already had enough!" she complained.

"The last piece is mine!" said Choji, delighted.

"It's not fair! You ate twice as more than..."

But she interrupted herself when she saw the boy, whom she was fighting with, put the piece of meat in his mouth. She automatically got pissed off.

"Choji, you fa-...!"

"Ino, don't say that word," swiftly interrupted Shikamaru as the girl was about to say the taboo word.

Choji, on his side, didn't seem to have noticed anything as he chew happily on his piece.

"I'm going to the washroom," he announced as he got up and walked away.

"I'm going too," said the blond girl still frustrated.

Asuma, Shikamaru, and Sora watched them walk away.

"Well, it was really good. Thanks for treating us, sensei," Sora said with a smile.

"You can't really thank me Sora, since you're helping me pay too" Asuma answered while winking at her.

"Yeah, I know. But it's better than paying it all by myself! I'd be broke much faster without you."

"You know, you really don't have to pay if you don't want to," he said, looking at her directly in the eyes.

"A deal is a deal. I never go back on my word," the girl said while lifting her right hand up solemnly and covering her heart with her left.

"…or that would be cheating," Shikamaru teased her in a mocking tone.

She turned and gave him a mean look. Then they all three burst out laughing.

"I'll go to the washroom then I'll come back to help you pay, sensei," she said as she got up.

On the way, she saw Ino and Choji talking in front of the washrooms.

"I don't know how you do it," commented the blonde girl.

"Do what?" asked Choji.

"Eat like that! I try to avoid that because I'm on a diet" she answered.

"I should be the one asking you how you do it! I can't imagine myself doing a diet!" he replied while rubbing his belly with his left hand.

"But you should still try. You know people are attracted to think people like me".

The boy didn't reply. Sora could see that he was lost in his thoughts. Ino didn't wait for a reply. She just spun around and walked in the girls' washroom. Sora walked up to Choji and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Choji. Do what you want, not what someone else says or you'll just end up being sad in life," she told him.

"Thanks" he said as he smiled.

He turned and walked in the boys' washroom. Sora entered the girls' one right away. When she came out to clean her hands, she saw Ino at the sink.

"You know, you shouldn't tell Choji how to be. If he like what he is, then let him be," said shyly Sora.

"Yeah, sure, whatever... However, I want you to tell me who is your crush!" Ino said as she closed the water and turned to face Sora with that annoying smirk on her face.

The black hair girl blushed as she got angry.

"Forget it. If you seriously think I'm going to tell you then you're wrong!" she gave out as an answer.

"Do like you wish, but I'll figure it out after a while," Ino said still smirking. "I have a great intuition for these things!"

She turned and walked out. But before crossing the entrance of the washroom, she looked at Sora over her shoulder and added:

"But if you think you can attract a guy with your looks, than you're wrong. Guys like long hair and attractive girls like me," she said passing her hand in her hair. She then added spitefully, "you just look like that Sakura".

She then walk out, leaving Sora alone. Sakura was a pink hair girl, in Reena's and Naruto's team. Her hair was down to her shoulder just like Sora and never really managed to attract the one guy that she really liked.

Sora looked at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She suddenly realized that she never really cared about how she looked, but how she acted. She never thought a comment like this would affect her one day. She started to look at her features more carefully. What was there to like?

Asuma, Choji, and Shikamaru were talking together when Ino came back to the table.

"Hey, I'm sorry to leave so early, but I told my mom that I would help her with an urgent delivery tonight. So I'll see you guys later?" she asked.

"Yes, we might meet tomorrow, but I still haven't decided what time. I'll come by your flower shop to tell you when I'll have decided," told her Asuma.

"Sure! See you guys tomorrow then!"

As she walked out of the store, Choji remembered that he also had to leave.

"I'm supposed to meet my dad. See you tomorrow sensei and Shikamaru," he announced in a hurry before leaving.

When Choji was out, Shikamaru and Asuma started to talk again. A couple minutes had past when the man suddenly said:

"I wonder what's taking Sora so long." He then added jokingly, "I hope she didn't escape so she wouldn't have to pay!"

"That would also count as cheating," told Shikamaru.

They both laughed at the joke. However, they stopped abruptly when they saw Sora coming. She didn't look too good; in fact, she seemed completely out of it. Something was clearly troubling her as any hint of happiness from earlier was now gone.

"What happened?" asked Shikamaru.

"Nothing," she answered in a dry voice.

She took out her wallet out and took a bit of money. She then gave it to Asuma as she put her wallet back in her pouch.

"Here's the money, it should cover at least half of the tab. I have to leave."

And without any further explanation, she turned and walked out of the restaurant.

"It almost looked like she either cried or was about to," said Shikamaru.

"Oh, trust me, she didn't cry and neither will she do anything of that sort. It has been a long time since I've seen any tears coming from her," said Asuma in a very sinister voice while looking outside.

Shikamaru was still looking at the door through which Sora just left. He was completely lost in his thoughts.

Sora was sitting on the side of a river, her feet in the water. In front of her, she had a perfect view of the sun set. She was lost in her thoughts for a long while now. All kind of things kept popping up in her mind.

"I wonder... no..." she said to herself before adding, "why do I even care about those things?"

The girl let out a sigh. It was starting to be very dark outside. There was nothing to do. There was no one waiting for Sora at her house and just that thought added more pain in her heart. She started to think about the people that she knew. When she thought about her friend Reena, she suddenly remembered that the girl had told her to come and see her tonight.

She got up quickly and put back her shoes on, now excited to see what her friend had reserved for her. Jogging all the way to her friend's house, it took about ten minutes before she ended up standing in front of the door of an apartment. She was about to knock but then stopped in her track as she remembered that Reena was now sharing an apartment with Kakashi. Just that thought made Sora feel really awkward.

The door suddenly opened and a very surprised white hair girl was standing there:

"Hey Sora...! I thought you wouldn't come by since it was getting really late."

"I'm really sorry Reena. I forgot you wanted to see me. Am I too late?"

"Of course not! It's never too late to visit me! Why don't you come it?" Reena answered as she moved sideways to let Sora come in.

The black hair girl walked in. When she looked around, she saw that Reena's place was much neater then her own.

"Wait… how did you know I was in front of your door? I didn't even knock!" asked Sora curiously.

"Oh, it's a kind of thing I can do... You know, with the five tails and all..." answered awkwardly Reena while rubbing the back of her head. It wasn't her favorite thing to talk about. Since people usually freaked out, she learned to avoid talking about it.

Sora decided to change the subject. "Kakashi-sensei isn't here?"

"Oh no no. He's gone on a mission," Reena said giggling a bit. "I wouldn't have invited you over if he had been here!"

"So... why did you wanted to see me?" asked curiously Sora.

"Well, on my last mission, I found something interesting and it made me think about you."

"Really? What is it?" asked the black hair girl getting more and more interested.

"It's a bit hard to explain it without showing it to you first. Here sit on the sofa, I'll be right back!"

She walked into her room and shuffling noises were heard. Finally she walked back out and brought a box into the living room.

"Open it," told Reena as she handed it over to her friend.

Sora could now feel great energy coming from it. She slowly opened the box. Inside, there was a silver chain which had in the middle of it a light blue stone held by small silver wires twirling around it. A soft light was coming out of the stone. The crystal was very special and it almost seemed like it was water even though the stone was very hard. The girl took the necklace in her hands and felt her chakra being connected to it. She looked up with a questioning look at her friend.

"It's an aqua stone, very rare. Legend has it that water dragons would create them and then offer it to a human worthy of their trust. It has the power to boost the energy of its owner, in one condition: that person has to have water as a chakra element. When you'll wear it, you'll feel more... connected to water I guess you could say. What it really does is that it stores a bit of your chakra and amplifies it for when you need it. It's really useful because with it, you'll learn all water based techniques much more quickly. Just be careful, it can drain your stamina more quickly if used wrong," she explained.

Sora looked at the stone once more.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because your chakra element is water, and you're my friend," she answered gently.

"But you can make your chakra turn into water element too with the Houkou's power."

"That is true; however my natural element is lightning. Being connected to water just feels so…wrong to me. Now try it on!"

Sora smiled a bit at her friend's excitement. She took the necklace and attached it around her neck. Reena quickly got up and walked to her bathroom. She soon came out, afterwards, with a small mirror.

"It matches your eyes," she told her giving her the mirror.

The black hair girl looked in the mirror. It was true; the necklace was exactly the color of her eyes. She smiled weakly at her reflection.

"Sora..."

The girl looked up at her friend.

"What's wrong? Don't try to say nothing because I know you more than you think" Reena warned her.

"Something really stupid," Sora answered, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Reena came to sit down beside her.

"Do you want to talk about it, we are alone here," she offered.

Sora hesitated a bit. If there was one person she likes to share her worries with, it was Reena. But she really didn't want to look like an idiot. She bit her thumb gently.

"Do... you find me ugly?" she finally asked with almost a whisper.

The question obviously took Reena by surprise. She never thought her friend would, one day, ask such a question.

"Of course not...! Where did you get such an idea?" she said softly.

Sora didn't answer and looked down, but it was too easy to guess.

"Ino," Reena mumbled spitefully. She really didn't like the blonde girl.

Sora let out a sigh as an answer.

"Don't listen to her. You know what I think?" she asked before answering with a smile, "I think that the people that are trying too hard to look good, like Ino, usually are the one that turns ugly. But don't go tell her that, or you might not get to see me live another day".

Reena's comment made the girl feel better, somehow. They both stayed silent for a bit. Sora was looking at her necklace, truly liking it. Finally, her friend broke the silence.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Now it was Sora's turn to be surprise. Reena rarely, to say never, asked questions.

"Umm... Sure." she answered.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but is there anyone, by any chance that you like?"

Sora closed her eyes. She was getting really sick and tired of that question. However, Reena had asked it in a different way; a nice way where she had given her the option to not answer.

"I'm not too sure about it. I mean, it might just be temporary, like just a crush..."

"It's good that you don't skip to conclusions, but don't let your chance slip by either."

The black hair yawned involuntarily.

"We should get to sleep now, it's getting late" said the white hair girl looking up at the time.

"Hey Reena, may I stay here for the night. I'll sleep on your sofa," asked Sora.

She really looked exhausted. But she also didn't want to be alone. She wanted to sleep where there would be someone nearby. Tonight wasn't a good night to be by herself.

"I don't mind. I'll go get a good pillow and warm blankets," the white hair girl said as she got up.

Sora stayed on the sofa while her friend was gone to get all the stuff for her. She really liked the necklace. She felt like trying its power right now, but she managed to convince herself to try it only tomorrow.

"Here you go, Sora" said her friend as she came back with the necessary things. "Have a good night!"

"Thanks. You too!"

Wrapping herself in the blankets, it didn't take too long for sleep to come. She was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

And this is it for now!

I'd really like to have some review in order to continue. I want to know if you guys think it's good because honestly, right now, I don't even know if you guys like it or not, if it's good, etc..."

So, as always, show some love! Please review!