Finishing up with Shurikenjutsu practice in class with the familiar thud of weapons hitting the target. The sound and sight are rather satisfying, with five shurikens lodged solidly in the target, all within an inch of their intended mark on the human cutouts.

Shuriken Proficiency level has risen X1

Shuriken Proficiency Level 91

Ability to throw and use shuriken. Shuriken ranges approximately 15 m. Speed and strength behind the throw increase per level. Accuracy on stationary targets 1% per level. Current ability, throwing accuracy 91%.

91% percent accuracy is insane. And to think it wasn't that long ago last year that I could barely throw! Izumi has definitely been a tremendous help.

"Wow, Syouri-Chan!" Choji praises me, and I give him a thankful smile. His own are all on the target solidly though not nearly as close to the marked zones. Shuriken, of course, is not the only thing I've improved in.

Kunai Proficiency Level 87

Ability to throw and use kunai. Kunai range approximately 40m. Speed and strength behind the throw increase per level. Accuracy on stationary targets 1% per level. Current ability, throwing accuracy 87%.

I am definitely among the best at throwing weapons in the class. My only rivals are Shikamaru and Sasuke. I turn my head towards said Uchiha, whose eyes widen and quickly look away. I tilt my head to the side, my eyes questioning. That was an… unusually strong reaction for me just glancing at him. I shake it off and pull up the last of to my projectile throwing skills.

Shurikenjutsu Proficiency Level 72

Ability to use throwing weapons effectively. The speed at which you can throw weapons and the strength behind the throw increases per level by 0.2%. Increase in speed to level up shurikenjutsu-related skills increases by 1% per level. Current ability level up speed 172 %, weapons speed and strength increase 14.4%.

I would be in a really good mood if not for the fact that today is a Kunoichi class day. I really just want to get home and use the eye drops. I think I'm good enough now at chakra concealing that I hopefully won't go blind or something like the last time I tried limiting the flow of chakra to my eyes. (Hopefully) Of course, Kunoichi class needs to come along to spoil my mood. Not to mention it is a den of fangirling nonsense now. Are we ever going to do anything useful in that class?!

I'm about to go head towards the class where kunoichi class is held when I feel an inquisitive and nervous chakra I recognize walking closer to me and turn to see Sasuke. I bite my lip, thinking. Clearly, he wants to talk to me, so I move to the side, away from most prying eyes though I am unable to shake all of them. Sasuke follows at a distance and meets up with me behind the old academy tree.

"You wanted something Sasuke-san?" I ask curiously. He doesn't respond right away, just looking at me.

"My otousan wants to… he wants to meet you," Sasuke says with some hesitancy as though he can barely believe the word he was saying were true at all. "He wants you to come over for dinner…" I stiffen up my body as though frozen in place. What is Kami's name?! I had kind of desperately hoped I would NEVER have to meet mister-has-mongekyo-sharingan, like ever. "He says since you're spending so much time in the Uchiha compound, it's only right he meets you," Sasuke adds, and I know this isn't a request in the same way that the Akimichi has invited me over. No, this was a 'you'll come, or you won't be allowed in my compound' sort of deal. Sasuke looks at me, both confused and hopeful. Maybe there is even a bit of… resentment in his gaze? Right, isn't he always trying to get his father's attention?

"I'd be happy to come over…" I force out as calmly as possible without screaming (externally, at least). "Could I invite someone along?" I then add not sure if I should invite Ami or maybe Izumi and Hazuki? Probably the latter two if I want to get out of there unscathed.

"No, it's just an invitation for one," Sasuke says, looking at me. I nod, slightly defeated. Well, if I want to make an impact on the Uchiha's fate, this is the place to start, right? "We don't usually have people over. Kaachan seems excited." Sasuke then adds, and I tense further if that is possible.

"So when's this dinner?" I ask, seemingly calm. I'm going home later and screaming into my pillow.

"This weekend on Saturday at six. You remember which house, right?" Sasuke asks thoughtfully, as though I could mistake the large sprawling Uchiha main house anywhere.

"I remember," I state, forcing a smile because Sasuke looks distinctly uncomfortable.

"Good… um… see you later, Syouri-san," Sasuke says, waving and running off. I start to move forward in the same direction to leave the academy ground when it registers again in my brain. Kunoichi class. Aren't I having a wonderful day? Maybe it won't be so bad? I'm not even sure which I'm thinking about…

POV Ino Yamanaka

I look up from my pretty kimono. It's a yellow near gold colour with brown trimmings that should make my hair and eyes stand out. I look longingly at Sakura, who got a red and white pattern, the same colours of the Uchiha clan. I admit, it brings out the pink shade of her hair beautifully, still that doesn't mean I or any of the others are happy she got the outfit that Sasuke-kun would probably love the most. Not that he will see any of us in our wonderful dresses. No, the dresses are just for this class to practice being able to dress and walk in one properly and how to hide weapons or messages in them. Many of the girls, after all, have never worn a kimono before, and so them having to figure out how to function and dress in one on a mission wouldn't be any good, now would it?

I've been in a kimono many times for formal events as clan heir, so I should technically have an advantage. Actually, I do have an advantage in a lot of the stuff taught in this class, but it is still a fun class. So why am I in such a bad mood?

I turn my gaze subtly over to little-miss-wannabe. Syouri is a girl who doesn't have a clan, doesn't have a family, and doesn't even have a last name at all!

I know technically I shouldn't resent her for any of that. Maybe I SHOULD be SYMPATHETIC, but I'm not. Even if a part of me seems to whisper, 'Quit it!' Another part of me, a louder part than the steadily disappearing little voice, is enraged by the very idea that someone else gets Sasuke's attention. Sasuke is amazing, cool, and going to be an incredible shinobi, yet he won't even look at me, let alone speak to me more than to tell me to leave him alone. Why? Am I not good enough? What makes HER so special?

Awkwardly Syouri does up her kimono and walks around, stumbling at first and seemingly annoyed with some of the movement restrictions the kimono imposes, but soon walks as if it is her normal clothing. The kimono Suzume-sensei gave her is grey (silver, really) and light blue. She admittedly looks really lovely in it, even if she gives off the air of just playing dress-up. She keeps acting like this, like she is better somehow, like this is all beneath her, especially in kunoichi class. She doesn't even do that well in this class, yet she doesn't seem to care. However, she definitely does well in almost all other classes. Even if she is not Daikoku-sensei's favourite (that is always Sasuke, and why wouldn't it be?)

Choji would be upset if he knew how little most of the girls (including myself) like her. Not that I don't think highly of her, but as far as kunoichi goes, she is ok… she will probably be a good ninja, admittedly. I should probably like her. I should probably tell the others to back off like I had with Sakura. After all, Syouri is (somehow) close to the Akimichi clan, and the Akimichi are like family. I don't, though. Not that it would help much. Sakura was being made fun of for a large forehead, of all things, while she is hated for showing everyone up in their chase for Sasuke. (She just came to the class this year, I've known Sasuke since the start of the academy). Besides, I don't need to feel too bad since it seems AMI (the most unlikely person, in my opinion) has a soft spot for her, maybe some feeling similar to how I feel with Sakura. On top of that, after breaking Nahoko's nose, no one is going to be too eager to pick a fight. Probably...

When class ends, I don't head home, though. I wait a little and slowly follow behind Syouri, trying to stay hidden. I'm pretty good at stealth, if I do say so myself.

There has to be something she is doing that is getting Sasuke's attention. There is a bit of a rumour that Sasuke likes girls with long hair, but her hair doesn't seem too long. She is quiet and studies a lot, from what I can see. She doesn't wear many girl clothes. I've never seen her in a dress before today, and she usually wears dark colours, sometimes purple. I like purple, too but does Sasuke like purple? If he likes blonds, he should like me. We are both blond though our eyes are different. Is that it? Does Sasuke like those kami awful pools of drying blood? Surely not! So what exactly is it that is better?

She seems really tired for some reason today, and though she runs for a bit, and I think I may have lost her, I catch up. In the end, she goes into a market district not far from the Yamanaka compound and then up to a small apartment. I'm rather disappointed in my results, turning up absolutely NOTHING useful when something catches me off guard. Ami is here going to the apartment. So they are friends? Ami doesn't leave and stays there, it gets later and later, and I get hungry. Why isn't Ami leaving? Now that is another mystery.