I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics, even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise. Whether I will have Oc's in the fic or not depends entirely on how the story goes.
Chapter 12
Sakura sat at a desk in the academy waiting for their sensei to show up and assign them to their squads. She hoped she could have Ino or Sasuke on her team maybe even both of them.
Ino wouldn't like the idea though as she was praying to the log, the sixth path, Madara Uchiha, and Hashirama Senju to let her be on the same team as Naruto. Sakura looked over at her friend sitting next to her or specifically at the beautiful pendant around her neck, Sakura remembered how she questioned her best friend about where she got it.
She was shocked and skeptical at first to find out Naruto had bought it for her, but Ino shut her up by showing her the casing, the tag which made her do a double take, and the slip that proved the amount paid. Sakura was speechless and a bit jealous, she wanted nice expensive jewelry too. She asked if she could borrow it sometimes but Ino laughed in her face and refused.
Sakura already knew who Sasuke wanted in his team, Hinata Hyuga and she knew who he didn't want in that same team, Naruto Uzumaki. Both of whom had not arrived yet, it was still early anyways.
"Woah! Ino where did you get that necklace?" Sakura looked over to find Choji and Shikamaru staring at the pendant in wonder, to which Ino grinned at the two boys and answered Choji's inquiry.
"What this? My boyfriend bought it for me."Ino boasted going so far as to puff her chest out. Sakura rolled her eyes, Ino was anything but humble it seemed.
"Naruto bought that?" Shikamaru asked in shock and Ino looked at him in shock.
"What! How do you know me and Naruto are a couple!" Ino exclaimed in a whisper so the rest of her class would not hear and Shikamaru shrugged not answering the girl.
"You better tell me where you got that information Shika or I'll drag it out of you kicking and screaming." Ino warned menacingly as she ball her fist and displayed it to the two boys threateningly.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru said dragging his hand across his face and then yawning.
"Woah, Woah calmed down Ino-Chan." Choji placated the girl. "Our parents met up the night you and Naruto went out on your date. "Well, we might have overheard your father crying about how his 'little girl was being stolen from under his nose by a blonde gaki." Choji explained and Ino blushed at the fact her father went around spreading the news.
"And besides, you guys getting together was an eventuality, it would only reason he would be our first guess." Shikamaru added in a know it all voice and Ino glared at him.
"What not too troublesome to open your big mouth now?" She questioned with a bite in her tone. "Go take a nap or something." She dismissed the Nara heir like he was some useless peasant.
"Fine, I'll hold my breath so we don't end up on the same team." Shikamaru said with a yawn before walking off followed by Choji.
"Yeah, you do that!" Ino said wanting to have the last word as she huffed.
"So how did you get him to make it official?" Sakura asked wanting to hear the gossip, well since she was getting the scoop from one of the involved parties she guessed it wasn't gossiping.
Ino smiled a little as she lost focus in her eyes and Sakura assumed the girl was heading into memory lane.
"Earth to Ino, Ino stop daydreaming your making kissy faces again." Sakura told the girl snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face and Ino's daydream shattered into a million shards of glass bringing said girl back to reality.
"Ohh hahaha." Ino laughed nervously as she rubbed her left arm up and down with her right hand. "Well, you see it went like this.
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~~Flashback~~ (AN: honestly I hate flashbacks but I couldn't fit this part in the last chapter because well word counts were getting overboard, I'll keep it short.)
Ino and Naruto had left Ichiraku's and were now roaming the streets of Konoha, watching the people drink, party, dance, converse and hug trees. As they walked, Ino kept looking at every reflective surface they passed so she could see her and Naruto's reflections as they held hands. She thought they looked splendid together.
It bothered her that she and Naruto were not an official couple because that meant other girls could take advantage of his availability and steal him from her. That would break her heart. Ino thought as they walked through the streets, She oh so subtly led him away from the crowded areas and into a secluded park.
She had planned this date to a tee and although Naruto threw her for a loop with the gift now hanging around her neck that she would forever treasure, the plan had to go on and the pendant just cemented her resolve.
So reaching a certain area next to a lake she stopped walking and turned to her 'Goldie-kun' aka 'Golden boy' and looked him straight in the eyes with the most beautiful smile she could conjure up, turned her charms up to a hundred and ten and held on to her nerves with an iron grip.
"Goldie-Kun." She began and Naruto blinked at her in confusion but smiled anyway.
"I think you are the sweetest person I know and the nicest around. You're an enigma to me that is full of mysteries and wonders." Ino saw a dust of pink grace Naruto's cheeks and her smile widened.
"I want to solve the mystery that is Naruto Uzumaki because every other thing I know about you is just too good to be true. I want to uncover your faults and your fears a-and and fall in l-love with them. Li-like I've fallen in love with everything else about you." Ino could see the shock growing on Naruto's face as he listened to her speak, his blue eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Ino giggled and closed his mouth for him with a hand and he gulped.
"I know we're still young and inexperienced. I don't know what the world has to offer or whether I will forever feel this way but, I know right now in this moment in this time I'm in love with you Naruto-kun." Ino moved closer and placed her forehead against his as she looked him in the eyes taking both his hands in hers.
"All I want from you right now is for you to be honest with me, because being your friend is not enough for me anymore, you don't have to say anything either just If you feel the same way kiss me and if you don't you can back away and we will forget I said anything, I promise nothing would change between us." Ino finished with a wink though Naruto could see she was scared, she just placed her heart infront of him asking him to hold on to it for her.
Ino was shocked for the second time that night as in three seconds flat. Yes she was counting she had to control her nerves somehow, Naruto closed the little distance between them and locked lips with her. Ino smiled into the kiss and removed her hands from his and wrapped it around his neck deepening the kiss.
Naruto had his hands around her waist at that point and was enjoying the kiss just as much as she did. Then he groaned and broke the kiss as he rubbed his forehead
"Agh stupid clone." He mumbled and Ino looked at him in confusion asking him what was wrong he told her not to worry about it as he smiled at the girl. Naruto took Ino's hands in his once more and looked her in the eyes.
"I know you said I didn't have to say anything but I feel like I'm obligated to ask this question sunshine, you don't have to say a word. If you accept kiss me and if you don't you can back away." Ino heard him say as he placed a hand on her cheeks using the same line she used, her heart started beating faster in her chest as she could already anticipate the words that would come out his mouth.
"Will you be my girlfriend Ino Yamanaka?" The words left his mouth and Ino had kissed him not a moment later, she already had her answer she just wanted to hear him say the words.
After a minute they broke their latest kiss, walked alongside the lake a few times holding hands and talking, recalling funny moments in their lives to each other some where they were together at the scene or others where the one was around and the other wasn't.
Naruto had dropped Ino off at around 11pm and her father had scolded them both for coming in so late. Ino rolled her eyes but didn't get angry, her day was perfect and she wasn't gonna ruin it by arguing with her dad. Naruto had apologized with an easy going grin on his face and when it was time to leave Ino decide to give her father something to have nightmares about at night so she kissed Naruto goodnight on the lips.
Her father fainted, her mother squealed in delight and Ino smirked at Naruto who stood there gaping at her. She helped close his mouth like she did earlier that night and when Inoichi woke up a second later Naruto ran as fast as he could before the man regained his memory of the events that led him to an abrupt slumber.
~~end of flashback~~ (AN: I hope I don't have to do this again though I won't hold my breath.)
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Sakura listened to the story. Ino gave her a rundown of the events with absolutely no dialogue or voice acting it left Sakura wanting.
A second later the classroom door opened and Iruka walked in followed by Naruto and Hinata behind him, holding onto his black long sleeve shirt with her right hand and in her left hand was a katana in a lavender guard, Sakura remembered seeing it before apparently Naruto had gifted her with the weapon.
'I wonder if naruto is rich?.' A random thought entered Sakura's mind as she eyed the very expensive-looking blade and then turned to look at Ino's very expensive pendant. The girl was daydreaming again as she had her hand on her cheek staring at Naruto dreamily.
Sakura looked over to Sasuke and saw him staring at Hinata as she and Naruto made their way toward them. Ino stood from her sit and let Naruto sit next to Sakura before she took her place on his lap and Hinata sat next to Naruto. Sakura blinked at Ino who just a few minutes ago looked like she wanted to keep her and Naruto on the hush-hush but was now showing such closeness.
"Good morning Goldie-Kun, good morning Hinata." Ino greeted happily, Naruto greeted back by poking Ino's nose with a smile and Hinata replied.
"Good morning Ino-Chan, and Naruto-Kun told me about your date. So very bold of you." Hinata said with a giggle causing Ino to blush up a storm.
"But good on you sister, because if you didn't tell him straight to his face this dummy would never figure it out on his own." Hinata added and Naruto yelled out his protest with a 'hey I'm right here you know.'
Sakura chuckled at that before she and Hinata greeted each other as well.
"Good morning new genin corps." Iruka greeted his previous students. "I'll get straight to it so we don't make your new senseis wait too long." Iruka said and Sakura gave the man his full attention. (AN: Sakura doesn't care about the fodder characters' teams so she told me I didn't have to write about their placement.)
"Team 7 will be Hinata Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura looked over at Naruto and Hinata who fist bumped with Ino looking sad as she wrapped her hands around Naruto's neck and brought herself closer to him, to which the boy began whispering sweet nothings to her ears.
Sakura looked over to Sasuke and found him smiling in happiness, he didn't even look that happy when he became genin and Sakura's heart broke a little. With Sasuke and Hinata on the same team they would only get closer and with Naruto and Ino dating Hinata might just start seeing Sasuke differently.
"Team 8 we have Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburama." Iruka continued not noticing one of his ex-student's inner turmoil. Her team was made up of people she had only said a handful of words to in the last 6 years they had studied together.
"Team 10 we have Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi." Iruka finished and Sakura heard Ino openly sob repeatedly asking why she had to be on the same team as those losers, her boyfriend just rubbed her back soothingly and Sakura wished she had Sasuke to comfort her like that as well.
"Now as for your team senseis. Team 7 you have Itachi Uchiha." Said man popped into existence in a swarm of crows, surprising the classroom and even Iruka. Sasuke's shock was the first to go as it got replaced by a grin.
"Okay, we'll an interesting entrance you made there Itachi-San," Iruka said with a cough in his hand.
"Team 8, your sensei will be Kurenai Yui." The spot next to Itachi had Sakura tree petals appear out of nowhere as they twisted in place and when they dispersed A beautiful woman with crimson eyes was standing there with a beautiful smile on her face. Sakura recognized the woman as Konoha's genjutsu mistress. Sakura smiled, at least not all was bad she always had an interest in genjutsu.
"W-welcome k-Kurenai-Chan," Iruka said with a blush and a stutter to which the woman nodded to him professionally.
"Team 10 your sensei is Asuma Sarutobi." Everybody's sweat dropped when the door opened and the man walked in and stood next to his colleagues. Kiba sniffed the air and cringed as he covered his nose with a hand.
"Teams meet your senseis and I wish you all the best and a successful career, make your village proud." Iruka finished as he sniffed wiping a tear from his eyes. Sakura felt like running up to the man and hugging him as Iruka left sniffing and wiping his eyes.
"Team 7, meet me on the rooftops." Sakura heard Itachi say before he burst into another swarm of craws. Sasuke quickly stood up and walked to the door before looking back at his team, specifically Hinata. Ino reluctantly got off Naruto as he and Hinata went to the Uchiha. Hinata grabbed Naruto's sleeve as they all walked out, but not before Naruto waved Ino goodbye which the girl copied slowly.
"Team 8 follow me please." Kurenai instructed as she made her way outside the door. Kiba was the first to follow, Sakura stood up and wished Ino luck before she too left, followed quietly behind by Shino. Sakura did not know how she was going to survive all of this.
"Team 10 with me." She heard Ino's sensei say before she was out of hearing range.
AN
just a filler before we get to canon events
I decided to give Itachi sensei a chance, Kakashi will have a role to play but more like someone Naruto can never get the upper hand on when It comes to words(dissing each other).
I know there is the fact Sakura is not in team 7 and that is because honestly the whole dead-last and rookie of the year on the same team was just for a plot point.
So I decided the Top 3 are on the same team (team7 Hina, Naru, and Sasu) because Konoha wants a strong team and not a demented one
The following 3 runner-ups are team 8 (Saku, Shino, and Kiba) Sakura was 4th in class so she ended up with team 8 if she was third or 2nd she would be in team 7. Kiba might not be the smartest but his not dumb and he performs well in taijutsu that's why his 5th and Shino is 6th because he does not perform well in taijutsu.
And last runner-ups are team 10 (Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.) Ino I really can't explain myself I don't wanna talk bad about Naruto's chick or I might get a Rasengan. Shikamaru is 8 because his lazy and always forfeited his matches unless mandatory and even there he performs poorly. Choji is last because he was too busy eating to pay close attention and followed Shikamaru's example.