Ⅰ
Before the lunch break began, Iruka-sensei advised us to use the time to get to know our teammates. He emphasized that it would help to break the ice before meeting our jounin.
However, my team already knew each other. As I mentioned in one of my earlier entries, Shikamaru and Chouji were my close friends. Ino, on the other hand, wasn't as close but she was still a good friend of mine. She could be annoying when she bosses around but I find it a bit endearing in her way.
But since we will be working together as a team, I took Iruka-sensei's words to heart and proposed to my friends that we have lunch on the rooftop.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky. With a few clouds drifting by, it was a perfect spot to discuss our team's goal.
"Mmmm~! My mom's rice balls are heavenly!" Chouji exclaimed, his joy was contagious.
"That sounds delicious, Chouji," I said.
Shikamaru nodded in agreement, chuckling softly as he watched his best friend's happy demeanor.
While the three of us were enjoying our meal, I just noticed that Ino was unusually quiet. Looking back at her to check, I saw her shoulders slouched—a far cry from her usual behavior.
Concerned by this quietness, I mustered my courage and gently asked, "Hey, Ino. Is everything okay?"
She slowly looked up, meeting my gaze.
"I'm fine," she replied. A hint of frustration could be heard in her words.
"Are you sure…? You don't seem quite yourー."
"I said I'm FINE, alright?!" she snapped, glaring at me.
Her sudden outburst hit me like a slap. I didn't expect her to react so harshly, especially not when I was just trying to help. I had never seen this side of her to be so defensive.
Before I could say anything, Shikamaru stepped in and asked. "Are you still upset about the team's assignment, Ino?"
She remained silent.
"You are very difficult, you know that? I already told you that we would be together. You should have listened."
"It's not about that, Shikamaru." Ino denied. "It's about Sasuke-kun being on Sakura's team. How did Forehead end up with him?! It's not fair!" She took a harsh bite into her rice ball, her frustration was no longer subtle.
Caught off guard by her sharp response, I could hear Shikamaru's words muttering beneath his breath, "Figures…"
"And another thing," Ino continued, getting our attention. "If you said we would be together, how do you explain Darren being on our team?" She pointed her finger at me while locking her gaze on Shikamaru.
"That's… a good question." He tried to think of an answer but soon nudged my shoulder gently.
"Wait, you want me to answer it?" I asked, caught off guard.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you're the Hokage's grandson," he replied.
Looking back at Ino, noticing the faint hope in her eyes, I slowly shook my head. "Sorry. I wish I could help, but I am also in the dark."
The four of us didn't see it coming that a fourth member would join the Ino-Shika-Chou. For centuries, the team dynamics had been the same. Changing it was something that my grandpa was against. He was the kind of man who valued tradition, honoring the ancestor's legacy. It would make sense if he didn't approve the change.
But he did: adding me to the group. We were puzzled when we heard the announcement.
Ino's gaze softened as she gently touched my arm. Her frustration seemed to fade, replaced with an understanding look. "It's okay, Darren. I thought maybe… you might know why you are on our team and…" She sighed, taking another bite of her rice ball. "I'm just upset that I'll never get to be around Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Seeing how sad she was, it was obvious she had a crush on him. From the moment when Sasuke was introduced to our class, her attention was glued to him. She would always talk about him, going on and on about how amazing he was.
The rest of us—myself included—had grown tired of hearing the same things over and over. But we never stopped her. She looked lively and happy whenever she found something new to say about him.
Feeling her disappointment, I quickly remembered something that could cheer her up.
"There is… actually a way you could get close to him." I gently said.
"Really?" Her face lit up.
"Yeah. There could come a time when Team 7 needs some assistance on future missions. I've heard of cases where two teams worked together."
"So, you're saying… I could get close to Sasuke-kun?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Absolutely," I smiled. "We just need to be patient and make sure we're prepared when the time comes. I'm pretty sure your dad has mentioned this before."
She mulled over my words, thinking for a moment. "Hmm. He did say he had to work with other teams when he was a genin. He even told me that it helped him to improve the Mind-Control Jutsu."
"Okay. What about you two? Did your dads ever talk about this?" I turned to Shikamaru and Chouji, wondering if their dads had the same experience.
"Yeah, my dad said the same thing." Shikamaru nodded. "It was a hassle but he admitted that it taught him a lot about being a ninja."
"Same with my dad." Chouji nodded too.
"So, you see? It's not the end of the world, Ino." I quickly turned back to her, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "All we need to do is to work hard and make our team stand out. Then, you could get a chance to be close to him."
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. There was relief on her face as she
"Thanks, Darren." She swiftly finished off her rice ball and stood up from the ground. She then took a deep breath and shared our team goal with her renewed determination. "Alright, everyone! From now on, there will be no slacking off! We are gonna work hard until everyone knows how great our team is!"
Shikamaru groaned, shaking his head.
Chouji, on the other hand, simply nodded in agreement while munching on another rice ball.
I was relieved to see her usual enthusiasm return. It did not suit her to have a long face. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, she caught me off guard with her next words. "And with that in mind, I volunteer to take the lead of the team!
Ⅱ
After lunch, I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. As I pondered Ino's sudden decision to be a leader, I caught my reflection in the mirror.
It was a bold move. She had a tendency to take charge, but I can't help but wonder if she could handle it.
Leading a team is a big responsibility. Her bossy behavior might help us to keep it together, but could she stay calm and make the tough decisions in a split second?
She didn't strike me as someone who could bear the weight of that kind of burden. She would rather take an easier way to get things done. But… ever since the day she gave me a piece of advice on dealing with Naruto's misbehavior—a moment when her thoughtful side surprised me—she had shown me there was more to her than I had realized.
"Hmm…" I better head back to the class, before the afternoon's ordination starts. I can think about it later after we meet our jounin.
As I made my way while walking along the rocky pavement, I spotted Sakura sitting alone on a public bench.
"Hi there."
"Oh, hey." She looked up, slightly startled.
"Is everything alright?" I gently asked.
"Umm, yeah… I'm fine." She nodded.
"Ahh, good. I just noticed you sitting here alone, and… I thought I'd check in."
"Oh, I see. I was just… thinking, that's all. Thanks." She replied. Then, her gaze softened, and she gently narrowed her eyes. "You're close with Naruto, right?"
"Yeah?" I answered, a little surprised by the sudden question.
She slowly leaned forward, her eyes locking with mine. "Can I… ask you something?"
Ⅲ
After a few minutes of talking, she fell into silence. Her gaze dropped as she let out a quiet sigh.
"I understand now…" she whispered, a hint of sadness in her expression. "I never realized how lonely Naruto's life has been…"
Seeing the guilt in her eyes, I gently shook my head. "It's okay, Sakura. Not many people know what he's been through.."
Feeling the guilt in her, she remained silent. There was a reason why she asked me about Naruto. It was all because of what Sasuke had said to her. When Sasuke asked about Naruto's whereabouts, she quickly brushed it off, pushing the conversation back to where they'd left off. I'm not sure what the two were talking about but that wasn't the issue.
The real problem was Sasuke's persistence about Naruto wore on her patience. She vented all her frustrations about my dear friend and began to blame him for being nothing but a troublemaker. Team 7 would be better off without him. She even suggested that it must be nice he grew up without a parentーenvying the freedom he had to live however he wanted.
After saying it, she thought Sasuke would agree with it.
However, he snapped.
In a cold tone, he told her she didn't understand what it was like to be in that state. Even if you don't have anyone to tell you not to do, the idea of being lonely at home is something that can't be described. Because of how naive she had said it, he called her "annoying". That's when the guilt started to hit her.
I was surprised to hear that Sasuke stood up for Naruto, given how they always glared at each other back in the academy. Perhaps, beneath all the rivalry, he had some sort of understanding of Naruto's situation.
"Darren," her voice trembled. She slowly lifted her head, locking her gaze on me. "What should I do? Should I… apologize for what I said to him or…"
"You don't need to apologize." I interrupted gently.
"W-why not?" she was surprised as she stammered.
I began to explain. "Because Naruto doesn't want pity or apologies from anyone. Your words might have hurt him, it's better to move forward and show him you are willing to understand."
A soft chuckle escaped me as I recalled my struggle with Naruto. "I used to have issues with him too. His pranks drove me crazy, and I couldn't figure out why he did them. But a good friend of mine told me to just talk to him. That's when I realized… Naruto's just like us."
"What do you mean?" She tilted her head slightly.
"He just wants to be accepted and understood, like everyone else. That's all." I softly replied, meeting her gaze.
Her expression softened as my words reached to her. A small smile appeared on her face.
"I'll try to be nicer to him when I see him again. Thank you, Darren."
"Don't mention it," I replied. Then, with a grin, I added, "But… if Naruto gives you or Sasuke any trouble, you have my permission to smack him on the back of his head."
"Are you serious?" Sakura's brow raised as she stared at me.
I nodded. "He can be a bit cocky sometimes. A little reminder might do him good."
Sakura giggled. "Okay, Darren. If you say so." Then, the two of us softly chuckled with a mutual understanding. Just as we settled into our conversation, a familiar voice cut through the silence
"Hey…what's up, you two?"
We turned to see Naruto walking toward us, one hand clutching his stomach. His face was twisted into a slight grimace, and I figured he must have eaten something that didn't sit well.
"Hey, Naruto," I waved. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…" he replied, wincing slightly. "I think the milk I had this morning was a little off…" his stomach growls.
"Oh, I see…" I glanced at Sakura and leaned in, whispering, "Why don't you take him to the infirmary? It might be a good chance to start being nicer to him."
Her eyes flicked between Naruto and me. After taking a deep breath, she gave me a determined look. "Okay, Darren. I'll take him there."
She quickly stood up from the bench and turned to my friend. She put up a smile on her face as she waved at him."Hey, Naruto! Do you want me to take you to the infirmary? You don't look too good."
Naruto's eyes widened, clearly surprised. "Wait… what?"
Sakura kept smiling. "You're not feeling well, right? Let's get you checked out."
I looked back at Naruto, hoping he would appreciate her kindness.
But then, he shook his head with a skeptical look on his face. "Oh, no! I'm not falling for this again, Sasuke!"
"Sasuke…?" Sakura looked confused. So as I.
"You're trying to trick me into thinking you are a real Sakura! Nice try, but I'm—" His stomach growled again, louder this time. Clutching his stomach, he rushed off to the nearest restroom.
Leaving us behind in this sudden turn of events, I glanced at Sakura and offered her some encouragement. "Well, at least you tried…"
But my words only seemed to fuel her frustration. Her hands clenched into fists, and her whole body tensed. She couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted at the top of her lungs, "YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT, NARUTOOO!"
Her shout echoed through the open area, scaring a flock of birds into flight. For the first time, I felt a bit sorry for him having to deal with such an aggressive kunoichi. She might be a bit more aggressive than Ino. Or… maybe they're about the same.