UZUMAKI NARUTO, needles to say, was late, again.

In his defence, he was helping the old lady carry her groceries and dam those bags were heavy! That old hag must be pretty strong for being able to carry them half way from the shop to her house.

Naruto panted shamelessly like his dog, Kurama, with hands on his knees, mouth open, wheezing and all that jazz.

He expected the entrance gate crowd to have shifted over to the lockers by now but was nonplussed to see everyone there, well everyone expect Teme but then again, Teme doesn't count in everyone.

People of all cliques seemed to have come together to trash talk, he means– to discuss something atrocious. It must be something big cause the whole school seemed to have united together like never before.

He looked around trying to spot familiar friendly faces and he— he squinted.

Naruto better add 'Visit the Opthalm-something– Eye Doctor' to this greatly overdue to-do list.

Finally! He spotted Shikamaru, Choji and Dog Boy. He ran over to his hookey group, waving his hand, "Hey guys!"

Nearby peeps threw him a baleful look for interrupting their vile maligning.

"Keep it down, will ya?" Kiba hissed playfully in an equally loud voice, earning more nasty looks. While Naruto shot him a bedazzling grin.

"What's goin' on, Dattebayo!?" This time Naruto kept his voice down, he maybe an idiot but he is a smart idiot.

"Gaara cheated on Sakura.." Shikamaru, perhaps the only sensible person in their group explained. They all watched for Naruto's reaction but like we said, Naruto is a smart idiot. He kept his face carefully blank.

Everyone knew that Naruto had a crush on Sakura since day one but what everyone doesn't know is the reason: Naruto only had a crush on Sakura due to his rivalry with Sasuke.

Back in Primary School, Naruto noticed the way Sakura, along with all other girls looked at Sasuke, completely in love. He didn't get what was so good about him?!

He still pursued her. He asked her out again and again even though she made it absolutely clear that she is NOT interested but that didn't matter to Naruto, reflecting back on it now he understood how shallow he was being.

But later.., he realised Sakura's love for Sasuke was irreplaceable and he backed off.

But then in middle school, he observed Sakura stopped pursuing Sasuke and he saw his chance again. To show Teme that he got what Sasuke couldn't, he asked her out again but that didn't happen as well as he expected, wait- what did he expect?

For her to forget Teme and fall into his arms? Psh as if!

Sakura rebuffed all his advances and stopped with the boy dramas that was until high school, when one day she turned up to school along with her best friend, Yamanaka Ino and Sabaku-no-Gaara. And they had been together, ever since, for a couple of months now.

Naruto remembered being as crestfallen as a crested egret whose crest had fallen off.

"Ino betrayed Sakura and revealed her secret.."

Ok so ex-best friends, it is.

Naruto knew he was being superficial, but if he could ever win Sakura, it's now. He had a plan. The plan was simple, like his brother-in-law Suigetsu. But unlike Suigetsu, this plan just might work.

Imagine her being all broken-hearted and shit, having no one to talk to. Then Naruto would come to her rescue offering her a shoulder to cry on, saying sweet and comforting words and then when she would get better, he would snatch his chance and have her be his.

"What secret did Ino reveal again?"

"When Sakura was young she used to get bullied and...."

❀ ❀ ❀

Unfortunately for the Uzumaki, as soon as Shikamaru finished his story, the first class bell rang and he had to go to class.

In Primary school, Sakura would try to sit near Sasuke and so would Naruto, cause Sakura was his crush and Sasuke, his rival.

Then middle school came around and Sakura occupied a seat somewhere in the back. It would seem like she wasn't playing attention in class, at least to Naruto, but she answered each and every questions the teachers threw at her. Even the advanced, competitive ones. Sasuke occupied a seat somewhere in other front, away from the fan girls and Naruto would sit near Sasuke or his Hookey group at the corner back.

When High School rolled in, Sakura took the first seat, the one nearest to the teachers. Ino joined her but Gaara, due to being in a different home room, didn't complete their trio. Sasuke again took a seat somewhere in the middle and Naruto stuck to Uchiha Sasuke, his surprisingly best friend/rival and occasionally his Hookey Group.

Today Naruto picked a seat with his Hookey Group. He would have sat next to Teme but Sasuke wasn't big on gossip. Surely his group also weren't, but they liked to keep up with all the juicy drama going on and discuss it even sometimes. Also they sat behind a pair of Sasuke's muckraking fan girls who talked a little too loud.

Sakura chose to sit in her usual seat, nearest to the teacher. Ino took a seat at the far end of Sakura's the row, shooting her apologetic glances every now and then.

For the rest of the classes till Lunch Break, Naruto paid no flying hoot to whatever useless shit the teachers were ranting about, solely prioritising the juicy tête-à-tête.

❀ ❀ ❀

Naruto had managed to catch Sakura in a hallway between two of his classes. Her eyes were slightly puffy. Her nose was pink-ish, much like her Blossom coloured hair. All of it was accompanied by occasional sniffling.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto." Sakura was a polite girl, as long as you are on her good side. If you messed with her, like Naruto had done, then she can be disrespectful and downright nasty but it seemed like she was too tired to even conjure up a glare, instead her face held a completely blank look.

Hushed voices and stares stuck to her like cheap perfume.

"Hey, are you okay? Dattebayo?"

"Yeah, I am fine– no don't give me that look– I am just fine"

"You can lie, but I know that you're not fine.."

Sakura looked a bit taken back at first, " 'bitches broken hearts'.. I didn't know you did aesthetic?" She recomposed herself and her attention shifted to Naruto and away from Gaara and Ino's betrayal.

"They hit differentl, yanno?"

"Yeah, yeah they do.." She trailed off to her Wonderland.

"Earth to Saku-chan?!"

"Yes! Sorry uh.."

"It's okay, dattebayo! Hey look so I promise I'm not playing any tricks on you, I won't do that anymore! But just so you know you're always welcome to talk, dattebayo. We can always escape for an hour or two, if you want?"

"Oh yeah, um I'll keep that in mind. Class is starting soon.. wouldn't wanna be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it, see ya Dattebayo!"

"...Good..bye"

Sakura's voice sounded sad. But Naruto didn't obsess over it. She was Haruno Sakura, the strong head girl who always bounces back no matter how hard the obstacle it. Naruto didn't obsess over it.

He should have obsessed over it.

»»———— 🌸 🌸 🌸 ————-««

I hope you guys enjoyed it!
Also I have a teeny tiny problem.
I didn't think which teacher
would teach which subject

So far I have:
Principle- Tsunade
P.E- Might Gai.
Home Economics- Kato Shizune
Home Room- Hatake Kakashi
Art- Akasuna no Sasori and Deidara
English- Yūhi Kurenai
Japanese- ???
Maths- Umino Iruka
Biology- Orochimaru
Physics- Uchiha Obito
Chemistry- Mitarashi Anko
History- Kakuzu
Civics- Sarutobi Asuma
Geography- Zetsu

These ones are also
NOT FINAL
So if you have any suggestions,
I would love to hear them

VOTES AND COMMENTS ARE <3

-XOXO RIS

Up Next:
Sasuke