CHAPTER 4: "Pretty Flowers"
---
"Sakura!" Yamanaka Ino yelled as she tried to drag the reading pinkette to a boutique shop. "There's a sale! We have to buy new clothes before it ends!" She yelled in excitement.
The pinkette cringed as she stumbled into the store full of people, "Ino, you know how I feel about crowds." She murmured as she tucked her book into her small pouch.
The blonde simply giggled as she checked the jackets on a nearby rack with a huge 'Thirty percent off!' sign. "Yeah, I'm your bestfriend, how could I forget? But that's no excuse for not buying cute clothes!"
Sakura sighed as she flipped through several sweaters beside her, "This is stupid. We're graduating in a few months, why do I have to buy civilian clothes when I'm going to be busy with training?"
"Sakura, my dear." Ino sighed in false exasperation despite the amusement in her eyes, "We have to be stylish a few times! With us practically rolling on the ground nearly every day, we deserve to pamper ourselves whenever we can!" She explained before she pulled out a cute red sweater in front of the pinkette, "Plus, you deserve it, little miss Rookie of The Year."
"That's not true yet. We still have the final exams and the practical exams by the end the semester before we get our final rankings." Sakura denied as she accepted the sweater and surveyed it with her meticulous eye for detail. "This is nice, should I get this?"
Ino nodded, "Absolutely!" She smiled before she moved to a rack full of dresses with the pinkette in tow. "But seriously though, the spot for Rookie of The Year is as good as yours!" She said.
"Hmm," Sakura hummed as she picked a cute white dress and gave it to Ino, "Sasuke – san seems adamant to get my rank. He's been studying like crazy from what Itachi – kun has told me."
Ino held onto the dress, "Girl, Sasuke – kun might have my heart, but even I'm not blind to his incapability to get to your level." She fixed her smart yet stupid bestfriend a stare, "If only we could get Shikamaru to take the practical exams seriously." She whined.
"Speaking of Shikamaru, Naruto mentioned that the boys and Hinata will be eating at Ichiraku by twelve noon. Should we go or are we still on for that new tea house that you mentioned last week?" Sakura asked as she handed Ino another lilac dress with a few embroidered designs.
"We can go to Ichiraku for lunch," Ino passed on a red dress to the pinkette, "Then, maybe we can invite them for tea after. I'm sure Hinata would like to try their chamomile tea, I heard that it's really good."
Sakura nodded in agreement, "Hey, get that white dress. That looks like Hinata's size." She pointed to a dress a few racks down.
Turning, Ino gasped in glee as she ran to the rack, "Nice eye, Forehead!"
"I do aim to please, Pig."
---
"The world must be ending if Naruto's studying." Kiba barked a burst of laughter as he watched the frantic blond study while he slurped his ramen. "At least finish your food first, you dolt." He scolded as he saved a post – it from getting wet.
"I – Is Sakura – chan helping you study for the finals, N – Naruto – kun?" Beside the blond, Hinata asked as she ate her own bowl of beef ramen.
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded with a grin, "Sakura – chan's notes are way easier to understand than the teachers'. Plus, she made me my own version of notes, it's even color-coded and everything!" He gestured to the neatly made notes with orange and neon highlighters.
"You should really get checked for ADHD, man." Nara Shikamaru muttered as he looked at the obnoxious colors. "You're lucky that Sakura's helping you out. I've got Ino nagging every day to help her study."
Beside him, Akamichi Chouji nodded, "Yeah! Sakura – chan has pretty notes. She likes to help me a lot, too."
"I agree. Sakura is usually efficient whenever she makes her notes. She copies both board notes, oral discussions, and book lessons and integrates them to make the efficient study guide." Shino nodded in agreement, "I still have her notes regarding the History of Konoha if you want to borrow it." He told Naruto.
"Nah, I have my own copy." Naruto shrugged before he gulped down his bowl. "Old man, another bowl of miso ramen, please!" He grinned.
"The finals aren't even until two more months, what's the hurry?" Kiba asked as he watched the blond read.
"Sakura – chan found out a long time ago that I memorize and understand stuff easier with repetition. We even have those mini cards that she likes to quiz me with and stuff." The blond explained as he clapped his hands with glee as Teuchi brought him another bowl.
"Sounds like ADHD to me," Shikamaru muttered as he finished his own food.
"Nah, Sakura – chan got me checked two years ago. I just have a big problem with focusing on anything related to studying. I'm pretty decent when it comes to handworks and physical stuff."
"In any case, you're lucky that Sakura – chan's helping you. You're not the dead - last of the class anymore since she helped you a lot." Chouji commented as he ordered himself another bowl.
"Ah, the teachers' faces never seem to get old whenever they see the rankings and I'm not the last one." Naruto laughed, "I'm not part of the top ten, but hey, I wasn't really smart in the first place." He mindlessly waved his hand in a carefree manner.
"Someone, on the other hand, could be part of the top five if he actually exerted some effort." Kiba pointed to the lazy pineapple head. "C'mon, man! When's the last time you actually put in some work?"
"Right now." Shikamaru groaned, "I'm outside the house and eating lunch, on time, with you guys on a beautiful, no homework Saturday."
Hinata giggled, "I – It's nice to unwind sometimes." She commented as she set aside her now-empty bowl.
The boys around her nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I felt like Iruka – sensei was trying to kill us yesterday." Kiba snorted, "Those kunai were newly sharpened."
"Because they were newly sharpened," Sakura commented as she and Ino ducked under the ramen stand. "Hello, we're not too late to join you for lunch, are we?"
"What's up, my little ducklings?" Ino cheered as she hugged Hinata from behind.
"I – Ino – chan!" Hinata gasped at her tight hold.
"Looks like the gang's all here!" Kiba grinned as he scooted over to make Sakura sit down. "Eat up. We'll wait for you guys to finish." He offered as he raised a hand to order, "Two bowls of pork ramen please!"
"We're still missing Sasuke. So technically, the gang's not complete." Shikamaru pointed out.
Ino snorted, "Hell would freeze before Sasuke – kun would actually hang out with us." She pouted, "In all our years of friendship, he's only hung out with us several times."
"None of those were leisure activities." Sakura pointed out as she ate her newly ordered ramen.
"I – I'm sure he'll come around someday," Hinata said as she gave the group a small smile. "I mean, w – we're turning genin in a few months. We're b – bound to be in the s – same team with the rest of u – us."
Ino hummed as she chewed, "I never really thought of that. Genin teams are composed of three members and one jounin."
"You never put much thought into anything." Kiba teased as Akamaru woke up beside him.
"Hey," Ino whined, "I put a lot of thought into a lot of things! Most of them just don't concern you and your stinky dog breath."
"I take offense in that."
"Well you can shove it up your ass."
"Children, play nice." Sakura sighed as she calmly stirred through her bowl.
---
"Tadaima," The pinkette called out as she neatly placed her boots in their shoe rack.
"We're in the kitchen, love!" Her mother's voice yelled out.
Sakura made her way to the connected kitchen – dining room and welcomed the domestic sight of her mother and father cooking dinner while slow music played in the background from the radio. She smiled at them as she placed a box of mochi to the table.
"I brought mochi." She said as she sat down on the dining table. Her small collection of new clothing was wrapped up in a single eco – bag and placed beside her on the floor.
"Oh, how lovely!" Mebuki gasped as she laid down a few plates for them, "So, how was your day?"
"Ino dragged me to shopping. Then, we ate lunch at Ichiraku with the gang before we went to check out that new tea house that Ino's been nagging about."
"Sounds like you had a wonderful day, love." Kizashi grinned as he set the rice, fried fish, and bacon-wrapped chicken down the table.
Sakura shrugged as she gave out the chopsticks, "Bacon wrapped chicken? This is new." She commented. "Itadikamasu."
Kizashi nodded, "It's a meal we got to taste when we went to this little island up north. The travel was cold and long, but man, the food and view were so worth it!"
Mebuki nodded in agreement, "Their fur coats were also beautiful! Oh!" She gasped as she stood up quickly to retrieve a small gold box on the kitchen bar. "Which reminds me; we got you a little souvenir but forgot to give it to you. I found this yesterday while I was repacking our bags." She gave it to the pinkette.
Kizashi gasped, "How could we forget? I hope you like it, love." He smiled as he urged his daughter to open the souvenir.
Emerald eyes blinked as she softly pulled the gold ribbon off the box and took the lid off. She placed the ribbon and the lid on the table before she took out a silver necklace chain with a pink sakura blossom pendant. "It's so pretty."
Mebuki smiled proudly, "I know you hate how cliché your name is, but when I saw that necklace I just knew that you should have it."
"Take it as an early graduation gift." The older pinkette gestured, "You've earned it."
Sakura smiled softly at her parents, "Thank you very much."
---