Preface:

Readers should be made aware that Sakura is meant to be kind of a jerk. Her observations and opinions of the characters, places, and events that take place are not necessarily a reflection of mine and are not at all reasonable. I write this because I have had several complaints about bashing Sasuke. I am not. I actually like his character. I just think he was poorly handled.

Chapter One: Wrong Team

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror as she combed her hair carefully. She had to make sure her bubblegum colored hair was properly put together. Today was the day where she would be assigned her team.

Today was the day she had to be assigned with the right person. She winked at herself in the mirror with one green eye. She'd knock them dead.

'Sakura honey!' said Mom 'You'd better hurry up or you'll be late!'

'I know Mom.' said Sakura 'I'm on my way out now.'

'How long are you going to treat me like a kid?!' roared inner Sakura. 'I'm a ninja now!'

She didn't hurry. There was no need, she'd started out early enough. She wasn't a little academy student anymore. She was Sakura Haruno. Ninja in training.

Then she saw her.

Ino walked out of her house and looked at Sakura and smiled. Sakura instantly felt a bit flustered at her gaze and looked away The blonde girls hair was well conditioned and put in a ponytail and she looked good. She always looked much better than Sakura.

'Hey Ino.' asked Sakura.

'Hey Sakura, how's it going?' asked Ino 'Like my outfit?'

'Yeah, it's nice.' said Sakura, not looking up.

'Think Sasuke will like it?' asked Ino.

'Oh um, I'm sure he will.' said Sakura, looking up wanting to say something entirely different.

'Curse you Sasuke, I'll pay you back soon enough!' said Inner Sakura.

The two of them began to walk to the academy together. Sakura tried to think of what to say. No, tried to think of how to say it. But the words didn't come.

'So I heard you got second best scores next to Sasuke.' said Ino 'Nice work.'

'Yeah.' said Sakura 'I mean my physical talents weren't as good as yours but… uh…'

'What's wrong?' asked Ino.

'Nothing nevermind.' said Sakura.

As soon as they got to the class Sakura saw the blonde haired prankster, Naruto looking up at her. She'd been aware of his crush for years. Generally speaking she found that if you ignored him, he went away. The real source of her eternal frustration was that black haired boy staring down at the desk.

'Look at him.' said Inner Sakura 'With that smug "I'm so better than you." look on his face. Man I hate him.'

'Hey Sasuke.' said Ino 'Mind if I sit next to you?'

Sakura blushed in fury.

'FUCK THIS GUY!' roared inner Sakura.

'Hey wait a minute, I got here before you Ino.' said a girl.

'So did I.' said another.

Here they went. A veritable crowd of girls now assembled to begin fighting over who would sit next to Sasuke. It was truly pitiful. Oh look, there was Naruto getting very up close and personal with Sasuke. Did he actually think anyone took him seriously as a rival? He'd been dead last in all the tests.

Oh look all the girls were now glaring at Naruto. As if Sasuke really gave a damn about any of them. Or anyone at all really. Why were they so obsessed with him? Sasuke this, Sasuke that! What was the big deal with this jerk?

And now everyone was yelling at Naruto to stop.

And then someone bumped Naruto and he ended up locking lips with Sasuke. Hilarious. Now every girl in the room except Sakura was now outraged by Naruto having stolen Sasuke's first kiss. It wasn't as if there was going to be a second. What kind of messed up needy loser could ever stand to be in a long term relationship with that guy? It was a recipe for domestic abuse.

The number of bruises Naruto was sporting when Iruka arrived told Sakura that quite a few people were messed up needy losers. Except Ino of course, she was just misguided.

'As of today you are all ninjas.' said Iruka 'Together you faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult. Now you are Gennin, first level ninjas. All the gennin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be led by a Jonin, an elite ninja.'

So there would be three person groups. That meant Sakura might end up in the same group as Ino. She had to, they'd been best friends for years.

'Hey maybe we'll both end up in Sasuke's group.' said Ino.

'Kami no!' roared Sakura 'There is no way I'm letting that Sasuke jerk anywhere near Ino!'

'We want each squad to have a balance of sets and abilities.' said Iruka 'So that's how we set them up.' He raised his paper. 'I will now announce the squads:

'Squad 7, Naruto Uzumaki.'

Okay, okay come on.

'Sakura Haruno.'

Come on. Say Ino. Say Ino. Say Ino.

'Yeah!' said Naruto.

'I'm doomed.' said Sakura.

'And Sasuke Uchiha.' finished Iruka.

'Oh come on!' roared Inner Sakura. 'Why do I have to be in the same group as that brooding jerkass? Wait a minute, this is a good thing! If Sasuke's in my group that means Ino won't be in his! Yes!'

'Yes!' said Sakura.

'How did you get in his group?!' snapped Ino.

And now Ino was jealous of her. Damn it.

'I'd switch with you if I could.' answered Sakura quickly. She was lying of course.

'What do you see in a guy like that?' asked Shikamaru 'He's not so special.'

'Finally a voice of reason!' roared Inner Sakura.

'You are so beyond clueless Shikamaru.' said Ino. 'Don't you get it?'

'No I don't get it.' said Shikamaru 'Cause I'm not a girl.'

'You're so full of yourself.' said Ino 'Jealous is a terrible thing. I'd hate to be on your squad.'

'Now squad 10.' said Iruka 'Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru Nara.'

'Did you say something about hating to be on my squad?' asked Shikamaru triumphantly.

'And Choji Akimichi.'

Choji said nothing. He was too busy shoving food into his mouth.

'And those are all the squads.' said Iruka.

'Iruka sensei.' said Naruto 'Why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group as a slug like Sasuke?!'

'Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students.' said Iruke 'Naruto, you had the worst scores.' Laughter broke out throughout the class. 'To create a balanced group we put the best student with the worst student.'

'Setting yourself up for failure, aren't you?' asked Sakura.

'Just make sure you don't get in my way.' said Sasuke 'Loser.'

'Hey what did you say?!' roared Naruto.

'Hard of hearing?' asked Sasuke. More laughter.

'Shut up Sasuke.' said Sakura. 'Going after easy targets doesn't make you a badass.'

'You tell them, Sakura!' said Naruto.

'What a dork!' said Inner Sakura 'Did he seriously just admit to being an easy target?'

'Ahem.' said Iruka 'After lunch you'll meet your new jonin teachers. Until then class dismissed.'

After class Sakura went looking for Ino. She didn't find her. Maybe she was still mad at her for getting into the same group as Sasuke while Ino ended up with Shikamaru.

Sakura had been hoping to eat lunch together.

'Hey Sakura!' said Naruto 'Since we're in the same group together I was thinking we could eat lunch and get to know eachother.'

Didn't this kid ever stop? Kami he was annoying. But it wasn't polite to say that to someone's face. How could she get rid of him without seeming impolite? What did she know about him? He hated Sasuke. 'Tell you what, Naruto.' said Sakura 'Beat up Sasuke, tie him up and bring him to me and then we'll talk.'

'Alright!' said Naruto 'I'll show him whose boss! Cause I'm going to be a hokage! Believe it!'

'Sure, sure, have fun.' said Sakura.

As Sakura watched Naruto rush off she felt somewhat bad for sending him on a suicide mission. Still, at least this way she had some peace and quiet. She sat down on the bench and took in the beauty of her surroundings.

Ino was furious. She'd been destined to be in the same group as Sasuke. Every law of the universe and of righteousness had demanded she get in. But no, instead her best friend ended up in Sasuke's group while she ended up with Shikamaru.

No, no, she had nothing to worry about. Sakura knew what her feelings were. She wouldn't ruin their friendship over a guy.

'Alright,' said Ino 'if we're going to be in a group then I'm the leader! That's the only way it will work!'

'Yeah, yeah.' said Shikamaru.

'Why don't you lead us to some barbeque, Ino.' said Choji.

'Hopeless!' roared Ino.

Then she noticed something. Naruto creeping along the edge of a rooftop beneath the terrace. He was making his way to an open window where Sasuke was leaning with his back to him. Then Naruto jumpd him.

There were sounds of a struggle.

'Naruto!' snapped Ino 'If you so much as scratch him you're on my enemy list forever!'

No, what was she thinking. Sasuke was a prodigy from a long line of master ninja who worked constantly to get better. Naruto was a nobody. There was no way that-

Ino blinked. Did Naruto just rush through the window carrying a tied up Sasuke over his head, laughing while he did it?

'What just happened here?' asked Ino.

'Naruto just beat Sasuke without even breaking a sweat.' said Shikamaru.

This was impossible!

Sakura was left alone with her doubts.

'Well, I guess there is no real rush.' she said 'I've known Ino for years and I can still meet up with her between missions. Oh, who am I kidding? How could I even think Ino would like someone like me? I'm scrawny and small and-'

And then a tied up and gagged Sasuke was unceremoniously thrown onto the dirt. Naruto landed on top of him. 'Hey Sakura, I did just like you said. I beat up Sasuke and tied him up. So can we eat lunch together? Please?'

Sakura was not ready for today. 'Wait… you actually beat Sasuke? I mean, are you sure you didn't just catch a clone or something?'

'Well I snuck up behind him when he was least expecting it.' said Naruto 'I jumped him, but he knocked me flat. But he didn't realize that was only a clone and my other clones grabbed him and tied him up.

Does it count if I took him by surprise?'

'Well we are ninja,' said Sakura 'so yeah. Where were you thinking for lunch?'

'Well there is this really great ramen place Iruka always takes me to when I do well on a test.' said Naruto 'I could take you there, but uh… I'm kind of a bit short on cash.'

'Don't worry.' said Sakura 'This one is on me.' They turned and left Sasuke tied up in the middle of the street for anyone to find. 'So where did you learn to create clones anyway?'

'Well see I was trying to pass my exams, but Iruka failed me because I wasn't good enough.' said Naruto 'So I got really sad, but Mizuki said if I stole the Sacred Scroll I could…'

The sun was shining, Sakura had become a full ninja, and her rival for Ino's heart had been humiliated and tied up. She looked at the blonde haired doofus talking at her.

'What?' said Naruto 'Why are you looking at me?'

'Nothing.' said Sakura 'This looks like the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.'

Life was good.

Authors Note:

This may be a one shot. I only recently got into Naruto and while I find it enjoyable I dislike the fact that Sakura, a potentially brilliant character, is never allowed to be anything but Sasuke's love interest. Kakashi never trains her in anything and she never gets the chance to do anything.

Moreover she is made rather unsympathetic by the fact that she broke off her friendship with Ino purely because they both had a crush on the same guy. This gave me an interesting idea: What if Sakura was a lesbian?

Tell me what you think.