Parallel {My Second Life As Sakura Haruno}

One Friend is Enough

Ino gently patted my back while I sobbed into her chest. She spoke to me, saying things like, "It's okay Sakura, boys are dumb anyways."

'Sakura has such good friends.' I slowly pulled away and looked back down at my hands. 'What happened to her? Is she gone?'

Ino continued to pat my back. "Do you want to talk about it?" I couldn't look at her. 'I'm not Sakura. I shouldn't be treated like this.' Ino tucked a lock of pink hair behind my ear, changing the topic, which I couldn't be more thankful for. "Do you think you'll keep it short?"

I lifted my hand and pulled at a strand from my scalp above my large forehead. Fully extended it just barely reached the top of my eyebrows. 'Sakura would kill me if she knew what I did to her hair. It's even shorter than it was in the original series.'

Almost all of the length was like that, getting slightly longer from the sides to the back, forming a harshly tilted bowl cut.

"I might grow it out again. I was in a rush when I cut it." Ino sighed and leaned on my side. "So, what happened between you and Naruto?"

I glanced up at Ino to my left. I felt... resentment. Inadequate. A form of discrimination. 'Are these the real Sakura's feelings? Or is it just me?'

I took a gamble, voicing what I thought was going on. "I'm not special. I'm not determined like Naruto or level-headed like Sasuke, and I'm definitely not experienced like Kakashi. I don't have a bloodline trait or a large chakra reserve. I'm a nobody."

As I talked, words started slipping out, without me even needing to fake it.

"We're not a team. They just threw a bunch of people together and thought that they would get along due to their circumstances. Actually, Sasuke and Naruto? They're perfect for each other! Both are equally stubborn, they never listen to me, and they're so far ahead- what am I supposed to do? All I can do is sit back and watch as they accomplish feats someone like me could only dream of! Even you have a unique Jutsu, with your mind-stuff. I'm just... Sakura."

Ino crossed her arms. "What are you blabbering about Sakura?"

My head lowered back down, prepared to be told the same as I was before, that my problems were nothing and I was exaggerating for attention.

"You beat me. Didn't you?"

I looked up at her. Her haughty expression surprised me somewhat. "That was just a fluke. I mean, you're fine and I'm the one in the hospital, and in a real fight-"

Ino gripped me by the shoulders and shook me around. "Real fight, shmeal fight! You beat me, didn't you? How insulting! And to think I considered you my rival at all! I can't have a rival that doesn't take our fights seriously."

My world spun around, dizzying me while she continued her shaking. My words stretched out each time I was rocked back and forth. "I-I-no-o I ta-a-ke-e you-ou ser-ri-ou-us-ly-y."

Ino's shaking came to a halt, her intense blue eyes staring into my nauseous green ones. "You mean that right?"

I nodded, my head still spinning. Ino let go of my shoulders in favor of outreaching one hand and patting my shoulder. "Then don't put yourself down like that." I shook my head back and forth, my pink hair swaying along with it. The window behind Ino lit up her backside, making it look as if she was glowing. "'Kay? Sakura?"

A smile involuntarily crept up onto my face. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Ino turned her body to the right where the table sat. She picked up my tray and sat it down on her lap. "Oh! Uneaten food, for me?"

Suddenly, the two of us were back to our regular bantering. "Hey! Hands off my food Ino-pig!"

Ino's eyes narrowed with an arrogant smirk. "You snooze you loose forehead!"