Konoha High School (A Naruto Fan Fiction)

Part XII

Part XII

~Naruto~

Man, what a mess this has become.

Sakura and Sasuke are a really great couple, but all the drama is really annoying. I get both sides to the argument, and both are just, but I think that they're just making it a lot more dragged out than it needs to be, with all this begging and ignoring and watching the other squirm. It's exhausting just to watch, I can't imagine the toll on all of them.

To honestly admit, I'm leaning more towards Sakura's side. She sacrificed a lot for Ino, and now it's Ino's turn to return the favor. And even more so, this time Sasuke's happy as well. When he was dating Ino, I never heard a word about her. But now that he's dating Sakura, I wonder what happened to his ability to talk about anything but her. It's so out of the norm for him to get enthusiastic about anything, so it's almost humorous to see him so head over heals. But to see him this way is confirming how happy he is. Wouldn't Ino want him to be happy?

But the more I think about it, I understand Ino's side of the argument as well. This may sound immature, but she had him first. I mean, if Hinata didn't love me and we were dating, and then she broke up with me and began seeing Sasuke, I'd be really upset as well. And even though they can't chose who they are in love with, I think I'd be angry with them as well. And I'd be broken and betrayed and wouldn't be able to deal with it either. So Ino's view makes a lot of sense as well.

Ugh! It's so contradictory!

Both girls views make a lot of sense. And I think they both realize this. As for Hinata, Sai, and me, we've chosen to stay neutral.

I plop down my tray of unappetizing mush beside Hinata. It's awkward looking around the room and seeing Ino eating with Shikamaru and Choji, Sakura and Sasuke eating alone, and then the three of us sitting at our own table, shared with Kiba and Shino.

What happened to us?

"So they still haven't made up?" Kiba says as he brings his food to the other side of Hinata.

"No," says Shino in his typically intelligent and quiet manner. "Why? Because it seems to take teenage girls a very long time to make up as friends."

"I really wish they would," Hinata says softly. "I hate seeing all of us torn up like this."

"Yeah, me too," I mutter. I look at Hinata. Her eyes scan the room, looking at her segregated friends. She looks from Sakura, then Ino, and sighs. She looks so distraught over her friends.

I slide my arm around her waist and bring her close to me. "It's going to be okay, Hinata." I whisper. "They'll make up eventually."

She looks up at me and smiles lightly. "You're right," she says angelically.

I look over once more at Sakura. She looks drained and devoid of the brightness she carries with her. Her lips move slightly as she talks to Sasuke, occasionally looking at him. And Sasuke looks worried, almost restless. He looks like that a lot often now. I can tell he's worried about the toll this conflict is taking on Sakura. I can tell by the look in his eyes from here that he feels powerless. That's probably Sasuke's least favorite emotion.

I avert my gaze to Ino, who's sitting with Shikamaru and Choji on either side of her. Shikamaru looks exasperated, but not in his usual way. He's holding Temari's hand to his left, but his head is looking at Ino, with his brow furrowed, pondering something. Choji in his usual happy-go-lucky attitude and kind nature is trying cheer up Ino. She's wearing a small smile for his sake, but even from afar I can see how fake it looks. She looks just as miserable as Sakura.

I return my attention back to the table. I can see Sai is constantly looking back at Ino, stealing quick glances at her. I look at him curiously, but don't say anything. Even though Sai has nothing to do with this conflict, he looks just as run down with worry as Sasuke. His eyes look deprived of sleep. He looks down at his lunch, back at Ino, then to his lunch again.