Elevate - A Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 8

The bell's shrill ring pierced through the air, cutting off Iruka's lecture mid-sentence. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the classroom as students began shoving books and papers into their bags, scrambling around her in their usual end-of-day chaos.

"Remember to review chapters three through five for tomorrow's quiz!" Iruka called out over the chaos, his voice carrying a note of resignation as several students pretended not to hear him.

Naruto bounded over to Sakura's desk, practically vibrating with excess energy. "Hey, hey, Sakura-chan! Are we still getting ramen? You promised earlier, remember? When we were-"

"Indoor voice, Naruto," Sakura interrupted smoothly, pressing one finger against his lips. His blue eyes crossed comically as he tried to focus on her hand. "And while I did promise you ramen, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I have plans with Ino this afternoon."

The blonde's face fell into an expression so devastated one might think she'd announced the permanent closure of Ichiraku's rather than a simple rain check. "But... but... ramen..."

Sakura rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched upward. "Tomorrow," she repeated firmly, though she couldn't quite suppress her smile at his dramatics. "If you finish the homework and do well on your test, I'll even let you get a second bowl."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the prospect, previous disappointment forgotten in an instant. "Really? Two bowls? You're the best, Sakura-chan!" He launched himself forward as if to hug her, but Sakura sidestepped with practiced ease, leaving him to stumble past her.

"Personal space, Naruto," she reminded him, adjusting her bag strap. "We've talked about this. Multiple times. With diagrams."

"Sorry, sorry!" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, grinning despite his near-collision with the desk. "I forgot again! But tomorrow for sure, right?"

"As long as you hold up your end of the bargain," Sakura confirmed, watching Ino gather her things nearby. "Now go home and actually read those chapters Iruka-sensei mentioned. I'll quiz you tomorrow before class."

"Aww, but reading's so boring!" Naruto whined, though his protests lacked real conviction. "Can't you explain it to me instead? You make everything sound way more interesting!"

"My explanations tend to involve rather more discussion of gruesome death than the curriculum calls for," Sakura pointed out cheerfully. "Though I suppose I could work up some examples involving explosive tags and vital organs..."

"On second thought, reading sounds great!" Naruto backpedaled rapidly, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. "Super fun! Can't wait! See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice echoed back from the hall, followed by what sounded suspiciously like someone tripping down the stairs. A chorus of surprised yelps and at least one creative curse word confirmed her suspicions.

"He's going to break his neck one of these days," Ino observed, falling into step beside Sakura as they navigated through the surge of escaping students. "Though I suppose landing on his head might actually improve his academic performance."

"Bold of you to assume his skull isn't already dented from previous attempts," Sakura replied cheerfully. "I'm convinced his brain developed special shock absorbers as an evolutionary adaptation." She paused, considering. "Or perhaps his skull evolved extra padding to protect the rest of us from whatever chaos-inducing thoughts bounce around in there."

They emerged into the afternoon sunlight, leaving behind the institutional walls of the Academy. Sakura inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air after hours of breathing chalk dust and pre-teen anxiety. The village sprawled before them, a maze of buildings and training grounds leading toward their destination - the Yamanaka compound.