Unfurling Bud

Chapter Four

'...' - Eliza talking to Inner Sakura.

... - Inner Sakura speaking.

Part I: Bell Test

I sat at the checker-clothed table, leisurely buttering my toast and pouring out a cup of milk. This morning sure was an eventful one.

Abruptly realizing that today was the bell test, I had clumsily tried to get out of bed and succeeded in landing painfully on my side. It was only when I noticed how early it was that I crawled back into the warm covers. But by then, I was fully awoken and couldn't(by all means)go back to sleep.

So, without further ado, I began to start my morning routine with as much motivation as a sloth.

With each buttery bite, I thought about the bell test and felt a slight discouragement. Trying to get the two polar opposites to work together seemed like such a huge stretch - fan fictions made it sound easy, but it really isn't.

Come on, the protagonist is either highly capable and intelligent, outrageously kind, unbelievably sassy, notoriously scary, or has some kind of Therapy No Jutsu like Naruto. Everything that I am not.

The only rational(easier)option was to keep things canon, and not go genius!OC for everything. Hmm, maybe that grueling night with Guy and Lee actually knocked my real capabilities into my head quite hard. There was really no way I could actually come close to even touch a hair on Kakashi's head, let alone some bells!

Well, I'll try to keep everything the same... Except for that one part. You know? That part when our lovable duck apparently bleeds to death, and Sakura faints?

Serious shit never even happened! ...Inner is such a bad influence.

Don't be such a pansy. Sakura turned out fine, didn't she?

Not. 'You call her fainting at the littlest of things, fine? You call her forming creepy stalker habits, fine? You call her not being able to not give two fucks about her hair, fine?!'

Ah, well, maybe she's just a little more emotional that the average person. And stalker habits? Pshaw, nothing of the sort. It's just noticing the person you like in a bit more detail. Giving two fucks about one's hair? Perfectly natural. A girl likes to look her best, right? Unlike you of course, if you can even be called one. Such a slob.

'Really, Inner? Are you even listening to yourself right now? And it's not called being a slob! It's called liking yourself for who you are. Superficial things aren't at the top of my to-do list if you haven't noticed.'

That's called being lazy! You've been out for one day, and your hair's already a terrible mess. It looks like you dunked your head in water and slathered it in dirt.

'Then I'll... I'll cut it.'

Don't you dare.

'Try me.' I edged closer to the utensils.

Fiiine. You fucking win, okay? God, you are such a sly little bitch. I've been with you for what? Two days.

'I try.' My drowsiness slowly cleared up as a smirk curled up from the corner of my lips. Mornings weren't usually time for my best behavior - or so I've been told. I quickly finished off my toast in a few neat bites and gulped down the rest of my milk.

Halfway into opening the front door, I quickly went back and grabbed some of the cold onigiri that Mebuki had so thoughtfully set aside. Naruto and Sasuke are probably starving their butts of out there.