The last day of Junior High passed rather quickly for the absentminded Haruno Sakura, who graduated with a column of A’s. She hadn’t paid attention to the teachers’ rants on getting into a good high school or bothered with pretty much anything because her mind had already drifted to one place she’d like to attend.

Which was the number one private high school in the whole of Japan – Aotsuki.

Now, Aotsuki wasn’t somewhere you ended up after getting kicked out of several schools in a row. No, it was a prestigious private high where you must be at the top of every class, including art, music, language and technology. The school charged you a rather impressive fare for registration, which was why it was a school recommended for rich families with high expectations. Aotsuki had a Victorian based structure; the courtyard was trimmed perfectly, stone gargoyles perched on roofs with their petrifying blood eyes, floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the common rooms and royal blue carpeting on the floor and peach colored walls decorated with oil paintings.

Yes, it was definitely the one school she had her eyes on. Even if fee was unreachable.

“Sakura-chaaan!” a too familiar and annoying voice called out, interrupting her thoughts.

She turned to look at the blond.

Naruto gave a sheepish grin, waving by the doorway and getting pushed aside by the students. She sighed and packed up her books and went over to him. They walked through the hallways, blue and white ornaments dangling on the ceiling celebrated their graduation day. Near the entrance stood a student with a spiky ponytail wearing their all-blue uniform with the top two buttons unbuttoned.

“Yo,” Shikamaru greeted, raising a hand.

“Ohayo,” replied Sakura as Naruto started conversing with him.

Shikamaru was a Junior High senior with an I.Q of over 200. He could’ve been a senior in High School if it weren’t for the fact that he was lazy as hell. Sakura had to admit that he was much smarter than her, but that couldn’t have been helped since he was born a genius.

“I still say ‘Aotsuki!’” Naruto pouted. They were midway through their conversation on which was the top high school.

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, making an irritated ‘click’ that didn’t seem to suit a teenager at all, more like an old man. He shook his head and growled, “This is too troublesome…”

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, indignant, face set in a pout.

“Nee, Naruto, let’s go,” Sakura grinned, waved apologetically at Shikamaru and dragged a frustrated Naruto out the entrance towards their homeroom.

“That Shikamaru,” Naruto huffed, “he doesn’t want to go to a good high school like Aotsuki because he’s too lazy. That’s just wasting his talent.” He suddenly switched into a deeper and annoyed voice, “This is too troublesome, this and that, and then back around.” He made a face.

Sakura laughed and settled in a seat in the front of the classroom, Naruto following behind her.

They had been friends since way back in elementary school. Naruto used to be a loner unlike Sakura, who always seemed to be surrounded by friends. Sakura had never really notice Naruto, and he the same, until they were paired together for a science project. They had talked and laughed throughout the project, although it was a little awkward at first, knowing the other’s differences from themselves.

Naruto had always been the school clown, fooling and joking around to get attention, but Sakura had been the more assertive kind and someone that is more aggressive than most people, but always managed to have a soft side to one she considered a friend.

Naruto had been laughed at, but he was always smiling, not once let down, at least that’s what Sakura thought at first, but later on, they started to consult with each other’s problems, keeping it light so that they won’t start to worry too much.

Sakura had consulted with Naruto about how Ino had broken up their friendship because Sakura liked the same person she liked - Sasuke-kun. Naruto had sneered and asked why in the world does she like that cold-hearted-teme, as he had put it. Sakura defended him, and said that she liked him because he was a mystery, someone that will most likely open their heart to that someone they love. She had stared dreamily out the window into the rain while Naruto snickered, until she smacked him upside down his head.

“Hey,” Naruto said.

“Hm?”

“You know how you’re aiming for Aotsuki like me? Of course we’re not rich like them so we have to get in with the scholarship.”

“M-hm.” They had already discussed this problem.

“Well, I don’t think it’s going to be an easy thing-“

“Of course not.”

“-And it asked for a special talent of yours. I don’t exactly know what I’m good at,” concluded the blond.

Sakura looked at him. “You do know that the contest starts on July, right?”

He nodded, scratching the back of his head wearily.

“Well, the only thing I can suggest to you that is of any help is you think of something that you do everyday, like a habit. And build on that.”

Naruto nodded in agreement, as if listening to a wise prophet’s caution.

The homeroom teacher dismissed the Junior High seniors for high school, wishing them good luck. The students grumbled a “Sensei mou…” and trudged out the doors with their friends, feeling refreshed because their backpacks were lighter than before.

Naruto and Sakura both started another packing trip, but with less books this time. Sakura stuffed the used workbooks into the recycling bin. She turned to Naruto, but found him already out of the doors, sticking out his tongue teasingly. She hurried to catch up with him, but found a hand stopping her on her shoulder. She turned around and saw her homeroom teacher, Piriya-sensei.

“Is something wrong, sensei?” Sakura asked, being the goody-goody-two-shoes, as Naruto called her. Well, she couldn’t help it if he couldn’t even say a “sorry” properly.

“Sakura, I’d advise you to take professional training for Aotsuki scholarship,” Piriya-sensei said unexpectantly.

“W-what?” Sakura’s eyes widened. Had she heard what they were talking about earlier?

“Yes, it may be sudden but there are many others before you who aimed for Aotsuki, and mind you, they have a perfect as a student, but almost all of them were denied. So I’m warning you that you must get professional training or else you will never get accepted. Whatever it is that you are planning to use to get the scholarship you must be naturally born with the talent. You also have to have a sense of self-confidence,” stated Piriya-sensei.

“B-but,” Sakura stuttered, “my parents can’t afford professional courses.”

Piriya-sensei sighed. “No, not courses. I recommend someone of a higher status that can teach you to use your talent properly.”

“But, sensei, I don’t know anyone like that,” Sakura countered uncomfortably, “especially of a high status.”

“Oh, I already have someone in mind. Since you seem capable and determined to enter Aotsuki,” Piriya-sensei smiled, fixing her crooked glasses by pushing the side of her lenses.

“Huh?” Sakura blinked.

“I recommend…”

--

Footsteps echoed down the dark hallway, the glass windows hovering on the ceiling concealed by draping platform curtains. The hard, alabaster floor tiles gleamed an unearthly eerie glow, lighting up the hallway eerily in the dark. The footsteps stopped and turned around, facing the other end, scraping the floor soundlessly.

“What do you want?” an impassive voice hissed.

“N-n-nothing!” a group of girls squealed and scurried out the entrance in which the stranger had first stepped in.

The stranger continued along the hallway, dragging a dark cloak along with him as if nothing had happened. The hallway were becoming lighter now, making the individual blink to get use to the light. Voices jumbled together down the middle of the hallway came into focus, muffled by another door. All the other voices were drowned out by the loudest voice yet: “Go! Go! Akatsuki!” The others stopped and one deep and annoyed voice growled, “Shut up, you.” A pause. Then laughter erupted and several people started praising the deep-voiced male who silenced the other.

The individual paused outside the door, and decided to knock politely. There was silence and a loud “I’ll go get it!” was heard. Feet shuffled and the doorknob turned cautiously.

The others in the meeting room waited with stretched silence, all of them wondering whom it might be.

The door opened and the loud blonde stepped back, shock forming on his face, while a redhead with attractive languid eyes stepped in, casually waving. He allowed a smooth smile grace his lips.

“Missed me?”

--

“I recommend…Akasuna no Sasori.”