Sakura hurried to her classroom and sat down at her desk. Next time, she'll make sure to check the time when hanging out with the boys. Kakashi-sensei was explaining the popular folktales of early American civilization, but Sakura was distracted by a piece of paper landing on her desk.

She turned to Ino who motioned her to read it. She picked up the paper and began reading:

"Since you're a member of the Student Council, I need help with something important. Could you possibly give me some time during lunch to speak with the president?"

Sakura turned to her friend and nodded. Ino mouthed 'Thank you' and the two continued writing the information Kakashi was speaking.

During lunch, Ino leaped onto Sakura. "Thanks so much for this! I really need some help!"

They walked to the Student Council room and Sakura led her through the door. "Hello, Sakura-san," Itachi greeted. He cocked an eyebrow at the bouncy blonde taking a seat next to him.

"Who the fuck is she?" Hidan asked, biting down on a piece of food.

"This is Ino Yamanaka. She needed to talk to you about something, senpai," Sakura addressed, sitting next to Deidara and opening her bento.

"It's nice to meet you, Yamanaka-san. What is it that you need?" he asked.

Ino cupped her face in her hands and leaned forward. "I'm a member of the Sewing/Fashion Club and I need help with fundraising!"

"Fundraising? The school's next Cultural Festival isn't until after summer vacation. Why do you need help now?"

"We need more materials for the club. The clothes and accessories we are making right now are to be ready for the next Cultural Festival to sell, but we don't have enough money in our budget to buy our supplies," she explained.

Itachi pointed to Kakuzu. "It's not my job to explain fundraising and budgets. You'll have to talk to Kakuzu-kun and decide upon something."

Kakuzu stared in her direction with his dark, irritated eyes. Ino stood up, but didn't move. "It's okay, Ino, he's not as mean as he looks." Sakura assured, pushing the blonde into the empty seat next to him.

"If I remember correctly, the Sewing Club's budget is over $9,000 every year. That's quite a large sum, you should have enough money to buy even expensive materials for your club," he grumbled.

"Yes, that's how much we had, but many of our sewing machines were worn out and we had to restock them. They were roughly $500 each and we had to buy seven of them." she answered.

"That still leaves you with $5,500 left." he stated.

Ino shrunk down in her seat. "Well, err, we also used some of the money for a trip to Suna," she confessed.

"A trip to Suna costs over eighty dollars a ticket! Not to mention eighty dollars more the ride back! What else?"

She sunk lower. "We did a lot of stuff and now we're left with only ninety-eight dollars!"

Kakuzu felt his chest tighten at the irresponsible waste of money. "God, how did you guys not notice?! Who is your senpai?"

"We don't have one. We usually decide things on our own since our advisor comes every once in a while." Kakuzu pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly. "We can't do much for you guys except allow your request for fundraising." he grunted.

"But we really don't have time to do fundraising! We are all attending a fashion convention this weekend and are enrolled in cramschool during the school week! We won't have time to raise any money!" Ino looked desperately at Sakura, hoping for an offer from the pinkette.

Sakura shot her hand up and gave Ino a thumbs-up gesture. "We'll help you, Ino-chan!"

"No, we won't." Itachi dead-panned.

Ino crawled over to Itachi on her hands and knees. "Please, senpai! I'm begging on my knees! We are in serious trouble if we don't have anything to show for the Cultural Festival this fall!"

Itachi looked helplessly at his members, but found no backing up on the situation. He turned to Sakura, but sighed when she joined Ino down on her knees.

"I don't know why we have to do it for you, Yamanaka-san. We have things we need to do in our club." he stated.

Sakura raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "What do we need to do?"

Thankfully, for Itachi's sake, the bell rang and they all walked to their homerooms. Sakura grabbed Ino's arm and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ino-chan. I have an idea that I know they can't refuse."

After the school day, Itachi walked lazily back to the room. Pein-sensei waited near the window.

"Pein-sensei?"

Pein turned to Itachi. "It's about time you joined us, Itachi-kun. Please take a seat, I have something I need to talk to you all about." he said.

Itachi glanced around the table at his friends, but they didn't seem to know what was happening either.

Pein brushed his fingers through his red hair. "Now, can anyone tell me what the Student Council is for?"

Kisame raised his hand. "To help maintain a balanced environment in the school and provide students assistance when necessary."

"Yes that's correct, Kisame-kun." Pein walked over to the door and shut it for privacy. "Sakura-chan asked me to talk to everyone about the current situation the Sewing Club is in and-" A collective group of groans interrupted him.

"That's what this is about? Fine, we'll do what she wants, but please don't continue to scold us, sensei." Sasori said coldly.

Pein sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Okay... then I'll let you all discuss your fundraising ideas together." He slid open the door and walked out.

Sakura joined them moments later with Ino trailing behind. "Sakura-chan, you're too nice sometimes." Kisame grumbled.

Ino jumped happily behind Sakura and hugged her. "Oh, that means that they accepted! Thanks Sakura-chan! I'll be at cramschool, but tell me what happens okay?" Ino hopped away from the room and into the hallway.

She sat down in her seat and pulled out a scribbled piece of notebook paper. "During class, I had this really good idea! This weekend, we'll open up a small bake sale in front of the school to sell cookies and cakes." she explained, reading over the paper.

"I can't do anything this weekend. My family is visiting relatives," Itachi broke in.

"Neither can Hidan and I. We have to make a project on the Heian period for our Japanese History class," Kisame said.

She turned to Deidara, Sasori and Kakuzu. "I have to go shopping with my dad on Saturday, but I'll be able to help on Sunday," Deidara commented.

"Sasori?" Sakura asked, hoping he had nothing planned.

Sasori crossed his arms. "I have a doctor's appointment on Saturday early in the morning then I have to run errands for my grandmother. I could probably make it in the late afternoon, but there's no promises." he said.

Her desperate gaze switched to Kakuzu. He slapped his forehead and sighed, "I'm free both days, Sakura-chan - I can help."

She grasped his hand and shook it. "Oh thank you so much! You're going to be a really big help, Kakuzu-kun!"

"Ehh, no problem."

Itachi quieted the loud chatter and started the next meeting.

The school week ended quickly and Kakuzu waited patiently by the front gate of the school. A pick-up truck halted to a stop and the pinkette jumped from the passenger seat.

"Good morning, Kakuzu! Can you help me get this table out of the back?" She opened the tailgate and climbed inside.

Kakuzu obeyed and carried the table out of the truck and set it on the sidewalk. Sakura lugged a large box from the bed of the truck and handed it to Kakuzu's free hands. She jumped from the truck and slammed the tailgate.

"Thanks a lot, Yamanaka-sama!" She watched as Ino's father drove away from the school and turned a corner back home.

Kakuzu placed the large box on the table and opened it, revealing containers filled with pastries. "Are you sure we'll be able to sell all of these?" he asked.

Sakura walked over and began pulling each container from the box and putting them on the table. "I'm hoping so. Considering how close summer break is - I don't want to spend my time doing things that I can get out of the way now."

They stood silently next to each other while some passerby's stopped to look.

An old man scanned the sweets and pointed to a small piece of cake. "What kind is this?"

"It's daifuku cake with sweet bean paste filling! It's very delicious and since it is homemade, I took extra care to make it!"

The old man nodded, impressed, "Well, it sounds very tasty right now. I'll buy a piece." He handed her the amount of money and she picked it up with her gloved hands.

"Thank you very much, sir! Please tell your friends!"

He waved politely and waddled away.

They sold many desserts at their stand and were almost out when a group of boys stopped by.

"Wow, you're really cute! Whatchya selling there?" the tall, blonde asked, leaning over the table.

Sakura blushed and pointed to the remaining pieces. "This is Suama that I baked last night with the pink color and these two are strawberry-flavored Uiro - each costs ten dollars."

"That's pricey for such small pieces." the tanned boy frowned.

Kakuzu was getting irritated. "Either buy or leave. We don't take window shoppers."

The four boys stared up at Kakuzu. The blonde rubbed his chin, wondering who he was - he snapped his fingers and grinned. "Hey! You're Kakuzu from Taki! Why are you wearing the Konoha symbol on your jacket?"

"Kakuzu-kun goes to high school here." Sakura answered.

The blonde-haired boy frowned. "Oh, so you thought you could run away from your problems by moving to Konoha, huh?"

Kakuzu's green eyes narrowed, "I didn't run away. Now leave before I beat your head against the sidewalk."

The boy held his hands up in defense and waved them around. "Hey, don't get so upset! It's not like it's our fault for the loss against Kumo Middle School during the finals tournament!"

Kakuzu tightened his fists, but kept his cool demeanor. "It's sad that you all still hold onto the past, but it's something to expect from Taki students." he replied.

"Atleast we continued playing after our defeat! Look at you, Kakuzu - selling desserts? I bet you're not even playing basketball anymore because of your injury." The boy drew out the last word with a smug look.

Sakura stood nervously as the kids continue razzling the composed senior. "Hey, cutie," he grinned, "how about you come with us? We'll treat you to a good time."

Kakuzu walked from behind the table and cracked his knuckles. "Don't talk to her like that," he grunted.

The boy chuckled, "What? It's not like she's having fun with your ugly mug."

"Kakuzu-kun is a lot of fun to hang out with! Get lost you creeps!" she yelled, startling herself.

The blonde's smile disappeared and he looked back at his friends. The other three nodded their heads and turned their backs to the Konoha students.

"If we see you again, Kakuzu, it won't be on good grounds." he threatened. The group stalked away and Sakura turned to Kakuzu, concerned.

Kakuzu held his hand up before Sakura could speak. "Don't ask, Sakura-chan. It's nothing to worry about." he said.

"I didn't know you lived in Taki," she said - there was so much she didn't know about her friends.

Kakuzu sighed, "Yeah, I moved here after the seventh grade."

She tugged on his sleeve and stared at him with curious eyes. He sighed again and closed the container full of the remaining food. "Okay, I'll tell you after we pack this stuff up."

They sat near the basketball court as a few middle schoolers started a three-on-three game. Sakura took out one of the Uiro in the container and began chowing down as the Treasurer told his story.

"I was a member of Taki's basketball club since the fourth grade. I really loved playing it and was often told how great I was. During middle school, I would always score the most baskets and I even beat the old school record! I would always shoot the majority of the shots and our team would win every game.

When I turned ten I started growing faster than a lot of the kids, so we had a great advantage than the other teams. We would travel around and win against all of our competition. I even got a nickname - 'The Middle School Terror'." He laughed - a full, hearty laugh. Sakura was saddened that she didn't hear it very often.

"Anyway, all the drama started after we entered the grand tournament..."

(Flashback)

"Ow!" Kakuzu yelped. The doctor continued prodding the boy's elbow with his gloved hands.

The man adjusted his glasses and pulled out his papers. "It's not broken, but I will say that his triceps tendon is very overused and sore."

Kakuzu's mother placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Will he still be able to play basketball?" she asked worried.

The doctor smiled cheerfully. "Of course he can! He just needs to be careful not to put too much strain on the muscle or it may not heal properly," he explained. He bent down to Kakuzu's level and smiled again. "Just make sure to rest your elbow, alright?"

However, regardless of the doctor's advice, Kakuzu continued playing the sport. "I can't rest when we're so close to finals." he thought.

Through all the pain that seemed to increase in his elbow, Kakuzu's group passed through each team in their division. The team screamed and hollered of their victory and were ready to go against Kumo Middle School - the reigning champion for over three years.

A large crowd stocked the bleachers of Kumo's gymnasium and their cheers echoed among the rafters. The announcer tapped on his microphone and began the introduction.

"Hello and welcome everyone to the finals division between Taki Middle School and Kumo Middle School! Let's hope to see an amazing performance from both sides and enjoy a great game of basketball!"

"Kumo Middle School needs an announcer for their games? What a load of ridiculous crap." Kakuzu's teammate complained.

Their coach shushed them as Kumo's basketball players entered the gym. Their captain stood face-to-face with Kakuzu and gave him a friendly smile. "Meeting like this as rivals is rather dull, but I've heard a lot about you from other schools. It's an honor to be able to compete for the title as champion, 'Middle School Terror'."

"It's nice to meet you too. I'll enjoy playing whether I win or lose against you."

The referees quickly took their position and Kakuzu and the dark-skinned, Kumo student took their places in the center of the gym. The referee threw the ball in the air and blew his whistle. Kakuzu hit the ball behind him and felt a small jolt of pain run up his arm. He brushed it off and continued playing.

His teammates dribbled past Kumo's defenses and threw the ball to their star player. Kakuzu scored and Taki's fans hollered as their points increased.

Although the clock was ticking down, Kakuzu's arm was feeling worse as the game continued. As he took his shot, the ball dropped from his hand and fell to the ground - he couldn't take it anymore. He clutched his arm and tried putting pressure on the pain.

"Are you okay?" the dark-skinned boy asked, truly concerned.

The referee walked up to the pair and bent down. "Should we have a time-out?"

Kakuzu shook his head stubbornly. "No, I'm fine! Let's keep going!" he grunted. The referee shrugged and blew his whistle to continue the match.

Kumo's team began catching up to Taki's and soon they were at equal points with the game coming to a close.

"Kakuzu, stop screwing around! You're going to ruin the game for us!" his teammate yelled.

Kakuzu ignored his comment and tried his best to bear through the pain. He stole the ball from his opponent and quickly dribbled to the other side of the gym. His fans cheered loudly as he pushed the ball from his hand with all his power. The ball flew through the air and collided with the rim of the net and bounced back onto the floor. The loud buzz of the clock echoed the gym and showed the final score:

Taki - 78 Kumo - 81.

Everyone disbanded from the gym and Taki's students walked out of the gym. The dark-skinned boy stared sadly at the disheartened Kakuzu, but was ushered out before he could speak to him.

The trip back to Taki was quiet and the air was sour. He could feel their icy stares on him as he walked off the bus and into his mother's car.

"Yeah, your elbow is very inflamed. You're suffering from tendinosis," the doctor said, writing down a prescription.

"Will I have it forever?!" Kakuzu asked, slightly afraid of his actions.

The doctor smiled reassuringly and rubbed the boy's elbow gently. "Don't worry, Kakuzu. As long as you take care not to be too active, your tendons will heal fine."

"I won't have to worry about that because of the basketball tournament being over." he thought angrily. The doctor gave his mother the prescription and the two walked out the office.

The duration of the season, Kakuzu was met with extreme resentment from his fellow club members and classmates.

"I bet your arm wasn't even hurt."

"I guess you're not as good as you think you are."

"Why we wasted our time on you is beyond my thinking."

He would rush home, skipping practice, and lock himself in his room. His mother would often have to pick the lock of his room to wake him up for the next day of school.

After a long discussion, Kakuzu's family decided that moving to Konoha would be best to help their son continue a happy school life.

(End Flashback)

"After we moved, I still wanted to join the basketball club. But Itachi-kun pulled me aside and asked if I could join the Student Council during our next year in high school. I thought it would be a good idea to make friends, so I accepted."

He clenched his fists tightly and slammed both hands on the asphault. "How could they just lay the blame on me? I was the one that carried their sorry asses to that tournament! Yet they turned their backs on me like I was a pile of garbage!"

Sakura placed her small hand over his fist. "Is your elbow still injured?"

He removed his hand from under hers and bent his arm up and down. "No, it healed a year after the incident."

They continued to watch as the middle schoolers played their game against each other. Kakuzu sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was a pretty stupid story wasn't it? I hate talking about my personal life," he grumbled.

Sakura shook her head. "No, I didn't think it was stupid. I actually really liked hearing about you." she replied.

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "You act too nice, Sakura-chan. Why can't you be more aggressive?"

"Aggressive?"

"Yeah, it gets boring when a friend always agrees or does what you're saying. Try telling me something that you like or want."

She grabbed the last Uiro from the container and smiled brightly. "Well... I'd like to hear you laugh more!"

Kakuzu's face flushed and he shut his eyes tightly to avoid her cute, innocent smile. "That's not what I meant."

xxx

Votes and comments appreciated. <3

xTsu