Chapter Six—Vendetta

Finally, the day had arrived. The long-awaited Sports Festivals, where young hopefuls could athletically express themselves and heartthrobs had the chance to gain even more attention from potential fans be they peers or even underclassmen. Yes, some had nothing to lose and everything to gain from this exciting event.

Sakura included. Her classmates were steadily buzzing Monday morning after their successful practice the previous day. Everyone was pumped and still chatting emphatically about her onigiri. It really seemed to lift their spirits and fill their guts. Of course, she couldn't take all the credit. When word got out that the rice balls were made by the efforts of also Naruto and Sasuke, the group collectively gasped, screeched and hollered.

Because apparently, picturing Sasuke and Naruto in hairnets and aprons was the most outlandish image of the year.

They weren't really too pleased she'd given them the credit.

At any rate, the main events were set to commence! Hence her preparation in the locker room. While she was fairly athletic and competitive, she was pretty focused on just doing her best to make sure their class was as successful as possible. If they won, great. If not, well at least they'd all have fun. It was their last festival, after all.

Taking out her clothes, she laid them out on a bench like the rest of the girls and started to get dressed.

"Haruno-san," called her fellow captain, Ninomiya. The pinkette peered up just as she'd pulled her gym shirt over her head, shifting her locks to pool out from beneath the shirt's collar.

"Yeah?" Her regular uniform was placed on a hanger then positioned inside her locker while the other girl strolled over with a clipboard in hand and what looked like the formations Shikamaru had drawn up at the last minute.

"Me and the rest of the girls are going to go over our formation a few more times before the match starts. Shikamaru changed a few positions after watching our practice yesterday." She explained. Hearing these words, Sakura nodded. This was probably a good idea. He was a genius, after all. If he had made suggestions it would be in their best interest to take them to heart.

"Alright, let's go." Assuming she wanted Sakura's involvement, she gave her locker a shut then followed her co-captain out to the court where the other members of their team were already heading.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Ami lurked behind the set of lockers with a couple girls trailing, each wielding a different item with the sole intent of being destructive. Once the other girls were out of earshot, Ami crept up to Sakura's locker, fiddled with the padlock a few times before initially giving up. It wasn't budging!

"Dammit! I really wanted to mess with her…!" With a huff, she crossed her arms and moved to stomped out of the room when her foot caught on something. Looking down angrily, she noticed the strap of a duffle bag hooked around her ankle.

"Whose bag is that?" One of the other girls asked just as Ami was about to find out. After doing some snooping, she came across a pair of fairly worn kneepads with inside reading the name Haruno.

"Huh…maybe this is even better…"

It was almost time to start as evident by the growing number of students who appeared in the gym for the first match. It was Sakura's class, 3-A against 3-B. Their opponents were in pretty much the same boat as most of their members were decent athletes but hardly any of them were in the volleyball club. These matches were bound to be interesting.

"It's almost time. Oh! Haruno-san, where are your kneepads?" Ninomiya called out just as they were to take the court. Sure enough, she was missing key part of her uniform.

"I'll be right back!" And off she dashed to the lockers, skidding to a halt once she came upon her row. Only her bag was seated on the bench. Had she forgotten to put it away? No matter, she just needed her padding and she'd be set! Only…a quick discovery revealed that her pads were ruined beyond repair and weren't even wearable. They'd been literally ripped to shreds to the point where they didn't even remotely resemble their original shape.

"You've got to be kidding…" Things were going so well, she'd thought. Then something like this had to happen and right at the start of the festival. Part of her wanted to go on rampage to find out who was responsible but that would have to wait, their match was set to start, and she needed to be there, pads or no pads.

"Hey, where are your—." Ninomiya called upon Sakura's return as she filled the serving position.

"I forgot them at home. No big deal."

"If you say so…"

And it wasn't a big deal until they were halfway through the match and Sakura had already sacrificed her knees in favor of saving the ball a total of six times. Her caps screamed for relief, burning irritably from being dragged across the gym floor but Sakura powered through the pain. And boy was she pumped. Pumped and angry. May Kami have mercy on whoever ruined her pads for they're in for one rude awakening.

"Yikes, Sakura-chan looks so vicious out there…" Naruto had to comment in between cheering on the girls of his class. He and Sasuke had been watching the match from up in the stands. They had front row seats to all of Sakura's aces and spikes. She was already a good player but even more so when she's angry. At least that's what Sasuke noticed. Though he couldn't help but wonder what got her so heated.

"You didn't say anything stupid to her, did you?" Of course, his first assumption was to blame Naruto. He was more than likely the root of Sakura's anger at any given moment, really.

"What? No! I didn't do anything this time!" And Naruto wasn't a huge liar, especially when it came to pissing Sakura off. He usual owned up to it. So, if it wasn't him then who or what had ignited this flame within the pinkette?

"Hn…" He hummed in thought, seeming to notice one thing about Sakura that differed from the others. She didn't have any sort of padding on her knees. Judging by the way the opposing team frequently aimed the ball at Sakura, prompting her to dive for the save, he wasn't the only one who noticed. So his next question was why.

In the middle of the game, Sasuke stood, catching the attention of his blond companion. Naruto didn't say anything about his abrupt departure, though he did grow curious.

"Ah, maybe he has to pee or something. Come on, Sakura-chan! Kick their butts!" He just resumed cheering along with the rest of the male class.

"Game set! Class 3-A advances to the next round!" Cheers and groans erupted through the gym as the ladies of 3-A gathered together in a huddle, congratulating one another on a job well done. The opposing team was received with well wishes and chants of 'good game' and such before the girls hurried off the field for the next classes match.

By the time things were all said and done, and Sakura had a chance to assess the state of her knees, she was in pretty bad shape. Not bleeding but bad. Her poor knees ached and throbbed from the constant diving. It's bad enough they hurt even with padding, but this was terrible.

"Haruno-san, you should probably go to the infirmary before the next match. Maybe Shizune-sensei can give you some ice for your knees." Ah, her co-captain was truly a blessing. "I'm sure one of the other girls will let you borrow their pads for the next game.

It seemed like a reasonable suggestion and Sakura is nothing if not sensible. So, with a pained sigh, she rose up, limping on both legs to the gym's exit, heading toward the nurse's station. The walk was long and a bit taxing. The constant walking was really taking a toll on her caps. She could feel them burning with each step.

"…hey! You there!" Oh. God. That voice. She'd recognize it from a mile away and with disdain every time. The jovial, over energetic, eccentric fitness instructor. Maito Gai. Or Gai-sensei as she and her peers have come to refer to him as. Surely, he wasn't calling out to her, right? Right…?

"Haruno-kun! You're the perfect person for this task!" Just when Sakura thought she'd be free from bushy browed bowl cut wearing males. When his star pupil, Rock Lee, graduated in the previous term, Gai-sensei was plenty distraught and spent a lot of his spare time scouting out new pupils to instill the power of youth within. And while she would never consider herself a candidate, Lee's fondness of her often put her in Gai's line of sight, unfortunately.

"Yes, Gai-sensei…?" She hated to ask.

"Your performance in Volleyball was simply outstanding! Excellent work out there! Since you did so well, I've decided to award you with only the most befitting task for one as athletic as you." The decorative showers of praise didn't help to quell any of the oncoming dread as Sakura wished he would get on with whatever he wanted her to do.

"Thanks…"

"As I'm sure you know, the boys' soccer matches will follow the first round of volleyball. Help the team set up the nets. Use that left-over adrenaline!" A hearty pat on the back was all she received in terms of motivation and it actually had an opposite effect. With a taxed groan, Sakura carried herself down the scarcely populated halls toward the equipment room. A few underclassmen filed in and out of the space, pushing carts and carrying orange cones.

A quick look around and Sakura spotted the large net neatly folded in the corner. But there was only one. Where was the other one?

"Hey," she stopped a first year just as he was about to leave, heaving another bag full of soccer balls across the floor. He paused and gave her a somewhat anxious look. Sakura relaxed, showing a friendly expression. No need to frighten the poor kid.

"Y…Yeah…?" He huffed, adjusting the weighty bag across his thin shoulders. He couldn't have been any older than fourteen, she thought.

"Where's the other soccer net? Has it been set up yet?" His eyes shifted. He appeared to be thinking over her question. After some time, his face shifted and Sakura sort of knew that he didn't have the slightest clue as to where the other net could be. Then came his simple shrug and Sakura could only sigh. Did this mean she'd have to hunt down a missing net as well? Things couldn't possibly get any worse, could they? At this rate she wouldn't make it to the infirmary before her next game.

"Haruno-san, what are you doing in here?" That voice. It couldn't be anyone than her cursed homeroom teacher. Sakura grew still at the initial sound, turning once he'd finished speaking. There he stood in the doorway of the supply room, peering in with this unreadable look on his face. It was difficult for Sakura to discern his current emotions.

But he looked…angry.

"Gai-sensei asked me to help set up for the next event. I was just-." She let herself pause at the sound of footsteps coupled by a well-timed sigh. Itachi approached with that same look marring his features. Instinctively, she stepped back only to wince from the growing pain in her knees. Her caps throbbed from the constant grazing she experienced earlier.

"That isn't what I meant." He stopped before her only to crouch despite Sakura's obvious wariness of him. A hand outstretched, gently brushing the skin around her bruised knees. Hued to a terrible shade of crimson, Sakura watched Itachi's expression darken before peering back up at her. Less than angry, he seemed worried.

"Sensei-!" It all happened so fast. She felt him, his body close the distance that remained between them. Felt his chest, broad and chiseled beneath that shirt, press against her shoulder. She felt arms swoop beneath her knees, cradling them in a gentle but strong hold. Soon hoisted up with a hand at his chest to keep herself steady, Sakura found herself in the arms of her sensei, the latter moving out of the supply room and down the hall.

"I assumed you were on your way to the infirmary, not further jeopardizing your current physical condition." His voice was so soft yet somehow reprimanding at the same time. She was being scolded. She knew it. And while she couldn't blame his apparent concern or even call it misplaced, this act of chivalry was highly unnecessary.

"I-It's fine! I don't mind helping, just put me down!"

"Once we reach the infirmary, I'll release you. Until then, your focus should be on your health." He responded with an even tone. As much as Sakura wanted to fight him, wanted to be set down, wanted him to realize just how incredibly unreasonable he was being at the moment, the look on his side profile told her that she was definitely the one being unreasonable.

This wasn't the mirthful Itachi she met in the laundry room, or the penetrative sensei she encountered on and off again. This was a man, a teacher, concerned for his student. And yes, this was surely an embarrassing predicament, but he actually looked worried. With this in mind, she protested no longer and merely sat, with rosy cheeks and hands nervously folded in her lap as he carried her toward Shizune's office.

Thankfully the halls were mostly scarce, so she wasn't subject to the many eyes of the student body being focused on her. Though one pair of eyes caught the entire scene. Suffice to say, they weren't very happy about it.

After dropping Sakura off at the infirmary, he bid her farewell with wishes of good health and gratitude toward Shizune for taking care of his student. Sakura regarded him silently but made up in her mind to thank him properly before the day was over.

She of course didn't escape the office of Shizune without a proper scolding. Moments later, she was sent off with her knees wrapped, a couple of ice packs, and painkillers to use only as needed. She'd even been given a note with strict instructions to sit out for the remainder of the days' physical activities. That was probably the worst of it all. Hopefully the rest of the class would understand.

"What the hell, Haruno?! We might lose because of you now!"

"Yeah, who the heck forgets their knee pads at home. Che…"

"Settle down, everyone. We have plenty of subs we can use." Finally, Ninomiya chimed in as the voice of reason. Sakura returned to the gymnasium soon after leaving the infirmary to deliver the grim news with a sheepish expression.

"I'm really sorry about this. To everyone." But it sucked. Because she didn't forget her pads. Someone among them sabotaged her. And once all this was over, she was determined to find out exactly who it was.

"Don't worry about it, Haruno-san. Just focus on getting better." With a pat on the shoulder, Sakura was left to sit on the bleachers along with the other girls who elected to sit this particular sport out. She'd set to watching the other matches when a series of gasps and whispers caught her attention suddenly. Sakura looked up only to catch a head of dark, spiky hair, heading their way with a small bundle beneath his arm.

"Sasuke…?" She called as the other girls cooed and waved in his direction. He all but ignored them while making his way to the unsuspecting pinkette.

"How are your knees?" He asked, plopping down beside her. Sakura tensed up with her gaze strictly focused on her lap. He was so close, she could feel the faint presence of his body heat.

"They uh…they're a little sore but fine. Shizune-sensei gave me ice and painkillers. It sucks that I can't play for the rest of the day, though. Ah…" She paused just long enough to peep him staring at her. Her eyes quickly darted in the other direction, feeling that familiar warmth gathering at her cheeks.

"I see…" Another pause hung in the air before she felt something land in her lap. It was the bundle he'd been carrying earlier. Confused, Sakura looked at him for an explanation, but his eyes were elsewhere, much like hers had been.

"Sasuke, what's…—."

"You didn't have kneepads on. Wear those in the next match."

A/N: Okay quite honestly, I am on an updating frenzy! I'm so happy to updating this story! It's been on my mind for so long and I can't wait for you guys to read it.

Sports festival is finally here and the mean girls have acted out against Sakura only for the Uchiha boys to show up and show out! But it's only the first day! Will she be able to hold out for the remaining activities?

Thanks for reading! See you next time!