Chapter One: New Student

Payton walked out of the office. She nervously looked around the empty hallway. She had no clue where she was going but she walked down the hallways, trying to find the first class. Suddenly, someone tapped something to her forehead three times. She shook her and turned around. "What the…" She turned around to find a taller boy in the school's uniform but he had a red cloud patched onto his shoulder.

"You're supposed to be in class, you're not in dress code, and you were running from the authority," he stated looking at her. Payton took off the tickets and looked at them. "What…." The guy began writing something down on some more paper and was about to rip it off when he was interrupted.

"Itachi, stop. She's new," a man with the same patch on came into view. He had orange hair and piercings all over his face. Itachi nodded and took the tickets back. Payton was downright confused but asked, "Can you help me find my class?"

"You have the same class as I do," Itachi said. Payton turned to see that he had picked up her schedule from the floor when he had caused her to drop it. "Then why are you not…" "We monitor the hallways 10 to 15 minutes out of some classes," Pein answered. "We?" "We are the Akatsuki. In other words, we are hall monitors for this school," he continued. They began walking to the said class, Itachi still looking over her schedule. He handed it to Pein who studied it as well.

"Can I have that back," Payton asked reaching for it. Pein held it out of her reach as he still looked at it. "Why are you in almost all senior classes when you're a junior," he asked. "I'm smart. Give it back." Pein moved around her to Itachi. "She has a class with each of us," he said to Itachi who only nodded. "What does that mean," Payton questioned. Pein looked at her and smirked. "It means make sure you're always obeying the school rules because you're going to be around us nearly all day every day. There are ten of us total."

Payton reached around Pein and attempted to get her schedule again but he pulled it away. "Why can't I have it back," she asked looking up at him. He or Itachi didn't answer her. She turned around. "Fine I'll just get another one." She felt a hand on her shoulder and she was turned around and pulled along with them by Pein. Payton pushed his hand off and snatched her schedule back. Pein blinked. "I wasn't done with that." "I don't care," she stated putting it in her pocket.

She felt it be pulled out again and saw it handed back to Pein by Itachi. She blushed and punched him in the arm. Itachi flinched and rubbed where she punched. "Nice hook." Pein chuckled. "Since you're new, I'll let that slide, but you don't hit anyone, especially not any of us." Payton rolled her eyes. Pein slid her schedule into his pocket. "Wait I…." "We'll show you around today. Next period you will meet Deidara," he paused. "You'll get it back tomorrow." Payton groaned. Pein looked at her. "You'll also need to…" "Look I know you're trying to help but I don't want it." She turned around again and walked into the office. She got another schedule and a map.

She walked back out and they were still standing there. Itachi reached for the other one but Payton put it up her shirt, running away. They caught up to her and held her in place. "Don't push your luck Miss Payton," Pein taunted. Itachi grabbed the edge of the paper that stuck out of her shirt and pulled it out. Payton glared at both of them. For a while Pein stared at her, as if he was thinking. "As of now you are on probation under the Akatsuki."

"What exactly does that mean and why," she asked. Pein didn't answer her because the bell rang. "Take her to her next class and tell Deidara to pass it on." Itachi nodded and led Payton down the hall that was slowly filling with students who seemed to completely ignore the two.

Itachi and Payton were the first ones in the room. He made her sit in the back seat and he sat next to her. "Where are you from," he asked, pulling a pen out of his pocket. Payton didn't answer. "Why did you move here?" She still didn't answer. "You have to answer…" "No I don't have to do anything," Payton said quickly. Itachi looked at her confused by her answer.

A guy with long blond hair was suddenly sitting in front of Itachi. Payton shrank in her chair, not wanting to be noticed. Itachi whispered something to the boy and the boy smirked. "So you're new here huh? I'm Deidara," he said looking at her.

"Screw this," Payton said and she got up to change seats. Deidara and Itachi stood up as well, blocking her in. No one else was in the room but them. Shadow stayed seated, looking between both boys with confusion on her face. "Sit down Payton," Deidara said, but with a smile on his face. He seemed too friendly. "Why can't you just leave me alone," she asked, getting annoyed very quickly with these people.

"Sit," Itachi said pushing her into the seat. Payton grumbled and complied. The bell rang and everyone else filed into the room quickly. After everyone was seated, who she presumed was the teacher entered the room. He had long white hair and looked old. He looked around the room before pointing at Payton. "There's the new student. Come up here and introduce yourself," he stated.

Payton shook her head and calmly said, "I'd rather not." "Oh, don't give me the shy-girl act, come here." When Payton didn't move everyone turned and looked at her. "You might as well go on and teach because I'm not going to introduce myself to people who don't care in the first place. If they want to know about me, they will come ask me themselves." Itachi and Deidara looked at Payton then at each other. It was almost like she was hiding something.

The teacher sighed and said, "Forget it…Today we are going to be…" Payton soon found out that he was an English teacher and he was called Mr. Jiraiya. Of course she would have known that if she had her schedule. She made a mental note to go to the principal after school.

The bell rang and Payton stood up hoping to escape from them. Deidara hooked arms with her and smiled. "Let's go. You get to hang with me and Sasori in Art!" He dragged Payton with him.

It was now lunch and Payton was finally alone. She stepped into the lunch room and she heard Sakura shout her name. Payton looked over at her and she was sitting with a full table. Payton thought about just shaking her head but she looked behind her and saw Pein from far away. She went over and sat beside Sakura. The Akatsuki entered the room and they saw Payton. Pein motioned for her to come over to them but Payton turned around, pretending not to see them. He frowned but they all sat down near Sakura's table, watching Payton.

"Hey guys, this is Payton! And that is all I know about her," Sakura stated to her friends. The redhead sitting next to her looks up and says, "I'm Gaara." The rest went down the table to the boy sitting at the end with the cock-a-too haircut. "Kankuro." "Temari." "I'm Naruto." "Kiba." The boy at the end looked at her before saying, "Sasuke."

"What grade are you in," Naruto asked. Payton looked at him before saying, "I'm a junior." "Where did you transfer from," Temari asked. Payton saw from the corner of her eye that the Akatsuki were glancing over there, awaiting her answer. Payton shrugged, "Don't really feel like talking about it." "Why," Sasuke asked glancing at her. "I just don't, ok?" Sasuke stared at her but it seems like the matter was going to be dropped.

The bell rang once again and they all stood up. She was weaving in and out of the people, trying to avoid some others, but Itachi stopped her. "You didn't eat anything." Payton shrugged and continued walking. Itachi didn't follow her but Hidan and Konan did. They both had class with her next. They sat in front of her chatting silently.

Apparently this was some kind of History class. The teacher sat at the front. She was a woman with long black hair and Payton thought she saw red eyes. Her hair was a bit messy but it looked right. Konan turns around and smiles at Payton. "Hey, we are going to need to see you after school." "Sorry, can't." Hidan rolled his eyes. "You don't have a freaking choice." Payton rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I'm human and have that choice." "Not today you don't," Konan said.

The bell rang and the teacher stood up. She scanned the classroom and her eyes landed on Payton who saw it and shook her head. The teacher smiled but turned around. The class drug on but the bell rang soon enough. Payton stood and walked out of the door quickly, being able to ditch the two members who were still putting their things away. She got outside and ran into Sasuke.

He was standing with three other people, two guys and a girl. They didn't pay her notice but Sasuke turned around smirking. "Finally escaped?" Payton nodded. "What do you have next?" Payton shrugged. "They took both the schedules I had so I really have no idea." "Well you just got out of History and you're a junior, so you must have gym next, which would be with me." Payton smiled and thanked them. "I'll see you guys later," Sasuke said before walking with Payton towards the gym.

They entered the class and Sakura met both of them with a hug. "Do you always do that?" Ino nodded excitedly. Then she asked, "Why do you have gym class with the sophomores and not the juniors." "Maybe the school is stupid." Sasuke smirked and Sakura giggled. Then Ino turned to Sasuke and asked, "You think we should warn…." She didn't get to finish her sentence as the gym teacher comes into the room.

Payton blinked as she looked at the man. He had a bowl hair cut and thick eyebrows. He smiled big as he walked over and stood in front of Payton. "Uhh…hi," she stated. "Introduce yourself," he said in a loud voice, giving her thumbs up. "Um…no." "But you must!" "No." They stared at each other for what seemed like an hour before Payton turned around and said, "Yeah….changing classes."

The teacher put an arm around her and walked her back to where she was standing. "Don't be that way!" "Don't touch me if you don't want to get fired for sexual harassment." The teacher immediately removed his arm taking a step back. Naruto saved Payton by stepping in front of her. "Mr. Guy, this is Payton, she's new." "Ah yes, the mysterious junior." "Mysterious," Sasuke said with question. He didn't elaborate but instead looked at Payton who only stared at him.

After a moment Guy turns around and walks to the other side of the gym. "Today we are playing dodge ball." There were groans and cheers from various students. "Do you like dodge ball, Payton," Naruto asked. Payton nodded but said, "I'm not supposed to play sports at the moment due to a medical problem." "What kind of medical problem," Sasuke asked. Payton didn't answer but instead sat on the bleachers.

When Mr. Guy saw this, he walked over to her. "Why aren't you playing?" "Medical problem." "Well I don't have a note so you're going to have to play." Payton looked up at him and said, "Do you want to be the reason I go back to the hospital?" He gave her a look that said he didn't and she continued, "Then I'll just watch." He sighed and walked away.

Payton leaned her head onto her hand. She wasn't paying attention to the game but instead was deep in thought. She felt someone sit beside her and she looked to see that Pein was sitting beside her. "What do you want?" "Just making sure you don't run away when the bell rings. Why aren't you playing?" She didn't answer him making him frown. "Things will be a lot easier if you just cooperate." "Or you can just leave me alone and let me be." "Sorry can't do that."

"You never told me why I'm on probation…." Pein looked at her before stating, "You come to the school without a reason, you refuse to answer questions, and when I checked, you didn't put where your old school was. To me that's suspicious." Payton looked away. "I'm changing schools…" "Why would you do that?" "Because I came to this school just wanting to blend in but you've made that very hard to do." "In other words you didn't come here to make friends?" Payton shook her head.

"Well sorry but it's our job to investigate the suspicious," Pein said but continued, "But don't leave the school because of it." Payton looked at him and he had an almost pleading look on his face. "Ok...but I'm still not seeing you afterwards." "Sorry you have to." Payton shook her head and stood up. "Where are you going?" "To the bathroom. Or is that a crime too?" Pein smirked at her and she turned and walked to the bathroom. When she returned, he was still there. Payton looked to see that Sasuke was still in the game but they were outnumbered. Another person came in when Sasuke caught a ball, Naruto.

Payton sat down on the bleachers again but this time she was far away from Pein, at the other end. Pein looked over at her and moved to sit by her. "Why don't you want any friends?" Payton looked down almost sadly and stated, "I just don't, ok?" Pein looked at her and said, "Like it or not, you have already made friends today. With the Akatsuki and with part of the sophomores." Payton's eyes went wide and she groaned burying her head in her hands, frustrated.

The bell ran and Sasuke walked over to Payton and Pein. Sasuke nodded and walked to the door. Pein stood up and asked, "Shall we go?" "I need to talk to the principal first." "What for," Pein asked confused. "To see if what you are doing is legal."