welcome to the shitstorm that is my writing! you can call me yanna and i hope you enjoy this at the very least.

It begins with a breath.

Chapter 1

The air was getting warmer. She looked at her mother, whose hands were fluttering nervously, looking for something to do. Her mother was a woman who never sat still, really. But now, there was nothing more for her to do. The boxes had all been packed. The food prepared. Sakura looked around the sunlit room one last time. She had lived in this bedroom all her life. It had remained relatively unchanged despite the turbulence of time and life. The wallpaper was a light lavender. Her bed covers were a pale green, just a couple shades lighter than her eyes. Over the years she had added a couple of plants to the windowsill, books to her white shelves that completely covered one wall, a couple of picture frames to her desk.

She picked up one such picture frame, smiling softly at the faces in it, still round with baby fat, still glowing with childhood dreams.

Now, the early afternoon sunlight drenched the room in a nostalgia she hadn't felt before. Not during all her preparations had she felt so…sad. Leaving had a way of illuminating things, she thought.

"Sakura, we'll be late," her mother said, though she too lingered to look at the room, dark eyes thoughtful. "Let's go."

Sakura blinked slowly and smiled.

"Right." She turned to leave, paused, and turned back around. She picked up the picture frame from her desk and tucked it into the backpack dangling from her fingers. Some things, she thought, were okay to hold on to.

They loaded up the small car her mother used to make deliveries with the last of Sakura's boxes. It always smelled of warm bread and fruit. Sakura leaned her head against the headrest and let her eyes fall shut as the afternoon light fell on her face. Her mother started the car and they were off. Sakura did not open her eyes as they passed the apartment complex. She had said her good byes to those walls.

She went through the list of things she would have to do once the was drive was over. Unpack, clean her new apartment, get all of her supplies together. School started in two days and Sakura had a feeling she would be busy the whole time considering her social butterfly of a roommate. The apartment came fully furnished, so there was no shopping to be done. Groceries, maybe, but she had a sneaking suspicion her mother had packed her enough food to last the month.

She considered her funds: scholarship money, paychecks she had saved from her part-time jobs, and what little her mother had been able to save from the bakery over the years. Her mind drifted from meats she would have to buy to her schoolwork. She had read through all of her textbooks during the vacation. Her workload, she knew, would be heavy. She was expected to drop out for at least a year – most pre-med students like her did. Especially considering she would be entering straight from high school.

Then again, Sakura had never exactly been a quitter. President of the student council for two years, near perfect scores on all of her tests, winner of quite a few essay contests and even an art show once. She smiled at the thought of the art show. She had been a second year, still a little nervous, unsure. Ino had grabbed her pen and signed her name, giving her a withering glare that dared Sakura to complain about it. So Sakura had reluctantly submitted one of her better paintings, just a simple landscape. And she had ended up winning, strangely enough.

She still remembered the surprise on her classmates' faces; quiet student council president Haruno Sakura wasn't really the artsy type, was she? Truth be told, Sakura only ever really felt at peace with a pencil or paintbrush in her hand.

The drive passed quickly; Sakura fell asleep an hour in and woke up two hours later to her mother gently shaking her shoulder.

"Honey, we're here," she murmured. Her soft fingers brushed Sakura's cheek briefly before she got out of the car. The sounds of people chattering and car horns filtered in briefly before she shut the door again.

Sakura raised her head, looking out at the green lawns covered in tables and people holding boxes and backpacks. Yawning, she got out, throwing her backpack on.

"I'm going to go figure out where I'm moving this stuff," she called to her mom, who nodded her assent. Sakura approached a table labelled "Move-In: Freshmen".

"Hi, I need directions to my apartment," she said, offering a small, tentative smile.

The girl behind the table peered at her from behind enormous glasses, nodding.

"Name and ID please," she answered in a rather nasal voice.

"Haruno Sakura," she replied, pulling her ID from her bag and handing it to her. The boy seated next to the girl shuffled through a packet of small envelopes while the girl filled out a paper. The boy handed her a small envelope, labeled with her apartment building and number.

"The big key is to your apartment and your room. The smaller one opens the mailbox you'll see next to the door. You're on the third floor; your roommate hasn't checked in yet so you'll be alone for now."

Sakura nodded, accepting the keys. She knew Ino wasn't there yet; her roommate had been sending her minute by minute updates of the traffic for an hour now.

"Could you point me in the direction?" she asked, smiling again.

The girl answered her this time, pushing a sheet of paper towards her.

"This is just stating you checked in and received your keys; if you lose them, you'll have to pay a fee to get another copy. You don't get any spares. If you get locked out more than three times you'll have to either pay a fee or penalty. Please sign there."

Sakura signed her name carefully, glancing over the paper as well to see what the fees would be. She winced, making a mental note to keep her keys in her bag or where she would see them before leaving.

"You're all set," the boy said, smiling. "Your building is back down this path, turn left, and it's behind that big gray building you'll see over there. Good luck!"

She nodded, making her way back to her mother, who had started unloading the boxes from the car.

"I'm on the third floor," she announced, to which her mother groaned.

"If God had granted me a son, today would have been much easier," she grumbled. Sakura laughed, lifting two of the lighter boxes.

"Come on Mom, it's not that many. Or should I start calling you Grandma?" she teased. Her mother huffed, following her with her own box, muttering about bratty kids.

The trip to the actual building was short and the simple directions were easy enough to follow. Her building was five stories high, a nice apartment building. Plants hung from some of the railings and she could see a few doors already had small signs on them and welcome mats in front of them.

The trek up to the third floor was about as awful as she expected. She was almost embarrassed by how heavily she was breathing until she glanced at her mother, who was puffing and red-face. She laughed, shaking her head and hefting the box to her door.

"Here it is," she murmured, putting her key into the lock. She didn't turn it, not yet. This was it, she thought. She was in college. Moving into her own apartment. Moving on.

"Honey, it's hot out here, can we hurry up and turn on the AC inside," her mother complained. Sakura glanced at her over her shoulder, eyes softening at the older woman struggling to hold her box, pink hair tied back in a bun.

"Sorry, it got kind of stuck," she lied, turning the key easily and opening the door.

The apartment was decently spacious. The furniture was clean and comfortable and there was a terrace for Sakura to put her plants. She picked her room per what she and Ino had agreed on a few weeks before, the first one on the right, and quickly set her boxes down beside her bed. There was a nightstand next to it and a desk pushed against the window on the opposite wall. Her closet was a good size and there were drawers in a corner of the room as well.

All in all, a good start.

Her mother insisted on helping her heave all the boxes up the stairs as well as clean and unpack all of them and staying to greet Ino, who arrived two hours later with her parents.

"Sakura, I think my legs will be complaining about that car ride for years," her roommate declared dramatically as she swept through the door, holding only her purse and a suitcase. Sakura laughed with a shake of her head, greeting her parents, who smiled back and asked general questions about their drive.

Sakura's own mother said her goodbyes just a little bit later.

"Be good, be smart," she said softly as they hugged beside the car. The sun was setting and the crowds on the lawn were beginning to thin as more students settled in and their families left.

"You worked hard to get here so make sure you keep your head on straight," her mother added, giving her a sad smile. "I'm so proud of you."

Sakura swallowed her own tears, nodding and hugging her mother one last time.

"Try not to get too lonely in that apartment; I don't want to come back to an old maid for a mother," she said with what she hoped was a convincing grin.

Her mother scoffed, patting her cheek a little too hard.

"Don't worry about me you brat, I'll be fine," she scolded and Sakura merely laughed.

She waved until her mother's car was out of sight and even then, she stared at the empty parking space for just a little longer. She couldn't remember a time without her mother; it had been just them for so long. For so long, all they'd had was each other. Sakura tried to ignore the voice in her telling her she was abandoning her mother for college. She had insisted Sakura go, after all. She had wanted this.

Sakura trekked back to her building, where Ino was hurrying to shoo her family out the door.

"Be good, Ino. Sakura, watch her and make sure she doesn't do anything too stupid," Ino's mother said.

"Mother!" Ino screeched, an impressive scowl on her face. "I'll be fine. Now can you leave already?"

"Fine fine, we're going. Call me after your classes on Monday, I want to know everything!" her mother called as she walked out, giving Sakura a quick peck on the cheek as she went.

"Make sure you eat well," Ino's father murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his only child's head.

Ino softened, sagging against her father for just a second. "I'll be fine Dad, don't worry. Text me when you get home."

And then they were gone and Sakura and Ino were left staring at each other in their otherwise empty apartment.

"Well," Sakura began, staring at the unopened boxes in the living room and their half-unpacked kitchen. Ino glanced around before a devilish grin snuck across her face.

"Ice cream for dinner?" she asked.

Sakura smirked. "You know me too well, Ino-pig."

Sakura dreamt of sirens and broken glass. She woke in a cold sweat before dawn, chest heaving, hair stuck to her cheek.

She watched the sun rise before she got up around seven to make coffee and shower. Beside her, Ino still snored gently on the couch, blonde hair splayed messily against the furniture, mouth open. Sakura took a moment to look at her, so quiet and fresh as she slept. Ino had been her best friend for so long, they called each other sisters. Sakura was the only person to see Ino like this, completely natural, no make up or hair products.

She thought Ino looked best when she was asleep, all herself, all girl and no hardness or loudness to her. Then again, Ino was someone who made everything look fun. Even the dreary things in life.

Sakura started the coffee machine up, timing it so she'd be out of the shower and the coffee would be done just as Ino was waking up, which she knew was exactly eight every morning. The girl had an extensive morning skincare routine that would put actresses and models to shame.

Sakura tried to recall her dream as she washed her hair. She knew, of course, what it was. She had been dreaming the same dream for eight years now. She knew what it meant. It just puzzled her that she had dreamed it that night. It usually only came when she was stressed, or a particular time of the year. Perhaps she would start taking the sleeping pills again, if only to prevent her being tired during her classes in the day.

Sakura was just about to pour her own cup of coffee when Ino's alarm went off on her phone and she groaned into consciousness.

"Is that coffee I smell?" Ino mumbled from the couch, all blankets and messy hair.

"Indeed it is, your cup is ready right here," Sakura answered brightly.

"Forehead, you've never looked so beautiful," Ino sighed.

"You haven't even looked at me," Sakura snorted, placing the mug in Ino's outstretched hand. Ino pried her eyes open, grunting as she struggled to sit up, taking a cautious sip of the steaming beverage before answering.

"Think about it, anyone becomes beautiful the moment they're holding coffee meant for you. Have you ever seen an ugly barista?" Ino insisted, eyes wide and completely serious.

It was ridiculous but Sakura had to admit, she had a point.

"Why should anyone wear makeup or work out when they can just constantly make coffee for people?" Sakura pondered, taking a seat next to Ino.

"We should drop out now and become the owners of a coffee shop, Sakura. We'd have husbands in a year, tops."

"Pig, you're on to something."

"Aren't I always? I am a genius after all."

A few hours later, Ino was dragging Sakura out the door to start what she called their "college experience".

"Sakura, we are going to go to some of these events and we are going to make friends and we are going to like it," she growled through gritted teeth as Sakura ever so slowly tied her shoelaces.

"I don't like how many times you used 'we' in that sentence," she muttered mutinously.

"You're not a language major, get over it."

Sakura heaved a dramatic sigh but offered no more complaints. Their walk to the main campus was enjoyable enough; the weather wasn't quite hot yet and a lot of the new students were heading to the main lawns to start signing up for clubs and making friends. Also, it was a good opportunity to scope out the competition. Medical school wasn't all about friends, after all. It was a cutthroat profession, where only the best of the best survived, never mind made a name for themselves.

There were dozens of tables set up and masses of students wandering around. Club presidents and members eagerly recruited the incoming freshmen, passing out flyers and free snacks with almost manic enthusiasm. Ino took full advantage of the free snacks, having quickly learned the art of being able to completely out-talk the poor club member and walk away with free food and no flyer.

Sakura, if she was being completely honest, was impressed. Ino was nothing if not completely and utterly brutal.

"Ino, we should probably start looking for something we actually want to sign up for," Sakura said after her third free cupcake from the AV Club.

"You're right," Ino answered, biting into her own cupcake and glancing around. "I wish they had organized these tables by like, relevant majors."

Sakura hummed her agreement.

"Well, let's get started then," Ino said and Sakura was being dragged off again, her hand a captive of Ino's. It seemed Ino was always pulling her somewhere, to something new, something big. Life was never boring with the blonde.

The eventually found a few different clubs to check out. Ino didn't so much encourage as she bullied Sakura into signing up for the Art Club.

"You don't have anywhere in the apartment to paint, this is a good opportunity to relieve stress," Ino reasoned, which Sakura had to admit made sense.

They both signed up for the Medical Club, for obvious reasons, and Ino cheerily signed her name for the Debate Club.

"Well, if nothing else, you can just talk their ears off," Sakura joked.

"Shut it, Forehead."

Sakura was readying herself for another jab when she was blindsided by what seemed to be the sun.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto bellowed, tackling her in a hug that could put American football linebackers to shame.

"Air," Sakura wheezed, hearing her bones crack as Naruto squeezed her hard enough to completely rearrange her spinal column.

Naruto set her down quickly, grinning at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, got excited," he laughed, eyes closing as his signature megawatt smile stretched across his face.

"Don't you always," Ino said with a roll of her eyes.

"Be nice, Ino," Naruto huffed, sticking his tongue out at her.

Ino didn't even grace that with a response, merely shooting Sakura her tired why-do-I-bother look.

"I love college, I just signed up for the Ramen Club," Naruto proclaimed, sounding like he had just found the cure for cancer.

"I still can't believe you got into a college, never mind this college," Ino muttered.

Sakura shrugged, having never quite figured it out herself. Naruto was famous for his abysmal grades in high school and didn't have any aim in life other than to own a ramen shop one day. When he had told Sakura he'd been accepted to Konoha University as a business major, she'd been shocked. And it hadn't helped that he'd been mysteriously tight-lipped about the interview they'd given him before his acceptance.

"They recognize genius when they see it," was all he had said with a mischievous smirk.

Sakura had a feeling she'd rather not know. And if he wasn't going to tell her, his longtime friend, he wasn't going to tell anyone.

"How's the apartment? You're in the same building right?" she asked.

Naruto frowned, eyes dimming a little bit.

"Yeah, we're on the second floor. It's empty since Sasuke isn't coming until later today. Not that he'll add much joy to the atmosphere," he added with a roll of his eyes.

Sakura laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"When has Sasuke's bad attitude ever stopped you from having a good time before?" she asked and Naruto grinned.

"Too true, Sakura-chan. Too true."

The boys had been her classmates since elementary school, when Naruto had punched an ever so bratty Sasuke for making fun of Sakura's hand-me-down sweater on the first day of the fourth grade. Ino had robustly defended the same ugly sweater, saying it distracted from Sakura's gigantic forehead, and given Sasuke what had seemed to be a rather hard pinch.

Sakura still smiled at the memory of that day; a young, grumpy Sasuke, an annoying Naruto, and a loud Ino. It hindsight they hadn't changed much over the years.

"Speaking of idiots, where's Shika and Choji?" Ino wondered, pulling out her phone and typing out a message. "They haven't told me what building they're in yet."

"I should get back to the ramen table, they promised me one more bowl," Naruto said, yawning and stretching his arms up above his head.

"How many have you had?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Five. See you later, Sakura-chan, Ino!"

"The never-ending mystery of 'how many bowls can Naruto consume' continues," Sakura muttered.

"Didn't he eat ten in one sitting before?" Ino asked distractedly as she got into what looked to be a heated argument with her "idiots" as she affectionately called them.

"I think it was-"

"Shikamaru, I hate you," Ino huffed, snapping her phone shut. "I'm going to go find them, I'll catch up with you later."

"Wait I'll-"

But she was already gone, blonde hair swaying as she disappeared into the crowd.

"Come with you," Sakura finished in a whisper. She glanced around at the hordes of people she didn't know, sighing heavily. She could either walk around a little more or go back to the apartment and unpack. The thought of going to an empty apartment was slightly more unappealing than walking around in the growing heat, so she began to move, weaving through the crowds.

She browsed the tables, making sure not to get too close to some of the more eager recruiters. She ended up wandering back toward the Art Club table, her interest piqued by some of the art they were displaying. One piece was a sketch, of two men on a bench. It fascinated her. It was a rather simple piece but their expressions were somehow full of more life than human expressions. There was no background either, just the bench and two men laughing at each other, hair falling in their faces, clothes wrinkled.

"You have a good eye," someone said near her ear and she jumped about a foot in the air.

The man held up his hands in a placating gesture, laughing a rather high pitched laugh.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to scare you, yeah," he snickered.

She gave him a nervous smile and a bow. His nametag said he was a third year.

"Don't worry about all that," he snorted, waving away her formality. "I'm Deidara. That beautiful masterpiece you were just eyeing was done by yours truly."

He grinned at her and she broke eye contact, turning to stare at the sketch again. He was like looking into the sun or Naruto: too bright all at once. Especially with that long, blonde hair and those blue eyes. Could him and the ramen beast be related? Sakura was fairly certain Naruto had never talked about a cousin who went to Konoha University…

"The detail in their faces is amazing," she finally said, hating herself for the way her voice shook. She always seemed nervous here.

"It took a few tries to get right, especially because I was doing it from memory, yeah," Deidara answered with a sigh, coming to stand beside her.

They stood in silence for a few moments before he spoke up again.

"What major are you? This seems to interest you so you should think about joining. Beginners are totally welcome. And I'm not just saying that because I'm the president and am required to recruit more people and you're a pretty girl who likes art, yeah." She looked at him, startled by his forwardness, and he merely winked at her. She almost smiled; he was a harmless flirt, if anything.

"I'm pre-med," Sakura answered shyly. "I signed up earlier but didn't have a chance till now to check the art out."

"Pre-med who likes to draw?" Deidara chuckled. "That's a new one. I could teach you how to sketch like that. What do you usually do?"

Before, he had been all jokes but now that the conversation had turned to art and the club, his demeanor was one of gentle joy, of passion. He wanted to teach her, he wanted her to join and draw with him and the club.

"I'm mostly a paints person. Oils and a little bit of acrylics. I've been wanting to improve on my sketching, though," she admitted, shy once more with the full force of his attention on her.

"Cool," he answered with that bright grin. "Well, you put your number down right? I'll go ahead and text you our meeting times and the directions to our studio. Don't worry about finding your way, I'll make the directions pretty clear. I know first years get confused a lot," he said with another wink, laughing as she blushed.

"Aw man, you're pretty fresh aren't you? This year is gonna be fun. What's your name, by the way?"

"Haruno. Haruno Sakura."

His whole face lit up with what Sakura knew were jokes about her name and pink hair. She nearly rolled her eyes, having heard it all before.

"I'd love to paint that hair someday," is what he said instead of the jokes she'd been expecting. She blinked at him.

"Really, it's a gorgeous color, and matched with your eyes? I hope you never even think about dyeing it, yeah?"

Sakura laughed suddenly, trying to imagine her mother's face if she ever got her hair dyed.

"My mom would kill me," she confided in him.

Deidara looked startled to see her laugh but recovered quickly.

"For good reason," he huffed. "It's lovely, really. Let me paint it some time, yeah?"

He seemed so eager, so happy even at the prospect of being allowed to paint her, that her response was automatic.

"Sure."

She winced as he whooped and wondered what she'd just done to herself.

Sakura groaned, her arms aching from holding the two shirts up for so long.

"C'mon Ino, just pick," she whined. The two shirts were different styles and colors, so the choice was supposed to be easy. But nothing was easy where Ino and fashion were concerned.

"Okay, hang on, hold the green one closer to you."

It was probably the fifth time Ino had said that in the past twenty minutes and Sakura complied nonetheless, with a heavy sigh.

After a few more seconds, Ino finally said the magic words.

"That one."

"Thank whatever gods exist," Sakura muttered, pulling the shirt on and adjusting it in the mirror in Ino's room.

Ino had somehow gotten wind of a mixer going on that night with all years of students from all different majors. Naruto and Sasuke were going, she had told Sakura, and it was a good chance to make friends with upperclassmen. Sakura had agreed only because she didn't want to be alone in the apartment for so long. Also, she hadn't seen Sasuke in a while so it was also a nice chance to catch up. He only ever answered her texts with the barest of responses, if at all, and was notorious for being incredibly difficult to hang out with.

She pulled on her black boots, which had a small heel, and watched Ino bend over to apply mascara, long blonde hair tied up in a bun. She was dressed in a skin tight top and jeans, unafraid to wear high heels as a first year at her first mixer. Ino wasn't really afraid of risks like that; she'd never been afraid of looking stupid or being embarrassed. She was just her.

She dapped on some lip color as well and turned to smile at Sakura.

"How do I look?" she asked, as always, striking a pose.

"Hideous," Sakura replied without missing a beat.

"Perfect," Ino hummed, capping her colored lip balm and grabbing a jacket. "Let's go."

Sakura felt almost bare standing next to Ino. She wasn't one for heavy make up and had left her long hair down. Just some foundation, mascara, and a little blush was all she really used, or knew how to use. Her top was loose and short-sleeved, one of her lower-necked shirts. Her jeans were comfortably tight and her boots, as Ino said, made the whole outfit just the right amount of dressy.

The walk to the karaoke bar was short and Sakura enjoyed the way the cool night breeze felt on her face. The days only grew hotter and the night air was a relief after spending the day in the sun meeting new people. She felt drained; she hadn't gotten a nap in that day yet, and the heat had lapped at her energy. She wasn't fully up for going to this mixer but she knew being in the apartment alone would keep her awake anyway.

They walked in after Ino confirmed Shikamaru and Naruto were already there waiting for them inside. Sakura hadn't really interacted with Shikamaru a lot since middle school; him and Choji had ended up going to a different high school but were close family friends of Ino's family. The three had been friends since birth basically.

She spotted Naruto almost immediately. He was always easy to find in a crowd. She was unsurprised to find a bowl of ramen in front of him already. Sasuke was scowling next to him, expression lightening just the smallest amount when he spotted Sakura.

"Oi, over here!" he called. She smiled and lead the way, Ino in tow. Naruto gave her a one armed hug, distracted by his ramen, and Sasuke looked about as relieved as he ever did. Shikamaru only looked up when Ino smacked his shoulder, taking a seat next to him so she could berate him for not answer her calls earlier.

"You're an awful texter and I don't know why I call you my friend," were her first words to Sasuke as she took a seat between him and Naruto. It was the only way to keep the two from fighting.

He shrugged.

"I was busy," he said unconvincingly.

"Right," Sakura answered, drawing the word out to make it as sarcastic as possible. "And I'm a brunette."

Sasuke muttered something about her nagging and she rolled her eyes before stealing the water set in front of him.

"That's mine," he informed her.

"Now it's mine," she bit back and he scowled at her, huffing.

"Difficult," he growled, standing to grab another water.

"Stubborn," she shot back with a pleasant smile.

He was back soon with another water, arriving just as Naruto finished his bowl.

"The ramen here is decent but not good, you know? I need to find the good ramen places around here," Naruto hummed thoughtfully. Sakura swore the only things he ever put true thought into were ramen and pranking Sasuke.

"You're going to get fat," Sasuke said as he sat down. Naruto responded by sticking his tongue out at him. Sasuke was preparing to launch his straw at the blond and thereby ensure a full scale war in the poor karaoke bar before Sakura smacked both of them upside the head. Really, she wasn't sure their apartment was going to last the week, never mind the year.

"Your manners leave something to be desired, as always," she growled. The boys muttered mutinously but quieted down.

"So, where are all these upperclassmen Ino thinks she's going to con into taking her on dates and giving her their study notes?" Sakura asked, taking a sip of her water. The bar seemed to only have a few college students so far, though her group had arrived a little early.

Sasuke's expression darkened.

"Of course now that you said that, here come some of them," Sasuke sighed, sounding a thousand years old. Before Sakura could ask about his sour mood, she heard a shriek of delight.

"Well if it isn't baby Sasuke!" a rather familiar voice cried out, rapidly growing closer.

Sasuke groaned, face paling as he faced what seemed to be imminent torture.

Sakura turned to see it was actually Deidara making his way toward their table, leading three other men.

"How I missed that miserable face," he crowed, actually pinching Sasuke's cheeks. He caught Sakura's eyes, smiling widely.

"Well hello, how do you two know each other?" he asked, not letting go of Sasuke's face even has Sasuke growled at him to let go.

"Uh, we went to school together," Sakura answered, thrown off balance. "How do you know him?"

"His brother and I are best friends," Deidara answered, like it was obvious. It made sense though; Sasuke looked as if he had suffered through this torture for a long time.

"How do you two know each other is the better question," someone else said, a tall, huge blue skinned man who smiled at her when she turned to face him.

"Art Club. She was admiring my sketch of you two," Deidara replied promptly. He threw himself into the seat next to her, somehow managing to make it look like he was lounging in a recliner. He was all long loose limbs and easy comfort, especially with that disarming smile of his.

"I'm Kisame," the blue skinned man introduced himself, seating himself across from her. At this point, Ino had grown bored of tormenting Shikamaru, turning to make herself part of the way more interesting conversation that was forming. "I'm a third year, like Deidara."

"Nii-san, why are you here?" Sasuke asked in a whiny voice.

Sakura looked at Naruto, who looked completely unsurprised and not at all thrown off by the sudden strangers at their table. Nii-san?

She looked at the man sitting down next to Kisame, dark haired and dark eyed. She had never met Sasuke's older brother, surprisingly enough. They'd never really hung out outside of school, if she was being honest. Sasuke wasn't super social and Sakura was always studying. But he certainly looked like Sasuke, same striking Uchiha coloring and sharp cheekbones. He wore a nice shirt and office pants, looking for all the world like a true adult.

"Hey Itachi," Naruto greeted casually. Sakura glanced at him, surprised but then again, not really. Naruto had a way of forcing himself into people's lives, and him and Sasuke had been bitter rivals and close friends for a long time. Sakura had come in later.

"Deidara, are you going to introduce us to your new friend or are you going to make her do it herself?" Itachi asked evenly, offering Sakura a small smile. She glanced away, his gaze cooling her in a way that was strange and startling. She wasn't sure how to act around these people.

"Haruno. Haruno Sakura. I'm a first year pre-med," she murmured.

Kisame's brow furrowed, mouth turned downward.

"A pre-med signed up for art club?" he asked.

Ino broke in with a laugh. "Sakura loves art."

Everyone's attention, thankfully, turned to the blonde, who quickly introduced herself and Shikamaru. Sakura sighed with relief now that she was out of the spotlight, allowing her to look at Itachi just a little bit more. He was a different breed of attractive than Sasuke. Really, what had their mother taken while pregnant with them? Were all the Uchiha's this beautiful?

No, she thought to herself, not this beautiful. Sasuke was all dark lines and shadows. Itachi had something a little warmer to him, more delicately shaped features. Her fingers itched to draw his eyes and his collarbone. From an artist's standpoint, he would be a fun subject to draw, at the very least.

She tore her gaze away to pay attention to what Ino was saying. The blonde got the conversation going and the older boys ordered drinks later on. The conversation flowed easily from then on, as the bar filled with more students and became louder and rowdier as more drinks were passed around.

"What made you interested in marine biology?" Sakura asked Kisame at one point. Though his size was intimidating, Sakura had just watched him tear up over a video of a puppy with three legs, so she wasn't really sure what she'd been scared of in the first place.

"Okay so," Kisame started. His friends groaned, Deidara throwing an arm around Sakura.

"Don't get him started, please," Deidara begged. Sakura contemplated the most polite way to throw his arm away from her but Kisame did the job for her.

"Deidara, don't touch her with those filthy hands of yours, she's obviously uncomfortable," Kisame snorted.

"Hey!" Deidara protested, though he withdrew his arm. "I'll have you know I take a shower after every f-"

"So what about you Sakura?" Itachi asked loudly, completely covering whatever Deidara had been about to say. Sakura had a feeling she didn't want to know.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying not to squirm under his dark gaze. It was a piercing stare, though she had a feeling he didn't mean it to be. Nevertheless, it was intimidating, especially considering he was an older, pre-law student.

"Why did you decide to be a doctor?"

The table grew a little quiet, with Ino eyeing her nervously, and Naruto pausing in the middle of his third bowl.

Sakura offered a smile, broader than the rare few she'd given through the night.

"No reason. They make a lot of money," she said cheerily. Itachi eyed her, seeming unconvinced, but Ino quickly started up a new topic and the conversation moved on. Sakura dropped her smile when the attention was off her. She could hear the sirens in her ears and she the lights on her glass of water looked red and blue.

She got up abruptly a few minutes later. It was only ten, but she felt exhausted, too tired to keep talking and interacting, and breathing.

"I'm going to head home," she said, blushing under everyone's stare. "It was nice to meet everyone."

"I'm tired too, I'll head out with you," Ino said instantly, standing before Sakura could protest. Ino squeezed her hand as she said her goodbyes.

Sakura smiled uneasily as the group called their goodbyes to her, Deidara promising to text her the next day.

The walk home was cool and Ino was quiet, merely holding Sakura's hand.

She didn't talk until they got back to the apartment.

"You're going to be asked that a lot, probably," she murmured gently.

Sakura nodded, running a hand through her hair.

"I know," she sighed.

That night she dreamt of broken glass and bleeding feet.