Sakura Haruno was supposed to be normal. She was supposed to go to school every day, do her homework, and participate in her extracurriculars. She was completely and utterly normal – at least this was what she told herself. She was just an ordinary girl who made straight A's and had a few championships under her black belt (though she'd long since quit martial arts to focus on studying), and she'd been determined to stay that way. Ever since she'd moved and left her old school, Konoha High School, because of her dad's job, Sakura didn't want to cause any more trouble to her parents; she was on an especially tight leash with her parents because they were still stressed from their move to the middle of nowhere. She was studying at a tiny school now, which was rumored among students to be a delinquent school; when she'd left, Naruto had screamed something about her dying and drowning in evil.
Sakura knew she didn't belong in this school. Her candy pink hair gave her an image of innocence, and as Lee would put it, youthful energy. Not only would she stick out like a sore thumb, she'd also see fights every day. Sakura was fully aware of what happened in the school she transferred to, but she never counted on herself getting involved because she thought she had self control.
So when she accidentally stirred up trouble in school because of her dreadfully short fuse, there was a dread that crept through her heart and a prayer that passed her lips, begging that the principal didn't notice, but of course, he did.
Good Lord, it hadn't even been fifteen minutes since she stepped onto the school grounds, and a cheeky brat had to try to feel her up, and now she was going to be in trouble!
And that's how she ended up sitting on a barely-functional squeaky folding chair in a dilapidated office on the fourth floor of her new school with her feet planted properly on the floor and her hands placed square in the center of her lap with a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her cheek. Pins and needles shot through her right fist as she so desperately clenched it.
Bad fist, she scolded in her mind. She glared pointedly at her hand, recalling the way her fist connected with the cheek and the way the skin swelled as soon as the offender had fallen to the floor. It had been a rather refreshing feeling, but Sakura had been quick to quash it.
Why do I always have to lose my temper?
Guilt prodded her chest as she thought back to her childhood with Naruto. While she had beat him up a lot when they were kids, he wouldn't listen to anyone, and the only way to get him to listen was to give him a good whack across the head.
I probably shouldn't have developed that habit, Sakura thought with a roll of her eyes. Punching people was almost like second nature to her now, and the fact that she had thoroughly enjoyed beating up a punching bag in karate made it even more difficult. Sakura hated to admit it, but she did like the satisfying crunch sound her fist made when it met the punching bag during practice.
She sighed. I shouldn't even be here.
How she wished to return to Konoha High School and be with her friends again. What she wouldn't give to play another shogi match with Shikamaru or do youthful Taibo exercises with Lee and Gai. She ached to move back to her old house and gossip with Ino or go to karate practice with Naruto one more time. She wanted to be anywhere else but the room she was in, and she really, desperately wanted to change out of her shirt that was soaked with sweat.
"Sakura Haruno." A deep, gruff voice boomed from the dark figure before her thin form and jarred her from her thoughts. The voice echoed off cold graffitied walls and sent a shiver up Sakura's stiff spine.
She flinched. After all, this was the first time she'd ever been sent to the principal's office for discipline; she'd always been a well-mannered student who respected her teachers and fellow peers. Her fingers twisted nervously in her uniform's skirt, and her palms were slick. Sakura Haruno was rarely intimidated, but today, her squeaky clean record at her new high school was tarnished. The girl was praying that she'd get off with a warning and be able to salvage a good relationship with her principal, knowing she'd need it, especially at a school like this.
She wetted her chapped lips as she glanced up at the back of the leathery chair that faced her. Judging from the sound of his voice, the principal was rather young. Perhaps he'd be understanding. When the chair creaked, her head snapped up, fully intent on giving her principal her undivided attention. But when a metallic gleam caught her eye, she knew something was wrong.
This was not the principal.
At least, it wasn't the principal she had been expecting; Sakura had been expecting a buff, middle-aged man with a bald spot on his head to face her, the kind of old man with a scar or two because of the daily quarrels he'd get into with his students. He'd wear a rumpled suit from nights of stress spent talking to parents. Maybe he'd also have a tiny tattoo, but she certainly hadn't been expecting… this.
This person was worse than she imagined. The man sitting in the chair looked to be just a few years older than she, and if his bright, orange hair wasn't enough of a warning sign, then maybe the piercings covering his face were. And he didn't just have one or two – he had several. Sakura shivered at the thought of getting the piercings, especially the ones through the nose bridge. She let her eyes run over his form discreetly, and she raised an eyebrow at his choice of conservative clothing, which heavily contrasted his liberal use of metal on his face. His clothes were neatly ironed and pressed, and everything he wore was black. Stretching up his neck, the collar obscured the bottom third of his face. The black was intimidating; paired with the metal on his face, Pein looked like a gangster. The worst part? His eyes.
They seemed to see straight into her soul, and the confidence and pride they possessed challenged her own. They gave him an untouchable feeling. Sakura's blood froze in her veins, a sinking feeling arising in her chest. Her instinct was telling her this man was dangerous. There was an unmistakable glint of steel in his purple orbs that frightened her and shook her down to her very core. Her eyes widened and her fingers trembled with fear. The tension in the room had escalated, and her heart felt like it was being crushed. She could scarcely breathe under his watchful gaze.
"Haruno." His heavy voice echoed once more through the room. Resting his chin on a palm, he waited for her eyes to refocus.
Slowly, she licked her lips and tried to moisten her dry mouth, forcing herself to say his name. "P-Principal Pein?" The twinge of uncertainty in her voice did not escape him, though.
Damn his aura, Sakura cursed in her mind. Despite her attempts, her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
This man… Her upper lip curled slightly as she steeled her will to sit straight.
"Call me Pein." This tiny gesture of friendliness caught her off guard, leaving her unsure of how to react.
"Uh…" Sakura's mouth gaped open like a fish's out of water. There was no way this was her principal. He simply couldn't be! He certainly didn't act like one, much less look like one. His hair color didn't do much to give him an air of business, and neither did his piercings. But maybe, despite his appearance, he would be like any regular principal, though that hope was dying with every second.
"Welcome to Ame High School." His dead, monotone voice would've put Sakura in a hysterical laughing fit out of self-pity, but his menacing and cold stare was enough to suppress and stomp out laughter. "I believe we haven't met before."
And indeed, they hadn't. Her enrollment had been a rather simple procedure; she'd simply mailed in her academic information and received a parcel containing her uniform, a simple white shirt and a black skirt. It had been a relatively informal process, but it hadn't worried her parents in the least.
"It's because we're in a different town," Her mother had said cheerfully. "I'm sure that your school will be fine! Now go help your father unpack those boxes."
And when she'd confronted her father, he'd been no different. "School? Just study hard and don't worry about what other people think. I know this is a new place, honey, but you don't need to be anxious. I'm sure it's not as bad as you're saying it is."
Pein's empty gaze pierced through her heart, and Sakura swore that the temperature of the room dropped to subzero temperatures. She shuddered. His countenance suggested that she wasn't getting out alive, so she braced herself and lowered her head, allowing her locks topartially cover her face – anything to avoid those eyes of his.
"I have been informed that you expressed aggression to another student." His voice held neither anger nor disappointment. Rather, he said it objectively. There was even a tinge of amusement and praise.
Sakura's eyes snapped open, and she blinked several times before replying. "Sir?" She was getting confused to say the least, and the fear she held in her heart was slowly disintegrating. She had physically injured another student, so why was she not getting roasted yet? She bit her lip, as she'd been expecting a bit more anger. Then again, she wasn't at a regular high school; Ame High School was infamous for a reason, and the principal himself could be the poster boy going by appearance alone.
Maybe she'd heard wrong, but the look on Pein's face told her otherwise. He had most definitely implied that he was happy with her.
No, she was definitely not afraid anymore. She was full on confused. Her hands still shook at her sides, for she was beginning to theorize that this person was anything but normal in appearance and personality.
Maybe Pein liked fights, but couldn't show it because of his position. Or maybe, he was amused to see a tiny pink haired girl destroy a student twice her size. Several ideas zipped through her mind. The possibilities were endless (ok maybe not endless, but there were quite a few), and Sakura estimated it was most likely the second reason that she'd thought of – that it was absurd a tiny girl like her could pack such a punch – mostly because that was why everyone else back at home laughed. Furthermore, this man was the principal of a school of thugs. It wasn't every day that he saw someone like her whale on a bigger dude. Yes, that as it. Worst case scenario was that this man was going to tell her to fight more and possibly put her in a ring.
The man before her showed the barest hints of a smirk. He gazed at her intently, and Sakura's breath hitched under the pressure of his gaze.
Twisting his lips into an approving, smile Pein leaned back into his chair. "Someone told me that you used a right hook. It was a good choice." Sakura's eyes bugged out of her head, and she leaned forward, her fingers no longer wrapped in fabric.
This can't be right. Her prediction had been wrong.
Whereas Pein hinted at his approval earlier, he'd just outright confirmed one of the worst of her suspicions.
"Excuse me?" Her voice was incredulous, and her nervousness disappeared; this was completely ridiculous. What kind of a teacher or principal praised violence? Was this all a joke? Sakura let out an exasperated giggle. "I punched a student," she said bluntly.
"And?" The principal lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head.
"I punched a student! Are you not listening to me?" She shot to her feet and slammed her hands on his desk, her mind in a whirl. It was probably not the right choice of action, but she was seriously confused. The various tabletop accessories rattled at the impact. "I physically assaulted another student. Why aren't you punishing me? Why am I not in detention yet?" Sakura rested her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing, but the principal leveled with her gaze.
She was going insane; here she was, getting praised for her incredible right hook, and she was trying to get herself into trouble. She knew he was saying that she wouldn't receive any negative consequences, but it just didn't make any sense! In a way, Sakura was still clinging onto the hope that this man had some sort of sense in him, even though she knew she was being naïve.
"It was a good choice," Pein mused, completely nonplussed. "You even put him in the school clinic." He tapped on a cell phone that lay on his table. The screen flickered to life, and he typed in his passcode.
Sakura, in her shock, stayed silent, observing his every movement. His calloused fingers tapped on the messages icon. He selected a picture that had been sent to him and enlarged it. Promptly, he slid the phone across the wooden desk and pointed at the screen.
There was no doubt about it; despite the two minute encounter, Sakura could still recognize the face. The person in the picture had been the student who'd tried to grope her today, but it'd been difficult to tell at first. After all, she had to squint past the bruises and welts that had arisen on his face. She could still see the imprint of her fist on the poor kid's face.
"That's not the point," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. She clearly wasn't getting through. "Why am I not being disciplined? Hitting people isn't allowed in schools!" She pressed even further. "Also, aren't you the Principal?"
Even the principal of a delinquent school who looks like a delinquent has to follow some sort of protocol, she thought.
How else would he have become the principal anyway, especially when there was a School Board that negotiated with established schools?
"You've done nothing wrong," he shrugged. Pein casually reached under his desk, and to Sakura's disbelief, he produced and cracked open a beer. "Your point is?" He stoically downed the drink.
He wasn't getting it. Just her luck; not only was her principal a delinquent, he was also incredibly dense.
Sakura's eyes narrowed even more. "Why are you ok with fights? Shouldn't you be trying to stop them?"
The orange haired man sighed and set his beer down before he rummaged through his desk, cursing under his breath when the sleeve of his jacket caught onto the edge of the drawer. He quickly produced a sheet of paper and handed it to her, pointing at a highlighted line. Once Sakura received the paper, he leaned back and silently finished the beer.
It feels like they forgot this in package that came with my stuff. Brushing that thought aside, she began to read.
Sakura skimmed the lines printed across the page despite the yellow highlighted portion that screamed at her from the bottom. She lifted an eyebrow at what she'd read.
Welcome to Ame High School, it said almost too cheerily, where only the best of the best survive here (Sakura snorted quietly at this). You will have 7 classes a day, blah blah blah, We are not responsible for injuries or maiming, blah blah blah, The principal will determine which class you belong to, and finally, Sakura's eyes rested upon the highlighted words, and she was instantly taken aback. Her head snapped up as soon as she registered the text she'd just processed.
"What is this?" She hissed, jabbing a finger at the highlighted portion. "My class is determined by my win to loss ratio? Are you kidding me?"
This is too much, Sakura thought, exasperated. No fucking way. This school was crazy, and she had to get out as soon as possible. Even if she had to skip the rest of the goddamn day, she was going to get home as soon as possible and tell her parents they had to move the fuck back to the place from whence they came.
"This is a sick joke," she breathed. A sick, sick joke.
"This is not a joke. I've read your records," Pein stated. "You used to be in karate." He glanced down at the sheet in his hands. "You won quite a few championships."
She blanched. "What? I never sent in my-"
"We have our ways," Pein said swiftly without losing a beat. "It's a good thing you ended up coming here; you needed to be assigned to a class anyway." He paused for a moment. "You'll be in Class A." An orange eyebrow rose. "And don't try to leave." He let the threat hang in the air. His eyes bore into hers.
You'll regret it, they warned.
A frigid breeze swept through the room and his gaze scraped over her spine like a knife, and for a moment, Sakura forgot how to breathe. Her lungs ceased to function for a second and her eyes widened. She tried to protest, but her lips were glued shut. She was utterly and completely caught in his gaze, her bravado but a dying candle flame.
But it was all for a moment.
Fight it, she demanded in her mind. Fight it right now. He won't get you again.
She took quick, shallow breaths, which became fuller and more regulated. The tiny parasite of fear that had eaten through her chest was slowly crushed to dust, though Sakura remained relatively immobile. It was clear though, that Pein knew the effect he had on her and that she was pushing it back - even winning. The corner of his lips turned upwards ever so slightly.
"You are dismissed." He nodded, and then proceeded to turn his swivel chair back around, leaving Sakura to stand there in silence. The moment Pein turned around, her heart unclenched, and she gasped. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, and her fingers flexed to dispel her paralysis. The Ame High School info sheet that she'd been holding slipped out of her grasp and fluttered gently to the cold ground.
With just his eyes, Sakura thought, furrowing a brow. She needed to be careful. At least now, she was building some mental resistance to his oppressive presence. But she couldn't help but feel followed and exposed when Pein had told her he knew things about her – information that she'd never released to the school. Anger began to bubble in her chest, rising straight to her brain.
We have our ways, she mocked in her mind. What the hell!? Sakura clenched her fist and glared at the leather chair before her, focusing on the tuft of orange hair that peeked out from behind the chair. Damn him, she screamed in his mind.
But another part of her was laughing. Hey, at least you didn't get into trouble. Just keep it low key from now on and you'll be fine. The voice paused for a moment before continuing. But at least you can beat up as many people as you want here.
Shut up, she thought to herself. That's not it.
She was no longer the little girl she'd once been, who beat up Naruto whenever he said something idiotic – no longer impulsive and relying completely on her emotions. But if this was the director, then what were the students like? At this point, having little trouble seemed ideal. She didn't want to deal with more freaks like Pein. Much less did she want to become a thug.
The pink haired girl sighed, knowing that staying inconspicuous was her best choice of action - being invisible even better, but she knew it was virtually impossible, at least not with her bubblegum pink hair. Being in Class A couldn't be any good. After all, at this school, Sakura knew she had to change her way of thinking; the letter A would no longer be the same. Maybe if she stayed as nonviolent as possible, Pein would move her down to a more, what she hoped to be, normal class.
There was nothing she could do but leave the office. She'd had enough surprises for a day, so she turned on her heel and walked/stomped to the door, shoving it with a bit more force than necessary. The already broken door creaked under her push and gave way.
But she couldn't leave. She faced a wall of darkness. "Ooph!" Sakura collided with a hard surface and fell back onto her butt. Her tailbone cried out in pain at the impact, sending tears to her eyes.
Today is not a good day, Sakura confirmed in her mind.
Feeling rather pissed, she looked up, only to find her face a mere two inches away from an orange surface. "What the-"She scrambled backwards to see a man wearing an orange mask with a lollipop-like swirl on it. Ok, this school was definitely not normal.
It's like this school is trying to prove a point, she griped silently. She offered a weak smile to the boy stooped over her, but inside, her heart was beating out of her chest. She wanted to snap this person's neck.
"Ooh! Are you the new student? What's your name? My name is Tobi! Nice to meet you!" In a flash, his hand shot out and snatched her hand. He shook it vigorously, but Sakura was not in the mood to deal with a child in a grown up's body.
"Stop it," she hissed. She pulled her hand back and cradled it against her chest protectively. Somewhere deep inside the expanse of her mind, Sakura knew this person was dangerous. He certainly didn't look the part, but she could feel it deep in her bones. There was something rather off-putting about him and an instinctual fear was screaming at her to get away. But where could she run? It wasn't like Pein was going to help her. She watched him warily, but her feet and rear stayed planted to the ground, unwilling to move.
Amidst Sakura's inner turmoil, Tobi's carefree demeanor seemed to shift, his excitement having all but evaporated into thin air. His grip on her hand had left it red and stinging, and the way he hovered over her cut off any escape routes. In other words, this guy knew what he was doing. She grit her teeth as the strange masked man approached her, and she realized that this person was much taller than she previously had thought.
Kakashi, her Karate instructor, had once given her advice and Sakura just had to remember it at the worst possible time.
"Don't underestimate anyone," he'd warned while flipping through his porn. "Do that, and it will be your downfall. In a fight, looks don't matter – only the abilities of your opponents do."
Sakura's eyes widened considerably and adrenaline coursed through her veins. She was a cornered animal, and she could see nothing but her death in the bright orange mask. Tobi's aura was dark – so dark it felt even more oppressive and deadly than Pein's. It felt like she was staring at Death in the face. Her breathing quickened and her chest heaved. His presence was crushing her very soul, and suddenly, his mask didn't seem so silly.
This is it, she thought bitterly. Her legs were nothing but limp noodles, and her hands were now glued to the floor. Sakura's mind was numb and she could no longer feel the pain exuding from her tailbone, and was the last thing she cared about. She was completely and utterly paralyzed. She didn't even have the strength to lift a finger or regain mental control. It felt like Tobi was sucking away all her strength and will with his presence alone. All he had to do was run a knife through her. She just sat there as Tobi inched closer.
With difficulty, Sakura grit her teeth, trying to brace herself, waiting for a response to her rude knee-jerk reaction.
But it never came. Sakura cracked open an eye and saw only his head of spiky hair.
"34B, huh?" Tobi leaned in and tilted his head sideways once he got close to her chest. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Appearances can be deceiving." The disappointment was clear in his voice, and the angry aura he had been exuding was replaced with one of childlike exuberance.
You're disappointed? Her overwhelming anger washed over any fear that she had out of her mind; all she could see was red as her instincts sprang into action. A high strung wire that had been tightening in her chest ever since puberty snapped, and she quickly jumped to her feet, sending a fully-powered axe kick straight towards Tobi's head.
She was seriously going to kill the bastard and mangle his dead body.
"I'm sorry I'm underdeveloped," she growled as the kick flew downwards.
"Eh?" Tobi had not enough time to react before the axe kick connected and smashed into his mask, shattering it into pieces. "Ah!" He quickly covered his face with his hands before the shards fell from his face and ran out the room bawling like a baby. "The new girl is mean! Wah! Help me, Deidara! My nose is bleeding! AH!"
His voice eventually faded to an echo as he disappeared around a corner off in the distance, and Sakura was happy that she remembered to wear shorts under her skirt.
"Bastard," Sakura whispered, letting her foot fall to the ground. The kid deserved it. Her chest size had always been a sensitive topic for her. She knew that her chest wasn't big as Ino's, but it was still something! It wasn't her fault she wasn't well endowed, and not everyone had to express such disappointment! After having been surrounded by busty females like Konoha's principal, Tsunade, and her best friend Ino, Sakura had become self-conscious, and Sai hadn't been one to keep quiet about his thoughts on her breasts.
I also need to control my emotions.
No you don't. Another part of her smirked. Don't try to hide who you really are.
"Hmph." Sakura stomped out the door. "Class A, was it?" She looked left and right, unsure of where to go, and she wasn't sure that she even wanted to go. Hooligans lined the hallways and the smell of smoke drifted to her nose. Several had bats or wooden planks in their hands, and they carried them with ease and nonchalance, like the weapons were a part of their bodies.
"Haruno." The deep voice called from inside the Principal's Office, and Sakura turned around slowly.
The one thing on her mind?
Shit.
She had completely forgotten that Pein was still there and she nervously glanced at him, dread apparent on her face.
Pein turned around and only smirked as he reached into a drawer and made a deliberate mark on a paper, no doubt her application.
"Congratulations. You've just been moved to Class S." He twirled a pencil in his hand, and it quickly became a blur of yellow. "Lucky you. It's the best class we have."
Sakura paled. "Class S?" At that moment, she knew she'd just dug herself a deeper hole. Class S… Naruto had once introduced her to Shounen manga, and often, class S was the highest class, and often the worst. Funny how this school was organized like a manga, but there was no way she was going to go to that class.
Shit.
"Can I just stay in Class A?"
Or even go to a lower class…
Pein shook his head. His lips were pressed into a thin, firm line. There was no escaping her fate, and it was clear in his stony expression.
Panic swelled throughout her chest. One kick! It'd been only one teensy-weensy kick, and now she was condemned to Class S. She could hardly even imagine what kind of lunatics were going to be her classmates; Class S? They'd probably have gone to jail a couple of times and killed a few people. But it couldn't be that bad; this was a high school, Sakura reasoned. How many people could a high schooler kill anyway? Knowing that she was going to be put in a class with the biggest and baddest of the delinquents made Sakura uneasy.
A cold iron rod poked at her chest.
She had sworn to Tsunade and Kakashi that she'd only fight inside a proper dojo. But she didn't want to fight. She simply couldn't.
That drop kick just now was a fluke, she told herself. I shouldn't have done that.
Don't be a wuss, another voice inside her taunted. Get in there and kick some ass! You're strong and you know it, even if you are a year out of practice.
Shut up, shut up! I don't want to fight, she chanted in her mind.
Sakura had been in deep thought, thinking about how she would approach the classroom with the worst of the worst, and the worry was clear on her face. Her eyes were now a dull green and a crease had appeared between her eyebrows.
"Haruno."
She lifted her head, hiding her anxiety with a deceptively calm posture.
"Get to class." Pein clasped his hands together. It was obvious he wasn't going to change his mind. "Top floor. Take the stairs at the end of the hallway on your right." His laconic speech was a good change from her messy thoughts.
Turning around on her heel, Sakura took a deep breath and stepped out of the office. She was careful to shut the door behind her without using more strength than necessary. She didn't take her time though, moving quickly to spend less time in a hall of bloodthirsty delinquents.
This was it. The hall stretched on for eternity before her, each side flanked by several gangster-looking men. There were a few girls here and there, but they looked equally vicious, and with Sakura's luck, the stairway happened to be at the end of the hall.
Here goes nothing.
Briskly, she set out for the stairs, ignoring any stares or catcalls. To her, the people in the halls were nonexistent. She refused to associate with any more people today; she'd only met two of the people at this school, and she was already overwhelmed.
"Hey kid! Go back to Candyland," a nearby thug taunted.
"Why are you heading for those stairs, bubble-gum head? You wanna die?"
"Don't ya think yer in the wrong school, girly?"
Sakura pretended she didn't hear the insults tossed at her pink hair, instead clenching her fist. She swore that she was going to punch something the minute school let out. Her hair had also been the subject of several teasings. It'd given her more trouble than she ever wanted, especially when middle school rolled around. Teachers had asked her several times to dye her hair back to black, claiming that pink was definitely not a natural hair color, causing Sakura to have to spend an entire afternoon in the nurse's office under the inspection of several female teachers. Moreover, people always called her a kid, and she knew she most certainly was not a child.
Don't get angry, don't get angry…WHY IS THIS HALLWAY SO LONG!? Sakura felt like her head was literally going to explode, emphasis on the literally. There was only so much she could take, and she wanted to crush the delinquents like the ants they were.
Her pace had quickened to a power walk, and her dark aura reduced loud chattering to hushed whispers. Sweeping past cracked windows and crudely painted walls, she was quick to rush up the stairs. With freedom in view, Sakura's steps escalated from a power walk to a jog, and she nearly flew up the stairs, letting everyone behind her eat her dust.
Though the jog hadn't winded her, Sakura still caught her breath once she reached the top of the stairs.
Her eyes traced from the skyscraper-high ceiling to the polished floorboards. It was nothing like the level below her; there wasn't even a speck of dirt to be seen. But never mind the nonexistent dirt, this hall was the fanciest thing she'd ever seen. The windows lining the wall were draped with heavy, black curtains, and the wall was lined with blood red couches. A plasma screen TV, the latest model, no doubt, was situated across from the couches. The lights were relatively dim, causing Sakura to squint a bit a wonder why the atmosphere was so secretive. The floors were carpeted with a heavy black rug, and in the middle of it was a single, red cloud lined with silver.
Sakura's eyes widened considerably. She recognized this symbol. She'd seen it several times throughout the town while moving into her new home about a week ago. It was painted neatly on telephone poles, buildings, pipes, you name it. But why was it here of all places? Her best guess was that the cloud was this school's mascot, leaving her snickering quietly when she thought of the red cloud manifested as a costume at a game. Silly mascot/costume aside, the single red cloud was still a beautiful design despite its simplicity.
But a small part of Sakura took a tentative breath of relief. Even though being part of "Class S" was still an uncertain idea, perhaps it was also where all the really smart, but strong delinquents were. Well, she hoped they were smart because the TV was tuned in to the news – that at least these delinquents had the decency to learn about a world more than violence. She took a breath as she glanced at the one sliding door that existed, the barrier that existed between her and her (hopefully normal) classmates.
Sakura was praying that no one would want to fight her on the first day, or the next day, or the next day, and all the way up until the very last day of school. In her mind, she had signed an oath in blood when Kakashi and Tsunade requested that she only fight in a proper dojo with proper surveillance.
Biting her lip nervously, she also wondered if she should reconsider her plan of existing here.
If she went in all meek and quiet, no doubt people would pick on her; she'd be suffering every day. The pink haired student knew that the chances of being left alone were dwindling very quickly. Her hair color would attract everyone, and the principal would do nothing about it; at most he would encourage her to fight even more!
But what if she did break her promise to Tsunade and Kakashi? She could go in, bank on being the strongest person in this school, and defeat everyone, but that wasn't a good choice either. She might be able to dominate everyone, but in the end she'd have to deal with challenges from other students. Furthermore, Sakura had a horrible feeling that Tobi was in Class S, and defeating everyone didn't seem so feasible anymore.
And if she lost, Sakura knew that she would lose face and credibility. Even if she moved to a lower class, which was what she wanted, there was pride that burned brightly in her soul; she didn't want to show weakness just as much as she didn't want to fight.
Sakura swallowed.
None of her options were very good, and she certainly didn't want to involve herself with any of her classmates more than she had to, no matter how smart they were; if they had any brains, they wouldn't devote their time to petty crimes.
She knew she was putting all her faith in her promise to her mentors to keep her afloat. She wished that Naruto was beside her for comfort, knowing she desperately wanted advice from a friend she'd known since pre-school.
If Naruto were here… Sakura would certainly complain about all of the reservations she had about this school and how she'd nearly died within the span of a short visit to the questionable Principal's Office.
Jeez, I only wanted a quiet sophomore year. She wandered around a bit in the luxuriously decorated hallway, running a finger over the velvet curtains and the suede couches. These weren't any ordinary couches. From just one touch, Sakura could tell this was the expensive stuff, and she dreaded to think of where they got it from.
Sakura drifted to the window and pulled back a curtain, gazing down on the trashed school grounds and the town beyond. The sky was streaked with heavy clouds; birds flew close to the ground. The entire town was painted a dark shade of gray, and the smog from the factories on the horizon only helped to accentuate the bland, depressing nature of the place that she'd moved to, which happened to be in the middle of nowhere.
"They call it Ame for a reason," Sakura mumbled. But she knew she couldn't postpone going to class any longer. Pein was probably watching her closely through a security camera while sharpening a knife and Sakura was too young to die. She also knew that sooner or later she'd have to meet her new classmates and their assorted … personalities. She could hardly guess what they'd be like; even the most violent people who she thought were quite similar, she found, had unique personalities.
There's only one way to find out, the pink haired student muttered in her mind. Sakura strode towards the door and put a firm hand on the handle, and without thinking any further, eased the door open.