Chapter 1: He's Back

"Sakura!"

The pink-haired girl spun around just in time to see the shuriken, quickly dodging out of the way before her teammate and teacher reached her. "Sakura, that was too close."

Sakura shrugged at Kakashi. "Wouldn't be the first time. Won't be that last."

Just then she heard it. The tiny cry of the death beetle, and she suddenly flung herself off of the tree branch and right into the middle of the enemy's camp. "Well, well, Shino. I should've known."

The brown-haired boy stood statue still, his eyes dark behind his sunglasses, his body underneath his gray coat. His covered mouth whispered something and then the beetles started swarming towards Sakura.

With her kunai at the ready, she waited.

"Sakura!"

"Sakura!"

She jumped awake from the banging of her door smashing against the floor. Suddenly, her arm was gripped tightly enough to cut off the blood flow, and she was thrown across the room, smashing through her closet doors again. "Get the fuck up!"

"Y-Yes sir," She muttered quietly, as Hikaru stomped back to his room, slamming his door behind him, making Sakura whimper.

Before she moved, she looked up at her calendar. Friday. Just like she thought. Better get ready before he changes his mind about the bruises...

Sakura held her breath as she stood, shaking slightly from the new pain. Using a little chakra to help her, she lifted the door back into place, silently planning to replace it later. And her closet doors.

Again.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Sakura whispered to her mother's picture that sat on her desk.

Then she started getting ready.

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"Haruno-san, raise your hand so that Uchiha-san may see." Sakura lifted her left hand into the air, something Iruka-sensei hated, for some odd reason. She thought perhaps it was some sort of disrespect, but this time she didn't mean to do it. Her right arm was just still sore from where Hikaru had grabbed it that morning.

Iruka-sensei didn't miss it though. "Haruno-san! Detention!"

"Huh?" It was then that Sakura realized what she'd done. "Oh...okay."

The new kid, by the name of Uchiha Sasuke, moved to sit on her right side, as on her left side were the windows. Sasuke could see out past her onto a landscape of green that seemed to go on forever, but he knew better. Is this who he was talking about? Sasuke thought to himself. "Haruno-san?"

"Sakura works fine," She pasted the smile that fooled everyone on her face.

Except it didn't fool Sasuke, even if he didn't admit it.

"Okay, then Sakura, let me just lay some ground rules here. One: We are not friends. T—"

"Shouldn't be a problem. I'm not friends with jerks."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her interruption. "Two: I'm here to train, not for anything else, so don't get all googly-eyed at m—"

"Don't worry. That's Ino's job."

"And three—"

"What is your problem?" Sakura hissed at him, leaning towards him.

"What's my problem?" Sasuke was getting angry with this girl. Where were her manners? Did she grow up in a cave? "What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem except that the jerk beside me thinks he's all that." Sakura said in a little more than a whisper, just loud enough for Iruka-sensei to hear.

"Haruno-san! I'm sure you don't want a week's detention!"

Sakura straightened back up and sharply turned her gaze to out the window. Sasuke just caught what she muttered. "Don't see how it matters. I'm pretty sure the school doesn't have detention for corpses."

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. Did she just—?

"Haruno Sakura," came Tsunade's voice from the doorway. Everyone looked except Sakura, who was watching the birds fly by, and Sasuke, who was staring at Sakura. "Come with me. You are needed for Ria."

Sakura suddenly gasped and jumped from her seat, startling Sasuke, which is very hard to do. "Ria?"

Sasuke could see the fear glittering in her eyes, startling him even more. Who's Ria?

He couldn't even wrap his mind around seeing her again. And now, some Ria person too?

"She'll be leaving soon," Tsunade said. "Come along now."

Sakura stood, frozen in place for a moment. Ria's— "No . . ." Sasuke heard her breathe, but then she shot from the room after the Tsunade. The entire class was silent from the shock.

Iruka-sensei recovered first, and then said, "Will Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke meet me in the hall please."

Sasuke remained seated while the four other students rose and, volleying worried glances between them, scooted silently out into the hall. By now, he could feel everybody watching him, waiting to see what he would do, but as soon as Iruka-sensei opened his mouth to call again, Sasuke stood and strolled out as if without a care in the world.

Big mistake.

Ino was right up in his face the moment he slid the door closed. "What the hell did you do?"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything, but what about you? You seem so close to her."

"Bastard…" Ino muttered, before spinning on the teacher. "Iruka-sensei, why is he here? He doesn't even know Sakura!"

Sasuke could tell he was already as beat as he felt. With a sigh, he answered. "Sakura made it clear this morning that she showed no interest in Sasuke, so I think he's the best person to join us."

Sasuke noticed everyone's gaze drift to the stiff boy, who was leaning up against the wall. From the way he was positioned—so confident in that slouch—the Uchiha could only assume he was that Hyuuga Neji person. As soon as it sank into his mind, though, Hyuuga glanced his way.

His eyes were cold, almost as cold as Sasuke's coal ones. Sasuke had heard of the clan, but never in a million years would he ever think white eyes could be so cold. Sighing, Sasuke snapped, "Listen, Hyuuga, I don't want anything to do with whatever it is all of you are dealing with, but I think I have a right to know about this Sakura girl."

Hyuuga Neji pushed up off the wall and appeared directly in front of him. His eyes narrowed when Sasuke didn't so much as blink. "Why?"

"Because I was there the night her mother died."

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Athey-Vee (aka Girls' Wings): Hope you like it! R&R please!

PS – I'm warning you now! Junior year is going to kick my butt, so updates are gonna be slow. (I know this because I'm currently working on Chapter 8-which I have been working on since July-it is currently November!) Point being:

I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY!

NEVER EVER!

I AM JUST SLOW!

Thanks for your understanding. Enjoy!