Okay, so. This story is (hopefully) going to be rather long and you will meet more Naruto characters just not yet… I have to set up the story first. Emotionless No More is indeed a part of this but that's quite a bit later ;) I'm happy to answer any questions that anyone may have and make any clarifications that are needed, just ask. Reviews boost morale and help me to write faster. Just so you know. Anyways, enough chitter chatter, criticism is, as always, welcome. Enjoy the story :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters. All of the others, however, are (at least mostly) mine, as is the plot.


Arzu sighed as her mother dropped her off in front of the gates to the secluded mansion. She began the long walk to the huge building at the end of the drive with her suitcase. She didn't want to be here. It wasn't her fault that she had been deemed 'special' and 'talented.' It hadn't been her choice to be specifically invited to come to a private school for stuck up rich kids. She would have rather gone to school anywhere else. But no. She had to go to school here. Everyone else probably already knew each other and everything. She glared at the mansion as it came into view. This was going to be so humiliating. She heaved a put upon sigh for the benefit of… well, no one. She was here three weeks before the school year started to get used to the place a bit. Most of the other students were still on vacation probably. She readjusted the bag slung over her shoulder and took a firmer grip on her suitcase handle and tried to look dignified as she walked up to the door. The door opened just as she reached it. She looked the other teenager over skeptically. The girl looked to be about her age, her shoulder length, layered hair was dyed amethyst and her bangs swept down into her eyes, which were an odd shade of blue-green. She was wearing a pink tee shirt and black, mid thigh length skirt. She smiled welcomingly at Arzu.

"I haven't seen you around here before. You a new student?"

"Yeah. Can you point me to the headmaster's office?"

"I can do even better. I'll take you there. I've been appointed as the tour guide for whatever new students show up today." The girl beamed her a bright smile. Arzu smiled back at her. Well, this was unexpected. She followed the other girl into the building. The entrance was grand, but she had anticipated that. Rich people liked to make sure that everyone knew that they were rich. It was a large round room with three doorways, the middle one up a short flight of stairs. The girl lead Arzu to the stairs then paused and turned.

"I'm Carmen by the way. Sorry, I think I might have forgotten to say that earlier." Carmen held out her hand. Arzu smiled and shook it.

"I'm Arzu. Nice to meet you Carmen."

"You too. You heard that the headmaster is new this year?" Carmen asked.

"No. I hadn't heard that. What happened to the last one?" Arzu asked, one eyebrow rising. Carmen laughed.

"As far as I know nothing happened to him. I think he just decided to take a year or two off." Carmen said as she started up the stairs. Arzu smirked and followed her up the stairs after grabbing hold of the handle on the top of her suitcase instead of the pull-along handle. Carmen stopped in front of a big wooden door.

"You ready?" She asked Arzu.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay." Carmen knocked on the door.

"Enter." A man said from the other side of the door. Carmen opened the door and let Arzu go into the room first. Arzu examined the man sitting behind the large oak desk. He appeared to be reasonably tall, his black hair was fairly short but was long enough to look good with a bed head style. He was wearing a suit but the tie was undone, just draped around his neck. His eyes were blue but for some reason Arzu felt that they weren't really that color. She wasn't sure why, she just did. He looked her over as well when she came in.

"Headmaster, sir. I'm a new student and I was told to came and see you for the list of what classes I have."

"Yes, of course. I have it here. Somewhere." He rummaged around a bit in the papers that were covering the desk. "Ah. Here it is. You'll be sharing a dorm with… Carmen and Arialyndi. Room 15 in the girl's dorm of the east wing. Your classes are on this." Arzu took the piece of paper from him with a small smile.

"Thanks." She said, taking a quick look at the list of classes.

"Is there something that I can do for you Carmen?"

"N-no I'm just here with Arzu." Arzu shot Carmen a questioning look. The headmaster studied the two girls standing in front of his desk for a few moments longer then went back to sorting though the papers on the desk. Arzu nodded to Carmen and walked back tot the door, slipping through it with Carmen close on her heels. After the door closed behind the girls the new headmaster dropped the pretense of sorting through his paper. He leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk and crossed his arms behind his head, sinking deep into thought. Those two looked promising.

* * *

Arzu looked at Carmen quizzically. Carmen sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door.

"Sorry. The last headmaster wasn't cute in the slightest so I guess I'm not used to having to deal with that sort of thing. The guys who come to school here tend to keep to themselves for the most part."

"Mmhm. Do you know who the other girl that we're going to be sharing a room with is?"

"Arialyndi? Yeah. She started last year and she got a dorm all to herself because she started partway through the year. She kept to herself, didn't really talk to anyone. At all. She reads a lot, and I don't mean just a bunch I mean A LOT. She got top grades on everything. I'd never seen grades as perfect as she got, the teachers tend to be a little on the harsh side." The two girls walked back out to the entranceway, unaware that the headmaster had been listing to every word.

Carmen led Arzu through the door on the right side of the main entrance hall and through a myriad of hallways and passages.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to find my way back out again…" Arzu muttered as she lost track of the turns they made for the third time. Carmen laughed.

"You'll get used to it, don't worry. Besides, we have more or less the same schedule so I can help you get around until you know this old place as well as I do."

Carmen stopped at a large, ornate doorway, hesitating for dramatic impact. She pushed the double doors open and stepped inside. Arzu's eyes widened. It was a large room with two fireplaces, one on either side, and chairs, couches, and recliners arranged around. Two doors led out of the room, one on the left and one on the right. There were a few tables, desks, and other various articles of furniture scattered around the room. There was a teenage boy lounged on one of the couches reading; he pointedly ignored them, not even glancing up from his book. Arzu looked around again, taking in the warm colors that the room was decorated with. Carmen turned to her with a pleased smile.

"This is our commons room. Study area; chill zone, and entertainment center extraordinaire. Home, sweet home."

"It's… nice. Looks very comfortable."

Carmen looked around with a content smile on her face. "Oh, it's very comfortable, believe me. Come on, the room is this way. That's the boy's side and that door leads to their dorms." Carmen said, gesturing to the right side of the room, "This side is ours." She led the way through the left door and down another hall. This time the doors were numbered. They reached room fifteen quickly and Carmen knocked gently on the door before opening it.

"How much do you want to bet that Arialyndi is already here, has her stuff set up, has already been down to the library and gotten an armload of books, and is doing homework?" Carmen asked, her tone telling Arzu that she didn't think much of Arialyndi. Carmen didn't wait for Arzu to answer; she pushed the door open and waltzed inside the room. Arzu followed, towing her suitcase in behind her. The dorm was probably big enough for four people but instead it was set up very comfortably for three. There was a large closet and a bathroom that might be big enough for three teenage girls to share… The main portion of the room was neatly divided into three sections and, as Carmen had predicted, one was already set up, everything orderly, the bookshelf backed with books. In each third of the room there was a bed, a desk and chair, and a tall bookshelf. Carmen's stuff was piled on the bed farthest from Arialyndi's and a girl, presumably Arialyndi, lay on her bed, leaving the middle section clear for Arzu. The girl looked up from her book and assessed the newcomers to the room. Arzu smiled shyly at Arialyndi. Carmen nodded to the other girl and walked over and began to unpack her stuff. Arialyndi's cool gaze followed Carmen for a few moments before flicking back to Arzu. Arzu's smile faded a little as the full impact of Arialyndi's ice-blue eyes hit her, the sharp intelligence that they revealed. Arzu took a deep, fortifying breath, and took several steps forward onto the black, plush area carpet that served as a very clear dividing line separating Arialyndi's things from the rest of the room. Arzu stopped next to the bed and offered her hand to the other girl.

"I'm Arzu."

The other girl slowly placed her hand in Arzu's and shook it firmly.

"Arialyndi. You can shorten it however you like." Arialyndi said, her voice calm and quiet. "Nice to meet you Arzu."

Arzu smiled. "Nice to meet you too."

Carmen dropped a textbook on her foot and swore, hopping around on one foot clutching her other one. "Ow!"

Arzu laughed. "Are you alright Carmen? You really should be more careful. Homework is dangerous." Arzu walked over to her section of the room and heaved her suitcase onto the bed, dropping her bag next to it. Carmen chuckled.

"You should tell our teachers that." She sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. "So Arzu, what do you like to do?"

Arzu sighed. "Um… I don't know. I read some. Watch a little TV here and there…" She brightened. "I like to draw and paint and do art stuff." Arzu glanced over at Arialyndi who had picked up a notebook that had been lying next to her and was writing or doodling. "How about you Carmen?" She said, deciding against disturbing Arialyndi. The other girl was slightly unsettling. Maybe it was just the dark hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes…

Carmen grinned. "I like to watch anime, I make fireworks, I like pyrotechnics of any sort, and I hate homework. Mmmm what else… Do you watch any anime Arzu?"

Arzu shook her head. "No, I've never really been interested or really sure which one I should try."

"Well. I'll have to fix that won't I. Naruto is good, you should watch it. There are loads of cute guys. It's really interesting isn't it? How they can make guys hot even though they're not always very realistic? Sasuke, Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Kiba, Gaara, Kimimaro, Hidan, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Neji…" She sighed quietly. "It's terrible though. It would be so cool if they were real. They'd be so hot in person. I'll show you pictures later." She sighed again and flopped backward onto the only clear spot on her bed. "Oh… So hot…"

Arzu smiled and glanced over at Arialyndi. She was staring at some distant, unseen object and writing in the notebook that was resting on her drawn up knees. Arzu looked away, not wanting to intrude on whatever it was that the other girl was working on. Carmen sat up.

"So… I'm thirsty. Want to come with me down to the dorm kitchen?"

"Sure." Arzu said with a grin.

"Okay. Lets go." Carmen said with an answering grin. She got up and led the way to the door, Arzu bouncing after her. Arialyndi sighed softly as the door closed behind them. She looked down at her notebook She had just been letting her hand do as it pleased while she listened to Carmen and Arzu. She sighed again. She had been writing what her response would have been if she had been included in the conversation. Yes, she watched Naruto, yes; there were tons of cute guys in Naruto. She would have added Orochimaru-sama to the list but that was just her. She liked learning, reading, watching a few shows, art… And she couldn't really think of much else. She flipped the notebook closed and got up to put it away in its place on her shelf. Perhaps they would sit with her at lunch and they could talk then. She grabbed her cell phone, sticking it in her pocket. She headed out the door. She would go to the library and find something to occupy her mind until lunch. Maybe she would find an intriguing book that she hadn't read and was interested in.


Quick, please