Disclaimer: All references made to Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden (AKA Naruto: The Hurricane Chronicles) belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I claim ownership to nothing!
A/N: This is my very first fanfic! Please review. That way if it sucks you guys can tell me and I can start over with another idea.
Chapter 1: Ignorance
Sakura
"The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal." ~Astrid Alauda
That was the quote our philosophy teacher, Mr. Yoshida, wanted us analyze. 'What does this quote mean to you?' 'How could this quote relate to today's society?' and finally 'How could this quote relate to you.'
I frowned at my notebook.
This quote simply means that-
Boring.
If you are unable to reach mental stability-
It sounds like I'm calling someone crazy!
It is always important to understand yourself and what you are feeling otherwise-
Ugh. Why was this so hard for me today?
I tossed my notebook on the floor. I was this close to failing the stupid subject anyway so I might as well get it over with. Jesus. I was close to failing Philosophy. My best subject. Or at least it used to be. I rubbed my temples impatiently. Why did everything seem so … so overwhelming lately? Even the littlest things, like this stupid essay for instance, seem so challenging. I stared at my ceiling. At the gray walls, bare and depressing. My freedom from this prison was rapidly approaching and, as it did, my sanity continued to inch away. After a few moments of silent venting I resolved to go visit my best friend, TenTen. TenTen and I have been locked up together in this hellhole that actually dares to call itself a school for more than 7 years. Why, do you ask? Well it's certainly isn't because our parents are taking a very pro-active approach to our schooling. Everyone who goes to this school … well … our parents went AWOL a long time ago. Some of us never even saw them. I would be included in that group. TenTen says she had the displeasure of living with her parents for a few years and firmly told me I was missing out on nothing. She never elaborated any more than that.
I walked down the narrow metal steps that would lead me to TenTen's floor. I knocked on her door quietly. "Who wants in?" came an irritable voice from behind the door. I smothered a snicker. She was always in a mood. Oh and by mood I mean any mood. One moment it could be "Lah dih dah, isn't life wonderful?" to "Everything sucks. Leave me the hell alone." These moods –- according to TenTen – depend on how well fed she is at the time.
"Who'd else want to venture in here?" I asked wryly. "My roommate, Hinata, for one – though I suppose she has no choice" Her door swung open. I wasn't really kidding with my last comment. Her room is a graveyard for discarded clothes. Shoes and socks dotted the floor. A few pairs of jeans hung on her bed's headboard and they're even more clothes spread around her dresser as opposed to inside of it. Probably due to a game of makeshift basketball. 'If you get the sock in the draw - one point, if you get it on the shelf - two points'. The only oasis from this mess was a small part of the left side of the room where her roommate, Hinata, would cower in terror as TenTen continued her rampage of disarray.
"Welcome" she said in an ominous tone. I smiled and stepped inside. This room, though it was a disaster, always felt more homey than mine. "You finish Yoshida's essay yet?" I asked her casually. "No." Then she gave me a look that said 'When do I ever?' "You're nervous about it aren't you?" She asked suddenly. My eyebrows shot up. "Nervous about what?" TenTen made a face, "We're a year away from being released into the harsh, cold world." She said this jokingly but I didn't think it was very funny. "And you're probably all freaked out about your grades and what kind of crap college you're going to get into." I leveled her a look. "Drop it." She had a thing against higher education. "I'm just saying you worry too much. If you don't be careful you're just going to … freak out … again." I swallowed hard. "I'm fine. Stop trying to analyze every little thing I do and every little thing I say. I just came here to hang out but if you want turn physiciatrist on me …" TenTen sighed. "Fine forget I said anything." "Will do."
TenTen sighed again. "Look why don't we just go see if the gym's open. Bet I could kick your butt in racquetball again" I grinned "Bring it." We darted down the hall.
Shikamaru
"When are you two going to be finished up? Some of us like to sleep." I called over to the two losers fighting over the ball.
"Ten more minutes!" Naruto called out. Sasuke smirked "I'll finish this in five". "Oh yeah, well I'll finish this in – in 2!" Naruto responded. Arrogant bastards. "Yeah, yeah." I muttered, only thinking about how good a nap would be right about now and 'Why do I hang out with these losers?' Oh right. Because they're all I've got. Damn. After a few more moments of them wrestling with the darn ball Sasuke emerged victorious. Big friggin' whoop. Can we all go to bed now please? Apparently not. What a drag.
"Hey, you guys" Naruto said "Why don't we head out to that party Hatsuto is having at his place?" I frowned "I'm assuming Hatsuto is that guy we met on that field trip we had last year." "Uh, yeah. How many other Hatsutos do you know?" He gave me his trademark grin. "Come on it'll be fun." "No thanks" I answered. "Hey Sasuke -!" "Not in the mood dobe." Sasuke answered coolly – or jerkily. Whichever.
"Kiba! Hey, Kiba! Don't you wanna come?" Kiba just stepped in to the gym. He ducked when a small ball nearly smacked him on the arm. Two girls were playing racquetball on the other side of the gym now. All giggly and out of breath. So annoying. I yawned. Man was I tired.
"Come where?" he asked. "To Hatsuto's party!" Kiba frowned "You don't mean Hatsumo from that trip we had last year?" "Well, yeah." Naruto answered. "How do you know about the party he's having? Been keeping in touch?" Kiba asked. Geez, I already knew where this was heading. I should have just ran for my room when I had the chance. Anyway so Naruto looked at Kiba with a goofy expression on his face. Now that I think about it, goofy is Naruto's only expression. "Yeah …" he said uncertainly. And then Kiba's face spread into a wide grin "Well look here, Naruto's got a boyfriend!" "Shut up!"
Wonderful. Great. Now I have to deal with fighting idiots and a jerk without any nap at all? I don't think so. "Look" I said raising my voice a little "If anyone gets caught going anywhere outside campus without permission – well you know what's going to happen and it's not going to be pretty. So any other ideas for an outing you can just keep it to yourself Naruto. And Kiba shut up with the gay slurs. How old are you anyway? Ten?" My little speech worked and every one shut up and was ready to head upstairs – that is until a small ball conked Sasuke on the head.
TenTen
"Oh, crap!" I cried. I looked over at Sakura, who was laughing. Easy for her to laugh. She didn't just send a ball flying at I'll-grind-your-bones-to-make-my-bread-Uchiha. "Sorry!" I yelled to the group of guys standing near one corner of the gym. Sakura snickered "I'm not." Sasuke flashed us both a dark look before leaving the gym. Good riddance. Everyone knew Sasuke had a bad boy reputation. I wouldn't expect him to have a prejudice against beating up girls. Which was why I was surprised when Sakura taunted him like that. I looked at Sakura in shock.
"Are you nuts? Do you have a death wish?" I asked her. After a few moments of her laughing and snickering she turned more speculative. "Maybe" she answered in somewhat serious tone – serious enough to get me worried anyway. I looked up at her for a moment, but decided not to go into it. She had already chastised me for acting like a physiciatrist earlier and I didn't want to push it. I looked at her uneasily for a moment before saying "Okay. Well according to the score charts it looks I am going to OWN you for about the next ten to twenty years" She looked up at me with a smile – all the seriousness from before washed away from her face. "Ha-ha"
I was happy to see her in a good mood. They've been dropping frequently lately. Too frequently. "You want to try to redeem yourself with another game?" Sakura smiled softly "'Redemption is overrated'." I cocked a brow and waited for her to add more to that. She didn't and I tried to ignore how much that bothered me. I mean, it was normal for her to say random quotes like that. She is a philosophy whiz.
"Let's head back" I said.