IMPORTANT:After looking back on some stuff, I realized I forgot the beginning intro to each chapter. If you haven't done so already, go back to the first chapter and just read the beginning snip-it. ANYTHING BOLD IN THE ITALICS IS FROM THE SONG LISTED.

Thank you for your reviews! :)

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After staring longingly at the enterence, I walked in. Passing by one of the many shrines, I see the bell. I wonder if it may be a new bell or the same old bell I fixed years ago In my teenage form, I would have never rung this bell. Belief in these Religious things was dumb to me. Same with family. I guess I would have never realized how my family did the things they did for me because they cared for me, as much as I didn't want to believe it, if it wasn't for her.

I grabbed the rope of the bell and pulled it, making the bell ring. I let go and clasped my hands together, saying a quick prayer. When I finished, I smirked. It's really amazing how some people can really change you.

"Keep loving, and keep walking, We have been believing that we will be able to convey these overflowing feelings You've taught me how to support each other, to watch over each other, and that I'm not lonely."

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Map The Soul

Chapter Two

Melody and Harmony

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Right now, somewhere, someone is in pain, all alone
Passing through a sleepless night
Until the light shines on your heart
Let's nestle close together, so that we could sleep
Like a melody and harmony in love

COLORS ~ Melody and Harmony - Jaejoong and Yoochun (DBSK)

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My face is blank as I stand outside my house. My family has a modest size house, but my family isn't very modest.

My Okaasan is not the problem…rather my Otousan is.

I sigh as I head into the house. I take my shoes off and put my slippers on. I walk down the hallway into the kitchen, where I see my mother cooking, and my dad sitting down at the table with his laptop, working.

"Okaeri!" my mother says as she sees me coming home. I nod and go to the fridge to get some water.

"Sasuke." My father's broad voice echoes out. We don't share a father-son relationship. I'm more of a pawn in his game of chest, just waiting to be promoted to king.

Even before he spoke, I knew what he was going to say. He brings it up at least once a week, and I'm tired of hearing it. "I want you to start considering your future." I reached for the water jug in the fridge without flinching at his words. I used to, but it's become so common to hear him say this.

"If you're talking about my future working at your boring desk job, then you can kiss that dream goodbye." I said closing the fridge and walking away with my cup in hand. My father is obviously not impressed.

"Sasuke, I'm serious here. As my son, I want you to have a respectable, well paying job."

"What if I don't want to sit at a desk for the rest of my life?" I say in a strong, broad voice. My father looks furious at me and my disregard.

"Your future is what I give to you. I'm serious Sasuke, there is nothing better them my job!"

I put my glass down and turn my back, "Then why would you ask me to consider my future, if I can't even make it for myself?" I said, the two of us glaring at each other. I break eye contact and turn around towards the door. "This is fucked."

With that, I left the house, slamming the door behind me. I never fully understood why my brother left the family, but lately, I can see why.

I went to the side of the house, grabbed my bike and sped off. It was still light out, and anywhere was better then at home.

I biked around aimlessly and found myself at the Shinto temple I was at that morning I almost ditched school. I don't know why, but I felt this was probably the place where I would find peace.

I got off my bike and pushed it around, aimlessly looking at the temple and its many buildings and area's of worship. I am not a religious person. I find it's pathetic to put all your hope into faith. Faith is uncertain, so why believe? Staring at all the Ema plaques hanging, I chuckled. People write the absolute dumbest things to hope for.

I continued walking, until I got to a bridge, leading to the main temple. As I was crossing it I noticed a Miko – one of the workers at the shrine.

And it was that girl from school, Sakura.

She was climbing up a ladder which was under a bell. She was wearing the usual Miko uniform, with the red pants and the white kimono top.

I never really cared for her looks, but I can admit, she is a pretty girl–not the prettiest girl I've seen, but she's pretty. And although her hair color is not the norm, it suits her–especially with her eyes.

She seemed to be doing something with the bell, but couldn't do it, and gave up in frustration. She climbed down and sat on the steps of the temple, annoyed.

It had been two weeks into school and I barely spoke to this girl, since the first day. Naruto on the other hand, makes excuses to stay by my desk, just to be able to talk to her when she comes in.

I walk a little bit forward, feeling suddenly drawn to her. It was the weirdest feeling–like my legs took over my body. I managed to snap out of the sudden trance, and stopped moving foreword. As I was about to turn around to make my great escape, she looked up and noticed me.

"Ah, konbanwa, Sasuke-kun." she said standing up. I curse in annoyance as I'm trapped. "Aa."

She looks at me for a moment, and then looks as if she just thought of something. "Ano…can you help me for a moment?"

Haven't I helped her enough? I never really help anyone.

She pointed up at the bell, "the ball inside is stuck, and I can't reach it with the screwdriver to knock it into place. Since you're taller, can you do it?"

The look in her eyes shows hope… I feel like punching myself as I begin to walk over to her. My legs moved on their own, and I don't understand why. Mentally I was ready to run in the other direction, but my body just moved toward her.

I lean my bike against a statue and take the screwdriver from her hand and walk up the ladder. I easily popped the screwdriver in the opening of the bell and knock the ball, so its back to normal. She pulled on the rope leading to the bell, and it made its ringing noise.

"Ah, you did it!" she said as I came down. She bowed down, "Arigatou!"

"Hn." I say getting down and stuffing my hands in my walks to the ladder and closes it, and picks it up, but its clear to see its too much for her to hold as she's having a hard time keeping balance with it. I grab the ladder from her, and she looks at me surprised at first, but then lets go.

"A-Arigatou." She said again. "You say that too much." I said, walking down the steps of the temple. She grabs a pale with stuff in it and grabs my bike for me. "Well, I'm thankful. You always seem to help me at the right time."

"Don't think I'm going to be there every time." she smiled, "fair enough."

She leads the way as we walk in silence towards a shed. She opens the shed, puts the pale inside and then takes the ladder from me to put away.

"So what brings you to the temple?" she asks as she walks out of the shed and locks it up. I shrug.

"Shouldn't you be at home? I mean, it's a little late to be out." she said. I immediately tensed up as she asks this. She seemed to notice and looks embarrassed, "ah, gomen. Its not my business."

"Hn."

There's a silence between us, and by looking at her, I can see she's trying to think of something to talk about. She seems to be struggling to keep the conversation alive. Maybe I should just leave–

"Ne Sasuke-kun, what's your family like?" she asked openly, looking at me with a pleasant smile on her face. I stared at her for a moment and then slowly clenched my fists, thinking about my family. Just the thought of them made me seethe. I had just escaped my home to relax and she brings up a conversation about family. What the hell?

She looked up at the sky, "I'm sure they're nice people. You must have a loving happy family! Do you have siblings too? Maybe an older brother or sister. Waah, I wish I had an older sibling! You know, family is an amazing thing! I–"

"Stop." I said gritting my teeth, glaring. She looked up at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Nani? Is something wrong?"

I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. "You know nothing about me, so who are you to assume things about my family?"

Sakura receded back a bit, a hurt look on her face. "G-Gomen. I just though–"

"Don't assume things… Family is a meaningless thing." I said with a scowl on my face. Sakura bit her lip and looked down at the ground. I know my words were harsh but that's the reality I live in. I try to avoid my family as much as I can because I can't take the way they treat me.

As Sakura looks down she suddenly clenched her fists and stood up, giving me an icy stare.

"Family is not a meaningless thing! Family is unconditional love! Family is safety! Family is …everything." she said trailing off at the end. I roll my eyes at her, "not every family is as happy as you think."

I glared at her and grabbed my bike, about to leave, "My family isn't like yours. Don't assume everyone has happy families."

Sakura eyes widened. Hurt was evident in her eyes, yet she smiled slightly and looked to the ground, "I don't have a family… That's why I think family is such an important thing."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know how to react. I guess you could say I was surprised, but I wasn't sympathetic. I don't feel sympathetic towards people.

She looked up at the sky with a pleasant smile on her face, "because I don't have a family, that's why I think its important to have family…because you don't know what you have till its gone."

She turned to me, still smiling, "I guess you just haven't realized how important your family is." And with that, she left. She walked ahead not missing a beat or swaggering at all. She held her head high and walked, till she was out of sight.

I on the other hand, couldn't move. What she said seemed to hit me, and I couldn't react.

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I don't feel guilty, or sympathetic. Well…maybe a bit. I can't really describe it. I felt shocked at what she said though. I wasn't expecting it.

What really surprised me was that she still looked on the bright side. She has no one, yet she still smiles. It doesn't make sense.

What's annoying me is how much I'm thinking about this though. I don't dwell on what I say and how it affects others, but for some reason, Sakura seems different.

This is frustrating.

I sigh as I gaze out at the school grounds from the rooftop. I pull my earphones from out of my ears and stuff my ipod in my pocket. Lunch period had only started ten minutes ago and I was bored out of my mind. I walked to the door of the roof and made my way downstairs to the second floor. The hallways had people generally talking and walking around. I began making my way back to homeroom until I saw Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino and Hinata running down the hallway in my direction.

From the scene, Ino was dragging Shikamaru who looked like he really didn't want to go wherever they were going. I moved out of the way as they began to pass.

Sakura stopped right in front of me, a large smile on her face. "Come on Sasuke-kun!"

I raised my eyebrows at her, while she continued to smile. She suddenly grabbed my arm and began pulling me towards the staircase downstairs.

"What the hell?" I said aggravated as she continued to pull me, heading for the shoe lockers. She let go of my hand and went to her little locker and switched shows. As she quickly changed shoes and closed her locker she told me to hurry up. I just stare at her confused, not knowing why I need to change shoes. She sighed and grabbed my arm again, "forget the shoes, and come on!"

As the group left the building, the teacher at the main doors sees us run past him, and tells us to stop. As much as I'd like to, I couldn't stop Sakura and the momentum she had picked up from running. We ran out the school gates and into the main street. Naruto is leading the pack, with Sakura and I being the last, since she's basically dragging me. We rounded two corners and wound up an area with a PRIVATE PROPERTY sign.

Naruto opened the gate and we all walked in. Walking down the hill, we were at a privately owned beach.

"Ah I'm so tired!" Naruto said as he plopped down on the sand. Kiba followed suit, "Why are we here anyway?"

Sakura sat down in front of Kiba and Naruto, pulling me down beside her, "Ah who cares? It'll probably be a one time thing anyway."

"What do you mean? And why did we have to come?" Naruto whines, confused. Ino, Shikamaru and Hinata sit down closing the circle. Ino spoke up. "I have a broken heart."

"Seriously?" Naruto and Kiba say in unison. Hinata sits there quietly, while Shikamaru looks passive.

"At times like these, its more relaxing to leave school and come to a place like this with a large group of people and have fun!" Sakura said. Naruto and Kiba look at each other, then look away, speaking simultaneously, "ah, so anyone would have been okay…"

There's a brief pause, until Hinata spoke up, "ah, I-its so nice out h-here." She says watching the waves. Naruto and Kiba agree in unison, and everyone looks out at the waves. A conversation begins in the group about how to cure a broken heart.

"You know, the best way to get over a broken heart is to find a new love!" Kiba says, winking at Ino. Ino looked at him with a repulsive look, "Oh, so what are you trying to say?"

Naruto buds in, "no no, I heard that if you sprinkle salt in cola, the taste will bring you happiness!"

Everyone goes silent and looks at Naruto with a confused look. "Where the hell did you hear that from?" Shikamaru said looking at Naruto as if he said the dumbest thing imaginable. Kiba smirked, "probably from a fortune cookie!"

Everyone began laughing as Naruto flustered. "Hey! That's not funny!"

More conversations come up and everyone seems to be having a good time, laughing and making jokes. I didn't say anything really, but just sit there, listening. I'm not one for having a lot of friends. I'm content with the people I know and that's it…but being with these idiots…wasn't so bad I guess, even though I could do without having Naruto try to drag me into the conversation all the time.

"Oi, who's there!?" a new voice echoed out. We looked around and saw no one, but Naruto got antsy.

"Crap, let's get out of here!"

Everyone stood up fast and began heading for the hill. As we began going up, a middle-aged looking man rounded a cliff and pointed at us.

"Oi, get back here!"

"Run!" Naruto said as be sprinted up the hill. We all followed suit, doing the same, as the man began chasing us up the hill.

Naruto was in the front, followed by Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, myself and then Sakura.

"Hurry Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled down as she staggered behind. I looked back and noticed she was losing pace, since she was the last one and we were all pushing the sand down at her as we climbed up. Before I could comprehend what I was doing, I ran back and grabbed her hand, pulling her up. My momentum helped her speed up, and we finally made it to the top, where everyone was waiting for us.

"Lets get out of here!" Kiba said as Sakura and I made it to the top. As a group we ran back to the school.

I didn't realize that I was still holding her hand as we ran back to the school. Because we hadn't stopped running, I forgot to let go. Her hand had a funny feeling to it…I can't really explain it, but a sensation ran through me. I ignored the feeling however as we continued running down the streets of Konoha.

We rounded onto school grounds and stopped to catch our breaths. I then realized I had still been holding her hand. "Gomen." I said non-chalantly, letting go. As she catching her breath, she looks at me, a smile on her face, "what are you sorry for?" I shrugged, "just in case."

After a five minute breather we all walked back into the school, changing shoes. Ino let out a loud sigh, "Wow… that was close!"

Kiba came up behind her and Sakura as everyone began walking down the hall, back to class, "Yeah, but it was fun!"

Everyone agreed in unison as we began walking down the hall, Naruto, Ino and Kiba leading the pack. I trailed behind, hands in my pocket. Sakura turned around to me, a big smile on her face.

"It was fun, ne Sasuke-kun?"

Something about her struck me there, and to this day, I still don't know what it is. For some odd reason, I liked the attention she gave me. It felt welcoming and warm. I'm not one to care, nor make sense of this stuff…but it was a nagging feeling I had.

I just shrugged and it was enough to make her happy. She walked beside me as we began walking back to class.

Suddenly Naruto, who was in the front of the group stopped, and we all followed in unison, looking foreword. There stood Gai, kendo bamboo sword in hand and a disappointed look on his face.

"A man who owned a private beach called the school, saying a few students from our school were on his property."

Everyone was silent, shocked expressions on some people's faces. Naruto looked back at everyone, then back at Gai. "Run!"

Everyone turned around and began running towards the back stairwell. I don't hesitate to join in–I am not going to stay in the detention room with that Bruce Lee look alike ever again.

Gai began to chase after us, screaming at us to stop and something about wasting our youth.

Psh.

We ran up to the second floor and bolted it down the hall, when suddenly; Hinata fell right next to a staircase.

"Hinata!" Sakura screeched as she fell. Gai rounded the corner and stared straight at us.

In the next instant, Naruto flew to Hinata's side, helping her up. Gai began charging down the hall.

"Split up!" Ino yells as she begins to run back down the hallway. Naruto grabbed Hinata and began heading for the downstairs staircase, while Sakura, Kiba, Shikamaru and myself begin running where Ino was going. Gai stopped at the staircase for a moment, but then decided against it and charged after us, yelling at us to stop running in the hallways.

We turned the corner down another hallway and began running down it. I looked back quickly and noticed Gai was catching up, and fast. We came to a wall, which had two ways to go.

"Spilt again!" Ino yelled going left. I turned around and noticed Gai was coming down fast. Shikamaru muttered something about this being troublesome and followed after Ino. I noticed Sakura having an inner battle to either follow Ino, or go right. I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the right hallway, as Kiba went left.

We ran down the hallway, which I realized was the hallway Sakura grabbed me at earlier that day to take me out with everyone. I remembered the staircase heading up to the roof and went to it, pulling her with me up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs I opened the door and ran out, where we had to run another flight of stairs until we reached the top. Once we reached the top, we walked out into the bright sunlight, and again, I realized I was holding her hand again.

"Gomen." I said letting go. She let out a small laugh, looking at my hand as I let go. "What are you apologizing for?"

I shrug and I'm about to say what I said earlier, but she beat me to it, "Just in case, right?"

I just shrug and walk out into the middle of the roof, and sit down. Sakura stretched her arms out, and then sat down beside me, "I wonder if the others are alright…"

I looked up at the sky, then closed my eyes, "They'll be fine. Its Gai."

She let out a small laugh. "True."

There's a silence between us, and I'm not sure if I can say its awkward or not. For me, I don't care really, but for her, its different... although what happened to us yesterday is popping up in my head, making me feel...odd. nervousness, embarrassment? I don't know. I've never felt this way before.

Sakura opened her small school bag she had gotten from her shoe locker when we came back, and pulled out a little cylinder looking thing. "Want one?" she said unraveling it, revealing little candies. I noticed the wrapping was the name of an American candy – sweet tarts.

I shook my head. She tilted her head, "why not?"

"I don't like sweets."

She looked like she had just heard the most ridiculous thing ever, "eeeh, seriously? What kind of kid doesn't love sweets?!"

I shrug, "I'm not like everyone else."

She smiled and nodded, "I've noticed. You're short on words, lack personality and you're a complete loner."

I wanted to retort back, but I couldn't deny the truth in her words. "Hn."

She seemed amused by my answer, even though I don't consider it one. She turned away from me and looked straight. She bent forward and stretched to her legs, "Ino's lucky to have been in love."

I turn to her and cock a brow, "Hm?"

She smiled and then lay down on the ground, undoing the button on her blazer, revealing her white uniform shirt. She made sure her skirt was in a comfortable position. "She's lucky, to have gone through love. The ups, and downs, the special moments and the pain. Its special."

"What makes you say that?" I ask, not looking at her, but I can tell she's smiling. "Because, love is amazing."

Love, amazing? Is she serious? I scoff at her answer, which makes her sit up and raise an eyebrow, "What, you don't think so?"

As she sat up, I laid down, hands behind my head, "Love is a pathetic gimmick. It's something we make up so we believe were not alone. It's not real."

She gave me a frown, "This coming from someone who hasn't been in a relationship! You wouldn't understand unless you liked someone."

I glare at her, "Who are you to say I haven't been in a relationship?"

She rolled her eyes, "its painfully obvious. You detach yourself from everyone so you don't feel anything. That's why you wouldn't understand just how amazing it is, until you feel it."

I'm slightly struck by her words. She doesn't hesitate to think about what to say. "What makes it so amazing?"

She looked at me surprised for a second, but then looked up at the sky with a big smile on her face, "Because it makes you feel something so…so unimaginable! It makes you want to live for someone."

As she said this, a puzzling question appeared in my mind, "Have you ever been in love?"

She froze as I said this. I couldn't see her face, so I couldn't really see what emotion she was feeling. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then spoke. "No, I've never been in love."

"So who are you to preach about love?" I said as I sat up, in an icy tone. I was glaring right at her as she was still frozen in her state for a moment. She then slowly turned to me, her hair whipping around elegantly and a simple smile on her face, "Your right, I don't have the right to preach about love…" she then laid down again beside me, and then continued, "but when I do fall in love, I'm going to cherish every minute of it, and give the person I love everything I can give."

I looked away from her, a grim look on my face, since I didn't know what to say next. Her words were pure…somewhat juvenile, but there was truth in her words. She wasn't phony…and for the first time ever someone else's words contradicted mine, and I couldn't argue back, because she was right.

I sighed in annoyance and ran my fingers through my hair. "I don't get you."

She tilted her head when she looked at me, confusion on her face. "what's not to get? I think I'm a pretty simple person."

I suddenly felt like telling her she wasn't simple - a simple person doesn't attack my thoughts. A simple person doesn't make me think about them for more then a second. A simple person does not have PINK HAIR (just a thought).

"Why do you always happy and smiling? You don't know love, but your happy just thinking of it. You don't have a family, yet you smile. You make no sense." I said, looking right in her eyes. Thinking about it, I think that's the most I've ever thought about a person besides Naruto. I've never analyzed a girl like this before.

She stared at me for a while, the wind blowing her hair so gracefully. My heart was beginning to speed up anticipating an answer. She suddenly looked away and shrugged, "Smiling is much easier then frowning, is it not? Same thing with happiness. To be sad and angry.. it takes so much work and it's boring. I don't want to dwell on the horrible pass. I don't want to be sad for what happened. I don't want to be angry at the past. I'm tired of being in pain... over being alone and crying all the time." she paused, and then turned to me, looking at me straight in the eye.

"I want to look forward with a smile, knowing that the future holds a better life for me then the past. Sometimes I wondered why I'm still alive and not my parents? Instead of mourning over their deaths and how I should have died instead, I'm going to live each day thankfully, knowing I'm still here. Fate chose for me to stay alive. Because of that, I'm going to treasure life."

We continued to stare at each other, myself not having a clue what to say. Me, the person who didn't care for shit, actually took her words seriously. I've never been so struck by someones words since Naruto told me how everyone needs a friend to feel whole. Right now, I guess he was right.

"You on the other hand are so full of bitterness.. for what reason, I don't know... but I know if you keep feeling so angry with the world, nothing is going to change for you." she moved really close up to me, our face's closer then I'd prefer. She put up one finger in front of our faces, "You have one life to live. Don't let a day go."

She put down her finger and a smile slowly formed on her face. She moved back and laid down again, letting out a loud sigh and closed her eyes, "aaah it's so beautiful up here!"

Dumbstruck, I sat there. Damn this girl and her annoying lecture on life.

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mesmerized by your beauty from your feet to your hands
how could one be so beautiful i don't understand
heaven sent, god's gift without a doubt in my mind
sometimes i wonder why our paths decided to collide

Map the Soul

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Playlist of songs under my profile. Ch-Ch-Check it out yo!

Shellzonfiree