Hello, Littluns.

So, sorry and all that about taking so long.

Please enjoy my, albeit very late, words that I own everything about except Naruto.


Summer plodded along with no meaning. There was nothing to do. There was no homework to complete for next year, and my friends were off on their summer vacations. I spent all day in my room doing nothing of particularly anything. It wasn't really boring or relaxing like summer break was supposed to be. It was just time passing with nothing of any interest breaking up the long intervals of weeks blending into months.

It was the first summer that I actually looked forward to school.

The first event that broke me from my summer comatose was the new student meeting on August the tenth.


Stepping off the public bus that I had ridden for the last several hours, I quickly walked a good distance away from it so I wouldn't be in other peoples' ways who were also dismounting. I had only been here once before for the interview, during which I saw only a sliver of the school grounds.

But as I followed the steady crowd past the front gate towards what appeared to be a small gymnasium, I took the initiative to try and memorize everything I saw: the old buildings that had been redone to seem new, the winding gravel passageways leading from building to building, and the most interesting of all, the thick mist that seemed to permeate the air even in the middle of August. It wasn't a heavy mist, though, but a clear and refreshing one that promised rain.

Entering the gymnasium, I saw that there was very little seating in the small area. In fact, there didn't appear to be any chairs left. I walked off to the side where some other latecomers were milling around and waited for the meeting to begin.

Scanning the crowd unconsciously, a flash of red caught my eye. Looking towards it automatically, I saw someone lounging out in one of the chairs. They were wearing a bright red shirt.

I mentally berated myself for being so stupid.

"Good evening,"

I along with everyone else looked towards the stage where the voice had come. A man stood in the center of the stage. His hair was an alarming red that made my breath catch in my throat before I realized it was darker than… His. The eyes, however, were something like I've never seen before. They were a pale violet color, and ringed around the pupil. He was also tall and very skinny, giving him a somewhat emaciated look.

First reaction:

Absolutely terrifying.

"I am Nagato Pein, Dean of Students." He calmly spoke, all the while completely silencing the crowd without asking for quiet. "I welcome you to the halls of the Akatsuki Academy of Art. No matter what the reason, you all are here today for one main goal: to create art. Art comes in many forms. Art will never cease to exist. Art is something worthwhile. That is why this school was created, to carry on the creating of masterpieces."

He paused for a bit, casting us all under his searching gaze.

"It is in human nature," Nagato continued, "to strive for beauty. People crave to see something that they consider beautiful. Let that motivate you all, upcoming students, to create what you desire so that it can, and will be, appreciated."

Again, he stopped, seemingly to see if anyone would say anything. When no one spoke, he bowed quickly. "That is all. The campus is open for visiting as well as the dorms. If you have any questions, please speak to one of the teachers. You are dismissed."

It wasn't until the Dean vanished from sight behind the stage did people start moving again. I found it odd no one applauded; even the conversation noise build-up was slow. The Dean did seem to just leak the essence of power and authority, though. His words were true and held great meaning, but the man delivering the words was so solemn and cold. Some of the parents were whispering because they believed talking was too loud after such a speech.

And the fact that he actually dismissed us instead of letting us wander out on our own...

His terror rating just went up.


The cardboard box bounced slightly as I let it fall onto the bed. It was a good thing that bus hadn't left yet. I had completely forgotten about stashing the box under my seat.

I looked around my dorm room. It consisted of a single twin bed off to the left with a nightstand next to it. On the opposite wall was a desk while a wardrobe stood in the far right corner, next to a window.

It wasn't much, but I was grateful enough I didn't have to share a room with anyone on account of the school having such a small number of students, yet it was still so well-funded.

After allowing procrastination to take over, I decided to unpack the big box of sheets, towels, and the like later. I could put it off for a few days, in fact, as the first day of school didn't actually start until next week. I instead walked over to the single window. Opening the blinds, I peered out. I was at the very top floor of the building at three stories high and would have had a good view of the grounds if not for the mist. I watched as the blurred outlines of people wavered around the grounds. Some were in large groups, others all by themselves.

I lazily tried to decipher what objects were what through the mist. A vague, tall outline appeared to be a tree of some sort in the distance, while a low to the ground horizontal figure below it was a bench. It wasn't until I looked across the small courtyard that was in front of the female dorm rooms to the male dorms on the other side did I see anything of any notable value.

A window on the same level as my dorm appeared to be open, and when I say open I mean to say the glass had been pushed out to the side. It was hard to tell through the mist, but I could faintly see the figure of someone standing in the window. Pressing my face to the glass to see better, I huffed in frustration when my breath fogged up the window. Wiping it away with my sleeve, I looked back at the window.

That's when a beam of sunlight broke through the gray clouds.

That's when the mist seemed to vanish for a split second.

That's when, in that split second, I saw a flash of the person's hair.

Red hair.

Scarlet red hair.

Before I could be sure of what I saw, I jerked away from the window as if I was burned, scrambling to close the blinds. When they were covering the window again, I backed away from it slowly.

This can't be happening…

Not here…

Why would he…

No.

No, I refused to believe it. It could have been anything, really. Hundreds of people could have the same hair color as… Him. It was even more possible that it wasn't even hair but clothing of some sort like what had occurred during the meeting.

Any number of things could better explain what that was than what my first thought had been.

I felt myself already begin to relax as my doubt grew. That's right. Of all the places, why here? Surely not. I lightly hit myself on my head. I was being stupid again, jumping to such irrational conclusions.

With an uncertain smile, I turned back to the box on my bed.

I suppose I could start unpacking now.


A few hours later, I was walking out of the girl dorms. I had finished unpacking all of the bare necessities that had been in the box. When I came back next week to start school, I would bring another box of clothing and toiletries.

I had all but forgotten about the sight at the window while I had busied myself with unpacking, but seeing the boys' dorm again just brought it back to the forefront of my mind no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

But I couldn't stop myself from glancing at that third floor window.

It was closed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I continued on my way to the bus stop just outside of the gates of the school, my step a little lighter than before.

There was no way he would be here.

It was impossible, implausible, and totally unlikely.

I was stupid to think that even for a moment…

Just a moment…

That He could be here.


Hm... That was probably more cliché than it should have been... But whatever.

Hope you liked, and whether you did or did not, tell me if you don't mind.