hey there, my faithful readers. hope you enjoy this new installment. we dont cover too many rules in this chapter, and its kind of random, but that's ok.

disclaimer: must i even say it?

Chapter 2

The Window to a Persons Soul

Sasuke was desperate. The Ino-can-help-me phase had been extremely short-lived. Ino insisted that Sasuke was the dimmest student she had ever had, and besides that, kept trying to kiss him.

Sasuke simply couldn't understand her teaching. She used metaphors that he didn't understand, because they were all about shopping and sleepovers and various cheerful woodland creatures.

In short, girl talk.

He needed someone that he could communicate with, and understood girls. His expectations were high.

Meanwhile, he had lost 2 more girlfriends. One, because she had thought he was cheating on her, because he talked to another girl. The other dropped the "It's not you, it's me" line, which told Sasuke that it most definitely WAS him.

In any case, he decided to pull his last card.

-

Sakura was sitting by the river, with a novel.

Sasuke sighed. He really must be desperate.

"Hey. Sakura."

Sakura looked up, to find the Uchiha boy standing above her, his head cocked to the side, moodily avoiding eye contact.

"Yes?" She asked politely. She'd never been close to the cute dark haired boy, even though they were on the same team. He avoided everyone, and she secretly knew that it was because people annoyed him.

He looked around, discreetly making sure no one saw him with her, lest they should get any ideas. "I…" he stopped, huffing silently.

She smiled softly. He was prideful. "I'll help you." she accepted, without really being asked.

He glared at her. "I wasn't finished."

"Sorry."

"I…" he jerked his head to the side, making his hair clear from his eyes, "I request your assistance on certain… girl… matters."

"I accept."

"I wasn't done!"

Sakura sighed and folded her hands in her lap, waiting.

He continued, for some reason determined to run through his entire monologue. "I don't understand girls. They're weird. And I want you to explain them to me."

Sakura inwardly smiled at this. "Say please."

Sasukes head whipped around and he locked eyes with her, glaring. "You already accepted."

"Just say it."

"You accepted TWICE."

Sakura laughed lightly. "I'll not work for someone so rude as you. Can't even say please." she shook her head disapprovingly.

He frowned, looking away. "Please?" he murmured quietly, looking a little defeated.

She nodded, then held up her index finger. "First rule of girls: They're stubborn. Give them what they want, because you won't win."

His eyes narrowed. This was going badly on his part. "Or what," he retaliated, "They'll beat you up?" he snorted softly.

She smirked. "Rule number two: Girls don't solve their problems with violence. They don't punch each other when they're mad, they just tease each other until one becomes anorexic and depressed."

He stared.

Sakura shrugged. "Violence on a different level."

Sasuke smirked and looked down at her pink hair. "I've seen you punch Ino before."

She laughed and got up. "I'm not like most girls."

"No," he said, smiling. "I guess not."

--

Naruto waved frantically from the railings of the bridge, where Sasuke sat alongside him, attempting to tune out the noise.

"Geeze, Sakura-Chan! You take almost as long as Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto grinned devilishly.

Sakura frowned. "Don't rush girls. Bad luck."

Sasuke looked up wearily.

"Rule three." Sakura nodded, confirming his suspicions and holding up three fingers.

He sighed, leaning backwards. He should probably write these down. Dimly, he wondered if there would be a test on them at the end of this torture.

"Well! It's so nice to see you three, on time and smiling in the morning!" Kakashi sensei popped out of nowhere, smiling charmingly under his mask.

Sasuke frowned. "Too bad you're late, and it's the middle of the afternoon."

Kakashi shielded his lone eye, looking up at the midday sky. "Why," he said with some surprise, "So it is! Hm, I wonder when that happened."

"Oh, about three hours ago." Sakura muttered.

"Odd." mused Kakashi sensei. "I left on time…"

"Where the hell did you GO in between your house and here for three hours?!" Naruto asked in slight amazement.

-

After lessons with Kakashi sensei, Sakura walked back to her house alone, watching the stars slowly become visible, outshining the dying sun. she smiled slightly. It was skies like those, streaked with deep purples and violent reds and blushing pinks that made her wish she could paint, so she could record that beautiful sight and share it with everyone else.

As she walked past an ally, something bright and colorful caught her eye, barely illuminated by the flickering street lamp.

She cautiously headed down the alley, wishing she could take the light with her to see properly.

But she didn't need it to see something like this.

Someone had taken paints of every conceivable color and smeared them across the wall. It didn't look like anything other than havoc when she examined it, but once she stepped back, her shoulder blades against the opposite wall, she saw what it truly was.

It was the most heart stopping, radiant, brilliant street mural she had ever seen in her life.

She wondered who could have done such a magnificent work of art, and why on earth they were only painting on street walls, when this was world class art. She also wondered where the creator of this masterpiece was. The paint was still wet, and the paints that had been used were still open. Obviously someone had fled when they saw her coming.

She wished she could see the person who had done this. Perhaps their painting reflected who they were. If so, they had to be the most beautiful person Sakura had ever met. Or… hadn't met.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

so, tune in next time to see the next adventure of sasuke and sakura!!

and please, PLEASE review!! IM BEGGING YOU!!

-

p.s. the mural painter isnt sasuke. you think i'd be that predictable? HAH. you underestimate me. you underestimate me greatly.

XD