Sleepless Predator: Chapter Two: Just High School
~sSs~
Where is Naruto? Sasuke wondered, wandering around the insanely crowded high school. We have the next class together, and I can't find anything in this place! He searched the heads of students. Doing what seemed easiest to find his best friend, he merely scanned the bodies for a flood of orange — orange glasses, orange sweatshirt, orange spiral on an otherwise black backpack, orange shoes, anything that might be Naruto. And using this amazing technique, he spotted the stubborn blonde at the center of a quickly thickening amassing. He heard that familiar voice ring above all others. "— not doing anything to him! Mess with Sasuke, mess with me!"
Sasuke tried to force his way towards the center of the ring. Naruto just could not go one week without starting a fight, could he? "Naruto!" Honestly, in the middle of the day? He cursed, as he fought the crowd. What did these strangers care, anyway? "Damn this…"
A phantom of a figure wavered near his shoulder. "Aw, don't use that kind of language, now, Suke. Go to class. He'll get along fine, without you, you know. Don't worry about Naruto so much."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. He wanted to say, "I'm fourteen, halfway to fifteen. You honestly think I can't say 'damn'?" but he didn't. After all, disrespecting Itachi would only hurt him in the end. He was so different, not the same as he used to be; he hardly ever did anything but train with him, anymore, and even then, the lessons only became harder to keep up with.
"Get away from him, creep!" Sasuke wanted to see just who Naruto was battling, but Itachi ordered him to just go to class. He had to obey; there was no choice, this time. "I swear, you'll die by my hand, if you try it!" He wants to be with Naruto, tell him that he can handle anything, tell him not to worry so much. He wants him to stop making himself such a target, but that is not an option, right now.
Room 126: Mr. Maito. The new semester brought on some terrifying teachers… Sasuke, Naruto, and even Itachi, to an extent, feared the personality of the character known as Maito Gai.
As such, he took as long as he dared to walk the hallway that led to the most frightening class in this school: Physical Education.
"Oh, such bright, youthful faces! You all must know why you're here, yes? That's correct!" he exclaimed, before a word was given from any chosen student. "To learn what youth you might be brought by the practice of your great hand-to-hand skills! To become so fit, so full of blossoming youth, you can never again be fatigued! To know the great art of training sport, of Youth!"
Sasuke really regretted moving here. He wanted to back at his old school, where only Naruto had to deal with this green mass of… Maito Gai. The only thing that he might say was welcoming about this class was that Itachi never bothered him when this beast was in sight… but who was truly the lesser of the two evils? Itachi, or Gai? After a bit of consideration, he chose Itachi. He'd rather spend an extra two hours training with his sadistic brother than this… sadistic-in-another-way Gai.
Gai flashed his gleaming teeth, announcing, "So! We should first introduce ourselves to this wonderful class! Tell us, what is your most youthful accomplishment? I should start with… You!"
Everyone turned their heads to the thing that could only be Gai's young, youthful, clone. "Me? Yes! I am Rock Lee! I am youthful when I train in taijitsu, with my nemesis, Hyuuga Neji! I am most youthful when challenging him!" Well, wasn't that a shock. Neji, the class president, actually trained in the martial arts? Wonders would never cease in the school.
Gai clapped for him. "Yes, I have found my first favorite student! Who can top him? Anyone? Lee, choose the next student to give their youthful introduction!"
Sasuke looked away, fading into the shadows. With luck, this class might just pass over him, and he would not have to do this. "I will choose… Sakura! The lovely, youthful, beautiful Sakura!"
At such words from such a guy, Sakura's face reddened. Whether this blush was born from anger, or embarrassment, or a combination of both, no one knew. "Thanks, Lee… make me go second…" Sakura took a breath, mentally composing her words. "My name is Haruno Sakura…"
Gai pressed, "And? What, tell us, makes you so youthful?"
"Well… um…"
"Go, Sakura! Tell him it's your beauty!" Lee cheered. "Or your strength!"
She looked away from Lee, her face turning a darker cherry, and her eyes twitching. "Right… My youthfulness… my beauty and strength…" deadpanned Sakura.
And class continued, one by one, each student explained, and if they forgot to say that word, Gai would no doubt make them remember it.
"And, who's this person? It is not youthful to be late."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes when he saw the bandages. This was exactly the reason he wanted Naruto not to constantly make himself a target. "Heh, sorry, Maito. Was just in the nurses' office, and here's my pass — "
The man shook his head. "No! I do not need this paper scrap! I need to know what makes you so youthful!"
Naruto blinked. "Um… my age?" He cocked an eyebrow, clearly thinking that was all that was required of him.
Naruto was going to walk through the crowd and stand by Kiba, hoping to avoid Sasuke at all costs, when Gai called him back. "Not enough! What is your name? What makes you so youthful? Age is nothing, when it comes to youth! After all, I am not so young as you, young freshman, but I am still full of youth!"
He turned and faced the Youth Monster, again. "Riiight… All right. Name's Naruto, and… I am youthful, because…"
Riiing.
Now that, right there, is being saved by the bell. However, the lucky bell might not save him from Sasuke. "Later, Maito!" Naruto charged out as fast as his injured body would allow him, which was still fairly quick, compared to some lesser athletes. "Gotta go, gotta go, Sasuke, don't you dare catch up, running away, gotta — "
"Naruto."
Well. Naruto's chants obviously had no desired effect. "I'm fine, Sasuke! Go to class!" he said, with a false smile. Sasuke knew he was lying, especially with all the reddening wrappings he wore. He would find out who did this. Sasuke always got his revenge, when someone dared to hurt Naruto in front of him, always.
~sSs~
If there was one thing that he really hated about high school, it was the horribly long lunch lines, and the fact that there was never anything edible at the end, anyway. Lucky for him, Sasuke generally packed his own lunch. For Naruto, cooking his own ramen with the help of Iruka in secret everyday was just his thing. So, everyday, no excuses, Naruto had his ramen, five flavors for each day of the week. Today was beef, and Sasuke didn't have to get very close to their normal table before he smelled Naruto's fresh bowl. "Ah, no way!" he heard him exclaim. He was most likely talking to Kiba. "There's gonna be a lockdown, or what? I mean… this has never happened before!"
Curious, Sasuke slid into the seat beside Naruto, pulling out his onigiri. Man, did he ever love that stuff. It wasn't hot anymore, from this morning, but it didn't matter. He could eat it out of a fridge, if he wanted to. "What's never happened?"
Naruto slammed his hands on the table, shaking the tray in front of Kiba. "Sasuke! You'll never guess! A student — "
"Attention, students of Konoha High," blared the speakers. "This is your principle, Tsunade. There's been a dangerous recent discovery, and every student will be questioned on the matter. Do not panic, as the situation is well under control of the authorities, however no students are permitted to leave this campus until examined."
A click followed, and a new wave of chatter quickly rushed in, and clashed in the air. Each student was going to be called… one at a time… first up was someone named Akai. It must be sad to have to go first… Oh well. The staff couldn't really get all the way to the U names in time before school ended, and it wasn't as if they could actually stop students from leaving after the final bell.
"Well, then, Naruto, man, that's what she's talking 'bout, then? How'd you find out something like that?" Kiba exclaimed. "Come on, finish up, already!"
Chouji popped a fortune cookie. Seriously, where did he get it from? "You are surrounded by good friends."
"Like I was saying," Naruto said with a nod, ignoring Chouji's cookie, "like Tsunade said… that dangerous discovery she's talking about… it's a body." Sasuke did not move an inch. So? If it was where he thought it was, then there were no problems to be heard. "There was a piece of clothing or a shoe or something sticking up in the snow, before. Someone wondered what it was. They dug, and found him. But, I don't know the guy's name."
Kiba wasn't so thrilled over it, but he wanted to know something else, first. "Yeah, so who told you? Did you see it when it happened? Who found the guy?" Suddenly, Sasuke thought Kiba reminded him of Naruto, back when his questions never ended. They had never ended until even now, but this time, Naruto was the one explaining, not questioning.
A another pop. "Take a vacation! You deserve it! Guys, I wanna go somewhere warm, with a waterfall!"
"Dude, Kiba, I only know so much, y'know! I only know what it was 'cause I was overhearing Tsunade when I… er, when I was, y'know… in the…" Naruto glanced Sasuke's way. That cold bastard held not the slightest interest in his story at all! He was too focused on staring Naruto to ashes, probably trying to discover the cause of his injury by seeing the wounds beneath — after he burned through the bandages, of course, with that weird Uchiha-freeze/laser/x-ray-vision-thing that Naruto knew he was hiding.
"Those exchange students, huh?" Sasuke frowned. He ought to have known such creeps. However, that explained why he failed to recognize their voices. "Tell me when things get this bad, Naruto," he grit. Soon enough, Sasuke was getting up from his chair, Kiba going unnoticed. "What were you doing?"
Pop, crunch, crack. "Oh my god! Guys, there's no fortune! Am I gonna die? Ahhh!"
Naruto crossed his arms. "Hey, you don't have to get so protective, you know. Look, I'm fine! Shizune just went nutso with all the tape!" he exclaimed, aiming to remove the gauze to prove it.
But Sasuke stopped him. "No… you don't have to take them off, here. It's the middle of the lunch room, anyway. Where do you expect to put it? Come on, idiot." Showing who was obviously the one in control at the moment, Sasuke dragged Naruto off to the bathrooms to see just how bad he was injured.
"Oi, quit being such a perv!" Naruto snapped, when his back hit a cold wall. If Sasuke was a teen rapist, he would be mad good at his profession. If.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Aish, it's not about that. Why do you keep getting into all this damn trouble?" He was un binding the white wrappings, and not finding anything pretty beneath. He didn't care who it was, a single person, or a group, he would murder them all for touching Naruto. After all, besides Naruto, there was no other friend, no other person in the world, that he could care about. Even Kakashi… even through the years that Kakashi had taken care of him… Kakashi could not be as important as Naruto. After all, Naruto was his most important person. Naruto… was the only person Itachi told him to get close to.
"Still, I can take care of myself." Naruto frowned when Sasuke continued to unravel the bandages.
"Obviously."
Bruises, scrapes, yes, Naruto could take care of himself very well, if taking care meant doing as much damage as possible without breaking a bone. "Oi, you!" Naruto couldn't help but wince once in a while, despite the strange gentleness in Sasuke's otherwise rough touch. "Whatever… Look, I promise not to let it happen again, and you just stop worrying about pointless things, 'kay?" Even with his marks showing, Naruto left the bathroom, leaving Sasuke with the still stained bandages. He pulled on a long sleeved hoodie, orange, obviously, to cover up. At this point, he wanted Sasuke to really stop being such a mother around him. It got on his nerves, and it never stopped.
Sasuke waited for the door to swing closed, as he gazed in a mirror. He could See Itachi standing behind him, simply shrugging at Naruto and the left wraps. "Tch… idiot." He smoothed out the cloth, rolling them up to wash, knowing he would use them later. Naruto knew not the meaning of 'no fighting'.
~sSs~
Later, just for their final class of the day, and their final class together, Sasuke and Naruto sat together. Not by Naruto's choice, because he did not want Sasuke to question him further, but both of their surnames began with U. The short tables were arranged to suit pairs of two, so there was no one for Naruto to talk to, besides Sasuke.
"All right, class. Instead of the normal boring introductions, as I'm sure you're all bored with it by now, I thought we'd try something a little… different." Iruka flickered his eyes towards Naruto and Sasuke. He knew neither one would be quite happy about this. "And first things first, pick a scrap from this bucket, here, and tell your partner what your topic is." Iruka walked around the class, allowing one slip to each person. There was no trading, no changing.
He neared their table. "Here you go." Sasuke reached in and pinched a thin layer between his fingers. He folded it, so as not to show Naruto his topic, quite yet. Maybe, he would be curious, and they could finally start a conversation over it. Naruto did likewise.
Naruto unwrinkled his paper, peering at the tiny word written there. "Okay… Water… what'd you get?"
Sasuke was relieved. He wouldn't try to ignore him because of that lunch incident. He held the neatly creased paper to the blonde. "You read it." Sasuke had little interest in English, anyway. It was far from a difficult class for him. However, several seconds after delivering the tab, Sasuke still did not hear Naruto's voice. "Naruto?"
Then, he hear a snicker. "Ha — y-you have… — that's great!" Sasuke snatched back his paper. Love. Great. Just fucking great. "Dude, you and love so don't go together!" Naruto cracked up, while others were also moaning or cheering about their own topics.
"Crap, I got Tree… that must be the most boring thing ever!" "Whoo! Mom owns a flower shop, so Flowers will be easy." "How troublesome… Oh well. Cloud can't be too hard, right?" "Can I really be reading this right? I can't write something about Vegetables!"
"So, Da- er, I mean… Mr. Umino! What d'we gotta do with this stuff?" Naruto shouted.
Iruka smiled up at the class, waving his arms in an attempt to quiet the chatter. "What we will do in this class today is something I am quite fond of. It's a kind of poetry." At the word poetry, several students covered their eyes, imagining the worst. "What we will do today, is become new slam poets."
Naruto crinkled his nose in confusion, and a girl towards Sasuke's right raised her hand. "But, Mr. Umino, what's so different about it? What's a slam poet?" Her name was Sakura, a beautiful girl with the strangest bubblegum-pink hair. "Is it like reciting?"
Iruka cocked his head, resting his chin on his finger tips. "Hmm… yes, and no. It is performed most often by memory, with a story, and exaggerated movements. Sometimes only of the arms, but some create dances and even sing a few notes while performing their craft. To demonstrate, I'll do a short segment of one I wrote. It comes from a section about twenty lines in." Cheering at this new teacher raised his spirits.
-s-
It's a dance,
A weapon, so deadly, yet beautiful
tuned in full
to the forest's trill
of birds, of crickets,
flowing through thickets
through the pine, a gentle breeze,
hidden in wait,
a silent gait,
waiting,
baiting,
it's raining
but the fox is gaining
distance on prey
as the night turns gray
losing the fray…
-s-
and snap!
dashing away,
from the hunter's way
before day
breaks the play
a constant fear, lingers here
in that heart
of the deepest tear
-s-
Some students had no idea what had just happened, but clapped anyway, when they realized he was done and other students slapped their hands. "So, understand a little better, Sakura?" he asked. The girl with pink hair nodded. Although. he couldn't tell whether she was honest or not. "I'll give you thirty minutes to create something about your topic. Okay? Begin!"
They went to work. Everyone but Sasuke. "Spectacular…" he muttered, trying to think of anything for his word of inspiration… Love.
"Okay, okay, so how about something like… Hey, Sasuke, what rhymes with water?"
Unconsciously, he heard a few words slip past his lips. "Hotter, potter, slaughter, or — "
"Okay, thanks!" Naruto started scratching down a few words, and Sasuke couldn't help it. He could think of nothing. He needed help… and from someone that might… understand his love.
"Itachi…" he whispered. He rested his head on a loose fist, gazing down at his blank notebook paper. He could see Itachi in it. Just behind the lines, his brother hid in waiting.
And before long, he could feel the cold presence. "I know. As for Love, just think about someone… very important. I think you know who I speak of." He leaned closer, his frozen breath chilling his ear. "Just think about how much you want to be looked at, like I know you do. Think about how much you want to be seen, to be heard, and if I was to be found out, to be accepted. You want this person to know everything, don't you?" A chuckle that sent shivers down his spine was all he heard before Sasuke was once again alone.
"To be accepted…" he repeated, absentmindedly.
And before long, he too began his piece. His Slam Poem of Love.
Iruka collected each paper, yet there were still ten minutes left. He left them to quiet conversation, as he skimmed. And when the clock timed down to just three minutes before the bell, he said one final thing. "I've read every one of these. And I've chosen one to be performed now, by the writer." Gasps ghosted over the students in a silent plead for it not to be their own. "And the word this person wrote about… was…"
Naruto leaned forward, desperately hoping that Iruka wouldn't call on him. Dads could be mean like that, if they wanted, and he hoped Iruka was not the same. "Love."
Sasuke might have sworn he heard a mirror break somewhere. It was just his bad luck. Truly.
"Uchiha Sasuke, read, perform, have fun, and if you don't, I'll keep the class after the bell until you finish every word." It was such a mean promise. Iruka shook the paper in front of him, waiting for Sasuke to come claim his art.
Sasuke sighed, pressing his hand to his face. This was not going over well. "Fine." He walked up, snatching the slightly crinkled paper. Iruka left to sit at his desk, so Sasuke was all alone at the front. There were too many girls to count staring at him, hoping for it so say something about them, hoping that it might mention a newfound love.
He took a breath. Better get it over with.
-s-
All right. I know I could be writing better about something else…
But… I pulled this shit, first
-s-
Wondering about love, fate
What's so great about that?
I'm here, just playin', thinking about stayin'
but, hey, man, you can't be looking at her, then
-s-
Why you looking for love in all the wrong places?
seeing naught but all these sneering faces?
Now, just wait, go count your paces
how far she is
now look closer, and see that you could
be the winner of all places
-s-
Finding you, just playing around
not even taking a standing ground
Is there a point to this maddening gesture
or is it all an innocent pleasure?
-s-
Everyday, taking the sidelines
I'm gonna go crazy, no doubt, getting these finds
You're making me lose it, maybe I never had it
But, just say it, just admit it, you
know you're the cause of it
-s-
Now, spewing words, all a ramble, all ruckus,
tell me really, what do you know of us?
Can't you see me, hear my plead
begging for something that I desperately need
something only you, only you, can give
but how can you not know, how can you miss
-s-
It's just so damn depressing
why the hell am I even confessing?
I shouldn't let you keep messing
while you're constantly testing
pushing my limit,
straining my limit,
breaking the limit I never broke
-s-
Now, shit, look, it's shattered, and I'm vulnerable
And you're still so tangible, so close
so admired,
desired,
In such eyes, they're fired
with life, with death
you're such an angel,
a demon
-s-
I can touch you, feel you,
but can you see me, feel me?
This idea is so rejectable,
but I'm so susceptible
and I can't be such an imbecile
that I don't even see
-s-
So, in my depression,
be my sun, angel, a good lesson,
and maybe you'll stop fuckin' messin'
Discover for what we're destined
-s-
And maybe when I find it,
maybe when you see this,
then you'll understand it
brand it
in your memory, in your soul,
that your story has been told
that I'm the one,
who felt that gold
in your heart, in your mind,
and now, forever,
You're only mine.
-s-
But don't think this is a love poem
oh, fuck, no
Because I don't love you
well maybe I do,
but no! You're not for me, neither I for you
Just stay your distance, but never stray too far
and remember I can't love you
it's a too great a distance, my star
-s-
I just want this all to end
this fear, this pain, let me mend
and maybe, maybe, you'll understand, my friend
maybe, maybe, you'll really be there till the end
because I need a base, unfailing,
a special star, no hate prevailing,
be in line,
never lying,
always a bit prying,
and a bond unbroken when we're dying
So maybe, maybe, in heaven flying
you'll understand this spell I've been trying
-s-
Piece together my rhyme, my jest
Find the time to look for my best
pass my test, and pass the rest,
because the prize behind
is more precious than any kind
Just like you,
more precious than any other.
-s-
…And maybe, you never know,
more precious than even my brother
-s-
Sasuke sighed. Yeah… Itachi would be giving him serious shit for that last line… Why did he even say it? Why?
He slumped back to he seat after a quick round of applause. Well… it wasn't too bad, for the time given, but he just somehow knew that Iruka did that on purpose… the topic, his partner, the fact that he was one of the few fourteen year olds in that entire school that actually knew what a poetry slam was… and the bell rang.
~sSs~
And this time, it was Sasuke's turn to avoid his blonde friend. "Hey, Sasuke! Sasuke! Wait up!" He kept walking. Don't look back, don't stop moving, don't even slow. "Sasuke!" The voice was much closer now, as it worked its way through the thick body of students, all rushing for their buses.
"Naruto," he finally said, stopping as the flow of teenaged humans separated before him.
Naruto panted when he reached the raven haired boy. "Oi, oi, how come you didn't say you had someone?" Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. What? "I mean, I know you said 'don't think it's a love poem' and all, but that was such a love poem. Like, damn, why didn't you tell me? I could totally help hook you up, man!"
Sasuke turned his face so Naruto wouldn't see his frustration. "I'm not in love… especially not with some weird, annoying, loud girl in this school."
"Eh? Wait… you aren't one of those guys, right Sasuke? You look too straight to like that stuff."
Sasuke turned back. Naruto was completely missing the point of the whole poem! He breathed deep, unwrapping his gray scarf. "I'm not gay, Naruto. I'm not in love with anyone. Just pretend that I never wrote that stupid thing." Sasuke began to walk away. "I have stuff to do, today, anyway… I'll see you tomorrow." He tossed the blue and gray scarf to his friend, saying lastly, "Wear that. You forgot yours, right?"
Naruto wanted to follow, but even he was not blind enough not to notice when Sasuke was in 'a mood'. After watching Sasuke's back turn a corner and disappear in a blink, he finally began his own walk home. It was too close to the school for him to have to ride the buses, and he didn't want to wait for Iruka to come home, either.
"Itachi… give me a mission. I need it." At the mention of a mission, Itachi came alive.
"I know who you might be interested in…"
~sSs~
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Okay, he should really go turn that off. Beep. Beep. Beep. It's getting on his nerves! Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Fine, I'll get up! Sasuke snarled mentally at the poor alarm clock. Before it could continue, he slammed a blind fist in the air, hoping to somehow catch the off button. He was still flailing when Kakashi stepped in, taking his flying fist in a firm grasp. His eyes snapped open. "You know, it might work better if you go to the other side of the bed," he said, pointing at the glowing face on Sasuke's opposite side. Sasuke didn't care.
"Why are you still here?" he asked. Kakashi never entered his room. Generally, he was always asleep, because his first class didn't start until Sasuke's second block.
"School's been cancelled, today." Sasuke tried to look confused while still dazed in this tired state. "It's on the news, right now." Just faintly, Sasuke could hear the reporter blaring into his microphone.
"A name has not been released, however it is known that the student was an exchange student, currently enrolled in Konoha High School." Sasuke didn't care. He knew what happened, anyway. "… around 4:37 last night." What a bore. If they knew anything, they would know that it happened at 4:39, jeez. "… still looking for the culprit." Sasuke knew they would be looking for the murderer. He knew they would want people to call in, to tell them what they knew about the death. They could get all the information they wanted from Sasuke, if he was willing, but that was not on his 'to do' list. His games were his own, the things he did were things he wanted to continue doing.
Kakashi was telling him something… but he just wanted to sleep. Kakashi could talk to him later.
"Sasuke… Sasuke… Oi, Sasuke!" Great… it was Naruto, wasn't it? "Sasuke, wake up! You heard, too, right?" Why was Naruto in his room? Oh yeah, he wasn't there anymore. He was in the back of a small silver car, heading to Naruto's home. Kakashi said that he had been called for something… what was it? He could not remember a thing. "You know why school was out?"
"Yeah…" he murmured. He was so tired… why was he still fatigued? It must be late morning, or early afternoon. "Yeah, I know."
"Um… there's something I wanna ask, too, when we get back home." Sasuke stayed with Naruto and Iruka so often that it sorta was his second home. "It's not important, but…"
Sasuke shut down again. Everything was so tired…
~sSs~
Soon, although mere seconds to him, he had been riding for a good fifteen minutes when Iruka pulled into the drive. "Okay, come on inside, Sasuke. Stuff hasn't really been cleaned out, yet, but…" He waved a hand. Sasuke knew what to expect when entering any room that Naruto had spent mass amounts of time in.
"Yeah, thanks, Iruka."
He stumbled out of the car like a drunken man, and Naruto took the initiative to hold him up. "You okay, Sasuke?"
"Yeah, Naru… fine…" Images swarmed his mind. He could still see Dosu's face painted with fear, splattered with his own blood. Sasuke watched him die with satisfaction, knowing that this was the bastard that hurt Naruto, he and his team. Sasuke felt so happy to watch his eyes glaze over, and feel his heart stop. So much in his revenge made him feel alive as he could never in any other way. "I'm really… fine."
Naruto still eyed him nervously, but decided not to question it too much. Then, he remembered something. "Oh, yeah! And your scarf, I have that, so you can get it back." Sasuke nodded, as he and Naruto made their way inside, with Iruka not far behind. The snow of January did not let up at all, pouring every flake of its contents into the streets and over the roofs.
Naruto and Sasuke headed to Naruto's room, which still hadn't changed much since the first time Sasuke saw it, when Naruto couldn't wait to show him Kyuubi. However, although Naruto was so certain that he would become a 'wise old Kyuubi' and live to over ten years, he one day escaped, about three years ago. They spent hours trying to find him in Naruto's room, but… well, you can imagine how that went.
Sasuke sat stiffly on the orange comforter, still thinking about that unhealthy energy that he felt when murdering Dosu, attempting to bring himself back to life. Naruto was searching through his cluttered backpack for the scarf, which Sasuke didn't understand at all… How could Naruto lose a scarf? Still, he sat still.
But then he spotted a pile of manga books, graphic novels. Hmm… Sasuke had never really gotten 'into' the whole anime thing, but if it would keep him awake. He glanced over to Naruto, who, at the moment, was proudly holding up a newfound nickel, just made that year, a shiny and new… then he realized what he was looking for. Pocketing his find, Naruto continued piling out notebooks and pencils, erasers and pens, broken chopsticks and other random nooks.
Naruto finally gave a huge sigh, throwing a small eraser behind him, not aiming for anything in particular… then, "Ow! What the hell?" Sasuke rubbed at his eye. That was definitely not something he expected.
"Oh, crap! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just… er… I didn't mean for it to hit you! See, I was just…" No way could Naruto make that shot again. It was small, and soft, but when a point like that of the new eraser hits you square over your eye… "See, I was just looking in the backpack, and I took an eraser, you know, and I sorta threw it, and…" Naruto sorta whipped it back, aiming for the back wall.
Apparently, lightening does strike twice, because had Sasuke not been covering his eyes, this larger stray eraser just might've done even worse damage. "Oi!" Sasuke flinched when it toppled over his head. "Death by eraser!" he snapped.
Naruto continued to apologize, before he looked up. "Hey, there it is! It wasn't in my backpack, after all! Now that I remember… I put it up somewhere so that I wouldn't accidentally ruin it in my backpack… Oops." Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously as he pulled the gray cloth down from its perch on the dresser. "Um… here." Sasuke angled an eyebrow at him, as Naruto stood there awkwardly. Naruto still had that question in mind… the one he knew Sasuke would say no to. I mean, Sasuke would never say yes to such a statement, but… he had to be sure.
Naruto sighed. It was like Sasuke was waiting for him to say it. "You… that exchange student who was murdered… you don't know anything 'bout it, right?" Sasuke stared. "You said you had some… um, other stuff, and yesterday, at lunch, you were trying to figure out who kinda… did me in. You wouldn't ever… kill someone… would you?"
Sasuke stayed his silence. What should Naruto expect? "Do I look like a murderer to you?" he questioned.
"Yeah, you – I mean, no! Of course not! It was just a question. If you could kill a person just 'cause they hit me, some."
Sasuke hmphed. "Hit you some? You won't recover for days. You shouldn't even be in school," Sasuke said with a bitter taste. "Besides… that wasn't your question. You first asked if I would, then if I could. I assure you, I have the same ability as anyone to murder whoever I wish."
Naruto felt slightly unnerved at that answer, but it was Sasuke, after all. He was just like that. "Okay… then would you?"
"If someone hurt me, would you care?" he countered.
Naruto pouted. Sasuke would not give him any straight answers. "I would care… because you're my friend."
"Is that all?"
"Friends care about their friends! And… you're like my brother! How could I not care?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Is that why you interpreted the poem so wrong? You think I'm your brother?" …And maybe, you never know, more precious than even my brother.
"What? What do you mean wrong? What else could it mean besides you're in love with someone? I mean, yeah, the part about it not being a love poem… but it still sounded like one." Naruto wished he never asked that question. He wanted to forget it happened. It was taking a strange turn for him… "Let's just… do something else." Naruto then realized that he was still clenching the scarf in his hands… it was wrinkled where he had been grasping it. "Oops…" He looked in either direction, then raveled it around Sasuke's eyes, before running for the hills.
"Oi! You really want me blind, don't you?" Sasuke said, chasing after him.
Yeah, it should be like this. Like when their age still was only one digit long, when the only goal they had was to have fun.
"Boys," Iruka exclaimed, hearing their heavy footfalls — more like Naruto's steps over Sasuke's — "don't run in the house!" A wrestling match roared quietly on a small television in the kitchen, as Iruka prepared a pasta dinner.
"Thanks, dad!" Naruto said, racing past the bread basket to steal a snack. "Can't talk. Running for my life!" Sasuke was soon behind him, but with surprisingly light footsteps, considering how loud Naruto was. "Don't kill me, Sasuke! I don't have anything against your eyes, I swear! Okay, really, stop! The erasers were just an accident! Oh damn, he's catching up…" A mini wrestling match ended in the living room, where Naruto found himself pinned beneath the Uchiha.
"Nothing against my eyes, you say?"
"No, no! They're really… um… pretty? Okay, okay, wait, so not the right word! Sorry!"
~sSs~
Lee was currently exercising in the snow, clothed in the thickest coat, hat, and scarf you could buy… on a unicycle. "If I cannot rise this unicycle for ten miles in this thick snow, I will run it, instead, without slipping on this ice! If I slip on the ice, I will instead jump rope with this winter suit on! If I cannot — " The list continued.
And sure enough, Naruto watched the green marshmallow called Lee peddling over the thickest spots of glittering ice flakes past his icy window. "That Lee is totally nuts…" Naruto said, wide-eyed. "How can he have the physical strength to do that?"
Sasuke said nothing, merely gazed as Lee-mallow struggled in the drift. He sipped hot chocolate, actually thankful for this day off. He thought he should have killed that guy sooner, if he could get a day away from that high school just by killing one student. He should ask for Itachi's help more often… that boy was a good pick. He resisted for so long, and he screams were so sweet…
"Oi, Sasuke, now that I have a giant bruise to add to my collection, what else ya wanna abuse me for?"
Sasuke stood up to the shorter teen. His nose might meet Naruto's eyes. "Wasn't my fault. You're the clever one who banged his head on the table."
"While trying to escape you and your evil clutches! Who knows what could've happened to me?" Naruto said with a pout, "You're probably more dangerous than the table, anyway." Sasuke knew the truth of that… He put a hand none too lightly on Naruto's shoulder. He knew it was probably still sore, and would be for a while. Really, he should tell Iruka about this.
~sSs~
Sasuke was appalled by the high school bathrooms, and avoided them at all costs, but… this day, his bladder just would not wait.
He tried to rush in without rushing, an unsuccessful break. Okay… now he knew that the females had their important issues to talk about in the bathrooms, as it was such a great place to converse, but… Damn it! They overflowed to even the guys' bathroom!
The restrooms were spread out, and the closest one was the one no one used… because they, even the seniors, lived by the story of the death the happened in that bathroom. No one entered it, and those that did swore that they could see blood stains on the walls and hear a ghost whispering of their death. However, that was the normal student. Sasuke was not normal. He did not fear ghosts, or death. He feared two things, at this moment. Itachi: as he always would. Embarrassment of having wet pants: as he might if he didn't use that bathroom pronto.
"Shit!" Would he make it? His weighted backpack swung quick at his high speed dash for the toilet. He had to relieve himself, and in that time, he looked up and saw these random messages carved into the wall.
[UI + ZH forever 3]
[You stink~]
[lol penis]
And other ridiculously stupid messages coated the wall… but then he saw another. He thought… this bathroom had not been used for years. So then, why should Naruto's name be carved alongside the other words? And, as it seemed, in such a foul way?
He wished he hadn't need to enter this stall. Maybe he should've picked a different one. He wanted to leave. Soon, he did, but he just wanted to check something, before he left. When he exited, he checked the walls in the other stalls. The words all varied, each a little different, but one message stayed constant in all six stalls.
He raced from that bathroom, however he was soon held up by the thick flow of students, heading for one small exit.
Who wrote that? Who would want such a thing?
[kill naruto]
Every scratch came from the same person. Every word was the will of one person.
[kill naruto]
Naruto must not be so uncommon a name, right? That was it.
[kill naruto]
No, he knew it was a lie… but what person would want to enter the 'cursed' bathroom just to write that bitter message?
[kill naruto]
That was it. It was cursed. Whoever wrote that must want to damn Naruto's spirit to that ghost that supposedly lingered in the mirrors, in the walls, haunting every stall.
[kill naruto]
He could not let that happen… Naruto was the only person Itachi allowed him to befriend, to get close to, to love as he might Itachi.
[kill naruto]
~sSs~
Soon, he was back down the hallways, the slow-paced day gone. "Sasuke!" He turned at the distinctly feminine voice.
"Sakura."
Fireworks danced in front of her eyes to hear he name spoken by her sweet love. "Sasuke, um… I was just wondering if… you wanted to sit at our lunch table tomorrow? AH, Ino wanted me to ask!" she said, twisting a strand of hair. "Um, so, do you want to?"
Sasuke pretended to consider. "No." Not if Naruto couldn't come with him. He had no other reason to go, if Naruto could not also sit there. "I won't leave Naruto."
She looked desperate. And Sasuke saw right through her lie about Ino. "Uh… but what if Naruto sits there, with us? We can make room!"
"No. Naruto would also not want to leave Kiba."
"Uh, but — "
"And Shikamaru's lunch has been changed. He'll also want to stick the Chouji's side, who is always close to Kiba, so we have no reason to move." He turned away without a goodbye. However, even with his cold retreat, Sakura was definitely far from done. He knew that girls were relentless when they found a boy to fight over. "You girls are so annoying."
He turned our of the school, where he would wait for Naruto. That idiot was always the last one out. He waited… and waited. Then, suddenly, the lot was empty. Naruto was not coming out. What could have… wait… no, that message was not written about his Naruto. That curse was not written this year, for his Naruto. No one, all year, had dared to enter those stalls, so no one could ever mark the walls with the name of his Naruto!
Sasuke froze.
The world stopped with him, only a distant crackle to signal the real world existed. Rain fell in a drizzle.
If that was true, if Naruto was really in danger, if someone was out to kill him, then Sasuke could not just stand around! Was this payback by the gang for killing Dosu? Two thugs remained. It could be them.
Even if it was, Sasuke cared not who would take his Naruto. He only cared that he find them, catch them, slit every throat that might speak a word against his friend, cut wrists attached to fists that might try to harm Naruto, restrain any foot that might try a kick at his Naruto. Naruto was the only person he was allowed to protect. He could not fail. A louder crack, and the slightest flashes of lightning.
Sasuke dropped his bag, rushing for the scene of Dosu's murder. They always hung around that dreaded alley… Sasuke had practiced on many people in that same alleyway, heard terrible screams, caused frightened citizens to move, because of the things they heard, but could not stop.
Sasuke's shoes pounded the pavement, his breath becoming ragged as he became closer. His clothes were wet, and his dark hair was plastered to his pale face.
Itachi sped next to him. "Aren't you going to long lengths to protect this clumsy boy?" he asked. "Honestly, I could get you much better victims than these amateurs."
"Naruto couldn't fight them, before," Sasuke said, wiping rain from his eyes.
Itachi shrugged, still running, when he pulled out a small book from his pocket. "Whatever, Suke. I still have a new entry."
Sasuke did not understand, but Itachi pushed the book in front of him. Sasuke had only the time to see a few words of the twisted diary before he pushed it out of his line of sight. It was too late. Just those seconds without vision sent him on a trip spree, a scrape to his jaw, and burns to his wrists. Itachi wanted to kill him, Sasuke bet. Even as his student, Itachi had to give a challenge… and that caused a terrible mistake in his footing.
He rolled to a stop, just meters from his destination. Others heard his crash.
They must have been expecting him, because Sasuke heard one long call in a voice he was all too familiar with. "SASUKEEE!"
"Naruto!" he responded, before a rough hand took his thin wrists, and Sasuke felt a cold blade under his neck.
"Come quietly, and maybe your blonde friend won't be hurt… too badly." And the thunder snapped.
~sSs~
We dare you to have someone in your novel kidnapped at the end of the next page.
We dare you to include the dream you had last night in your novel. [Lucky me, my dreams are about high school too often… T.T the nightmares… Don't I spend enough time there in the day?]
We dare you to make a character entirely dependent on fortune cookies fortunes in order to make decisions.
We dare you to have something that is written on the inside of a bathroom stall change your main character's life. [Yes, I have seen plenty of times that the girls have invaded our bathrooms… if it's never happened at your school, lucky you.]
We dare you to start your next paragraph with: "Apparently lightning does strike twice."
We dare you to incorporate three of the things nearest to you that start with the letter "n" into the next paragraph.
We dare you to have your villain keep a journal recording his or her daily acts of heartlessness.
We dare you to have your main characters face his or her greatest fear.
We dare you to add a waterfall, fireworks, a unicycle, a wrestling match, and a poetry slam to the next chapter. [I only found out what they were yesterday, and had one day to write them… sorry if you just think it's a lot of rhyming words…]
As you can see, I ran out of ideas often… and I'm sorry for being a day late! This chapter is longer, so… forgive me?