"Sakura! Someone's at it again!" Ino proclaimed and unceremoniously dumped herself on the bench.

"Hmm? At what?" I twirled my spaghetti around my fork. Oh God, the school's food are so freaking good.

"Every once in a while, someone would leave some sort of treat at Sasuke's dorm door. And that someone really knows Sasuke's taste. This time's a tomato pie!"

"Sasuke-kun LOVES tomatoes!" Sakura half-cried and slammed her fist onto the table. I think I could see a small crack forming...

"Well, who is it?" It was only after I said that when I realised how stupid I sounded. I mean, obviously they didn't know who, that's why they used "someone" instead of a name right?

"Nobody knows, its like, Sasuke would just open his door to find a bag of his favourite treats hanging. It started quite some time ago, and caused quite a ruse. Apparently he's got a really secretive stalker." Tenten informed and the air around Sakura just got colder.

"N-Naruto-kun said that Sasuke likes them so much he wouldn't share them with anyone." Hinata squeaked and blushed furiously when she mentioned Naruto's name. Seriously, that girl's got to get a grip. But I think I understand her predicament. I mean, the Uchiha Itachi fiasco at my workplace (the tomato pie totally reminded me of it. Not that I need to be reminded, I mean, it was all I was thinking about all weekend and day- Okay shutup mind) pretty much nailed in my growing infatuation for him. Which is completely silly, I mean-

"Look where the fuck you're going, dipshit!"

A commotion silenced and turned many heads to the side of the cafetaria, and they were greeted with the sight of a cowering guy (can't see his Sato badge from where I was sitting) and an extremely pissed-off (,sexy-looking) Hidan.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to!" The poor guy was in tears now.

"You just fucking tainted me when you slammed your worthless shitsack of a body into mine. Man, I have to pray to Jashin-sama again for-"

"Hidan, don't cause a scene." A new voice entered the fray, and that voice belonged to none other than Uchiha Itachi. (So I should probably rephrase my earlier sentence with "A new, low, deeply sensous, orgasm-inducing voice"- Okay shutup.) Oh God, how could I miss him standing next to Hidan!

"Don't you fucking boss me around, you girly fag!" Okay. That Hidan is so totally facing my wrath for insulting Itachi... (Not. I can't imagine myself taking him on. I guess I'll just purchase a voodoo doll later.)

"Is there a problem here?" Holy shit! The Hokage just joined in!

"Not at all, Hokage-sama. Hidan just had a little misunderstanding, and we will be leaving shortly." Itachi executed smoothly in a completely emotionless voice, then gave his silver-haired friend a look, as though to say "right?" (que "squee!" here).

"Tch, yeah. See you later old man." Hidan looked very much like he had plenty of other (probably vulgar) things to say, but he then turned and strode out, with Itachi following behind after giving Hokage-sama a nod. Badass mysterious organization member or not, nobody would want to get onto the bad side of a Kage, especially one who is as revered as Sarutobi-sama.

I sneakily stared at Itachi's back till it disappeared from view, while the cafetaria regained its usual buzz and chatter after the scene.

"Wow. The Hokage came all the way down just to stop a fight between two students from happening?" I asked. I mean, all that just for a simple accidental bump? Not that I'm complaining. It totally gave me an excuse to openly stare at Itachi, heh. And I noticed that the guy who unintentionally caused the ruckus was nowhere to be seen. I think he went to the toilet to cry or something.

"That's the kind of power the Akatsuki hold. Normal teachers won't stop them." Sakura gathered her things and stood up. "Well, I think we got to get to class now! See you all later I guess!"

There was another commotion before the start of my chemistry class. One of the Akatsuki, namely Deidara, decided to stop his truant ways for awhile and came to class, causing quite a stir among the female students. I mean, I understand: He's totally gorgeous with his blonde hair and blue eyes and fiddling with some clay, and I'm pretty sure that the grls don't mind trading places with said clay.

I stared at my opened chemistry book, but I wasn't really taking in anything. The scene at the cafetaria kept replaying in my head, with Sakura's words ringing: "Normal teachers won't stop them". They've got to be kind of something if they can go against teachers right? Then why are they still in school? I'm sure they can make millions on their own right now. I glanced over at Deidara, suddenly realising that he and Sasori weren't in the cafetaria just now. Ever since I knew of them, the Akatsuki's been on my mind. And I don't even know why I'm so obsessed with them!

Pfft yeah right. In all truth and honesty, I know the reason:

Uchiha Itachi. I just want to know what he does and gets himself into. Yeah I know, I'm like a stalker, and a pretty thorough one I must say! Its not like this is the first time; I've secretly stalked all my previous crushes in middle and high school. Okay I don't actually follow them home or stuff like that, but I wormed out every bit of information about from schoolmates (under the guise of a casual question of course), cyber-stalked them, even going as far as to scan their sibling's blogs for any mention of them...

...Uh... Don't judge me!

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the pauper! Studying so hard to maintain your scholarship? You know you should just use the scholarship money to feed your family, I'm sure it would do more good than using it so you can dirty our school grounds. Tch."

That snooty, irrititating voice. Yes, no doubt, its-

"Riko, don't waste your time talking to..." Rika gave me another of her undermining once-overs. "Trash."

"Hmph." Riko then strutted past my table, and swept my chemistry textbook off my table. By this time, we've garnered the attention of most of the class. She then put her hand up to her mouth in mock apology. "Oh, clumsy me! I knocked it off by accident, I'm so sorry!"

"You-!" I quicky bent down to pick up my book from the floor and glared up at her.

"Yes, you have a problem? I apologised didn't I?" Riko raised an eyebrow, a devious smile climbing up her face.

"Yes, I have a problem: you." And then I promptly slapped her across the face, with the force of my slap pushing her to the floor where she splayed unglamly, short skirt flying everywhere and exposing her underwear to the entire class. Then Rika, in a rush to help her fallen friend up, tripped over a chair leg and sprawled on top of Riko. All was good as the class cheered on me while I look down at their embarrassed forms.

Except... that didn't actually happen...

Instead, I got up and gritted out, "No. Nothing at all." But I'm pretty sure that if looks could kill, she would be dead and so will the few people standing behind her (even though my glare wasn't directed to them.)

"Heh. Guessed as much." She then smugly strutted off to her seat at the back of the classroom, with Rika trailing behind her.

I slumped down at my seat, angry and pissed off as hell at the two of them,but even more so with myself for not retaliating. It has always been like this since middle school! Everytime I was faced with some sort of confrontation (which happened very little, I must say), I would just back down immediately like some pushover. I just cannot seem to defend myself and will worm my way out. I would like to think that entering University and growing older would put some backbone in me, but that doesn't seem like the case. I breathed out a sigh of irritation. Well, at least I can feel that the stares from the others in the class are turning away already.

All except one.

I turned to my side and saw Deidara looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face, and quickly turned back in shame. I probably looked so pathetic to him right now. So pathetic to an Akatsuki member. To someone like Itachi.

Then something suddenly dawned on me dreadfully.

Back at the cafe, Itachi probably didn't know, didn't even think that I'm in the same school as him.

Well, now that I looked at it logically, of course he didn't.

After spending the rest of my day feeling downed and depressed (yeah, my emotions get to me really easily), I vented out all my frustration on the koto in the music room, harshly plucking the strings and shoving the bridges around. I know I shouldn't play such an old and delicate instrument so roughly, but hey, music's a way of expressing oneself right?

Pluck. I mean, someone as great as him wouldn't care for someone as lowly as me right? What would it be his business if I'm supposedly the first commoner in Shinobi Gakuen? Hell, I wouldn't want him to notice me for that.

Pluck. Adjust. Hah. What was I expecting? That he would know my name and face?

Pluckadjustpluck. Please. My existance wouldn't even be worth his time.

Pluckpluckadjustpluck,adjustpluck. There's no way he would notice me. I was so stupid for holding out hope that he would want to get to know me, or even spare a glance.

Pluckadjustpluck,adjustpluck,adjustpluck,pluckpluckpluck,pluckpluckpluck,pluck- THACK!

Shit! I didn't know the force of my playing was so hard that one of the bridges gave way and broke! I jerked back as the string snapped, in case it whipped my face, and watched as the recoil of the tightly-tied string launched and sent the broken piece of bridge flying into a small ceramic bowl at the door of the music room, instantly chipping it.

F-! My eyes widened in fear and panic.

The small ceramic bowl I chipped wasn't originally placed at the door for decoration. It was sitting right in the hands of someone who happened to walk past the music room with it just as the koto string snapped.

That someone being Deidara.

I should probably end it with a -uck.

Author's Notes:

Hey! Sorry if this's a short one, kinda got stuck at the last part and just decided to leave it as it is. :P

Btw, I'm not really sure on how you play the Koto, but I read wiki and it said that you pluck and adjust the bridges on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, or tell me any other additional facts/details so I can make Shiori's koto playing more uh, real! And since you're on that, do tell me on how I can improve my writing. :) Even if in the form of flames, I don't mind. (though I'd cry a little inside ;_; )

Thanks for the reviews once again! :) reading them always brightens my day like eating warm crispy waffles in the morning. :D And in reply to HidanandMe, well, Akatsuki wouldn't be what they are without Pein and Konan right? Or without any of its members for that matter. ;) Please keep those reviews coming! ^0~

And Happy belated Fathers' Day people! :D