Chapter six. Every time.
"What's beating you, sunshine?" Pein slid an arm around her slim waist. Konan elbowed him, looking away distainfully.
"Zetsu was expelled," she snapped, glancing up into his eyes, "Pein, why didn't you even try to help him? I know you could have talked them out of it!"
Pein groaned, holding his head in a hand, "He shouldn't sell drugs…" He was cut off as she slapped him hard across the cheek.
"How can you say that?"
The girl was beginning to piss him off now. Pein rubbed his cheek in annoyance, "Ow, Konan, that hurt…"
"Do you really believe they'd only've expelled him if this was about the drugs?!" she snarled, her blue eyes full of anger.
The red-head sighed, "Don't be like that. I know what you mean, but Zetsu wasn't mad about what happened, Konan, really."
She turned away from him, sighing deeply. Pein wouldn't change. He was always in control of a situation. That face never showed remorse. His eyes never filled with tears or regret. He never apologised and meant it. He never begged. Konan wondered if he felt anything at all, and would then hope desperatley, that he did.
"You just… don't get it? Do you?"
"What's there to get?"
Why did women always make such a big deal out of everything?
"You don't care about anything but yourself! It's not just about Zetsu – whose been with you since you were in grade school – it's about me too! You knew I had to do that geography! Now I've failed that section and it's because you guilt-tripped me into going to that sleazy restaurant!" Konan spun around, grabbing her jacket and storming down the street.
Pein blinked out of sheer surprise at her outburst. Ah, yes, he'd forced her to come out that night. She was just being a woman. When a guy got mad, they just said, 'Rrrgh! I'm pissed', but girls… they kept it bottled down for ages. Pent-up stress probably didn't go too well with a friend being expelled.
"Konan – wait!" He couldn't loose her now. It could take him hours to find a girlfriend as good and obedient as her. Plus, the boys liked Konan. It would be like Sasori getting a new Deidara. Kakuzu trading Hidan in for someone who didn't swear. Pein grabbed her arm and hauled her back.
"No! I won't let you talk me out of this! Not again!" she clamped her hands over her ear and clenched her eyes shut. "Leave me alone, Pein!"
He rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on! Don't be so childish! Konan – Konan? I'm sorry, okay? Don't be a bitch!"
"We don't work!" she yelled loudly, shoving him off her, "I'm sick of wasting my time!"
Pein sighed to himself. Every now and then, he'd get the feeling she expected more from him.
"Hey?" he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Don't say things like that. Okay? I'm sorry."
She sighed miserably, and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart-beat, "I'm just fed up, Pein… nothing's going right…"
He patted her soft blue hair, "I haven't been considerate lately, have I? I'm sorry. To be honest, I've been quite busy."
"With what? Y–" He cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips to silence her.
"It's for us. You've always wanted to go to Kyoto, right?"
Her eyes lit up, "R-Really?"
Okay, it wasn't planned. Sure, he'd booked a romantic hotel in Kyoto. It hadn't been for Konan. But now he felt he had to protect his position, and he probably owed it to her.
"Yeah. Me and you in Kyoto for half-term. How's that sound to you?"
She let out a muffled sob, and flung her arms around his neck, "You do love me after all!"
"Of course." That wasn't true, but at least she was happy now.
"Naruto! There you are!" Neji spotted his boyfriend stepping out of a smart red sports car. One he didn't recognize. Naruto ran to him, smiling that crazy smile which still made the Hyuga's insides melt.
"Hi, Neji!" he stood up on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.
"Who was this?" he slipped his arms around the slim waist, resting his forehead onto the spikey blonde hair.
"Itachi-san! Sasuke's big brother!"
A light of recognition flashed in his eyes, "Ah yes. The decent Uchiha."
"Neji!"
He ran a hand through his long dark hair, sighing, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I just don't like Sasu–" Neji was cut off as his little boyfriend stood up and covered his mouth with his hands.
"Let's go home," he said firmly. Neji sighed again and nodded, holding Naruto close to him as they started to walk home.
"And Zabuza was all 'Fuck off'! And then he grabbed me, and I was like 'Aaaghh', and Kisame was like 'Nooo', yeah, and Haku-chan was like, 'Meep'!" Suigetsu howled with laughter, as he recreated last nights activities for his friends.
He, Sasuke and Juugo were walking down the narrow pathway which ran beside their junior high school. An array of students amongest them; still, it wasn't enough to hide them from Sasuke's fan-club. One particular member, Karin, was very persistent. He'd turned her down seven times, and caught her outside his house four times.
Suigetsu was pretty sure Karin had a good hiding place and probably had endless photos of Sasuke in the shower.
"Suigetsu, I think we'd only find that remotely funny if we'd been there," Sasuke sighed heavily, "And don't you think putting porn on while Haku was there, was a little… stupid?"
"Porn is never stupid!" he cried, out-raged, "Right, Juugo?"
The red-head muttered something which sounded a little like, 'Fuck off, I don't care' (Juugo had been a little weird after Kimmimaru left).
Still to Suigetsu, whatever he said was on his side, "See?!" He grinned broadly at the raven-haired boy, who rolled his eyes. There was something about his stupid smile, which reminded him of a certain blonde…
Speaking of which, he noticed Naruto and Neji pass him now. The Hyuga had his arm around Naruto's waist, while the blonde leant back against his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. Sasuke looked away.
"Another day in Paradise, love-birds?" Suigetsu called mockingly, "fucking homo's!"
"Another day of being unwanted and alone?" Naruto called back, nuzzling his boyfriend's neck.
Suigetsu blushed, and raised his fist angrily, when Sasuke seized it and yanked it back down so hard it hurt.
"They haven't done anything to you, Suigetsu. Cut the crap," he snarled into his ear.
He pouted, burrying his hands in his pockets, walking after Juugo, who hadn't spoken a word, nor had he stopped to watch the mini-fight. Suigetsu would never admit it, but the look in Sasuke's eyes, whenever Naruto and that Neji guy were around, made him want to hurt them. It pissed him off to see the Uchiha look so… sad.
Sasuke spotted Itachi's car. A smile crossed his lips as he realised it had been nearly a year since his brother last came to get him from school. "I'll see you two tomorrow," he called to his friends, "Niisan is here!"
Juugo muttered something, Suigetsu waved brightly, as Sasuke climbed down into the passenger seat.
"Hi, Niisan," he sat down beside him, "It's been a while since you picked me up!"
Itachi nodded, drumming his fingers along the steering wheel, "Yes, well it saves you catching the bus. How was school today, Sasuke?"
"Good!" He sat back, "Same as usual really. Urm… could you start the car? That girl over there will take your number plate down to memory if we stay here too long," he gestured to Karin, who had until now, thought she was safe behind the bush.
"Oh, so that's Karin," Itachi waved at her playfully, before speeding out of his parking space and down the road. The wind blowing through his thick black hair, "I spoke to Naruto-kun today."
Sasuke paled, "Why?"
Itachi rolled his eyes, "Sasuke, what happened? Are you avoiding Naruto because you're jealous of Neji? That Naruto has someone and you don't?"
The younger brother snorted, "Ha, if I wanted someone I'd have them. You had no right to pry, Niisan!"
"I'm your brother, Sasuke. I feel the need to pry when you stop talking to the guy whose been your best friend since you were seven. Naruto misses you, you know?" Itachi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and added a little gently, "Do you feel threatened because Naruto's gay?"
His words, despite their soft tone had a definite reaction on Sasuke, who clutched his hair, hiding his face, "No! Yes – Arrgh! I don't fucking know! Shut-up!"
Despite everything, the only word Itachi could think of right now was denial.
"Zabuza!"
The teenager blushed darkly as he realized Haku had spotted him. Of course, he hadn't intended to walk to Haku's junior high school, but before he realized it, he was on his way.
"Oh, Haku… I was on my way home," he shrugged, trying to act casual, his hands in his pockets, "Do you go to school near here?"
"Yes, it's just up there." Of course, Haku would never say flatly, 'I know you know'.
"Really? Wow, I supoose you learn something new everyday," the older boy pointed up the street, "Do you want to walk home together?"
Haku nodded, smiling sweetly, "That would be really nice."
After a few moments of awkward silence, Zabuza managed to get the right words out, "Urm, about my room-mates… they were immature."
"It's fine! People who are close usually play pranks on eachother!"
"Yeah – no, I mean… it was stupid, and there was no meaning to it."
"Of course."
"I knew you'd understand, Haku!"
"Deidara."
He was doing his very best to ignore his younger sister, pretending as best he could, to take an interest in watering the flowers. Anything to hide the misery in his chest, he put down the watering can bent down to pick up some fresh seeds.
Ino climbed up onto the counter-top, "Dei! Dei, talk to me!"
"What do you want to talk about, unn?"
"I didn't mean to interrupt you and Sasori-san!"
"Yeah, well, you did."
"I didn't mean too!"
"Unn."
"So, urm, did you two talk today?"
Why was it that she was suddenly taking an interest in his personal life? What next? Mom bringing boys over to meet him? Oh well, at least they were supportive.
"No… Not really, unn."
"Will you talk… soon?"
"Ino, I don't want to talk about this, I don't like hearing you talk about Sasuke, unn."
"Oh come on!"
"No, unn!"
"Don't be mean, Dei!"
He smiled sweetly at her, climbing up onto the counter-top, "Later on, do you want to buy Chinese? Mom's out and Dad went drinking with his friends."
"I don't know… it's so fatty, and I'm on a diet…"
Deidara rolled his eyes, "You sound so ridiculous! Though," he looked her up and down, a devious smirk on his face, "You don't look good in that outfit at all – I'd look much better, unn!"
Ino's eyes narrowed and she lunged forward, chasing him through the shop, "Bitch! Come back here!"
"Hidan. Hidan, what the hell are you doing?"
On certain days of the week, Kakuzu would go over to Hidan's, to find him mesmerised in a weird religious ritual. Hidan: the living evidence that it's unethical to make children religious.
"Oh Great Jashin-sama," he bowed his head, "I call upon thee in this time for your divine wisdom to bleed upon me." His eyes were closed, hunched over the table in his room.
Kakuzu laughed, "Hidan, I am Jashin-sama – take off your clothes!" He called mockingly, collapsing into laughter as he saw the slight irritation in Hidan's forehead.
"Oh Great Jashin-sama, please find it within your great wisdom to kill Kakuzu."
He paled, "H-Hidan!"
"He is a bad person, Jashin-sama, a heathen. Please strike him down, I don't mind how, but soon would be–"
"Hidan!" He shoved Hidan back, breaking his hands apart, "Don't say that!"
He hadn't been superstitious, and would usually have continued to mock Hidan's praying; however, the last time Hidan prayed for Jashin-sama to punish Kakuzu, he developed athlete's foot, and a rash in a very… awkward place.
"Then don't interrupt my prayers, you bastard!"
"Hidan, you could just pay tribute to your local sex god," Kakuzu ran a hand over his own chest, winking, "Huh?"
He punched him in the stomach, "Shut-up!"
Kakuzu laughed, grabbing onto his fists… Thus, their night began.