A/N: Okay, just to clarify, Sakura lives with her aunt and uncle and her mom. He used to live with just her parents, but her family moved in with her aunt and uncle (and cousins). And the Sai parts are kind of confusing, but they're flashbacks. I don't think I make that very clear in the story… I'll put it in italics to separate it from the rest. Thanks for the feedback. I love reviews, which is probably unfair of me (I'm going to go out and review stories now). I hope I cleared some things up. Anyway, on with the story.

*****

I began to regret asking for Ino's help.

I came to school with every intention of finding Shikamaru on my own, before realizing this would be impossible seeing as how I had no idea who he was. So, I decided to ask Ino to help me find him, which is how I ended up in this situation.

"So you're interested in Shikamaru?" Ino asked again.

"No," I replied.

"So then you do like Gaara?" She asked.

"No," I told her.

"Who do you like?"

"No one. Just because I've hit puberty does not mean I have to have a crush on someone all the time!"

"…So then you do like Shikamaru?"

And thus my morning passed. Not only did I have to put up with Ino's constant thickheaded-ness, but I got no where close to finding who I was looking for. Which was wholly depressing, let me assure you.

But it would appear luck was on my side, for once math class was over, Kurenai (whom I shall now forever praise as the angel of perfect timing) called out, "Nara-kun, could you please bring Haruno-chan (again with the chan) to your next class?"

A boy stood up reluctantly. His hair was a dark brown and pulled into a spiky ponytail at the back of his head. He moved as though he was dragging a boulder behind him and appeared as though he really wished he could be sleeping right now.

"Nara Shikamaru?" I asked.

He scratched his head. "Unfortunately. Well, Haruno Sakura, let's get this over with."

We walked into the hallway but just before we entered the classroom, I pulled him aside. He was annoyed at first but then backed away slightly. "What's with that face?"

"You know Temari-san, right?"

He looked a little surprised. "Yeah. Kiraji told me already, so we don't have to talk."

"Oh but we do!" I smiled. I wasn't giving up this opportunity just yet. "So, what do you know about the Akatsuki? Did they cause her injury? How is Gaara-san involved?"

He sighed. "This isn't a talk, is it? This is an interrogation, isn't it? I should have just talked to Gaara-sama myself…"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"You called him Gaara-sama. And from what I figure, if you call him that, it's because you're scared of him. So you won't have the guts to talk to him, let alone ask him how his sister is doing."

He smirked. "So you're not stupid."

I smirked back. "I would hope not."

"Look," he sighed, glancing at the clock. "Class is about to start, and if I'm not on time I'm gonna get an earful from Sensei. Here," he pulled a notebook out of his school bag. "Maybe this will help. But you have to give it back to me tomorrow, and don't show it to anyone else."

I nodded, elated, and stashed it in my bag. The bell rang and we entered the classroom. I knew it was going to be hard to wait until I got home to read whatever was in the notebook, but I'd make it.

*****

I wasn't sure how to act, and the atmosphere of glom was nearly crushing. Everyone seemed sad. Even the people passing by on the sidewalk seemed to mourn. I felt depressed, but it just didn't seem to fit.

"And now I ask for a moment of silence…"

The priest needn't have bothered. No one had spoken for what seemed like hours. It was unusual for me to be so negatively affected by the silence, but I found myself wishing it would just go away.

How am I supposed to feel?

I looked at the tombstone. I would never see him again; I knew that. One of the faces I passed by in the hallways would no longer be there, the smile and lame jokes he would say would no longer be heard, and the annoyed feeling I got when watching him and his friends throwing stuff across the room would no longer be felt. But he wasn't just missing; he was gone. Dead. He was gone from everyone's lives now, gone from the world. I felt sad about that, but I didn't know if I would miss him.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" My mother touched my shoulder.

"Of course." What I stupid question. Here we were standing near a corpse and she wonders how I am.

"I know this is a hard thing to go through…"

"I'm fine, it's all fine." I didn't really know if that were true, but I didn't want to talk about it.

"Show some empathy."

"They have enough of it." If I were his family, the constant visitors and reassurances would annoy me.

"Sakura-chan, it's okay to cry."

I bit my lip. I didn't cry in public, not ever. I always felt pathetic letting my guard down like that. I hated it when people tried to comfort me. I responded without thinking, in the only way I knew how. "Why would I cry? Why would I do something like that? There's nothing to cry about. I'm not sad at all."

It's a funeral, of course people cry. But I was just to defensive and stubborn to realize what I was saying before the words passed through my lips. I was too careless to understand what these words would mean to someone like her.

The look my mother gave me was one that I'll never forget.

*****

I barely had time to respond to my uncle's 'welcome home' as I rushed to me room. I jumped out of my uniform, threw myself into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, tossed my backpack in some random direction, and fell onto my bed in all of about ten seconds. The notebook I was given was clutched preciously in my hands.

I opened it up to the first page and realized that this notebook really doubled as both a notebook and a folder. Many pieces of paper were placed in-between the pages. I picked up the page stuck right underneath the cover. It was a clipping of a newspaper article, some years old.

Sabaku Charges Dropped

Sabaku no Gaara, age fourteen, was declared innocent of all charges last Saturday. The youngest child of the Sabaku family was recently accused of assaulting a known criminal, Goki Shiburo, 20, to the extent that he was hospitalized and treated for numerous internal and external injuries. The victim was not present, due to unconsciousness, and the jury reported there was not enough evidence for conviction.

"There was nothing but circumstantial evidence," Hoiji Garezuka, 46, says. "And besides, it doesn't seem possible such a scrawny kid could've hurt a healthy, fit young man, especially not so brutally."

"In my opinion, this case was a joke and never should've been brought to court," Judge Sarutobi states before exiting.

"I remain convinced of his guilt," the prosecutor Ebizu testifies. "But I rest my case."

None of the Sabaku family was available for questioning.

I looked at the article. It wasn't front-page news, nor was it simply glossed over. I wondered it Gaara was guilty myself. He did seem to be on bad terms with the Akatsuki, and he was hardly a pacifist, but I really couldn't say. I put the clipping back and looked at the notebook page. It was written in a rather messy script. I felt like I was Indian Jones or something, trying to decode some encrypted message.

Goki Shiburo

He doesn't appear to be much of a threat.

More worried about 'senpai.'

Show muscles? Possible steroid use.

Note: Bombs – defense systems - must check.

I looked ahead to some of the other scribbles.

Senpai – Deidara

Control of Goki. Up on food chain.

Powerful, very possible threat.

Training more often now.

Goki likes Temari

I need to protect her from him.

I don't know where Kankuro is.

Uchiha

Older in circle?

Younger clearly ignorant.

Threat range high and low, respectively.

Need more training.

Father is insufferable.

Kankuro is back.

Temari had a run-in with Goki.

She's okay. He isn't.

Another newspaper clipping fell out. I was about to read it when a knock on my door distracted me. I hurriedly put the notebook under my bed and opened the door.

"Kiraji!" I was surprised to see him. "What is it?"

"Shikamaru asked me to tell you something." I eyed him curiously. "He said to look at the 'third page, second column to right on 3-15.'"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, it didn't come with a translation." Kiraji raised his hand in a slight farewell gesture before walking down the stairs. I thought about Shikamaru's message. What was 3-15?

*****

I stared at the suitcase stupidly.

Everything I owned (minus all the junk papers I threw away in the packing process) fit in one suitcase. I always seemed to wear the same clothes in rotation. I would wear something one day, it would get washed the next day, and the day after that I wore it again.

I sighed and sat on my bed. This whole moving thing was completely pointless. We weren't selling the house and my dad didn't get a new job (he was a writer, he could work anywhere). It was all decided on a whim.

My mother had been acting so bizarre lately. She's convinced there's something wrong with me. She's actually thinking of getting me a therapist when we get to this 'Konoha' place.

A therapist! Imagine me going to therapy sessions! I would laugh if it I thought she wasn't serious.

I picked up my suitcase and headed downstairs. My father was engaged in a conversation with one of the neighbors and my mother was busying herself loading boxes into the car. I felt awkward just standing there, so I went over to help.

"Sakura-chan," my mother said when she saw me. "You- are you finished packing?"

I nodded. "I'll help."

"Oh, no. That's not necessary."

"It's okay, I can help…"

"No." She took the suitcase from my hands and put it into the car. I sighed and sat on the steps, unsure what to do.

"Come on!" My father called suddenly. He and my mother were already in the car. I quickly joined them. They were talking amongst themselves and started pulling out of the driveway.

I tugged at my seatbelt. "Um, my seatbelts stuck in the door."

They didn't appear to hear me.

"Wait, uh, a sec my, my seatbelt, it's…"

"Hm?" My mother didn't look back. She didn't even appear to be listening.

I remained silent.

*****

Dinner was a rather anxious affair.

Ever since we had all eaten breakfast together, my uncle suddenly decided we should always eat together.

"It'll be nice!" He said happily, ignoring the death glares we all gave him.

I sat with Kiraji on one side and uncle at the other. I always hated sitting in between people. It was cramped and uncomfortable. I wasn't very talkative, and I felt weird sitting in the middle of a conversation.

"So, how is school going, Kiraji?" My uncle asked over the small talk.

"Fine."

"How about you, Koishii?"

"Okay," he answered. "We're doing a lab tomorrow in science. I hope we get to blow something up."

"I don't get why they let such young children play with chemicals," my aunt added before returning to her conversation with my mother.

"Let's not blow anything up, okay, Koishii?" My uncle smiled.

"Whatever," Koishii mumbled in reply.

"So how is school going for you, Sakura-chan?"

The conversations stopped abruptly. I wanted to roll my eyes and tell everyone how idiotic they were acting, but I restrained myself.

"Uneventful," I grumbled.

"You've been busy on the weekends it seems. You're making friends?"

What is this, the second grade? You don't ask high schoolers if they're making friends! "…Yeah."

"Like who?" My mother asked, taking a sudden interest.

"I don't know, people?" I shifted uncomfortably. Why the hell did they care? "Um… Ino-san, Naruto-san, Kiba-san…" Not Sasuke. "…Hinata-san, er… Rock Lee-san, I guess."

"You're still on a polite basis, huh?" My aunt said skeptically. I wondered if calling them 'san' was weird. They always called me 'chan.' Was I being too polite? Or was it wrong to address friends that way?

"I guess so."

"What did you need my car for?" My uncle asked suddenly. He never bothered to find out before. "On Fridays you seem to be borrowing it."

"I, uh…"

"On Fridays? What's on Fridays?" I tried to ignore my mother's worried look.

"Just giving someone a ride."

"Who?"

My mood suddenly changed from awkward and uncomfortable to extremely annoyed. It was none of their business! "Why does it matter?"

"We just want to know."

"Why?"

"Why are you so defensive, Sakura-chan," My mother asked me. I turned to glare at her. Defensive? I'm mad! Why do these people only seem to care about controlling everything?

"I'm not being defensive!" I growled in a strained voice.

"Sakura?" Everyone looked at Kiraji in surprise, not expecting him to speak. He looked at me for a few seconds, and then shrugged. 'You might as well tell them,' he told me in body language.

I sighed. Stupid, nosy… "Sabaku no Gaara." There, you happy now?

The table got quiet again. My uncle and aunt exchanged looks, sending my mother into a state of panic.

My uncle finally spoke. "He's dangerous, Sakura-chan, you should stay away from him."

"Yes," my aunt agreed. "He's notorious for getting involved in gang crimes as well as fighting."

My mother looked shocked and overly worried. As if they knew anything. "Don't spend any more time with him, Sakura-chan. It sounds as if he is a bad influence. I don't want you around him at school or, dear god, alone with him. Under any circumstances."

I suddenly stood up. To hell with them. "Well, what you want doesn't really matter." I headed for the stairs. I could feel myself approaching my limit. My tolerance could only go so far. I was afraid I was going to snap.

"Stay away from him, Sakura." That was probably the first time my father spoke to me since we arrived here.

I turned to him and gave him my best glare. Then I stomped up the stairs and slammed my door. I knew no one would dare talk to me for the rest of the night.

*****

I spent a few hours going over the notebook. The notes were similar to the previous ones, semi-coherent and vague. There were many printouts of police reports, receipts, and hospital bills. I also found five newspapers, not just clippings.

How does this all add up?

I was looking over the front page of one of these newspapers when I glanced at the top.

March 10th, the date. 3-10-0… ah. So that's what Shikamaru meant.

I tossed the paper aside and picked up the other ones. April 30th, October 2nd , here! March 15th. 3-15.

I opened it up to the page and looked at the column Shikamaru told me to.

Unfortunate Turn for Young Sabaku

Another court case was held this afternoon where Sabaku no Gaara, 15, made his fourth appearance since last year. The boy was accused of auto theft as well as assaulting a young man, whose name will not be printed in accordance with his wishes.

The jury deliberated and decided that, on account of his four court appearances and 'mental instability,' they would sentence Sabaku to a seventy-two hour stay in an institution by name of Maybaille.

"It is our hope that this stay will be beneficial to the young boy," an anonymous jury member reports. "It is hard being a teenager. We have also decided that if Gaara-sama is exhibiting any worrying behavior, his assigned therapist would be authorized to have him stay at the institution for as long as they see fit."

Sabaku was ordered attend regular therapy sessions at said institution with Susume Jogon, 23.

I gawked at the page. "Susume?"