Hey guys. I know this horrifically long interval is inexcusable, but I do have my reasons as to why it happened. I won't go into it, but trust me here, had I been able to, I would have updated immediately.

I had half this finished before the interval and finished the rest tonight. The new chapter will come quicker. I really am so sorry.

Chapter 10:

Interrupting the Final Word

"Sir, I think you're overreacting a bit…"

"Shut up."

"Yes, Sir."

The Creep furiously dismissed Ross and swung his head over to the eight confused teens sitting before him once again. All eight were in their pajamas, irritated, and half asleep despite the current situation.

"Look at me when I talk to you, damn it!" He spat at them, although he had not been talking to them in the first place.

All eight drowsily lugged their heads up in reluctance. What had they done this time? Was there a new law passed forbidding a full nights sleep? If not, they were at a loss for what they could have done...or in this case, allegedly done.

"Dude," sighed Naruto, uncaring of his manners in all his tiredness. "What's the deal? I could be asleep now."

"Well, dude," snapped The Creep, swiping a file off the table. "It would appear that some wise guy—" he glanced at all of them "Or in this case, wise group—decided it would be a good idea to trash the inside of the theater this time around!"

He looked around at the series of blank, flabbergasted faces in front of him. Hinata gave Tenten a questioning nudge, who returned it with a bewildered look.

"Now I see why you all are starring in that play," The Creep laughed to himself. "Your acting is impeccable."

"Sir," Shikamaru finally sighed, as if implying he had better things to do than be interrogated. "None of us left our houses tonight after the cleanup."

The Creep was clearly not convinced as he crossed his arms in mock confusion. "And you would know this, how?"

"Because I was talking to the other guys on the phone," Shikamaru explained slowly, as if talking to a three-year-old. "And apparently the girls were all at Ino's." He hitched his head in the direction of the girls.

"It's true," Ino piped up from her seat. "Ross can even tell you. He's the one that picked us up!" Shikamaru gave Ino a look and Ino gave him one back. The look was a bit iffy, rather indescribably. It was a way of agreeing to side with each other to save themselves, feud aside…but only this once.

"Ah, so you did act as a group!" The Creep spun to Ino and flung an accusatory finger at her.

Ino's eyes grew wide as everyone set their jaw.

"What- no, I…what?" Ino stuttered in defense, tripping over her words. "I just-"

"Say no more!" The Creep stopped her in her sentence as he began scribbling down on a file. "I'll really have you punks now…"

"Uh…Sir?"

"What, ponytail boy?"

Thankfully, for everyone's safety, Neji ignored this.

"What makes you so driven to throw us in jail? There are plenty of other delinquents around here to choose from."

Tenten sputtered a small giggle but quickly silenced it. She didn't bother to hide the smile, though.

The Creep's eyes widened as if said idea had not occurred to him. "Ah…well. Isn't it obvious??? You were the ones to have the key last!" He smiled with a sense of accomplishment, pulling out the wrinkles on his jacket before he crossed his arms smugly over his chest.

"Hate to spoil your fun," Sasuke said dully, putting his feet up on The Creep's desk, who swatted them back down immediately. "But we don't have the key."

The girls all stopped breathing right then. Sasuke wasn't lying but…it wasn't exactly completely truthful either. The guys may not have the key, but…the girls still did. Sakura looked at Ino with a face that had "Oh, shit" written all over it.

As if reading her mind, The Creep looked at the girls and raised an overly bushy eyebrow. "Is this true, ladies?"

His eyes panned over each girl. Who would be the most vulnerable is such a situation…

Then his eyes hit Hinata. A smile crept up his face as he thought maliciously, perfect.

"Ah, young miss Hyuuga," he said, strolling over to the side of Hinata's chair, placing a bony hand upon her shoulder. Hinata went solid as a rock. "You don't seem like the lying type, now do you?"

Hinata didn't look at him, nor did she say anything. As much as she had tried to gain her will to stand up for herself over the years, in the face of the law system, who could blame her for being freaked out? Particularly when you had the hand of a potential sexual predator having a firm hold on your shoulder…

…Too firm, actually. In fact, he was now squeezing Hinata's shoulder harder and harder, his fingers digging into the most uncomfortable trenches between her bones. She looked up at him, but his innocent (hey underlying evil) smile remained constant. This was bad…especially since no one else could tell that he was basically trying to squeeze the truth out of her.

"Erm…" Hinata mumbled, her eyes darting around. The action alone should have given them away immediately, but The Creep seemed to enjoy keeping her in the uncomfortable situation.

"Yes?" The Creep signaled for her to go on, his fingers digging deeper.

Hinata cringed. She had to give up. Any more and she could swear that her shoulder would give.

"We might…possibly…have a key."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Bravo, Hinata.

"Ah! Might possibly have a key, she says! Did you here that, Mr. Uchiha?" The Creep patted Hinata on the shoulder he had been crushing seconds before and loomed over to Sasuke. "The young Hyuuga says they might possibly have a key. Yet…you claim that you didn't? You know what that's called?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Humor me?"

"Funny. It's called perjury Mr. Uchiha."

Sakura cleared her throat, getting The Creep's attention. He turned to her oddly.

"Problem, Miss Haruno?"

"Uh….yeah," she said looking at Sasuke who was looking back at her questioningly. What's she doing? "It's not perjury."

"Oh?" The Creep said in shock at the fact he was being corrected by a minor. "And you would know this, how?"

"Because," Sakura explained, tearing her eyes from Sasuke's. Help him to help us all. That's what I'm doing. Helping him to help us all. Yeah. "Perjery mainly pertains to lying under oath in court or under a justice. Sasuke wasn't under any kind of oath."

Well, it was the best she could do. Sue me.

But Sasuke looked at her as if she had just offered him all the world's gold. Why the hell is he looking at me like that? Surprised I have a brain? However, looking deeper into his deep-as-ocean-blue eyes, she could tell that under all that hate he had harbored for her over the last couple years…he was grateful?

Sasuke. Uchiha. Grateful. The three words strung together were the last thing Sakura ever expected to see. But right then, she could.

But yeah, back to the situation at hand.

"Perhaps," The Creep snapped irritably, straightening his tie. "But let's make clear that he was still lying to a cop."

Sakura was about to respond with some kind of stupid defense, but there was a loud knock at the door.

"What?" Snapped Creep, in other words, willing the person to enter.

"Sir," Ross said quietly, opening the door ajar. "Me and some officers just investigated the entrances- them and the windows were pretty heavily locked. We had to break some of the back windows to get in."

"Question," Piped up Tenten. "If it was locked, how do you know it was trashed on the inside?"

Neji narrowed his eyes. And when exactly did Tenten become deductive?

"Saw it through a window," muttered Ross, clearly embarrassed at the unprofessional measures taken to discover this.

"Wow," whistled Tenten, nodding. "You really did go out of your way to reprimand us, huh?"

"Well, of course they're locked!" Shouted The Creep, ignoring Tenten as he glared at the teens. "These ingrates had the measly key all along. That in itself is proof enough that they have clearly been the ones responsible for all of this-"

"Permission to speak, Sir?"

"Fine. Make it quick."

"I have the key."

The Creep blinked. "What?"

The girls were just as shocked. WHAT?

"Relax," sighed Ross, pulling the keys out of his pocket as he sauntered over. "Found them on the table at Miss Yamanaka's home. Seeing as the chain was labeled 'theater keys', I could only assume they were…well, the theater keys."

Ino's jaw dropped open. He did not go through my stuff!

"Ah," said The Creep in relief. "So I was right in my suspicions…you kids DID commit this heinous act, and if one more person dares to interrupt my final word, I SWEAR--"

"It was me."

All heads immediately snapped up. They knew the voice…and it didn't belong to any of the eight teens.

Sucked, I know. Again, I'm so sorry.