Chapter Nine

I open my eyes and watch as the clouds softly move through the blue sky. It calms me and fills me with inner peace when my life is hectic. I know if I'm having a bad day I could lay down and look at the sky.

I turn my head when I hear someone lay down next to me. Temari stares back at me. "You know Shikamaru you are the laziest boy I have ever met." I chuckle, "so I've been told."

"Did you get any sleep today?" I ask noticing the bags under her eyes. She shakes her head, "You?" I shake my head. "Nightmares?" I ask. "Gaara."

"He's not sleeping again? I thought he was on medication for that."

"He's refusing to take it."

"Make sure the nurses don't find out."

"I know. Why didn't you get any sleep?"

"Bad dream." I simply say. I turn my head back to the sky. "Can I ask what the dream was?"

"If I remember correctly Temari you were the one who said you wanted our relationship to stay physical. No emotions."

"Don't be an asshole."

She moves closer to me and lays her head on my chest. I wrap my arm around her waist. "If the nurses see us were going to get yelled at."

"The nurses can kiss my ass."

I smile, "I thought that was my job." She hits me in the chest. I chuckle and continue to look at the clouds pass. I close my eyes and cherish the moment. I open them again when I hear her soft snoring. I look at her and see she fell asleep on my chest.

"What a perfect day..." I whisper.

I close my eyes again and feel the warm sun on my skin. "Shikamaru! Shikamaru!" I hear Naruto yelling in the distance. I sigh, "I spoke too soon."

I open my eyes in time to see Naruto running up to me out of breath. "Shikamaru! You have to come to lounge quick!"

"What for?"

"Kiba and Kankuro are fighting again!"

"Kankuro? What about Kankuro?" Temari mumbles waking up from her nap. She sits up and rubs her eyes tiredly. "Kankuro and Kiba are fighting" he repeats. "What?!" Immediately Temari snaps out of her tired state and stands up. She runs to lounge with Naruto following behind her.

I sigh, so much for a nice peaceful day watching the clouds. I stand up and walk to the lounge with my hands in my pants pocket. I yawn as I walk in and see in the middle of the room Kiba and Kankuro rolling around wrestling each other. Temari and a couple of nurses are trying to separate them. People surround them in a circle encouraging their fight while laughing.

Despite their fight being the center of attention, my eyes shift to the other side of the room. Kabuto is standing in the corner of the room staring intently at something. I follow his line of eyesight and see Hinata.

He's looking at her like how a predator would look at their prey. Before I have a chance to walk to Hinata to protect her someone beats me to it. Sasuke glares at Kabuto and puts a protective arm around her. Well, that's not something you see every day.

Hinata doesn't notice either of them. She's busy yelling at Kiba to stop fighting. I continue to watch as Kabuto and Sasuke give each other death glares. Something is going to happen between the two of them. I can feel it. And when that day comes it won't be my problem. I chuckle and walk back outside. The clouds aren't going to watch themselves.

(Hinata's point of view)

I walk into my dorm and am about to go to the bathroom but stop when I see Ino on her bed sulking. I walk to her confused.

"Ino what's wrong?"

She looks at me and sighs tiredly. "I think I am in love"

I smile, "really?"

"Unfourtantly yes. It's horrible."

"What? No, it isn't" At that moment Sakura comes into the dorm. "Sakura Ino is in love!"

"Oh god, that's horrible." She says dramatically.

"Tell me about it," Ino says.

"What? No, It's not horrible" I interrupt.

Sakura walks to us and sits down next to Ino. "Are you sure you love him and it's not just a crush or lust?"

"No Sakura I love him. He can jump into an acid bath and come out an alien and I'd still love him"

"Oh god, you got it bad."

"I know! This is horrible."

I sit next to Ino and comfort her. "It's not horrible Ino! It's a good thing!"

"Does he even like you?" Sakura asks Ino sighs. "I don't know. He might."

"You could just win him over!" I encourage.

"What if he already loves someone else?" Sakura thinks out loud.

"I don't even think he's capable of love! When I asked him he only said 'I think so' how is that an answer?" Ino yells as she comes out from underneath the covers.

"You're in love with Sai?" I ask.

She nods her head. "Oh your really screwed I don't think he even feels emotions," Sakura says casually while picking at her nails. Ino lets out a groan and hides underneath the covers again.

"Oh, Sakura you don't know that. Everyone is capable of love" both Sakura and Ino from underneath her covers give me a look. "M-Most people are?"

"I doubt Sai is one of them," Sakura says. Ino throws a pillow at her. "I think you would be good for Sai. He has a hard time with his emotions but that doesn't mean he can't learn. He needs someone." Both of them turn to look at me.

Ino smiles, "You think I can help him?"

"I do. Your good at helping people opening up"

"Hm, she's right Ino," Sakura says as she sits down next to Ino. "If anyone can do it's you"

"I just have to hope that he will actually want my love"

"Sasuke are you even listening to me?"

I don't bother looking up from the book I am currently reading, I am sitting crossed legged on my bed in the room we share. "No. So stop talking Naruto" he stands up and comes to sit on my bed.

"Bastard," he says as he takes my book and yanks it away. I glare at him, "go back to your bed and give me my book."

"No. Now like I was saying, what do you think should be the first thing I do when I get out?"

I sigh, "you haven't been approved yet."

"Stop with the negative thinking Sasuke! Besides I am getting out. I can feel it"

"Good, that means I won't ever need to hear your annoying voice wake me up in the middle of the night"

He laughs, "Your gonna miss me when I leave Sasuke" he puts his arm around me. "Don't worry I won't forget about my best friend. I'll be sure to come to visit you and when you get out I'll have plenty of things to show you"

I push his arm off, " like I said, you haven't gotten approved yet"

Before he as the chance to say something else the door opens. We both turn, its a nurse. "I'm here to escort Naruto Uzumaki to Tsunade" he announces. Naruto turns to me, "wish me luck Sasuke" he says as he hurriedly stands up and runs to the nurse.

"Good luck," I say uninterested as they leave. I pick up my book from the floor and continue to read it. But my mind begins to drift away.

What will I do when I get out of here? If I get out of here.

I put down my book and lay down on my bed. I stare up at the blank white ceiling. Slowly I begin to imagine it with glow in the dark stars and hanging spaceships. Like my childhood bedroom had.

I close my eyes and begin to imagine I'm in my old bedroom. The dark blue walls filled with pictures of space and drawings I drew.

In the right corner would be all my toys piled up. I would sit there for hours lost in my imagination and pretend world. My favorite was pretending that I was an astronaut that explored new worlds and galaxies. I begin to remember all the adventures I had in my fake world. My house always had a scent of sweetness in the air. My mother loved to bake.

But the best part was when Itachi would come home. "Itachi..." I whisper as I see his smiling face in my head. In an instant, I open my eyes wide and sit up on my bed. I feel like I'm out of breath. I turn to the alarm clock next to my bed. "8 o'clock already?" I've been asleep for two hours.

I rub the sleep from my eyes. I open them when I hear the door open. Naruto comes inside. I smirk, "Did you get approved?" he looks up at me.

"Looks like we're gonna be roommates for a little while longer Sasuke..." he says in a small voice. I see tears in his eyes but before I have a chance to say something else he walks to the bathroom and shuts the door.

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