The Ring

Chapter 10

Party part 1

The library. A peaceful place for studying, hiding among the shelves, or simply browsing the computers for non-educational entertainment. However, for Neji Hyuuga, today was not one of those peaceful days.

Neji's eye twitched as Shiki once again tapped her pencil on the table, Shino glanced at his boyfriend before secretly smirking. He himself was ignoring the repeated tapping and continuing to work on his essay, but it seemed Neji couldn't concentrate on his work.

"Stop that tapping." Shino looked up and noticed Neji glaring at Shiki before he sighed a bit as he looked at his almost finished essay.

"Neji, its alright, it's not bothering anyone else." Shiki said, resting her head on her hand, "Besides I don't have to listen to you." Neji opened his mouth to retort but Shino put a hand over his gently and stood up. Quickly, he looked around for anyone watching before he leaned over the table and kissed Shiki on the mouth. Neji gaped as Shino sat back down before glaring angrily at Shiki when she smiled happily.

"Thanks Shino." She said, gathering her stuff up and throwing it in her backpack, acting as if nothing had happened.

"You should've said something instead of tapping." Shino replied back to her, sitting down and raising his eyebrows at her.

"But asking doesn't have the added benefit of annoying Neji." She smirked at the Hyuuga before flouncing away and out of the library. Neji turned to Shino with a questioning look while Shino just smirked at him.

"Were you jealous?" The Aburame asked, tilting his head to the side a bit. Neji flushed and looked away from him to stare down at his essay.

"No!" He didn't look back up until Shino chuckled and shook his head. "What?" Neji demanded, almost pouting at his boyfriend.

"Her eyes were turning purple." Neji opened his mouth in surprise and would've blushed if his Hyuuga pride would've allowed it.

"Oh." Shino chuckled again while Neji looked confused. "But I didn't see them change at all, so how'd you know?" Neji asked after a moment of confusion on his part. Shino laughed loudly this time and shook his head.

"She was tapping out Morse code."

The Ring

Shiki hummed a bit as she jogged down the hallway towards the front door. She was supposed to have met Gaara there ten minutes ago but had gotten caught up in annoying Neji. She smirked as she remembered the face Neji had been making, she chuckled and ran into someone as she rounded a corner. She caught herself before she fell and continued jogging without looking back.

"Sorry," She yelled, turning another corner and dashing out the front doors. The two men watched her disappear before they continued walking.

"That was Shiki, wasn't it?" The first man glanced back as if that would clarify it. The second one snickered and clapped the first on the shoulder.

"It was, this trip will be a lot more fun than I originally thought," He laughed again while the first adjusted his glasses on his nose.

"It appears so." He smirked sadistically as his master continued laughing.

The Ring

Shiki hit the pavement running as she leapt down the front stairs outside. She chuckled out loud as she almost hit some people and continued running without an apology. Soon, Gaara's figure came into view, he was leaning on his car, idly twirling his keys around his fingers as he glared at a group of jocks laughing loudly near him.

Shiki smiled as she began to run even faster. "Gaara!" Gaara looked up surprised but almost immediately stretched his arms out. He grabbed her around the waist as she jumped into his arms and spun a bit to slow the velocity while Shiki laughed. "Let's go!" Gaara shook his head as he put her down and walked to the driver's side.

"Your awfully cheerful today." He remarked, discreetly scanning her eyes as she got in the front seat. She laughed again while she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah I know its weird, but it's mom's birthday," She buckled the seat belt and smiled again, "So put the metal to the pedal so we can get to the mall already." Gaara shook his head but did as she told him too.

As they drove away from the school, Shiki suddenly turned to him and frowned, cocking her head to the side as she thought.

"I feel as if we're forgetting something." She mused out loud, Gaara also frowned and shrugged after a moment of wracking his brain.

"Must not have been that important." Neither seemed to notice a frantically waving figure in the rearview mirror.

The Ring

Kankuro put his hands down in defeat and sighed as Temari walked up to him glaring as she watched Gaara's car drive away.

"Not again." She muttered, grabbing her cell phone and dialing a number. It rang a few times before it was picked up. "You forget something?" She asked Shiki.

"Yeah, we're trying to figure it out, do you know what it is?" Temari felt her temple throb and ground her teeth.

"YOU FORGOT US YOU IDIOT!" She yelled into the phone then continued softly but firmly, "So come back and get us." She shut her phone and watched as Gaara's car completed an illegal u-turn and screeched towards the two Sabaku's.

The Ring

"How is it that you two always forget us?" Kankuro asked for the millionth time since being picked up, Shiki looked up from scanning jewelry and frowned at him.

"I'm sorry did the kitty say something?" She asked, a hard glint in her eyes, Kankuro stuck his tongue out at her before walking away into a book store.

"Loser." Temari muttered once he was out of ear shot. Shiki chuckled and continued scanning the necklaces while Gaara stood near the door and glared at everyone walking by, maybe it was a hobby Shiki wondered staring at him for a minute, he has always liked to glare at others.

"Hn." Shiki felt her eye twitch and she shook her head to get rid of the weird feeling on the back of her neck.

"I told you to talk like a normal person not a grunting animal." She said crossly, standing up and mock glaring at the boy behind her.

"Hn" Sasuke repeated as he smirked and moved around her to peer at the rings.

"Hello Shiki." Shiki jumped a bit as Hinata spoke and glanced at the girl in surprise.

"Jeez, do all of you Hyuuga's have a special power to sneak up on people?" Hinata smiled a bit and winked at her before joining Sasuke's side at the display case. Shiki watched her go with a surprised look and turned to Temari.

"I believe Sasuke's having a bad influence on her." Temari nodded a bit and eyed the two as they stood near each other before she leaned in to whisper in the redheads ear.

"The other day when Asuma-sensei handed back the tests," Temari paused for a moment to eye Hinata before dropping her voice down to a conspiring whisper, "She smirked." Shiki dropped the bracelet she was holding and had to hurriedly catch it before it hit the ground. When she did she gaped up at her sister in surprise.

"No way!" Temari nodded solemnly and Shiki shook her head sadly. "I shudder at the thought of the monster we have created." Temari rolled her eyes and muttered 'drama queen', before holding up another bracelet.

"Ugh, these all look the same," She said in disgust, throwing the item down and sighing, "I'm going to get her a scarf instead." She walked away, swinging her hips and left Shiki alone at the counter. Shiki snickered and continued scanning the shelves.

"And you called me a drama queen."

"I HEARD THAT!"

The Ring

Shiki slammed her door shut and smiled as she rushed to the open door. Mikoto threw her arms around the girl and hugged her tightly.

"Happy Birthday," Shiki said, giggling as Mikoto squeezed her tightly.

"Your going to crush her if your not careful dear." Fugato leaned on the doorway and nodded at the other three children with a slight smile. "Now come in here and get some dinner." Mikoto pulled away with a laugh and studied her youngest daughter.

"Well, let's take this love fest inside," Shiki laughed and put an arm around her mother's waist as the two walked inside. They headed into the dining room and Shiki smiled at the enormous group waiting inside.

"Happy Birthday!" The whole group shouted and Shiki laughed as she noticed Akatsuki and her gang were here as well as some of the Ring fighters, minus Suigetsu. Zabuza nodded at her from a corner and tapped his nose twice while Haku smiled serenely from his side.

"Hi Zabuza," Shiki said moving over to stand by him once everyone settleddown, he smirked and folded his arms as he leaned against the wall and slung an arm over Haku's shoulder.

"How come you never come to the dojo anymore? Your gonna get behind if you don't work on your moves." Shiki narrowed her eyes at him in a silent warning before she gave a lighthearted laugh.

"Its alright," She said lightly, waving a hand at him, "I just beat up on Kankuro." Her brother pouted and everyone laughed as he began to whine. Shiki smiled as she looked around but froze as she met a pair of onyx eyes, she swallowed thickly. Itachi raised and eyebrow and she flushed as she tried to look anywhere then at him. Luckily, Ino and Sakura saved her by coming in right at that moment.

"Cake!" They sang out.

Revised March 16, 2012