Ello my dears,

It's been a while, hasn't it? If you wish to know my excuse, it's in my bio. If you wish to just go on ahead and read the chapter, then be my maid of honor.

Either way, many apologizes all around. Hope to make up for it with this uber special chapter! What makes it special you ask? Just read it, you lazy bum.

Shout out to, once again, the lovely PeinKunx, whose reviews make me happy, Thealith and Iamtheproxy for reviewing every single chapter, and a special thanks to spaceturtlealex2, who recently (like, literally today) contacted me, really giving me that extra push to continue this story.

I love you all.

I do not own Naruto! That you know of...

Enjoy!

The Other Side
Sasori's PoV

"Pointless."

It was, after all. The concept of love was not lost on me, sure, but that did not mean I believed in it. It was a word coined for Hallmark Holliday's, an idea to spark feelings that were not there. As well as to cover up medical issues, although that reason was probably not so much on purpose than on accident. Butterflies in your stomach? Lunch did not agree with you. Light-headed around your "significant other?" Low blood sugar. Heart beating too fast? Schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.

In the end, it was all natural selection at work: animals of a species attempting to find the strongest, most intelligent mate. There was no fate or destiny involved. No large baby in a diaper shot you with some kind of plunger arrow. It all could be narrowed down to genetic makeup. There was no reason for the commotion about love and loss. One's emotions were only as complicated as they made them. The never ending drama of it all was just completely unnecessary.

That is what is so pointless. That is why, when I seemed to have stumbled upon a sappy confession, I let the word slip - or rather that was my only response. Pointless was this. Pointless was all of it.

Deidara's eyebrows furrowed, and I could see him glance at me in confusion. I ignored him, moving to step around the bowing, brown-haired girl. If I thought about it, I may have been able to realize that this was not just some random girl being dared to confess non-existing feelings to the Cold-hearted Sasori, like the many before her. If I thought about it, I may have been able to realize that she might have been sincere. But I didn't think.

Walking away, I let out an annoyed breath. Mentally chalking up another tally, I counted this as the fourth time in the past week I had been "confessed" to. They all thought it was a game. Thought it was funny because I would never respond - never reciprocate the feelings. They had learned of my opinion on the matter of love early on, instead turning their hurt feelings at initially being rejected into my personal annoyance. Not a week would pass without some girl being pushed at me from a group of other giggling girls, a false, quickly snickered declaration soon following.

So what made this one any different? Sure her confession seemed a bit more realistic, but she must have just been a good actor. I mentally scoffed; the stuttering and adding 'sama' to my name had been a good touch, if not a little over the top.

Deidara elbowed me after catching up. "See? What did I tell you, hm?" He joked, referring to what he had said earlier. I rolled my eyes, taking his crude attempt at humor for what it was. Deidara knew about the fake confessions, as he had witnessed multiple, but his view on them were slightly different from mine. He found them more humorous than annoying. "You know," He continued in a quieter voice after we had turned a corner, "She seemed kinda serious, yeah? About the whole confession thing, I mean."

I glared at him out of the corner of my eye, "Shut up, brat. You know as well as I that none of them are serious."

Deidara glanced over his shoulder as if he could still see the girl, "I don't know danna... That seemed sincere to me, hm. She had tears in her eyes and everything."

I turned my scowl forward, taking my annoyance out on the front doors ahead. "A good actor," I muttered, pushing through the doors to step outside of the school for the last time.

Deidara chuckled, "My man, you're such a hard-ass sometimes. Did you really have to call her pointless, though?"

My brows furrowed for a moment. That is not what I had meant... But I shrugged it off, forgetting it as easily as my exprression smoothed back out to normal. I would never see her, nor anyone else in this school again anyway, except Deidara. "It's all pointless, brat."

He still seemed unconvinced, "Whatever you say, danna."

After closing the door behind me and giving a quick glance to the room, I let out a sigh. It would do, I suppose. The desk seemed large enough for my needs, at least. The bed was irrelevant. However, a loud bump against one of the shared walls and a responding loud shout of apology had my eyebrow twitching.

But of course.

Realizing how musty it smelled, I strode - Yes, strode. Don't you dare question me and how I choose to maneuver, you peasant - over to the only window. Upon opening the window, I was able to fully appreciate the view I had of the campus. I was busy judging a large group of giggling girls with narrowed eyes when movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. Looking to the female dorms directly acrross, I was able to see the still fluttering blinds of a window on the same floor.

Dismissing it as the trivial nothing that it no doubt was, and definitely not a significant plot point, I turned away from the window to start unpacking. A few hours later, and there was a rapid knocking on the door. Before I could say anything, the door was already opening, the Brat's head peaking around with a somewhat sheepish smile on his face.

"Eh, sorry about the noise, Danna... But hey! At least we're next to each other, yeah?" My responding scowl did not appear to be the answer he wanted, and he deflated a bit. "You'll be thankful later when you lock yourself out and I have an extra key..." He grumbled. I gave him a pointed look, crossing my arms. He turned indignant, stepping fully into the room, "I will not be the one to lock myself out, un." My gaze turned flat and emotionless. "I won't!" He exclaimed, "Just wait, you're the one that's gonna need help, yeah!" I kept the same, apathetic stare. "I'm not that useless, Danna!" I just rolled my eyes. "Stop calling me brat!" he yelled, appearing like he wanted nothing more than to stomp his foot in agitation like a four year old. When I just scoffed and looked away, he let out a strange, strangled noise before turning around and slamming the door behind him.

Chuckling, I started counting backwards from ten. Apparently I overestimated the Brat, because the door slammed open again after only six seconds.

"The return bus is supposed to arrive in fifteen minutes, un," he spat out, not even looking at me. When I didn't say anything, he just turned right around and slammed the door behind him again.

A smirk curved it's way onto my face. Sometimes, words weren't even necessary.

What a strange, unfortunate girl.

Strange because she appeared to be so unfortunate. Not only was she late, but she managed to get her hand slammed in the sliding door, followed by almost tripping into the seat in front of me. Hence, such a strange, unfortunate girl.

"Here," I spoke absently after hearing my name called out from the eccentric homeroom teacher.

Huh, even more strange. Is she tensing up? I propped my head upon my laced fingers, watching curiously at the spectacle in front of me. Is she swaying now? What kind of noise even was that? Is she a foreign student, and this is some kind of first day ritual seat dance, accompanied with throat undulations? What an interesting culture. Must be Canadian -

I winced at the hollow sounding thud as her head flopped listlessly onto the unyielding surface of her desk.

Ah, no. Not at all. Yeah, she's passed out.

So not Canadian.

Where was that Brat? I was hungry, damn it, and he is taking way too long. I knew I shouldn't have given him such an important task such as this. Going to fetch the morning newspaper, maybe, but not obtaining lunch. Apparently that was just too much for him...

Ah. There he is. Was that a girl with him...? Quickly ranking that under less important than food, I cut my eyes to the Brat with a scowl. Although he was successful, he took too long.

"You took too long." Well, I never was one to sugarcoat.

And that's all it took for another unimportant, Oh now the gloves are coming off fight to ensue. Forgetting all about the girl in the face of food, I was surprised when Deidara introduced her, pointing out that she was still standing in front of us with an odd look of panic on her face. Like a deer caught in headlights.

Wait... do I know her?

Not wanting to be caught unawares lest the relation turn out to be important or, heaven forbid, some sort of plot point, I studied her freckly face in close scrutiny, all the while mentally running through possible options.

Old friend...? No.

Past acquaintances...? Same thing, really, and still no.

A long lost cousin...? Well, maybe... Oh wait. No.

It was when she started fidgeting that it clicked.

She was pass-out-in-homeroom Canadian girl.

...

And she was also one of the fake girls who confessed their nonexistent feelings to me, the Cold-Hearted bastard, while at my previous school. I could feel the anger building up in me once more, but it was interrupted by a stuttering Deidara and a tray pushed into my sternum. My brows furrowed while I meticulously inspected my sandwich. What was Deidara thinking, bringing one of those stupid girls over here? I'll just have to show her what kind of cold-hearted bastard I really can be. Maybe then she'll finally leave me alone.

And if I had to do it metaphorically through pickles, then so be it.

I glared at the offending topping. This whole thing was

"... pointless."

When I looked up, she was gone.

Tch, good riddance.

How dare she make it to where we were sitting together in almost every class! Never mind that the last seat almost always happened to be next to me, she didn't have to switch seats that one time.

The nerve of some people!

Although apparently she wasn't too happy with the seating arrangements, given the surprising glare I received after vindictively - I mean, righteously - dropped the packet of papers onto her desk. But that's completely irrelevant. She's obviously trying to annoy me even more than before by being in close proximity to me. There is no other plausible reason.

After class was over, I left the as quickly as possible, heading to my dorm room. The newest puppet had a tricky joint that needed another layer of contact cement. And that is what is important.

But of course once I reached the lunchroom and finally sat at our table of miscellaneous artist oddities, I still wasn't safe. She was there too, not allowing me the time to enjoy my spaghetti, which I had been so lucky to get.

But no, she was still here, like a bad rash. But after hopefully breaking several bones in Deidara's hand, and then specifying what it was I did, because it was very important she - I mean, people. Just people in general, yes, knew that I definitely did not play with dolls, I actually started thinking.

To quote a shark-like acquaintance, What was she in for?

Alas, cliches were plentiful that day, and she was saved by the bell.

I strode - Yes, I stride on more than one occasion, thank you - out of the lunchroom in the direction of my last class, all the while silently berating myself for even being interested in the devious girl.

Like it even matters...

Obviously I needed a new ointment, because she is still, still managing to invade my life at every turn. In what world do we live in that a guy cannot simply go out at three in the morning and have a smoke without being disturbed? A rubbish one, that's what.

Although I will say, watching her obviously trying to sneak a glance at me from around the corner of the vending machine was pretty humorous. She was also very stubborn, if her rigid and unmoving posture against the front of the vending machine meant anything. However this was all after her complete failure of an attempt to mimic me and my pose of baddassery, which was also endlessly amusing.

But a single look at her scratched and bruised feet, and one really got the feeling of how stubborn she was, considering it appeared she walked over a lot of gravel in bare feet to get here.

And as I stomped out my cigarette, it was with a great hit to my manly pride that I shucked off my unlaced boots as well. After leaving her with a scathing comment, because that is what I do, I went inside, all the while wondering why I did it. Why should it even matter?

With what seemed to be the millionth sigh of the evening, I climbed into bed once more.

Whatever. I just better get my shoes back.

Do you see? Do you see what makes this one uber special? I hope you did because this chapter was a lot of fun to write, and I had received a lot of positive feedback about doing a Sasori PoV chapter, so I decided to do one that was like a review of the last chapters, just from his view.

I'm obviously so original and clever 😅

Hope you liked it!

(P.S. If you don't want me to reply to your review, please just say so. Danke)