~ Denial ~
The next day, the house was silent.
Still.
The clock ticked past, a slow ticktockticktock, echoing through the huge, empty house, whose walls were stilled lined with the dead.
Blind portraits stared out across glassy smooth marble floors, doomed to forever smile, or glare at any who chose to foolishly pass.
But still.
The house was silent.
The clock chimed, signaling the hour.
10 o'clock.
But there was nobody to hear it.
Because the house was silent.
Empty.
CHAPTER TEN:
"Sakura~chaan!" cheered Naruto again, squinting in the pink-haired girl's direction. His eyes had finally recovered enough that he could leave his eyes open- not that he could see much anyways. Everything was mostly blurry. "You're back! DID YOU BRING ME RAMEN?" he demanded, wide-eyed.
Sakura shook her head, hesitating slightly before patting him on his fluffy blonde head. "No, I'm not allowed to," she replied, glancing over her shoulder.
Why wasn't Sasuke here yet?
After yesterday's explanation about their relationship, Sakura would have bet her life on the fact that the Uchiha would be here, if not earlier than the set time, at least perfectly on time.
Except that he wasn't.
It was already a quarter past, and the dark-haired boy was no where in sight.
"Ne, Sakura-chan?" he asked hopefully, and Sakura's attention was brought crashing back to reality.
"Sorry... what?"
"I said, when I get out of hospital will you go on a date with meeee~?" he repeated cheekily.
"Nope."
"Awwww, Sakura~chaaaaan..."
~x~
Itachi smirked, hands placed calmly on the steering wheel.
Behind him, seated securely behind him, was one Sasuke Uchiha, safely belted in and not going anywhere.
Already, he was dressed in his new school uniform, the grey, thick material rubbing against his pale skin in an irritating manner. The pants were almost the same, but it didn't quite make up for the irritating nature of his not-quite-the-right-size shirt.
He shuddered, glaring out the window.
The scenery was getting increasingly depressing, with barren plains that spread nearly endlessly.
But he refused to make a noise.
Had done so ever since last night.
He had not uttered a single word to his brother since he had found out his plan.
He had simply glared in silent indignation, rage.
Itachi smiled all the harder.
" I'm sure you'll forgive me little brother. This new school is very predigous. Ridiculously so! I'm sure you'll find many intellectual equals, not like that Uzuma-.."
" Don't talk about him." Came a dangerously sharp reply. Murderous eyes bore into the elder Uchiha's back, almost sending shudders down his spine.
" Suit yourself, little brother," Itachi murmered, deceptively calm.
" You will enjoy your new school. Suna High has a far higher rating than Konoha's little school, anyway."
Sasuke glared once more, contemptuously flicking the suitcase next to him.
His brother had packed up his entire life, placing everything he held dear in that little bag.
Except for one thing.
And somehow, everything else paled in comparison.
" You say that like I don't have a choice," He murmered softly, returning pained eyes to the plains spreading into the distance. Somewhere, in the distance, he spotted something that was like a dark smudge on the horizon.
Suna.
Itachi smirked once more.
" You're right, little brother. You don't."
~x~
"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Naruto paused from his long tirade about the wonders of Ichiraku Ramen to ask his question.
"Hm? Nothing, don't worry about it Naruto," Sakura replied distractedly as she glanced backwards to check for Sasuke again.
"You're doing it again! Who're you looking for?" he repeated.
"N-no one!" stammered Sakura, jerking her head back to smile at the boy. She hadn't even realised she'd been periodicly turning to check the doorway. "Anyways, I need to go," she said quickly, rising to her feet hurriedly and grinning sheepishly in Naruto's direction. "I'll see you again tomorrow, mmkay?"
"S-sure," replied Naruto, slightly off-put by her sudden departure.
Outside the hospital at last, Sakura abandoned her brisk walk and began running towards Sasuke's house. Once again, she acknowledged that being a Sasuke-fangirl in the past occaisionally had it's perks- for example, she didn't have to hesitate as she took the myriad of corners and roads which lead to the Uchiha mansion.
"Sasuke!" she called, rapping sharply on the front door with the gargoyle door knock.
~x~
Sasuke didn't move.
Simply glowered out the car window at his brother, who had hopped out of the car, and was busying himself with unpacking the boys belongings.
Still, he didn't move.
Simply stared at the large, sandstone building before him. It sure was something.. Large, imposing, it seemingly arose from the ground like some huge dirt monolithe. The sandstone was obviously of the area, and mimicked the dry, barren plains almost perfectly.
" Out," Was the singular word Itachi uttered.
Sasuke sent him a particularly potent glare.
" I'm not a dog," He spat, contemptuously.
Itachi gave him a pointed look, and the boy grabbed the bag next to him, taking his time.
There was no point looking back now.
There had been no time to tell anyone. No time to warn them.
And now.. Now it was too late.
Would he ever see Konoha again? Would he ever see... Naruto?
With a slow elegance born of years of practice, the Uchiha slipped from the car, taking as long as possible, agoninzing his brother.
" Some students should be out soon. Take you to your room and such," The older of the two observed, leaning back against the black car.
" Hn," Was all he got in response.
~x~
At first, Sakura decided to wait a minute to see if one of the Uchiha brothers would answer. But one minute turned to two, and two into five, and five into fifteen. After twenty minutes of panicked waiting, Sakura shook her head, and looked around the house. The subtle elegance of the white walls and sleek wooden trimmings was overpowered by the intimidation presented by the blocky building. The high, black metal gates were securely locked and unfortunately, Sakura was on the outside.
Frowning, she looked around and then hurried over to the side, where a tree marked the corner of the Uchiha estate. Climbing it and dropping neatly into the Uchiha lawn, Sakura looked around uneasily before heading towards the back of the manor. She could see that the back door was open, so she entered the building silently. Why was the door open, though? The question sat in the back of Sakura's mind and refused to budge as the girl looked around the room.
It was a bland, off-white colour, the occaisional wooden frame showcasing an Uchiha symbol the only decorations in the room. The stark, wooden furniture was messily placed about the room, two of the chairs actually on their sides.
Sakura absent-mindedly rightened these chairs, eyes scanning the room feverishly. Desiding there was nothing worth staying for, she continued silently up the stairs. "H-Hello?" she called out, but the oppressive silence made her brave words shrink to nothing.
"Sa-Sasuke?" Sakura asked uncomfortably, turning left and entering a corridor which practically reeked of despair and neglect. The smooth wooden floor was icy, the air depressive. If this was what the rest of the house was like...
She realised by now she was rushing, hurrying to escape the long hallway. Bursting into the room at the end, she immediately wished she hadn't. The window in the far wall was shut and barricaded. Dust motes hung thickly in the air, appearing and disappearing in the speckled light provided by the old, flickering lightbulb. Lying upon the floor was an old, worn rug, the colours faded into shades of grey. It was the walls, though, which drew Sakura to silence. On each of the four walls were an innumerable amount of black frames, each enclosing an old, grey scale photo of an Uchiha. Their pale skin and jet-black hair made them easily distinguishable. Each frame was complimented by a small, silver plaque. Stepping forward as if in a trance, Sakura read the first plaque.
Tsuka Uchiha. 1958-2000.
This person was dead. Feeling as if she couldn't breathe, Sakura turned to look at the other frames, the amount overwhelming her. Moving to the frame on the left of Tsuka, she read the plaque.
Keito Uchiha. 1962-2000.
Mikoto Uchiha. 1966-2000.
Shisui Uchiha. 1989-2000.
Natsuko Uchiha. 1994-2000.
She was only six, Sakura realised, hands shaking. They all died. They were all killed.
Fugaku Uchiha Madara Uchiha HaruUchiha KataraUchiha HitariSatumiKitakaArashiUchiha...
All died in 2000.
With a loud gasp which seemed to crack through the air, Sakura spun and almost fell as she sprinted for the door, slamming it closed behind her and flying back down the corridor.
How could Sasuke live here?!
Panting, Sakura stared wide-eyed around the new room. This one was in chaos as well. Pot plants had been knocked to the ground and smashed, the loose soil staining the white carpets. Silver ornaments littered the floor and a table had been almost knocked over. The refrigerator door was hanging slightly open.
"SASUKE!" she cried, spinning desperately and running for another room.
No good. Dust motes, shadows, boarded up windows, photoframesandplaquesanddeath...
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, where are you?!" she shrieked, slamming her hands over her ears as if to block out the silence. She didn't know what she was apologising for, she only knew she had to. "Sasuke come back! SASUKE!"
Tearing her feet from the floor with a choked sob, Sakura raced for another door, eyes shut.
Sasuke's room.
"Oh, God, not here too," she whispered to herself desperately, too weak to raise her voice again. The sheer emotional trauma she had just experienced would not let her survive if Sasuke's room was destroyed as well.
Slowly her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and then, weakly, tears began to slip down her cheeks. She couldn't wipe them away. She could only stay where she was, slumped against the door, watching as the room came into focus. The mattress had half come off the bed, the covers in a pile on the wooden frame. The stack of CDs had fallen, littering the floor with cases and cracked disks. A neon-blue and jet-black electric guitar was lying haphazardly on the floor, wires tangling around the chair as they connected to the amplifier. Shards littered the floor from a smashed porcelain cat.
"Here too," she wailed pathetically, dropping her head and covering her eyes with her hands.
She didn't move for a long time.
She just remained where she was, eyes red and hands shaking, as the seconds ticked by, her mind returning the the photos, the mess, the silence, the death.
~x~
The sharp rapping of heels against a linoleum floor announced Temari's arrival as she stalked towards the front entrance.
The Principal had ordered her to the front of the school to meet the new student. His name had rung some bells for the girl- Sasuke Uchiha was the genius who'd won numerous competitions and national exams when they were younger. For a couple of months, maybe ten years ago or so, the media can gone nuts with the story of the youngest Uchiha- his entire family had just been killed by an unidentified person (the Police had no idea whatsoever of who the murderer could have been) and yet he and his older brother Itachi continued to live by themselves, refusing charity or help. The media had of course blown it up so that it sounded as if the brothers were simply continuing the Uchiha tradition and pride of living their own way. The younger of the two, Sasuke, continued attending school and was discovered to be a genius in everything he tried- sports, music, academics especially.
Then he had graduated as dux from his esteemed primary school and virtually vanished, entering a small public school no one had heard of.
Konoha High.
"You must be Uchiha and Uchiha," Temari greeted blankly, holding out her hand stiffly. Suna High was known for its discipline and strictness. One such example was the insistance of the authorities for last names to be used until permission for first-name usage was given.
Sasuke gave her a paticular look of distaste. He had already decided he would despise this school, and was not in the mood to be polite.
" And you are?" He questioned slowly, not bothering to raise a hand in response. He glared at her coolly, knowing she looked familiar, but unable to place her face.
Not for the first time, his mind flicked back home. Back to Naruto. To Sakura.
To how far away they were.
He glared all the more bitterly, arms folded over his chest in blatant defiance.
If he wasn't going to enjoy this, then neither would anyone else.
Itachi, seeing his brothers reluctance, gave the girl a small, pitying smile before taking her outstretched hand and giving it a breif shake.
" Please, just call him Sasuke. No need to be respectful to this whelp," He gave a callously, mirthless chuckle, before retracting his hand.
" If you would be so kind as to lead him to his room?" Itachi murmered, pushing the younger boy forward before stepping past the two, heading towards the principles office.
Sasuke's eyes followed his brothers back, sending daggers shooting toward the retreating figure, before swiftly picking up his bags, feeling more like a pack horse than a student.
Temari hesitated before nodding briskly. "My name is Temari. I know what your brother said, but would you rather be referred to by your first name or your last?" she asked again for politeness' sake. She was currently leading the slightly taller boy through the bland, white walls of Suna High, pointing out areas of interest- the cafeteria, the games room, the TV room, the library, the science labs...
~x~
Sakura bit her lip as she paced impatiently around the police station. After recovering from her mental breakdown in Sasuke's house (Which she had decided was not fit for a friend to live in, when he got back she and Naruto'd work out something for him...), she'd stumbled the block and a half to the nearest police station and poured out her tale, modifying it slightly. She hadn't broken in, of course not! She and Sasuke were friends, so she had a key...
Except that now she was finished talking, she found she had nothing to do. The police were going to check out the Uchiha mansion, check all their records to see if something had called them away, and call their contacts
Sighing in defeat, the girl entered the building again, left her contact details for any information which came up about Sasuke's whereabouts, and then departed for the Hospital again. Even if Naruto had forgotten about... him and Sasuke... she was sure that telling him Sasuke was missing was justified. The blonde thought the two of them were best friends, any ways.
~x~
" Uchiha," Sasuke told her callously, breaifly tking in his surroundings. The students were staring at him, though only from the corners of their eyes. So far there were no giggling, blushing fangirls, no jealous looking boys.
No blonde, exuberant idiots either.
Shifting a bag slightly higher on his shoulder, he glanced back to Temari. Her polite, abrupt manner was slightly unnerving, but he decided better than being cheerful.
He was in no mood for bright, happy charactars; his bad mood clung to him like a small cloud, hovering constantly overhead, and making him scowl.
"Very well," Temari nodded as she turned yet another corner. "This corridor is the first Boarding Hall. This half of the rooms are for males only. The hall running parallel to this is the girl's rooms," she informed the Uchiha. "Each boarder is assigned a room, with no swapping permitted. Each boarder also has a roommate." As she was talking, Temari had continued marching down the corridor until she reached a room near the end of the hall. "This is your room, number 17."
Sasuke gave her a curt nod, before placing spidery-thin, elegant fingers on the doors plain, silver handle.
The cool metal bit at his fingers, and he turned his equally icy gaze upon Temari.
" Your services are no longer required," He muttered in tones that could have been considered polite had his sentiments not been so cold, so bitter.
He pushed open the rather battered looking thing that would serve him as a door for the next who-knew-how-long. His suitcase was dragged grudgingly at his heels, following like a loyal dog. It smelt of dust and neglect, and had been living in the Uchiha's basement for quite some time before Itachi dug up the old relic.
Sasuke knew it gave him some sick kick to throw it at the youngest Uchiha, and order him to pack his clothes.
The last time he had used it was when they had needed to leave the Mansion, so the forensics could fully inspect the place. As only a youngster, Sasuke had taken an instant disliking to it, and as soon as he had returned home, had chucked said bag down the basement stairs and locked the door.
Back then, the coppery smell of blood still sent chills down his spine.
By now, he barely noticed it.
Taking a tentative step into his room, he noted how it was somewhat decent. His half seemed neat and tidy, fresh sheets laid, walls impeccable(they practically screamed for graffiti, and he knew had Naruto been their, the blonde would not have hesitated to whip out that nicko pen he seemed to keep on him incase of emergencies.) the carpet soft underfoot.
That was HIS half, atleast.
It seemed his roomate was of a different frame of mind.
His half of the room was a mess, though not in a usual sense. Simple ink and paper images were strewn over the wall, and brushes and inks littered the floor in what could have been called 'organized chaos'. Fresh sheets of paper and artbooks were stacked beside the bed in a high pile, doubling as a small table; resting atop this makeshift table were a set of slim, square glasses, and a lamp. Small boxes of pencils and pastels had been pushed beneath the bed, and there was a half finished canvas pushed against the end of the bed. Each artwork was delicate, curved and skillful, each brush stroke placed with obvious care. Whoever his room-mate was, they knew what they were doing. Despite this, there was almost an invisible line, a barrier that halted all messy-ness.
With a slightly quirked brow, he stepped in closer, dumping his bag at the end of his bed, and placing himself neatly upon it, sending a dejected look out the window.
Those same barren plains greeted his vision. No hint of green. Just yellow, dry, decaying earth spreading seemingly endlessly into the blue sky beyond.
Well, this is going to be fun.
And even in his mind, the thought dripped with sarcasm.
~x~
Itachi was walkined briskly from the principles office, as his pocket vibrated.
Raising an elegant eyebrow, he plucked the small device from his pocket.
" Hello Mr. Uchiha! We have a very distraught girl here, talking about your disappearance-.."
The police officer continued to babble, and a cruel smirk spread across Itachi's lips.
" Please put her on, if you could, officer. I'm sure Sasuke would want me to.. reassure her," He retained the chuckle that begged to burst from him.
"Certainly, please hold for one moment," the police officer said cheerfully as he picked up the scrap of paper Sakura had written her mobile number on. Within seconds the girl was on her cell, asking breathlessly and anxiously if they'd found anything. "We called up Mr. Uchiha and he wishes to speak to you," the officer briefed before connecting to Itachi again. "Sakura Haruno on the line."
Itachi smirked.
" Good evening, Ms. Haruno," He purred, feeling very much like a cat playing with a mouse. He could not help the almost evil smirk playing across his features, or the way his eyes alighted when he heard her hopeful voice.
How pleasurable it would be to break that little heart of hers, and tell her that poor Sasuke would not be returning any time soon.
"Evening?" Sakura repeated curiously, before the worry appeared in her voice again. "Mr. Uchiha, would I be able to speak to Sasuke please?"
Itachi didn't resist the urge to chuckle this time.
" I'm afraid he's unavailable, Ms. Haruno. You see, dear little Sasuke received a very important letter recently, a plea from a school that was attached to a scholar-ship. And, well, being a business man, I simply couldn't refuse. Saving money on school fees was just a bonus really," He replied nonchalantly, as though commenting on the weather, or the state of politics recently.
Sakura gaped at her mobile phone silently as her brain took in Itachi's words. "So Sasuke is already at another school?!" she demanded, forgetting to keep her tone polite. "He didn't agree to that! How could you do that to him?!" she exclaimed.
Itachi smirked.
"Miss Haruno, its very impolite to talk to your elders like that. But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be perfectly fine. Make new friends and such. Might even end himself up with a girlfriend. Could you pass that on, Miss Haruno?" The man put espeical emphasis on the last part, before with a final quirk of pale, drawn lips, clicked a button. He knew he would have to express subtly that he knew. That that was why Sasuke had been sent away.
And with that,the phone hung up.
To protect the family honour.
Itachi refused to be the sole individual to keep that up.
And Sasuke would be learning that the hard way.
And very, very fast.
Sakura stared at her phone, jaw dropping in shock.
Firstly, she had never been hung up on, ever.
Secondly, this brother of Sasuke sounded horrendous- pompous and arrogrant.
Thirdly, and most shockingly of all...
That last point.
Girlfriend.
Did Itachi know about Naruto?!
It sounded that way, but Sakura couldn't for the life of her imagine why Sasuke would tell Itachi.
He would've known that this would be the end result of such an explanation.
~x~
Temari remained staring at the door for a few seconds after Uchiha had slammed it shut. "Rude," she muttered to herself as she turned and began her march back to her own room.
"Good morning, Temari," greeted the emotionless voice of a certain pale, dark-haired boy.
"Sai," Temari nodded back in greeting before turning into her room.
Sai continued his quiet, monotonous humming to himself as he meandered slowly towards his dorm room, fingers twitching as his mind's eye took in the vastness of the view he'd just glimpsed. The awe-inspiring, never ending range of mountains in the distance had been the detail he's focussed upon this time. Although from the outside Sai looked emotionless, almost bored, his mind was filling out details of the soon-to-be-a-painting.
And then he opened the door to what, until now, had been his area of solitude, of silence.
His dorm room, number 017.
Sasuke blinked at the sound of an opening door, and shot a glare at the entering person. Temari should have left by now, and he was by now quite ready to be impolite.
However, his eyes were greeted by someone quite different. Someone who almost could have passed a Uchiha sibling.
He quirked a brow at the boy, no hint of a smile at his lips. No hint of any expression except perhaps vague interest... and even that would have been pushing it.
Sasuke was in a particularly fowl mood; lack of Naruto was getting to him, and with no cheerful blonde to brighten his mood, or cling tightly to, he was definitely in no mood to socialize.
"Hello," he muttered with polite indifference. He didn't move an inch, examining the boy before him with interest.
"Good morning," Sai replied with equal indifference. He remained at the doorway for a moment, studying the other boy in quick, analytical glances. He had slight bangs under his eyes, and his pale skin seemed all the more waxy because of it. His hair was messy, though judging by the way it all stuck up at the back, it was probably meant to look like a duck butt. His expression was one that, up until now, Sai alone had been able to perfect- the blank, empty mask of emotionlessness.
A quick glance around the room revealed that this boy seemed quite neat, not that he himself was messy. His side of the room was simply a demonstration of his creativity and unique art style.
He turned his gaze back to the other boy.
"My name is Sai; and what may I call you by?" he asked in the polite tone all Suna students adopted eventually.
"Sasuke Uchiha. Uchiha will be fine," was the cold retort the boy got, before Sasuke grew tired of conversing. He stood swiftly, brushing off some sort of imaginary dust, before turning himself to that blasted suitcase, that still haunted the end of his bed. Dark eyes flicked ovr the boy in a final examination, before he ignored him entirely, forcing slightly shaking hands to open case. He didn't want to be here, and the sort of finality that came with actually unpacking was starting to hit him.
How long would he be here? How long would he have to endure with out that crazy, eccentric idiot?
Everyone here seemed so quiet. So... reserved, and serious.
He would have fitted in well, not that long ago.
But things had changed. He didn't WANT to be that cold-hearted bastard anymore. Well, okay, he still sort of enjoyed being a bastard. He couldn't deny that shutting people down with swift, cutting comments would never make him want to chuckle on the inside.
But still.
It wasn't fun unless the person you were insulting fought back; was defiant, and stubborn enough to keep coming back.
He gave a small sighed, as long fingers traced his new grey uniform, packed neatly in the suitcase.
Somehow, he felt it fitted his new, dreary home perfectly.
A/N
And there we have it! Itachi's evil plan. Another school! What do you guys all think of it? We'd be very interested to know your thoughts on this 8D
~ Sakura