Post it Notes

Chapter 23 the Letter

Hearts racing they looked at one another before turning back to the stairs. They'd missed them; the person had actually got away. How had they let that happen? Where was Ino, anyway? She was supposed to be guarding these stairs. If she'd been where she was supposed to they would have caught the person. It left Sasuke feeling frustrated, how could they have fucked up so badly?

Flinching slightly when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, he took a deep breath. The brunette gave the ravens shoulder a squeeze, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before saying "Come on, they might've dropped something, which could give us a clue as to who they are."

"What? They're getting away, Kiba! We should go after them whilst we still can!" Sasuke told him exasperatedly, slapping the hand away from his shoulder and heading over to the stairs.

"Woah, wait, hold up, Sasuke!" Kiba called, stopping the raven as he clarified "I know how you feel, man, but did you see them? They were too fast; we wouldn't have been able to catch up. I know we play basketball," he winced at this "but there was no way of catching them."

"We could've still tried," Sasuke complained, stepping away from the stairs in defeat. Someone would've seen them running after the person and would've helped. Admittedly, Sasuke wasn't exactly as he used to be fitness wise, yet he still would've given chase. Although the way that person had ran…they must be a part of some athletics group or a running club, some type of sport that had them on their feet a lot.

"Maybe," Kiba muttered before directing Sasuke back to the lockers as he shook his head slightly in dismay. They would have probably caught the person with the element of surprise they had. Although that had all been thrown away when by those bloody kids, who thought it would be fun to annoy them. God, he hoped they weren't like that at that age, he remarked bitterly to himself.

"What's that?"

Blinking, Kiba looked down, noticing he was stood on what looked like a scrap piece of paper. Furrowing his brows he bent down to pick it up. The paper was plain and smooth, despite Kiba's foot having been on it and the slight dent on the paper. Turning the paper over in his hands his eyes widened as he skimmed the paper. Licking his lips and swallowing, he muttered "Sasuke…you may want to read this…"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, taking the paper from Kiba's hands. It wasn't a post it note, that was for sure, so what was it? His curiosity spiking, his eyes skimmed the text and the further he read the more he understood exactly why Kiba had looked so shocked.

'Hello Sasuke.
Enjoying yourself so far?
I suppose you're not.
Do not worry.
I'm changing it up from now.
Expect something different with the post it notes.
In order to understand, you must figure out this riddle.

'I am seen in the water,
if seen in the sky.
I am in the rainbow,
a jay's feather,
And lapis lazuli.
What am I?'

Enjoy,

PIN'

"Well, what do you think?" Kiba asked, watching the dark haired teen's face for any tell a tale sign of what he may be thinking.

Sasuke took a steady breath. What did he think? The real question Kiba should've asked was 'What was he not thinking?' So many thoughts ran rampant in his head, all demanding to be thought about, to be looked at and considered. It was like a toddler having a tantrum because it couldn't properly tell you what it was thinking. Like the fact that he couldn't understand where Ino had gone, why PIN had changed it up, why they'd sent this letter, why at this time? Had they wanted Sasuke to chase them, to find out who they were? Then again that didn't fit with the letter. Of course they wouldn't want to be found out, especially if they've just upped the stake. There was little that was making sense in Sasuke's mind and it infuriated him because of that.

What was PIN's ambition? What was their motive? Why were they doing this? Was it all a game or was there something more to this all? Why him? What had he done to catch the attention of this PIN? What did PIN stand for? Post It Notes? No, Sasuke bit his lip, that was too simple. What message were they trying to get across? Was it pay back for something Sasuke had done to them? It couldn't be Dosu and Zaku could it? Why would they though? Because he'd beaten the shit out of them and wanted to settle things once and for all, to reduce him into a pathetic, weak mess?

"Sasuke?"

Looking up from where he'd unconsciously began pacing, he asked "What?"

Kiba gave him a look, crossing his arms as he watched him.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, sighing dejectedly as he demanded "What, Kiba? What?"

The brunette shook his head, ruffling his own hair as he told him "This is eating you up, man. You just...you need to just let this go for now-

"-let this go?" Sasuke parroted, interrupting his best friend "Kiba, have you heard yourself? Of course this is eating me up, wouldn't it eat you up inside? I have no clue why this fucking PIN person is doing this and you want me to stop thinking about it and ignore it? This won't go away, Kiba-

"I know, I know, okay?" Kiba clarified "I know it's eating you up, I know you're angry and frustrated but what leads do we honestly have? Do you even have a hint as to who's doing this? Cause I don't and the way you're acting tells me you don't either!"

"Then what do you suggest I do, do nothing?" he demanded, stopping his pacing to look at Kiba.

Kiba bit his lip before licking it as if to apologise for abusing it. His eyes fluttered closed in thought before opening as he answered "That's exactly what you're going to do, Sasuke. You're not going to do anything. You're going to keep on getting these notes. They'll stop soon enough when they get their message across, whatever it is."

"It's like its a game to them," Kiba finalised.

"...and I just have to play along?" Sasuke asked uncertainly.

The brunette nodded, finally noticing the raven relaxing his tense shoulders.

"For now at least, until we can work out for definite who this PIN person is."

"It could be Ino," Sasuke pushed his thought out into the open, watching Kiba and seeing what he thought.

"Really?" Kiba sounded like he didn't believe him, yet the dog lover considered it before saying "I suppose...she was supposed to be down that hall waiting for PIN and she had just disappeared. Fuck, I don't know, man. Do you really think it could be her? What about anyone else? Is there any one else?"

Sasuke thought for a moment, trying to organise his rampaging mind.

"What about Dosu and Zaku?"

"The bastards who wrecked Naru-" seeing the brief flicker of anguish on Sasuke's face at the mention of her name, Kiba corrected himself "-her mum's shop? Why would they bother you though? You beat the shit out of them, wouldn't they learn from that? The fuckers deserved it though, so they wouldn't come back for revenge would they?"

"I don't know, I really don't," Sasuke answered, before looking at Kiba dead in the eye and saying "...but there's one way to find out."

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." Kiba called out when he spotted the two boys.

Zaku and Dosu, who'd skipped their lesson to hang out by the bike shed for a smoke, turned to eye the two teens.

"What are you doing here?" Dosu asked suspiciously, taking a sharp drag from the burning cancer stick in between his lips.

Zaku, who had his arms crossed and was leaning against the wall, retorted "Last time I checked this was Sound High, not Konoha High."

"Now, now, gentlemen," Kiba teased "is that anyway to greet old friends?"

"Old friends my arse," Dosu snorted, tapping the ashes from his cigarette. Glancing at the Uchiha, who looked like he was holding himself back from lashing out, he turned his eyes towards Zaku. They shared a look. If they were here for a fight then they'd have each others backs.

"Make sure your Uchiha's buckled up on a leash, Inuzuka," the brunette, Zaku, called out in warning "wouldn't want another suspension on our hands, would we?"

Kiba grabbed Sasuke's shoulder, firmly holding it and giving it a good old shake as he replied "Nah, I don't need to worry about Uchiha, he's harmless."

"Tell that to the hospital," Dosu muttered, his gaze never leaving the stoic Uchiha. Four broken ribs, a broken nose, wrist and badly sprained ankle, along with bruising told Dosu otherwise.

"So, what can we do for you then?" Zaku asked impatiently, not enjoying the fact Konoha students were on their turf "Shouldn't you be at school?"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Sasuke retorted, crossing his arms. The anger he felt churning inside promising to lash out if they pushed the wrong buttons. He could remember how good it had felt slamming their heads against a wall, knowing that they were getting what they deserved. No one fucked with him or his friends. Bringing family into the equation just certified you a trip to the hospital. It was a step too far. In a blink of an eye, Sasuke would quite happily go for a round two with beating the them shitless. They were unjustified.

"I asked you first, Uchiha," Zaku's eyes narrowed "anyway, come on, out with it. What can we do for you? Konoha asking Sound for a favour is unheard of, so make it good."

Kiba sighed, ruffling his hair in irritation. He didn't exactly know how to describe what they were here for. Which ever way he came up with it just sounded odd or wrong... He glanced over at Sasuke. A stoic look was firmly on his face, yet Kiba could see the storm whirring inside the Uchiha. It wasn't easy for the both of them to face the two Sound students. Especially considering what they'd done to their girlfriends, destroying a business and threatening the other.

"Have you been sending me notes?"

Despite how he currently felt, Sasuke's voice came out smooth and controlled, which was surprising to not only him but also the others.

The two glanced at one another at such an odd question. Were they kidding? Why would they want to get back into the Uchiha's bad books and get a free trip to the hospital again?

Rolling his eyes, Dosu muttered whilst blowing out the smoke he'd inhaled "What kind of notes would we send you, Uchiha? Love notes?" he snorted at the idea, huffing "Yeah right."

"Just give me a straight answer, are you or are you not sending me notes?"

Dosu and Zaku shared looks. Had the Uchiha lost it? Had he banged his head against something?

"Isn't it obvious that we're not? Why the fuck would we send you notes? We hate you, Uchiha, don't get me wrong, but we wouldn't want to stir old shit up." Zaku reasoned, curiosity getting the better of him as he saw the look of anguish and frustration on the Uchiha's face.

"Fine, whatever, we mean no trouble," Kiba clarified "cheers for the answer. We'll leave you two alone, so you can go make out in a corner or whatever."

"What's that supposed to mean, Inuzuka? We're not gay," Dosu huffed, properly standing as he looked the Inuzuka up and down.

The dog lover merely held his hands up, licking his lips wickedly as he mocked "Why, I don't know what you mean, Dosu. I simply thought you'd go get a chick to have some fun with. Then again, you've always been a bit rough with girls haven't you? Wouldn't surprise me if you were gay, then again we don't have a problem with that, do we Sasuke?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes at the brunette as he muttered "Come on, mutt, let's go."

As Sasuke walked off, Kiba gave a mocking bow and a salute as he called out "Don't get herpes!"

Sasuke was surprised that the two Sound High students hadn't lashed out at the last comment, yet he'd always had his suspicions about the two...

On their way back to school, the two used that time to think over the conversation they'd just had. At least they could rule out Zaku and Dosu, despite how much they would have liked to beat the shit out of them again. Call them bitter or blood thirsty but what they'd done to Bake Away and their girlfriends was uncalled for and needed to be punished in the right way. In their eyes, a slap on the wrist and the punishment of suspension, along with community service, wasn't enough. They should've paid for the damage they'd caused, helped Mrs Uzumaki build the shop again.

Teenagers got away with too much now days, it was despicable.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kiba let out a sigh he hadn't noticed he'd been holding in. They were roughly thirty five minutes away from school, meaning they'd make it back in between lunch. They'd then have to deal with the teachers. Kiba groaned at the thought. What would the teachers do after they'd disappeared for so long? Just disappearing with no reasons would lead them into getting trouble. A detention would be the lightest form of punishment, if they didn't come up with a decent excuse then the punishment they may face could be a few after school detentions. Kiba wasn't too fond on that idea. Oh well, things would get sorted out eventually.

The dog lover shook his head. They had other things to think about right now. Mostly about what had happened today. The confrontation with Zaku and Dosu had resurfaced memories that had long been buried deep within their bitterness. While the conversation between them all had been tense and trying at least they'd got their answer. No, Dosu and Zaku weren't sending the post it notes. Meaning their next target was...

Kiba turned, his mouth opening yet promptly closing at the sight of where Sasuke should've been walking alongside him but wasn't. Coming to a halt, Kiba glanced around wondering if the Uchiha had walked ahead. Nope. Nothing. Pulling his hands from his pockets, he turned around and called out "Sasuke?"

His eyes roamed over the road, there was the odd passer-by but otherwise the road was fairly quiet. Where could he have gone? There were a few charity shops on the other side of the road, along with a vegetable and fruit shop, however there wasn't really anything that would capture the Uchiha's attention. Kiba scratched his head in thought, the distinct smell of fish and chips rising to his nose and causing his stomach to grumble. He hoped they made it back in time for him to grab something to eat...then again, he could always get something now.

First he had to try and find Sasuke. Where the hell could he have gone though? Kiba turned his attention towards the side of the road he was on. Maybe Sasuke had gone into one of these shops? Glancing into the fish 'n' chip shop, he knew straight away the bastard wasn't in there much to his growling stomachs annoyance.

...should he go? Should he not? Kiba bit his lip. The greasy chips, covered in salt and vinegar, and the fish wrapped in batter. The divine luxury that is fish and chips, the satisfying crunch when you bite into the chips. It was an orgasm without having to do work.

Too. Hard...Must. Resist.

Kiba's stomach growled in dissatisfaction.

He quickly powered on, hoping that if he did his stomach would stop with its protests.

Glancing in shops occasionally, Kiba wondered just when exactly Sasuke had stopped walking along side him.

Coming to the last shop on the road, the dog lover hoped that this would be the shop. If it wasn't then it looked like Kiba wouldn't be making it back to school in time to squeeze in lunch. That fish 'n' chip shop was taunting him, Kiba was sure.

Sighing to himself, Sasuke looked up at the shop he was currently in front of.

It was closed down, it's windows boarded up and the paint was beginning to peel. A hanging basket by the door, which used to thrive with flowers of all colours, now resembled a tumbleweed. The sign above the double doors was still there, hanging tightly on in belief that one day the shop would be renewed. The title etched onto the sign brought back bittersweet memories. It was as if these windows and that door led to a whole new world, one of brightness, happiness and humour. The countless times Sasuke would visit, the laughter bringing warmth to him as he'd step in to visit...her...

The flour that would dust her cheeks, the mischievous grin she'd wear, the wooden spoon she'd always have, for some reason, in her hand. The innocent painfully similar laughter, those kissable lips easily pulling back into a smile. The endless bickering they'd have, the frown she'd pull as she'd pout knowing he was right with whatever they were bickering about on the occasion.

The way her mother would watch the too, her secretive smile as if she knew what he felt for her.

He really had loved that moron.

A flash of her appeared in his head.

'Dobe...'

Eyes capturing the sign once again, he smiled fondly at the title which was ever so delicately etched.

Bake Away.

A/N: Hello, my little readers! I am so sorry for just up and leaving. I've been really thinking about where this story is going and where I'll go after completing Post it Notes. I have a few Naruto ideas and also some of my own stories. Sorry for the long wait, however I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can assure you that there will be more to come!

Thanks for waiting patiently, a review would be appreciated as they do fuel me to keep writing.

Anyhow, if you haven't already make sure to follow and favourite this story and…

Stay tuned,

Honey-Emily98