The lunch voice rang through the halls of the Academy and soon the empty halls were once again bustling with students. Chatter and laughter rang through said halls and the glass doors leading to the fine dining area were pulled open. As the tables, dressed in the finest silk and most divine sets of silver, filled with hungry teens, our favourite little group sat at their regular spot, brooding.

Kiba's P.O.V

I picked at my peas, cheek perched in my palm and I sighed yet again. Shikamaru had his head nestled in his folded arms on the table, head down, probably sleeping. Lee was doing his fast headache-inducing thingy where he'd rearrange the forks on the table, his tongue out to the side in concentration. Then I looked at the empty seat next to me. I could almost picture the little fox idiot slurping loudy with his ramen, noodles all over his cheeks and that shit grin on his face before he looked up with puppy dog eyes to get one of us to get him another bowl 'cause Danzo would refuse to give him any more.

I sighed and let my hand flop to the table. Without really thinking about it, I turned my head to the glass doors that led to the school garden. And there he was. Sitting on the wall, his feet resting on the stone bench beneath him., where Deidara was sitting and looking up at him, both in conversation. Sasori was on the wall too, next to Naruto, rolling his eyes at whatever they were talking about. Then Naruto threw his head back, body shaking from his laughing. Deidara wiped a tear from his eye and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. Sasori rolled his ruby eyes and jumped from the wall, pushing his hands in his pockets and walking off. Deidara got up and chased after him…leaving Naruto alone … unprotected.

I jumped up from my seat, not bothering to explain to a frightened Lee and ran towards the doors. I stopped when I was outside and the sun hit me. He's just Naruto, no need to be afraid. I took a deep breath and strode over to where he was sitting.

He was still laughing so I clear my throat. He didn't hear, so I did it louder. He still didn't hear so I said it. "Eh Hem !"

He opened one eye and when he saw it was me, he sobered, face immediately going into a scowl. "What?"

I suppressed a flinch. His voice had lost it's warm quality. "Um, hey." I forced a smile.

He raised on eyebrow and jumped off the wall. "Riight. Later man." He tried walking off but I grabbed his elbow. He looked over his shoulder at me, "Is there a reason you're touching me?"

"Naruto -"

"Jin."

I took another breath. "Jin. Jin, um, you wanna go hang out or something?"

He turned to face me and looked at me like I was crazy then he looked at the doors behind me before returning his attention to me. "I don't 'hang' with people like you anymore."

"But we're best friends."

He laughed. Like throwing his head back, creeping and mocking laugh. "Best friends? Yeah, Kiba. Sure." He tried walking off again but I grabbed his elbow again. He threw my hand off and anger flashed in those cold eyes. "Back off kid."

"Remember when we were little and we were watching that Peter Pan movie and I dared you to jump off the fridge to see if you could really fly and my mom caught us and made us do hand stands against the wall, staring at our dinner? Or the time when we tried to rob Old man Pein and he made us hold 50 lbs buckets of water infront of his shop? Or the time that -"

He put a hand over my mouth and stared at me. "It wasn't water, it was his onion porridge."

I grinned at him. "The point is, you were always and will always be my best friend. You changing fashion ideals and gaining a bitchy attitude won't change that."

Something in his eyes softened and he opened his mouth to say something. Naruto ?

"KIBA ! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

We both jumped and I whipped around to see Shikamaru glaring at us from the doors, steam almost visible coming from his ears. Lee was behind him, looking pained. Gaara and Neji were behind them, looking at us. I turned to look at Naruto and saw him returning Shikamaru's glare.

"Jin. Come on."

He looked behind him and Sasori and Deidara were there, waiting for him. He looked back at me and sighed to himself. "Go back to your friends." Then he glared at Shika before turning his back to us. He stopped for a while, "See you around Kee." And he walked off to join Deidara.

I turned around on Shika and stormed over to him. "I almost had him !"

"You almost got yourself beat the fuck up." He said, rubbing his temples.

"He's our FRIEND !" I said through clenched teeth.

"NARUTO is our friend. HE'S not." He glared at me before sighing and moving back to our table.

Lee patted my shoulder and followed him. Neji and Gaara gave my shoulders a comforting squeeze and followed suit. I looked over my shoulder and stared at the retreating forms for a while before going into the cafeteria.

Lee's P.O.V

The bell rung and the classroom began to empty. I fondled with my book bag, trying to look busy before giving up and just walking out of the room. I stopped at my locker to replace the books I'd taken during the day. Okay, so I have an History essay, I need that and that and… The sound of metal ringing made me jump and I looked back from my locker. Hmm, the hallway was pretty empty. I wonder where that came from. The sound repeated and I took a step back to inspect the hallway.

Then the agitated form of a Sabuku came storming around the corner. His nostrils were flared and his face had painted itself the colour of his hair. His arms were jumping all over the place as he mumbled curses under his breath. He punched a locker and the metal crunching sound that it made, solved my mini-mystery. I leared my throat and he immediately turned on me. I admit, I'm not really scared of a lot of things but Gaara's angry face was DEFINITELY not one of those things. He calmed down completely and smiled at me. Okay, personality disorder much?

"Hey there Lee." He said in his husky voice as he crawled over to me.

"Hey." I answered, backing against the lockers. Whose to say he won't snap again?, "You okay?"

"Fine, fine, everything's…peachy." He grinned at me.

I blinked. Okay, I'm in love with a mad man. He slammed both his hands on either side of my head and pressed against me. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn't protest. He smiled at me before planting his lips firmly on mine and really, who am I to protest? I dropped the bag in my hand to entwine my fingers in his hair. He growled into the kiss, licking at the inside of my mouth and making my head one big haze. But something was bugging me. At the back of my head, there was this little hammer and it had made it it's personal goal to beat the back of my head until it became unbearable. So when Gaara moved from my lips to my neck, I tried to shut the little hammer up.

"So, um, what's got your feathers so riled up?" I panted out. The hammer eased up a bit.

"Nothing. Stop talking." He licked my sensitive spot and I tried bit back a moan. What if someone else is still here?

The little hammer started pounding again. Ugh. " You sure? You can tell me anything, you know."

"It's nothing, Lee, Drop. It." He bit the spot he'd been feasting on and sucked. I moaned this time but the hammer kept on going.

"Just tell me."

He growled again, but this time it was from anger and he pushed himself off me. "Why can't you just leave it alone?"

"I just wanted to know what was wrong." I whispered, terrified. But then anger welled up inside me too and all the hurt and anguish from every time he withheld himself from me burst out in one fit of rage, "What's so fucking wrong in that?"

"It's none of your fucking business. So fucking leave it the fuck alone !" He yelled, body shaking in fury.

I was scared of him, I knew I was pushing the wrong buttons but I didn't care. I want the truth ! "The fuck it is my business ! I'M YOUR FUCKING BOYFRIEND ! I AT LEAST SHOULD BE TOLD SOMETHING !" He opened his mouth to yell again but bit his lip, turning to storm off down the hall, "If you fucking walk away from me Gaara, we are THROUGH !"

He stopped, mid step. I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath and calm myself. He looked over his shoulder at me then turned around again and continued down the hall. I bit my lip to keep the tears in. I'm not fucking through with you yet. Still steaming, I ran down the hall he'd disappeared down and was about to turn the corner to reach the door when something told me to stop. Following my instincts, I peered around the corner and saw Gaara's broad back turned to me. Anger was rolling off his body in waves but it was being channeled to something or one infront of him. I can't wait, I want to fucking waste him ! No, a voice said, listen. So I did.

"What are you doing here?" He said strained. He was trying at least to restrain his anger a little.

"I came to see you, silly." A girl's voice?

"You shouldn't have come, Ten-Ten."

Then the next thing she said had me stone cold frozen. I stepped out of my hiding place and stood behind them. Sensing my presence, Gaara turned and shock was written all over his face but not as much shock as was coursing through me.

"You're…you're married?"