Shit. I don't know if I can keep doing this... Deidara threw his keys a little too haphazardly onto the table - they slid over the edge and onto the tiled floor, but Deidara paid it no attention. He just glanced at it in acknowledgement and then walked on, peeling off his socks and balling them up as he walked upstairs. The confrontation with Mangetsu was merely another bucket of the icy water that was reality over him - he never consented to the Akatsuki's actions, but he had to, and he really wanted out. He was beginning to think that maybe going to prison was better than kidnapping and killing innocent people. He sighed and was emptying out his pockets when he noticed that his mobile phone screen was lit up - he'd gotten a new message. He hadn't realized. I thought I put it on vibrate... he pressed read.
It was from Sakura. And apparently it had been set quite a while ago, which meant his phone had continuously been trying to alert him. Deidara couldn't believe he didn't notice and swore under his breath. It had been sent about two hours ago.

Hey, you didn't seem good today. What's wrong?

Deidara gripped the mobile tightly. If only you knew...he hit reply.

Just tired I guess. I'll be fine tomorrow...hope you're not asleep.

He sent it and tried very hard to think of just her and the feelings he experienced at Koutou with her, but he just could not recreate them. He couldn't even smile. He just stared grimly into empty space, willing someone to come out with a gun and shoot him in the head so he didn't have to deal with his life anymore. Not that he was feeling suicidal, but all the pressure was really getting to his head. Not to mention the look Mangetsu had given him - it was like he absolutely detested Deidara, and the Iwa had no idea what he'd done to make him hate him. He, after all, had never talked to the guy until now.

His voice vibrated again and this time, it made him jump.

Really? Because...don't mind me asking, but...is it about Itachi?

Deidara hesitated before clicking on the reply button again. What could he say? Could he laugh it off as he always did? Or was this a God-given opportunity, a divine indication, that he should open up to her? He swallowed and glanced around his room, even though he knew he was being a tad paranoid to think that the Akatsuki were watching his every move. He'd, after all, taken all due care to act cool, aloof and fine with the organization's activities. He saw that there were no reasons that they should doubt him.

Nah...well, not really. It's a long story, but not something you should concern yourself with. How was the rest of your day?

With that, he tossed his phone onto the bed and pulled his shirt off. He didn't know why and how Suigetsu sparked this particular bout of stress. He, after all, had no connections with him, yet he had felt so obliged to help. He'd never felt that way before. But there was a feeling deeply buried inside him somewhere that made him concerned about the Hozuki. It was weird. And Deidara didn't want to try and explain it.

The next morning

Sasuke Uchiha looked around the classroom and frowned with deep disapproval of his current situation. He spun the ballpoint in his fingers as he thought Suigetsu...where the hell are you?

"Wow, you're so talented,"

Sasuke looked up as Tenten put down her bag and sat in front of him, smiling amiably. "I can do that, too, but it seems you're better than me,"

Sasuke forced a smile and shrugged modestly.

Tenten sighed. "Where's Lee? Seriously, he said he would walk with me to school, but he didn't...I think he's slept in again...,"

Sasuke knew he wasn't imagining it when he detected extreme disappointment in her voice: he wondered if Tenten liked Lee. It was highly possible, considering they were always hanging out together. He peered at her closely and tried to find a hint of a blush or goosebumps but didn't. He didn't look like it, but he found it interesting when his friends had crushes. It was amusing to him when one tried to hide their interest in another.

But still. He had other problems to deal with. Like Suigetsu's absence for instance: a tad late last night, he'd gone to the Hozuki household to check out if he was there, but there wasn't much he could inspect from the outside. He'd contemplated going inside and introducing himself to Mangetsu, but...
The teacher walked to the head of the room and scanned all the faces. She made a note in her book.

"Suigetsu isn't here?" she asked nobody in particular. There were several murmurs, and a few shrugs, glances towards the back of the room. Suigetsu Hozuki was notthere. Sasuke tried to shrug it off as something trivial, but that clash with Neji yesterday hung in his mind. He knew Neji was not really the base of Suigetsu's problems, but the Hyuuga made it worse. He looked around. Neji wasn't in this class either, but... he hadn't thought of tracking the Hyuuga down. He would do it later.

"And Lee is also not-,"

"I'm here, Miss!"

A flash of green, and Lee sat down in the seat next to Tenten. "I am sorry I'm late! I had a meeting with Anko!"

"Lee!" Tenten hissed immediately. "You promised to walk with me to school!"

Fifty minutes and three pages of notes later, Sasuke walked out of the class room with the intention to find and interrogate Neji Hyuuga. He wove through the crows as they headed to their next class, his eyes only searching for the smooth, straight locks of light brown hair. He jogged up a set of stairs, deftly avoiding people as he did so. He walked quickly down the new corridor, and upstairs again, where he saw Neji at his locker, looking the same as he always did. As Sasuke approached him, he took one glimpse at him and shut his locker.

"I need to ask you a question," Sasuke said quickly, before Neji could dismiss him and walk away. Neji was cradled two books and a CD to his chest and nodded, looking at Sasuke with his silently condescending eyes.

"Go ahead and ask. But I cannot guarantee an answer,"

"Have you seen Suigetsu?"

Sasuke noticed - as Suigetsu's name came out - Neji tense up.

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to know where he is,"

Neji eyed Sasuke suspiciously for a few moments before answering. The second bell rung. The corridor had gone silent, and only the stragglers were lurking around, one of them looking at the duo with undisguised interest.

"I have not seen him since yesterday," Neji said at last. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Really?"

Neji seemed a bit offended by this question. He nodded. "Yes, Sasuke,"

Sasuke nodded too. But he didn't know what to think - was Neji lying? To be honest, he couldn't tell. He'd really thought that it was maybe Neji who'd taken Suigetsu somewhere and shut him up for good somehow. Not that the valedictorian was one to lock people up in chains in his basement, but...

No...he can't be lying.Sasuke had seen the offended expression pass across Neji's face. You couldn't fake those things, no matter how hard you tried - they were just too instantaneous of a reaction. Despite that, however, Sasuke decided to press on. He wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

"I didn't see him after you gave him a talk, either,"

Neji sniffed. "Are you implying something, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Maybe,"

"You'd be wrong then," Neji replied evenly. "In your implication,"

"I won't be unreasonable,"

"But you are wrong,"

Sasuke shut up. He crossed his arms. It has to be the Akatsuki then...right? Or the ANBU...that has to be it.

"You know about his brother," Sasuke said. A statement. Not a question. But a statement that warranted an answer. Neji nodded slowly, as if he wasn't sure where Sasuke was heading with this.

"Yes, I do," he admitted. His tone implied that he knew more, but Sasuke didn't inquire. Not just yet. He glanced up and down the corridor. "You think they took him, don't you?"

Sasuke blew some air out of the corner of his mouth in slight frustration, which he seldom showed. He didn't know exactly why he was so damn concerned about Suigetsu: yeah, he liked the guy, but his sense of righteousness was screaming at the moment and that didn't even happen for Itachi. Sasuke nodded and looked straight into Neji's eyes, daring him to say something flippant about something so serious.

"Yes,"

"Now you are being reasonable," Neji said. He seemed to be deep in thought, and Sasuke saw a flash of concern, but it was quickly masked by an expression of very practiced boredom. "It will not be the first time they took a family relation as insurance,"

Neji glanced at Sasuke. Noticed the determined glint in the Uchiha's eyes.

"You're not going to look for him, are you?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"You better watch yourself, then," Neji said. He turned away slightly. "Nobody who steps in ANBU business comes out clean,"