Prologue
"Danzo."
The scroll snapped shut, and a heavily bandaged head turned to see who had spoken. Mocha eyes rimmed by thick brown lashes fixed upon the room's occupant. Light from a singe lamp threw Tsunade's face into relief, the darkness of the room swallowing up her body.
"Lady Tsunade." he began nonchalantly, "Have the new guardians been informed?" the elder asked, one eye peering back at the Hokage. He turned his back, shuffling the papers on his desk.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. No doubt, this man couldn't be up to anything benefitting anyone but himself
She glanced around the room at numerous scrolls, shadowed by the engulfing darkness. Heavens knew he was going to spoil his eye if he stayed in here all the time.
The room was cold. No light penetrated the place. She felt uncomfortable just being there.
"Yes, they have been made aware of their responsibilities" she answered after a second. "Everything is in place for September."Tsunade tried peeking over his shoulder, but the man whirled around with surprising speed and stood, towering over her. She stepped back, pouting.
"I don't know how you can stand to be locked up in this room you know. Get some fresh air once in a while." The Hokage glanced distastefully around the musty area.
Danzo frowned and stepped past her, opening the door.
"You are too used to the comfort of modern frivolities is all. Tsunade, kindly do not forget our age difference- It is Danzo Sempai to you. And knock before you enter this room. You should have enough training to do even that." He stood at the door, clearly awaiting her exit.
Bristling, Tsunade grit her teeth in anger and stepped forward to pass him. Before leaving she answered, barely holding back a snarl:
"All this talk about modern hindrances- do not be foolish Danzo."
He opened his mouth immediately to reprimand her informality, but she continued.
"If it wasn't for technological advances, Konoha would have remained a dwindling village in the forest, at the mercy of our enemies! And you, Elder, do not for a second forget who the Hokage is."
She turned, sand-coloured hair whipping softly behind her as she left the council study.
1
Elite
Three months later
(6:30AM)
I bet the better you get
The better you get
You're gonna forget, remember
Sakura's limbs felt heavy as she attempted to locate her phone, buried in the plush folds of her comforter. Thank goodness she had gotten those blackout curtains.
You're always clickin' and pointin' and pointin' and clickin' and clickin' that thing forever
The damn thing was getting louder. She groaned, wishing it would shut the hell up. She didn't care that it was one of her favourite songs; as a matter of fact, at that moment she absolutely detested it. She'd go as far as to say it was akin to the sound of hell's gates opening.
Aha!
Her right hand came in contact with the hard, flat screen but to her dismay, the device was enveloped in one of her many blankets.
Damnit! She wasn't coherent enough to overcome such complex obstacles right now.
YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKIN' THE TALK, BUT NEVER WALKIN' THE WALK
UH, UH, UH, UH, I GET SO AGITATED
This absolutely could not continue. For the sake of her sanity, for the sake of all that was good and pure, she had to find it immediately. Sweeping her arms aggressively across her blankets, she continued her furious search for an opening, refusing to open her eyes.
YOU'RE ALWAYS THINKIN' A THOUGHT, BUT THEN YOU SAY YOU F-
Yes! Exquisite silence greeted her ears.
Throwing the thing onto her bedside table in disgust, she rolled over and pulled the sheets up to her chin, sighing in contentment as she drifted back to sleep.
(8:06AM)
Finally, she was here.
A large modern expanse stood before her, greeting her with a spectacular mosaic adorned by the words Nihon International University gleaming softly in gold against a dark, marble background. Cracking her window despite the rain, she pulled up to the guard's booth and after a few seconds, the opaque window slid open.
"How can I help you?" A fairly young man in uniform rested his arm on the window's ledge. He regarded her with sharp eyes, a toothpick dancing between his lips.
"I'm here for the first year orientation, could you give me directions please?"
Okay, so she was fifteen minutes late, but that did not stop the bubble of excitement rising in her chest as she followed small blue signs to the parking lot. Eyes gleaming, she allowed a proud, truly happy smile to light her catlike features as the real weight of her achievements finally hit her.
A lush expanse of flourishing lawns and monstrous trees surrounded her- oaks, pines, and carefully manicured beds of flowers dotted the sprawling campus grounds. Quaint benches sat invitingly beneath said trees, under pagodas and at the edge of a a wide, glittering pond.
Popping one last sweet into her mouth, Sakura parked hurriedly, grabbed her things and headed for the main auditorium, attempting fruitlessly to remain dry. As she took a left turn and started along a wide cobblestone pathway to the looming auditorium doors, her petite form collided with something hard, smelling distinctly of cigarettes and a fresh shower.
The shock wore off quickly and she hastily glanced up to apologize, finding herself face to face with a beautiful redheaded young man. She was being regarded by a pair of egg-green eyes, lined with what looked suspiciously to her like eyeliner and framed by blood red lashes. His skin was almost glowing, it was so pale, and an inky black marking peeked out from beneath short, silken bangs. Small droplets of rain pattered against his face and shoulders.
"Oh, hell. I'm so sorry!" Sakura managed with some difficulty, internally cringing when she realised her glance had evolved into a full-fledged stare.
The redhead's gaze slipped down her form disinterestedly before he inclined his head in a nod, stepping aside as a gesture of allowance. Embarrassed and suddenly reminded of her tardiness and increasingly damp state, Sakura stepped past the boy's tall frame, trying furiously to cool her blushing cheeks.
The doors were flanked by two people. A fresh-faced blonde woman stood to the right, while on the left a grey-haired man carelessly leaned against the brick wall, holding a bright orange book mere inches from his face. She could only catch a glimpse of his hairline, and he ignored her completely.
"Welcome to NIU," the woman offered pleasantly. Her eyes were an unnaturally smoky hue of amethyst; she seemed to be wearing contacts. Just then a dark-haired man stepped through the door, fingering a pack of cigarettes and looking on indifferently, his eyes framed by the ugliest pair of wire rimmed glasses Sakura had ever seen. She had the fleeting urge to snatch them from his face. All three wore crisp black suits, and she spotted the spiraling plastic of an earpiece behind their ears.
"Thanks!" she gushed, smiling nervously, her fingers busy twisting themselves around one another as anticipation flooded her system. Feeling a encouraged by the welcome, Sakura pulled the door open and entered the building.
Everything she'd heard so far had only fuelled her excitement.
Like most people her age, Sakura enjoyed sleeping in late and having free time during summer, but this year she'd be starting preparations for a career she longed to pursue since she knew what the word even meant.
Without question, Sakura was a brilliant student.
She was a textbook overachiever who lived for the thrill of a challenge. Living away from her parents since the age of six, the pinkette had been raised by her loving (but when it came to academics, painfully straight-laced) aunt while the Haruno couple ran their separate businesses halfway across the world from each other. Tengo, Sakura's twinkly-eyed, warm and sociable father, owned several car dealerships in Japan. Her beautiful but cold (Sakura sometimes felt the term anal-retentive was fitting) mother managed a chain of popular vegan restaurants in Switzerland. The Harunos did not want for money, and Sakura's upbringing reflected their wealth. Though regularly deprived of a parent's comforting presence, she enjoyed a spacious and extraordinarily furnished home which did admittedly get lonely sometimes (especially when she became old enough for her aunt to spend days, eventually weeks away) but was, for the most part, a plus in her privileged life. She'd grown up accustomed to figuring a lot of things out on her own; all she had ever really yearned for was knowledge.
But three and a half hours had passed since her tardy entrance. Her initial anxiety had been first replaced with intrigue, followed by forced diligence and eventually, downright disinterest sat in its place. She wished that blonde loudmouth (and her best friend) Yamanaka Ino had bothered to show up. At least she'd have a familiar face to suffer with, not to mention a few jokes to keep her eyes open.
She should've been paying attention, but eventually Sakura found her eyes scanning the room and she took the liberty of observing her future schoolmates.
Quite a few distinct features caught her attention: a delicate-looking girl with pale, pearly eyes and hair so black it was almost violet, a rather feminine blonde boy sporting a high ponytail and a long, Ino-esque bang, and even a troubled-looking individual with what appeared to be... tribal face tattoos? Sakura couldn't tell if the person was male or female on account of the large black hood covering their head. Ignoring the voice in the back of her mind telling her she had signed up for a school full of freaks, she reminded herself that her own hair was naturally the colour of frosty strawberry ice-cream, and nothing short of freakish in itself.
Finally, her eyes settled directly before of her on a smooth, pale neck protruding from a textured charcoal jacket that probably cost more than her entire outfit combined. The colour complimented the wearer's sooty black hair, slicked back and coiffed to perfection.
She gave the figure a once over.
So this was a guy, she concluded, noting his broad shoulders and near imperceptible, careless slouch. He was probably attractive, she surmised, as her mind gave way to the all consuming boredom. Or perhaps he was-
"Thank you, new students." The fiery-haired vice-principal, Ms. Terumi Mei, was suddenly at the podium, distracting Sakura from her idle thoughts. "Now, if you so desire, there is a table of refreshments available at the back. Help yourselves, everyone." with a graceful swish of her silken emerald dress, she reclaimed her seat at the head table and a wave of chatter rose as students began to stir, initiating a general movement towards the table of food.
Sakura joined them with a grumbling stomach, her legs cramped as a result of the prolonged sitting. She resisted the urge to sprint to the food table, which had quickly accumulated a queue.
Taking her place in line, she spotted the tall redhead she'd run into engaging in conversation with none other than Tattoo Face- well, if you could call it a conversation. The redhead's expression was dark and disinterested, punctuated by occasional nods as his friend did the talking.
Several other conversations had blossomed around her, and for a brief moment Sakura felt awkward and alone.
Squaring her shoulders, she squashed the nervous feelings in the pit of her stomach.
There was nothing to worry about! She was at a new school; of course she didn't know anybody yet, but making friends would come with time. And if her social skills fell short there was always Ino, social butterfly extraordinaire, who would undoubtedly force her to become acquainted with far more people than she'd ever meet on her own. A smile worked its way across her face, the excitement from earlier rekindling.
Sakura's smile faded however, as a sharp, determined clicking of heels and swiveling of male heads interrupted her reverie. A fiery-haired older woman was stalking to the front of the line, dressed in a crisp black designer number and painful-looking stilettos with legs for days. The suit-clad woman proceeded to comfortably pile her plate with food, completely ignoring the line of people behind her who had been waiting to serve themselves.
Sakura's brow furrowed, and not a minute later she noticed someone else cutting in line. A tall dark-haired young man had casually joined the redhead at the food table, and wasted no time filling his plate with rice balls.
Now, one of the things that had made Haruno Sakura well known in high school her habit of being rather outspoken when she deemed it necessary. She'd been a timid and unconfident child, but fate dictated that she befriend Yamanaka Ino who, despite their frequent arguments, had done wonders for Sakura's self assertiveness.
It had gotten her some of the top academic positions in her year group, and now she found herself powerless to stop her feet as they propelled her towards the pair skipping in line. Besides, she hadn't eaten breakfast. She was hungry.
"Excuse me." she bit out more loudly than she'd intended, causing several people (except, of course, the two she'd been addressing) to look at her. She felt the prickle of embarrassment begin to creep up her neck, but it was overshadowed by her growing ire. Sakura tapped on the shoulder of the man, who was within reach. He turned around, and the thought that she should have kept to herself crossed her mind.
Unexpectedly, Sakura found herself facing a sinfully handsome man close to her own age. Black eyes fell to hers, daring her to speak. Her own eyes blazing, Sakura raised her chin at his challenging expression.
"There is a line, in case you hadn't noticed." She gestured to the people behind him, who looked on in interest and surprise, a few nodding irritably, but a larger number still averting their gazes. Well, they could look away if they wanted to. She was hungry and she'd be damned if a pair of idiots decided they had the right to a shortcut while everyone else had to wait.
A bored expression washed over the man's face. "Mind your own business." he muttered, proceeding to present Sakura, momentarily shocked by his flippant dismissal, with his back.
Silky black hair brushed neatly into a formal style- He was the one she had been sitting behind earlier on! If he expected her to back down after such a rude response, this guy had another thing coming.
"It's common curtesy," she pressed heatedly, glaring at the back of his neck "You don't exactly seem to be starving and on the brink of death-"
"Is there a problem?" A bold, nasal voice sounded from her left, instantly grating on her nerves. Sakura turned to find the leggy redhead's gaze cutting into her from behind cat-eye frames.
By now, the entire queue of people had provided the trio with their undivided attention.
Sakura maintained a serious expression as she tried to tell herself things at NIU could only improve from this moment on. Inside, however, she was drenched with mortification.
"I'm not here to start a fight," she answered, breaking the tense silence "but it's pretty inconsiderate to skip in line. There's enough food for everyone." She reasoned, attempting to come off as a pleasant, agreeable student in case people mistook her for a troublemaker.
"Do you know who this person is, little girl?" the woman looked down her nose, stepping past Sakura to stand adjacent to her partner in crime (or as Sakura had christened him in her mind, The Asshole). This was getting ridiculous. What was she getting at? He could be the fucking queen of England for all she cared. And who the hell did this lady think she was calling "little girl"?
"Do you really think," Sakura began, temper getting the better of her, "that I give a sh-" but was cut off.
"He is the son of Uchiha Fugaku, and the great great grandson of Uchiha Madara ." Her voice dripped with disparagement. Do you realise that Sir Madara is one of the co-founders of NIU? That gives him some liberties, don't you think?" Her brown eyes flashed, and a few people behind them coughed.
Sakura faltered for a second, but her blood boiled in anger and embarrassment.
She didn't give a damn about his family. They were all practically adults here, so why couldn't he act like one?
Ignoring the growing attention they were receiving, she replied, careful to keep her tone light.
"That may be true, but no, I don't think so actually. I don't care who the hell his father is- I am very thankful to Mr. Uchiha for helping create such a wonderful organisation," Sakura added hastily, "but that doesn't mean you two can just-"
"Listen honey, this isn't a debate-"
"Enough." A sharp, authoritative voice cut into the womens' escalating argument, and Sakura turned to see the man who had skipped in line... or so she thought at first. It became apparent that The Asshole's lookalike was taller... prettier, even. His expression cut right through her; if she was a different woman Sakura would have shrank back. He was clearly older than all three of them, and the look in his eyes spelled danger. He turned around, revealing a long black ponytail.
Huh.
She watched in disbelief as The Asshole filled the last spot on his plate, handing it over to his rude female counterpart.
"We're leaving" The younger man ground out. His gaze flicked towards the woman. "Karin, come."
With that, they turned and walked away as Sakura stood incensed, rooted to the spot.
Great job Sakura! You will really fit in and have a fun time at this school...
She rolled her eyes and tried to be mature about the situation, which meant ignoring the desire to chase after the trio and fling the neatly arranged dishes of gravy at their retreating backs.
A few people spared her sympathetic glances as she returned to her spot in the line. Spineless onlookers.
Thankfully the next five minutes passed without incident, granting Sakura her own plate of bite-sized food.
Deciding she could do without the attention and awkwardness, she headed outside to a row of wooden benches she'd spotted on her way in.
The drizzle, much to her relief, had stopped.
Making herself comfortable, Sakura dug into her meal with as much restraint as.
Before long, she felt someone's gaze on her and a glance to her left revealed the red-haired boy she'd bumped into earlier, a pair of thinly framed tortoiseshell reading glasses perched on his nose. His bangs had moved back just enough for her to clearly see a Japanese character tattooed onto his forehead.
Sakura stared back at him, a finger sandwich halfway on its journey to her mouth. She noticed that he was without food of his own. Glancing down at the remaining sandwiches on her plate, Sakura wondered if this was the reason for his attention. Before she could stop herself, her mouth had opened.
"Would you like one?" she offered with a polite smile, trying not to laugh at the expression his face had taken on at her words. For a long time he said nothing, and she grew uncomfortable beneath his hard gaze.
The boy suddenly smirked, one of his cheeks dimpling slightly.
"No. But thank you for offering." His voice was unexpectedly quiet.
Sakura silently exhaled, relieved by the pleasant response.
"I'm Sakura Haruno, by the way." she ventured, and he spared her a sideways glance through his glasses.
"Gaara. You have sauce on your face." He gestured to the corner of his own mouth, sounding amused.
"Thanks" she mumbled, cheeks heating slightly as she dragged her finger across the same spot on her own lips.
"HEY GAARA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE?" a loudmouth banged the door of the auditorium open and Sakura whipped around, wondering briefly how someone so loud could possibly be associated with the redhead.
Yet another handsome boy.
Thick blonde hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen in her life looked down at both Gaara and herself, a wolfish grin spread across his tanned face. Impressioned lines marred his cheeks... almost like whiskers.
She frowned. Did everyone here have some kind of facial alteration-
"Oh, who's this?" He asked curiously, at a more acceptable volume. He leaned down, examining Sakura from head to toe- not in a rude manner, rather as though he was intrigued. But it was still tactless and discomforting. She recoiled slightly, caught between shock and the urge to tell him off.
"Sorry to interrupt," he continued more politely "but Gaara's dad wants him inside at the head table with him." The blonde concluded his inspection of her as Garra stood, sliding both hands into his pockets. He began to walk inside without a word, but his friend turned to Sakura before he too made his exit.
"Bye pretty lady. I'm Naruto by the way; I guess we'll see you at school! What's your name?" he asked in that loud manner of his, and Sakura's lips quirked at the compliment.
"Sakura Haruno." she answered, smiling faintly "See you!" she gave a brief wave, which he returned enthusiastically.
Sighing in contentment, Sakura gazed across the grounds of her new school.
Things were looking up, weren't they?
A/N: A little review never hurt anyone...
CH. 2 PREVIEW:
"Your house is pretty nice," Sakura broke the silence, spinning smoothly in the seat to look at the living room she'd glimpsed on her way inside. As her eyes slid to the junction of the kitchen and the living room, she almost leapt from her seat in alarm.
Standing in the doorway to said living room was someone with tousled ink black hair and furious, half-opened obsidian eyes.