High School
By: Asagi Tsuki
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter Three
It was almost five in the afternoon. The sun had started to set, and the sky had turned from golden to purplish dark. It was minutes before the sky turned completely dark, and the street lamps would all be turned on so that the pedestrians wouldn't trip over things while they were walking.
Two people walked out of the school building. It was already deserted by now. The members of the extracurricular clubs had all gone home by now, and only the security guards remained. They were to stay on guard throughout the entire day, changing shifts with each other.
They walked out of the school area without being noticed by the security guard that was currently having guard duty –he was at the back of the school, checking whether there was a student skipping class staying there or not- and walked back home in companionable silence. They weren't talkative people to start with, anyway, so unnecessary talks weren't for them.
The cool breeze of mid autumn swept by. It was one of the reasons why the students in Seishi Gakuen wondered why they transferred at this time. It was only several months past the start of the academic year. Normally, people would only transfer school at the start of the academic year, or at the end of the academic year. Sometimes, at the middle of the academic year. But not at one quarter of the academic year.
"Sasuke," the taller man called as he patted the younger girl's head lightly, almost soothingly. "Are you still thinking about it?" he asked, smiling gently down at his younger sibling who glared at the pathway they were walking on as if it was the one eavesdropping on them.
"If I say no, will you believe me?" Sakura asked as she continued to stare at the pathway restlessly. She was still thinking about the one eavesdropping on them. It was true. Was it the one who had known about her true identity as well? There was a big possibility, but one cannot be so sure.
"No," Itachi sighed. He let his hand fall on her left shoulder, and pulled her closer to his side. "Forget it, even if he knows, what is he going to do with it?" he asked, trying to reassure his younger sibling that everything would be alright. She was easily stressed out, and that's why the others took extra care of her.
"He?" Sakura asked as she shifted her gaze from the pathway to her older brother. How did he know it was a he?
"You're too stressed out, Sasuke," Itachi shook his head, "Relax down a bit, or you won't be able to think clearly," he added, and Sakura frowned. Was she that frustrated to the point that she would miss details like that? She didn't usually do that.
"The footprints," Sakura stated. "They were the footprints of the shoes only male students wear," she added when she finally remembered the shape of the footprints they found on the wet floor in front of the math teacher's room earlier that day. "I'm sorry," she added.
"No need to be sorry," Itachi said. "Didn't the others say it wasn't your fault?" he asked as he looked down at his younger kin. She fidgeted with her bag a bit, before she stood upright once again.
"But still," she mumbled. She didn't want to be a burden. Her trauma and her phobias had been a big burden for the others for the past missions, yet they didn't protest. She was the best at analytical skill, stealth, lock-picking, and herbal knowledge. They needed her for their missions. Up until now, she believed that it was the sole reason why she was still kept in the group, and not simply being kicked out.
"Still thinking about your phobias?" Itachi asked, and Sakura merely nodded. It wasn't a surprise for her if he could read her like an open book. He had studied psychology as a side-learning for the past few years only to take care of her, and that's why he could tell what she was thinking.
Itachi kept silent. Up until now, he didn't really know what she is afraid of. He only knew that she is traumatized because of the incident years ago, and because of the same incident, she had some phobias. But what phobias, he didn't know. No one really knew. She had never shown fear towards anything lately, so they couldn't tell what she is afraid of.
They arrived at the Uchiha residence not long afterwards. It was a big wooden house that looked like an ancient Japanese house, but still good nonetheless. It was enclosed by wooden fence, and in front of it, was a big wooden gate. Just right beside the gate, was the board with the writing 'Uchiha' on it.
"I'll be going now then," Itachi said as he patted Sakura's shoulder repeatedly, as if to assure her that everything will be alright. "Do not think about the things that happened today too much, just rest well and prepare for tomorrow," he added, and with that said, he turned around and walked away towards the silhouette of a tall building not so far from the residence. It was the apartment building where he currently resided.
Sakura merely stared at the retreating figure until it was out of sight, before she sighed, repositioned her bag, and stood upright full of determination. "Sorry, but I can't keep quiet if this goes on," she said, and then walked inside the wooden gate, into the environment of the Uchiha residence.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Sakura walked out of the bathroom of her house slowly, a white towel dangling around her neck loosely like an open necklace. She was wearing purple long-sleeved turtleneck and short black shorts. Her shoulder length raven black hair clung loosely around her porcelain face, and she looked up front with a bored expression.
She put the towel on the towel rack, and took a black hairpin, before she carefully slipped it to her hair. She took three needles, smeared them with sleeping medicine, and slipped it to her shorts, careful not to strike her own skin with them. When she thought she was ready, she walked over to the hallway and put on her shoes.
Though the residence was like an ancient Japanese house, the interior was pretty much the same with the houses in general. There were sofas, coffee table, TV set, telephone, and a fan in the living room. The bathroom was like the bathroom in general, not the one using wooden bathtub. The bedroom was the one using tatami though, but no one ever protested. Not even their cousins who stayed overnight.
She walked out of the door and locked it. She then walked over the stone pathway to the wooden gate, walked out of it and closed it behind her. She took a deep breath, and, as silently as possible, ran back to the school building she was at just hours ago.
She looked around, and noticed that the gates were closed. She walked closer and inspected it, before she raised her right foot to step on the gate, and jump over it, landing on the inner side of the school building. She looked around, and rushed inside when she saw no security guards present.
The main door was still open. The security guard was still there. She took a deep breath, and looked around, trying to find a safe and closest route to the principal's room. She rushed past the corridor silently, past the many classrooms, and finally arrived at the area where the teachers' rooms were located.
"Who's there?" a deep voice asked, and she stopped at the sound. She turned around, and saw a security guard walking towards her. So it was the one having guard duty at that time. His shift had just started, and would end approximately three or four hours later.
"I left my book at the principal's room," she said when the security guard started to approach her. The tall man stood, towering her with his tall figure. She looked up to stare at the guard right at his eyes, and waited for his reaction.
"Were you given a detention?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes at her. It was dark, and he couldn't really make out her figures. He wasn't even sure if it was a boy or a girl.
"Not really," she said, and carefully took a needle out of her shorts. She threw it right to one of the veins in his neck, and he fell into an instant slumber, falling onto the floor with a dull thud.
"Sorry," she mumbled as she dragged him and rested him on the wall. She took the needle out, and put it at the other pocket of her shorts, before she continued on her walk to the principal's room.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Sasuke?" knocks sounded in front of the door as a hand pounded on the wooden gate rather impatiently. Apparently, the guest had waited for a good fifteen minutes and still, the door wasn't opened for him yet.
"Is he not here?" a boy with short spiky black hair that was tied into a rather messy ponytail asked as he stared at his companion who looked rather anxious. His silvery eyes were shining with anxiety he had never seen in his eyes before, except at the times where his teammates were at dangerous situations.
"I don't think he's here," Neji finally said as he sighed. He stopped pounding on the gate, and sighed, his mind reeling over. Where would she be at this kind of time? If she wanted to go shopping, she'd done that before seven.
"Do you think… he's trying to get a head start?" Shikamaru asked, and Neji looked at him as if warning him. "I was only stating my opinion," he added when he noticed the look Neji was giving him.
"I know that," Neji looked down at the pathway. Ever since the incident, he had looked over her just like Itachi had looked over her. The others had done the same to her as well, but she thought that it was just because they needed her skills and abilities. He had never had a sibling, and so, when he had met her, he was happy. It was as if she was his own younger sibling that he has to take care of.
"Are we going to check or something?" Shikamaru asked. He felt the same way towards her because he too, has no sibling. Although he has never shown it or has never voiced it so vocally, the others could tell that he cared about her. In fact, he is one of the ones who cared about her the most.
"We are," Neji nodded his head, and with that said and done, they went to their school to check.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
She didn't turn the lamp on. It would raise unnecessary suspicion since the guards wouldn't dare enter the principal's room whatever happens. It was bright enough inside to let her see everything inside clear enough, and so, she didn't need the lamp to help her go through the cabinets and desks and shelves.
She searched thoroughly throughout the entire room, carefully searching through it so to not move anything from its original place. She had looked between every folders, every books, every files, and nearly everything, yet she didn't find anything extraordinary, and she didn't find what she had been searching for.
With a heavy sigh, she left the principal's room and locked the door behind her again. The security guard was still asleep. Good. He wouldn't remember anything at the time he woke up, and even if he did, it'd be too hard for him to tell who she is, since it was too dark for him.
She stopped abruptly as she stared in shock. There it was again. In front of the principal's room, she noticed footprints. She turned around, and on the glass on the door, she saw handprints and fog. She also saw strands of blond hair on the floor right next to the footprints.
The existence of all those meant that there was someone watching her for a long time. And she didn't even realize it. Has she really become that blunt over the past few weeks without missions?
She punched the wall beside her with her right fist angrily, and gritted her teeth.
"Damn it,"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Neji and Shikamaru arrived at their school not long afterwards. They jumped over the gate and walked in. They suspected that the first place she would search in first is the principal's room, since it's the best place to hide things. Upon seeing the sleeping guard near the principal's room, their suspicion is cleared. She's really there.
"Sasuke?" Neji called as he saw the figure leaning against the wall of the principal's room, head bowed, eyes cast downwards and the looks in her eyes blank. "Sasuke? What's wrong?" he asked as he approached the figure.
"Neji-nii-san? Shikamaru too. What are you doing here?" she asked when she noticed the two walking towards her. She looked at them with such impassiveness that Neji was almost scared to look at her.
"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked as he stepped forward. "Come on, let's just go home," he said and reached for her hand, before he tugged her along, and Neji could only walk beside them.
They walked out of the school environment, leaving the sleeping guard all by himself, and walked back to the Uchiha residence. When they had reached it, the three went inside and rested in the living room, sitting idly on the couches, waiting for Sakura to calm down and tell them what had happened in the school building before they arrived.
"Why?" she asked softly, and the two nearly missed it.
"Why what?" Neji asked as he moved over to sit closer to her.
"Why is it that I am the one always screwing up?" she asked again, barely louder, but enough for the two to catch it this time. Hot fresh tears started to stream down her from her eyes down her cheeks as she bit her lower lip, blaming herself mentally for being so careless.
Shikamaru kept silent. Neji kept silent. What had happened in the school? Did someone find her? Was it the one he saw on the rooftop eavesdropping on them at lunch break?
"It's okay," Neji said finally as he pulled her into an embrace and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay, we'll manage somehow," he added reassuringly.
"Neji's right," Shikamaru added. "We'll manage, like we always did," he finished.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she kept on crying, and the two could only keep silent, waiting until she calmed herself down.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Where were you?" a young woman asked as a boy walked inside his house and took off his shoes before he carelessly threw it near the stack of shoes there.
"Just walking around," he replied shortly before he walked upstairs and into his own room. Once inside, he stared at his bed, and narrowed his eyes.
'Who is she really?'
End of Chapter Three