SERIAL EXPERIMENTS
By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim…

AN: Hello everyone! I'm sorry that I was not able to update for, oh, MONTHS. I hope that it won't happen again. I thank you all for your wonderful reviews and I really wish to have some more. Please enjoy.

CHAPTER 2
- Illusions of the Mind -

Sasuke fixed his tie again, for the third time, before giving up entirely. It was a bit lopsided, but he decided that it wouldn't get any better than that.

His uniform had arrived the night before and Naruto had taken the liberty of hanging it on the post of his bed for him, as he had fallen asleep. It wasn't a bad look, with a simple white collared shirt and black pants. The tie was mandatory also, as was the long white coat they were to wear. It reminded Sasuke of a lab coat, but it wasn't quite as long.

Still, he had never been so dressed up before in his life. In frustration, he gave his tie another tug and turned away from his mirror.

It had been his plan to skip breakfast; but he had no doubt that Kakashi would not hear of it and come to fetch him again, and that was the last thing he needed. Besides, the mere thought of skipping the meal made his stomach protest loudly.

The dormitory halls were empty when he exited his room, indicating that everyone else had already gone down to breakfast.

He had tried his best to linger and dress slowly, but he could not put it off forever.

It was time to face the other students – as if Naruto wasn't bad enough.

Crossing the stretch of land between his building and the main building, he was almost barreled over by a figure, quite out of breath with big hollow eyes and a very pale face. His fingers were just as pale and bony and they reached out, grasping Sasuke's forearm in a painful grip.

"Please…" he wheezed, his big brown eyes turning larger. "Please…." But he did not say more, doubling over, in hacking coughs, each one seeming to wrack his small, thin body.

Sasuke did not move a muscle, watching as the boy collapsed to his knees. In a few moments, teachers came out, forming a circle around the boy and lifting him. The boy, however, did not seem to want to be taken away. "No! Put me down! Don't take me back…."

"He's ill; take him to the nurse's room." A woman's voice said. She turned her attention to Sasuke, who felt rooted to the spot as he watched the boy struggle against the three who were holding him. "Are you finished breakfast?" She snapped, causing him to look at her.

She was tall and slim with red eyes and dark hair that fell in waves around her face. She was far from pretty, but he found that his tongue seemed to have turned into a sponge and he couldn't quite help staring at her. Those eyes were the creepiest thing he had ever seen. A thought of whether she was wearing contacts or not, entered his mind.

"If you're done, then get to class – tardiness is not an option."

This time, Sasuke tore his gaze away and stared down at his feet, not daring to look up at her for fear of staring some more.

She didn't wait for an answer and merely walked back inside, her heels clicking on the marble steps leading in.

The foyer was grand, with a huge spiraling staircase leading to the second floor. That in itself was an eye catcher and made Sasuke feel even more out of place. For the second time that day, he found himself staring, and wondering what on earth he was getting himself into.

He turned when Professor Sawakabi entered the room. "Oh, Uchiha – the dining room is to your right, and is the last room on the left at the end of the hall. You won't miss it – the noise level there is very audible. You'd better hurry up – it's going to end in soon. You don't want to be late on your first day do you?"

As Sasuke was about to respond, Profressor Sawakabi was called away by the same teacher that Sasuke had encountered just moments before. Not wanting to be scolded by her again, the boy stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to follow the instructions he had been given.

There was no doubt about where the Dining Hall was. The noise coming from it was not a foreign sound in Sasuke's ears, but it was not a welcome one either. This time, he moved aside as a girl came hurtling out through the double doors leading in.

She slowed to a walk though, and finally stopped, looking at him with green eyes. Her hair had been dyed red, it was obvious, but the color seemed to have faded, leaving her hair a soft pink color. It didn't quite match her green eyes, and he thought that she was too skinny for her own good, but she was pretty never the less, and it took him a moment to realize that he was staring – again. But this time, he found that she was staring right back.

A smile lit her face, and she blushed slightly. "Hello…..a-are you new here?"

Hitching up his bag self-consciously, Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah…got here yesterday."

Her blush deepened while her smile widened. "Really? Well, nice to meet you." She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm Haruno, Sakura.""Uchiha Sasuke." He muttered, keeping his gaze steady. He would not be the first to glance away again: it made him feel belittled.

There was a stretch of silence and she broke it by saying, "I guess I'll see you around," and stepping around him, not taking her eyes off him.

He never answered, preferring not to speak, and moved forward to push through the doors, his stomach rumbling. He could still feel her gaze trained on the back of his head and he wanted to be as far away from her as possible.

As soon as he entered, the whole room seemed to quiet down, and all heads turned in his direction. Keeping his face passive, he forced himself to pay them no mind, and made his way to the corner seat, at the very end of the room.

The students sitting there looked up, and moved over as he sat down. Heads were being put together, and whispers had begun. A waitress came up to ask him what he would like for breakfast and Sasuke blinked, wondering what she could possibly mean.

"There is a menu sir, on the screen." She told him, nodding toward the front of the room. Sure enough, the screen was large enough so that everyone in the room could see it without getting out of their seats. He chose the first thing he saw, not really caring.

The whole thing went down quickly anyway, and if you ask him, Sasuke did not even remember what it tasted like. The only thing he remembered was how fast the place emptied when the bell rang to signal the end of the meal.

A sea of white flocked its way toward the double doors and the young teenager found himself swept up in the rush, being pushed and pulled in the general direction out. Once or twice someone stepped on his foot, but other than that, he soon found himself standing in the hallway, alone, as everyone went to their respective classes and left him behind.

He would have preferred it that way, as he was not up to making any friends at the moment, but unfortunately for him, a student seemed waiting and all too eager to talk with him. "Are you the new kid everyone's been talking about?" He had a large body – so large actually that it was a wonder how he had ever managed to get the belt to loop around his waist. Portions of his fat were spilling out of his pants, and if not for the black material, he would have downright looked like a snowman melting. He had large squinty eyes that were watery and a shock of light brown hair. He looked both menacing and stupid at the same time, that Sasuke didn't know whether to back away a step or burst out laughing.

It turned out that for some reason, Sasuke felt himself grow upset. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing." The boy answered. "Just watch your step, new kid: you'll soon learn that you're not as cool or as mighty as you might think you are."

Raising an eyebrow coolly, Sasuke asked, "Was that a threat?"

The fat boy threw back his head and laughed. "Yeah – yeah it was. And you will address me as Choji Sempai." He pointed a large stubby finger in his direction. "Remember that, new kid." And with a swagger, the boy known as Choji walked away, hitching his pants up ever so often.

Sasuke made himself move, only then realizing that he had stupidly left his timetable in his room. Cursing the luck he had, he hurried back to his room, tempted to stay there for the remainder of the day, but his thoughts turned to Kakashi again. The bastard had a way of getting to him even when he wasn't around.

By the time he reached the right classroom, he was winded. The day's lecture had begun without him, and all the seats in the class seemed to be taken. Heads turned in his direction again, as the doors leading in banged shut behind him.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw who was teaching.

"It's about time you showed up." Kakashi said, leaning casually on the desk at the front of the room.

Oh hell no….Sasuke thought, feeling his anxiety rise. "You're teaching!" He demanded, unable to stop himself.

"I obviously am." Kakashi replied, his voice a drawl. The class giggled at that, but Sasuke didn't hear. He glared daggers at the elder man, who evidently didn't care for that, motioning instead for the boy to take a seat. "You're almost fifteen minutes late, Uchiha – even if it's your first day, you've got no excuses. Now take your seat."

Sasuke bit back a growl, easing his way down the aisle toward the only vacant seat at the front, right hand corner of the room. Going down the steps, he could hear the rest of the class whispering. He wished they would stop.

He was surprised when Kakashi did not call on him again, nor did he even glance his way once. The material was difficult and it was all Sasuke could do to follow along. For the most part, his eyes wandered the room. It slanted so that everyone would be able to see the teacher better. It was also so that the teacher could see exactly which student was not paying attention. Unfortunately, Kakashi didn't have anything pinned up to the walls yet, and nothing was written on the blackboard except for his name. Other than that, he read aloud from the book he held in his hands, occasionally calling on a student to answer a question or read the next paragraph.

As he walked up and down the aisles, Sasuke stole a glance towards the students. Those who did not look bored were staring at Kakashi, and those who were bored looked as though they were trying not to fall asleep in their seats. His eyes met with a girl's who was sitting towards the middle of the room.

She had long pale blond hair, and was staring at him unabashedly, with her chin propped in her hand. He quickly looked away.

The rest of the class passed in a blur of notes and readings. When the bell finally rang, Sasuke felt as though he had lived for the longest time and that his brain had turned to mush. He gathered his books, putting them in his bag and made a move to stand.

Kakashi's hand on his desk halted him, though. "You, stay." To the rest of the students, he announced, "Class dismissed."

Again, there was a surge to get out the doors and to the next class, leaving Sasuke alone in the room with the man he had resolved to hate the most in his life. He stared straight ahead, refusing to meet the man's gaze.

"Why were you late today?" He asked. "Did you sleep in?"

"I forgot my schedule in my room." Sasuke answered. "I had to go get it first."

Kakashi made a humming sound, as if to indicate that he didn't believe him. Again, Sasuke's anger flared. "You think I'm lying?"

"It would be just like you." Kakashi sighed.

"I was at breakfast." Sasuke grumbled. "Stop treating me like I'm a kid and mind your own goddamn business!" He gasped then, as Kakashi leaned in and took a fistful of his shirt, raising him off the floor slightly.

"I treat you like a kid because that's what you are." He said, calmly. "I will not tolerate your mood swings here, Sasuke. And you will follow the rules or I will have plenty to say to you about it. Do you hear me?"

Sasuke kept his gaze averted and did not answer. Kakashi gave him a shake. "Do you understand?" He pressed.

"Yeah…"

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice rose in warning, and he shook him one more time.

This time, the teen glared at him. "Yeah! Okay, I understand! I won't fuck up." He wrenched himself away, and stumbled back.

The man sighed heavily. "See that you don't. Go on, get out of here or you'll be late for your next class."

Slamming his things together, Sasuke strode past him, and out into the hallway.

Little did he know that a pair of eyes had been watching the whole encounter.

0-0-0-0-0

Later that evening, after tutorials had ended, Sasuke made his way back to his room, wearily. It had been the longest day he ever remembered, and was very glad that it was over. He was looking forward to a peaceful night.

Unfortunately for him, he forgot that he had a roommate.

Naruto had taken it upon himself to invite a few friends into the room, as he had probably been used to doing before Sasuke had moved in. They all looked up upon his entrance.

"There he is!" The blond haired teen said, eagerly. "This is Sasuke, guys! Sasuke, these are Rock Lee and Nara Shikamaru." Each nodded their head in turn of their introduction.

Sasuke nodded briefly, trying to ignore them as he settled his book bag down on his desk.

"He's just a little shy." Naruto apologized to his friends, oh his behalf.

No, he wasn't shy.

He couldn't care less what other people thought of him. He wanted to have no part in anything. The further they stayed away, the better. In any case, he liked being a loner.

"We've got a test tomorrow." Lee said, standing up and stretching. "I better study some before I turn in tonight."

"Who cares?" Shikamaru grumbled. "You manage top grades without studying. I want a drink. Are you interested?" He asked, opening the invitation to everyone. At that, Sasuke did pay attention. Alcohol was banned from the school…

"No, I've got to study too." Naruto said, with a sigh.

"Sasuke, then?" Shikamaru asked, hopefully.

As tempting as it was, Sasuke remembered Kakashi's earlier warning. He had promised he wouldn't do anything stupid. His frazzled nerves protesting, he forced himself to shake his head and turn down the offer.

Disappointed, Shikamaru shrugged. He was tall and lean, his dark hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, giving him a stern countenance. His mouth, however, seemed permanently turned downward and his shoulders drooped, so for the most part, he looked lazy.

Lee was the complete opposite, however. He was thin and muscular, with thick eyebrows and a head full of dark hair. Sasuke had never seen anyone look so wiry before in his life. It fascinated him as he watched the boy bend and flex in ways he had never imagined possible. Some of the stretches he was performing looked downright painful.

It was hard to see how those two could possibly be roommates together. Apparently, they were vast friends. "After a while, you get used to each other." Lee told him, performing a bridge without any difficulty. "You tend to become protective of your partner as time goes on." His voice sounded thin and stretched when he spoke in that position.

Sasuke could not see himself worrying over the sake of Naruto. He could not bring himself to care enough to 'get used' to him either.

To his relief, Lee and Shikamaru excused themselves shortly afterwards. Naruto switched on his radio, not as loud as it had been the other day, allowing for a small amount of music to play and allowing his room mate a reasonable amount of peace. He began to study, while Sasuke quickly changed from his uniform and into a comfortable pair of pajamas.

Sleep was in order.

He didn't feel like studying, as most probably he would not understand half of the material anyway. When he returned to the room after washing up, Naruto was still engrossed in his studies, humming under his breath with the music.

Sasuke crossed over to his bed and turned off the light, his part of the room drowned in the shadows, and collapsing onto his pillows.

He was out like a lamp in no time.

It was into the early hours of the morning that Naruto was interrupted by the sound of groaning. Rubbing his eyes, he turned his head in the direction of the strangled sound.

The window, which he usually left a crack open to let in fresh air whenever he was studying, was shut today, so the sound could not possibly be coming from outside. To his surprise, he saw Sasuke thrashing about on his bed, as if fighting an invisible enemy.

Pushing himself away from his desk, Naruto wandered over to his roommate's side. He gasped as Sasuke's arm came out unconsciously, his fist narrowly missing him and Naruto quickly moved away. "Hey, Sasuke! Wake up!" He hissed.

But Sasuke did not open his eyes. Naruto sighed and reached over to shake him. "Sasuke! Wake up!" He repeated. He shook him twice and jumped back warily when Sasuke's eyes shot open and blinked up at him blearily. He took in deep breaths and gingerly sat up.

"…What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare." Naruto said. "Are you all right?"

For a moment, Sasuke did not respond, gathering his bearing before he nodded. "Yeah…I think so."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded again. "Thanks."

Naruto eyed him for a moment longer, before getting up and going back to his desk. The clock read 3:14am. He decided it was time to retire for the night. As he reached over to close his lamp, he let his eyes travel back toward his roommate, who had not lain back down, but was rather sitting up and shaking slightly.

He made up his mind not to bother him – a night mare was nothing to be really concerned about…after all, everyone got them.

But Sasuke could not go back to sleep. For some reason, the boy with whom he had collided with that morning haunted his dreams.

"Please…please…don't take me back…"

When he was certain Naruto was asleep, Sasuke got up, putting his bare feet against the cold floor. Not caring, he moved to open the window to get some fresh air.

Outside, the sky was a deep black, with a few stars peeking out from behind the clouds. The moon, he noticed, was also hidden behind the dark clouds, providing only a little light to the courtyard down below.

The gates further in the distance were shut tightly, a security guard standing by, keeping watch. Sasuke watched as the man paced for a few moments, before turning away from the window.

Then he froze.

Did he just see…?

Alarmed, he turned back to the window, his eyes staring hard down at the courtyard below. A tingle ran up his spine when he saw the same boy who had bumped into him that morning – the same boy who had haunted his dreams.

The boy was standing next to a North building, half-hidden by a tall pillar. Sasuke could make out his bony figure, and the hollow eyes. His dark hair blew with the wind, and when Sasuke blinked, the boy disappeared.

Goose bumps ran along the teenager's arms, straining his eyes to the spot in which the boy had just been standing.

Could it be that the rumors were true after all?

Swallowing thickly, he reached out and closed the window with such a bang that Naruto jerked awake. "Sasuke…what…?" He asked, groggily.

"I…nothing!" Sasuke answered, too quickly.

Naruto peered up at him with sleep-encrusted eyes. "Then quit making such a racket, damn it…" He groaned, pulling the covers up to his chin and covering his head with a pillow. "I've got a test to take and I want some sleep."

"Sorry." Sasuke muttered, glad that it was dark and that Naruto could not see him blushing.

It was nothing.

He had been scared over something so stupid.

It had just been his imagination…he was probably tired and seeing things.

Growling, he climbed back into bed, forcing himself to close his eyes and empty his mind.

He could not fall back to sleep again, no matter what he tried.

For the rest of the night, he stared up at the ceiling, and only when the sun began to rise did he bother to get up and get ready for another long day.

Naruto woke an hour later, too, surprised to see that his roommate was already gone. He noticed too, that once again, Sasuke had left the room without his time table. Sighing, he picked it up and after dressing, proceeded to go into the Dining Hall where breakfast was being served.

Instead of sitting in his usual place with his friends, Naruto plopped himself down next to Sasuke, who had chosen a corner seat toward the back. He had not touched the food in front of him, but rather, seemed to be preoccupied with his thoughts.

Dangling the schedule in front of his face, Naruto called out to him. "Yo? Did you forget something?"

Sasuke glanced up at the sheet just inches from his nose. "Oh…yeah…" He absently took it from him, folding it and placing it in his book bag. The food that morning was rather bland, in his opinion and he found he wasn't all that hungry.

After ordering his meal, Naruto nudged him. "What's wrong? If you don't eat now, trust me when I say you'll regret it later."

When his seatmate did not offer a response, Naruto sighed and began to pick at his own food. "…what's in the North Buildings?"

"What?"

"The North Buildings." Sasuke repeated.

"School supplies – and the place where some of the teachers live. The students are not allowed to enter." Was the response between bites of food.

Huh.

The teachers' dormitory buildings.

He took in a deep breath and pulled his plate closer. That was all – he had been working himself into a tight ball of nerves over nothing. With vigor Sasuke began to eat his food, making no more comments.

0-0-0-0-0

Later that day, when they crossed over to the gymnasium for their Physical Education class, Sasuke stopped in his tracks, to stare at the North Buildings.

He saw no one.

Shrugging, he made his way with the rest of the class to their lesson.

To Be Continued…

AN: The next update will not take as long coming out, and again, I apologize for that as I'm a very busy person. Please review for me though, as that helps me to fight my blank moments when I write. Thanks for reading,

-Chiki