"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going." -Anonymous

"Naruto! Stop!" Emiko yelled desperately, panting as she pushed herself to run up the stairs, eyes trained on the blonde thundering around the halls. 'We're going to lose if he keeps this up!' Emiko thought as she took a deep breath, cursing stairs as she rested her hands on her knees and paused.

"Come on! We have to find Sakura-chan!" Naruto hollered back, apparently oblivious to the competitors creaking open their doors to watch him run through the halls. Emiko stumbled under their gazes, painfully aware of the embarrassment burning in her cheeks as she sprinted after him, praying he would shut up.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto bellowed into the stairwell, hands cupping around his mouth to echo the shouts. Emiko frowned, pushing past the burning in her legs and jumping at the blonde as he inhaled deeply, prepared to scream again, and knocking him to the ground instantly covering his mouth with her hand.

"Naruto stop screaming or we're going to get noticed even more than before! Don't be stupid! If we're heard and Sakura's in trouble it could make it worse! Geez Naruto use your head!" Emiko reprimanded, clambering away from the blonde and sitting on the ground, panting slightly as she wiped her hand on her pants. Sighing her shoulders slumped, her back aching as she nudged away the desire to fall asleep right where she sat.

"You sound like Sasuke now!" Naruto retorted indignantly, his blue eyes quivering as he stared at her. Gradually she raised her head, her eyes meeting his calmly.

"Calm down Naruto-"

"No! It's him you like isn't it!" Emiko blinked, scooting back as Naruto stood instantly, his face molded by anger and jealousy. 'What's going on?' she slowly stood, biting back a groan as her body protested the movement, lusting more for sleep than anything else. "Damn it he gets everything! All the attention! All the money! Everything!"

"Naruto!" Emiko yelled, grabbing blindly for his jacket as he turned and fled from sight. She paused, her hand suspended as she continued to digest what had happened. Clutching her hand at his ghost she glowered at the air before she whipped around on her heel and sprinted in the opposite direction, steams of frustration rising as she ran.

Every step trailed with more and she felt her strength draining as she followed the path downward, her eyes glazing over the steps as she strained onward. Finally she let out a hoarse breath and swallowed, welcoming the sight of their base more then ever before. Her legs gave out and she collapsed clumsily to the ground, smiling faintly as she began to force air evenly into her lungs.

'Now I understand why Yukito stayed in sports' she thought to herself as she swallowed again, her lungs tingling as she inhaled. Her eyes grazed over the floor as she rested, snatching every detail of the dirt scuffed on the ground. A spark of difference caught her attention and she tilted her head to see a pastel pink thread lying on the ground, trailing up the stairs and out of view.

Her fingers trailed over the end, fraying the fibers apart before she gingerly grabbed it, her curiosity burning in her mind as she followed the thread up the stairs. Like a rose colored snake it curled in her vision and she hastened her pace as she jogged up the stairs. A few steps turned into many and she marveled silently at the length as the fiber curled in her hand, peeking through her fingers.

"Sakura-chan!" She blinked, raising her head as she scanned the hall hastily for the source. 'That sounded like Naruto,' she thought as her fingers clenched around the thread.

Thunderous bangs crashed through the air, the sound of metal slamming into metal ringing in her ears as she immediately stumbled to sit down, covering her ears with her hands to guard against the racket. It continued, like defeaning applause to her head ache and she leaned forward, clutching her ears as her head began to pound a tempo.

'Ow,' It took her a moment to realize that there was a nudging pain in her stomach, prodding her for attention. Leaning back she recognized her walkie talkie still attacked firmly to her pants. 'How did I forget that thing?' she pondered before she dashed from her spot into a hallway, hoping to escape the echoes still sounding in the stairwell.

"Naruto! Sakura!" She fastened a door behind her and leaned against it, her legs weakening as her strength trickled away. Her finger released the button, the silence elongating sickeningly before her as she waited impatiently for a response.

"Sakura! Naruto! Damn it where are you!" Her voice strangled just beneath a yell as she tried again for their response.

The device buzzed, static crackling into the air before Naruto's voice broke the silence.

"Emiko? Hey! I forgot about the walkie talkies!" Laughter could be heard as static continued to pester the voices, crackling loudly as she listened. "I found Sakura-chan!" His voice cleared and she heard footsteps thudding down the stairs.

"Naruto where are you?" She peeled away from the door, spinning enough to watch the door in high expectations.

"We're going down the stairs." His voice sounded from dual positions, her hand vibrating with the buzz of the walkie talkie before she opened the door, smiling as she saw her friends walking before her.

"Hey." Emiko blinked, her mouth hanging before she burst through the door, her eyes studying the pair as she tried to form words. Sakura's face was bruised, flesh coloring a sickening dark blue-brown. Naruto had a bruise on his face as well, scuffs patterning over his face as his bottom lip was colored with blood.

"What happened!" Naruto managed a lop-sided, sheepish grin.

"Naruto met with some jerk and got in a fight." Sakura explained, dabbing his lip gently to rid it of the blood before she turned to look at Emiko, her emerald eyes colored with evident worry and anxiety.

"Why did you fight him, Naruto?" Emiko questioned softly, ashamed that she hadn't been there to help her friend.

"He called me a drop out! Said I wouldn't ever become anything just because I didn't go to some high end high school. So I told him to be quiet." Naruto grimaced as he rubbed

"Actually you told him to shove it." Sakura corrected him, her lips twitching into a small smile.

"Come on let's get back." Emiko gestured for them to hurry as she hopped down the stairs, peering occasionally around turns to check the path before leading them back towards the base.

A/n: Alright school is starting soon. I thought it started sooner than it actually does. I have two days to write and upload all the final chapters before I have to get ready for school which starts on monday. This means that it most likely won't be following the timeline of the manga although there will be parts that can relate to the story. Anyway, I've decided how it's going to go and I'm quite excited. . Hope you enjoyed the story I know I'm glad that I posted it up for all the reviews and feeback I've gotten on my writing.

-shyshi