A/n: Okay so I'm very guilty of that offense...I used a ton of memories in this section but I still like it. Maybe it's because I wrote it when I was dead beat tired...anyway. Yep...Close to the end! -shyshi

"We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory."-Georges Duhamel

It was taking that simple step out of the building, stepping past the threshold back into the world outside that really did it. That world they'd left behind seemed so far and distant, warped by the shrouds playing on their qualities, almost plucking the strings of their fears with cruel enjoyment to see who would break first. It all changed once they'd stepped out of that building.

They were now disqualified, unable to continue on, to try and find that pot of gold at the end of their broken rainbow. But they had another assignment now, Sasuke was missing and out of pure worry for their friend they'd made that step out of the building.

For Emiko it seemed the hardest, just moving her foot as she stood in the doorway, her eyes cast down at the ground. The others were waiting anxiously, unable to understand what was conflicting through her eyes as they yelled for her to come. Three out of four had willingly left the competition but she still held to the naïve hope like the single thread of life still connecting her to her dreams.

'If I leave, it's over. No scholarship possibilities. I can't go.' Distant voices pointed out the obvious truth: she was already disqualified with the rest of her team. It would be foolish now to do anything but try and find Sasuke. 'But, maybe there's some chance!' She protested desperately, her eyes lifting from the ground to her friends faces before she trained on the scenery behind them. 'I need that money! I can't stay in Aka neighborhood forever, this is my chance…'

Knots formed in her throat as she blinked, staring in the distance in faint surprise. A friendly house stood behind them, the traditional fencing and green grass sprouting across the lawn, a porch on one side with an empty swing resting peacefully in the wind. Perched against the side was a large structure, almost like a white fence crossed with another and enlarged against the side of the house.

'Like the one at Sasuke's house,' she realized, staring at the plants twisting through the structure.

Emiko noticed what looked like a black wooden fence. 'One of those contraptions for flowers to grow on,' her luck had struck again and she smiled. One hand grasped to the structure while the other fought through the tangle of overgrown plant that had grown unchecked over the fence.

To her joy the structure was sound and after minutes of struggling with whatever had grown she felt the victory of her hand grazing the smooth surface of a balcony. Her other hand hastily grabbed onto the ledge and she pulled herself up, feeling the relief of the solid surface beneath her.

A flood gate of memories burst forth just thinking of that one, the memories playing like a perfectly scripted movie against her conscious.

"I took my buffalo to the store! When we got there it hit the doo-" Emiko stopped suddenly and raised a hand to her head. Resting there was a rag. Still grinning she grabbed it and inspected it for a moment before turning to Sasuke who was now rag-less.

"Uchiha! That's not nice I didn't finish the song!" Emiko declared before she threw the rag back and watched gleefully as it successfully perched back upon his raven hair.

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"An hour and 22 minutes."

"Are you both going to stay here for the whole hour and 22 minutes?"

"21."

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"If I fall off this desk and die I'm going to haunt you forever. Forever."

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"How's breaky-fast coming?" Emiko stepped away and peered into the pot. "UCHIHA! You're supposed to keep it from being overdone! No breakfast for you then." A small rustling caused Emiko to jolt and she turned to see Sasuke sitting in a chair, a bowl of ramen in his hand with chopsticks in the other.

"It's overdone."

"Shut up Uchiha you were the one who was supposed to be watching the ramen!"

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Fury that compelled her to lunge at Toya with a newfound level of hell reserved specifically for him. An arm wrapped around her waist yet it didn't do anything to curb her sudden rage.

"Calm down." Sasuke's voice ordered and Emiko gradually felt her fury reduce to a boiling madness barely suppressed from her mouth or fist.

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Carefully he crouched down and Emiko felt a gentle hand grasp her ankle as the Uchiha inspected the wound.

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"You look like an idiot." Sasuke remarked and Emiko managed a turn to meet his gaze.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

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'Naruto…' her eyes widened and she grasped like a drunken person for the door. Suddenly her body heaved back and she struggled against the person now holding her back. "No! Let me go! I have to help him!"

"Barging in there isn't going to help anything." Emiko tilted her head to see Sasuke restraining her, his grip gradually lessening on her as she seemed to calm.

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Emiko wildly spun to face the girl but found her emerald gaze elsewhere. Emiko followed her lead and felt her stomach tighten as she found herself staring at a lifeless body. Clad in dark blue and white. 'Sasuke…'

"What are you doing?" Kakashi's voice rang in her mind and she tilted her head to look at the cop. A slip of cover passed over her eyes for a moment but it went unnoticed as she took another weak step towards the Uchiha.

"I'm going to go and yell at him for being a jerk."

"Not now." Kakashi ordered but Emiko feigned abrupt deafness as she continued to walk towards the ambulance, intent on making sure Sasuke never did something so stupid again.

So, now there she was, hand cuffed to a stop sign.

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"I'm coming." She declared and stepped into the ambulance.

"Are you the girlfriend or relative?" A woman asked and before reason had its chance Emiko nodded resolutely.

She watched Sasuke intently. 'If he dies…'

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"He's awake and able to move around." The nurse stated calmly. "He consented to seeing someone before he leaves. He said that if he had to he'd see the idiot girl with mismatched eyes." The sushi that had been resting peacefully in Emiko's chopsticks popped out of the grip when she pressed upon the chopsticks in surprise.

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Emiko let out a loud yell of shock, accompanied ever gracefully by the loud crash as the bed was toppled onto its side. The contents lying on the mattress scattered to the floor making an orchestra of sound as they skidded in different directions. Charcoal colored eyes focused on Emiko as she rushed towards his room.

"Shut up Uchiha."

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"Are you trying to meditate?" Sasuke finally asked, the sense of mockery easily traceable in his voice.

"Iie. If I was I wouldn't be trying to around you." She replied shortly although her voice wasn't as high strung and her features relaxed. "So why am I here oh annoying rabbit one?"

"Did that fall rattle the sanity from your head?"

"No the rest of that fell out a long time ago."

"When?"

"When I decided to try and be your friend."

"I would've guessed it was when you're mother dropped you on your head as a baby."

"Not funny Uchiha! Besides you're one to judge. Who knows how many wires were unscrewed in that head of yours when you were a kid."

"Wires don't unscrew."

"Shut up Uchiha they could!"

"No they couldn't."

"If you wouldn't contradict me then they would!"

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"Your hand writing is terrible." The mood cracked and Emiko sighed before allowing her head to thud upon the table.

"Uchiha you're terrible."

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"Shut up." Sasuke replied harshly, his eyes hardened as he continued to hold both her ankle at her eyes. "Don't blame your lack of money for why you go to a shitty school and why you can't go to college. Or why you can't get simple medications to prevent you from dying."

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"Kigurashi, you're forgetting a shoe." Her wonderfully planned cold shoulder crumbled as she looked to her feet to see he was right. 'Damn…'

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"I don't want waffles…" A hand flew to Emiko's mouth and her eyes widened in pure enjoyment as she recognized the voice.

"'Cause they get caught in my braces…" Emiko's cheeks puffed out and she closed her eyes in an attempt to not laugh. 'Who would've thought it…Sasuke sleep talks.'

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Hesitantly Emiko rose to crouch beside the bed, her blue and brown eyes gazing at the Uchiha with a softened gaze. His features were peaceful, almost happy while he slept. The moonlight brushed across his pale face while locks of raven hair fell in odd directions. Strands graced over his face and Emiko smiled faintly before she extended a hand and softly touched the lock before she moved it gently from his face.

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"Hey! Uchiha! Open up! We're here to have fun!" Emiko shouted at the door.

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"I followed Uchiha-san and heard he told a doctor to give you medication and he said he would pay for it." At this Megumi's eyes flashed to a different emotion.

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"I think Uchiha-san cares about you. I'm glad you care for him."

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"You messed up my bed." Emiko shot up in the bed, successfully ejecting the pillow that had been on her head off the bed. Little by little she turned her head to see Sasuke standing in the doorway.

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"You're a klutz."

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"Uchiha open up Megumi's killing me!" Emiko lied as she knocked softly on the door.

"Good."

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"Sasuke! Open the stupid door and just agree to join!"

"Emiko, I'll join."

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"High Five Sasuke!"

"Emiko! Don't hit Sasuke-kun!"

"Well he was being a jerk!"

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'Don't leave…' Emiko pleaded silently, a dash of hope rising before it crashed to the melody of Sasuke's footsteps as he walked away.

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"You're going to get sick." He stated and Emiko sighed. Before she could say anything something warm grasped her hand and she felt Sasuke tug her away from the building towards their temporary home.

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"Sakura you might want to leave Sasuke alone since he's sleeping." Emiko commented carelessly before she turned to Naruto who wasted no time in challenging her to a race.

"5…4…3…2…1…"

"Seventeen!" Emiko interrupted noisily causing Naruto to nearly tip over from surprise.

"Seventeen!" Naruto bellowed as he collected himself. Emiko laughed for a moment before she nodded calmly.

"It's my favorite number."

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"What is it with all the boys! Why don't you knock! I was changing!"

"Hn. Not like there would've been anything to see anyway." Sasuke commented dryly.

"I hope someone, someday stabs you with a raisin."

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"You're confusing."

"Hn."

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Without hesitation he grabbed her hand.

"Tonight. By the bridge. 11:52."

"Not until you tell me what's going on!"

"Show."

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"Sasuke!" She'd run all the way from the other side of the building. "I came as fast as I could."

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"Sasu-" The name died in her mouth as she felt the sudden warmth of his lips on hers.

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'I love you Sasuke…'

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"Do you hate me?"

"I hate you. You cause problems I can't brush off."

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"Sasuke. Not Uchiha. Past formalities."

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"I'm not going to be another fan girl who swoons just cause you're around and I'm not going to allow you to mess with me for your own cruel amusement."

"You think this is amusing to me? It isn't. You cause problems, I kiss you to prove I don't care and for some reason I can't stop thinking about you. My life's ambition is to kill my brother but now I'm losing focus. It's your fault."

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There was a sense of contentment as she rested her eyes, her forehead resting on Sasuke's shoulder.

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"If you really need this, I won't stand in your way."

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"Sasuke's missing."

"What do we do now?"

"We'll go after him."

'We go after him,' Emiko decided strongly, stepping through the doorway and sprinting as fast as possible to her friends.

Naruto and Sakura had easily bounded ahead Emiko jogging behind them as they raced towards the housing building, hoping it would be the only stop in their search for Sasuke. Panting, Emiko relished the sight of the house, her body aching from exhaustion and battle sores.

"Naruto hurry and check your room Sakura and I will check the girl's section there's another door to the grounds through there." Emiko directed hoarsely. Naruto nodded decisively and disappeared down the hallway and Emiko followed Sakura down another hall towards the girl's section. They strained to stay quiet, unsure of exactly how they would find their friend and in what mood he would be in.

"I should check my room, maybe he left a note for me." Sakura breathed, turning into another hallway with Emiko stumbling after her, despising exercise with each heart beat. 'I hope he at least left something.' Emiko thought as Sakura opened the door, rushing to her things and tearing through the bags, searching every crevice for a note.

"Emiko he didn't leave anything I'm going to go search the grounds." Sakura finally acknowledged, her eyes half hooded to conceal the hurt before she sniffled.

Emiko nodded dumbly, her eyes trained instead on her things as she felt Sakura push past her, too dumbstruck to notice the way her friend fled past her. Sitting on her bed was a small Ziploc bag, something she knew wasn't hers. Fearful and wary she stepped forward, partially wishing it to be a mirage as she picked up the bag.

She pulled out the items and counted them, her heart thumping painfully against her rib cage as she replaced the items back in the bag and sealed it. Seventeen raisins.