The next time she saw that motherfucker, she was going to smack the living shit out of him. Popping in and out of her apartment was unacceptable. All of this Harry Houdini shit was not amusing to her. In fact, it was taking years off of her fuckin' life.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Xin blinked back into reality, eyes focusing on Karin. She stared at the redhead for a long second. "Society has trained me to say that of course I'm listening to you, for the sake of not being rude," Xin began to say. "But seeing as how I don't care about being rude to you, no, I'm not listening."

Karin stared back at the smaller woman, wondering why the two were still even friends after all of this time. They constantly bickered and bantered with one another. "Why do I even put up with you?" Karin sneered at Xin.

Xin rolled her eyes and picked up a sock to throw at the redhead. "Because your washer and dryer at your apartment sucks and it's always broken. Plus, you can't cook to save your life so you come over here to bum food off of me for you and your shitty boyfriend."

Karin reached over to pinch Xin. "I can cook and he's...he's not my boyfriend…"

"Oh yeah? He's not? The fuck is he then?" Xin snorted and slapped Karin's hand away. "You two have been at this since your first year of college. What's with you and commitment?"

"Nothing. Mind your business."

"He is so wasted on you."

"Wow. You're supposed to be my friend."

"Still up for debate—ow! Jesus, I'm kidding. Listen, it's because I'm your friend that I'm telling you this. He's not just going to wait on you to get your shit together."

"You don't even like Sui."

"I don't like you much either."

Karin rolled her eyes and shook her head. Somehow their friendship remained intact even after all the abuse they put each other through. For one odd reason or another, their friendship just seemed to work. "So, what's been going on with you?" Karin prompted as Xin picked a shirt out of the basket. She quirked a brow at the masculine shirt, realizing it clearly didn't belong to Karin. "Drop it."

This time it was Xin's turn to roll her eyes but she conceded and simply folded the shirt. "Nothing's been going on with me, why do you ask?"

"Well besides the fact that you look like shit? Tenten and Hinata have mentioned that you've been off lately. So what's wrong with you?"

Xin rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily. "I'm fine, Karin. Jesus, I can't just be tired every now and then?"

"I didn't say you look tired. I said you look like shit. You're past looking tired. You look paranoid, what's going on?"

Xin rubbed even harder at her forehead. "Nothing is going on, honest. Sometimes being twenty-one and living completely on your own is just difficult," Xin tried to shrug nonchalantly. That was partially the truth. The responsibilities of adulthood were weighing down on her and her unwanted visitor wasn't helping.

Karin reached over and patted the girl on the shoulder. "Aw, well suck it up. No one told you to move out of your wealthy parents' house to slum it up with the rest of us. Boo-fuckin-hoo."

Xin slapped her hand away with a scowl. "See, this is why I don't tell you shit," She scowled at the older girl. "You've got one more time, Karin, I swear to God."

A smile cracked Karin's face, a snort of amusement broke past her cherry pink lips. "Alright, sorry," She warded Xin's glare away. "Maybe you should just suck your pride up and ask Hiashi for help. He's sadistic but you are his daughter so he'd be willing to help you out."

"Hell will freeze over before I ask him for help. He'd never let me live it down. I made that big deal about being able to take care of myself without his help when I left. If I go asking for help now, I'll look stupid."

"You always look stupid, it won't be any different."

"Get out."

"Okay, okay, I swear, that's it. I'm done."

They both knew she was far from done. It was silent for exactly two minutes before Karin opened her mouth once more. "Have you met anyone...new lately?"

Xin stilled, hands still lightly gripping the pair of jeans. "No, why do you ask?" She asked carefully, wondering why Karin felt the need to ask something like that. Unlike Neji and Hanabi, who were both stoic and Hinata, who was almost painfully shy, Xin was very sociable and charming and easily made friends. But as of late, she had stuck to the same circle of people at the bakery and gym. Except for hitting that pyscho with her car.

Karin was still staring at her.

"No, why do you ask?"

Cherry-red eyes narrowed slowly. "I was just wondering, is all," Karin replied leisurely. She quickly folded the last bit of clothes while waiting patiently for Xin to do the same. The smaller girl made quick work of Karin's laundry and packed it neatly into the basket. Karin picked up the heavy basket, resting it against her hip while walking towards the front door.

"Any idea when Sui will fix my car?" Xin asked innocently. Karin made a noise of discontent before bending down to pinch Xin's cheek.

"It probably won't be for awhile since you fucked it up so bad. You're lucky he's such a softie when it comes to you or this shit would've cost you a pretty penny!" Karin scolded Xin, pulling harshly on her cheek.

"He's not a softie—stop that!" Xin smacked Karin's hand away to nurse her inflamed face. "He just doesn't want me to withhold food from him. Oh, which reminds me!" Xin turned and swiftly sprinted back down the hallway into the kitchen. She came back with a large plastic bowl. "Almost forget. Fudge cookies!"

Karin stared down at her with a blank expression. "Bribery?"

"...bribery."

"You're despicable."

"Take the damn cookies and get the fuck out."

"Good job on the dango, Xin. Really tasty," Anko grinned down at Xin widely. "Now what do you want?"

Xin hummed, feigning innocence. "Why do you assume I want something for you? I can't just make you a snack just because?"

"Sure you can," Anko sung. "But I know you and you don't do anything just because. So, what do you want? It's not like you to beat around the bush like this. What's up, Hyuga?"

Xin pursed her lips and wiggled in her seat. "Well, see, the thing is…" She tapped her fingernails against Anko's desktop. "My sister is moving in with me and I wanted to know if she could have a job here.." She said in almost a rush. Anko regarded her for a long time, twining some of her purple hair around her finger thoughtfully. In her other hand, she twirled the dango stick almost absently.

"Which sister? The quiet one?"

"They're both quiet."

"The younger one or your twin?"

"My twin, Hinata."

"Ah, right. She's the good one."

"I'm not good?"

"You know the answer to that so I won't bother answering," Anko shot back with a smirk. Xin snorted and leaned back into the chair. "So, can she bake?"

"Well...I don't know for sure…"

"Xin, this is a bakery."

She tried not to laugh at Anko. "I know but she could work the counter, do merchandising, or work with money. I could totally even teach her how to bake. Anything."

"Does she have experience?"

"No...but neither did I!" Xin said quickly. "And plus, she's really smart, great with numbers, can multitask," Xin paused, thinking of anything that would make Anko agree to hire Hinata. "She's very polite and professional and she would really be great!"

"Are you just saying that because she's your sister?"

Xin's expression was sheepish. "Well..yeah but all those things are true!" She insisted loudly. "Come on, Anko, Hinata is literally the better version of me. She just can't bake! Probably. I don't even know, she could surprise me."

Anko eyed the girl for a couple of minutes. "Well...she is a nice girl…" She trailed off thoughtfully. "It might be a little confusing to have twins but...tell her to come in Monday at three. She should be finished with classes by then, right?"

Xin thought about it, trying to remember Hinata's schedule for that day. "I think so, I'll let her know," She stood up while digging through her bag. "Thanks Anko, you won't regret it, I swear," Xin instantly began texting her sister, throwing out a quick goodbye while leaving the room.

Xin ducked out of Mad Batter, leaving all the chaotic bustle behind. Hinata instantly replied, seemingly excited to have a job at the bakery. Xin expertly weaved through the crowded streets of Tokyo. Perhaps she didn't take her sister seriously enough when she suggested getting a job but Hinata seemed all for it. Carelessly tossing her phone into her bag, she continued on her way home. She didn't have to work at the gym and her shift at Mad Batter ended early. Tenten didn't finish her classes until later today and couldn't give her a ride home. Fortunately the walk home wasn't too long.

She pursed her lips, mentally preparing herself to clean out the extra room. She hadn't gone in there much, mostly using it for storage. It was probably dusty as all hell and her skin crawled at the thought of mess. Why she didn't keep up with the room was beyond her.

Her apartment was quiet, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but now it made her somewhat paranoid. She dropped her keys into the basket by the door. Like the day before and the day before that, nothing happened but she still felt uneasy. Pushing her uneasiness to the back of her mind, she situated her bag in the closet and made her way through the apartment. Nothing jumped out at her but the feeling just wouldn't go away. Shaking her head and breathing heavily, she changed out of her clothes into a tank top and yoga pants. She wrestled her hair into a thick bun at the top of her head, vaguely wondering if she should get a haircut. Deciding against it, she hurried to the kitchen to get her cleaning supplies.

The spare room was covered in a thick layer of dust. Xin could just feel her eye twitching. She closed her eyes, trying hard to control the twitch. Nobody was really sure how or why Xin's obsessive need for cleanliness developed. Hiashi and Manami had no idea what to do with their oddball daughter every time a mess was made. She mellowed out over the years and her obsessive tantrums turned into odd little twitches every time she encountered mess. Xin cleared the room out of the random furniture stored in there. She threw open the windows, taking in a grateful gulp of clean air. Turning her phone's volume all the way up, she blasted music and started the long grueling cleanse the room was due for.

It only took an hour and thirty minutes but the room was practically shining when Xin was done. She grinned widely in satisfaction, leaning some of her weight on the mop. Tomorrow she would go shopping for Hinata's furniture. Despite Hinata insisting that she do this alone, Hiashi was giving her a small allowance to buy whatever she deemed necessary. Xin felt a little pang of jealousy at the thought. She'd been completely on her own when she left.

Before she could sink any further into her jealousy, a voice interrupted. "Has anyone ever told you that you look psychotic when you're cleaning?"

Xin screamed bloody murder and swung the mop like it was a bat. It jerked to a quick stop instead of colliding into its intended target. Clawed fingers wrapped around the mop while blank eyes peered down at Xin, bemused. "Put a goddamn bell around your neck! Fuck!" Xin screeched, not really surprised to see the redhead psycho whose name she still didn't know. She had the feeling that he would be dropping in on her before the night was over.

"Why would I put a bell around my neck?"

"Because I'm twenty-one and I'm about to have fuckin' a heart attack because the art of using a goddamn door is lost on you!" Xin snatched the mop out of his grasp with a surprising amount of strength. "What in the blue hell do you want this time?" She demanded angrily, hand on her hip.

"What is your name?"

"Sorry?"

"Your name. You're not deaf, are you?"

Xin stared up at him with a blank expression. "Shouldn't you give your own name when demanding someone's name?" She asked with a hand on her hip. When he didn't reply to her, she rolled her eyes. "Will you tell me your name if I tell you mine?"

"Perhaps…"

She rolled her eyes. "Well perhaps I won't tell you mine then. I can just keep calling you the dumb motherfucker I hit with my car. Or psycho. Whichever tickles your fancy, I'm all for it."

He didn't seem amused with her careless banter. He let her know by grabbing a fistful of her tank top. He yanked her towards him, pressing her smaller body to his to snarl directly into her face, "you watch your tongue, girl."

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my socks. Would you get off of me?" She hissed back at him, dropping the mop to shove her hands against his chest. "Jesus fuck," She muttered, yanking her shirt away. "You choke me, tackle me and now you're manhandling me. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" She continued to mutter, trying to smooth out the wrinkles his freakishly large hand created.

She was so busy fussing over her wrinkled shirt, she had no time to react when he suddenly snatched her up again. A strangled gasp broke past her lips as the world whirled around her. Her teeth rattled in her mouth when he roughly slammed her against the wall. Vaguely she heard a picture frame fell off the wall from the force. "You're amusing, girl, but know your place. I tire of your sharp tongue."

Another sarcastic quip nearly left her mouth but she was struggling to breath so she wisely kept it to herself. She quickly nodded along to his words although she knew that in the future, her mouth would get her into more trouble with this man. He loosened his grip just enough to allow her to breath. Greedily she inhaled oxygen, nervous that he would tighten his grip again before she could get ahold of herself. "Oh my God," She grated out. "Choking the life out of me is not going to make me tell you my name! Not even trying to be rude or anything. Please remove your hand from my throat."

She was being genuine so he decided to humor her and slowly released her. The tiny woman scowled harshly and rubbed her throat, muttering once more to herself. He watched her through half-lidded eyes, unimpressed with all her muttering. "My name, you barbian," She muttered the insult but he heard it just fine. "My name is Xin."

"...Xin?"

"Yeah?"

"That's an...odd name," He said slowly, looking at her. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but it sure as hell wasn't that. She looked back at him, hands on her hips. She'd heard that her entire life growing up, especially when people heard her sister's regular ass names. Sometimes she wondered why her parents thought a Chinese-based name would be fitting of their daughter. There were conflicting accounts of why they chose that name. Her maternal grandparents insisted it was based off of the Chinese philosophy of having confidence or trust in another person. Her paternal grandparents said she was named after the Xin dynasty, which barely made any sense. Honestly she wished her parents would just admit that it was a random ass name they thought of on the spot. They actually hadn't been expecting twins.

Shaking the negative thoughts away, she steeled her nerve and tried not to curse him out. "It's based off of a Chinese philosophy," She shrugged, she liked that excuse more than being named after some random Chinese dynasty. "But that's besides the point. What's your name?" She tried to ask as politely as possible. If he choked her one more goddamn time, she was getting the knife out.

"Gaara."

Xin's stare became blank. "What kind of fucking—" she began but quickly snapped her mouth shut. She was within distance of those hands of his. But seriously? Gaara? That was a terrible name! What was his parents thinking when they named him that? And here she was thinking her parents were out of their minds for her name. "Uh..that's an interesting name..I guess," She mumbled while snatching the mop up.

"It's a fitting name."

"Well, your parents must be very proud," She muttered, bemused. But Xin suddenly paused, face scrunched up in confusion. "That name basically means you're a demon…"

The silence between them was agonizingly tense. Xin shifted her weight between her feet, blinking slow. Her tongue flicked out, pressing against her top lip in an odd nervous tick. "Has it dawned on you or must I help?" Gaara asked smoothly, like he was asking about the weather.

"It's not possible," She answered quietly. Hell if she would admit to it. Even though all of the signs clearly pointed to the truth, she just couldn't wrap her head around this man.

"What more do you want?" a slow smirk pulled at his lips. She wanted to punch him right in the mouth. But seeing as how she couldn't do that, she settled on the next best thing.

She panicked.

A string of curses mixed in with incoherent words made for a shrill noise, akin to a dying cat. She gripped the mop tightly and swung, catching him completely off guard when it smacked him in the face. She didn't wait to see his reaction, opting to dart out the room like the devil himself was chasing her. Hell, with her luck, maybe he actually was the devil. She was positive her metal bat wouldn't do him much harm. Unless she took him by surprise but she might have blown her chance when she smacked him with the mop. Instead she ran to the kitchen, screaming the entire time, to snatch up a knife.

When she whipped around with the knife, he was standing there looking rather amused for someone who just got assaulted with a mop. Just like the last time, she held up the knife. "You know I will stab the fuck out of you," She snapped in that same shrill voice.

"Stop screaming, girl."

"Stop calling me girl, goddamit! I told you my name and I'm twenty-one! I am not a girl!"

"You're still screaming."

"I know what the fuck I'm doing!" She screeched indignantly. Gaara stared down at the small woman, trying not to bluntly show his amusement with her antics. "Listen, that is it! I'm not doing this with you! I'm not! I didn't sign up for this bullshit! Get out of my house, you crazy motherfucker!"

One minute she was waving the knife around, the next minute her wrists were snatched up in an iron grip. The knife clattered to the floor. The color drained from her face when he leaned over her. "Stop screaming, your shrill screeches sound like a dying cat."

Xin's jaw unhinged, popping open at his words. She was at a loss for words. Her mouth snapped shut, her teeth clacking together in the otherwise silent kitchen. "What do you want from me?" She demanded tensely.

"Nothing in particular," He shrugged leisurely. Xin was almost positive a vein in her forehead was getting ready to bust. "I just want to know what you are," He stated simply. She was going to scream again. "There's something about you," He murmured, leaning in entirely too close. She tried to lean away but didn't get too far. "You're not normal and I intend to find out why."

She didn't scream but her face did turn red in frustration. "I don't what you mean but I'm human, I've said it a thousand times."

"Perhaps…" He trailed off. She was beginning to hate that word. "But you aren't normal. I want to know why."

Xin frowned up at him, positive that the vein she mentioned earlier was on its way to bursting. She could just feel it. Her tongue slipped out, flattening against her top lip nervously. "Demons don't exist…"

"Then explain this," if it was possible, Gaara leaned in even further. He was so close that his breath fanned across her face, tickling the bridge of her nose. Her eyes darted to the side, wondering if she could get her hands free to for reach another knife. She tried again to move backwards but only succeeded in hurting her waist. For the first time since coming across this man, she noticed just how tall he was compared to her. Granted, a lot of people were much taller than her but not to this extent. Her head didn't even reach his shoulders.

He let her wrists go, breaking her out of her frantic thoughts. He backed away, smirking in amusement. "Time's up for today," He said leisurely, confusing her. "Until next time."

She opened her mouth because what the fuck did he mean, time's up for today? Was someone keeping track of his sporadic visits? Jesus Christ, was there more psychotic motherfuckers just waiting around corners for her? Her heart couldn't take this.

While her frantic thoughts kept her occupied, Gaara made his exit in the form of a swirling portal. She only briefly glimpsed into the whirling portal and felt a balmy breeze. The smell of hot sand wafted towards her, confusing her even more. Her brief glance scrambled her brain around in her head, causing a heavy ache behind her eyelids. She closed them against her palm, trying to soothe away the pain but it really didn't help. Frustrated and ready to blame the headache on Gaara, Xin dropped her hand and opened her mouth.

But of course, he was gone.

Xin's P.O.V

"I called you six times, Xin, six times," Manami huffed into the phone. I turned away from my phone to sigh heavily before turning back to the conversation. It was true that my Mother called me six times in the last hour and I hadn't answered. Guess I couldn't hear it ringing over my shrill screams.

"I'm sorry," I tried not to sigh. Manami hated it when I sighed when I talked to her. She said it felt like I didn't want to put up with her when I did that. "I was cleaning and tuned it out, you know how I get."

"Mmm.." Manami hummed in that motherly sense that she didn't believe shit I said but wouldn't bother arguing anymore. "Well, had you answered, you would have known that I would like you to stop by."

"I don't have a car right now, Mom."

"Something else you failed to tell me. I mean, honestly, I shouldn't have to hear from Neji and Tenten that my daughter wrecked her car. Why didn't you tell us?"

I resisted the sigh building behind my teeth. I didn't tell her or Hiashi because I'm an adult and I don't have to report every misfortune that befalls me to my parents like I'm still sixteen. God forbid I actually tell that to my Mother. I'm an asshole but I'd never purposely make my Mother cry. Or angry. Manami was a patient woman but she was no Buddha. "Because I'm handling it, Mom. These things happen,"'I replied evenly.

"If you told us, we could have easily taken care of it for you."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "That defeats the purpose, Mom."

Manami let out a huff of offense. "Alright," She conceded shortly. "I've sent a car to pick you up," She stated a second later. My eyebrow started to twitch. "I want to talk to you."

"We're talking right now. Like literally."

"I would like to see my daughter's face."

I almost groaned into the phone but thought better of it. "Okay, Mom, you win. I'm getting up right now to get dressed."

"Thank you," I could just hear the smile in her voice. "Don't be long. I love you."

I returned the sentiment and quickly got up to take a shower. I pulled on a pair of jeans, an okay looking blouse and met the driver at my door. I shook my head and followed him out to the car. At least it wasn't a limo. The drive to my family's house was spent in silence. I was too tired from my encounter with Gaara to even try to make small talk with our driver. He asked me more than once if I was okay and I lied easily.

I found Mom in the blue living room. My extra ass parents had more than one living room and we dubbed each room according to color. The blue living room was usually used for family gatherings. Why it was necessary was beyond me. I knew that shit was ridiculous even as a child. "There you are," Manami beamed happily while gracefully standing from the ottoman. Everything my mom did was with grace. She sneezed gracefully. "I've been waiting for you, come and sit down," She embraced me tightly before leading me to the comfortable couches. These couches were for actual use, the couches in the white living room were for show. Who the hell has a living room for show?

The abundance of wealth was suffocating.

She settled across me, fitting in perfectly with the opulent background. "I want to talk to you," She announced while folding her hands neatly in her lap. I tried not to slouch. "About Hinata moving in."

I almost sagged into the chair. "It wasn't my idea, Mom. I don't know what Dad told you but it was Hinata's idea," I said quickly. It probably wasn't okay that I was telling on Hinata but I was not going to be scolded for her idea. Best friend or not.

"I know that, darling, no one is in trouble," Manami stated in that saintly tone of hers. I only eyed her, not convinced. Those were words I was not used to hearing. I still felt like I was in trouble. "I just want to thank you for letting Hinata move in with you. I know you wanted to move out to get away from us…."

It wasn't my family in particular. It was the wealth, the reputation and the expectations that I wanted to get away from. It was the Hyuga name I was desperate to get away from.

"I'm proud of you, honey. I was terrified when you flew out of here with your apartment already set up. You're barely an adult and you were so used to us taking care of everything for you. We were sure you would be back before the month was up." Nice to know my family didn't have any faith in me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "You proved us wrong and I suppose that influenced your sister to also want to branch out and take care of herself. I hope Hanabi takes the same initiative to move out when the time calls for it."

Well this is a new development.

"You want Hana to move out?"

"Well, I don't want any of you to move out," Manami shifted in her seat. "But I know that every parent has to deal with their children moving out at some point. I just figured you and your sisters would do that later on."

I nodded slowly. "It's not that I hated living here with you all. I just..I wanted to be my own person and I couldn't do that living here."

"I understand. I was young once too," She unfolded her hands only to fold them again together. "But I didn't leave until I was set to marry your father in my mid-twenties. I'm..glad that you didn't let us control your life."

Well I'll be damned. Was I actually being praised for being rebellious? That was a new one.

Manami smiled brilliantly. "I know it's hard to believe but your father and sisters talk about you all the time," She told me while reaching over to pat me on the knee. Hearing that my sisters talked about me wasn't all that surprising. Well, Hanabi talking about me meant she was probably talking shit. Or giving me backhanded compliments. But Hiashi talking about me was kind of weird. We barely spoke to each other so why he would praise me when I'm gone is kind of weird. But then again, this is coming from a man with more than one living room so I'm not that shocked. He's weird. They're all weird in their special ways but Hiashi was probably that weirdest .

"He's very proud of you, darling. He just doesn't know how to show it, believe me," Manami smiled knowingly. My father was emotionally stunted and his parents probably should have stuck his ass in therapy when he was a kid. It probably would have done all of us some good if Hiashi was a normal person.

Before I could comment on her words, Hiashi stepped into the living room. He paused at the sight of me, raising one brown brow slowly. It wasn't often that I came around anymore. Not since we'd had that big fight. "Xin," Hiashi greeted slowly, looking at Manami with confusion. Manami just smiled and offered no other assistance. "I was unaware that you were here visiting," He stated in a careful voice.

"Mom didn't really give me a choice in the matter," I replied with a shrug. "How are you, Dad?" I tried my hand at being civil. This was still his house and it would be awfully rude of me to just act like he wasn't there.

"I'm fine, Xin, and yourself?"

"I guess I can't complain," I almost rubbed the back of my neck nervously. It would have been rude to do so, I guess. I don't know, I didn't pay a lot of attention in those etiquette classes growing up.

He nodded slowly, eyes studying me. Silently his gaze shifted towards Manami. They must have had some sort of telepathic link because it seemed like they had a private conversation with just their eyes. Must have gotten that down pact from all the years of being married. "I was just telling Xin about Hinata being excited to move in together," Manami chimed in when the silence began to get awkward. "I also wanted to ask her if she needed anything, you know she's been having car troubles as of late."

Oh my God, Mom, shut up.

"Yes, Neji and Tenten might have mentioned something about your car," Hiashi commented simply. "What happened to your car, Xin?" He looked at me. I tried not to grimace, waiting for the lecture about how I needed to be more responsible.

"I hit a deer coming up to Grandpa's and busted a headlight. I took it in to get it replaced and had a million other things wrong with it," I explained shortly. "I never knew maintaining a car could be so hard."

Hiashi nodded along to my words. "Will it cost you a lot to repair it?" He asked. He probably only wanted to know just so he could rub that shit in my face. He knew damn well it would cost a lot to get the shit fixed. This is what I meant when I said he was too damn old to be this petty.

I shrugged leisurely, "Suigetsu decided to give me a discount. It's not as bad as it could have been."

Hiashi made a noise in his throat that kind of sounded like a sound of approval. I wasn't completely useless in the world. One thing I thing I learned as the daughter of a business tycoon was that you always needed connections. Luckily my connection just wanted food in compensation.

"Is he still dating that Uzumaki girl?" Manami asked.

"More or less," again, I shrugged. I really didn't understand Karin and Suigetsu's relationship. But then again, it wasn't mine to understand. Karin usually told me to just mind my damn business and worry about my single status. She's such a bitch sometimes.

Manami frowned, probably disapproving of their sinful way of living or some shit, who knows. It's none of my damn business. "You cleaned that extra room out for your sister, yes?" She prompted after a moment of silence. I quietly wondered why Hiashi hadn't left the room already.

"I set her up to meet with my boss on Monday. I know you guys probably don't want her to work in a bakery but it was the quickest and easiest interview I could get. Nothing is free out there," I commented casually. "She seemed excited about it."

Manami nodded but she looked distracted. "Are you alright, Xin?" Hiashi suddenly asked, catching me off guard. They were both staring at me, looks of concern mixing in with an odd look I couldn't describe.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Why does everyone keep asking that?

"You look tired," Hiashi replied simply.

"I'm always tired."

Manami looked really concerned. "Neji and Tenten say you have been acting out of sorts as of late. Is there anything..out of the ordinary happening?" She spoke like she carefully recited that question in her head for a minute before asking me. The way she asked really made my skin crawl. Does hitting a man who turned out to be a demon count as out of the ordinary? Does demons existing count as out of the ordinary? Or witnessing said demon conjure up a portal out of thin air? Or how about being antagonized by said demon? Did any of that seem out of the ordinary?

"Nah, nothing out of the ordinary that I can think of. Just normal grievances any twenty-one year old would go through," I said instead. No one would believe me if I told them I was dealing with an actual fuckin' demon. I barely believed me. "Tired and broke."

"And single," Manami pointed out. "Honestly, dear, you're not getting any younger," She continued in a concerned voice. Hiashi chose that moment to leave. No way was he going to sit through his daughter's dating history. My dating history is already sucky as it is but with my new guest, I doubt I'm actually going to find someone to date me. That's completely out of the window.

"Hinata and Hana are still single too," I reminded her grimly.

"Hanabi is still in high school and Hinata is in college, they don't have time for dating at the moment."

"Oh but I do?" I sourly asked. "I'm still just as busy, Mama. I work two jobs basically."

"You're right, dear. I'm only saying you might want something else to do with your time."

"You mean someone to do."

"Don't be crass, dear."

I waved her words off and sat back into the couch. I almost started to slouch but caught her pointed look. "I don't need a relationship right now, Mom. Really, I'm fine. I don't want a boyfriend. They're too much work."

A suspicious look crossed her face. "...perhaps a girlfriend then?"

"Oh dear God."

"Really, Xin, if that's what's stopping you from dating then you should stop worrying. Your father and I will approve of anyone you bring home."

"As great as that is, I'm not gay. But I'm proud that you're so open to homosexuality, awesome, really but I don't like girls. I don't like anyone, Mom."

"Oh how would you know unless you get out there and socialize? You barely spend time with your friends. You'll never meet an upstanding fellow—or young lady—if you keep to that gym and bakery of yours."

I dropped my face into my hands. "Mooooooooom," I groaned into my palms. "You're not listening to me at all. I realllllly don't want a relationship. I'm not relationship material," I said blankly. Which was true. I did date in high school and my first year or college but it never turned out quite right. Boys didn't like intimidating girls and apparently for someone so short, I was as intimidating as they come. Probably had something to do with my temper. Being the daughter of an infamously vicious business tycoon didn't help either. Although I was known as the daughter my parents didn't care about so boys always thought I was looking to piss them off by dating around.

Too bad I was as frigid as the Artic Ocean.

Manami looked like she wanted to argue but thought better of it. "It's getting late, honey. I should send you back now, unless you'd like to stay the night? We've certainly the room," She said not unkindly. Yes because for some odd reason it was fitting to have a manor the size of Africa with a billion rooms for a family of five. The wealth was suffocating, I swear to God. I mean, honestly, who did we think we were? The royal family?

"No, I should get back home and finish cleaning up the rest of the apartment. You know I hate mess."

"You hate everything, dear."

"Yes but mess is at the top of my hate list."

Mamani laughed and gathered me into a hug once we both stood. She led me to the front door and hugged me again and even added some kisses against my forehead and cheeks. "Please, dear, don't be a stranger. Just because you moved out doesn't mean you can't come to visit. I miss you so much."

I suppose it's true when they say you don't really know what you have until it's gone.

"Hinata, for God's sake, that is too expensive."

Hinata frowned thoughtfully while looking up from the amoire. "But it's so nice," She pointed out. "And you didn't even look at the price."

I leaned around my sister, glancing at the pricetag. "It's 2,000 dollars, Hinata, oh my God," I gaped in utter disbelief. I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the expensive ass piece of furniture.

"Mom and Dad gave me more than enough," Hinata reminded me simply. I tried not to roll my eyes. Just a year ago I probably would have said the same shit. But this isn't a year ago. This is now and I'm broke as fuck so anything obnoxiously expensive is a no go.

"We already picked out a dresser so you don't even need that shit as it is. And as for money, it has a tendency to run out pretty fast. Moving out of your parents house but still depending on them financially defeats the purpose, sis."

Hinata tried not to pout. "Fair enough," She agreed easily. "But I think I should be able to splurge on an expensive bed at least."

"That sounds fair," I nodded along to her words. Hinata and I casually weaved through the furniture store, picking out the essentials for her move in. It was true that Mom and Dad gave Hinata enough money to buy the damn store but that would defeat the purpose. I gave her a budget to work with, something she found odd by tried to abide by it. I found the shit odd at first too. Then I discovered the feeling of being broke. Not a nice concept.

"You should try to save the money left over. Who knows, maybe a gig at the bakery won't go so well," I explained while picking through bedsheets. "It's always good to save for a rainy day. Plus, clothes ain't cheap. And neither is food. Well food can be cheap but the cheap stuff will usually turn your insides out and who wants that?"

Hinata soaked all the information in with an air of determination. She was dedicated, I'll give her that. Besides, it's not like I can fault her. We picked more furniture out and finished shopping without spending too much money. Knowing my parents and knowing how I thrifted, we probably hadn't put a dent in the money given to her. We made it back to my apartment just as Tenten, Suigetsu and Karin showed up. "Where's Neji?" I asked while approaching them. He and Suigetsu agreed to help out with all the heavy lifting while Tenten and Karin would help with the lighter stuff. The new furniture was beginning to arrive and I didn't want to wait around for my cousin.

"Couldn't make it," Tenten shrugged. "He has a paper to finish," She explained simply. I huffed and folded my arms across my chest. How the hell were we supposed to get all the heavy stuff lifted with just Suigetsu? Way to ruin someone's day, Neji.

"Don't worry," Karin hummed from beside Hinata. Hinata was speaking to the movers, instructing them to set the furniture down. "Tenten and I can help Sui. You and Hina just handle all the light stuff," She planned. I frowned at her, well what the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"Wouldn't want to damage those pretty hands of yer's," Suigetsu grinned and grabbed at my hands. He scanned them, taking notice of the cuts and bruises littering my pale hands. "Well, too late for ya, huh? S'okay though, yer face makes up for it."

Inrolled my eyes and snatched my hands away to slap at his arm. "Fuck off, Sui," I scowled at him. So my hands were a little fucked. But that just showed how I didn't give up after making mistakes, right? At least that's what Gai always said about the cuts and bruises.

"Be serious for once," Karin shoved her way between us. "Come on, we're not just standing around for our health. Let's get the heavy stuff up first."

I folded my arms and moved out of the way, nodding my head at Hinata to follow suit. She moved to stand next to me, both of us with different degrees of interest printed all over our faces. Was Karin and Tenten really going to move that shit with just Suigetsu? I mean, Tenten was pretty damn strong and Karin had a mean punch but I'm not sure if this was the best idea. To our disbelief, the three seemingly easily lifted the heavy furniture. "Well what the fuck," I held up my hand in the universal sign for 'the fuck?'.

"That was unexpected," Hinata said.

"Really unexpected," I agreed.

Deciding to put the odd sight in the corner of my mind for later, Hinata and I quickly began picking up the significantly lighter stuff. Between the five of us, we got Hinata's room set up pretty easily. I stood in the doorway of the room, looking to see if anything was out of place. "Is it to your liking?" Hinata smiled wryly as she spun around the room. I snorted and rolled my eyes, it wasn't my room to like. Out in the living room, I could hear the others bickering about what video game to play.

"Doesn't matter if I like it. Do you like it?" I asked pointedly. "I know your room back home is a lot bigger than this..." I trailed off, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of my apartment. I mean, it was nice, I'd like to think. I wondered why Hinata didn't just ask our parents to rent an apartment for her. They could easily afford one of the more lavish, upscale apartments in in Azabu or Hiroo. But then that would defeat the purpose since the whole point was for her to not depend on them.

Hinata surveyed the room, her wry smile morphing into a smile of content. "It's wonderful, I love it. It's...me, Xin. This is me. I picked everything out, not Mom or Dad. I picked it out in what color I wanted and put it where I wanted it," She folded her hands graciously in front of chest. "This is the best choice I made. I know it's going to be difficult and different from how we were brought up but I think I'll be okay—we'll be okay."

For a good couple of seconds, I was speechless.

A knock at the door distracted me long enough. I blinked and turned to look down the hall. "Oh, it must be the food," I muttered distractedly. "You get settled in," I waved her off to do whatever she wanted in her room. Hinata wasn't really big on video games so she opted to sit out of our gathering. Usually I would have pressured her into joining us but decided to leave her alone. Just for tonight. Next time she was going to join in on the festivities.

"Food!" I declared after paying the delivery boy. I balanced the three boxes with one arm and bumped the door shut with my hip. The trio cheered when I came into the living room with the boxes. Dropping the boxes off, I hurried back to the kitchen to grab soda, cups, plates and napkins. "You guys know the rules," I said while coming back. "Don't get stains my shit. You know I hate stains," I reminded them while passing out the food. I threw a water bottle at the side of Suigetsu's head just for shits and giggles.

I was so wrapped up with my friends that I'd forgotten all about Gaara.

For now. Lord knows the motherfucker will be back.

TeeBeMe:hey yall. I know I said this wouldn't be primarily in Xin's point of view and it won't. But every now and then it will for the simple fact that I think she's hilarious. I also think she'd have a hilarious relationship with Karin and Suigetsu, so BAM, here they are.

fatjack36: they're totally my favorite too! hopefully they'll be around for more stories.

marinaa07: bruh, I know I say it a lot but I'm so glad that you consider her one of your favorites despite her being an OC. OCs are scary as fuck to write sometimes. I'm really glad that reading Shades of Cool has made you open to reading this story even though it's set in present time. And listen listen, there's no such thing as long rants, really! I love them just as much as I love regular length reviews and short ones. All love is good love! It's much appreciated. And don't worry about offending me at all unless you say you hate Xin, then I'd be offended lol. Thank you, really, I'm so glad to see you on board with this story as well!

Akari: You're right about her granny the first time around. And Xin really is a big contradiction, I think that's one of the reasons why she's so fun to write. She swears up and down that she hates everyone but she's actually a very caring woman, no matter what AU it's set it. That's just how Xinny is. So glad you're also on board with this story but you've always been very supportive of my fics. I wonder if there will ever be a fic that you won't like lol. I'd cry.

SoberThoughts: Why thank you! It's very appreciated but this will jump back between third person and first person from time to time. Just to keep things interesting for all characters, not just Xin.

moonlight46: Sorry for such a late review but I hope you enjoyed this update!

Guest: Glad you think she's hilarious! Hope you enjoyed!