Sakura's Boarding School Cliché: An Akatsuki x Sakura Fanfiction AU {Prologue}

I take out my banged up, ratty Nokia and glance periodically as I finish the freshly assigned homework from earlier today.

4:32 P.M. MDT

I felt accomplished today. Typically, I don't even look in the general vicinity of where my homework was until well after dinner, later at night to get it done. That always worked out about as well as you would expect.

You can only do so well when you're braindead, want to go to sleep A.S.A.P. and regret not getting the damned thing over and done with earlier. So, then you do this half-assed rushed marathon of getting through it as much as you can before its due and hope you get a passing grade.

Not today. I was having a good day today. Now, when I have these far-and-few-between 'This motherfucker feels on top of the world!' days, I don't have enough malcontent in me to think of procrastinating.

This has a tendency to scare everyone actually which is comical for me to see how unnerving it is to others when I am behaving like a normal, functioning human being.

Honestly though, it's just nice. Everything feels in order, and I'm free to have the evening to myself. Well, not quite. I live with my Aunt Tsunade who brought me in to reside at her home.

Through the years, we've discovered we are very much alike down to our stubbornness and tempers that, in comparison, make the Incredible Hulk look like the smiling, unassuming green giant dude on the green beans can.

We bonded and developed a general understanding that nothing is off the table for discussion between us. Though there are always exceptions to any rule, and some things are best left alone.

Boyfriends, for instance, are an excellent example. Namely her old boyfriends. Woof. Avoid that minefield of a conversation at all costs.

Hopefully, she's in as good of a mood as I am today!

'Praise, Outer. Although, you haven't mentioned why exactly we are feeling so chipper today.'

'Shhh! Show, don't tell son. There's a reason why I'm the narrator and not you, Inner.

"Oh, Sakura~!" I hear a deceivingly sing-songy voice coming from upstairs on the main level of the house.

'Speak of the She-Devil and she shall appear...'

'Right on cue, Inner.'

I'm down in my little bat cave basement. No, it's not actually a bat cave, but that would be sick as fuck tbh. It's just your average middle class basement with all your 21st century needs.

I just like to call it that and like to imagine myself as batman and my best friend (you'll meet him later) as my lil birdie sidekick. You don't get to judge, shut up.

"Yes, Aunt Tsunade?" I call up to her in a melodramatically, teenagerly way.

"Get your butt up hear, missy. I've got something to ask you about."

"You're already talking to me Aunt Tsunade. Can't you just ask without me having to get off my dead ass?"

"Sakura!" She was, as many moms or mom-like figures might indicate to their kids: not having it.

"Coming!" I slunked -yes, I know it's not a word, don't care- off of my bed and hauled ass up the stairs, lazily using my momentum to swing-slash-hoist around the banister at the landing halfway up them.

I found her leaning on the island portion of the granite countertops drumming her candy apple red, manicured claws on it, rather loudly I might add, in our immaculately well-kempt kitchen.

I only mention that last part because I'm in charge of cleaning it, not that I'm tooting my own horn or anything. *Faint mental tooting noises in the background* Hurray for OCD and perfectionistic tendences, I guess.

'Ooh, we're getting to the good part, right Outer?'

*Aggravated sigh*'Yes, Inner, and by good part as in me getting my ass chewed out?'

'Yeah! That.'

'Simpleton.'

"Alright Sakura, I found out why you've been ever-so worryingly chipper today. Principal called and was not a single bit pleased with your conduct that you demonstrated today." She ground out through her teeth at me.

Aunt Tsunade's eyes were trained on me in a glower that emitted 'gotcha red-handed, you little hobgoblin' vibes accompanied by a very noticeable, pulsating vein popping out of her forehead.

"I-I can explain!" I hurriedly offered to quell her anger before I could collect my composure a little better. Because I know full-well she fucking thrives on the fear of others when she's on a warpath. I tried to look calm and unaffected, but I most likely ended up looking anxiously constipated.

I knew I was in deep kimchi and was never great at concealing my emotions. Like, how does that even work? What does that even look like?

'Dunno, maybe C3PO or R2D2?'

I'm ignoring that.

"Well, shoot. I'm all ears and you have 0.2 seconds to try." She challenges doubtfully, looking straight into my soul with the dead eyes of a shark. I go for broke and take a deep breath before word-vomiting my rendition of today's events.

"Okay! Alright, so, I was minding my own business and stuff, you know, being a responsible and non-troublemaking student filled with optimism and light," She snorts at this but I ignore her and continue.

"But alas, suddenly, the fire nation attacked. Kidding. Seriously though, there was that redheaded witch bitch picking on this poor freshman, a damsel in distress one might describe her.

"Now, I believe this was because Witchypoo has the hots for the freshy's boyfriend. This poor girl looked about ready to cry and possibly abscond. So, I did the responsible thing, tapped on Red's shoulder, she turned around, and I decked her.

"You can hardly blame me for intervening, I mean, words are great and all, but in this day and age, everyone is just so afraid of violence and they want everyone to make peace and-"

I pause to fucking catch my breath.

"- some things need to be handled. So, yeah, technically things happened, but I took care of it. No problemo.

"I mean, it's not like the first time I've done something like this. I don't know why everyone seems shocked or appalled. Plus, she didn't even bleed that much."

My life is flashing before my eyes, she is getting to the point of no return. Fast.

'Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. She's going to fly off the handle!'

'Lmao. She looks like she's gonna pirouette off the handle. This is hilarious. Keep going, maybe she'll bite your head off your shoulders if you talk long enough, and I'll be free!'

'I'm fucked. I'm going to die today. Holy fuckballs.'

She cuts me off mid-spiel thank merciful Neptune.

"Sakura! You're rambling! Knock it off, alright? You're seventeen for cryin' out loud. That's it." She rounds the corner of the island in the kitchen, marching her way over to me.

"This is the last straw;" she continues.

"I love you Sakura, but I've set up for you to be transferred to a boarding school. I'm going to be finalizing the details tonight and come Monday your butt is out of here." She side-eyes me as she's reaching for her glass of wine.

'Wait where did that come from?'

'Oh no, she knows Jesus! I'm screwed.'

"You are always overreacting to something, and you need to get a clue for once. I 've got to crack down and step up on this parenting crap.

"It's my responsibility, as your aunt, to discipline you and guide you so you can grow into a young woman who can depend on herself, be responsible on her own, and not have to be dug out of her own shit or turn into a serial killer! Do you understand? I don't want you to turn out like I did!"

'Uh. What?'

"Aunt Tsunade, this may not be the time, but... were you really a serial killer?"

"Goddammit, NO! You're missing the point!" She roared at me as I cowered slightly.

'Outer, that was a pretty big point though; don't you think?'

A look of pure, pleading desperation flashes across her features, as if she remembers something she doesn't want to.

"Well, what do you mean turn out like you did? You're fine! You're the best aunt a person could ask for." I pout slightly getting more serious about the situation.

"You'll get it when you're older and when you're ready to know. Don't think too hard about that now. I have to get dinner ready, so you're dismissed. We'll talk more at dinner." She chastises me, but with a lot of her anger notable muted down twelve notches.

"Alright. I get it. I'm going to get a shower and think about some stuff. I should be done when it's ready." I mumble.

Shuffling down the stairs, I make my way to my room and grab some things for my shower. A towel, pajamas, my favorite lotion, and a couple other things. I revert to autopilot mode.

Today has just taken a turn for the weird.

I mean, where did the boarding school idea come from? Also, I'm not sure what I'm feeling or what I'm supposed to feel. Right now, the best I can come up with is numb unease.

I hope the shower will help. Maybe I'll get an inkling as to what to feel so I can process this. Or better yet figure out what to say to Tsunade at dinner and not be some unresponsive, apathetic noodle brain.

Morosely, I keep thinking about the 'fight', if you could call it that. It was one (well-delivered) punch, and I don't care if I'm violent sometimes; my reasons for violence are just. Right? I mean, technically it's not even surface me.

It's my inner personality. She is my depth, my truth, my soul, my reservoir of sarcasm, and my fighting spirit. She is the concentration of who I am, and we communicate as two separate beings but it's not so.

When situations get too hot to handle, I rely on her and relinquish my control. Wow, who knew narrating could be so damn cliché?

Fuck this, it's shower time. See you freaks after my shower.

*Current time: Post-shower Sakura. *

I walk back into my room, pajama clad and squeaky clean. I am still fuckin clueless over this whole school drama deal. The only real improvements is now I smell really good and my pajamas are the comfiest mofos in sleepwear history.

I lay on my bed, guessing dinner is going to take a little while, so I put in my headphones and scroll on my old as h*ck iPod shuffle, and pull out my sketchbook.

I decide to challenge myself, so I put my iPod on shuffle and decide to not allow myself to skip any songs. I struggle through a few songs, but I have hella good taste in music, so it isn't terrible.

I mostly zone out anyways, and focus on shading this tattoo-esque pencil sketch I've been experimenting with. It's got a left-facing, jawless skull with three roses intertwined along the right side. I'll have to scan it later and clean it up, but so far, I'm proud of it.

I get absorbed in the shading of the eye sockets as I vaguely notice Sweating Bullets by Megadeth fades and Make Me King by The Haunt starts up. I'm not really in a Korn kind of mood today, but this isn't a bad song. It soon fades to background noise, and then my boob vibrates. These pajamas are comfy, but they have no pockets. Gotta haul my phone in my bra. Bitches love bras.

I open the small, simple, ancient flip phone.

[1 New Message]

I open it and find I have a text message from my close friend Deidara.

Deidara: Hey, what's shakin' bacon, hmm?

Me: Not a whole bunch, other than my aunt planning to get me transferred to a different school.

Deidara: Why would she be doing that, I wonder? By the way, that's sarcasm, yeah.

Me: Yeah, so I punched a ho. Big frickin' deal, but this isn't just any school, she's talking about a boarding school.

Deidara: Ouch. You know how I go to a boarding school, hmm? It sucks, and you have to pay for everything and live on campus. Mine is an all-guys school, so it's extra sucky, yeah.

Me: Gross. Glad I can't go there. I'm too cheap.

Deidara: *frowns* Yeah, and speaking of which, I have a school meeting to go to tonight. A bunch of the guys and I actually have to leave right now. I'll talk to you later, Sak. Best of luck with your crazy aunt.

Deidara: Actually, best luck to her dealing with your crazy ass, hmm.

Me: Wow, thanks a ton, buddy. Whatever, talk to you later.

'Oh boy, I just can't wait for dinner, can you, Inner?'

'Nah, this'll be good.'

'So in other words, I'm fucked.'

'You sure are!'