Chapter 3

"Why, why, WHY does this always happen to me?" Sakura cried out as she ran for her life with a certain bowl-cut teeth-sparkling 17 year old following her with hearts in his eyes.

"SAKURA-CHAN MY LOVE! YOUR YOUTH SPARKLE LIKE A THOUSAND DIAMONDS," the guy was following her with only a few steps behind her as she sprinted down the hallways after gym.

"LEE! Leave the poor girl alone," Kurenai called out as she leant against the doorframe of her Maths classroom casually as she watched the scene with knowing eyes. It happened every day after all.

Lee was Sakura's 'stalker' as she likes to put it because he just wouldn't leave her alone. He followed her sometimes, left flowers and chocolates at her doorstop and was forever asking her out and just non stop talking to her while everyone else avoided her.

"OH MY GOD! GET AWAY FROM MEEEE!!!!!" Sakura cried as she leapt over the steps from building A to building B with the beautiful grace of an athlete.

"… Ummm, is that normal?" Asked a very freaked out Temari as she watched Sakura run past her with her hair flying and a black blur running after her screaming his love to everyone who would listen… which was no-one. Everyone was too used to it already.

"Yep, as soon as Lee laid eyes on her he has been proclaiming his love for her ever since. He is the only one who isn't scared of them. He continuously talks to Sakura whenever he can, he doesn't even care about Sasuke-kun and Naruto," Ino said as she walked by Temari without a second glance.

"Hey, I've just noticed this, why is it that you say Sakura-san's name without the proper honorifics? Neither Naruto-san or Sasuke-san," Kankuro asked as his brother listened on curious as well, but his eyes were focused on Sakura's retreating back.

"… It's a long story. I'll tell you some time, just not now." Ino had a sad look on her face as she, Hinata and Tenten all shared a quick look with one another before starting to walk again.

"Come on guys, we're gonna be late for Art. Let's go before Genma throws something at us for being late.

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"Why *puff* is it *huff* ALWAYS ME!?!?!?" Sakura cried out as she slumped into her seat near the window with Sasuke and Naruto opposite her. She was sitting with chairs free on either side of her with Naruto and Sasuke in front of her. In the art classroom they were seated at 2 long tables with 6 seats on either side instead of single desks and chairs.

"Because you attract weirdo's, Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled and then had to immediately duck as a fast moving object was aimed right at his head.

"Great aim Haruno!" Genma called from the front of the class as he flicked to another page of his magazine.

"Still reading Porno Genma?" Sasuke called with a smirk as his sensei started to stutter.

"T-That's Ab-absurd! DETENTION!" Genma flustered around as he slammed the magazine into the second draw of his desk.

"HAHA! TEME YOU GOT DETENTION!!" yelled Naruto with laughter as he and Sakura cracked up as Sasuke's smirk got wiped off his face and transformed into a scowl.

"You two as well," Genma said with a flick of his wrist as the rest of the class entered the room.

Everyone in the class already knew where they were sitting, and the seats on either side of Sakura were never sat in for fear of what she, or the two boys who were always there, would do to them. But considering that Temari and Gaara were in their class, Sakura would have to endure with the two of them on either side of her.

"This is the best day of my life!" Sakura exclaimed sarcastically as she threw her head down onto the desk with a big 'thump'. She stayed there for about 3 seconds before pulling her head back up and rubbing it as pain escalated from that specific spot on her forehead. "ARGH! Why did I do that?" Temari and Gaara stood behind her with wide eyes as they had a bit of a panic attack at having to sit next to this nutcase.

"Hurry up and sit down and get straight into it. Your theme is Ancient Myths, so pick up your pencils and draw something. Haruno, Uchiha, Uzumaki, your detentions will be today after school.

"WHAT!?!" Naruto exclaimed as he and Sakura stood in outrage. "The best waves are formed at that time of day! Give us a lunchtime one!"

"Sorry guys, but you don't get to decide," Genma said quietly as he pulled out his magazine again, not caring if they saw it now.

"I think Tsunade and Kakashi may just disagree with you there Genma," Sasuke said just as quietly as he stood along with his two best friends.

"Are you threatening me Uchiha?" Genma asked dangerously as he too stood up.

"Oh no, he wouldn't dare. He was just warning you," Sakura smirked as she watched the emotions dancing on Genma's face; uncertainty, anger and embarrassment.

"…Fine. You will come here as soon as the lunch bell rings and you will be washing windows all lunchtime. Do you understand?"

"Heh, sounds good. We love water," Naruto grinned as they won yet again against the teachers.

"Sit down, all three of you and start drawing!" Genma tried to get back his pride as he once again took control of the class.

"And anything point for us," Naruto's grin became wider as Sakura licked her finger and made a 1 in the air.

"What is that now? 100 to us and 0 to the teachers?" He asked with an air of arrogance about him.

"Haha, don't get cocky Naruto," Sakura laughed as she grabbed her art file and pencil to start drawing. Gaara and Temari had long sat down and were currently looking at each other as if to say; 'what is with this girl?'

"You're freaking them out again Sakura," Sasuke noted without lifting his eyes from his paper where he had started to doodle.

"Pfft, like I care," Sakura muttered as she put her tongue between her teeth and continued working on her art piece.

"You should," Temari bravely said as the room seemed to become dead still. Even Genma stopped what he was doing and froze, listening in on his students' reactions.

"Pardon me?" Sakura lifted her face with curiosity written all over her face. No one had ever talked back to her and she wondered where it would lead. She was fascinated by the new girl. She wasn't afraid of her.

"I'm not scared of you, ya know? You are just a spoilt rich brat who is taking being a celebrity to her head," Temari accused as Sakura fully turned her body towards her now with anger present on her face as well.

"I would take that back if I were you sunshine," Sakura muttered dangerously as she was offended by what Temari had just said.

"No, I won't cause I'm right aren't I ­–" Temari got cut off as she saw Sakura lift her hand as if to slap her. Temari shyed away from the oncoming abuse before realising that the hit hadn't connected. Sakura had stopped her hand less than an inch away from hitting Temari's left cheek.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand or know. Do you understand? Next time, I won't miss, and it won't be a slap. I will punch the fucking shit outta you," Sakura threatened quietly, with only Temari being able to hear her threats.

Temari just nodded as she saw so many emotions dancing in Sakura's eyes. Sadness, anger and loneliness were only some of the emotions she recognised in that split second, but there were so emotions she could see in Sakura's eyes that she couldn't actually separate them all.

"Ok… I understand, I take it back," Temari said confidently and loudly so everyone in the class could hear.

"Hn," Sasuke looked between then, just as Naruto did, before the both of them resumed drawing as they saw no threat to their 'sister'.

'I wonder what they said to one another,' Gaara thought to himself as he watched Sakura resume drawing out of his peripherals. He noticed that she wiped something from her right eye, but if he had blinked he would have missed it. No one else noticed because they had quickly resumed what they were doing so as to not draw attention to themselves, but Gaara had caught the quick movement and it sparked more than curiosity in him. He felt pain in his chest at the thought of the pink haired girl next to him crying. He didn't understand the feeling; all he knew was that he never wanted to see her crying and he would make sure she never did again, within his power of course.

To start with, he was going to get to know the girl, no matter how many times she shoved him out, he swore he would get past the shield she put around herself even if it killed him. But he hoped not on the latter.