Hola! Hi! Hello! Whatever! Hey, have any of you ever said ridonculous? like ridiculous... but not? I'm sorry. And sorry for the lateness too. Ive been sick lately and the doc has me on this RIDONCULOUS medicine... so forgive if this chappie is a little crazed. I tried to write my characters how they like to be written... originally Hoshi was a little more emo, little less trickster. But she wanted to be this way. *tear* They grow up so fast! So yeah. Sorry for the lateness, craziness, and general ridonculousness of my chapter!

Once again, I wondered why I promise things I don't want to deliver. Iruka had placed me at the front of the room, and all of the kids were staring at me. I wanted to beg Iruka to help, but this was my trial.

"!" I practically crawled to the back of the room, to my seat.

The class would have stared dumbly at where I was standing for quite a while longer, trying to figure out what I had said, if it wasn't for Naruto and his annoying ability to talk at high speeds too. "Aha! I knew it all along! You didn't look the right direction towards the people and, and, and stuff! I was the first to know that you were blind!" I could hear him almost doing a victory dance.

"Actually, Hinata w-" Hinata covered my mouth. It was a bold move, for her, so I decided not to push it. Naruto didn't hear, anyhow. Meanwhile, Hinata noticed that everyone was staring at my eyes with gaping mouths and she tugged on my sleeve. And I had so hoped to keep today drama-free. And I couldn't take it. "If you want to stare, at least try to make it so a blind person can't see it," I snapped. I turned back to the front and crossed my arms on my desk, putting my head down. Stupid kids.

"And she actually tried to be a ninja?"

"I know, it's a joke."

"What did she even plan to do? Keep it from us?"

"She can never be a ninja if she's blind, stupid girl."

I tried to control myself, truly. But the comments kept rolling and neither Iruka nor any of the people I met yesterday were going to help. They probably couldn't hear it over Naruto's shouting and the chatter of the class in the first place. This group was the only cruel one. I stood up from my desk, shaking. I ignored the silence that fell, ignored Hinata pulling on my sleeve, ignored the look I knew Iruka was throwing me, and ignored the burning stares of the more polite academy students. As I stepped carefully over to the group, I spoke dangerously low, "You know… when one has lost a sense… the others grow stronger…" I reached the desk where they were clustered, gripped the side, and dug my claws into it. I could feel deep gouges in the wood, the sound of wood giving way beneath my hands bracing me, reminding me of how destructive my body was. I wasn't going to hurt them. Just scare them a bit. My voice was lower now, but the entire class could still hear it as I said, "Now please. Tell me what your concerns are." My eyes stung, hot and painful, but not with tears. The group could see my eyes burning a deep, bright red, though I couldn't tell. Someone whimpered and I whipped to face them, grinning, and I could feel my teeth, strong and sharp, ready to shred and tear. I could feel the blood thrumming in my veins. I flexed my claws, and they dug deeper. Wait… my mind scrabbled at the surface of the rage. Did I want to hurt them? Did I want to shred, tear, kill? Yes. Definitely. Should I hurt them? No, no, no, no. I broke through the desk and dropped the shreds to the floor, defeated. I looked away and walked out the door. This bloodline thing sucked. Was it supposed to be this… thirsty?

I climbed a tree outside the academy, trying not to scratch the trunk up too much, using my palms. I found I could use chakra to hold myself steady enough to wrap my legs around and climb. Finally I reached the top, and waited for Iruka's voice to come out of the academy doors. It seemed he decided to let out early, because soon people were out, walking home. My head fell and I gripped the branch I sat upon. I didn't have a home. Iruka would send me back after this. Who would want a freak who can't see and is dangerous to those around her? Noone could see me in the tree. I could just wait till everyone was gone, then run away. Yes. I would do that. I hugged my now-scarred branch, and fell asleep.

***Alert: Naruto's POV***

I watched the people walk out of the academy from the swing. Some greeted their parents, and some went home by themselves. But they had family at home, something to look forward to. What was I supposed to do when they all went home? I was sore from training most days, and as much as ramen is the best food on the planet, I can't hang out at Ichiraku's all the time or people would start to think I didn't have important stuff to do all the time! But in the middle of my mind-rant, I heard something snap above me. Looking up, I saw the blind girl in the tree. Pretty high up, in fact. Her eyes opened slowly and she twitched.

She said in such a voice that it couldn't be disputed that she was asleep, "Oi… S'my tree. Gecher own, smelly boy." Her eyes closed again and she turned over. Only problem was, she was up in a tree. Her eyes snapped open again reflexively as she fell from the top of the tree. I stared, unsure what I was supposed to do. Should I move out of the way? Or try to catch her? My choice was easy when she turned in the air like a cat. I didn't want those claws digging into me, thank you very much!

***Alert: Hoshiko's POV***

Stupid branch.

My instincts kicked in despite just waking up, and I spun my body to hit the ground on my feet. Well, I would have, if it weren't for the claws. Having fell so far, my heels dug into the ground, absorbing all impact. But hell, that spin was disorienting. Hand on my head, I reached with the other, trying to find the tree from where I had fallen.

"Ouch! Watch it, you! Well, don't watch it exactly… but who are you calling smelly boy?" Well, I had poked something, but it certainly wasn't the tree. After using the sound of his voice to determine that I was, in fact, standing upright, I took a deep breath.

"Don't take offense. You just smell funny." I yawned into my hand.

"How am I not supposed to take offence to that?! I do not smell! Perfectly sanitary, thank…" His voice faded to the background as I realized…

"Oh shit! I was supposed to be out of here like an hour ago!"

"Huh? Where ya going?" Crap. Did I say that out loud? I laughed nervously and backed into the tree.

"Oh, just for a walk. Go around, get a feel for the people, y'know… haven't gotten much chance to socialize outside of the orphanage… Sooo see ya!!!" I sprinted off, only to knock down someone only ten feet away. "Damn it, watch where you're going!" I spat out while scrambling to my feet. It was the cold boy, Sasuke. However, I could smell a bit of smoke on him, as if he had just been lighting fires for the better part of an hour. "Get out of my way, icy little Uchiha. I've got somewhere to be." He said nothing, but he moved to block me whenever I tried to get around him. I growled, "Get. Out. Of. My. Way. Or I'll test how well these claws work on you."

"What did you call me?"

"Icy little Uchiha. Do I need to say pretty pwease? Get out of my way!"

"I don't think I will. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"What do you care? I'm going somewhere other than here!" I groaned, holding my head. Just waking up, falling from a high tree, and dealing with people all in two minute's time ticked me off. A lot. I pushed up on my talons and exerted a bit of chakra, like opposite from sticking to the tree. It propelled me a lot farther up in the air than I had expected. Hence the reason why my brilliant plan of living by myself in the forest was spoilt. I crashed to the ground, and decided to stay awhile. Brilliant.

Lurv! Lurv! Lurv! huggles all around. I think I might be some kinda insane... best get well soon, before it becomes permanent. I'd have too much fun, and THEN where would we be? Reviews? Still none... and even in my happiness, it depresses me.