Author note: So sorry for the wait. Chapter postings should come more often now however, or as much as I can manage. Thank you so much for waiting everyone. No I have not forgetten. Life has just been very demanding of attention as of lately. I think however it has finally calmed down at least some. So keep reading, and I shall keep writing as they say! Thank you everyone!

Guitar strapped to his back and wondering the hallways towards his next hour Naruto felt pretty good about himself, about the first meeting with the new kid and the interest he had perked. Smiling brightly to himself he thought, How could this day get any better?

Unfortunately… the smile didn't last long…

Almost as soon as he had set foot towards the nearest class room late? The fiery gaze of Gai-Sensei their local gym teacher burned its way almost through him screaming about laziness and shame of being late to class conflicting with the energy of youth! And Naruto went from being only a little late to missing the entirety of his class periods to run laps around the school in hopes to reawaken the energy of youth that burned inside of him…Poor him.

Meanwhile -Sensei looked up from just finishing up attendance which he had forgotten to take right at the start of class and questioned his classmates bewildered. It was the first day of class after their two weeks off for spring break, "Has anyone seen Naruto?"

It was evening by time Naruto had finished running laps and with the sun down came the evening meal he so longed for and desired was not far away. After a long day of hard work his legs pounded for some much demanding rest while his stomach grumbled loudly for some much needed attention.

He held his groaning stomach begging to silence it if only for a moment. Long enough to make the trip to the cafeteria would be nice at least…but there was no luck.

"I know you are hungry…just a little longer and I promise you all the ramen…all of it"

Protesting his legs did not want to listen to his pleading either. Pounding with the pain that came from working them for hours unforgiving he could not expect any kindness on their end either, falling ungracefully into the nearest seat offered to him.

Kiba seemed the only thing at the current moment offering to take pity on him, bringing his tray over to sit next to him upon sight, almost as if avoiding the conversation he had been having with Shino previously, seeming very glad to see him.

"Man where were you all day? Couldn't find you after class…didn't show up at lunch" Something so simple as Kiba's usual pat a friend on the back greeting seemed to ring in his ears, the wince it brought showing obvious muscle tension, overworking clear, "Aw…dude you didn't…"

"I did…" Naruto muttered too tired to give much of a smile though he tried.

"Hey Shino, grab Naru some more food will you?" He wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulders supportively, giving him something to lean on as he wavered in his seat, "He's had a rough day."

The explanation seemed to go understood and without argument the other boy left the two alone though giving a longing look to join them could not be mistaken as he set down his tray on the other side of the table before going to do as told silently.

Naruto cricked his neck to watch him wondering, Has Shino always been this quiet? He couldn't recall so, maybe just a little stand offish to girls for his love of bugs. But it was his love of bugs- or insects rather that made him all that more interesting…his own person. The blonde could not place while it had seemed odd to him he was so quiet today. Could it been what Kiba and he had been speaking about before Naruto came in to interrupt them? If so why had Kiba seemed somewhat relieved to see him? An escape maybe.

All these thoughts only led to a pounding in his head that out did his legs and a stronger grumbling from the pit of his stomach. He was over thinking this…this was Shino not Gaara who he had yet to figure out. Shino, Kiba and Naruto had been friends since the first time Shino ever entered the school in Kiba and Naru's second year there. There was no way anything could be wrong between them now without Naruto being the first to know about it.

The smile spread back across his face and though crankiness had tried to ruin the moment by making him think a lot Naruto was soon laughing and joking with Kiba just as before. Content in his awaiting his beloved promised roman which had yet to come.

Time passed slowly through out the evening meal. As steaming ramen made its appearance and tired arms had to be convinced to even hold his chopsticks in place to shove it in his mouth. Nartuo sure felt a lot better after the meal was started then when he entered the mess hall.

"Ah!" The only sound that seemed important for the moment was the sound of satisfaction.

However it could not last and Naru knew that as he started on the second bowl of the evening, this time slower. Kiba who had just started on his own smirked playfully watching, and at the moment Naruto knew what was coming.

"So, Naru…did you even manage to catch up with the red head before Gai-sensei got a hold of you, or did he catch you out in the halls first thing after the bell rang like last time?"

His eyebrow twitched as he heard the mocking in his friends tone, but glancing up he notice not only Kiba watching intensely, but Shino as well interested in what he had to say. It seemed the raccoon eyed teen had caught most everyone's attention within the time period of a single class hour. Or at least half of it he was there for anyways.

"Yeah I caught him….we even talked a little…" Naruto smiled though he knew even to himself his words sound uncertain, "Theater room" He added quickly so it might seem a little more believable.

He wasn't certain that it did, but they at least seemed to buy it. It was the truth after all why shouldn't they?

Shino's calm voice began to explain, "We saw him enter the third class of the day without worries. Then again in the mess hall. One of the first to get here. Kiba tried to call him over to ask if he'd seen you-"

"But of course the little blood head kept right on going…just like he never even heard it." Kiba cut off, growling in frustration.

At news Gaara had entered before him instincts kicked in him to spin around an take in everything in the room, looking for the rumored blood colored head among all the other boys.

"He's not here anymore Naruto. Honestly. What is your obsession with the boy? Just leave him alone." Kiba scoffed crossing his arms along the back of his head to pull his hoodie up tighter, slipping a bit of his dinner to the dog with him under the jacket. "The boy is dangerous…he's got evil in his eyes I am telling you. They are the color of evil"

After that dinner continued along in silence. The color of evil? Was there really such a thing? Naruto thought carefully over all the things which were said and shared between them that evening. Even after the others had helped him get to his room without putting too much pressure on the already sore legs and gotten some ice for him to lay on the worst parts, his mind was working long and hard.

The wind blew an errie way around him and shadows danced across the walls unnoticed.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out child like very timidly. "Good night."

The seemingly uninterested roommate rolled to face the other way already within the reaches of sleep, gruffly answering back, "Good night Naruto"