Disclaimer: I dun own Naruto. Long live the Akatsuki!!!
I'm not DEAD!!!
Sorry it too centuries. Between writers block, school, family, dying animals, and faulty friends, I was kind of overwhelmed. I HAVE NOT started chappter four but I know what it's going to be about and I'll get to it eventually. At least a two week break is coming up so I can work on it then.
Episode 03: Hidden Truth
At about eight or nine in the morning, everyone was gathered, Sai reclining in the rocking chair yet again, getting fed some soup by Hinata, who was too nice for her own good, Naruto channel surfing on the sofa, while Sasuke and Sakura stayed in the kitchen, cleaning up.
Amazing, the rich bastard helps out more than Naruto…maybe I should hire him.
"Oi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called. "When's lunch?"
The pink haired teen shot her adopted brother a glare that made the poor boy gulp and go back to channel surfing.
"And he's putting on a façade?" Sasuke smirked, raising a brow just to anger the mysterious maiden even further.
Sakura huffed, about to spurt some smart remark but held it in, allowing air to gather in her mouth, puffing up her cheeks. She didn't think Sasuke was that bad of a guy but he was no Prince Charming either. Ever since earlier, Sakura had put a little more thought into who Sasuke really was, not that bastard he made people think was actually him, but the one hidden deep, deep, deep, deep down.
Her emerald orbs followed him as he kept his back to her, drying some of the damp plates still left in the sink.
Maybe…
"Are you going to gawk at me all day or actually help out, you could use the exercise," he insulted, turning around to face her, his trademark smirk evident on his ghost white lips.
That knocked Sakura straight back into reality and all she could do at the moment was flush completely scarlet. A mix of emotions swelled within her. Anger…embarrassment…anxiety…
Yeah, anger will do.
Her head tilted downward and for a few moments, she stared at her bare feet, at her somewhat swollen ankle. "You…BASTARD!!!" She gritted her teeth in frustration and Sasuke could have sworn he saw steam erupt from her ears before she raised her fist, slamming it into his head.
Sasuke faltered, slipping a few steps back, away from the crazy innkeeper. He rubbed the newly formed bump on his head, glaring at the furious woman he now wondered to be Medusa.
While Sakura stayed in a battle stance, Naruto was gawking from the couch, dropping the remote on the floor.
This is even better than TV! Kick his ass Sakura-chan!
Hinata had dropped the spoon she had been using to feed Sai moments earlier and since whiplash was still plaguing his neck, all Sai could do was guess the event that had taken place.
Ugly has some guts after all.
A smirk made its way to the raven-haired teen's lips, astounding everyone in the room, mostly Sakura, who had lowered her fists.
"Not many have had the guts to hit me… You're probably the first, Sakura-chan," he teased, letting his hand drop to his side.
Her eyes widened a considerable amount as her whole body eased. He had insulted and teased her yet…she wasn't angry…at all…
The knucklehead whistled from his seat on the couch, earning him a worried glance from the Hyuga heiress. "Boy, you're going to get it now," he grinned cockily, letting his teeth gleam brightly.
A few seconds of silence passed and no one spoke a word, only few worried looks from Hinata, and bored ones from Sai (via Whiplash Lad now), were passed.
It's Ugly's move, Sai told himself, waiting expressionlessly for some sort of hurtful phrase, punches, or even strangling to come but the young innkeeper never did any of that. No, instead she just turned on her heel and resumed wiping off the counters.
Sasuke had to admit that her reaction had definitely stumped him to say the least but, as usual, he kept his cool and shrugged it off, also returning to morning chores.
Naruto, on the other hand, was just stunned, his mouth hanging widely agape, hitting the floor, letting flies zip into his mouth. Hinata was also shocked; her lips slightly parted, eyes dilated, the spoon hanging limply in her fingers. Sai too was taken by surprise but decided that he really didn't give a damn and would rather be fed at the moment, staring at the bewildered Hyuga and after not getting a single sign of her actually hanging in reality, he leaned all the way back, muttering about the pain and mistreatment he was receiving.
God, he just wanted to go home… Was food too much to ask for?
"S-S-S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto wailed. "Please say it isn't true! You're taking the teme's side!"
She glanced impassively at him before giving her simple response. "No."
"T-Then why_!?"
"Would you shut up Naruto!?" she screeched, suddenly catching everyone's attention once again. Realizing that all eyes were on her once again, and seeing as to how the circumstances were worsening, Sakura dropped her washrag and started towards the halls.
"I'm going to my room," she muttered.
"What was…" Naruto started when he heard the door shut echo rather loudly throughout the house, "…that about…?"
"Dobe," Sasuke grumbled, putting away the final dish before tossing the rag down, going to back to the living room.
"Teme!" Naruto shouted, shooting up to his feet instinctively.
Sasuke didn't feel much like arguing with the blonde idiot, since no one seemed to be able to get through that thick skull of his except Sakura, so he just sent him one of his trademark glared before finding nearby corner wall to lean upon.
Naruto clenched his teeth, biting his tongue, forcing himself to sit down in order to lower his temper somewhat.
"Sasuke-kun…" Hinata whispered worriedly.
"That was…unexpected since Ugly is known for her temper," Sai muttered to himself aloud.
"No, no, no," Naruto grumbled, his voice gradually faltering. He ruffled his already mussed blonde spikes in frustration. "Ugh, this is all wrong!"
Sasuke momentarily paused at the final plate, freshly dried, staring at the faucet's silver base, at his own reflection…his eyes specifically. They had caused him so much pain and grief yet they were what had established his career.
Flashback
"Hey, this kid has talent," one man clad in very flashy clothing commented, his eyes hidden by a dark pair of shades.
"Yeah, but look at the guy," the other, physically appearing much older, snorted. He pointed to the man auditioning onstage, at his average Joe, mousy brown hair, scarce freckles, and overly ordinary T-shirt and vintage shorts.
The other man sighed. "Ya got a point there. Next!" he hollered, unphased by the teen's expression and realization that his dreams had been shattered.
"Audition 462: Sasuke Uchiha." A pale teen with black, uniquely styled hair stepped in. His appearance apparently overwhelmed the judges compared to the previous ones. Despite his simple black attire, the judges seemed enthralled by one thing: his onyx eyes.
"Sing," one judge said, after getting a grip. As long as the kid was decent, with some special effects and editing, he could be the next king of the music industry.
His eyes, there was something in them that stood out. Anyone could get lost in them, at least for a moment, enough to get a person scanning the music section to look at his album.
The moment Sasuke opened his mouth, the judges unanimously agreed that he was the one.
Soon enough, Sasuke was whisked away on a plane to LA to discuss some things with record label where he decided on Itachi as his manager, seeing as to how he thought everyone else was either below him or just an imbecile. There, he met with other candidates selected to be in a band that the company had high hopes for. Sai, who Sasuke hadn't know had tried out at all, was chosen as the best guitarist from a large group though Sasuke thought Sai had either bribed the guys or was chosen for his looks. Deidara, the loudmouth pretty boy stuck on art that somehow exploded or whatever, mostly fireworks, was introduced also. Easy to say, he and Sasuke clashed. Neji, the cocky heir was also there but since Sasuke had met him during childhood, they were on decent terms. Shikamaru was the last member and the final person to be introduced. Apparently, his girlfriend had to drag him there.
Funny how a month after their first album was released, they were all over the radio and packing for their first tour.
That was three years ago.
End Flashback
Sasuke averted his gaze from the plate, putting it away, tossing the cloth aside.
And that's when life became a living hell…
As the young vocalist sauntered into the living room casually, he suddenly felt uneasy, noticing three pairs of eyes focused intently on him, mostly the pair belonging to a certain blonde idiot.
"What?" he snapped, returning the glare tenfold.
"Teme!"
Too annoyed to rebuke, Sasuke just heaved a heavy sigh before setting off for his own room.
"Hey, where the hell are you going!? I wasn't done!" Naruto hollered.
Sasuke stopped in his tracks, turning himself just enough to stare the dobe in the eye. "To my room," he answered coldly, "and whatever you have to say is unintelligible and not worth hearing." With that, the teen just disappeared into the hall.
Naruto was about to chase after him but thankfully, Hinata intervened.
"Naruto-kun, please…" she begged softly, her eyes pleading.
The rambunctious youth swallowed uncomfortably and collapsed back onto the couch.
"Fine," he groaned.
She mouthed him a 'thank you' before turning back to Sai. "I'm sorry," she apologized nervously, picking up the spoon and now cooled soup bowl, "I forgot about your breakfast."
Sai raised his brows. Now you remember!? Of course, Sai being the reserved character he was, silently dismissed her mistake. I'll blame Dickless, he's the cause of most of our problems anyway.
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Naruto went back to channel surfing for awhile before something finally dawned on the poor boy. "Maybe we should go back to the psycho's house…" Naruto suggested more to himself than anyone.
"Huh?" Hinata somewhat hummed, snapping out of her daze. Sai had been fed and she washed the bowl long ago, setting into the comforter next to her friend's.
"Remember the crazy dude next-door I was telling you guys about?" Naruto asked.
"Where are totaled car is parked, right?" Sai sarcastically grunted.
"Yup," Naruto grinned, shooting Sai a brief glare.
"Why the hell would we go there? You told us to stay away in the first place," Sai stated nonchalantly.
Naruto thought about that for a moment. "'Cause there's a dead guy that deserves some kind of proper burial."
"Let me get this straight, you want to go there to bury someone who's probably rotting and maybe get killed in the process, Naruto?" a familiar voice said, edging in from the hall.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, jumping to his feet. "You're alright!" He rushed to hug his friend who had just come out from being locked in solitude inside her own room.
Sakura made a disgusted face, prying Naruto off of her. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"So Ugly makes her appearance," Sai said, once again ruining the once somewhat peaceful atmosphere.
"Sai!!!" Sakura balled her fist and bopped him roughly over the head before plopping on the couch, still suffering from a slight limp. "So what's this about going to bury the dead guy?"
"Oh, well…I thought he deserved some burial so who better than us to give him a funeral!" the blonde grinned.
The rosette haired teen sighed, rubbing her temples. "Normally, I'd agree with you but Naruto, think of the circumstances…we could get killed."
"Don't you have any weapons?" Sai asked, a bit baffled at the idiocy of it all. Everyone he knew either had a gun or carried a pocketknife on them at all times. It was just the way society functioned.
Sakura and Naruto exchanged bewildered glances before answering in unison. "No."
"Should we?" Sakura added.
"Who would be dumb enough to…" Naruto started.
Sai dug into his pocket silently and pulled out his own pocketknife, which he still had because he didn't trust these dolts…mostly the blonde. It was always the dumb ones…
"Oh." Naruto shut his trap after that.
"W-Where we are f-from, it's normal t-to carry weapons," Hinata clarified. She nervously tucked a black strand behind her ear.
"Why?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side, obviously clueless. Most people would say that Naruto was playing dumb but the knucklehead was too dumb to do even that much. Sometimes, Sakura pondered the thought of Naruto being dropped on his head when he was a baby…from the top of a three-story building. Of course, the thought was dismissed since there was no way the dolt would even be alive after a plunge like that.
"Ugh, Naruto!" Sakura slapped her forehead.
Maybe he was hit by a car on his way home from the hospital…
"So we going or not?" Naruto grinned, waiting for Sakura's approval…like always.
"N-Naruto has a p-point. E-Everyone deserves a p-proper b-burial," Hinata stammered. "But it c-could b-be dangerous," she finished.
"I'm not moving," Sai stated as if it were the most basic thing in the world. Everyone suddenly remembered the poor bastard was suffering from a minor case of whiplash at the moment, some feeling a bit of remorse while Inner Sakura just internally flipped the man off, dooming the pompous teen to the pits of_
"Sakura-chan, you in there? Hello?" Naruto called, waving his hands right into her face, popping her personal bubble.
"Yes, idiot," Sakura growled, grasping his arm tightly, flinging it away.
"Are you going?" Naruto asked.
"Huh?"
"To bury the dead guy," Naruto answered.
"Hmm, oh, yeah…wait_"
"Then it's settled, Sakura, Hinata, and I will be going to bury the dead guy and the two Uchiha bastards will stay here and housesit!" Naruto announced dramatically.
Oh boy…what have I just gotten myself into? Sakura mentally sighed. So much for my college dreams…
Naruto-kun… Hinata bit her lip nervously. Maybe…maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…
I was wrong…they're all idiots… Sai mused to himself.
"W-When are w-we going, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata stammered once again, unable to directly face said idiot, choosing to stare at her feet and twiddle her thumbs instead.
"Tonight!" Naruto answered immediately.
A few moments had elapsed before…
BAM! "Naruto, you idiot!"
"Ow, Sakura-chan," Naruto wailed, rubbing the newly formed red bump on his head, "why'd you do that?" He looked up, teary-eyed, but Sakura merely grumbled before crossing her arms impassively.
"Why the hell would we be going out at night!?" Sakura shouted. They would clearly be at a disadvantage, unable to see any possible threats let alone find their way back through a field that happened to lack a map or road signs.
"So he couldn't see us!" Naruto answered.
Another hit, another cry…it seemed routine nowadays.
"Ooooooow!" the blonde cried again, clutching his somewhat deformed head.
"Idiot, we wouldn't be able to see at all!"
"Oh yeah, forgot about that…heh heh," Naruto chuckled nervously, averting his eyes from his angry fellow innkeeper, scratching the back of his head.
"Ugh," Sakura groaned, raising her fist menacingly. The blonde instinctively shrunk away to the farthest corner of the room.
"S-Sakura-s-san, y-you're ankle," Hinata pointed out.
"Huh, oh," Sakura remembered, "it seemed to have fully healed just a little while ago." She shifted all of her weight on her once aching right ankle, feeling only a slight sting. It wasn't enough to make her limp though, thankfully.
"I-It wasn't a-as b-b-bad as we t-though," Hinata smiled.
"Guess you're right," Sakura said, glancing at her right ankle once again.
I should be glad but I liked when he…ugh, Sakura get it together! You don't like that Uchiha bastard! He's a rich snob, a flipping rock star! Since when did you ever like that kind!?
"Go tomorrow morning," Sai suddenly spoke, not bothering to look at the little group he dubbed "mercenaries" at the time, interrupting Sakura's thoughts. All eyes went to him, curious as to why he even bothered talking. He wasn't even accompanying them…though, in his current state, that would definitely prove to be a hassle as well as painful on Sai's part.
The younger twin to the "Uchiha bastard" shrugged. "If you go early enough, he may not even be up."
"Oh," the three echoed in unison.
"Come to think of it, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, apparently deep in thought, which certainly was a rare occurrence, "did we ever meet our neighbor?"
The rosette haired girl shook her head. They had never even seen him…or her…or it… Sakura couldn't even remember her parents ever mentioning the neighbor. Actually, they had said the place was vacant but she and Naruto were forbidden from stepping on the land. It was still considered trespassing.
Perhaps…staying off the land was for their own good. A predator was on their heels and maybe, it had been there all along…
"Then it's settled, we'll go at…dawn!" Naruto announced…again. No matter how much he tried, his efforts were futile. He would never be "cool".
With that, the blonde just plunked himself back on the couch to return to his ever so favorite pastime of channel surfing. Funny how he enjoyed surfing at the beach as well. Unfortunately, he hardly ever got the chance to go to Monterey anymore…
Naruto…
Tucking a strand of distinctive rosette behind her ear, the pallid skinned female merely joined her companion on the couch.
Is this…to make up for the loss of his parents…?
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Sakura found herself tossing and turning underneath her sheets that night. Despite the hot and humid weather, she couldn't sleep without at least one leg resting under her bed sheets. It was an odd habit, yes, but everyone had some sort of quirk to them.
Slapping her forehead, the teen suffering from a slight case of insomnia, mostly likely the cause of the upcoming events tomorrow morning, lurched her body upward, swinging her body out of bed.
…Ugh, can't sleep… I'll grab a snack from the kitchen or something…
After adjusting her disheveled attire, she stepped out of her room, gently shutting the door behind her, not bothering to notice the red outline of the night's full moon.
Wandering down the seemingly long winding hallway, the teen couldn't help but stumble sideways every now and then. God, nerves were such a pain.
Fatigue finally set in.
Maybe…just for a little while…I'll shut my eyes…
Involuntarily, she shut her eyes, letting her unguided legs lead her through the darkness. Then, her moment of complete tranquility shattered the fateful moment she collided with an unknown force, causing her to fall back onto the floor.
That definitely knocked some sense into the poor girl, waking her up fully as well.
"Ow," Sakura grumbled, rubbing her now aching back.
"Hmph, maybe you should watch where you're going more often," a voice sneered. Instantly, it clicked in her head, matching the face with the speaker. She could practically see the smirk creeping on his lips.
"Sasuke," the female growled, staring up at the face hovering above her that now appeared to be so visible.
Wordlessly, he reached out to slide his fingers around her wrist, wrapping around her velvety flesh, pulling the astonished soul gently from the floor. She stumbled a bit, out of pure shock, and instead of merely falling back once again, she found her face against something soft…something warm and sturdy. The rosette haired girl squinted a bit in the darkness, trying to hone in on the thumping sound she had started hearing. Feeling a sudden hot breeze whisk by repeatedly over the back of her neck, making her hair stand up on end, she finally mustered the courage to look up at the man whose chest she had been leaning on.
"Comfortable?" Sasuke smirked, raising a dark brow.
Immediately, Sakura bounced back, tearing her body from the Uchiha bastard's grip. Biting her lip, she kept herself under control. At least she hadn't yelled at the guy…yet…
For a few moments, the two lingered in another uncomfortable silence, which seemed not so out-of-the-ordinary like it should've been.
"What are you doing out here?" Sasuke finally spoke.
She sent him her trademark glare. "I could ask you the same thing, Uchiha bastard," she snorted.
As usual, Sasuke kept his cool, smirking at the new nickname Sakura had just bestowed upon him. "Uchiha bastard? Is that a pet name you're giving me now?" Despite the darkness looming over the quarreling pair, Sakura could almost see the smile reflected in his eyes.
"And what if I am?" Sakura retorted, placing her hands on her hips.
Sasuke shrugged. "Sai calls you 'Ugly'. I could start using his nickname," Sasuke suggested.
A vein popped on Sakura's forehead. "Hell no!" she bellowed, rattling the entire house. "Oops…" Quickly, she slapped her hand to her mouth but it was already too late. Her thunderous voice already rang throughout the entire living area.
"Good going…Ugly," Sasuke sneered, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Hush up!"
"Hn."
The two waited for a moment for any sound of life, or angry early-risers awoken by a loud screeching female standing in the hall, but nothing came. It was just dead silence.
Sasuke turned his body away, shifting his eyes to the wall. "You never told me why you're out here…" he said in an unintended whisper.
"Huh?"
"You never told me why you were wandering the halls," Sasuke rephrased, louder this time.
"Oh. Uh…it's kind of complicated…" Sakura trailed off, fidgeting with her hair, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. Was it her or was the air a bit stiffening?
"I have time," Sasuke said evenly, leaning against the wall in a swift yet somehow graceful movement.
Sakura shot him a shocked look. He actually wanted to listen to her!? It seemed like the Uchiha bastard often switched from a cocky, know-it-all bastard-like personality to this sweet, quiet, teen who actually cared about her.
Frankly, it was creeping her out.
"Well…um…" Sakura couldn't find the right words to describe her fear. It was just so different than the normal frightened feeling she experienced every so often. The thought of going just across that meadow made Sakura tremble…they could…die…
"It's about tomorrow, right?" Sasuke interrupted.
"How do you know_?" Sakura started.
"The walls are hollow," Sasuke answered simply.
Why can't he admit he was eavesdropping?
"You're right," Sakura sighed at last, not bothering to argue about his undesired habits. At least he bothered to ask. "It's just…I don't know, I have this ominous feeling about tomorrow. Something bad is going to happen; I just know it."
Sasuke stood up to full height, examining the girl just a few paces away. She was different than before. Her fiery, indomitable spirit had diminished, had shriveled up into a small pile ash, her once flourishing pink locks losing their luster, now a disheveled mess upon her head. Even her skin had become pasty. Even with the overwhelming darkness, Sasuke could see this. The girl he had met just a few days ago had taken her leave, a weak damsel-in-distress in her place.
Inadvertently, Sasuke's fist had balled itself into a fist, his knuckles changing into an unhealthy, pasty white.
He hated her like this. He hated weak people. He hated her.
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…
No, he hated himself for always being so strong, always shrouding himself in darkness.
"Sasuke-kun." That voice, as beautiful as a thousand wind chimes, haunted him.
"Sasuke-kun!" It stung like a thousand sharp rosebush vines, wrapped under a blanket of razor-sharp thorns.
"Sasuke-kun, I…I lov_"
He tore himself from that memory, averting his full attention to the present.
They're were so much alike, Sakura and_
"Sasuke-kun?"
His blood red eyes snapped to the young woman now worriedly touching his arm, hoping to comfort him. Her hand slid off his muscled, bare arm and back to her side.
He breathed a sigh of relief, shutting his eyes briefly before reopening them. They resumed the onyx hue they had often held.
"Are you alright?" Sakura continued, her green eyes reflecting the same concern her quivering voice held.
"Hn."
Sakura huffed, puffing up her cheeks immaturely, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well Mr. Uchiha, I'd say you're perfectly fine," she retorted, adding in, "bastard," under her breath.
"Sakura," Sasuke spoke calmly, despite the monsoon thundering inside of him. "If you need," he paused to glance down at her eager face. "Ugh, never mind." He began down the hall at an amazingly quick pace.
"Hey, wait! What were you going to say, Sasuke-kun!?" Sakura chased after the retreating fellow, her anger and worry easing off every moment she was with the older Uchiha.
As he rounded to his room, he felt a small hand grasp around his forearm tightly, unable to wind its fingers fully around. He twisted his body around to meet the eyes of none other than: a determined Sakura Haruno, ready for some answers.
"Finish what you were going to say," she growled, grinding her teeth.
He smirked. "And what if I don't want to?" he challenged.
She forcibly shoved him against the wall. "Then I'll pin you down until you do."
"Is that a challenge?"
Now, the Haruno smiled. "And what if it is?" she teased.
"You can't overpower me."
"Is that so?"
Sakura twisted Sasuke's arm back, swinging the Uchiha off his feet, sending him hurtling towards the wall. With a large thump, the older of the pompous Uchiha twins found himself pinned under the tiny Sakura Haruno. She smirked at the victory but little did she know that the battle was just beginning. With a summoned burst of energy, the Uchiha turned the tables, twisting the feisty teen below him, both knees bordering her thighs.
Feeling the sides of his mouth twist, he couldn't resist smirking at his victory. He was eager for the pink-haired girl to swallow her big words.
"What was that about being stronger than me?"
"Hmph!" Great, now I'm starting to sound like him.
Reluctantly, she met his gaze and, for reasons unknown, her heart started racing. His smoldering gaze penetrated any and every defense she possessed in seconds. Her face heated up instantly when she realized the predicament she had just gotten herself into.
"Uh…you're on my…" she started.
Sasuke glanced to his side and felt a small blush dust across his cheeks. "Sorry!" He instantly sat up, letting the girl below him blink a few times before sitting back up.
As the redness gathered in her cheeks faded, she couldn't help but laugh. Sasuke, the biggest bastard on the face of the planet, helped her forget the apprehension that had been feeding on her insides, even if for just a moment.
Shifting her gaze to the quietly flustered man, Sakura whispered, "Arigatou, Sasuke-kun." Curious onyx eyes stared, bewildered, at the normally, uncouth young woman.
"For what?" he couldn't help but ask.
"For making me forget," she smiled softly.
And with that, the grateful maiden stood up and departed for her room, wishing Sasuke, "Good night," before disappearing into her room.
Sighing, Sasuke tousled his hair before mumbling something incoherent, also deciding to get a few more hours of sleep.
Episode 03: End
Another reader's choice... What event would you rather see happen in chapter five?
A) Naruto crashes his truck and he (and Hinata) are stranded miles away from home for the night.
B) Sakura accidentally locks herself (and Sasuke) in the shed in the fields (yes, it belongs to Naruto and Sakura).
C) Sai (whose neck is feeling better finally) decides to tamper with the possible couples and puts them in quite a few embarrassing situations.
A, B, or C, it's your choice and REVIEW!!! It's only cause of you guys I updated. The more the better because I feel the pressure to update and therefore, I update faster. Hopefully, I'm out of my writer's block. 10 reviews would be nice, especially if you want to revisit the scarecrow in the fields and meet the neighbor...