Pairings: Implied KakuHida, Josh/Kazu, others still being considered
Story: Hidan and the gang have grown up, their own kids in high school now. But whats this? Hidan is in jail on a false charge, leaving his young son to be put through the torture of the foster care system. He's been put with an abusive foster father, who only cares about the money he gets for keeping the young boy. But now Kazu is in Akatsuki High, the school his own father went to. And all his father's old friends send their kids to. Things are about to get interesting for young Kazu...
Disclaimer: Fathers (c) Kishimoto
Kids and Extras (c) Me

A/N: Holy Crappers. I need to stop writing and sleep now. Oh! And if you want to see anything in this story, please tells me! I needs to know if I'ma put it in the story. Okay, now go read the story. READ. READ. READ.

It was two months later when parent-teacher conferences were announced that Josh noticed his now-shadow Kazu acting strange. It wasn't that the near-deadly skinny boy didn't already act like he was from another planet, but now he seemed to always be looking over his shoulder. Like someone was out to get him. Josh realized Kazu's father was in jail, even if Kazu wouldn't openly admit who his father was, but he had never met Kazu's foster parents. Could they be the reason his little shadow was acting so strange?

Kazu shivered slightly, knowing his foster father would meet his "friend's" fathers at the parent-teacher conference. And he was terrified that his foster father would drink beforehand. He didn't want to move schools, not when he had finally found someone who wanted to protect him…

"Hey, San, you okay?" Josh whispered to the boy who clung to his sleeve like a life-line. They were sitting outside on the grass under the tree, where they had taken to sitting since the first day of school and Kazu's mysterious appearance. Kazu sat pressing his body against Josh, and though everyone in the group knew it wasn't a sexual gesture but a fear-induced one, the rest of the school was not so accepting. "You're acting weird…"

"I always act weird," Kazu muttered as he took a bite of the sandwich Josh had bought for him. Josh would buy Kazu lunch every day, and wouldn't question Kazu's seemingly lack of an ability to bring his own. This shocked and gave hope to the group, that maybe Josh would stop being such a tight-ass with the money he earned and spend it on fun things. This did not happen to be the case. Only Kazu seemed immune to the miserly-Josh.

"Yeah, but not like this. I know I don't usually pry," and it was true. Josh hadn't even asked when Kazu had lost the ability to move his left arm for two weeks, instead trying to make up for it by being the smaller boys left arm. "But I'm worried, San. You act like someone's going to sneak up on you from behind! And you know they won't." Josh added as an after-thought. He wouldn't let them sneak up on Kazu. He thought maybe this protectiveness came from Kazu weak side, the side he had only begun showing when Josh had begun to protect him.

"I… I'm just… My mind's been elsewhere," Kazu finally "admitted". Josh knew it was a lie; Kazu had used eloquent speech when saying it, meaning he had thought it over for a few milliseconds before letting the lie slip past his now-chapped lips. A dark red tongue darted out and lapped at the lips before slipping back into its cave.

"…fine, I won't pry," Josh muttered, leaning his head against Kazu's hooded one. Josh was glad for the physical contact with the younger male. Younger, he had learned, by a year surprisingly. He felt like Kazu trusted him, even if that wasn't the case.

Kazu, on the other hand, was becoming more and more terrified by the minute. The only thing that kept his mind off his foster father was his upcoming visit with his father. In a week, he would be going to his father's prison up in Marin, a small county in northern California. San Quentin was a well-known prison, and it scared him to think his father was there. But it was a six-hour drive there, and his social worker, a woman by the name of Temari, would happily drive him there. Kazu couldn't wait to see his father for even a few minutes.

And then a boisterous laugh filled the air, making Kazu jolt and Josh smile fondly as Aiden doubled over laughing at something the confused Junior had said. Poor Junior was so naïve it was just funny, and it must have been unbearable this time because even Rain looked like he was about to burst out laughing any moment.

"No, no I do not believe you!" Aiden squealed as he finally recovered and shook Junior's arm.

"W-well, it's true… My dad's opening a club called Scorpio and you're all invited to the opening… Even you, San!" Junior sent a smile his way, making Kazu duck further behind Josh. He was stoic before, but now he just acted cowardly, Junior noted. "My dad said it's going to be a great hang-out for teens and stuff, with non-alcoholic drinks and a dj with new music. Mel's mum is helping out."

Mel beamed brightly. "Yup! Mum said she would find a dj, though I didn't know she knew one…" Mel tapped his chin thoughtfully, humming to himself while Chiaki chuckled and leaned against the blue-skinned boy. Their romance was well-known throughout the school, and one that you just did not openly discuss unless you wanted a very angry Uchiha on your tail. Chiaki could be as deadly as his legendary police-officer father, though never as emotionless.

Kazu gently tugged on Josh's sleeve, making him move his arm so that Kazu could get between Josh's arm and his body. Kazu had taken a liking to this sitting position because it meant that one: he could easily hide, and two: he got the most physical contact possible. Kazu had never known he would miss physical contact, kind physical contact, this damn much.

"Aw! You two are so cute!" Jain squeaked out. Kazu flinched against Josh, making the protective boy hold him more tightly. "You two should so be a couple!"

"…Jain, I have a girlfriend," Josh muttered as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his unoccupied hand. "Just because your mind is beyond repair because of your fan girl yaoi fanatics doesn't mean we're all gay for each other."

"Aw…" Jain muttered, deflated. "I still say you would be cute together!"

"We know that's what you think, ja," Aiden muttered before quickly slapping a hand over his mouth. "Damn it! I thought I had stopped with that stupid speech impediment!"

"Apparently not," Junior chuckled, gently patting the blondes head as Aiden groaned and fell against his best friend. "But hey, we've all got something wrong with us. I'm obsessed with making dolls as you've pointed out many times, Rain and Jain are just creepy-"

"Hey!" The twins cried in unison, indignation showing plainly on their faces.

"You know it's true. Mel is blue, Chiaki had red eyes, Zayn has two personalities, Lee is… well, Lee, San wears a hood and Josh…" All eyes turned to the tall, dark-skinned boy, attempting to figure out what his flaw was. Josh knew they wouldn't figure it out, at least until Kazu began shivering slightly by his side. He glanced down to see a small smile on the boys face. He was laughing. For the first time since he had met him, Kazu was laughing.

"Holy crap, Junior, you made San laugh," Josh chuckled quietly. Kazu looked up at his as well as he could with the hood, smile still pulling at his chapped lips and body still shivering slightly. He nestled more in Josh's arm, this time more in an attempt to get comfortable than an attempt to hide. All looked on in astonishment.

Junior opened his mouth for a second before anything came to mind to say, "I think this just proves that there really isn't anything wrong with Josh. I mean, you're the captain of the soccer team, treasurer on the student council, and top student of the school. Only thing I can think of is that you're a miser, and in all honesty that isn't that bad."

"I can think of something…" Kazu muttered sleepily, holding back a yawn as he relaxed against Josh, as if getting ready for a nap. "And you're all blind as Jashin-damned bats if you don't see it."