A/N: See? Told you it'd be soon. xD
Anywho, here's the last pre-written chapter ( that's been written by Waffles ).
I've already started on the next one, so hopefully that will be out soon, too. Onto the story!
"It's really pretty down there. They look like stars."
/
Tsunade held her head in her hands as she stared miserably at the clock. It was 5:00 AM, and she had a killer headache. Maybe Shizune had been right about drinking that much. Hangovers were the worst.
She pulled open a drawer next to her desk and fumbled around its contents, looking for a Tylenol. Or something. Anything, really, that could make her migraine go away. Dang, I need to get organized.
She dumped unneeded or unwanted objects into the trash. Old receipts, the electric bill for room 4E, a winning lottery ticket, a keychain. A small piece of paper fell and fluttered to the ground. Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed as she picked it up. What the…
The sound of the phone dragged her out of her thoughts, and the blonde woman's head shot up. "I'll get it!" she shouted, stumbling out of the room, the paper clutched in her hand. She cradled the phone against her shoulder as she continued looking at the picture from the drawer. "Hello?"
"Tsunade. How nice to hear you voice again," a voice from the other side drawled. Tsunade's blood froze cold. No, not him…
"What do you want?" she asked, her hands shaking despite her angry tone. "Why are you calling?"
"Can't I call my old friend without getting the third degree?" The man on the other side smirked. He knew exactly how much she loathed him, how much she feared him. "I suppose you're going to be pretty busy over there, especially with her enrolled in the school now."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "Wh-What?"
"Tsk. I would have expected you to have been better on top of things. Yes, she's enrolled this year. But I guess no one would have told you. You hate her, don't you?"
"I don't," Tsunade murmured in defense, almost automatically, because that was always her answer whenever someone asked. "I don't."
"I suppose you won't mind if I stop over at that school of yours for a few days, would you Tsunade?" He continued to purr in that fake sickeningly-sweet voice. "Catch up with each other? I wouldn't mind an old talk about old times, take some time to visit her, and I hear Itachi's kid brother is all grown up now."
Tsunade snapped out of her dazed state to shout, "Don't you dare fucking come here! You're not welcome! Not at all!"
"Oh?" He laughed. "I believe I can come. Whenever I want to."
Tsunade gritted her teeth. "You're just lucky you're not locked up, like you should be. Where the hell are you?"
"I've been a few places, here and there." There was the sound of shouting in the background. The man ignored this and continued. "Certainly, I'm not about to be 'locked up'. However, you, Tsunade, you're not going anywhere, are you?"
("That school can only bind you. It makes you weak. You will fail to realize your true potential."
but who did he think he was anyways?)
"You stay…" Tsunade growled, her voice shaky at the edges. "You stay the hell away from here. Don't you fucking come anywhere near here!"
He laughed, a laugh she knew well, one that echoed in her head and stirred up memories.
Memories that she'd rather leave behind.
The phone went dead, but his voice still rang in her ears. "I believe I can come. Whenever I want to."
Numbly she stared at the picture, the old picture. She had been so young. So full of hope. Her Jiraiya, and him. Where had all that innocence gone? Were those smiles are that remained?
(But she couldn't get him to smile, no, no matter how hard she tried.
Why are people always leaving?)
"Shizune! I need you to make some calls to the police for me!"
/
Ino believed that sleeping in was good. It prevented bags under the eyes, left you feeling clean and refreshed, and besides, who actually likes to wake up early?
Sakura believed Ino should be a spokesperson. She could just imagine turning on the TV and hearing the blonde Yamanaka going, "Do you hate stains on your clothes? Get clean with Oxiclean!"
Ino vs. Billy Mays…hmm…
Anyways, both Ino and Sakura believed sleeping in was excellent. However, it is very hard to sleep in when you are awakened by the yelling of "MITSUKI-CHAAAAAN!" down the hall, and then finding that there is a new, unidentified girl sitting in the dark on the bed just to the right of you.
Who you swear wasn't there the night before.
"HOLY FUCKING CHICKENS!" Ino screamed, and nearly fell out her bed (now I know how Kiyo felt last night) and stood up. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?"
The girl raised an eyebrow, and answered calmly, "I'm Hamako Nina. But call me Neen. Your… new roommate," she added, pointing to herself when she saw their confused looks.
Sakura was able to compose herself faster than Ino, and smiled at Nina. "Well, hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, and that's Yamanaka Ino." She looked around for a lamp before turning it on, being able to clearly see the face of the new person. "And yeah, we're your roommates."
The purple-haired girl nodded, committing the names and faces to memory. There was more yelling from the hall. "Is something going on out there?"
Sakura shrugged. "Nah, just some late arrivals. Nothing much. If you want, open the door, you'll see what's going on."
Neen looked at the door, where the shouts were getting louder. That much noise for late arrivals? Nothing much? She walked over and pulled the door open.
A girl with wavy hair she had seen coming in was being thoroughly glomped by another girl with dark brown hair and bunny pajamas. This place gets weirder every second.
The girl with the wavy hair struggled out of the hug. "Okay, okay, nice to see you again too. Now get off me."
The other girl pouted and let go. She then caught sight of Neen, who mentally sweatdropped. Oh crap. "Oh yeah, you're a new student aren't you?"
Ino appeared behind Neen in the doorway, crossing her arms across her light-blue tank top. "Her name is Nina, or Neen."
Neen nodded, crossing her fingers that the girl wouldn't death-hug her too. Thankfully, she didn't. Instead, the girl shrugged and smiled. "Well, hi Neen. I'm Kiyomi, but call me that and die."
Taking a step back, Neen forced a smile, wondering if it was too late to call her parents and get herself the hell out of there. But then she remembered the position she was in to be asking favors and held her ground.
Another girl (how many people are there here?) with long dark hair, almost violet, stepped out into the hall, fully dressed. "Kiyo, don't scare them off before they even start the year."
"But Hina-chaaaaan…"
"And if you don't get dressed soon, you're going to be late."
There was the slam of a door, and the hallway had one less person in it. The girl with the violet hair shrugged and proceeded downstairs. Ino and Sakura returned to their rooms, leaving the girl and Neen alone.
The girl with the wavy chestnut hair looked at Nina and held out her hand. "Um, hi, I'm Uematsu Mitsuki."
Neen nodded, hoping that she'd be able to remember all of the names and faces of the people. It was only her first day, and nearly everyone she had met was, well, crazy. "Are you new too?"
Mitsuki shook her head. "I came here near the end of the year. I know a few people, but I'm still kind of new."
"Oh." Slightly relieved that there were sane people here, Neen shrugged. "Okay. So I guess I'll see you around."
CRASH!
Doors in the hallway opened, and people stuck their heads out to see where that had come from. Mitsuki and Neen exchanged looks before rushing down the stairs.
"Damn it, Yusei! That wasn't funny!"
"From where I'm standing it is."
A blond boy with spiky hair was currently trying to strangle another boy with long black hair- but not succeeding, considering the fact he was stuck (superglue?) to the seat of one of the chairs inhabiting the common room of the dorm. When he tried to stand up, he succeeded in knocking over several other articles of furniture.
"Gah! What the hell was that for?"
"Boredom, mostly." The other boy smirked. The one stuck in the chair growled and attempted one more time to stand up, this time falling backwards and knocking right into Mitsuki.
He turned around, and his annoyed face immediately broke into a grin. "Hey, Mitsuki, you were late last night! How was your summer?" Apparently in his greeting he had forgotten the fact his butt was still glued to the chair. Mitsuki stifled a laugh. Always a one-track mind.
"My summer was fine," she replied before introducing Neen. "This is Naruto. Naruto, this is Neen."
Naruto grinned at Neen. "Hi!" His grin quickly turned into a look of annoyance as he remembered the chair stuck to his behind. "Dang it, Yusei! Why was there glue on my chair?"
"Why was your chair underneath my glue?"
Neen looked at the other boy (Yusei, I guess). Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell is your problem?" She didn't know him, but from what she had seen, he seemed like a jerk.
Yusei smirked and put his hands in his pockets. "Oh, new girl, huh? I'm so scared."
Out of the corner of her eye, Neen could see Mitsuki trying to pull the chair off of Naruto. But she didn't care about that. Instead, she felt her fists clench, and she turned towards Yusei with rage in her eyes. "You should be."
Her fist has caught by another hand (Damn temper. It had never been one of her best traits) When Neen looked again, Naruto had somehow gotten in between her and Yusei. Mitsuki stood triumphantly to the side, a chair in her hand, watching.
Naruto stared Neen in the eye with a kind of seriousness not there a few minutes ago. "It's okay. He's not worth it." Strange words, for someone who had been in an angry rampage a few minutes ago. But they were spoken with a kind of determination.
Neen scoffed and turned away, crossing her arms across her black t-shirt. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not that interested, anyways."
This made Yusei roll his eyes, as if to say, Whatever, and Naruto grinned. "You're okay, Neen."
Mitsuki shared the smile, and Neen lowered her eyes to the floor, glad and embarrassed.
"Well, are we going or not?"
"Where are we going?"
Before either Mitsuki or Naruto could answer, (Yusei seemed less interested now that the trouble was over) there was a thud near the stairs. The group turned around to see that Kiyo had, in her excitement, jumped down at least eight of the steps on the stairs, and lay on her back, wincing. "Ouch."
Mitsuki laughed. Naruto smiled. Yusei sighed, and Neen watched cautiously, remembering how crazy the girl had acted a few minutes ago. She took a few steps back, just in case.
Kiyo jumped back up and grinned. "Okay, let's go! I wanna get to breakfast early!"
The brown-haired girl started towards the door, but Mitsuki calmly caught her by the arm, smiling softly. "Kiyo, your pants are on backwards."
Yusei whistled, and Mitsuki and Neen glared at him. Jackass. Kiyo looked down and turned red as Naruto laughed his head off. As she rushed back upstairs to turn her jeggings the right way, she screamed, "I KNEW THAT!"
/
School Bulletin Board
Notices:
Tomorrow the Sarutobi courtyard will be closed due to construction work being done on the S-buildings and the new mural on the wall. We ask for you to kindly stay out of the workers way, and try to find a different path for your daily commute.
Today is the Genin-Jonin buddy day. Jonins please report to the office to receive your bell. You must hide them from the Genins until they manage to find them or you take pity on them. Let's hope that there will not be a repeat of what happened last year. (Uzumaki Naruto, your therapist will be here at 5.)
A reminder, students–throwing water bottles, shoes, or any other items at other students will result in possible suspension. That includes knives, smoke pellets, and small explosives.
There is going to be a Back-to-School Dance in three weeks. All students are invited to attend. The dress code is formal, and no, that does not mean formal 'sweats'. Putting a corsage on a hoodie does not, in fact, make it appropriate for a dance.
Due to some safety infractions, there will be police escorts constantly on the school grounds. This is purely to keep you students safe.
Finally, we ask that the ANBU please stop teasing the Genin. They are new, and jumping up from behind them screaming "FIRE STYLE JUTSU!" does not help matters. We would also like the repeat offenders to explain what a jutsu is, as we are not sure if that is slang for an inappropriate word.
Personal Notices: Students are allowed to put up personal messages once a week.
Kurai: To whoever stole my gym clothes: I'm gonna find you. Just you wait.
Yonaro: If anyone finds a folder with the name 'Yonaro' on it, do not open it. If you do, it is not mine, and I have no clue how that crack got in there.
Naruto: Sakura-chan, will you go out with me?
Sakura: No, Naruto, I have no intentions of going out with you. Ever.
On a different note, Sasuke-kun, would you like to go out with me on the 17th?
Sasuke: No, Sakura, I have no intentions of going out with you. Ever.
Masashi Kishimoto: Does anyone know where my characters went? Anyone?
Lunches:
The lunches today are
Tuna on Rye
Macaroni and Cheese
Pizza
The girl stood in front of the board, her pierced lips curving into a smile. Despite the fact she had arrived hours late, she was feeling surprisingly energized- practically excited. Her boxer, Brody, sat quietly besides her, like the trained animal she was.
It was rather early, but she didn't feel like walking over to the dorm just yet to drop off her luggage. If anything, she'd drop it off during lunch or something. That way she wouldn't have to deal with the whole "Hey, what's your name, you're new, right?"
Her silver charm bracelet rattled when she dug around in her bag for a piece of paper and a pencil. Better to keep them on their toes than guessing, right? Because she knew better than almost anyone how quickly things could change.
Because what you know one day can change by the next.
Brody stretched impatiently as she scanned the board for a free tack. Finding two, she took one and used the other to pin it up. (Never know when a tack may come in handy.) She didn't care if what she wrote was a lie. It was fucking hilarious, and that was what mattered.
Is that all you got for you? she thought to herself as she walked away, Brody trailing behind her. But she ignored the voice. God, she had been spending too much time with them. She wouldn't be surprised if half of her started arguing with herself.
Black and white. Right and wrong had always been so different to her, but where did she fit in? The plant charm on her bracelet jingled, and she wondered if there would ever be shades of gray.
Shikyo: I found the crack, Yonaro. Hope you don't mind I took some. ;)
/
Sometimes she just liked to stand out there, under the cherry blossom trees and dream. Nearly a year ago, when she had just arrived at the school, she would take a textbook out there and study or maybe just daydream. Fantasies like fairy-tales. Good vs evil, where good always won. And sometimes she'd hide, after someone had called her bill-board brow, and think of herself as someone great. (a doctor, a warrior, Mrs. Sakura Uchiha) And sometimes, after those days, she had herself convinced that the beautiful trees were named after her.
But Sakura always knew that daydreams ended. She was an intelligent girl. She knew that life moved on.
And there she was again, standing underneath the sakura trees (not named for her, nor for anyone else), because wishing wouldn't get her anywhere.
"Hello, Ugly."
She flinched. Great, just who she wanted to see on the first day back. She gritted her teeth and willed herself not to beat the shit out of Sai as she turned around and forced a smile on her face. "Hi, how are you doing Sai?"
The mentioned boy smiled back, which in her opinion looked more like a grimace. "I'm fine. I spent the summer with my brother."
"Oh." Sakura remembered the brother vaguely. They didn't look like brothers–more like total opposites. But they acted like it. She remembered Sai had been drawing a picture book for his brother on his birthday. "How is he?"
"He's dead."
It wasn't the remark that made her gasp. It was the calmness that had been spoken with it, as if they had been discussing the weather. Sai didn't show any sadness or grief about the passing of his sibling. Indeed, he kept the same old smile on his face.
"Oh..." Sakura searched her mind for anything to say, anything that could be neutral, not to be taken any way at all. "That's…"
"It's sad, isn't it?" But it didn't sound sad when he said it. "He had cancer. We had known it for a while, didn't expect him to live any longer, but…" Sai finally looked away. "It kind of snuck up on us."
"I'm so sorry." She truly was. "I'm sure it must be…hard for you."
Sai shrugged, and raised his hand to wave. "I guess I'll see you around, Ugly." He walked away, carrying his set of paints with him. Sakura had not noticed them before.
She watched him leave. They had not gotten off to a good start last year, from the very first time he had called her that 'nickname'. However, she knew that there was not much difference between him and Sasuke. The one she disliked and the one she admired. The only difference, she realized, was the ability to hide their feelings.
Sasuke never let anyone get close to him. No one ever knew how he really felt. With Sai, that fake smile was a mask made of ink. She knew that slowly, that ink was fading, and she wondered what was really beneath it.
/
Just a few more paces, she told herself. Just a few more strokes. She concentrated on that point of blue at the wall, focused on it until it was burning in her mind. Her lungs were burning for air, muscles screaming for mercy, but she continued to push on until her hand hit the wall and she pulled herself half-way out of the pool with a sigh.
Despite her weariness, Cam let a small smile cross her face. Her will to win had set her apart from the other swimmers last year, and this year, she had been named captain of the Konoha swim team. No one dared challenge her. Because she knew she wanted to win, and she was going to win.
When she looked up, she saw a pair of green sandals standing right in front of her face. She frowned and looked up. A girl with black hair held up with a green band and luxurious clothing was standing in front of her, smirking. Cam pulled her goggles up onto her forehead. "Can I help you?"
The girl put a perfectly manicured hand on her hip and mimicked her voice. "I was wondering if you knew where the Chunin dorm was? Unless there's so much water in your ears your brain's rather drowned."
Cam scowled, and stood up, water dripping from her now-freezing swimsuit. She pulled her swimming cap off of her head, letting her black hair fall down to her shoulders. "I don't know what your problem is, but who are you, and what do you want?"
The girl rolled her eyes and tightened her ponytail, the bell on the end of it tinkling. "My name is Manami, and I believe I asked you a question."
Cam ignored her, and pushed past her towards the locker room. "And I believe I don't have to answer you." What a bitch.
Manami, however, didn't seem to want to take no for an answer. "Isn't it your job as a more experienced student to help me find the dorm?" she said oh-so-sweetly, a fake smile painted on her face.
Cam scowled again, and whirled around to face her. "Look, don't you go pulling the whole model-student crap on me," she practically growled. This girl was really pissing her off, and it was only morning. "I don't owe you shit, so why don't you just leave me alone?"
Manami crossed her arms over her light green long-sleeved shirt and frowned. "Hmph. Why don't you–"
"The Chunin dorm is to the left of the Hiruzen courtyard, near the sakura trees," came a voice from the right of the pool, a low voice that could barely be heard. Both Manami and Cam looked over.
Manami grinned, and Cam glared. "What the hell are you doing here, Shino?"
The hooded person just shrugged. "Collecting specimens." Cam shuddered mentally. The kid was always looking for more 'specimens' to add to his bug collection. Of course, the new girl had no idea and simply tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"Well, thank you, anyways." Manami smirked, her thanks not sounding as sincere as much as triumphant. Cam watched her walk away, the stupid green sandals slapping against the floor.
She then turned to Shino, who had been watching the scene behind the dark shades that made him look blind. "Leave. Now."
He shrugged, and turned away, but not before adding, "You do know that some spiders are able to survive in water by holding in oxygen by spinning an air bubble under the surface?"
Cam scowled, and stalked off towards the locker room, spitting out with contempt, "Freak."
Inwardly, Shino smirked to himself. Spiders are fascinating creatures, and it was because of Cam's remark that he conveniently forgot to mention the rather large brown one clinging to the back of her swimsuit.
/
"STAND UP, TIME TO SHOUT, COME ON FANS, YELL IT OUT, SAY IT PROUD, GOOOOOOO FOXES!" The girls shouted and waved their pom-poms in the air, and Neeka had to stop herself from being sick. Sure, they were doing a great job of prepping up the crowd, and sure, their dance routines were amazing, but the whole idea of cheerleading made her…ugh.
She was sitting next to Naruto and the girl they called Mitsuki on the sidelines of a huge auditorium. Girls in short skirts and tank tops ran in from both sides of the room, doing flips and screaming chants to rev up the crowd.
She sighed and leaned back, glad she had had the foresight to bring her iPod with her. It had only been one day since she had arrived at the school, and already her mind hurt. Even more new kids like her had arrived in the middle of the night last night, and it was just more names for her to memorize. Granted, they were all sitting neatly in one row next to her, but she still fumbled to match name with face. Neen, Mitsuki, Manami, Shikyo, Cam, Kokana, uh…
Mitsuki tapped her fingers against her jeans in rhythm to the cheers, and Neeka smiled. "Don't tell me, you're one of them?"
The other girl smiled back, and pushed her light brown bangs away from her face. "Nah. I'm a dancer. But I know some gymnastics, so I guess you could say I'm…qualified."
Neeka grinned, the screams and shouts of the cheerleader drowning out her voice. "Well, I'm glad you're at least sane."
"WATCH OUT, STEP BACK, FOXES ARE ON THE ATTACK! WE'RE STRONG, POWERFUL, DOMINATING AND BOLD! WARRIORS, REMEMBER ONLY CHAMPIONS WEAR GOLD!"
A few rows down, Kiyo let out a whistle. "Woot, go Ino, work it!" Said Yamanaka lowered her pom-poms to glare at the teasing girl.
The cheer now done, the captain stepped out and started to clap her hands to a beat played on the loudspeakers. "I'm gonna flip out like a ninja, 'cause that's what ninjas do! I'm gonna flip out like a ninja, and you should flip out too!"
The resounding echo hurt Neeka's ears, and she turned the volume of her iPod waaaaaay up, too loud to possibly be safe.
The girl behind her rested her chin in her palm. "This is so boring. We've been watching these girls for half an hour," she said, running her hands through her blonde and teal hair.
"I'M GONNA FLIP OUT LIKE A NINJA…"
Finally, the cheer was over, and Tsunade stepped out with a microphone in her hand, looking very wearied. "Thank you, and let's have a round of applause for these lovely girls." She flinched at the deafening applause. Obviously, she still had the killer hangover. "As you all should know, we are going to be picking the lucky person to be the spirit of the school, the mascot of our sports team. Say his name with me!"
The entire auditorium chorused in perfect unison, "KYUUBI, KYUUBI, KYUUBI!"
Shizune walked in with a costume wrapped over her arm, and handed it to Tsunade, along with a fox head.
Naruto put his hands behind his head and grinned. "Man, I'd hate to be the loser that has to wear that." He laughed, and the kids next to him giggled in unison as well. Neeka turned her head towards him, not seeing the joke.
"What's wrong with it?"
Naruto pointed out, "Last year the tail of the fox ripped off. They sent it to some seamstress in Konoha to fix it. Unfortunately, the seamstress was rather…" He grinned sheepishly. "Clumsy, and that's how it turned out."
When Neeka craned her eyes, she could see that hanging from the fox's behind were thin pieces of fabric, waving pathetically as Tsunade held up the costume for all to see. "Um…isn't a fox supposed to have one tail?"
Naruto laughed. "Yeah, only now there's nine of them. Really nice picture for our team. I'd hate to be the person that has to parade around in that Halloween costume."
Neeka smiled and rolled her eyes. But at the same time, she kept her eyes on the gruesome outfit. She didn't believe she had been there long enough to be chosen for the mascot, but just the same…
Tsunade silenced the whispers with a sweep of her hand. "Okay. The school staff and faculty have decided on a student with the most enthusiasm, energy, and passion. Therefore, we are proud to present this school year's mascot. Drum roll, please!"
The entire auditorium held its breath as Tsunade scanned the crowd for the sentenced (I mean, chosen) person. At the last moment, she locked eyes with that person and smiled, and that person's blood ran cold.
"Let's give a round of applause to Uzumaki Naruto, our new Kyuubi!"
No one was sure which was louder–the laughter or the applause. Kiyo toppled out of her seat and onto the floor, hooting the entire time. Neeka felt her face hurt from trying not grin at Naruto's pale face, as he stood up with shaking hands to accept his punishment (I mean, position)
Tsunade let a grin fill her face as the blond boy walked up, staring at the ground. "I'm sure you are thrilled and will take this honor with utmost importan–UZUMAKI!"
A dust cloud only remained, and the door slammed as Naruto ran out into the hall, causing the already rambunctious crowd to roar with laughter. Tsunade felt her headache worsening even more, and she practically screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING AT? BACK TO YOUR CLASSES!"
Oh, that kid was going to pay. As the crowd continued to file out of the auditorium, show over, smirks still on their faces, Tsunade cracked her knuckles. Naruto would show up sooner or later, and once he did, she'd make him wear the costume for the rest of the week.
Neeka smirked as her iPod continued to scream lyrics into her ears, fitting for such a moment. He is so going to die.
/
Everyone knew that the new English teacher was an ass.
First of all, he demanded that no one could get out of their seats without explicit permission, and he'd drop their grades by a letter if they did so. He also said that there was no talking, eating, sleeping, drinking, blinking, breathing or slouching in the classroom.
Many wondered who he had been teaching before them. The best guess was a box of rocks.
However, they supposed he was better than the last teacher, Mizuki, who had been fired after it was revealed that he had been siphoning funds from various school organizations in order to buy new One Piece merchandise.
But Sasuke had a feeling Ibiki was pretty close to what Mizuki had been. Maybe even worse. After all, the man had to be crazy in order to calmly tell him to sit in front of the world's most insane teenage girl.
Hirazuki Kiyomi.
He wasn't stupid. He knew that the brown-haired girl hated his guts. And everything else about him. And he knew that she would purposely go out of her way just to annoy him.
Like now…
"Psst…." Said girl was currently infringing on the no-talking-no-breathing policy, and Sasuke cursed under his breath. "Uchiha, I need to borrow a pencil. Mine broke."
"Then go sharpen it," he hissed back, keeping an eye on Ibiki. No one was really sure what would happen if they happened upon the wrath of Morino, but they all had a feeling that scar on his face wasn't a fake. "And shut up."
"Seriously? Dumbass, they said we can't move." Kiyo rolled her eyes. "Don'tcha know the rules?"
Sasuke wondered if murdering another student was against the 'rules'. A pencil would work as a good weapon, but there was still the fear of repercussion.
"Okay, I really need to finish this essay, so can I have the pencil?" she continued in a rather loud whisper. If it had been anyone else, it would have been begging. But Kiyo's pride didn't allow begging. Not for him.
Sasuke gritted his teeth and muttered, "Why don't you say please and use my name for once, Kiyomi?"
The girl flinched at the use of her birth name, and he could feel her glare on his back. He smirked at this small triumph, but she growled back, "Fine. Can I please borrow a pencil, Sasu-gay?"
He clenched his fists. "That's not what I meant." Note to self: You cannot kill annoying bitches for existing.
"Well, it's as good as you're gonna get. Now hand over the pencil, people are starting to stare."
I wonder why. But he handed over the pencil anyways. Ibiki was starting to look over at them, and he didn't need a detention on the first day. If it would make her shut up, then it was worth it.
Sasuke looked at the clock, and then back at his own essay. If there were no more interruptions, he might be able to get it done–
"Psst, Uchiha! This pencil has no eraser! I need another one!"
It is illegal to stab people for existing….It is illegal to stab people for existing….it is illegal to stab people for existing….
/
The bell finally rang, and the students poured out of their classrooms and out into the hall. There was talk of weekend plans, who was going out with who, and what died in whose hair. Of course, there were smirks and fits of laughter that followed Naruto as he speedily walked through the halls, dragging his nine-tails behind him. (Tsunade was not joking about the costume.)
Oh yeah. He couldn't wait for Friday.
As he entered the last class of the day, he smiled to himself. One more hour, and then freedom.
Besides, this was his favorite class. Iruka was a pretty mellow guy. Well, except when he was yelling. He could yell loud. But Iruka was pretty decent to him, if not more so than the other teachers.
Anyways, Iruka was standing in the front of the classroom, flanked by the other teachers of the school. Naruto recognized Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Anko…yeah, all those teachers could yell pretty loud too.
"Ahem." Iruka cleared his throat, and all talking in the room ceased. "Thank you." He frowned at a kid in the front row. "Yosuke, take those headphones out or I will sell them on the Internet." The said person put his MP3 away and sat down.
"Anyways, this year the school will be engaging in a school-wide project," the scarred teacher explained, casting his eye over all of the students. "You will be assigned, in groups of three, to one teacher each group. From there, the teacher will give you instructions on what you will be doing for the rest of the year."
A gentle murmur ran through the crowd. The teacher they called Anko pulled a megaphone out from behind her and screamed into it, "SHUT UP, NIMRODS, WE'RE NOT DONE!"
Everyone flinched. Naruto thought to himself, cowering behind the fox mask, that he'd hate to be assigned to that teacher. But Iruka just smiled and continued.
"I will now assign each of you into different squads. I don't want any mumbling, grumbling, complaining, or groaning to occur. If you don't like your team, than you're just SOL."
Iruka began pointing at different people, calling out the names and assigning them to specific teachers. Most people were happy with their assignments. Others, not so much.
"Team 7, lead by Hatake Kakashi will be comprised of Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto…"
Naruto let out a grin at the call of his name and Sakura's. However, the pink-haired girl grimaced, bowing her head in shame at being put on the same squad as the fox-loser. He was right. I'm shit out of luck.
"And finally, Uchiha Sasuke."
The no-mumbling-grumbling-complaining rules was from then on infringed, as the room was filled with Sakura's delighted triumphant scream, the cries of half of the other girls in the room, and Naruto's "Noooooooooo!" at the prospect of being on the same team as Sasuke. The Uchiha, however, didn't make any comment or show any sign of preference. He took his sentence with indifference and shrugged off any complaints.
"Team 8," Iruka continued, ignoring any objections to the placement of people. "Led by Yuhi Kurenai, is Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino."
Quiet. Hinata and Shino were quiet, Neen thought as she watched the three go sit at their assigned table. But Kiba was most definitely not, as she remembered from math class when he told the teacher exactly where she could put her quadratic equations. She had laughed so hard she'd nearly choked. Yeah, that kid was interesting. She'd have to watch to see how it went.
Iruka proceeded to the next group. "Team 9, led by Mitarashi Anko, will be comprised of Hirazuki Kiyomi, Hayashi Manami, and Hoseki Kokana."
Kiyo groaned at the prospect of being put on a team with two people she didn't even know. Manami, the girl Cam had talked to earlier in the morning, looked at her new 'teammates' with distaste. Obviously, they weren't well-dressed enough for her. Finally, the girl with the blonde and teal hair who had been complaining about the cheerleaders earlier sat down next to them, a look of unconcern on her face.
"Team 10, led by Sarutobi Asuma, is made up with Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji."
Lazy, vulgar, and a potty-mouth. Were those their thoughts about each other? Ino wrinkled her nose as she sat down and scooted her chair away from Shikamaru and Chouji as far as she could. Lucky Sakura.
Likewise, Shikamaru considered his advantages and disadvantages, and ultimately decided that they came out the loser. What a 'team'. They'd be dead by nightfall.
"Team 11, led by Morino Ibiki. Mizaki Yusei, Momochi Shikyo, and Hamako Nina."
Yusei groaned. Just his luck, to be put on a team of girls, although he supposed he wasn't the worst off. Still, there was something about the spiky white-haired girl that unnerved him, maybe because of her rather gothic attire. And then there was that other girl, the one who had been ready to start a fight earlier, had Uzumaki not stopped her. And Morino, probably the strictest teacher ever to walk the halls? Yeah, this was gonna be one fucked up year.
"Team 12, led by Might Gai, includes Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten."
Neji had never seen a guy cry tears of joy. Girls, yes, quite a lot, but never as much as Lee did when he ran over to the assigned seats. He silently shuddered at the prospect of having to work with that freak for the rest of the year. And Tenten was freaky too, in her own way. He knew that if the 'project' had anything to do with airline security, they would all fail. Miserably. The bun-haired girl just shrugged and sat next to him, quiet…for the moment.
"And finally, Team 13, led by Shiranui Genma, is comprised of Uematsu Mitsuki, Neeka, and Cam."
Oh shit. That was all that ran through Neeka's mind as she approached her 'teammates', recognizing only one of them.
Hmm, we've got a hick, a poor girl, and a push-over ballerina? Cam laughed to herself. Whatever this 'project' was, she knew that any 'teamwork' would be nonexistent. They'd probably all fail.
And the funny thing was, she didn't care.
Iruka looked at the clock, and then back at the now-noisy students. So much for the no talking rule. He looked over at Anko, who nodded.
"HEY! SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, WE'RE NOT DONE!" she screamed through her megaphone, which was conveniently right next to Kiyo's ear. The girl let out an "OI!" and fell out of her chair. Everyone ignored her as Iruka continued.
"Due to time, I don't think that we'll be able to get to the actual project today." The bell was going to ring in about five minutes, so Iruka sped up his speech. "We should be able to get the details to you by tomorrow. Until then, you may leave."
No one moved. Anko sighed, and raised the megaphone one last time, sending the students next to her covering their ears and wincing. "GET OUTTA HERE!"
Just then, the bell rang, sending the students scattering out into the hall. The teachers sighed, glad that it was all over, and Genma suggested, "Coffee?"
They all nodded, and as they headed out the door, Kakashi muttered, "I think Anko should have gotten that megaphone a long time ago."
/
"Mitsuki-chan!"
Mitsuki looked back at her roommates. Hinata was sitting on her bed, reading a paperback novel, while Kiyo was lying on her back staring at the ceiling. She stopped doing her homework. "What?"
"What time is it?" Kiyo asked. Mitsuki rolled her eyes. She knew the other girl was just too lazy to get up. "Almost six. Why?"
"SHIT!" Kiyo jumped up with a cry. "We're gonna be laaaaate!"
Hinata closed her book, and turned her pearl-like eyes towards the clock as well. "She's right. Dinner starts as six-thirty, and I don't think we'll be able to get across campus in time."
Mitsuki shrugged. "I'm not all that hungry. You guys can go without me." She turned back to her homework and deciphering how to solve ax squared into x=-b+- the square root of b squared- 4ac divided by 2a.
Kiyo, however, wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "Nuh-uh, you are too going. You missed out on yesterday's welcome-back-dinner, but you're not going to miss today. Hina, help me drag her outside." The Hyuuga did not respond, and Mitsuki's smile grew.
"Okay, fine, I'll go, just let me change into a sweatshirt or something. It's freezing outside." Nothing like September nights in Konoha, she thought. Of course, everything was bigger and colder in Konoha. A bigger city, colder and unfriendly people. She didn't know why her mom thought the place was so great. If it hadn't been for her friends, she probably wouldn't have come there the second year.
Mitsuki grabbed her silver flannel sweatshirt, and was heading out the door when the phone rang. She looked at Hinata and Kiyo, and waved at them. I'll get it. I'll catch up with you guys later. They nodded, and she answered it. "Hello?"
"Mitsuki, I'm so glad to hear your voice." It was her, her voice dripping with a sticky-sweetness that made Mitsuki want to throw up. "How are things at your school? Good?"
She gritted her teeth and forced a smile into her voice. "Everything's fine, mother."
It was that tone that Uematsu Himeko loved to hear. Lies. Fake. Materialistic. "I'm so glad you settled in nicely. Have you made any new friends?"
By friends, she meant the kind of people she'd approve of. People with limos and jet planes, people like them that her mother thought would prove they weren't gold-diggers or something. But Mitsuki never wanted anything like that.
"Not really."
She twisted the phone cord around her finger, listening to her mom's response. Listening nervously, because she knew what was coming.
"Oh my, that's rather disappointing. Oh well." Mother did not sound very disappointed at all, and promptly skipped toward her next question. "Did you receive those gorgeous pair of diamond earrings your father and I sent you? Honestly, once people see you wearing them, they will be green with envy."
Funny, isn't that what she had said before?
("I don't want to go there, I already have a finishing school picked out–"
"Don't be silly. If you go there, everyone will simply be green with envy."
She'd never liked the color green. They never really listened to her anyways)
"Yeah, I got them," Mitsuki replied quietly. She didn't mention that she had them buried in her desk, along with all of the other useless, material gifts her mother had given to her throughout the years. Never really gave her what she really wanted.
There was a pause on the other side. Her mother's voice, now irritated, stated, "Oh dear, it looks like Kimi wants to talk to you." To the other person, she snapped, "Make it brief," and Mitsuki waited.
A younger, higher voice appeared on the other side of the conversation, bright and happy, making Mitsuki smile. "Hey, nee-chan? Are you there?"
She smiled. "Yeah, I'm here. How was your day today?"
"It was fine." She detected sadness in her little sister's voice. Maybe loneliness. "I miss you. Can I come visit you sometime?"
She swallowed, missing her sister with every word. "Yeah, of course. Maybe this weekend?"
All of a sudden, her mom's voice appeared at the other end. "Oh, so sorry Mitsuki, we can't. I'm taking Kimi shopping. I thought she should have a more…appropriate wardrobe for herself." Her mother's voice dropped down to a whisper, and she spoke in harsh, almost angry tones. "I have no idea what's gotten into that child. Just the other day, she came home with mud all over her brand-new jeans. She said she was playing softball and fell. Can you imagine?"
Yes. Actually, she could. She remembered those days over the summer, helping patch up Kimi's scraped knees when she fell during sports, it being their secret time when Mom had no idea. She had no problem with that.
"She's just a kid, mom," Mitsuki said quietly.
"Yes, but what am I supposed to tell my friends when they come over and find her covered in dirt? My word…" She sighed on the other end, and smiled. "Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Take care. Love you."
Kimi's voice appeared one last time on the other side. "I love you, nee-chan! Bye!"
Mitsuki smiled, and whispered a faint "Good-bye," hearing it echo through the phone. They hung up on the other side, but she stood there for just a few seconds longer, clenching the phone cord in her fist and listening to the empty dial tone.