Tsubame: I hope you are enjoying yourself. There was a request for some SasuSaku moments… I just couldn't refuse. I was going to write it anyway... but thank you for the reminder. I keep forgetting to write this scene. LOL Hehehe…I hope you like it and yeah, a jealous Sasuke is sexy! Yeah, Sai is pretty freaky but... hehehe... let's see what you'll think later... I hope you like this new chapter xDDD
Remember to carefully study the details I give you. You never know... that might even be a clue. Anyway, good luck with this new mystery. How I love mysteries!
Amy: Hi, Amy! Good luck in drawing! This chappie is for you! I am sorry I can't help much. But take care!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and company…
"Summer School"
By Tsubame Ongaku
Chapter 11: Uchiha Sasuke
Last time…
Sai finished his picture and smiled. It was the picture of the trembling and frightened Yukino surrounded by their gazes. Guilt, fear and denial marred her face. To him it was beautiful… to him it was a masterpiece. Then he turned the page, by far it was still his favorite though.
It was Sakura-chan. A tear was rolling down her cheek with sadness and disbelief on her face that made Sai think that she was absolutely adorable. He sighed. Haruno Sakura really brought out the sadistic side of him so easily. She was just too cute.
If they hadn't found that vial on time, they would have been in a pinch. All they could rely on was that Yukinochan would break down from the guilt. It was a matter of psychology. They had studied Yukino's disposition very carefully. They just had to pray that they were right and couldn't take it. As planned, she broke down.
Sakura didn't want to do it at first but finally relented in the end, knowing that they needed the truth to come out.
He ran his finger down the page. It was interesting what this girl would do next…
She did as she pleased, when she pleases. She made her own rules, when in that school it was he who made the rules. He was the King and everything always went his way… sooner or later. She tried his patience with her defiance. He thought that she was at least smart enough to realize that there was no escaping him.
She refused to acknowledge herself as his. He could almost laugh at her naïveté. She was already his. Everyone in the school already kept their distance from her. Because by the way Uchiha Sasuke glared at any male even trying to get near her was like a billboard saying, "Back off, she's mine."
But there was one that refused to heed the warnings.
Sai felt no fear of his cousin. He knew very well… that he could fight back. He found Sasuke's frowns laughable.
How the mighty had fallen. The great Uchiha Sasuke was infatuated with a pretty, pink-haired, smart-aleck. Sai couldn't really blame him though. His interest in the young lady proved to be growing by the minute. If his cousin wasn't burning holes on his back, he'd probably just kiss her.
Naruto was clueless of what exactly had happened. "Sakura-chan, how did the poison get on the mic and Tsubasa-chan's clothes?"
"Hmmm?" Sakura looked up. "I thought it was rather obvious, Naruto-kun." She was still a bit dazed from the case. She shook her head, trying to gain back her concentration. If you noticed when Torii-san was dancing she flipped and touched her hair a lot. She touched the microphone a lot too. Tsubasa-chan….was the next to sing. She touched the microphone and you know the rest."
"What is going to happen now?" Hinata whispered, her head still buried in Naruto's arms. "Did Tsubasa lose?"
Kakashi-sensei sighed and had put down his new volume of Icha Icha Paradise. This wasn't the time to read about the hot love of a beautiful secretary and her boss. That will have to wait until later. "Technically, Torii-san cheated. Her teachers are going to have to be informed."
"No!" Tsubasa shouted, pounding the table hard. Even when her hand had turned numb from the pain, she didn't flinch. She stared at the teacher hard with much determination. "Don't… please don't tell them…"
"But, Tsubasa-chan…" Naruto started.
But Tsubasa had cut him off. She smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. I'll give it to her as a gift." She looked away and proceeded to stare at the floor. "My last gift…"
"Tsubasa-chan…"
She had continued to shake her head. "A few hours ago… I would have given anything to get my song back. I had wanted to win that contest that badly. But now… I don't want it anymore," she pulled on her sleave nervously. "I never thought that getting it back… would mean losing my bestfriend."
A tear fell from her cheek. A single tear… a tear that everyone in the room knew that already meant so much.
Kakashi-sensei smiled faintly through his mask. "You won, Tsubasa-chan."
The girl looked up, surprised. "What?" Others had looked up shocked too.
"Despite her cheating, you still won," he continued.
"I…won?" Tsubasa pulled on her hair hard, not believing at all. "I… won?" Her knees buckled, then she fell to the floor in a faint. Tsunade-sensei was at her side in a second and began to check her pulse and breathing. She had sighed in relief after checking that her pulse and breathing was stable.
Sakura's hand quivered as she sighed with relief of the news. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling all too well… she hadn't wanted the case to end that way.
Sasuke noticed that there was definitely bothering Sakura. As naturally as he could, he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the door. "Come on, Sakura. You have a match tomorrow. I'll take you home." He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was more bothered than she was willing to admit.
Sakura nodded and followed him. Sai got up and excused himself, then following the two of them out. This annoyed Sasuke immensely and Sai didn't mind at all. He was used to seeing his cousin's annoyed look directed at him.
In the middle of walking, Sasuke stopped and waited for Sai to pass by but instead, Sai stopped in front of them. He was smiling innocently. "It had been interesting working with you, Sakura-chan," Sai said, extending his hand to her for a handshake. "It was an interesting case."
Sakura hesitated and reached out to shake his hand. "I'm sure it was…"
But instead of a handshake, Sai pulled her towards him and kissed her on the cheek and only millimeters away from her lips. Sai grinned after pulling away. He knew that Sasuke was watching and he couldn't help but grin at the thought. Sakura's blushing, embarrassed face wasn't bad for a bonus either. It was so cute that he made a mental note to himself to sketch it later.
"I'll see you later, Sakura-chan. Come visit me sometime… or better yet, let's go on a date," he chuckled and tried reaching out to touch her cheek. Sasuke saw this and slapped the hand away, drawing Sakura closer to him. Sai gave an amused look and shrugged. "I better get going before your boyfriend decides to kill me."
Sakura's eyes bulged open as Sai began to walk away. Before turning a corner though, Sai asked, "Sakura-chan, you don't happen to be free on Saturday, do you?"
"Would you just get lost already?" Sasuke growled before Sakura could even utter another word. "You know what that kiss mean, don't you?" Sai had just laughed out loud before finally disappearing around the corner.
"You must be crazy if you think you could control that girl with a mere kiss," he replied. It echoed loudly in the empty halls.
Once he was gone, Sasuke noticed that the girl in his arms had become stiff. "Sakura?" Sakura stepped out from his arms and slapped his right across the face. Sasuke almost lost his balance but managed to keep standing, glaring at the pink-haired girl in confusion. "What did you do that for?"
"What did he mean by that?" She demanded, putting herself in a fighting pose. She was not afraid to fight him if she had to. She wanted answers. "What was he talking about? What about that kiss?"
Sasuke groaned. "I swear…everyone in school already knows it but you. You are so dense." He shrugged and began to walk towards her. "I can't really blame you for not knowing because you are new."
"Stop speaking in riddles!" She launched a kick aimed at his face, but he had dodged it flawlessly. "Would you just spill it? I can't stand being the last to know."
"How could a girl this smart be so dumb?" Sasuke thought. He was thinking to himself at the same time trying to dodge her vicious attacks. "Do you really want to know?" he asked, as Sakura made a punch aimed at his face. Sasuke caught it and grasped her wrist tightly. "It is an Uchiha custom that we kiss the girl we choose as our own…"
His opponent went limp.
"He's kidding… he's got to be, right?" Sakura thought furiously. "He can't seriously be saying that…"
"…to an Uchiha, a kiss means possession. You were mine since the day you decided to accept my challenge."
He was grinning. He was mocking her. This couldn't be real. This only happened in shoujo manga, right?
"You… you lie!" She screamed, launching another kick his way but he blocked it. Without further ado, he pushed her against the wall. He trapped her between his arms and blocking all means of retaliation. It was only then that the girl noticed that he was serious… dead serious.
"Why do you fight me?" He asked her, a blushed crept on his face. "You're the first girl I've ever been serious with and yet you fight me." He looked down, hiding his blush from her. Sakura thought that it was just adorable. "I've kissed girls before but never in public. I never thought of possessing them. I never thought of telling the world that they are mine, so… why?"
Sakura was shocked to say the least. This didn't sound like something Uchiha Sasuke would say. "Sasuke-kun?"
"You let other guys be near you, though you are mine and I can't stand it!" He gripped her shoulders, his voice was sounding more and more frantic. "Don't do that… don't let other guys touch you." He reached for her hands and raised them to his lips. "I like you," he could hear her gasp. "I might even love you…" but he didn't say the last part out loud.
"Sasuke, I don't know what to say," she wanted to run but she was much to frozen into place. She wouldn't have gotten far though. Sasuke wouldn't have let her go too far.
Sasuke quieted and stepped away from her. He knew she was confused. He knew he had to do it. He had to do something he never thought of doing before. "I will give you a choice then… I am willing to wait for your answer. Don't make me wait too long." He walked away to the direction of the school exit.
Sakura was paralyzed but she knew what she wanted now. She didn't understand why… but she wanted it. "Sasuke-kun!" She screamed.
Sasuke turned around to address her but before he could, she had launched herself on him sending them both toppling on the floor. "Sakura, have you lost your---" Sasuke got the shock of his life when suddenly Sakura pressed her lips on his. He didn't understand what she was trying to do but who was he to complain? He took her arms and wrapped them around his shoulders while he wrapped his around her waist, then deepening the kiss.
Both of them didn't know how long it was but it was a while before they pulled away for air.
Sasuke stared at her curiously, not understand what the kiss meant. "Why?"
She grinned and took his face in her hands. "You belong to me too now, right?"
"So, Kabuto, is Uchiha Sasuke as great as he is rumored to be?"
In the shadows, a man with long silver hair tied in a ponytail and circular glasses spoke softly to a mini-radio. This man was Yakushi Kabuto, an Assistant teacher from Sound and had once been a student from Konoha. "Yes, Orochimaru-sensei," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. "He was better than expected... but..."
"But what, Kabuto?" The principal of Konoha's rival school hissed. The dark haired, snake eyed man, who was once a student of Konoha was one of Konoha's prodigies. He now started his own institution and determined to bring Konoha to its knees. Starting with the recruiting with its "Number One Rookie," Uchiha Sasuke. They had been watching him carefully for a long time... waiting for a chance to finally bring him to their side.
"It is a girl, sensei," the spy mumbled. "Haruno Sakura, Tsunade-sensei's little ward." From his pocket he took out a stolen picture of a smiling pink-haired girl. He grinned as he continued to stare at it. "He's in love with her, I believe. I don't think he'd go anywhere as long as she's here. Not that I could blame him..."
"In love?" came another hiss. "Are you making that up? According to my sources, he regards women as mere toys!"
Kabuto sighed. He had been keeping an eye on the rookie for almost a year and it was true. He had never taken any girl seriously... until now. He knew simply by watching the expression on his face that the girl was someone special to him. He had been observing the girl too since she became acquainted with the Uchiha. "That was true, sensei... but this girl is different. You will be able to tell by just looking at her hair."
"What do you mean?"
"She's not blonde, sensei..."
The line had became silent at first. The only sound Kabuto could hear was the crackling of the radio. He finally spoke after a few seconds later saying, "tell me more about this girl, Kabuto."
He grinned further and took out a couple of strange orange colored cards. "Don't worry... I have it all right here."
The principal chuckled. "Wonderful..." He knew that he could count on Kabuto. The guy was almost the perfect undercover spy. He had an innocent look. No one was ever suspicious of him. Who would suspect such a friendly face and happy smile It was very true that you can never judge a book by its cover. "Just in case, keep your eyes on her... she might prove to be useful in the future."
"Yes, sir," came the reply. But before he turned off his radio, he told his teacher with the most menacing chuckle. The innocence of his eyes gone. All was left was a look of a man with many evil and untold secrets, "I have a feeling... that you'll find this girl interesting too, sensei..."
"Oh?" came his surprised response. Kabuto didn't casually say things like that. "Why do you say that?"
Kabuto shrugged as he leaned back on the locker. A couple of hallways away, he knew that the Uchiha and girl were together. Most likely... kissing. He chuckled to himself again. They seemed to be enjoying themselves when he last saw them. Kabuto knew how important kissing was to the Uchihas. It was rather awkward for him to watch them...later, he noticed Sasuke's eyes looking at his direction. He had stepped back in a hurry... but he had a feeling that Uchiha Sasuke was well aware of his presence.
That was one of the reasons they wanted him. He was not a fool. The look on the kid's eyes had sent chills tingling down his spine. The kid had a seriously sinister look.
"Kabuto! Are you still there?"
"Yes, sensei..."
"You haven't told me why you said that, Kabuto? What is so interesting about this...girl..." Orochimaru was still uncertain about Kabuto's news. He had heard of Tsunade's new ward but he never thought that she'd cause these changes in his plans. This was just going to delay the inevitable... but still... how he hated waiting.
This time Kabuto really laughed. "Just a hunch, Orochimaru-sensei...just a hunch..."
The next day was a match between Sakura and Neji but it isn't their match that you should be concerned about. The highlight of the festival was the match between Sai and Sasuke. The match between the cousins was infamous throughout the city. A lot of people came from every direction just to see their match.
"Nice to see you again, cousin," Sai greeted him with a seemingly innocent smile. "Where is Sakura-chan? I thought for sure that she'd come to see our match."
Sasuke flexed his knuckles and glared angrily. "She's kicking Neji's butt and I don't think you'd appreciate her seeing you being pummeled to the ground anyway."
Sai chuckled. "Where did all this confidence come from?" But no reply came. He teased his cousin a little further. "You finally told her what that kiss mean, didn't you? Aww… how sweet!" He sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "I should have kissed her when I had the chance."
"You, moron!" Sasuke was about to attack but Sai shook his head.
"Don't hurt me before the match starts," he warned. "You'll get disqualified. I don't want to win that way."
"Tch.." The #1 rookie knew he was right. He'll beat him up as soon as the referee blows that whistle. He vowed that he'd give him a beating he'll never forget. He knew that somewhere in the crowd, his brother was watching him. Itachi always watched him and measured him. It annoyed him immensely.
Sai followed his gaze and he smiled seeing their older cousin watching their match. "Itachi-niichan? What is he doing here? Did he come to see his little brother? How sweet!"
"Shut up, Sai! Take this seriously. I will only fight you properly if you do the same," Sasuke warned him, putting himself in a fighting stance. "I won't go easy on you just because you are weak."
Sai feigned innocence. "You wound me, Sasuke-kun. I always fight in our duels properly." He followed hi cousin and placed himself in a fighting stance too. "But don't make a mistake thinking that I am the same as before. I am much stronger than ever before… and I won't disappoint you. I will give you a fight that you'll truly enjoy…"
The rookie Uchiha glared at him angrily, not understanding what he was saying. With Sai, he never understood his motives or thinking. He was simply too unreadable. A lot of people in their family feared Sai. It was his smile… it was a smile that felt nothing. It was the smile of an unfeeling and intelligent detective.
The umpire stepped up to the mat and shivered at the cold atmosphere. He looked in fear at the murderous look in Uchiha Sasuke's face and the calm yet equally intimidating smile of his opponent, Sai. The umpire gulped, wishing that he was anywhere at that moment but there. These two were out for blood… and didn't like the thought of his blood being spilled at the mat…
"Aren't you going to use protective gear at least?" The umpire noticed that neither of them wore any protective gear on them.
"No, I'm good." Sasuke tied a blue cloth on his arm to distinguish his color.
"Me too." Sai's color was red and he tied the cloth around his arm too.
The umpire gave the competitors a nervous look but knew better than to argue. "Fighters, ready?" He asked, hesitantly. He gulped again and with a swing of his hand, he started the match.
Sasuke made an impressive kick that barely missed the umpire but Sai was able to dodge it with no problem. The umpire already retreated to the sidelines by this time.
"You're quick, Sasuke-kun," Sai praised him. "As I had expected from the #1 rookie."
"Shut up and fight me, moron," he growled. Sai stepped back and made a kick aimed for his face but he had ducked effortlessly. TO those who were watching, the two of them looked like they were dancing. To the two people on the mat though, it was a fight for pride.
"You've improved a lot since our last battle," Sasuke admitted. They battled every once in a while for fun in the past. "If I remember correctly, I broke your jaw."
Sai had just smiled and then laughed. "Yes, a few ribs too but I think I broke your arm and a leg too."
None of them ever came out unscathed in their normal battles. This battle didn't look like it was going to be any different from usual. The rivalry between the two of them was always intense and almost as famous as the rivalry beween Sasuke and Naruto.
"How do you really feel about Sakura, Sai?" he asked while executing a perfect round-house kick and missing his target by an inch. "You can't possibly be in love with her, are you?" Sai punched him, aiming for his stomach but was blocked. "Too slow…" Sasuke grinned and punched him squarely on the stomach.
Sai fell back but recovered quickly, ignoring the pain he left in his middle. He returned to his fighting stance and his smile was still unwavered. "That was good, Sasuke-kun! But…" He slid to the floor and swept him of his feet making him fall on his butt. "Not good enough."
He grunted when he fell but was up immediately. There was a numbing pain in his hind legs but was determined to ignore it. Maybe it was going to be an interesting battle after all…
"What is going on? Why are there so many people?" Sakura asked Naruto as they made their way through the sea of spectators to get a better view of Sasuke's fight. "I can see people not from any school I know too!"
Naruto shrugged, slowly passing through and every few minutes waited for Hinata to catch up. "It is a battle between Sai and Sasuke after all. I am not surprised. The rivalry between those two is well known." He stopped in his tracks all of a sudden and waited for Hinata to reach his side, then took her hand before making his way again.
Hinata's face turned as red as a tomato. "Naruto-kun is holding my hand!" she thought giddily.
"By the way, Sakura-chan… how was your fight with Neji? You guys finished quick," he asked. Sakura's battle was over in ten minutes.
"Hmph," she frowned. "That guy is not the National champion for nothing! He made defeating me quick." She clenched her fists angrily. I can't believe it. I've never been defeated that easily before. Even my battle with Sasuke wasn't that quick.
Naruto shrugged. "I could have told you that. I had a few sparring matches with him before and he is good." He rubbed his shoulder with his free hand, unconsciously. "He broke a few bones before… that moron. Oh, and your battle with Sasuke? I have a feeling that he was just playing with you. Neji isn't the type to beat around the bush…"
Hinata looked at him sadly. She loved her cousin dearly and she loved Naruto too. She hated seeing them fight each other so much. She had never seen them fight because the two of them never told her where and she was never invited to watch. She could only hear from those who could.
The first thing Sakura saw was Sasuke being swept off the floor by Sai. She winced at the sound of the thud when Sasuke but was impressed by his swift recovery. She noticed that Sai was wincing himself and holding his middle every once in a while. "Sasuke probably got a whack at him too," she thought. Later, she noticed the two combatants' lack of paddings.
"They are at it again," Naruto groaned and shook his head. "They are going to be so sore later. Why can't they ever understand that paddings were invented for a reason?" He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Do they always fight like this?"
He nodded. "They think it is more fun this way." He laughed and moved a bit more to give her some space. "Those two are couple of idiots anyway. They won't listen to suggestions or advice from anyone but themselves. They're selfish…"
She looked at him, confused. "But… you're like that too…"
Naruto folded his arms and nodded again. "I know… why do you think we are such good friends and enemies?" He then turned his concentration back to the fight.
Sakura could never understand the boys in the school. They all regarded each other as rivals yet she'd never seen a group of people closer than they were. They fight for fun and later on laugh it off as if it was just part of their game. Sasuke and sai hated each other. Sakura knew that the moment she witnessed their attitude towards each other but she could tell that Sasuke respected him as his rival.
Sasuke made another hit in Sai's arm. Sai didn't even wince now but Sakura knew that a hit that powerful was sure to leave a bruise. Sai kicked only to be blocked. Sakura watched them, worriedly. Despite the block, he was going to have bruised arms later.
They watched as the battle continued. They exchanged hit after hit… five minutes passed…then ten. They were beginning to look tired but neither of them looked like they were going to quit.
"Aren't you tired yet, cousin?" Sai asked in the middle of dodging another kick from Sasuke but with much difficulty. Sasuke had hit him in his side earlier and now it was bruised. "Besides, it can't be easy dodging me now with the bruise on your leg and chest."
Sasuke grinned. "Don't make me laugh. The more difficult it is to win, the more excited I get!" He did a flying kick and hit him squarely on the face.
Sai stepped back and shook his head to clear it. "This is not good," he thought. "My vision is blurring. Another kick like that and I'm done for." He observed Sasuke's actions. His opponent was panting furiously and supporting his weight on his uninjured leg. He had to think of a strategy. "If I make a hit for his other leg, I might be able to reduce his mobility," he thought. "Here I go…"
Sasuke watched him carefully. He was already aware that he was aiming for his leg and he knew that if he was successful it was going to be impossible to fight back. He waited for Sai to launch his attack. Sai faked a punch but then made a slide then began to execute a kick for his uninjured leg.
But missed…
Sasuke had jumped fast. It was not easy because his leg was killing him. "Too slow!" he laughed and then kicked Sai on the face.
Sai fell. He fought to keep conscious but it was useless. Seconds later, he closed his eyes and passed out. Sasuke landed a few inches away. He cringed at the pain from landing on his injured one. He watched carefully before Sai lost conciousness and it wasn't until he was finally declared the winner did he allow himself to let his guard down.
Sakura jumped from the bleachers to his side. She didn't look too happy that was for sure. "Sasuke, you idiot! I bet you can't even walk!"
"I can walk!" he argued. Rebelliously, he tried getting up but the pain was just too much now.
"You idiot! Your leg is swelling!" She snatched a first aid kit from one of the first aid teams and began to bandage his leg. "The rest of you, take Sai to the infirmary. He needs medical attention too." Without missing a beat, they began moving to take the sleeping Sai to the infirmary.
"But, Miss Sakura, all the nurses are busy. Who will attend to him?" One girl asked.
"Tell Tsunade-sensei and tell her that Sakura sent you. She'll take care of the rest." She returned to bandaging Sasuke.
"Hey, everybody! Shikamaru is fighting Temari from Sand!" someone announced excitedly. The audience and spectators went running in a second, leaving the two of them alone.
Later, Sakura discovered that Sasuke wasn't only injured on his leg. He was bruised in other places too.
Like his chest… Sai had puched him there.
His right hip… Sai had kicked him when he was trying to evade getting hit on the leg again.
His cheek… Sai had been aiming for his nose.
His arm… Sai had tried to break it but ended up only spraining it.
His left wrist…
"What genius goes around fighting with NO paddings?!" she screamed, seeing all the damage. She was now bandaging his arm. "AH! I can't believe that you're making me your personal nurse."
He had just snorted and shrugged. "Paddings would just get in the way. It is much more exhilarating without it."
It was by this time that Naruto and Hinata caught up.
"Sasuke, congratulations!" Naruto said, slapping him in the back. "You won! That was an awesome fight! You won points for team."
Sasuke burst out laughing. "Wasn't it? That was a pretty close one. I can't wait for the next fight."
"Why don't we have a mock battle next week?" Naruto proposed. "After you've recovered of course, I want to beat you in a fair fight."
"That sounds good…"
"Are you listening to yourselves, you idiots? How could you just act like it was nothing?" Sakura screamed, then whacked both boys on the head. She turned to her boyfriend with eyes brimming in tears. "I thought you were going to die!" She bent down and began to beat his chest. "I was so worried!"
He felt twinge of guilt in his chest, as her brought the crying girl into his arms. He kissed her brows softly as if to drive the wrinkles away and said, "I'm sorry…"
It would have been a romantic moment if Naruto didn't choose that time to lift Sasuke on his shoulder. "No point in dilly-dallying here," the blonde grinned, your mom will kill me if I don't take you to a doctor immediately."
"Put me down, you moron!" turning red with embarrassment, humiliated by the fact that he was being lifted on his bestfriend's shoulder in front of his girlfriend. He felt like a sack of flour.
But Naruto just rolled his eyes. "Sure you can. With that leg, you can't do much of anything for a while, genius."
Sakura giggled as she watched Sasuke struggle. He looked adorable embarrassed like that. He had her worried all the while. She wanted to kill him when she saw what he had done to himself. She tried blocking out the memory of the bruises by turning her attention to Hinata.
"Hello, Hinata-chan," she smiled. "How are you?"
Hinata smiled back and said, "I'm fine. I am glad that that it is finally over."
Sakura took her hands and patted them gently, as if to give her comfort. "How is Tsubasa-chan?"
Hinata forced herself to keep her smile and keep face. "She is fine now. She was able to finish the concert without breaking down. I can understand that it was pretty difficult for her to lose her bestfriend that way. Somehow… I feel responsible. She was mistaken for me…"
"Don't say that!" Sakura screamed at her, clutching on her shoulders. "Then you would have died! And how will that solve anything?" She had screamed it so angrily that it scared the poor girl. She breathed out and finally calmed down and loosened her grip. "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I can't stand the thought of you… dying…"
"Sakura-chan…"
But they were suddenly interrupted by Naruto. "Oi!! Hinata-chan! Sakura-chan! Hurry up! Aren't you coming?" He was waving his free arm at them. He was attracting attention to himself and Sasuke, who was slung over his shoulder. Sasuke punched his friend on the face.
"You idiot!" He was blushing furiously, embarrassed of the spectacle his bestfriend was causing.
Hinata chuckled and waved back, and replied to them that they'll catch up. When the two boys finally left, still bickering, Hinata turned to her other friend. "Aren't you going to follow them, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked, shyly.
She smiled at her then bent down and began keeping the mateials of the first aid kit. "In a minute, I'll just clean this up."
Hinata nodded and ran to catch up with Naruto and Sasuke.
Sakura sighed as she returned the extra bandages. When she was done, she picked it up and walked towards the direction of the infirmary. She looked up to admire the beautiful cloudy sky then noticed something strange in a dark classroom on the third floor.
Sakura knew that that classroom was being used by the Art Club but they were currently busy in their Art Exhibit on the opposite side of the school. She saw a girl staring intensely at a canvas perched on an easel. She couldn't really see her face but she had mousy brown hair that was styled in a bob. She raised a hand Sakura saw that she was holding a brush…and a paint pallet with the other hand.
Sakura watched her paint for a while and admired the way she held the brush like a professional. She worked fast. She'd seen painting exhibitions before but no artist she'd ever seen did their strokes as fast. She was so sure of every techinique. There was no hesitation as she switched from one color to another.
Sakura had been confused at first. Shouldn't that classroom be empty? All the members' attendance was required. That girl would be marked absent if she gets caught missing the exhibit. But the more she observed the girl, the more Sakura noticed that something was not right about her.
All the classrooms are supposed to be locked…
For the festival, the classrooms were always kept locked to prevent vandalism and thieving. They had happened in previous festivals, so the people in charge of the security had been extra strict.
And no one had the keys except for the principal, Kakashi-sensei and the janitor. Kakashi-sensei was at the match, she was pretty sure of that and the janitor wouldn't just give the keys without a very good reason.
The pink-haired detective shook her head, laughed and scolded herself for thinking too much. She assured herself that the girl had probably borrowed the keys from either of those two people for access. There was no reason to think that the girl was trespassing. She was even wearing their uniform, so she was surely from their school.
Having assured herself, Sakura was about to head for the infirmary but then the unexpected happened. The girl dropped the brush and moved away from the painting. She continued to stare at it for a few seconds, as if to assess it.
What happened next sent chills down Sakura's spine... As if by magic, the girl went through the wall in the back of the classroom.
And Sakura was pretty sure…
… that it was made out of solid stone…
Tsubame: Wahahaha!! A horror mystery! Can you solve this one? I am planning to make this even harder than the last. Good luck with this next arc, everyone. This is going to be a brain teaser! Sai is gone for a while but he'll be back! Don't worry… hehehe… xDDD Somehow... I think I wrote Kabuto freakier than Sai... or is it just me?
Note: Is the name Orochimaru-sensei too long?? Or should I stick to Orochimaru-sama? Oh! And my computer has a virus! So, no updates for a while... WAHH!!! bad computer!