Psychoticbunny: OMFG, I'm alive. Sorry about not updating. I honestly don't have a reason. I just didn't feel like writing. So, take it away Shika-shika-chan!

Shikamaru: Damn fangirl. Disclaimers are so troublesome… she doesn't own us though… I wanna take a nap…

Psychoticbunny: And there is cursing/sexual reference/bad adjectives/whatever else there is! Now read my sucky story even though you probably hate me at this point!

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(Sasuke)

The door creaks open almost excruciatingly slow. I've started twiddling my thumbs out of anxiety. My foot taps out an uneven beat on the white tile below me.

"Mrs. Uchiha, you have a visitor," the nurse says in a soft voice that one might use when talking to a small child. "You can go in now," she informs me.

I nod even though she's still staring into my mother's room. With a gulp to slow my heartbeats down, I enter.

"Mom," I croak and rush forward to embrace her.

---

(Gaara)

I tap out the rhythm of the song my teacher's cell phone ring is set as. She looks worried as she speaks quietly to the person at the other end of the line. Hinata's also looking concerned and keeps on whispering questions about whether or not I'm okay. I'd told her about the incident at my house last night because I decided that it was extremely unreasonable of me to not trust her by now. That was a mistake.

"Gaara, do you want to tell someone? I know that you probably wouldn't be too comfortable, but don't you think that-" She quiets down when I glare at her as harshly as I can. "Sorry."

I let my face soften up and gaze back towards Ms. Kurenai. It's not like she's trying to annoy me.

"Please, I'm in school. No. I will, I will. Yes, of course. I just- you what? No! Listen, I need to teach. Please can we just continue this conversation later? Please? Okay. Thank you so much. Yeah. Okay, I promise. Bye." She closes the phone and focuses back on the class, which has managed to turn into a sort of three-ring circus during her chat.

Naruto and Kiba are pulling on Sakura and Ino's hair when they're not looking while Chouji's pulled out his pack of chips and is jamming them into his mouth at an inhuman pace. Shikamaru looks a bit disgusted, but it's apparently too much of a bother to tell him to stop so he instead lays his head down for the third nap this day. Lee's explaining something about youth to Hinata even though it's pretty obvious she isn't paying any attention at all to his lecture. Shino found a poisonous-looking insect on the window and is currently trying to urge it into the classroom so he can capture it or eat it or… or… do whatever he does with all of those bugs he collects. Sai's teasing Naruto about being a dick-less wonder and Suigetsu and Karin are ready to kill each other while Juugo observes from the sidelines.

"Class!"

Everyone stops in the middle of what they're doing to stare blankly at the fuming woman.

"Get back to your seats! And Suigetsu! To the principal's office!" she orders.

"What? Why? Karin started it!" he complains.

"Too bad! She can go too! And as for the rest of you, I'm handing out some class work! Work on it until lunch!"

And with a last threatening glace at Naruto and Kiba, who are snickering to themselves in an unnerving way, she turns and chooses Lee and me to hand out some papers. She won't make eye contact with me as she hands me the stack of math sheets. For some reason, she's never liked me too much. It's strange really; we never even met each other until this year.

I pass out the class work calmly, ignoring Lee's challenge to have a race of who could finish handing out the work first. I keep my eyes on him for a bit as he bellows out a passionate statement about youth and runs around before my attention drifts to Sasuke's empty seat. For as long as I can remember, he's never missed a day of class to this day. I frown while I pass the chair, slamming down Shikamaru's paper with extra force in hopes to wake him up.

"I wasn't asleep! I was thinking! Oh, you're not the teacher. Huh? What's this? Humph. Work is so troublesome…"

---

(Sasuke)

"She pushed me away…" I whisper at the ceiling.

I'd been so happy to see her, but she pushed me away. I thought she would have returned my feelings, but she didn't recognize me, her son. She had glared at me and called me a stranger. Even though everyone else was murdered, even though Ita-nii betrayed my trust, it's unbelievable that my mother would've just forgotten about me. In fact, I don't want to believe it. I want this whole thing to be some big nightmare that will simply disappear once I wake up.

She had been my only hope, my last connection to my family. And she wouldn't even accept a hug.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. I'm not going to cry. Crying makes me weak and I am not weak. I bite my lip to muffle a strangled coughing sound and blink my eyes repetitively to prevent myself from sobbing.

Naruto would always make me feel better. I wish he were here, to crack a stupid joke or act like the idiot he is, spreading his happiness to everyone around him. Does he even miss me?

---

(Hinata)

Gaara is annoyed. Very annoyed. Personally, I'm just happy I'm not the cause of it, because it looks like any moment my best friend will run over to Ramen Boy and rip his head off. Apparently, the blond is being exceptionally aggravating today due to the absence of Pretty Boy.

"Hey, Hinata. Do you think that this knife might be able to kill him if I aim well?" Gaara inquires, eyeing his plastic ware with mild interest.

"Gaara!" I exclaim.

"What's your problem?!" he snaps. "I'll plot whoever's death I want! Now leave me be or you'll be next!"

I open my mouth to say something back, but the sound comes out a pathetic squeak. Gaara's been really defensive lately. Whenever I simply check whether or not he's okay, he gets really angry with me. In fact, had I been gifted with some lovely form of a backbone, I would have reminded him whose house he had been staying at for the past two days! However, I was not gifted with such a wonderful feature and even if I did rub it in his face, he probably would have attempted to return to his own house, and that is something I can't allow to happen.

I gaze at Gaara, wondering if he'd ever trust me with any information again, when he abruptly turns and locks eyes with me. I swing my head to the side in embarrassment and I can see him do the same out of the corner of my eye.

Gaara mutters something I can't understand.

"Hm? Could you repeat that?" I ask.

"Finish your lunch, moron. Lunch is gonna be over soon." He says the next part so quickly I barely catch. "I don't want you to be hungry."

I can't stop the huge grin that's spreading across my face. Maybe he's just a bit stressed and tends to deal it out onto other people. This whole relationship almost reminds me of a roller coaster sometimes. Well, I'm not actually sure if it reminds me of the ride itself, for I've always been much too terrified of heights to ever step foot on one of those metal monsters, but it does remind me of the nauseating twists and turns and the huge drops that make you scream at the top of your lungs, and then finally when you return to the soft and peaceful end. In fact, I-

"BOO!"

I shriek in surprise, angered by the chuckling I hear. Who dares to interrupt my internal monologue? (1) Oh, of course. Ramen Boy does. My eyes dart quickly to the plastic knife Gaara has given up on, only to rest on the energetic nine-year-old.

Gaara's yelling at him by the time I've processed exactly what happened. I can't understand a single word they're saying/screaming, but I do now I've been introduced to several new shades of red by Gaara's face. I suppose it's because he's found a new subject to lash out on.

An aid runs over and separates them by overpowering the noise with her reprimanding shouts.

"Um… Gaara?" I ask tentatively, afraid that saying the wrong this would permanently damage our relationship. Still, I am going to confront him about telling someone about his experience at home. I will succeed. I won't chicken out no matter what and-

He turns his head to face me, penetrating my skull with his fierce stare.

-and what was I saying?

I drop my head to my lap, my hair hopefully concealing the red splotches that I'm positive had made an appearance on my cheeks.

"I was… um… w-well… you know… uh…"

At times like these, I really wish that my confidence hadn't taken a vacation to some foreign island… and then never returned.

"Hinata, don't worry about me, okay? Just focus on yourself. I mean, my life's probably beyond fixing by now. You still have hope. People like you. You're really nice. I'm just a cranky eyesore. You saw Kankuro… you heard what he said…"

My stomach flutters when Gaara compliments me, but I'm angered by his other comment.

"Gaara, you said it yourself, you're no monster. You told him to shut the, well, shut up when he called you that."

"I lied. I really am a monster. I killed my mom, I cause Temari and Kankuro pain that they don't deserve, and I don't even do anything about it. I don't need or want your pity."

"Gaara! You-"

I'm cut off by the same aid that had stopped the fight between Ramen Boy and Gaara.

"We're heading back to the classroom now for indoor recess. Make a straight line in front of the door please. And don't push!"

With a blink of my eyes, Gaara has already disappeared into the crowd of children combating for position of front of the line and, for a select few, the back. I let out a hefty sigh and join their numbers.

---

(Sasuke)

I'm finally allowed to go back to school. I haven't missed a single day in my life and now this! And I was competing with Naruto for perfect attendance…

A couple of missed days doesn't actually matter too much. The dobe (2) is late so many times I'm sure it adds up to more than my two measly days.

Even so, those two measly days could have contained tons of lessons I haven't been taught and plenty of homework to make up. Naruto's always nagged me about why I do make up homework even though it's not necessary in the fourth grade. To be honest, I've never known myself. Completing work simply makes me feel complete inside.

"Sasuke! Oh my god! Where were you? I missed you so much!" Ino calls.

I'm displeased to see that she's arrived early. Gaara's leaning on a nearby wall, glaring at the girl as she rushes forward to grant me with an unwanted bone-crushing embrace.

"So why were you absent?" she pesters.

"I was sick," I reply.

"Sick? With what? Are you okay? Oh, my poor Sasuke! All alone and sick and cold and… and… and… uh…" She trails off, searching for another depressing adjective.

"It was just a slight cough. My mom…" I falter at the mention of my mother. "Um…my mom wanted me to stay home anyway." I mentally add an, 'I wish' at the end of the sentence.

"A slight cough! That sounds bad! Do you want me to kiss it better?" the intelligent-on-Opposite-Day blond inquires. How would she kiss a slight cough?

…

You know what, I don't think I want to know the answer of that…

I look into Ino's big blue eyes with disgust. I hate all of my stupid fan girls. They're all just a bunch of sluts and disgraceful excuses for human beings. Seriously, they should concentrate more on finding their lost brains if they have all this time to annoy me. (3)

Ino wraps her arms around one of mine firmly. I see a future professional leech.

"Gaara!" calls out a high-pitched voice from behind.

It's the new kid, Neji. At first, I liked her, as she was not another fan girl and a great source of amusement, but calling me Sakura, accident or not, was unacceptable.

She stops in front of the clingy ditz and me and wages a mini mental war.

"Hello, um…Sasuke?" she greets me uncertainly, pronouncing each syllable slowly and carefully. "How are you?"

"So you finally learned my name, eh?" I seethe.

It seems as if I've spoken too quickly because gives me a terrified look and then glances off in Gaara's direction, waiting for him to come and rescue her. And here he comes, complete with a nasty glare.

"What'd you do to her?"

"Jeez, calm down. I didn't do anything. She didn't understand my sentence."

No one is stupid enough to mess with something Gaara cares about. In fact, most people aren't even able to pull together enough courage to talk to him. I kind of feel like acting really horrible to everyone around me, but I know this isn't the situation where it would be acceptable.

"G-good m-m-morning Gaara," Ino stutters. Her grip around my arm tightens.

Ino's one of the kids who would rather attempt to befriend a rattlesnake than stay in the same room with Gaara alone for over five minutes. She would probably leave, had it not include leaving me, her "darling Sasuke," behind with our not-so-harmless classmate.

She lets out a squeak and tries to hide herself behind me when he looks at her.

Neji whispers something to Gaara, but I can't catch what it is. He shrugs in response.

"G-good morning!" she says to Ino.

For once, Ino's speechless, paralyzed by the jade eyes that are watching her every move. Maybe I should hang out with Gaara more often…

"See you later and if you ever lay a finger on Neji, I will murder you in the slowest and most painful way I can imagine," Gaara threatens, dragging Neji by the arm while she gives him a confused look.

Actually, I think that not coming in contact with him ever again, excluding school matters, is a better choice.

"SASUKE!!!!"

---

(Temari)

I pause before opening the tall oak door, thinking over what I'm about to do once more. This decision could affect my life. This decision could affect many lives.

I glare at the shiny golden plaque on the door and slowly raise my hand to knock. I close my eyes and move my hand at an agonizing pace to the door. My knees are trembling and I can taste blood on my lip where I've been gnawing in my distress. All of the consequences I might have to face are shooting through my mind so quickly, I feel the beginning of a very long headache coming on.

Still, I think back to everything that has happened in the past nine years to reassure myself and regain some of my courage.

There's a bead of sweat running down my face by the time I rest my hand on the door.

I couldn't do it. I didn't have enough motivation. I put my hand back at my side. What an idiot I must have looked like! Maybe… maybe I would be able to do it another time. Maybe…

---

One- I know it's a bit ooc, but I couldn't help myself

Two- Dead last

Three- No, Ino will not be an annoying ditzy character. She just acts that way around Sasuke. She will probably play a major role in the future.

Psychoticbunny: Well, there you have it. Not the best chapter, but it's better than nothing. I hope I'll update more now. I can finally get the plot moving. I know exactly what I'm going to do (even though I'll probably end up doing something different)! Mlergleflergle!

…

Peace out

…

Yeah, yeah, I'll leave now…