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Chapter 8
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Little Pasts
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The redhead didn't seem to have heard him. He just stood there and looked at me with his round, light-brown eyes.
"What is your name?" he asked me formally, his attention only focused to me.
I stood there and appraised him in a disturbed manner. I suddenly felt like punching him to get away from where I stood. He moved his hand away from my arm, probably sensing he was being too close. Or perhaps seeing my uneasy reaction. Or probably just noticed then how filthy and sweaty I was.
I hesitated for a minute. I swallowed and uttered evenly. "What do you want from me?"
He saw the bothered look on my face and maintained a small distance from me as he kept his still approach. "Please… I don't mean to scare you." he said. The airy attitude he used with the other students suddenly disappeared now. "I… I just want to know… What is your name?"
I paused for a moment, thinking if this was a good idea. And when he still didn't break his stare off me, I mumbled. "Sakura."
He studied my appearance for a moment again, like I was the only person he had seen like that in the world. He didn't look at me like some sort of pervert, he was more cautious and probing… like a young artist understanding an art piece. He kept the small distance between us, which made me a little relieved.
"Sakura." he murmured to himself, keeping my name imprinted in his head, I was guessing.
The crowd outside the school was silent, and I could only hear small whispers and see little movements from the corners of my eyes. Sasuke, then, took another step toward us. His annoyed eyes averted from him to me once... then twice.
"Do you fucking know him?" he snapped at me.
I shook my head, still tensed with all the gazes I could feel on me.
Sasuke turned his head back to the redhead, who was still acting as if he wasn't there at all. His stare was the one which made me uncomfortable the most. "What do you want, Sasori? What the hell do you think you're doing here?" he asked him in a pissed off tone. Clearly, he didn't like to be ignored.
The guy, who was called Sasori, finally broke his gaze off me and took a step back. He faced Sasuke and his expression instantly turned all stony and impassive.
"Have you heard about the Ame Institute, smartass?" he said to him, setting me aside from their conversation.
Sasuke raised one eyebrow. "Obviously. I also heard they don't accept losers, so better luck next time, prick." he mocked. They were almost face to face now. They stood tall together with the same height.
The tension of the two sides were getting heavier, and I could see Naruto itching to be close behind Sasuke as if expecting Sasori would stab him with a knife anytime. It was odd how their moods shift from one thing to the other.
Sasori only curled his lips into a smile. "Hate to burst your bubble, but we already got in. Just came here to wish you luck on your future tasks in the org, pretty boy. Who knows who'll be leading the top rankings this year. Heard your brother was still in hiding—too much of a chicken-shit to face his responsibilities. I'm guessing you'd be following his footsteps any time soon, too."
With a hasty movement, I found Sasuke gripping the neckline of Sasori's shirt. I would've thought he'd already lunged himself over him. But he kept his feet safely on the ground, just gripping the neckline so tight it might be torn off any minute. His eyebrows were drawn together in an infuriated glare, his jaw clenched. The students and outsiders behind drew closer around them, waiting for the start of a fight. I could hear Kiba's dog, Akamaru, growling a few yards away from me.
I started looking around for a school staff or an instructor to break it off. Or would it be easier if I'd just run off to home right now?
"Listen here, asshole, keep my family out of this or you'll be sorry you've ever opened your stupid mouth." Sasuke hissed. "Maybe entering in Ame Institute is the only thing you can do, considering you haven't beaten me in anything. Or entering in that goddamn school is too hard for you that I should just congratulate you right now for coming that far?"
Sasori's childlike face altered, and it now looked older as his jaw tightened in fury. He pushed himself off Sasuke's grip and stood straight in front of him. The neckline of his shirt now disheveled.
"Got the guts to prove that, Uchiha? Why don't we settle it in a race? Let's see who can really keep up in the high and fast roads." he challenged. He glanced at me again for a second before looking back to him. "Or maybe you're already losing your touch."
"Worry about your own ass. I have no problem in beating you again, Sasori." Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Good. Then I'll see you on friday night, after school. At the old spot." Sasori said self-assuredly. "Don't be late, Uchiha."
And with that, they exchanged one final glare before parting slowly. They knew when to leave after all. The tension gradually eased and the outsiders started heading back to the other side of the street where their motorbikes were parked in a row, after giving one last sickened look at the school. They kept their small chats to themselves in murmurs.
And before Sasori could move back away with the others, he turned his eyes back to me once more. The angry look on his face vanished as his gaze landed back to me. It was hard to explain... but I could see a hint of sensitivity there in his face. As if he was used to seeing me before.
"Hey… Look, I don't mean to frighten you." he began to speak to me in a soft voice, which was far from the tone he used on Sasuke. And, just like before, he seemed to act like I was the only one at the place. Like I was the only one he could see. He hesitated a bit before saying. "But you just... look like someone I really know... a lot. I could've mistaken you for her."
I had no idea why he was telling me that. Why he was explaining himself to me. I couldn't move away.
Sasuke and Naruto were still throwing him dagger looks and they watched us suspiciously. Some of the students had started walking back toward the school, but Sasuke and Naruto only remained on their places wordlessly.
I would've like to tell him why I must look familiar to him, but stopped myself. I wouldn't want the others to know about that incident. "Well—whoever she was, I'm not her."
That her. He kept referring me to that her.
Sasori nodded and, to my surprise, smirked a little—which was more to himself. His angry attitude wasn't there at all. It was as if nothing just happened outside the school. "I can see that." he said. His eyes surveyed my face and my whole features as he began to walk backward slowly, as if having second thoughts on crossing the street to where his friends were starting their motorbikes.
Couldn't he see the cold stares Sasuke and Naruto was giving him? He was clearly outnumbered here. I assumed both of them were giving him a count to ten to scatter back to his friends before finally attacking him like vicious dogs.
"It's... It's not everyday that I see a pink-haired girl around here, you know." Sasori continued to say in a lighter tone. He was acting more simpler yet rather anxious as he spoke to me. "I wouldn't have come up here like this if I'd known that you—" he was struggling for words now. He wanted to explain to me something, I could tell. "—If the situations were different, it would've been quite nice if—"
He shook his head, then. He looked confused with himself, too. I didn't know what to say to him. I'd never known him since the other night. He gave a sigh and took one last look at me. "It might seem strange... but I would like to see you again, Sakura."
And then he was off, crossing to the other side. His back finally turned to me.
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Thwack.
The small piece of wood bounced off the nearby tree and stumbled stiffly to the ground. I was getting better at this.
The huge piece of log which now resembled a distorted stick figure that had lost one arm and leg, was situated at the middle of our backyard. There were numerous gashes all over it. It was being suspended by a thin pole underneath. It was my infamous target practice.
Sarutobi bought me a katana the other day to serve as my primary weapon, which sounded funny whenever I thought about me with it. He began to give me lectures and teach me the basics in sword handling. I understood why they didn't rely on guns and other more advanced weaponries in the institution. Using rifles and bombs to hunt demi-humans could cause a racket which might attract the attention of regular civilians. Only well picked guns are used in the Mortis Guild, which were not yet introduced in the Mortis Org. Rogue students were not allowed to use guns—I guessed because they were more immature when it comes to carrying them in the right places. And most of the members were very much used to traditional weapons, though they could be bigger to carry.
On the other hand, like almost any other day in my new life in this city, I continued to practice myself for the organization. The katana was lighter than Sarutobi's, so I didn't mind holding it for a long while. It was one of the new things I was learning nowadays. There were awful situations first. Like the multiple times I could've accidentally sliced off my own arm or might've slashed my Grandpa. I couldn't hold it properly at first. I never thought I would be learning how to use one in my life.
I'm managing it now, at least.
Anyway, it was almost lunch time and I was practicing at our small backyard. My parents were both out so Sarutobi and I took the chance to practice. He was sitting on one of the huge rocks beside a tree, reading newspaper. A hot green tea was placed on the smaller yet flatter rock beside him.
"You're doing good, little weasel." he said to me, yet his eyes were still busy browsing the newspaper. His head was held low, but I knew he could see what I was doing.
I shoved the blade into the ground and stretched my arms and fingers, which I now hardly recognized because of the healing bruises and blemishes around them.
"You think so? But do you really think a katana is the best choice?"
"No." He shrugged, still reading. I couldn't see his face. "But that's what I'm good at, so that's all you can have for now. I can also teach you other tools, but we'll start on swords and the small ones first. You haven't mastered the kunais and shurikens yet either."
I groaned. My aim was always bad so I couldn't throw the kunais and shurikens flawlessly yet. It had been several weeks since I started my first training, and although I was still adjusting, I was starting to finally keep up with the basics. I had never felt fit in my life. I was faster now. Even my parents noticed how faster I was moving these days. I could run better, eat more and quicker, and be more in tune with my body. The sores never completely vanished but they weren't new to me now.
Kakashi noticed the small improvements as well, and I was practicing with my two teammates then. Naruto, like Sarutobi, kept on giving me small tips and facts about the Mortis world and demi-humans whenever we're training. I'd tried fighting with him and Sasuke, and unsurprisingly, I always end up hitting the ground.
The small incident with the outsiders yesterday left a little disorder in Konoha Academy, too. The seniors were bothered with their disturbance. It turned out that most of them knew the outsiders ever since high school—Sasuke and Naruto especially. Sasuke was even acting weird during school after that little encounter. He didn't look too pleased with me having a small chat with that Sasori guy. I would even hardly call it a chat.
I was about to finally go home after the outsiders left that day, when he stopped me again.
"What the hell was that about? Do you know him?" he asked me in an upset way, soon after I turned around and started walking back to the following street. The outsiders had gone.
"No. Didn't you hear him? He thought I was someone else." I answered uninterestedly, tired of all that was going on. I continued to walk away.
He followed me and continued his stupid inquiries.
"It doesn't exactly look like it." he forced to say as he caught up with my exhausted pace again. He could effortlessly catch up with me with his long legs. "He acted weird in front of you—aside from his other strange behaviors. Have you seen him before? He looks pretty drawn into you—it's disgusting."
He was really becoming an annoyance now. I didn't have the energy to play mockeries with him at the moment.
"What do you care, anyway? I told you we don't really know each other. I don't know what's wrong with all of you. Now if you still got a problem with that, then go ask him. I'm pretty sure they'll be glad to entertain you!" I yelled and speeded up my pace hastily away until he stopped following me at last.
I didn't look back to see his expression at all. I was too drained and frustrated to think anymore.
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I looked down my watch fastened around my damp wrist. It was past twelve. I had an afternoon class at one-thirty.
My everyday life in Tokyo was now turning the same: Go to class, then go study or training during vacant hours— I often do the latter. My Literature subject that afternoon was dull. I couldn't pay attention to what the professor was lecturing. We were given a four-page article about politics to be written for today's assignment.
Ino and I started doing the homework at the canteen right after class. I was writing down at the foot of the page when—
Slap!
"Ohayou, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice was loud behind my shoulders, which wobbled at his sudden smack.
To my surprise, the tip of my pen skidded against the paper and the word I was forming didn't look like a word at all. It was now deformed.
"You stupid blonde." I cursed, gawking at the small mistake on my paper. I was not really sure why, but it was getting easier to curse him and his friends now. Being a student in Journalism, I was very careful with erasures and mistakes when it comes to writings.
"What else is new with Naruto." I heard Ino sighed in boredom.
"Oh—sorry, Sakura-chan. Didn't mean to wreck that." he said after peering down over my shoulder. "Thought I might just give you guys a little scare. You both look all serious and worn-out."
Both Naruto and Sasuke stood behind us, each holding a soda can. Ino hurriedly fixed herself after noticing Sasuke was there. There was no smirk on his face today but I still feel a bit fidgety whenever he was around.
"You would be, too, if you have your hands full with school work and training." I told Naruto as he and Sasuke took the seats opposite us at the white, rectangle table. There were a dozen papers scattered around the surface. Some of them were crumpled ones.
"What have you two been up to, anyway?" Ino asked, her lively side showing more now.
"Nothing much. Boring things." Naruto grunted, shrugging. He turned to Sasuke, who was sipping from the can of soda he was holding. He didn't tease me so much in front of other people. "But it won't be so much after class tomorrow. Will be looking forward to that."
I knew what he was referring to. Sasuke didn't respond.
Naruto turned to me, his blue eyes flashed with enthusiasm. "Wanna go watch tomorrow night, Sakura?"
Before I could even had the time to think about it, Sasuke reacted.
"What?" he commented, cracking his stillness as his head snapped toward him. "We never invited anyone whenever we race. It's not some kind of a show."
"I know, I know." Naruto said in a defensive way. "I just thought maybe she—well—you know—might just be curious and… well… might ease things up a bit with Sasori and the other guys. He looked pretty self-controlled the last day when she was there, didn't you notice?"
Ino looked confused. She only heard about the outsiders' small visit, but I never told her the exact details of what happened. I was out of their problems, anyway.
"That would make it worse. We already have our own heads to worry about—no need to involve another one. This is ours to deal with." Sasuke forced to say, looking rather provoked again. His patience seemed to be short these past couple of days.
Bipolar.
Naruto pondered on something and fell silent for a while. After it, he sighed and placed his can of soda aside.
"You know… ever since the last time they came here, I've been thinking about something." he began to say slowly, his eyes seemed to be lost in space as he searched for the right words to clarify something. "I've never seen him have that much self-control for quite a long time. We always end up having a fistfight whenever we meet them. I expected nothing new when they came here the other day. He's usually angry at things."
"He's got nothing else to do except pick a fight. He's got a huge ego. What else can you expect?" Sasuke grunted.
"I can think of someone who acts the same." I couldn't help but murmur.
He heard me and turned his eyes to scowl. He only rested one arm on the table and started drumming his fingers without any particular rhythm against the surface.
"He's hotheaded, alright. Always been our rival since high school." Naruto agreed. "But he really wasn't that bitter when we were a lot younger, you know."
Sasuke didn't appear concerned about it. He turned his head to the side, where the wide window was, and watched some of the students play soccer up ahead at the grassy grounds. I could see his smooth face glowing under the afternoon light from the window. I could feel Ino drooling over him beside me. He was just sitting right across from me.
Naruto hesitated for a minute, before saying. "But ever since that… you know… news about a couple of years ago… he just hated everything. He just really snapped after that."
"What news?" Ino asked curiously, the nosy type that she was.
Naruto's forehead creased. "You know… back then… heard that his girlfriend died in an accident. I think it was a car crash or something. Not really sure about it. Never seen her with him, anyway. And it was a long time ago. About two years, I think. He wasn't really that much of a troublemaker back then. But after that rumored accident… he just seemed to have gone out of control." He turned his head to Sasuke again. "Still remember that little rumor?"
"Can't believe that freak had one." Sasuke muttered, still staring outside the window.
"Look who's talking." Naruto teased.
"Shut up."
"Anyway," Naruto continued, turning back to us. "It was only some news I've heard back then. Not everybody knows about it. Sasori's very careful with his personal problems. It didn't seem obvious really, since he was already some sort of a delinquent ever since childhood. It just got… er… worse after I heard the news about that incident. He was just getting into trouble everywhere, and always getting drunk. And, well, picking a fight with us more than usual. It was like he was liking the pain. Turning into a masochist, I suppose."
It felt like some sort of a tragedy by the way Naruto was telling it to us. I tried to reflect about what he was saying for a minute. I wasn't sure how we ended up talking about that outcast right here in the cafeteria.
And then I remembered that her again. I thought I recalled Sasori calling someone's name when I first met him in his drunken state.
I get it. Jesus.
"Well, that Sasori guy is not really that bad-looking but he does give a scary aura when it comes to girls, you know. I'm not really that surprise that guy had a love interest but I can't imagine him being sweet to a girl." Ino said in her Miss know-it-all tone, flipping her flaxen hair over her shoulder.
Sasuke exhaled noisily. "Why are we even talking about that lunatic's past? He's just mad 'cause he can't get into the org. He just needs someone to kick his ass every once in a while." he said with exasperation, before swinging his soda back to his lips and taking a long gulp from it.
"Well… what I'm really saying is that he—he just seemed to have cooled down a bit the other day when they showed up here. I really expect him to snap in front of you, but he didn't." He glanced back up at me, his blue eyes showing mirth. "Didn't he just say something about mistaking you for someone?"
Ino was still a bit frustrated of what he was talking about. But Sasuke sensed it and I felt his head turned to me. His grip tightened around the can he was holding and I heard it got scrunched up stiffly.
"Well, I think he had mistaken you for his girlfriend, based on the way he acted in front of you." Naruto tried to hide his grin.
"What?" Ino exclaimed, as if hearing one of the most ridiculous things.
"That can't be right." I tried to say. I felt like choking—out of laughter or anxiety.
"I'm serious." Naruto insisted, his mouth turning into a pout after seeing our expressions. "I can't imagine him getting all tongue-tied with someone else. He didn't act normal when he saw you. Any guy who has known him ever since can easily notice that."
"Even so, it wouldn't change anything." I said, shrugging and pushing the thoughts aside.
"Oooh. Do you think he saw his girlfriend right into you?" Ino asked giddily, drawing her head close to me.
"No." I said flatly. "That would be insane. And besides, his girlfriend is dead."
"Stay away from him." Sasuke's voice was detached when he spoke across the table. He looked more serious than I thought when I looked at his face. He seemed a bit careful not to react easily now.
"I told you I don't really know him." I said.
"But he seemed to know you."
"So? Do you really think it's such a big deal to be mistaken for someone?"
"It is if it's Sasori. He couldn't even talk straight the other day. He kept looking at you like some sort of maniac—which he was."
"Well, then, that's my problem now, not yours. I know what I should do."
"Do you?" there was a trace of mockery in his voice now.
Naruto and Ino both fell silent. I felt a vein in my forehead started pulsing faster. We stared at each other in irritation across the table for almost a whole minute. That stupid Uchiha was really good in getting on my nerves. He was just so smug and stubborn. No wonder he and that Sasori guy were in bad terms. Both cannot co-exist because of their huge egos. There was only one room for an ultimate conceited jerk in this world.
I started grabbing my scattered papers over the table hastily, but before I could get all of them, Sasuke stood up from his seat in a stiff movement.
"Let's go." he mumbled to Naruto before moving away without looking at us again.
Naruto got up from his seat and gave a small smile before following him. Sasuke was already crossing the room to the door. "See ya. Good luck on the papers."
Sasuke tossed his empty, crinkled can of soda toward the trash bin across his shoulder before disappearing to the door. It tumbled inside without him looking. Naruto exited after.
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Cling.
The small bell hanging above the door of the comic shop tinkled as I got out of the store after returning the two books I borrowed. I looked up to see the dim sky hovering above. It was night time and the stars were appearing.
It was Friday night and I felt good. No school tomorrow and I was looking forward to sleep all day. It had been a while since I got a long rest. Kakashi gave me the day off this weekend. I had changed into my regular clothes when I got home after school. I started walking toward the same, familiar path back to our house—which was still a thirty-minute walk from here. But I didn't mind the distance. I didn't get tired that easily nowadays which was one of the positive effects of my training.
I walked down the streets were the lampposts stood illuminated. I was more alert and guarded now in the streets since that encounter I had the other night. Though I wasn't worried in bumping into a drunken Sasori tonight. He might already be punching Sasuke's face right now for all I know. Such a bunch of airheads. They were only wasting their time.
I could hear the horns of a traffic jam a block away as I continued my way down the pavement. It made me realize how much I was missing the serene ambiance back in the countryside. I was also missing my old life back then even if I was a nobody. It was harder to adapt with people here. Everything was moving in a faster pace. It was more advanced. Konoha Academy's level of education was way higher than my previous school. I was having trouble keeping up with my subjects. The only thing that was keeping me going was my will to graduate, which kept on fluctuating every now and then.
I was about to cross to another street when I heard a familiar voice.
"Sakura! Oi, forehead girl!"
I turned my head to the direction of that high-pitched voice and found Ino dashing towards me from the other avenue to my right. Her long hair dangling behind her. She was wearing a purple shirt and a pair of tight jeans.
"Hey there, Ino-pig." I greeted as she halted at my side. We both stood at the corner of the pedestrian lane. A traffic light pole stood a few feet away from us.
"I kept on calling you back at home and your Okaa-san told me you were out to visit a comic store somewhere. Good thing I found you here." she panted.
"Something wrong?"
She looked up and gave me a huge grin, her big eyes lighting up. "The race is tonight." she beamed excitedly.
I raised one eyebrow. "So?"
"So? Aw, Sakura—let's go and watch them!" she exclaimed, tugging my right arm. "It'll be fun! Don't you want to see Sasuke race? I bet he'll win. I've never got to see them race before."
She reminded me of a little fan girl.
"Are you crazy?" I cried out, yanking my arm back. "Do you want to get into a fistfight? I already feel all sore, so no, thank you very much."
Ino was acting all manic and she was now tugging my sleeves, too.
"Aw, c'mon! We don't have to let them see we're there, too. We can go hide somewhere and just watch them from a distance. I just want to see how it'll all go. I want to see Sasuke race!" Ino insisted eagerly. We were now having a small tug-of-war at the corner of the avenue. "Don't you?"
"You gotta be kidding." I groaned. "What's so fun in watching a bunch of cocky assholes race? It's just a waste of time."
"We're not going to stay there too long. We're just gonna peak a little and see what they're doing. We can find a good spot where they can't see us."
I know we looked awkward tugging and pulling each other right there at the corner of the avenue.
"Ino, we don't even know where they'll be racing tonight." I moaned.
"Oh, but I do." she grinned. "They'll be at that vacant lot down south. We used to play there when we were kids. Naruto told me right after class just this afternoon."
Seemed like that blonde moron wanted us to be there. He had a different view of things. I had the feeling he wanted Sasori to see me again—to ease the tension, he probably thought. Sasuke wouldn't be so glad in seeing us there, on the other hand.
"What're we going to do if they spot us there, then? You know Sasuke doesn't want us anywhere near them. It's pretty obvious in the cafeteria yesterday."
"Well, he was just being modest. And besides, aren't you even a little curious?" she asked, a smirk forming at the side of her mouth again. She was still gripping my right arm.
I thought about it for a few seconds, and the short silence was a good enough answer for Ino. She yanked my arm and started heading and towing me toward the bus stop at the end of the block where we were standing.
"But, Ino—can't we just—"
"Oh, shush! I know you want to watch, too." she chuckled animatedly as we came to stop behind a small line of people, waiting at the bus stop.
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