Title: Disadvantaged Children
Rating: T

Thank you to all of my reviewers! You guys make me skip with joy sometimes. :)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! asdfadsf1


Chapter Six

Belief

"Is he okay, Hinata? Will he make it? I saved his stupid ass in that stupid race, he can't die on me."

The voices trail in and out, white voices that blare noise into my ear. A cool hand touches my head and I lean into it, purring at the blissful contact.

"Uhh.. Well.. It's just, that there's nothing wrong with him."

"What the hell are you talking about? He's covered in blood and he's not moving!"

"Umm."

"Spit it out, woman. I don't have all day. Kakashi's about to come out with the results."

"..."

I give a huge snort and scratch my stomach, blissfully asleep. The following silence is so peaceful that I start to wade into dreams. Dreams of haunting faces, big bowls of ramen, and the sleep-induced murder of Kakashi. I'm about to take off my stupid counselor's mask with a fork when someone rudely grabs me by the cuff of my shirt and starts slapping my face.

I tug open my eyes, which proves to be a difficult feat. Kiba's growling, but worried, face greets me.

"'Ello, there." I yawn while rubbing my eyes. "You look like this dog. This dog that I fought. He was prettttty."

Suddenly the full impact of my words catches up to me and I sit up, ignoring the tilting world in my vision.

"What-what happened? Who won?"

Kiba just shakes his head with a grim and jaded frown. His bruises are coupled with a gash on his head that looks like the one on Chouji's leg. Hinata mumbles something, then darts to another person, tending to groans, sore bodies, and injuries.

Kiba follows my eyes, and smiles.

"That girl is something... She's been helping out for the last thirty minutes, ever since Shikamaru and Chouji crossed the finish line."

A flash of Shikamaru's weary face before he went to help Chouji crosses my mind. His act of sacrifice is incomprehensible to me, so I duck my head and try to stifle the deluge of emotions.

"Shikamaru was last?"

"More like they tied. Chouji looked like hell, though, and if it weren't for Shikamaru, I don't know if he woulda made it. Shikamaru's a better man than me, though. Don't think I would have given up fifty points just like that."

I nod, then remember how Kiba had interfered when three dogs had ganged up on me.

"Thank you for-"

Kiba just waves his hand, dismissing my thanks. "Whatever. You woulda done the same for me. And besides, don't look like it helped none because I beat you."

I finally stand up, legs shaking a little. "What place was I in?"

Kiba looks thoughtful. "Third, I think. I coulda sworn that you was going to be first, but your freaky roommate beat you to it."

I clench and unclench my fists, the energy of belligerence swirling from the mention of Sai. The battle runs through my head and I realize that the singe of betrayal is still burning through every cell in my body. Sai's actions had been unforgivable.

There had only been one other time that I had encountered such ruthlessness.

It hurts to think, and I've lost the ability to separate the memories from the past, to remember which eyes belong to the shade of reality, and to uncover which betrayal hurts more.

The next time I see him, I'll kill him.

I can't shake off the thoughts of being murdered in my sleep, of hearing crooning words that sliced through my defense, of being alone..

A myriad of scents start attacking me; Kiba's sweat, Sakura's concern, the blood slowly dripping from a neck, and, there's that bastard, the aroma of a human without humanity. Kyuubi howls and the overwhelming scent of brutality plunges me into the terrifying darkness that I've tried so hard to avoid, My back arches and my pants twist like strangled dolls.

"Naruto."

I whirl around, nails biting into my palms, but it's only Kiba whose look of concern far surpasses my urge to remain in the empty darkness.

I slowly, slowly, come back to normal, spine cracking back into place and the powerful scents vanishing. I sigh when I finally feel the ground under my feet and I just shrug at Kiba's curious eyes. My control over Kyuubi frightened me; there was no telling when and where I would yield.

No one deserved to face the demon inside of me. Not even my psycho roommate.

Suddenly, a bang rocks the ground and smoke starts pouring in. When the dust settles, I see Kakashi who's glaring at each and every one of us. Kiba and I tense, thoughts running through our heads.

Kakashi's voice is cold. "At this rate, all of you deserve to board the ship that will take you to Kyuubi Island."

Immediately, I join the loud protests, feeling the indignation welling in my entire body. Kakashi only glares furiously at us and crosses his arm, refusing to listen to the outrage and the clamor.

Kakashi's anger didn't make sense. Not only had the First Event been dangerous and unfair, but its purpose was counterproductive to our recuperation. Savage dogs, fighting, and stress would never help us heal from our past.

It was also unbelievable that Kakashi had actually approved of the dogs that had attacked us. Judging from the injuries and my own mishap, most of us were not equipped to dealing with numerous dogs.

I had almost died several times during what was supposed to be a therapeutic lesson.

I knew the Mansion wasn't government-sponsored and questions stream through my mind regarding the authenticity of Uchiha Mansion. Was I destined to live my entire life looking over my shoulder in an orphanage that espoused security? Was the Mansion actually a weird, torture program for last chance deadbeats like us?

I can smell hostility coming from several of the kids, especially those who have suffered bruises. The reactions are extreme; Kiba and I are yelling at Kakashi, preparing to fight, while Rock Lee is weeping from disappointment. My eyes narrow when I see Sai in an offensive position, but he's too preoccupied with trying to assault Kakashi.

"Shut up! All of you!" Kakashi's mask doesn't hide the hot anger that's directed at the entire group.

"It's a scumbag move to selfishly ignore others in need and to only pull yourself up, yet all of you exhibited that trait at one point during the race. None of you looked deeper into the Event and tried to comprehend the true purpose. What the hell do you think teams are for? For all intents and purposes, the finish line served only as a distraction."

He stops, letting his fierce disappointment run through the crowd. I'm still confused, but the rest of the group seems shocked by the twisted events.

Kakashi then fixes a cold stare at Sai, who's idly twirling a knife in his hands.

"Sai, who came in first, did all that he could to win. Several times during the race, he attacked the people around him, even a fellow team member. This is unacceptable and heartless. Because of his actions, he has just cost everyone in his team fifty points."

The air buzzes from the words snaking around us and I stare angrily at Sai, who only reacted to Kakashi's speech by smiling crookedly. I didn't understand how Kakashi had known what had really happened during the race, but it was a relief to see that Sai wouldn't gain points because of his inhumane methods.

But my counselor hadn't seen fit to just punish Sai. Although I didn't comprehend the reasons, Kakashi was going to take points off of our whole team. The injustice doesn't help quell my already growing anger from failure, the Event, and Sai.

I'm about to voice my anger, but Sakura beats me to it.

"But you told us points were individually allotted! Why should my team suffer from Sai's mistakes?"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE IN A TEAM!"

A manic glint in Kakashi's eyes causes Sakura to back away from fear. "Don't any of you understand what it means to HELP AND AID someone who is suffering? And you, Sakura, are you proud of your own actions? How many times did you ignore Rock Lee's aid and, instead, continue to waste your strength by fighting Ino? Don't decry the actions of Sai when your own should make you ashamed!"

Sakura angrily points to the forest, refusing to take in Kakashi's words.

"You purposely pitted us against each other! You emphasized that the last one to cross the finish line would lose fifty points. Can you blame us if we viewed everyone else as an enemy?"

Kakashi glowers and slowly says, "No one was supposed to cross the finish line."

He succeeds in shocking us and he goes on.

"Each team was carefully tracked to see if they would band and fight together, after which the game was supposed to finish for the team. The dogs that I unchained are impossible to defeat by strength alone. Only a few individuals in the past years have succeeded in actually disabling the dogs. Crossing the finish line wasn't the true purpose of this event. The true purpose was to acknowledge your team mates and work together to either concede defeat or win."

The stunned silence that greets Kakashi causes him to shake his head. His anger slowly wanes and when he next speaks, his voice is soft.

"Shikamaru, who was the last person to cross the finish line, is the true winner of the First Event. Not only did he stop to help his fallen comrade, but he was also prepared to sacrifice fifty points. This is the attitude that will help you survive the real world, not your mistaken beliefs of heartless individualism."

He turns to Shikamaru and smiles. "Congratulations, Team 10, for winning the First Event and acquiring fifty points. As for the other two teams, I have decided not to detract or add points. Rock Lee in Team Gai and Kiba in Team 8 both offered help to people outside of their respective teams. While I don't condemn this kind of behavior, I was troubled to see that neither Rock Lee or Kiba offered help to their own team mates."

He turns away from us and the ideals of teamwork, trust, and failure mock us. I could understand, now, why Kakashi and Iruka had both emphasized the values of working with my team; in their own little ways, they had tried to warn us of the First Event.

I glance at Sai and his blank eyes are focused on me. The choice to cooperate is in front of me and at that moment, that exact moment when black eyes watch blue eyes and emptiness meets determination, I reach out and take the decision into my hand. I don't know what road I'll be taking, but something tells me that I've taken a step forward.

Kakashi turns his head and his gaze focuses on me.

"Take a shower, guys. And let your wounds remind you of the lesson you've learned today."


The group counselor meeting was a miserable experience, with all the Leaf Dorm orphans sweating, stinking, and unhappy from the turn of events. All I had done was take a seat at the back of the room, mutter some words to Kiba, then promptly fall asleep.

When someone nudged me awake after class was over, my entire body had been sore and unwilling to listen to my commands. Even walking back from the group counselor to the cafeteria had been a tiring event, one in which I had sulkily walked alone and almost tripped over my own feet.

The bad mood pervaded even throughout dinner and none of the people at my table were eager to speak. I knew what went on through some of their minds.

It had been downright depressing to hear a philosophy that completely contradicted what we had done to survive over the years. Our creed was to trust no one and do everything alone. After all, loneliness was the only sure possession that orphans had. We had never been punished for our means of survival.

Dinner passes, although I haven't touched or tasted anything on my plate. The bell rings, sending a jarring tremor through my body.

Kiba grunts and yawns. "Where are we going now? What else could they possibly do to torture us?"

Shikamaru scratches his head and looks down at a schedule posted on the wall.

"For us, we have inter-team free time. Tch, I think this is their way of telling us that we shouldn't just interact within our dorms."

Shikamaru had taken the news of being the winner of the First Event in his own way, dismissing Kakashi's compliments and muttering that it was troublesome to have attention called upon such a minor thing. The rest of the dorm, however, saw him in a new light and even I found myself staring at his lazy exterior.

Shikamaru may have claimed not to judge others, but he was a clear target for others to judge him, with his underlying and admittedly admirable personality. Kiba and Rock Lee, unlike Shikamaru's lazy attitude, had given mini-inspirational speeches to their group, hopes charged for the next Event. Sakura and I hadn't spoken yet, but I knew what was going on in her head.

Our mysterious third team member would drag us down with him to hell, with or without guilt involved.

"So where do we have to go next?" I ask, pushing away all thoughts about the First Event.

Kiba points to a couple of stairs that descend.

"The courtyard. I think you woulda like it, Naruto. At night, you can see the stars."

There's a hopeless sparkle in his eyes and then Kiba snuggles up to my side. "We could cuddle together. Just like when we was eight!"

I start to laugh at Kiba's childlike words and I ruffle his hair. "You spoil me, Kiba."

He starts leading me towards the direction that we're supposed to go.

"Well, I'm just making up for all the lost years, you know. Got to make fresh memories, in case we ever get lost again."

Even though he's cheery and jumping from side to side, he can't hide the profound intensity of his desire to forget and make. I'm swept by his optimism and I just allow myself to be lead, hand in hand, like when we were little kids. He keeps jabbering, excitedly, the whole way there and I listen and pitch in whenever he stops to take a breath. We finally reach the place and before he opens the door, his gaze trails to the side, words fading out.

"What's wrong?" I tease. "Don't feel like cuddling anymore?"

Kiba looks puzzled and then he shakes his head. His words falter, but I can still sense his solemn thoughts.

"I'm just glad, y'know? That I'm here, with you, and not out there."

There's something he's not telling me, but I decide not to badger him about it. I grin then bite him on the ear, lightly, whining my displeasure.

"Well, right now, I wanna go see the stars."

Kiba makes a face at the affectionate gesture then brightens up at the thought of showing me the courtyard. I feel a rush of happiness when his happy brown eyes meet mine.

We'll be together, forever, Kiba.

He takes my sleeve then opens the door.

I'm greeted by the sight of a carefully constructed area with benches, floor lights, and trees. It's beautiful how the wide variety of flowers line the path paved with stones and how the silver stars dance in the night sky's presence. The moon casts its reflection in a pond that some orphans are running their hands through and the feeling of safety and comfort immediately overwhelm me. The cool wind blows lightly in my ear and I just take a moment to savor feeling alive, feeling free.

"You weren't lying, Kiba." I whisper.

"You think this is great?"

Kiba tosses me a challenging smirk and I find myself dragged past adults and students bearing the leaf, sand, mist, and sound symbols. I recognize a few from my dorm and even spot the mummy-looking figure that Sai was hanging around with earlier, but they're all a blur as Kiba's enthusiasm outweighs everything else.

We finally reach the top of a hill that's less crowded.

Breathtaking.

Overlooking an expansive area that stretches into an ocean, our clearing is limitless and stirring, alive with power. Lights from locations close to the Mansion twinkle and die out, but the stars keep shining and reminding me of the possibilities. I could fly, if I wanted to, or I could forget and stay here, forever, eternity smiling happily on me and Kiba. The immeasurable silence has a cadence that I grasp and lock for future use and I sit, dragging down Kiba with me.

In a place like this, I can believe in anything.

I smile, blond hair in my eyes, but not caring because the trees keep moving in ripples like the waves of the ocean. Nature has touched this area and I gratefully sit and admire her creation. I close my eyes and envision releasing myself from the bonds of Kyuubi by soaring into the night sky. All of the tension disappears and I don't have to fake the instinct to enjoy the simple things, like opening my heart and letting it sing with the rest of the world.

I turn to Kiba, about to thank him for the unspeakable bliss, but I spot another lone figure staring out into the river of trees.

His messy black hair flows with the breath of the wind and his pale face is deep in concentration. I wonder, for a moment, if Sai's followed us out here (here, where hatred couldn't exist) but I realize that Sai's lips could never curve into a smile like the one on the boy's face.

Sasuke

Calling him by his last name would be a sin to do in a place as intimate as this, and I realize how fitting it is to finally meet Sasuke in a place where masks can be ripped off and problems can be pushed aside.

Without feeling any unease, I watch him cajole his way into the night sky, where it caresses and envelopes him in a blanket of shadows. It's not so much the fact that he looks so beautiful but more the fact that he looks so comfortable being alone in a serene and breathtaking place like this.

My obsession slowly fades and what's left is a burning curiosity.

I don't know what exactly I'm curious about, but I can feel Fate's hands shoving me into Sasuke's path, leaving me content and unafraid. I turn away from Sasuke and close my eyes, allowing myself to be carried away into a world that only holds sounds of trees and visions of hope. I've given myself up, without any hesitation, and it feels good to be swept by a whirling sensation, even though I know I'm rooted to the ground. The sheer piety of the situation doesn't escape me; belief, once so rare, is a cascade of promises and destiny.

"Makes you think that there could be someone out there, some higher power. Don't it?"

Kiba's voice doesn't intrude, but instead, eases in to the smooth and tranquil atmosphere. I turn towards him and his bright eyes convey the never-ending glimmer of stars. Something strikes me and suddenly, I realize that I'm powerless. That I've been helpless all along.

I couldn't do this on my own.

That one piece of knowledge, knowledge that would have made me so afraid anywhere else, is only one tiny part of an enigma that feels safe in an area made for hope, second chances. I still shiver, though, when the cool air touches my back. I had put something in my heart and, by my own accord, it would never leave. I would feel its effect until I either died or until I healed.

I close my eyes again, slightly swaying to the lilt of the sky, and my doubts fly away. I had turned over my life to another, not to a human and not to a mistake, but to another presence that could help me. I didn't have a name for it, but the restless whisper of the breeze and the tickle of the clouds reassure me.

I was safe and I wasn't alone. I was never alone.

Without any embarrassment or concerns about the black haired boy whose eyes are watching, I pull Kiba closer and he intertwines with my body. With the past swirling, like two children dancing, we look up towards the sky and find infinity greeting our eyes.


When Kiba and I return to the center of the courtyard, we're greeted with hoots and knowing jeers, because of our flushed cheeks and the mysterious looks on our faces. I just grin and wink at Kiba, who only laughs at my attempt to play along.

In an area strewn with Monopoly money, Rock Lee is hovering over a group of people, frantically shaking a pair of dice and howling words of triumph. In the other corner, Shikamaru and an adult with the Sand headband make careful moves over a chess board. The atmosphere is so different from the atmosphere in the previous team recreational activities, that I just gape at the warm faces and cheerful, teasing shouts.

Of course, not everyone was reacting in such a joyful manner. Some of the older kids in the Sound and Mist dorm are sulking by the shade, smoking cigarettes or glaring icily at those who cross their paths. But even they, too, have relaxed countenances and I smirk when I see one of them laugh after scaring away a younger kid. It was weird to see such a motley group enjoying themselves without any concern or care.

Where was the suspicion that made its presence known in every orphan's face? Where were the hardened hearts that broke from years and years of rejection? Where was the fear, the intimidation, the jarring displeasure of life?

I look but I can't find myself in any of the orphans, no matter how hard I search for it. They were all happy, willing to forget the past for a taste of the present. They weren't concerned with escaping the Mansion, because there was nowhere else they could go, besides a future of bare dreams and hollow nights. They didn't care about reputation, because here, in the Mansion, they were all the same.

They were a group, they were surviving, and they were here, not there.

Suddenly, I realize that I am a part of here. I am a part of the group and the group didn't care who I was, who I had murdered, and who I would become. It shouldn't make sense, but under the perceptive sky and the watchful gaze of belief, sense merges with my heart.

Things couldn't be like this forever. But I don't care, because I can finally afford to care.

Choices vanish when Sakura grabs my arm, giggling, and waves to a group that's intensely concentrating on a colorful board with a million black dots crowding the entire table.

"Hey! We've got one over here who'll play!"

She turns green eyes towards me and starts debriefing me on the game. "..So you can be on my team, and right now we're just trying to conquer all of Konoha, but you got to be aware of the ninjas, because they try to-"

I roll my eyes in exasperation, but follow Sakura to an unknown game, dragging Kiba with me.


The rousing night of games and social interaction drained me enough to quit and head early for the dorm to sleep. I was too tired to think, anymore, or to analyze more of the day's events. All I felt was an immense exhaustion and a desire to burrow under the covers of my soft bed.

However, I still had one more obstacle before my second day at the Uchiha Mansion would end, and that was dealing with the soulless demon who shared a room with me.

Soulless demon. I chuckle idly at my word choice and shake my head. Once upon a time, a group of scientists had possessed a goal to make me become one of those, just an empty container for a research experiment. They had underestimated my capacity, however, to manage Kyuubi without letting it eat me alive. And then they had suffered in the Island that I was trying so hard, now, to avoid.

My head feels like it's going to splinter from thinking, so I slowly open the door to my room, looking for any dead corpses or Sasuke look alikes.

When I see no traces of shameless secrets in the room, I let out a breath that I've been holding and decide between falling asleep or taking a shower. Even though scrubbing away all of the caked blood and dirt on my bruises sounds appealing, my eyes refuse to stay open long enough for me to scramble to the shower.

Yawning blearily, I stumble to my bed, almost groaning when I sink into the feathery comforter and heavenly pillows. I idly say goodbye to consciousness when I feel the first grasps of dreams rippling into my head.

The door opens but I'm too immersed in sleeping to stiffen in reaction to Sai's entering the room. Though the sleepy haze attempts to drag me back to the peace, I manage to open my eyes. Sai's lone figure standing above me is blurry, like a faded photograph.

I conclude, absentmindedly, that I must be dreaming because a hand reaches out to touch me, then stops.

Words swirl, words that only contribute to the cadence of trees whispering lullabies, and I shift softly, images of the dark night sky and two lone children coalescing to the spinning world.

"I don't know how to accomplish what you want me to do, Naruto."

I frown in my sleep, unable to place the voice to a voice in my dreams, but choose to submerge back into the ocean of desires, swimming through the unfading desire to believe in someone, something.

The Mansion, with her protective walls and beautiful presence, presses down upon my back, reminding me and fifty other people that this is home. And even if I've just made my worst mistake, the fragile hope fluttering in my heart is enough to let me fall asleep with a slight smile on my face.


"H-ELLOELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AND GOOD MOOORRRRRNNING!"

Like a strange case of déjà vu, I yelp and fall off the bed, hitting the ground face first. Groaning, I mumble a steady stream of cuss words, from both of the languages that I know. When Jiraiya keeps yelling about the great morning and how we should all wake up and then blahblahblah, I just tug my hair and make a face into my pillow.

"AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO STILL AREN'T UP, HERE'S SOMETHING TO HELP YOU."

A piercing monotone noise starts blaring over the PA and I grind my teeth.

"Goddamn it, I'm up, I'm up!"

Without another thought, I throw my pillow at the speakers above my head. Unfortunately, my aim is a little off and the pillow hits Sai square in the face.

I sheepishly mumble an apology, but the pillow comes right back and hits me in the face. I frown at Sai, who only looks slightly perturbed. He's sitting next to his beloved easel and seeing his innocent and pristine smirk reminds me why I hate him so much.

"Bastard," I mutter.

Another pillow hits me in the face and I keel over from shock. What was this? A response from Sai, the normally dead zombie who happened to live in my room, that didn't involve punching or fighting or bullying? Was the world still turning? Had I woken up in another dimension?

I decide not to comment on the abnormality and, instead, glare healthily at the sun that's shining through the window coupled in with the blaring walrus on the intercom. Needless to say, I didn't like the environment that I woke up in.

A pounding on my door interrupts my hate-filled morning.

"Naruto! Open up! Kiba here to remind you why you love life!!"

I stop my glaring and replace it with a huge smile, pretending not to notice Sai's gaze focusing on my movement. He had a morbid fascination for staring at me whenever Kiba was around, as if trying to capture the moment to draw on his easel. Of course, I did not appreciate, enjoy, or want this attention, but as long as it kept him from attacking me for no apparent reason, I could tolerate his curiosity..

After all, being fodder for art was preferable to being fodder for the grave.

I open the door and let Kiba in, laughing when he trips from entering my room too enthusiastically. He's even more hyper than usual today and his energy is so contagious that I forget about my rudely timed morning.

This was how life should be, how life could have been if I had walked past the lone figure with red hair, charcoal eyes, and bloody lips, without looking back.

Kiba friendly shoves me and I hit the wall. Growling, I mock-glare through my thick lashes, and pounce on him. We continue rolling around, trying to get light punches and scratches in, but the room doesn't produce great results for two rowdy boys in combat. We crash into chairs, bed, and then, eventually, Kiba manages to get a punch in before I shove him off my back.

I stand up, triumphant and feeling ten times better, until Kiba, still on the floor, nonchalantly kicks my feet from under me. I manage to twist around, but end up falling, looking up at the ceiling, right into Sai.

Unfortunately for him, he had been calmly sitting in his chair, painstakingly painting, until my back had plunged into his bony kneecaps, lap and all. I hear Kiba snickering and I lift my head and Sai looks down at me, which, apparently, was the cue for a tense and blatant silence.

I had never seen Sai's face up close before, sans flashlight, and the look on his face transcends blank vacuity. Dark wrinkles under his eyes still don't cover the feeling of emptiness in his eyes that shoots through my spine when I stare at him, and it's this same shudder that racks through my body.

I don't fail to notice the ridiculous situation in front of me, though, and thinking, what the hell, I decide to act with all the maturity that the situation called for.

I scrunch my face at him, squinting and puffing up my face, and hold the face for a good ten seconds.

But then I think my puffer fish face was a mistake, because he lifts up a hand and brings it down with all the intensity of fifty trains.

I yelp and protect my face with my hands, silently cursing Kiba and the whole world. Instead of the punch to my face that I was expecting, I feel a small, hesitant, and curious pat on the top of my head.

I open one eye and look around me, expecting Kiba or God, but all I see is Sai's face looming above me, unsure of what to do next. I solve the problem by hurriedly jumping out of his lap and cheesily grinning, even though the awkwardness in the room can be only be cut with the sharpest knife in the drawer.

"See you later, Sasuke number 2!" I yell, grabbing Kiba and slamming the door.


After another aggravating morning with Kakashi and his cheerful reminder to drag my ass to see Sasuke, I enter the cafeteria for lunch and grab my lunch, about to sit down in my table. Unfortunately, I'm approached by Sakura, who takes my arm violently and whispers conspiratorially.

"I have a plan called 'Infiltrate Sai's Dead Soul.'

I just look at her.

"No, I'm serious!"

She looks around then ducks her head back down when she spots Sai and the same paintbook I had seen on his easel.

"He's always drawing in that thing! And there's a voice in my head that tells me we need to swoop in, grab, then swallow."

I grunt. "Sounds sexual."

Sakura thumps me on the head, nostrils flaring. "I was referencing a bird's movements, baka! All you boys think about is one thing and one thing only!"

Chouji perks up and chimes in. "Food?"

Sakura sighs and shakes her head. "No, Chouji, not what I was thinking." I plop down into a chair, hoping this will give her the message, but, to my utter grief, she continues.

"Now, I know what you're thinking, Naruto. Why would I attempt to talk to Sai, who cost me fifty points? Why would I willingly try to understand him by stealing his most prized possession, when all he does is mope in unfashionable attire and copy Uchiha Sasuke's hairstyle?"

I open my mouth, about to argue that Sai was nothing like Sasuke, but Sakura barrels over me, a passionate fire burning in her eyes.

"You're going to do all of that, Naruto, because I want to stay in Uchiha Mansion. And the only way we can do that is if we learn all that we can about Sai."

"You're crazy," I mutter and dig into my food.

A bowl of ramen, of course, and some fruit disappear into my mouth in seconds, attracting the attention of Chouji, who looks at me in envy. Although I generally thought pink-haired girls were annoying, what Sakura said had more depth than her shallow exterior conveyed. When it came right down to the basic words, her desire became the same as everyone else's in the Mansion. We all wanted to survive, and some were more willing to do crazy, uncomfortable things.

I finally sigh and put down my fork, then stare straight into Sakura's desperately hopeful eyes. "Okay." I wince when Sakura squeals. "Although, to tell you the truth, I was already planning to steal Sai's sketchbook-"

Sakura beams.

"...to torch it."

For anyone who wants to know, getting punched in the face by a girl with a big forehead is not a pleasant feeling.


I used to hear things about Uzumaki Naruto all the time, back before Uchiha Mansion. They'd spit right after saying his name, almost as they thought it was a curse to even talk about the boy. I believed them too and the minute I saw him in the Mansion, I wanted to shun him.

But I forced myself to tolerate him, if only for the sake of following my counselor's warnings. And then, I realized that what I had heard about Naruto differed completely from what I had seen so far.

I've always been called a smart girl. I'll figure out what Naruto's been hiding, with or without his help.

Sakura


AN: Thank you for reading! Don't hesitate to point out any flaws/criticisms! :)

Unknowingly, in the courtyard, Naruto passed the Second and Third steps of the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. (No, Naruto does not drink, yadayada, but I thought the AA program could be applicable to his "recovery" from his past.) According to a website that I found, the Second and Third steps have to do with believing there's a greater power (almost a God, but not quite) and giving yourself up to that power (which Naruto did.) Of course, the First Step was admitting that you had a problem, but Naruto kind of skipped that, because he's stubborn.

Also, what the hell is up with Sai? I've actually never seen an episode with Sai so whenever I write about Sai, I always feel like I'm making him up from the top of my head. So, you could say that I have more affection for Sai than for oh say, a pissant like Sasuke.

P.S. MORE SASUKE INTERACTION (finally) IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. Amen.