Wow, you guys really let me have it last chapter haha. I know everyone's confused and mad/hella pissed off—noted from the reviews and private messages— which means last chapter did its job. I'm sorry it took so long but FINALLY, here is the next chapter. Hope you like!

Episode 41: Road to The Battle of The Bands

Overall Season Two Theme: Stand Up by J-Min

Overall Season Two End Theme: Slow Dance by Suneohair

Episode Theme: Baby Don't Cry by EXO

Song One: Apple and Cinnamon by Utada Hikaru

Song Two: Superman by Super Junior

Song Three: It Hurts by 2NE1

Song Four: Snow Fairy by Funkist

Song Five: Hello by SHINee

Song Six: Merry Go Round by One Life Crew

Thanks for over 200 reviews!

DELTA: (represented by K-pop band: BIG BANG)

Natsu Dragneel—G-Dragon (leader)

Gray Fullbuster—Taeyang

Loke—Seungri

Jellal Fernandes—T.O.P

Zeref —Daesung

Perhaps this is what the stories meant when they called somebody heartsick. Your heart and your stomach and your whole insides felt empty and hollow and aching. —Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Isn't this an interesting turn of events."

There was a dark, cold, chill surrounding the steel lunchroom. The only color brought to the eerie room was the ferry of orange jump-suited men that sat around at steel tables, eating tasteless chili and refried beans as they murmured conversations while police officers stood against the walls, batons and guns at the ready.

Kai said nothing as they sat at the empty table with him, the top of his jumpsuit zipped down and his arms out of the sleeves, revealing a simple white wife beater. In front of him sat four boys acquainted to the prison life.

"Little Kai Mayonaka, back to life. Now what did you do to get in here? Kick a puppy?" Hidan smirked, leaning on his right fist with his elbow propped onto the steel table, his lunch pushed in front of him.

Kai glanced up to him as he poked at his food then looked back down.

"Rumor has it you did something to Gami," Deidara smirked as Tobi scarfed down his food next to him.

"To bad Sasori's not around anymore, he would have killed you if he found out you did something to her." Pein said tonelessly.

"What was it anyway?!" Tobi asked, his mouth filled with refried beans.

Deidara looked at him in disgust, "how can you eat this shit?"

"So tell us, how've the girls been?" Hidan continued, smiling wickedly. "Ino still sexy as ever?"

"Oh yeah! How's my Hinata doing?!" Tobi asked sweetly.

Kai trailed his dull eyes to Deidara who stared at him cockily.

After a few moments he trailed his eyes away, facing the five of them blankly once again.

"Just because I have to spend time stuck in this godforsaken place with you bastards doesn't mean we're suddenly friends. So don't talk to me as if we are."

"What'd you say?! Hm?" Deidara demanded, grinding his teeth as Tobi stopped chewing and the rest of the boys glared at him.

In the blink of an eye, Kai and Hidan were up on their feet. Hidan clenched his wife beater with his fist as he grinned wickedly .

"You've got a lot of nerve, punk."

"Hey!" one of the officers ordered. "Settle down there!"

"You didn't intimidate me then and you don't intimidate me now. Now, if you calm down and don't portray yourself as the Neanderthal you're making yourself out to be, I have a proposition for you. For all of you."

It wasn't until the corrections officer separated them and sat them down did the boys sit and stare at Kai who gave nothing away.

"The ten of us have something in common. We all want something from certain people. Vengeance. And we want nothing more than to see them suffer…I don't know about you, but I plan on getting out of here as soon as possible. But that's not going to happen if none of us cooperate. Understand?"

"Ten of us? Who're the other five?" Tobi asked.

Kai simply closed his eyes.

"Just a few people with similar desires…I'm sure you know them well…"

(^A.H^)

Tell me what is on your mind
Help me, 'cause I'd like to know
What the hell is going on?
Never thought I'd sing this song

A deep yawn escalated throughout the kitchen as the bun-haired girl walked in wearing dark green flannel pajamas and a tank top. She rubbed her eyes as Neko instantly began barking then rushed towards her.

"Morning!" Tenten called exhaustingly as she looked to the other four who sat in the kitchen, talking and eating a breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs and bacon on a warm Tuesday morning.

"Morning Ten, weren't you hot?" Sakura said as she looked down to the flannel pajama bottoms she wore.

Let's not get started with the he said, she said
Sometimes it just doesn't go on as planned
Let's not get started with the he said, she said
Sometimes it just doesn't go on as planned

Tenten shook her head as she took a seat at the table while Hinata set a plate down to her. Neko followed her and sat by her feet, wagging his tail.

"The air conditioner is back up in my room, it was boiling yesterday though," she rolled her eyes as Hinata stood up to turn off the oatmeal that was still on the stove.

"I think you're vent was broken," Sakura continued as she turned back to her breakfast while Ino flipped through a Style magazine and Megami poked her own.

"Maybe we have to call—"

The girls jumped at the sound of a crash and splatter. Quickly, they all either looked up or turned to where Hinata stood by the stove.

A pile of oatmeal lay beneath the steaming pot as Hinata leaned on the counter, her hand burning red.

"Hinata! Oh my gosh are you okay?!" Ino yelled as they all stood up.

She smiled shyly, "I-I'm fine. I wasn't thinking, I picked the pot up without protection."

"You have to be more careful Hinata, that's the second time you've done that." Sakura frowned as she pointed to her bandaged left hand where she had accidently cut herself chopping celery the night before.

Started out so simple and innocent
So simple and innocent, so simple and innocent, so simple and innocent
Chemistry like apple and cinnamon
Like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon

"I'm sorry," she said without looking up as she bent down with a towel.

Sakura bent down as well as the others watched them try and clean the oatmeal mess.

Just moments after they began, the girls listened to faint sniffling. Quickly the sniffling became a bit louder.

Sakura stopped moving the other towel and looked up to Hinata with a pale expression. Hinata's head remained down as she continued to sniffle a few more times until tears began to drip onto the pot below her.

Soon the sniffling turned into whimpering as she lifted her head and began furiously wiping the tears that wouldn't stop falling.

"Not again…" Tenten said as she bit her bottom lip and turned away.

"Hinata, it's okay." Sakura sighed as she dropped the towel and wrapped her arms around her, bringing her closer.

Ino began rubbing her eyes as Megami sat back down and began her full frontal crying, wailing at the ceiling as she made no move to quiet down or stop the hot, salty tears.

Tenten clenched her fist and leaned on the side counter as she blinked back the tears.

Sakura's eyes glistened and she sniffled as Hinata shook in her arms.

This had been the same situation for the last three days.

I can't believe that you and me were falling out of love
And that everybody used to be so envious of us
(Chemistry like apple and cinnamon)
What we had was just too good
Good to last

After Saturday night's events, the girls had met back at home destroyed and distraught. Tenten locked herself in her room and didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the night. Ino and Hinata couldn't stop crying and in fury and pain Megami had nearly made mince meat of the kitchen.

Sakura tried to be the strong one when the girls looked broken to the point of no repair. But, when she was alone the pain took over. She cursed herself and cried herself to sleep, desperate for Gaara to hold her in his arms and tell her everything was alright and everything was going to be okay.

But nothing was okay.

Nothing was ever going to be okay again.

Monday morning was the most crucial day for them all. It was as if they were complete strangers and everything that had happened in the last six and some months didn't happen or didn't mean anything.

Stories spread quickly, and by lunch that day everyone was aware that Alpha and Omega were no more and that this could quite possibly be it for them.

The ten of them alike sought best, for the sake of school, to move on with life. There was still so much that had to be done and taken care of before graduation and focusing on the end of their relationships and friendships alike was not one of them.

But at home, the girls were struggling to keep a hold of themselves and their sanity.

"I don't want to go to school today," Ino whimpered as she tried to blink back the tears.

Happiness don't last that long
But what we had was beautifulLet's not get started with the he said, she said
Sometimes it just doesn't go on as planned
Let's not get started with the he said, she said
Sometimes it just doesn't go on as planned

Tenten scoffed, "We have too! We're not going to let some guys get in the way of living our lives!" she spoke, but her voice cracked at every word and it was easy to sense the tears she held back behind them.

"Tenten!" Sakura bit icily as Hinata continued to whimper in her shoulder.

"What!" she said back just as coldly.

Sakura sighed and turned to Ino who sat holding Megami who struggled to stop crying as they rocked back and forth.

Started out so simple and innocent
So simple and innocent, so simple and innocent, so simple and innocent

"We have to go to school, girls. I don't want to say it and it burns every time the words leave my mouth, but we have to move on with our lives."

Hinata shook.

"The guys are going to do the same thing." She said weakly, her eyes glistening with all the tears she refused to shed. "Maybe things weren't meant to last, and we always knew that."

"We know!" Megami said as she furiously tried to wipe her red eyes and nose.

"But…b-but…it felt so good to believe it for the time…to believe that what we had was…was meant to last forever."

(^A.H^)

Chemistry like apple and cinnamon
Like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon

There was not much to praise about the dead silence that caked the Omega household in the last few days. The five gentlemen who lived together, who sang together, ate together, and carried about their relationships in the home had become strangers to their own house and themselves.

Unlike the girls, who openly spoke of their turmoil and cried their hearts out together, the five boys had hardly spoken a word to each other over the last three days.

On one hand, Neji and Sasuke had gone back to the way they were in the days before the formation of Omega: hating each other with every fiber in their body, or moreover pretending one another didn't exist. Sasuke, for sleeping with Megami, and Neji, for blowing the plans he had for telling everyone the situation on his own terms and when he was ready.

I can't believe that you and me were falling out of love
And that everybody used to be so envious of us
(Chemistry like apple and cinnamon)
What we had was just too good
Good to last

While the girls were able to lock themselves in their homes besides for work and school, the boys still had grueling hours of rehearsal to catch up to for the Battle of the Bands, and the preparation for a certain visit they were sure was to come.

Early, very early, Tuesday morning, Naruto trudged downstairs in a way that seemed as if he had a bad limp in his left leg. His expressions spoke every word he could not do for himself.

There was nothing sweet or handsome about his greasy darkened blond hair and the blue and black bags under his eyes. He face was ghostly white on account of not eating a single thing in the last three days. He survived on half an hour's worth of sleep—which is what the pieces of sleep he got through the night added up too.

There was no use crying, though he had his moments, for he knew he brought it onto himself. He never thought he would stoop so low and he still didn't understand how he could have possibly brought it onto himself to almost sleep with Giovanna—neither had she or anyone else.

His situation hardly differed from that of the other band members.

Please don't look at me like that, oh
Please don't look at me, don't look at me like that, oh
You can't look at me like that, aah
Please don't look at me, don't look at me like that, oh

There was little to say about Gaara and the outcome of his emotions. There was countless times in the night where he simply stared at a photo of Sakura by his bedside, the photo taken on her birthday at the beach. She smiled shyly at the camera he held while holding a tan-pink sunhat on her head as the slight wind blew her shawl. He stared at it and simply wondered why. Why and how had it come to this.

After every single thing they'd gone through and all the trials they faced to be together, it ended in a span of ten minutes.

It hurt. He greatly wished he could show how much it hurt. But it hurt.

So he sat in the kitchen, his mind and features as blank as the grim reaper.

Shikamaru, on one hand, was an interesting sight to see for them. It seemed no matter when and where in the last three days, he was always angry or bitter.

This didn't shy away, however, from Neji's attitude. For Shikamaru on the other hand, his attitude was just as cold and unwelcoming.

Deep in his heart he knew that something would eventually become of his relationship with Ino that he apparently shared with Sai. He knew she fought between her feelings for him and the ones that had come back for Sai.

I can't believe that you and me were falling out of love
And that everybody used to be so envious of us
(Chemistry like apple and cinnamon)
What we had was just too good

But he always believed what she harbored for him was much deeper…

The pain was unbearable. He felt utterly drained and betrayed. There was no use crying over a relationship he wasn't sure of the outcome of in the first place for that made him weak, just as Neji believed.

In the last couple days, he hated to believe that he had become just has hateful and as bitter as how Neji was every time a relationship did not work out. But he knew for sure he would give anything just for things to be okay again.

Started out so simple and innocent
So simple and innocent, so simple and innocent, so simple and innocent

Sasuke was a different story in its entirety. In his view, there was no going back from this point. He had stepped a boundary that he knew would crush her as it had done in the past, and he had broken a heart already fragile, bandaged, and cracked.

He hated himself.

And that's all knew.

That's all he needed to know.

He hated himself. She hated him. And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Naruto uttered not a single word as he trudged into the kitchen. He was the last to arrive as the boys sat together around hardly touched breakfast.

The only time they found themselves speaking to each other was when it had to do with the Battle of the Bands.

Chemistry like apple and cinnamon
Like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon

When Itachi stepped in with scorching hot black coffee and an undone tie, dressed to meet Midori and the wedding planner who found it fit to meet bright and early, he stared at the unfamiliar boys and sighed.

"It's scary, seeing the five of you like this. It's like your strangers to yourselves."

Not one of the five of them responded as he leaned on the kitchen island and stared at them.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he held his left arm on the back of his neck. "I guess there isn't much I can say. In the past whenever you guys have gotten into a situation like this I knew they would always be some way to fix it—mostly because it was your fault in the first place. But now, since it's the ten—"

"There isn't anything to say and nothing has to be said. No one said this was going to last forever." Neji said causally. "It was foolish to think they were ever going to be anymore than girlfriends. We are still in high school."

"Yeah, you keep saying that while Tenten's still pregnant. Like it or not you're stuck with her for the rest of your life." Shikamaru said distantly.

Neji simply annoyingly trailed his trait eyes over to him. "Who said I want anything to do with the k—"

"Okay, forget I said anything and just shut up and eat your breakfast. Let me put it this way. The five of you look like complete shit, so smile and make sure your getting ready for the Battle of the Bands." Itachi said simply as he shook his head and lifted up straight to step out.

"He's got a point," Neji said as he stood up and pushed his breakfast aside, folding up the magazine that the former members of Alpha and Omega covered. "We wouldn't want to be late for school. We have to meet them afterwards."

"You can act as calm and as mellow as you want Hyuga." Naruto spoke suddenly, halting him by the door.

"But we all know you're hurting just as bad as we are."

I can't believe that you and me were falling out of love
And that everybody used to be so envious of us
(Chemistry like apple and cinnamon)
What we had was just too good
Good to last

(^A.H^)

"I missed this baby," Tenten cooed as she ran her hand down her camouflage bike. "I forgot how good it feels to be on my bike."

Ino huffed and put her weight on her right arm as she put it on her hip, her bright purple bracelet chiming and dangling. "It's been forever since I've seen that thing!"

"And it's been forever since we've had a good race huh, Gami?!" she called as Megami stood by her bike and zipped down her suit.

She looked up to her and half smiled, nodding.

"Hey! What gives?!" Ino whined as she bounced forward a bit after something knocked into her.

"Sorry," Sakura said quickly, still looking down as she went through paper after paper.

"What's up Saki?" Tenten called as she unzipped.

She looked up to them and groaned, "I have a test in AP Physics today and I haven't studied worth a damn because of the musical and the showcase last weekend!"

Hinata giggled as Ino rolled her eyes. "Sakura, you haven't had to study since freshman year. You still do, but you don't need to. You're going to be fine."

"I don't know, there's a few stuff I'm not sure a—"

"Hey! What's going on over there?" Megami questioned, pointing forward as she locked her bike.

The girls turned around in confusion. There they saw an average sized crowd buzzing around something. And in moments, they began to hear familiar music playing.

"Hey! I know that song!" Ino beamed.

"Let's go see!" Sakura smiled, motioning for the girls to follow her.

The five stepped into the crowd that watched the scene before them.

Standing in the middle of the crowd were a couple of male street performers, dancing and moving with a boom-box next to them.

The girls looked to each other and giggled, moving along to the beat of the song.

One of the dancers stopped as the other continued to dance and offered a hand out to Ino as 'The Baddest Female' by CL came on the boom-box.

She shrugged and smiled to the girls as she stepped into the circle and the growing crowd cheered for her.

As she moved she motioned for the girls to come forward. The crowd cheered louder as the girls, known as the best dancers in the school, stepped in to join the performers.

As they moved through the song, allowing times where one girl or one performer would be in the circle showing off their dance moves or did it a couple at a time.

The girls were ecstatic; it had been a long time since they just simply danced for the sake of dancing.

As members of the school piled, no one noticed that of a silver-gray limo pull up to the curve.

And hardly anyone noticed those that stepped out of said limo.

The girls continued to move, the school oblivious as they danced to 'Energetic' by BoA.

The young female driver stepped out of the front and walked around. She bowed in her black skirt suit and hat as she opened the door.

She remained calm and bowed as one of the passengers jumped out.

"Hey! What's going on over there?! Looks like a party!" they yelled excitingly.

"Cool it hothead, don't go running into the crowd, you'll scare the hell out of everyone."

"Shut the hell up streaker!"

"He's right. We shouldn't get out anyway, we have to wait for—"

"Hey!" the dark-haired boy yelled furiously as he ignored the words of the man aligned with blue hair.

"There he goes again," one other sighed as he pushed his glasses forward.

"Might as well fetch him, hm?" the fifth with pure black hair spoke.

The four boys individually stepped out and looked at the fifth rushed to the crowd.

"Jeez what a pain." One with blue-black hair spoke.

The girls laughed and giggled together as the crowd clapped for them in accordance with the music that was now 'One of a Kind.'

Ino and Tenten blinked however, when a presence passed them and seemed to entered the circle.

The rest of the girls stopped and turned around when they realized both girls had stopped dancing. The two street dancers continued to move to the beat of the song.

The girls backed up a bit when the stranger joined the street dancers and followed along with a bit of freestyle of his own. He turned and smiled to the girls, motioning for them to come back.

"Hey…he looks…" Ino mumbled as the girls shrugged.

Before she could finish the girls dragged her back into the circle and began moving again.

At this point the crowds of Konoha high students had begun to recognize the stranger standing out of uniform in white skinny jeans, black converse, and a black shirt with a black jacket with gold lining and a black wrist band on his left hand along with a scale like scarf around his neck.

On the other hand, the girls laughed and danced with the strange, pink-haired boy.

Whispers and gasp went around as the music finally stopped and the dancers held a pose.

Ino squealed and bounced up and down, clapping her hands.

"That was sick!" Tenten laughed as she high-fived the dancers then turned around to high-five the stranger.

She stood and blinked at him as he stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled brightly at her. "Hey! You girls have got some moves!"

"That's Natsu Dragneel! From—"

"Oh my gosh! That's Natsu!"

"Hey! Isn't that—?"

"Oh my gosh! No way! That's Natsu from—"

"Hey everyone! It's DELTA!" various people yelled as the pink-haired boy looked around just as four others made their way towards the crowd.

"Delta?" Megami frowned as she looked around. "What's a Delta?"

"Dragneel! Didn't I tell you not to run off like that! We're out of our territory!" Grey snarled as he led the boys to the crowd.

"Delta, huh? Now where have I heard them before…" Sakura frowned a bit as the girls stepped next to each other.

"I know them!" Ino said excitingly.

The girls looked to her questionably as she took a couple steps back and cleared her throat.

"Delta is a popular Japanese pop/rock boy band consisting of five boys. They were founded nearly six years ago by FAIRY TAIL records (formerly known as AKATSUKI studios) at a fan interactive concert for Asian Kung-fu Generation. The members consist of: Natsu Dragneel: lead dancer/drummer; Gray Fullbuster: co-lead rapper/ lead guitarist; Jellal Fernandes: lead singer and overall leader; Loke "Leo" Lion, co-lead singer/ co-lead guitarist; and Zeref, lead rapper/bass. Delta is better known in Southern Japan while over here (Northern Japan) the dominant band is Omega. Delta and Omega (seeing as they formed just around the same time, as well as Omega focuses more on pop while Delta is more related to rock.) have been rivals since, especially now seeing as Delta is entered into the Battle of the Bands."

Ino blinked in confusion as the girls fell over each other.

"I'll never understand how you know all this blondie," Tenten groaned as she rubbed her head.

"And yet you couldn't pass basic algebra!" Sakura growled.

Ino huffed, "There is absolutely nothing worth talking about through something like algebra."

"Hey! That was pretty good blondie!"

The girls turned around to find all five members of Delta standing behind them. Natsu beamed, having spoke. The Konoha high fanbase lingered behind as they watched them speak to the well known and still currently dominant queens.

"You sure know you're stuff." Jellal smiled warmly.

"Well of course!" she huffed proudly, crossing her arms.

"That was some dancing you girls had going on there, nice to meet you," Loke smirked. "Name's Loke."

"My name is Jellal, it's a pleasure to meet you," Jellal bowed, his tattoo gazing.

"I am Zeref, greetings." Zeref bowed tonelessly.

"What's up, I'm Grey." He smiled.

"And I'm Natsu!" Natsu beamed, pointing a thumb towards himself.

"Shouldn't you be wearing a shirt or something?" Megami narrowed her eyes towards Gray who stood before them half-naked.

He looked down to himself and blinked.

"Fuck!"

Natsu tsked, "hmf. Streaker."

The girls laughed a bit in turn.

"You girls look familiar," Loke spoke. "Where have we seen you before?"

Ino huffed and tossed her hair back, "well, we have modeled plenty of times! Maybe that's it!"

"No, that's not it." Natsu rubbed his chin in thought.

Ino scoffed and scoffed her arms.

"We've won the World Dance Competition a few times—"

"More like six," Ino grumbled as Tenten continued.

"—You've probably seen us in the papers." She smiled.

"No, that's not it," Natsu said nonchalantly waving his hand.

Suddenly, he perked up and snapped his fingers, smiling brightly.

"Wait! Now I know where I've seen you from! You're dating—"

Sudden cheering caught Natsu off guard and he stopped in place. The boys looked to where the commotion was coming from as the fans had stopped cheering a few minutes before-hand (actually when they had begun speaking to the girls.)

"What the hell is that?" Loke asked. The girls in turn, simply turned opposite the noise.

"Wait a minute…" Gray narrowed his eyes as the boys looked to a sparkling white limousine that pulled up just behind their silver limo.

Their female driver looked to the male driver who stepped out and began to make his way around. When he noticed her eyes on him he tipped his hat and smiled.

When his round was made he opened the last door of the stretch and bowed as they began to make their way out.

"I'll be damned, they're here earlier than I expected." Jellal smirked, crossing his arms.

Omega stepped out silently with passive expressions on their features. But, the moment they noticed the five boys staring at them on the entrance walkway pavement, they stopped.

Silence consumed the campus as the ten seemed to stare each other down.

"A-are they gonna fight?" one random girl whispered, only to be shushed by another.

The boys continued to eye each other for what seemed like eternity before finally, both Natsu and Naruto beamed.

"Yo! Dragneel!" Naruto called, waving as he began rushing up.

"Long time no see, Uzumaki!" Natsu called, waving as he rushed to him.

The boys met halfway and laughed as Natsu put him in a headlock and ruffled his hair. When he released both boys stood straight and Natsu slapped a hand on his left shoulder.

"It's been forever man! What like, a year? What have you guys been up to?" Natsu beamed.

Naruto shrugged, "Same old same old. Music." He smiled. "It's been a long time since FAIRY TAIL records and HEBI studios have combined for something, we've gotta talk to Orochimaru about setting something up again!"

"You guys just released an album, right?" Gray asked as both boys slightly turned, finally noticing as the other eight stepped up.

Neji nodded, "We wanted you guys to feature on it but when we called Mirajane she said you were still on your world tour."

Zeref nodded, "We just returned two weeks ago. Sorry we haven't been in touch for a long time."

"It's fine." Gaara spoke. "We've all been busy."

"We're supposed to get started on our new album after the Battle of the Bands." Loke explained.

"Speaking of the Battle of The Bands…" Jellal trailed.

"Guess who's gonna get their asses kicked this weekend." Natsu smirked wickedly, flashing his teeth.

Naruto shrugged, "A bunch of fairies last time I checked."

"Is that right fox-boy." Natsu grinded his teeth as their foreheads collided.

"Believe it dragon-breath." Naruto growled, both boys twitching.

As early teen friends, Naruto and Natsu knew enough about each other (such as their favorite animal) to bend to their own will. Seeing as they had a lot in common, they became fast friends after Omega and Delta's formation.

"Shut up, idiot." Sasuke and Gray said in unison as they snagged both boys on their collars and pulled them back.

"Are you guys ready?" Loke smirked, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Because we're in it to win it."

"We'll know once we get to Paris, we'll just leave it at that." Shikamaru said tiredly. "Right now I think we have a few fan-girl problems to deal with…" he mumbled, looking towards the crowds of girls who seemed to melt at the sight of the two most popular bands in Japan.

"Speaking of girls," Loke chuckled. "We just met a promising bunch a few minutes ago."

"Oh yeah? Who?" Neji raised a brow.

"Well I think that they're already tak—hey!" he frowned as he turned around to find the five girls in question stepping into the building as they continued to talk.

"Shit! They went in," he sighed as he turned back to the boys, only to find them stoic once again.

"Are those the girls we've seen you guys in the magazines with? The ones?" Loke asked as he raised a brow at their pale faces.

"You never seem to stop talking about them in interviews and everything. We're starting to think you're whipped." Zeref stated casually, issuing a booming laugh from Natsu.

"So! Do we get to be properly introduced to the lovely ladies?" Natsu beamed.

"No." Naruto said coldly, distantly.

"Why not?" Gray raised a brow.

"We're not anything anymore…" Sasuke bit icily.

(^A.H^)

"Well that was…odd." Sakura frowned. "I didn't think they'd be 'buddy buddy' with another band."

"Why is it that all the people we compete with hate us? But yet they get to be friends with their biggest rivals?" Tenten snapped as they girls stepped into homeroom.

"Can we not bring them up…please?" Hinata whispered.

Sakura and Tenten looked to here as she sat with Ino and Megami. The three looked as if they were struggling to keep a hold of themselves.

"Right…sorry…I guess we're so used to talking about them…we just forget." Sakura mumbled.

The girls sighed as the bell rang to head to class. Most people were still on the front entrance and only began to make their way in the moment the ten idols began walking and talking.

"They look like they're keeping it together…" Tenten said bitterly. "And we can do the same…"

(^A.H^)

"I don't understand why this class keeps getting added too…there's four other Senior English classes with half this many students…" Kakashi grumbled through his book as the class sat in a dead silence.

Standing in front of the classroom, a shock to those that had not previously seen them, stood Delta.

Kakashi sighed as he dropped his book and stood up.

"Now I know why this school is so prestigious. Boy bands, princesses and princes, military children, heiresses, heirs, royal families, models, this place is just a pot-hole for snot-nosed rich kids…" he grumbled.

"What's his damage?" one girl whispered.

"I heard Anko's been giving him the cold shoulder lately…"

"Anyway!" he blew a breath out. "I'm sure you all know who the five boys standing in front of you are—if you don't, you're living under a rock—but I have to bother with an introduction because it's in my job description." Kakashi said as he stepped next to the five.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to a new temporary addition to our class, Delta. Boys, please state your names and let us know a little about yourselves."

As each member of Delta went about giving their names one by one and various information about themselves (such as Natsu's love for hot, spicy foods of all kind or Gray's love for frozen goods of all kind) the tension between the ten was palpable.

They each sat apart, as in no two members of separate groups sat anywhere near each other. They avoided each other's gazes as this only marked the fourth day of their separation. Outside, it seemed as if they were used to the idea of no longer being known as Alpha and Omega.

But inside.

They burned.

"—Please have a seat anywhere it is available boys." Kakashi waved his hand after the boys had finished their introductions.

They nodded and began walking to find available seats.

The fangirls of Konoha high were no strangers to Delta. Though their hearts were bound to Omega, it didn't hurt to indulge in a band equally as good as they were, and Delta was just that.

The boys sashayed around for available seats as Kakashi ordered everyone to open their 'The Great Gatsby' books to chapter five.

Loke smiled as he took a seat between two fan-girls who silently squealed. Zeref sat next to Tenten who sat next to Sakura who sat next to Gray as he sat down.

Natsu sat on Naruto's left while Jellal sat in front of Megami and on Ino's right.

The girls seemed content with their choice of seats, as it only brought them further away from a certain bunch.

(^A.H^)

"Any of you guys get an awkward tension vibe from that class?" Nastu asked as the five of them stepped out of the classroom, awaiting the five members of Omega.

"You felt that too? I wasn't even sitting near any of them." Loke frowned.

"Something must really be going on with the ten of them, those losers don't seem like themselves. At least now that those girls are around." Gray said, his hands behind his head.

"Hm." Jellal spoke, "I wonder if they really just broke up."

The five silenced as the boys made their way to them, ignoring the girls who passed by them.

"So what are your classes like? I'm sure old man Makarov put you in classes where all five of us are present." Neji said as the boys stepped up to them.

"Music and Vocal and Gym?" Zeref asked.

"One in the same." Naruto smiled weakly.

"it's been a while since we've done something together, I say we have a little fun in music, give the girls something to scream about." Loke smiled.

"Sounds like a plan, you snakes in?" Grey asked.

"Let's hope you don't suck as much as you did the last time we heard you," Neji smirked.

(^A.H^)

"In Babylonian astronomical diaries, a planet position was generally given with respect to a zodiacal sign alone, less often in specific degrees within a sign. When the degrees of longitude were given, they were expressed with reference to the 30 degree of the zodiacal sign. Today we'll start with a few signs and explain their characteristics and such. To start, the lion—"

Pakura-sensei seized her second period astrology lesson when she noticed a hand in the middle of the room go up.

"Yes Mr. Lion, do you have a question?" she asked as Loke set his hand down while girls swooned around him.

He smirked, "Yeah, uh, does someone wanna tell me where the bathroom is around here?"

The majority of the laughed as Pakura-sensei put her hands on her hips and smirked. She picked up a bathroom pass off her desk, waving it at him.

He smiled back slightly, shrugging.

"Guess I'll find it myself."

(^A.H^)

Loke whistled softly, waving the bathroom pass back and forth as he headed back to the classroom. He examined the large building as he made his way around, stopping here and there to gaze at something as he searched for his Astrology class.

As he began to pass the backup hall, where empty classrooms sat across from a long horizontal window that unveiled a courtyard, and going through his phone, he stopped and allowed his whistling to die at the sound of voices in the room he stood by.

He stood silent, listening.

"—I've told you over and over again! Just because Shikamaru and I aren't together anymore doesn't mean I'm going to run into your arms or something, what kind of a girl do you think I am?" Ino demanded, her arms crossed as she leaned on the blackboard in anger.

Sai took a deep breath and let it out, annoyed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I thought this was for the best? He's not in the way anymore right? You already said you still love me, why don't you just move on?!"

"I never said that!" she scoffed.

"You practically did at the party!" he shot, "I don't understand why you're wasting your time Ino! You're only hurting yourself! It's not as if he's going to take you back after what you did!"

Ino bit her bottom lip and turned away, tightening her eyes as she fought back tears that released nonetheless.

"Ino…" he said breathlessly as he took a couple steps towards her.

"No!" she snapped, turning away from him childishly. "This is wrong! I made a mistake but there is nothing I want more than for things to be okay! I don't know if things will ever be okay with Shikamaru and I…but that doesn't mean I'm going to come crawling to you! That's pathetic and predictable and I'm not that kind of girl!"

"But you love me!" he snapped.

"No I don't! You know what I don't!" she yelled.

He silenced and stared at her blankly as she turned to him while tears fell.

"I know what love is. I may have—I may have had feelings for you but that's all gone now! Because I finally understand myself! And I know that because of the consequences of the decision I made!...I lost the best guy I've ever known because I was selfish, and stupid, and spoiled, and insensitive, and everything!" she yelled.

"But at least I got one thing out of it!...I finally know what I want…"

"I don't get it…" he bit coldly. "Wasn't I supportive? Faithful? Positive? Loving? Caring? What makes him so different?"

She shrugged a bit, smiling weakly.

"There doesn't have to be a difference. You were all those things Sai and I appreciate what we had. But it's hard to explain it when you really, truly find love. You just feel it…"

"Ino please…" he whispered as he stepped forward and lightly cupped her cheeks in his hands. "Don't do this…I can be anything you want me to be…make the right choice…"

"I am! Let go of me Sai!" she demanded, waving her head to get out of his hands. Instead he leaned down and planted his lips upon her.

She mumbled her disapproval, pushing him up and wiping her mouth. "I said let go."

They both seized at the sound of the door slowly sliding open.

"I believe the lady said to back off more than once, now if you don't want things to get nasty I suggest you leave."

They both turned to Loke who leaned on the door and pushed his glasses up casually.

"And you might be…?" Sai trailed, confused.

"Just a passerby who has more respect for ladies than it seems you do." Loke shrugged.

"Excuse me—"

"I'm gonna go, Sai. We're done talking about this." Ino said firmly.

He turned to her and sighed as she moved passed him and towards the door where Loke still stood.

"No we're not…"

Loke closed the door behind him as Ino began walking down the hall, letting Sai remain in the room.

"Hey! Uh..Ino right?" he called as he caught up to her as she walked down the hall with her arms crossed.

She half-smiled and nodded a bit, "that's my name." instantly she perked up and offered her hand.

"Ino Yamanaka, at your service! Fashion and design extraordinaire!"

"Loke," he smirked as they shook hands.

"Thanks for stepping in back there," she half-smiled again as they let go.

"No problem, I can't stand to see a young girl be harassed like that." He said confidently.

She laughed a bit and nodded. Slowly, her smile fell as she stared at him.

"You…you're friends with Shikamaru…right?" she asked slowly.

He nodded a bit, sticking his hands in his pockets, "Something like that. Omega and Delta are one of the only bands in Japan that have a good relationship. We'd never call each other 'friends' because that'd be bad for rep, but we are in a truce I guess you could say."

She nodded, turning away.

"You used to go out with him right?" he asked suddenly. "What happened to that?"

"So why did you really step in for me anyway?" she asked without looking towards him.

He smirked. She avoided his question cleverly, but he always got the answers he wanted.

He smiled sweetly.

"You remind me of someone…"

(^A.H^)

There hasn't been one day in her life that Hinata Hyuga allowed something to distract her mind to the point where she couldn't fathom in class and was forced to remove herself because of her frustrations and distraction.

But today of course, was that day.

Never before had they seen Hinata more of a shadow in dead skin then actual flesh beneath. The only thing she ever had on her mind was him.

Every single minute.

Since the day.

After all this time she always believed she and Naruto had the strongest relationship in the group, and it was true. Their love was pure and unadulterated, they had vowed to always protect one another through the good and the bad and never stop believing that love could conquer anything.

But apparently it couldn't.

And Naruto. Naruto, himself, proved that.

Hinata took a deep shaky breath and leaned on a set of random lockers as she attempted to collect herself.

She hugged herself and hung her head, not knowing when she would eventually crack.

What she hated more than anything is that she partially blamed herself for not being more honest with him or more…willing.

But that was not the case, she just had to convince herself that.

She didn't look up or remove herself when she heard unfamiliar chuckling a little ways away. In moments the chuckling turned into full on hysterical laughing.

"Are you sure you didn't get that text? I swear I sent it a few weeks ago!"

"No sorry, doesn't say I got anything," Naruto smiled, going through his phone.

Natsu groaned obnoxiously, "Fine! We were in the hot tub right? And Lisanna—"

Natsu raised a brow as Naruto abruptly stopped and stared wide-eyed a bit. With a confused expression, Natsu turned to where he was looking.

Hinata gasped lightly as she lifted her head. She quickly turned away and lifted herself from the lockers.

Tears stung at her eyes by just seeing his face, but she blinked them away and cleared her throat.

"Hey." Naruto said breathlessly after a few bitter moments of silence.

"…Hi…" Hinata said barely above a whisper. She couldn't just simply ignore him, it was childish and she wanted to show him that she was trying to move on with her life, even after three short days.

She took a deep shaky breath and stood up straight.

"Your Hinata right?" Natsu smiled. "We met earlier?"

"Yes, Natsu?" she tried to smile.

He nodded, beaming as Naruto stood unmoving.

"But I don't remember telling you my name," she frowned, confused.

"Well Naruto here—"

"That's Natsu's locker…you're um…on Natsu's locker," Naruto said quickly.

Natsu raised a brow as he looked up, "Oh yeah! That's the number right?"

"Oh, well I'm sorry." Hinata said abruptly, "I-I should be going anyway, excuse me."

Before Natsu could get out another word Hinata turned the opposite way, her right arm holding her mouth as she rushed away.

Naruto turned away and clenched his fists.

"Is she okay? Did I say something?"

Naruto simply shook his head and Natsu grumbled and put his hands behind his head.

"I'll never understand girls."

(^A.H^)

By lunchtime, Delta's arrival was the talk of the school. With them it almost seemed like Omega was whole again. Along with the talk of Delta came the talk of the Battle of the Bands within three days.

With Omega and Delta both entered, students of Konoha high discussed who was going to be there and who was going to make it as far as where.

The talk of Alpha and Omega's break was becoming second story.

Omega and Delta stepped into the lunchroom together, talking about music and events since the last time they'd seen each other.

As music blasted and students chatted, many appraised them as they passed by, admiring the fact that the two biggest names in Japan actually walked their halls.

"So is Happy still around?" Naruto smiled as the boys took a seat at their usual table, on this time with Delta surrounding them.

"Of course!" Natsu beamed. "Check it out," he mumbled secretively as he slid the small backpack he'd been carrying around off his back.

The boys watched as he carefully unzipped it, and out popped the head of a medium blue cat who stared at them and smiled.

"Happy!" Naruto beamed, rubbing his head.

"Ai!" he meowed.

"When did you sneak Happy in here?" Gray demanded.

"When did you last put on some pants." Natsu said tonelessly.

Gray looked down at himself, sitting in his shorts once again.

"Damn it!"

"Now just sit in there a little longer Happy, we'll be home soon." Natsu reassured as he zipped the backpack back up again.

"Speaking of that, where exactly are you guys staying?" Gaara asked.

"Orochimaru did not tell you? He opened your home to us to stay until Thursday night when we'll be heading to Paris." Zeref explained.

"What the hell? And he didn't tell us? That slithering bastard…" Neji grumbled.

"I don't think it's so bad! It'll be fun!" Naruto smiled.

Jellal chuckled, "Well, it's not as if we'll be seeing much of each other anyway. We both have a lot of rehearsal to get in beforehand."

"That's true, we've been up and down the place with blood, sweat, and tears trying to prepare." Loke sighed, annoyed.

"Tears Loke? A real man doesn't have tears, Elf-Man would be disappointed." Shikamaru smirked.

Loke rolled his eyes as a few of the boys laughed and Natsu, sitting next to him, slapped him on the back.

"Come on—"

"Back off—"

"Seriously, can't you just consider—?"

"I said no, okay? For the last time Kuroko, NO."

The boys silenced and turned their attention to two voices that began to pass by their table.

They watched as Tenten, her eyes shut tight in annoyance and clutching her tray, tried to fast walk away from Kuroko, a senior on the basketball team, who tried to match her fast walking as he followed behind her, emptying handed.

"But you and Neji aren't even going out anymore!" he stated.

"So what?" she demanded as she stopped in place and turned around. "No means no. Look your really nice and whatever but I said no when we were dating and I'm saying no now."

"Oh please, everyone knows you sleep around. Everyone's been saying that you've been jumping from guys since Hyuga dumped you."

"Sleeping around?! Dumped me?!" she demanded, her voice raised.

He smirked and lifted her chin up with two fingers, "A girl like you, with plenty of experience, I know you can't stay on one guy for long…I mean, I'm not sure what other guy would go for you besides me, seeing as your all pregnant and a—"

Tenten smirked as her Mary Jane heel slammed on his left foot and dug deep into the skin beneath his shoe.

He gasped and cringed, letting her go as he bent down in pain while she dug her shoe in deeper.

She smiled as she turned her tray over him, allowing spaghetti, banana pudding, and apple-sauce to fall onto him.

The majority of the lunchroom silenced and gasped.

Kuroko fell backwards, holding his foot with his left hand as he tried to wipe the mess that now caked his head, face, and clothing.

Tenten finished off by dumping her strawberry milk slowly onto his hair, while he sat in shock.

She tossed the tray on him as she smirked.

"Still think your good enough for me?" she asked. "Come near me again, and I'll shove your balls so far up your ass you'll think you switched genders."

Huffing, she turned around and confidently walked to her table, passing that of Omega and Delta's as they watched her, though she did not even give so much as a glance.

Loke whistled, "Wow. Feisty. That the girl you broke up with?" he smirked as he turned to Neji. But, his smirk quickly dropped as he noted the non-comical glare he gave to nothing in particular.

"That's fucking great, now I'm labeled the School Slut…again." Tenten grumbled as she flopped at the girl's new table.

"You were already the School Slut," Ino said matter-factly as she filed her nails.

"They just used a better term for it."

"Thanks Innie, that makes me feel so much better." She growled.

"Hey, just stating the obvious!"

"Girls, can we stop?" Sakura sighed. "I have heard a rumor going around about you going to other guys after you and Neji split, I know it isn't true—"

"Of course it isn't FUCKING true!" she yelled angrily, slamming her hand on the table, not caring who looked their way.

Tears stung at her eyes as she bit her lip.

"How the hell am I supposed to move on? Or get anywhere if I'm having his god damn baby. No matter what I do in life or what happens I'll always be forced to have a part of him with me…and I hate that…I hate it so much…it's not fair…"

(^A.H^)

All:

Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'

Neji:

Heeey…SJ…like this!

All:

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM (x4)

Neji:
When I am coolly dancing in the group that's one of a kind in the world and uniquely moving the world

Loke:
All the girls in the world fall fall fall for me
Run run run to me
Let's rejoice in this moment together

Shikamaru:
I (emotionally) touch those people that have genuinely, quietly loved me

Gray:
There haven't been moments where I've said useless things or not been truthful

Sasuke and Zeref:
Our scale is the best and our scale is the best
Everything has to be the best
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'
Our passion is the best and our concentration is the best
Who would be able to say we've finished
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'

Jellal:

Supermaaan!

All:

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM (x4)

Gray:
Now, now, now, who is it?
So why do all of you look back when I am right here
Who the hell are you looking for
I am Shindong

Natsu:
Should I pluck the stars for you, count them
One, two, three
With the stars we've lost
We are ten stars

Gaara and Jellal:
But we are not lonely, we have family and ELF

Naruto:
don't be disappointed, don't judge/betray us
you have already become drunk by the super holic
Try singing the song, and now even follow the dance
Let's get excited together

Sasuke/Zeref/Naruto:
Our scale is the best and our scale is the best
Everything has to be the best
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'
Our passion is the best and our concentration is the best
Who would be able to say we've finished
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'

Jellal & Neji:
When your heart is sad, when you want to listen to a song,
When you need something to lift your spirits up,
We are next to you, let's all come together

Gaara:
Super Junior
We are super super superman

Loke & Shikamaru:
When you're very bored and surfing the internet, if you just type in 'super' our results will come come out
We are always by your side
Scream it out

Gaara:
Super Junior
We are super super superman

Gray:
Even if they don't know of us, we try our best every day

Natsu:
If they question who who who we are, we show them our results

Gray and Natsu:
Even if the road we walk is barren,
We are in the end, Super Junior
THE LAST MAN STANDING!

All:

Our scale is the best and our scale is the best
Everything has to be the best
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'
Our passion is the best and our concentration is the best
Who would be able to say we've finished
Super Junior is only missing the 'man' from the name of 'superman'

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM (x4)

The cheers of Kurenai-sensei's Music and Vocal class were wild as Omega and Delta finished off the song they had done together when they were sophomores. It had gone on each bands album that had come out around the same time the summer they did it and fans fell in love.

"That was amazing boys! Wow! Two world famous bands in my classroom, it must be Christmas!" Kurenai-sensei laughed.

The boys sat on stage, each with mikes as they waved and or smiled at the class. Even students from different classes had come to listen, standing by the door of Kurenai's room.

"It's a shame I'll only have you boys for a few days. But I trust Magnolia high school's Music and Vocal class is doing its job?" she asked sternly as she stepped on the stage and stood next to the members of Delta.

"As always Kurenai-sensei, it's good to see you again." Jellal smiled as the boys stood.

"Ditto," she said sweetly.

As the boys went and took their seats she faced the classroom.

"Well students, in honor of the oncoming Battle of the Bands I've decided to make the rest of the week Freestyle. Everyone is welcome—one at a time of course—to come and sing a song (duet or group is also okay), perform a dance, play an instrument, or perform something of any other kind—pertaining to music of course."

The lot of the class cheered and after a few moments Kurenai held her hand up to silence them.

"Would anyone like to go first?"

She smiled and looked around as hands went up.

"Should we sing something?" Sakura asked as she turned to the girls who sat in the front row as they always did. Omega and Delta sat just a couple rows behind them.

"N-not today, I'm not feeling too good." Hinata mumbled.

"I think we should sing something! I need to let loose!" Tenten huffed.

"How about you girls?" Sakura asked, leaning forward to Ino and Megami who sat on Hinata's side.

"Yeah, uh, I'm not feeling it today." Ino sighed and Megami nodded in agreement.

Tenten grumbled incoherent words about them allowing the boys to get them but Sakura shushed her and they continued to watch as Kurenai picked someone from the class.

Kurenai internally sighed. She'd hoped the girls would be willing to come up and perform so she could see how they were adjusting and prove to her that things were okay for them.

They always volunteered.

Just by not raising their hands she knew they were still broken.

(^A.H^)

Today was Christmas to the girls of Konoha high school, and especially to those who were in Gai and Anko's sixth period Physical Education class.

Due to an emergency meeting, Gai and Anko called a free day so students were allowed to do as they pleased, meaning play with the equipment or laze on the bleachers.

The majority of girls chose to laze on the bleachers, and by laze it meant that they watched the majority of boys play basketball.

Aside from the ten, the boys who played hardly did anything on the court. Omega and Delta, stalk in nothing but shorts and gym shoes, raced back and forth across the court. Soon after they had begun it fell down to just the ten of them.

Naruto, Gray, Natsu, Shikamaru, and Loke stood on one team, while Sasuke, Gaara, Jellal, Zeref, and Neji stood on the other.

Jumping, dunking, running by and high-fiving each other, the boys owned the court and played like long lost friends.

"Those ten have been together all day. I never knew they were such great friends with Delta!" one girl squealed as the girls stepped into the gym.

They turned and watched just as Natsu dunked the ball and hung onto the hoop.

"Oh yeah! I'm fired up now!"

"Hm, reminds me of someone." Ino huffed as the girls took seats on the floor bleachers.

"Pass the ball to me asshole!" Natsu yelled.

"Who the fuck are you talking to Dragneel?!" Loke yelled.

"Move it bitches!" Neji yelled as he passed them and dunked on their side.

Jellal laughed and slapped Sasuke on the back as Gaara and Zeref caught up to them.

"They seem to be doing just fucking fine without us, we can do the same." Tenten said firmly as she looked to Hinata and Megami who sat turned away.

"Girls," Sakura snapped, "can we talk about something else. All you two have done today is complain about them when I'm sure they haven't said a word about us. How about we—"

"Yo! Look out!"

Sakura frowned as the girls looked up and towards the court.

"Wha—"

Sakura grunted as the ball collided with her head, forcing her to fall back into the bleachers, her legs sticking out.

"Sakura!" Tenten yelled.

"Sakura!" Hinata gasped.

"Nice pass you dick." Zeref said as he passed Natsu who stood with his hands behind his head, shrugging.

"Sorry!"

"Hey," he called as he bent forward and took her hand, pulling her up as she held her forehead. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah I'm okay," she laughed a bit. "Thanks Gaara."

She froze as he raised a brow when she was seated up.

"S-Sorry!" she said nervously, quickly. "Zeref!"

"No problem..." he said slowly. "I'd get you ice, but I don't really know my way around this school."

"That's okay," she smiled shyly. "Thank you, I'm fine."

He nodded to her as she turned back to the girls.

Gaara fought the urge to step over and ask her if she was okay. After everything that had happened he didn't know how to feel anymore. He wanted to talk it over, he wanted to figure out what truly happened between her and Kai so they could fix things.

He didn't want to lose her.

But she felt she didn't deserve to fix their situation.

(^A.H^)

After schools conclusion, the ten members of Delta and Omega stepped out in sync with each other. When they both reached their limos they separated, and Delta's grey limo tailed Omega's white until they finally reached the famous Konoha Omega mansion.

Gray whistled as the ten stepped through the gates moments after arriving.

"Impressive."

"We know." Sasuke said simply as they stepped up to the door where it was automatically opened by Geevs.

"Still don't know how to take a compliment do you Uchiha?"

"Welcome to the Omega household, Delta." Park Su-Young said as nicely as she could as she and a few other maids bowed in their presence to welcome them.

They lifted their heads after she completed the welcome.

"Master Itachi has made us aware that we are just at your beck and call as we are to the young masters. Please, if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask, there are plenty of maids and servants to assist you." She dragged on. One maid next to her elbowed her secretively.

"Alright Happy, come on out!" Natsu called as he opened up his backpack.

"Ai!" Happy said cutely as he bounced out of the bag and onto the floor, sashaying away.

"Why doesn't he meow…" Shikamaru mumbled towards Loke who shrugged.

"Well you guys can get settled in, then we both have to head to the studios. You two, show them to some rooms." Gaara explained to a couple maids.

They nodded in compliance and turned to Delta who proceeded to follow them upstairs.

"Alright." Neji sighed. "Work time."

(^A.H^)

Exhausted, Park Su-Young stalked the halls of the Omega mansion. She cracked her knuckles after four hours of working in the garden few of the boys came out to, and the large pool they'd hardly used until the summer. Afterwards she had stalked back into the mansion to help with the introduction to Delta.

Things had been strange and tension has been strong since Saturday night. It didn't take long for the maids and servants to figure out that the boys no longer had their Queens by their side, but no one in their right mind knew how it happened.

Only Sasuke knew. Only Sasuke knew that had it not been for her confession, none of it would have happened.

She treaded lightly, fearing that if anyone were to find out it was her who lit the fuse, she'd be out of a job.

(^A.H^)

"So, what's the news?"

"Looks like they're no longer anything anymore. I don't know what happened but they're not together anymore. Perfect timing I guess, but I still feel like it puts a hinder into the plan." She said as she pushed up her glasses, taking a seat in front of the five with the other four girls behind her.

Kai sat in the seat across from her as Deidara, Tobi, Hidan, and Pein stood behind him.

Visiting hours at the Konoha penitentiary allowed the ten of them to sit down together and discuss current situations.

"How so?" Kai raised a brow. "It will be much easier to crush them if they no longer care for one another."

"I'm pretty sure they still do. I hate to say it but they're practically rotting without each other, anyone can see and it's disgusting." One bit coldly, tossing her midnight black hair back.

"Well, we can take care of that. Mind them ladies they won't last long. I know those five, whenever something bad happens they turn away and run off, so I want to catch them just as they're turning their back."

"First, before any of the shit you're talking about goes down, how the fuck are we supposed to get out of here?" Deidara demanded.

Kai smirked and rested his chin under his clasped hands.

"Fret not…there's always a way out of the cage…"

(^A.H^)

"Ugh…fuck…damn it…"

Her meager groaning was clouded by the air of black smoke that surrounded her while behind her the green motorcycle engulfed in fire practically melted.

"Not again! This is like the twentieth motorcycle accident this year Ten!" Ino yelled as the girls rushed over to her while others surrounded her on the school campus.

"What happened!" Sakura demanded as she slammed her car door closed in the middle of the street where Tenten laid as well as her completely incinerated bike.

"She got ahead of me." Megami explained as she and Hinata bent down to her. "Her wheels slid when she was trying to curve into the school lot."

Tenten laughed as she wiped blood from her mouth, her back teeth chipped and bleeding. "Guess I'm not fully accustomed to riding my bike again."

"Don't blame this on your motor skills Ten," Sakura sighed as she helped her up along with Megami. Weak in the knees, her forehead and nose bled along with torn pieces in her suit. "You're a better driver than this."

"Looks like it's back to carpooling for me," she groaned.

"Is that all you can think about?" Ino said, her hands firmly on her hips.

She laughed as a silver stretch limo pulled up just behind the girl's cars, trapped as a few students ran to the bike and tried to get the fire out of Tenten's bike.

"Hey! What the hell happened here?!" Natsu yelled as he pushed the limo door open and jumped out.

"Just got into a little accident, nothing to serious…I hope…" Sakura mumbled as he jogged over while the rest of the members of Delta walked up to them.

"Damn you look awful," Natsu stated to Tenten whom which Sakura and Megami dragged as she could not walk on her own.

Before she could say something she groaned and held her stomach, coughing a bit.

"God I think I broke something…" she moaned allowed.

"That's your stomach, Ten." Hinata said slowly.

"Could one of you guys carry her to the infirmary?" Sakura pleaded.

"We're still trying to find our way around this place." Zeref shrugged as most of the boys nodded in agreement.

"I can," Gray stepped in. "I passed by the infirmary looking for my fourth period yesterday. I'm pretty sure I remember where it is."

"Thanks," Sakura smiled as he swung his arms under her and picked her up bridal style.

"Ah!" she yelled, shaking her head as she wiggled. "Put me down! My stomach!"

Quickly, he set her down.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded simply.

"Piggybacking would be a lot easier, if you don't mind."

He half-smiled and curtly nodded as he turned around and bent down, allowing her to climb on his back.

When she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, resting her forehead on the back of his neck, he stood up straight.

"Thanks Gray!" Ino called as he began making his way inside.

"Don't you think we should take her to a hospital Sakura? She said her stomach hurts." Hinata whispered as she stepped next to her.

"It's just abdominal pain I'm sure. She didn't fall on her stomach…I'm sure she's fine."

(^A.H^)

"Run a little late in the morning and you miss everything…" Naruto mumbled as the boys walked the empty halls of Konoha high towards homeroom, held back at the studio in the early hours of the morning and a surprise visitor as well.

"If she just wants to pop in she should let someone know first…" Shikamaru grumbled.

"What the hell was that outside anyway? It looked like someone threw a bunch of metal together and lit it on fire." Neji sighed.

The boys shrugged a bit.

Although they all knew none of them recalled seeing Tenten's BMW bike when they pulled up.

Gaara slid the classroom door open and the boys stepped into their English homeroom that remained vacant of an actual teacher, at least until it was almost time to leave—if they were lucky.

"Morning 'Ega! Fancy seeing you here!" Natsu waved as the boys walked towards them.

"Natsu we saw them this morning." Jellal sighed, rubbing his temples.

When the boys sat down Naruto trailed his eyes over to where the girls sat today. He tried his best to make sure they didn't notice him as he had done the last few days.

Today they sat in casual clothing, as it was Wednesday. Hinata in particular sat in a silk knee length skirt with an off the shoulder top. Her hair sat in a high updo with stylish strands of hair cascading on her face along with bright red lipstick.

She blushed and giggled at something Sakura said while pointing her pencil towards the door. Sakura sat in a dark green jacket with an AC/DC t-shirt under it, along with dark blue skinny jeans. Ino sat in hot pink leggings under black shorts with black flats and a tight white tank top below a black leather mini jacket. Megami sat in a black Hollywood Undead crewneck with black leggings.

"Where's Tenten?"

The girls turned their attention to him and he bit his bottom lip at the accidental blurt.

They were surprised to see that he had in fact spoken to them, as well the boys were.

But, before the girls could answer, the door swung open.

"Gray! There you are man!" Loke announced.

"How's Tenten?" Sakura asked as the girls looked up to him.

"She's okay I guess. The nurse is taking care of her but she said her stomach is still hurting pretty bad."

Neji shot his head up and looked to Gray.

"Alright, thanks for taking care of her Gray. We'll go check on her in a little bit," Sakura explained.

"No problem," he half-smiled as he sat down with the guys.

"What happened?" Neji instantly demanded.

"That Tenten girl got into a nasty accident this morning apparently. She's not too banged up though but she keeps complaining about her stomach."

Neji stood up abruptly, knocking his book over. The class turned to him as he stood with his eyes wide.

Quickly, he cleared his throat and slowly sat back down. "That sucks."

"Well I hope she is alright." Jellal said.

"Y-yeah…" Neji mumbled as the boys continued to speak.

(^A.H^)

"I think you've grown accustomed to this cot Tenten. Although it hasn't seen you in a couple months." Dr. Ura smiled as she set down her clipboard.

"Trust me, I've been getting friendly with a whole other cot." She chuckled, sitting in the infirmary cot by the window where she could see the student parking lot. Dr. Ura had cleaned her wounds and given her low painkillers, the only ones she could take due to her state.

Dr. Ura smiled sadly, "Yes…I heard about the pregnancy."

"Don't be sorry or anything doc. Ura. I'm not." She smiled.

"How do you feel about being with child Tenten?" she asked, concerned. "Especially at your age."

Tenten shrugged a bit, "I've gotten used to it. I know it's early but I'm excited to have a little me running around. I know it won't be easy but I'm prepared to give my love to him or her."

"That's very noble of you Tenten," Dr. Ura smiled.

Tenten mentally sighed in relief, thankful she did not ask a word about the father.

Neji leaned his forehead on the door and took a deep, shaky breath as he listened.

"I'll get you some take home medications sweetheart, you just relax here as long as you like." She smiled.

"Thanks doc. Ura." She called as she disappeared into her office.

Just as Dr. Ura's door closed, the infirmary's main door opened.

Tenten twisted her head to look at the door and her breath caught in her throat.

The room went cold as Neji stepped in wearing a dark purple unbuttoned collar shirt with a black shirt under, along with dark blue skinny jeans with two black sweatbands on each hand.

A full three minutes passed before either of them said a word to each other. Finally, Neji opened his mouth.

"Hey…"

"…Hey." Tenten said blankly.

"I heard what happened."

"Yeah. My bike's totaled." She said monotonously.

"I know. I saw it outside."

"Why are you here?" she said quickly.

"I just—"

"The baby's fine, if that's what you're wondering. I had my suit on and I didn't land on my stomach."

He twitched, "Maybe you should still go to a hos—"

"Dr. Ura checked me, I'm fine." She interrupted him, bitterly. Deep within her she was a bit hurt that that was all he came to check on.

Why should she be surprised.

It was his baby too.

"You should stop being so reckless you know."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me?"

"You know it's dangerous to be riding your bike when you're pregnant. It's probably good that it's destroyed. If you want I'll give you back the car—"

"I don't need the fucking car. And if I want I'll get a new bike. I know how to take care of myself, accidents happen but it's my body." she snapped.

"So you're willing to risk the safety of the baby because you want to ride around like a wild animal? Don't forget it's my kid too!" he yelled, stepping closer to her.

"I get that you obviously only care about the baby, but it's my body, I'll do whatever I damn well please." She challenged as he faced her.

"If it were some other girl you wouldn't have anything to do with me right now." She said coldly.

"You really think that?!" his tone of voice forced a chill down her spine.

"You think I wouldn't care if something happened to you?!"

"Well would you?!" she demanded.

He ignored the question. "I'm sick of you putting yourself in danger and brushing it off as if it's nothing! You're lucky it was only a few bruises!"

"Why do you give a damn?! It's not like you care! It's not like we're together!" she yelled back at him.

Both stood, their faces inches apart, breathing heavily as they challenged one another.

In a sudden movement he planted his lips on her and she swiftly complied.

He cupped her cheeks as he leaned in and deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth and allowed him in, letting him take her over as they fought each other.

She pressed her hand on his chest and moaned a bit as she tilted her head back a bit.

He slid his hands down to her hips and turned her to face him.

She ignored the pain running through her body as he touched the bruises but she was not stable enough to pay attention to them.

"Nh…ah…" she sighed as their tongues continued to dance.

Both seemed to forget that they…

"Alright, these should be safe enough to take for your condit—Oh my!"

Quickly, they separated and turned to Dr. Ura.

She smiled nervously and clutched the bottle of pain killers in her hand as she took a couple steps back.

"Am I…interrupting something?"

"No! Not at all!" she said hastily as she hopped off the cot, she moved past him and fast-walked to Dr. Ura's office.

"Ten, wait! Please!" Neji yelled, only for her to slam the door.

Once again, he stood in a dead silence. Dr. Ura stood uncomfortably, confused.

He clenched his fists and slammed it on the cot as he hung his head.

(^A.H^)

"Alright, thank you Yusei!" Kurenai beamed as the green-haired girl stepped down, smiling shyly as the class clapped for her.

Kurenai took a deep breath and turned to face the class once again as she clutched her mug containing her tea.

"Who would like to go next? And remember if there are no new volunteers you are welcome to come up again!"

Kurenai looked to the hands that came up and scanned the room for the next performer.

She beamed when she caught sight of all five of the members of ALPHA's hands up.

"Ladies, I assume you're performing together?"

"Yes Kurenai-sensei," Sakura half-smiled.

"Come on up girls, it's been awhile since we last heard from you."

Silently, the girls stepped up onto stage as they had done many times before. Sakura took care of the song while the girls stood above the rest of the students, when ready they each took a microphone and began.

[Ino] You wear the shoes I gave you and walk along the streets with her
As if it were nothing, you kiss her
You spray the cologne I gave you and embrace her
You'll probably repeat those promises you made to me with her

[Sakura] It seems that we're already too late
Has our love already ended
Please at least say anything to me
We truly loved each other, can't turn back?

[Tenten] I'm the only one hurting tonight

[Hinata] Have you changed?
Am I no longer in your heart now?
When I, I think about you
It hurts, hurts, hurts so much

[Sakura] You look at my tears as if it were nothing
You continue to talk calmly again

[Megami] You told me cruelly that you couldn't deny
That you had absolutely no attachments or regrets

[Hinata] Are we already too late? Is our love over?
Even if it's a lie, please tell me it isn't so
I can do better now, though we can't meet again

[Tenten] I'm the only one in pain tonight

[Megami] Have you changed?
Am I no longer in your heart now?
When I, I think about you
It hurts, hurts, hurts so much

[Ino] You're no longer your old self
Because the you I loved
And the you now are so different

[Tenten] Are you that shocked?
I just stood and cried
Watching you become further away

[Hinata] No way, I can't recognize
You're not mine anymore

[Tenten] Did you have to change?
Can't you come back?
Did you really have to change?
Can't you come back?

Did you have to change?
Can't you come back?
Why did you have to change?
Can't you keep loving me?

[Hinata] Oh, is this the end?
Am I no longer in your heart now?
When I, I think about you

[Sakura] It hurts, hurts, hurts so much

[Ino] It hurts, it hurts
[Megami] It hurts, ït hurts

As claps went around Jellal leaned into Gaara, whom he sat by.

"They can sing, dance, they're gorgeous. These girls seem like the whole package. What exactly happened between the ten of you?"

"There's much more to them than those things."

"Then what happened?"

Gaara took a deep and shaky breath as the class continued to clap for the girls who bowed.

"Reality…"

(^A.H^)

"Alright ladies! Our championship basketball game is in two weeks! Now this game isn't just for the basketball team! Not even just for the school! This is also our final game for this year so you know for a fact we've got to give it everything we've got! After the game Sakura, Hinata, and I will no longer be your captains and we will be selecting new captains a few days before graduation. So right now I want to see some effort god damn it!" Ino yelled then blew her whistle as she walked through the cheerleaders doing jumping jacks in tank tops and short-shorts, Hinata walking next to her with a clipboard and pencil in hand.

"Miss. Ino I'm sweating like crazy! The basketball team is watching!" one girl whined.

Ino grimaced as she dropped her whistle and turned to the basketball team that sat on the bleachers and took a break after practicing for the last hour and a half since school ended. Their way of taking a break meant sitting and watching the cheerleading squad practice in shorts and tight shirts.

"Ignore them! They aren't important! I need to see some hustle ladies! Nera! Put your back into it! You're slacking Huna!" she yelled as she continued to walk up and down the aisles the members had made as stopped and began synchronized stretching.

"Where is Sakura?!" she demanded.

"She said she had to go home to take care of a few things, so she drove Tenten home as well."

"Lazy." She scoffed and Hinata giggled. "She's supposed to be keeping records. She knows I can't do this myself! Head down Sasha!" Ino barked as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"She's assertive," Loke smirked as he sat down a bleacher above Shikamaru.

The boys looked up to him in confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be rehearsing for the show?" Sasuke raised a brow.

"Eh, they can handle themselves without me for a little bit, I wanted to check out the little princesses. Looks like Queen Bee's got them under order."

"Yeah Ino's something else. When it comes to cheerleading it's about one of the few things she takes seriously," Naruto chuckled.

All the guys, excluding Shikamaru, nodded in agreement. Noticing this, Loke leaned in closer to him.

"Don't you think so too?"

Shikamaru trailed his eyes to him dully. "I don't know. I don't really know what to think anymore."

"Whatever she did must have been bad I guess. I know you Nara, this isn't you."

"It was that bad."

"Well talk to me man. If a girl hits you this bad she's gotta be worth something."

Shikamaru said nothing, but inside it felt like he had internal bleeding.

"Steady ladies! Steady!" Ino called as she looked to the girls forming a quick standing pyramid. "We've done this a million times come on!"

When the girls were in place she looked to Hinata who stood across from her.

"Ready Hina?"

"Are you sure this will work without Sakura!" Hinata called.

"Positive! Don't worry hime!" Ino giggled.

The girls nodded to each other and proceeded to front flip towards the pyramid.

Yet, no one noticed a sophomore girl clear her throat a bit and turn away as she slightly slid her foot out. This foot caused Ino to trip, forcing her to knock into Hinata who knocked into a couple girls at the bottom.

When the four girls were knocked over, the entire pyramid, once again, tumbled over.

The girls groaned as members of the basketball team hopped off the bleachers ad rushed over to the grounded girls.

"Hinata! Hinata!" Naruto yelled furiously as he rushed over to her where she lay under a pile of girls next to Ino.

As the boys began helping them up Naruto bent down and began pulling her out. The young heiress moaned as he helped her up. Weak in her legs, she sat on her knees so Naruto bent down to her level as he held both her hands.

She blinked a couple times then finally turned to his concerned expression.

"Na…Na…"

"Are you okay Hinata-chan?" he asked desperately.

Her eyes suddenly widened. she gasped and shook her head wildly, forcing her hands out of his grip.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled.

He froze in shock. Hastily, she stood up and stepped away from him.

"Don't…don't ever touch me…"

When the cold, whispered words left her lips, all that was left of his heart shattered into dust particles.

Her eyes watered as she looked up him. She held her mouth, whimpering as she turned away.

He continued to watch her, frozen as she ran away with tears running down her eyes.

Ino groaned as she remained on the floor while other members of the basketball team helped the girls up.

She rose her head, looking up only to see Shikamaru a few feet in front of her, standing with his hands in his short pockets.

She didn't realize she was reaching out for him until she saw her arm in front of her.

Her insides felt icy hot when he turned away from her with a glare plastered on his face.

She stared in awe and shock as he refused to look at her, refused to help her.

"Hey, let me help you out there!"

She barely heard Loke's voice as he bent down and helped her up. She continued to watch Shikamaru who did not meet her eyes. After a few more moments he turned completely around and began walking towards the boy's locker room.

"Looks like the boy's basketball practice is ending." Loke explained as he looked around to the boys (after they had assisted the cheerleaders) were packing up.

"You alright blondie?" he asked as he looked down to her.

He raised a brow when he found her eyes still trained on where Shikamaru once stood. Her eyes glistened and a single tear fell down her left eye.

Oh no.

I really blew it.

(^A.H^)

"What's all this?" Megami frowned as she stepped into the living room clutching Neko who wagged his tail and stuck his tongue out. Sakura stood bent over two boxes. She closed the second with thin tape then stood up straight and popped her back.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"This is…this is all the stuff the guys have left here. Tennie, Innie, and Hina gave me stuff they want to pack up to."

"So…what are you doing with all of it?"

"I'm heading to the mansion." She blew out a breath with her hands on her hips. "I was going to drop it off but I have to tell Geevs what goes to who…"

"Oh…" Megami said distantly as she hugged Neko closer.

"Would you…um…would you come with me, Mega?" she slightly mumbled. "It would be a lot easier if you did…in case we run into them…"

"What about Tenten?" Megami asked quickly. "Or Ino or Hinata?"

"Ino and Hinata are still at practice and Tenten has to rest. Please Mega, I know you don't want to but…I don't want to either…"

"I don't know Saki…" she murmured as Neko wiggled in her arms.

Sakura stepped up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll be in and out," she reassured.

"I promise."

Megami looked down to her feet and touched her bare neck. Without the Uchiha necklace it felt cold and barren. Over the week she'd tried to replace it with random jewelry, but nothing else felt right on her neck.

"O…okay…"

(^A.H^)

Both girls felt the acid bubble in their stomachs when Sakura pulled up to the curve of the Omega mansion. Megami looked up to the large mansion as Sakura parked.

"Never thought I'd ever come back here…"

Sakura said nothing as she opened the door of her Porsche and stepped out. She opened the back seat doors and pulled out both boxes.

"Come on Mega, the sooner we do this, the sooner we can get the hell out of here."

Megami stepped out and shut her door. When Sakura handed her a box both girls proceeded to walk to the gates.

"Do you think it's okay to use the gate number they gave us?" Megami frowned as Sakura began pressing buttons.

"How else are we going to get in quickly?"

Both girls stepped in as the large gates creaked open. They walked down the familiar clean walkway, passing the fountain and clean cut grass they were so used to and familiar with.

Megami continued to look around as Sakura rang the door bell. Even though it had only been barely a week it seemed like they hadn't been in the mansion in forever, seeing as they were so used to coming by and staying all the time.

In seconds Geevs opened the door and stood trying to hide the surprise in his eyes when he saw the girls standing there.

Sakura smiled sadly at the elderly balding doorman/head servant.

"Hi there Geevs."

"My young mistresses." He bowed quickly.

"May we come in?"

"But of course," he moved aside to let them in. Sakura confidently stepped inside while Megami cautiously stepped in.

"I'm sure the young masters will be very excited to s—"

"We're just here to drop off a few things, Geevs, we won't be staying long." Sakura explained quickly.

Geevs lifted his head and looked at the two young women. Sakura smiled at him as Sakura stood turned away, both clutching a box in their hands.

"Of course." He half-smiled.

"Are the boys in? Because I have specific things in here that have to—"

"Hey! Saki! It's about time!" a familiar womanly called from the steps.

Both the girls and Geevs turned to the steps where at the top stood Temari in a dark green two piece swimsuit with a light green shawl wrapped around herself. She had arrived early in the morning with her things, deciding to stay with the boys and accompany them to the Battle of the Bands for support.

"Temari." Sakura said breathlessly.

She stepped down the large Omega steps, smiling when she reached the bottom.

"Never get used to those steps huh? Takes fucking forever," she laughed as she stepped up and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"What's going on Haruno? It feels like forever since I've last heard from you!" she groaned. "What's up Megami?" she winked turning to the redhead who smiled weakly in turn.

She turned back to Sakura, "Gaara hasn't told you to stop calling me has he? Is this punishment for accidentally screwing the duke of Sweden? I swear I had no idea when I—"

"No, Temari," Sakura giggled as she set down the box. "Sorry I've just been distracted lately."

Temari smirked, "Yeah I guess my little bro can have that kind of effect on girls."

Sakura went pale, Temari raised a brow, noticing.

"Huh? What's the matter Saki?"

Megami sighed and hiked up her box. Leaving them, she began making her way to the stairs where she should drop the things off at the boy's doors and hopefully avoid them in the process.

Sakura can catch up with Temari, but she wanted to get out of there and get to the safety of home more than anything.

"I'm sorry Temari…um…G…Gaara…Gaara and I aren't exactly together anymore…"

"What! What do you mean?!"

"It means she broke up with me last week."

Sakura froze and looked down when Gaara emerged from the first living room by the steps, clutching a book in his left hand and the other in his pocket.

"What! You broke up with him Saki?!" Temari frowned, "Why?"

"Yeah, why?" Gaara said tonelessly as he took his time walking towards them.

Sakura hung her head further as he stepped next to Temari.

"I…"

"I'd really like to know too." He said distantly.

"You already know…" she whispered.

"Okay, I'm a little lost here," Temari said exhaustingly as she threw her arms up in exasperation.

The three stood in a dead silence as Sakura refused to look at them, Gaara stared at her, and Temari looked at the both of them impatiently with her left hand on her hip.

"Sakura…"

"I think it would be best if I leave, I didn't want to cause any tension. I just came to drop some things off—"

She gasped when he forcibly grasped her hand and began pulling her away.

"Gaara! Stop!" she demanded as he dragged her on.

"We have to talk. And you know it."

She said nothing as her cheeks heated up to the sound of his cold tone.

As they left Temari behind she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Someone wanna fill me in on what's going on here?!"

(^A.H^)

Megami moved around sneakily. First she dropped some of the things Gaara had left at the Alpha household. Thankfully, she found it vacant as his door stood wide open with no sign of him.

She moved onto Shikamaru's room and, like a redhead Santa Claus, left his things at his door. She could hear him softly sleeping.

She frowned, thinking they should be rehearsing at the studio but guessed they needed a rest after basketball practice.

She shook her head, it wasn't something she was to be worried about.

From Shikamaru's room she went towards Neji's.

Bending down, she set his things at his door. She visibly shook at the thought that she'd been in here once and had done…things with him.

But she also hated him for inducing the alcohol the second time. It seemed that no matter what she did, all guys ever wanted from her was one thing.

She blinked back tears as she moved onto her younger brother's room.

Naruto may be her sibling, she thought to herself, but she could not forgive him for whatever he did to Hinata. He was better than that.

Then again, she was better than that too.

Most of them were.

She peeked through the crack in his open door and found him sprawled on his bed in afterschool gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt. A pillow sat on his face as he clutched it, shaking.

She fought the urge she step in and comfort him like their parents would and like they had begun to do to each other. But, as much as she loved her brother, right now wasn't the time.

She carefully set down his things, including his basketball, and with one last look, turned away from his door.

Finally, she forced herself to move onto the final band member.

Her heart skipped a bit when she saw that Sasuke's room door was open slightly wider than Naruto's.

She froze for a moment at the sound of voices but after a couple brutal seconds she pressed on.

In and out.

In and out.

In and out!

She repeated in her head. Quickly, she stood by his door and began emptying the things he had left at their house.

As she took each thing out one by one she stopped for a moment longer than she needed too. Over half the things he'd left there were things he'd given her.

A plush turtle, a camera filled to the brim with pictures of them. A couple jackets and t-shirts he'd left that she'd just kept and worn to sleep, little things like perfumes, ect.

She clutched a photo of the two of them to her heart. She kissed his cheek as he half-smiled at the camera he held. She smiled into the kiss, as she was so happy then.

Before she could escape and drown herself in her tears again, she heard voices coming from his room.

One of course was Sasuke's but the other sounded only faintly familiar.

She froze as she listened.

"—It's about three months now, so I think within the next couple months I'm going to take off work. I don't want to be moving around too much especially when it comes time." Renge sighed, sprawled on his bed as she rubbed her hard stomach.

"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked, seated next to her in his desk chair.

She shrugged as she sat up. "I don't know."

"You can stay at the mansion as long as you want. But if you want to leave to have the baby that's your choice. I'd just feel better if I was able to look out for you."

Baby?!

Renge smiled sadly as she held her stomach, "thanks Sasuke. I'm glad you're so understanding. I never meant to bring any of this on you."

"Don't worry about me. I promise I'll be here to help you."

"Thank you so much Sasuke…I love you…I hope when this baby it'll grow to love its father."

A sudden thud alerted both of them. They twisted their heads to the door as the thud caused the door to fly open.

Both sat in shock when Megami stood with her hands up as if she had been carrying something. Below her sat a box with items in it as well as surrounding it.

Her shocked face spoke all as her already red eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Megami? What are you doing here?" Sasuke said suddenly, standing up.

"So…so she's pregnant…" she said barely above a whisper as her expression of shock and pain did not change.

"Wait! I swear it's not what you think—"

"Did I…ever mean anything to you…?" she croaked.

"Megami, please—!"

She took a couple steps back as he stepped forward. Hastily, she turned around and began running rapidly.

"No! Wait!" he roared as he raced after her, leaving an uncomfortable Renge behind.

(^A.H^)

"Gaara! Gaara! I said let go!" Sakura demanded as she struggled to get out of his grasp. She was finally able to force her hand out of his when he stopped into the living room he had just stepped out of.

"Gaara! I don't think this is a good—"

"Do you love me?"

Her movements froze at the surprise of the words.

"Gaara, I—"

"Just answer the question."

She stared at him for a few moments before turning slightly away from him.

"Of course I do…you know I do…"

"Then why." He said bitterly, barely a question. "Why all this?"

"Gaara I told you what happened. Everything that happened with Kai. I don't expect your forgiveness and I expected that you'd hate me—"

"Of course I hate you!" he roared as he twisted around, shocking her.

The anger in his voice and expression spoke of everything he'd been feeling in the last week.

She backed up against the room wall, holding the sides as she stared at him shaking and fearful.

"But," he said breathlessly. "I love you so much more than the anger I'm feeling right now."

"Ga—"

"But what I hate more is that you don't want to think this through. We've been through a lot of things, Sakura and we've walked out clean in the end."

"This time is different…" she mumbled.

"How?" he said darkly. "I understand what you did with Kai, I did. But I also understand that you were doing it to protect the girls."

"That was before—"

"You don't have any feelings for him do you?"

"Of course not!" she yelled.

"Then why can't we make this right? I know you weren't yourself when you were doing what you were doing, I know he blackmailed you—"

"It isn't about that!" she yelled.

"Then what!" he yelled in frustration, slamming his hand on the wall, reddening his knuckles. "Tell me what it is!"

"I don't deserve you! I don't'!" she said through bitter tears. "I've never felt like I do and I still don't know matter what you do! There will always be somewhere inside of me that's apprehensive about what we are! I thought maybe if I spent time with Kai and convinced myself that I wanted him and couldn't help myself than you would leave me! I don't want to disappoint you Gaara! We can't do this! You need someone better!" she screamed through hot, bitter tears.

"Why do you keep thinking that? Haven't I proven it enough? Haven't I done enough…?" he whispered as he leaned into her face.

"You've done so much…you've risked so much…I..but I…I'm not cut out to be a queen…I'm scared…."

"We can fix that!" he reassured as he cupped her crying face with both hands and attempted to wipe the tears, to no avail.

"Just give me a chance…"

"I ca-can't! Please Gaara! This is for your own good!"

"Sakura I swear on my life I'll protect you, just give me a chance too—"

He stopped when he heard more crying and yelled coming from the entrance hall.

He looked up as Sakura cried in his shoulder where from the door he saw Megami running down the steps frantically as Sasuke chased her.

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Please!" she screamed in pain. "I hate you!" she cried painfully.

"Gami, please if you'd just listen—!"

She fell to the floor, her legs unable to take her farther as the pain engulfed her.

"You got her pregnant…you got a girl pregnant…after all this time we've spent together and everything I've given to you…"

"Just fucking listen!" Sasuke yelled and frustratingly ran his hand through his hair.

"Gami!" Sakura yelled as she pushed Gaara aside, trying to rub her own tears away.

She ran over to her and bent down, picking up her crying and weakened figure. Megami turned away and cried in her shoulder as Sakura hugged her tightly.

She looked up and noticed Shikamaru, Naruto, and Neji come and stand by the steps.

She looked to Gaara by the living room door and Sasuke standing breathlessly a few feet in front of her and Megami.

"We can't do this…" she whispered. "We have to go!"

Without giving anyone a change to respond she took Megami's hand and rushed to the door.

She didn't need to open it herself, or give Geevs a chance to open it as it opened itself.

Quickly, she ran past the members of Delta who looked at both of them in shock.

"Hey," Jellal called, stopping in front of Megami. "You alright?"

She choked out a sob and moved past him.

The rest of the boys watched as the girls escaped the gates and headed into a light blue Porsche that stood in front. As quickly as they had run in, they sped off into the distance.

"Geez, the five of you have some serious girl issues." Natsu pointed out as the stepped into the mansion.

The boys said nothing as all five of them continued to watch the door.

(^A.H^)

Late in the hours of the night (at approximately eleven p.m.) all five members of Alpha lay outside on the grass. Their heads formed a circle as they all watched the stars and the shining moon in the cool spring night.

"Girls…" Ino finally spoke out after they had been laying in silence for the last fifteen minutes. "I don't know if I can take much more of this…"

"It's not easy handling seeing them every day…it's become painful…it makes me feel like we're back at square one with Sasori and the others…" Hinata said quietly.

"I thought…" Sakura blew out. "I thought things would be different with these five…and they were…for a time…but now things just don't feel right anymore…"

"For once I agree." Tenten said aloud. "I never thought I would let a guy get to me this easily. Now whenever I think about him or I'm near him…near any of them…it hurts…it hurts so bad."

"I don't know what we're going to do." Megami said distantly. "If we stay here we'll only fall apart like we did in Ame. And I don't want to do that again, I don't want to do that to our families again."

"I guess there's really no escaping this kind of life for us." Tenten said. "We'll always find ourselves in a situation because I guess that's just who we are. We're time bombs…"

"Will be ever get to be truly happy…?" Ino whispered.

The girls sat in thought. They were the guys they had given their hearts and souls too. The guys they had laughed with, danced with, lived life with, and embraced when they were too afraid to fall in love again.

"We can't stay here…" Sakura announced.

"What do you mean?" Hinata whispered.

Sakura sat up, and on cue the rest of the girls sat up with her and looked towards her.

"I mean we can't stay here. I think we have to make some new changes to our lives…again."

(^A.H^)

On Thursday, all of Konoha was hyped up. By Friday all of Japan would be hyped, then come Saturday it would be the world.

All because of one yearly event.

The Battle of the Bands.

Konoha—especially Konoha high—in particular was excited and getting into the spirit of the show. Students came to school bearing Omega shirts, hats, and other articles of clothing—ignoring the dress code. Other students sold merchandise and even food throughout the day, while other students made cheers and chants in honor of the BOTB and Omega and Delta, the only two Japanese bands qualified this year.

Konoha high celebrated a day early for Omega would be leaving for South Korea for the qualifying round that night, then onward to Paris in the morning. Delta had already left the Omega mansion for South Korea early in the morning.

The boys had given their goodbyes to Delta and wished them good luck at the qualifying round, as did Delta, assuring them that they would see them in Paris Friday.

Balloons floated and cheerleaders dawned in Omega attire danced. Their music played throughout the day—as did Delta's—and the entire day was treated as a celebration.

The boys stalked the halls towards lunch as they watched the festivities.

"It's like our very own holiday," Naruto mumbled, smiling a bit.

"And it'll stay that way just as long as we win the Battle of the Bands." Sasuke mumbled.

Alpha had not come to school today, but no one, aside from the boys, had noticed, for they were too busy celebrating the oncoming event.

Just as the boys entered the cafeteria, Shikamaru stopped in place at the sound of his name.

"Shikamaru! Wait, please."

He said nothing as Sai jogged up to him. He kept his head hung when he circled Shikamaru and stood in front of the cafeteria doors in front of him.

"Your girlfriend's not here today, I don't know where she is. Now get out of my way I don't have time for this."

Sai smiled slightly, "you and I both know that she's not my girlfriend…"

"Well she's not mine either so you're welcome to have her."

"Well that's kind of hard since she wants nothing to do with me."

Shikamaru raised a brow, "pity."

He began to move past Sai, only for him to step in front of him again.

"Alright Nara look," he sighed. "It's really easy for you to pretend like you don't care after what happened, but I see your movements. And the way you've been acting over the last week. You know you love her."

"Why should that matter?" he snapped. "She obviously wants you. What the hell am I supposed to do—?"

"It's my fault. We both know that." Sai said quickly. "I teased her. I weaseled her into my arms by going out with Tsubaki, knowing how much she didn't like her. I wanted her to want me, no matter what the feelings were."

Shikamaru remained silent as he continued.

"I'm sure she's told you about what she did with Hidan to prove that she was better than Tsubaki. Well, that's exactly what she did with me. She was so caught up is making herself look better than Tsubaki she wasn't thinking about what she was doing and who it was going to effect."

"That doesn't excuse—!"

Sai held his hand up. Shikamaru settled calmly again and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I realize that does not excuse what she did but you have to understand one thing at least. Ino, really, truly, loves you. If I could go back and stop us from separating I would, because I want the love she has for you, but I can't. I'm only saying this to you because as much as I want her love, I also want her to be happier much more. Please give it some thought, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru blinked as face him a small smile, then finally, walked past him and down the hall.

Shikamaru did not look back at him. His eyes remained glued to the floor as he contemplated the words.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

No, he would not let himself fall back that easily.

With a glare, he pushed the cafeteria doors open and stalked in.

(^A.H^)

"I can't believe this is it." Naruto sighed, flopping onto the golden stairs. "By this time Friday we'll be in Paris…"

The rest of the boys said nothing as the five of them watched the servants scatter around, some coming down with their bags, others adding a few things into them they had forgotten to pack even though they would only be in Paris for two days and South Korea for one night.

Outside, they're driver and Geevs stood on the phone, making sure that the private jet was ready and waiting for them when they arrived to the airport.

The entire mansion was in a scatter, maids making sure the house was spotless and chefs made sure dinner was ready so the boys could eat before their departure, even though they had the option of eating on the plane, though they knew they probably would not have the time as they would reach South Korea for the qualifiers within the hour.

"You know," Naruto spoke out again. "I never pictured going to Paris without them standing by us…it feels so…weird."

Once again, the boys did not respond as they simply watched the preparations in a bitter silence.

"Almost ready?"

They turned as they listened to footsteps jog down the steps. They watched as Itachi came down in black slacks and a white polo.

He didn't wait for an answer as he looked to the lot of the workers in the mansion rushing around.

"Looks like it." He mumbled as he turned back to the boys. "I forgot to mention to you guys, Midori is coming with us. She has a fashion show to attend Sunday night so she's going to accompany us."

"At least she's coming with you…" Gaara mumbled.

Itachi took a deep breath and let it out tiredly as he stood on the steps with his hands in his pockets.

"You guys will be alright…trust me on this…in the end, you'll be alright."

Without another word he made his descent down the steps, just as Naruto stood abruptly.

"Oh shoot! I forgot something!"

"Then have one of the workers go and—"

Before Shikamaru could finish Naruto was already rushing up the steps as if the jet was going to leave without him if he didn't hurry.

He burst into his room, instantly rushing to his walk in closet. He stood within it, digging around his mess of clothes as he looked for the items.

He sighed in relief when he finally whipped out his black and gold guitar.

As he began to leave his room he stopped suddenly when a figure stood outside his door.

"…Giovanna…" he sputtered.

"Naruto-sama." She smiled kindly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice faint.

"I only came to ask you…something."

Her English went getting a bit better, but he could tell she straining to make sure she was getting the words right.

"May we…speak?"

He nodded, stepping aside to let her in. Still in uniform, she walked into his room and seated herself on the corner of his mattress, not taking one look behind her.

He set his guitar by the door and stepped over to her with his hands in his pockets.

"What's on your mind?"

"I only wanted…I only wanted to know…why did you…" she cleared her throat. "Why did kiss me?"

He froze.

"I mean, is it so obvious that you love that girl. Why you do it?"

"Why did you do it." He corrected absent-mindedly.

"Perdono?"

"Never mind," he sighed, taking a seat by her but still at a distance.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, Giovanna. I really don't know."

" Mi scusi?"

"I don't know why…I did what I did…" he repeated as he hung his head.

"It's not like me at all. I would never to something like that to a girl, especially Hinata. But I think…I think what I was feeling was bitterness because she wasn't being honest with me…I think a part of me felt like it had to even out the score, even though I never—"

"That terrible excuse!"

He looked up at her, shocked. Ignoring her misplaced English, he looked at her questionably.

"It was own choice, don't try to blame on petty anger even if that how you really feel!" she said sternly.

"Gio," Naruto sighed. "I don't get what you mean. Sed quod tu vis, non me loqui. Quid faciemus?

I don't get what you want me to say. What am I supposed to do?

"et noli dare occasionem!" she barked.

Don't try and give her an excuse!

"Be a man! Take responsibility! She'll never forgive if you only give excuse!"

"I don't understand."

Giovanna sighed. "Naruto, what Hinata wants is not for you to apologize and tell her why you did what you did. She wants to know that you are truly sorry and you are not trying to win her forgiveness by trying to make her understand your reasons for doing it. If you rely on things such as that your relationship will never be true."

Naruto turned to her and slowly smiled broadly, "Gio…your English…that was perfect."

Giovanna stood up and brushed down her uniform.

"I cannot exactly tell what Hinata what, but I know that not it. Focus on Battle of Bands for now and the moment it over, Hinata."

She bent forward and kissed his cheek as he stared at her. She smiled and turned, walking out the door.

"Good luck, Naruto."

(^A.H^)

"Is that everything?" Neji questioned as he walked past a servant boy who zipped up the last bag.

"I believe so, my lord." He bowed.

"Alright, you and a few others, start taking everything to the limo. Hold off unless the others come down with something to add."

"Yes my lord," he nodded as he and a couple more servant boys began moving their bags outside.

Though the boys would only be outside the country for three days, they needed quite a bit to pack, including stage clothing, instruments, music and ect.

Neji took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He sub-consciously checked his phone for any missed calls or text messages, hoping by some miracle she would at least call to say goodbye or something. But, he knew there was so chance of that.

He knew he was never going to have another chance with her again.

"Neji-sama!"

He shot his head up at the sound of a maid calling his name. he looked up to her with a raised brow as she jogged up to him after entering the mansion from the front doors.

"T-there's someone here to see you! My lord." She bowed quickly.

His heart skipped a beat. He twisted his head to the door in confusion.

"She is waiting outside but refuses to come in, my lord it is—"

"Excuse me, thank you." He said without allowing her to finish. He brushed past her and fast-walked to the large doors.

His heart raced in anticipation as he pushed the door open, brushing past a servant who was coming back in to collect more luggage.

The late spring light shined in his eyes. He lifted his hand to his forehead in an attempt to cover it as he looked to the sparkling walkway where a female figure stood with her back turned. Her hands stood clasped behind her as she gazed at fountain.

"…Ten?" he whispered.

When the burning light left his eyes he was finally able to see the female figure in full view. His heart fell when instead of soft brown buns he saw short silver hair.

Kaede twisted around when she sensed his presence. She clutched gray sparkling hobo bag and sucked in her breath. She stood in a black mid-thigh pleated skirt and a gray off the shoulder top.

"Neji…" she said breathlessly.

"Kaede." He said, back to his original toneless, cold demeanor. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he stepped over to her with a dull expression.

She smiled weakly at him for a few moments before looking down and away from the bitter expression he gave her. After a few silent moments she finally spoke up.

"Yeah, I know. This is weird."

"What could you possibly want that you were actually able to sum up enough nerve to come here." He spat coldly.

"I know it was wrong of me to just show up unannounced like this but calling you wouldn't have been any better would it?"

He said nothing. After a few more silent moments she lifted her head and sucked in a deep breath.

"I just…I just came by to wish you—and the guys! Good luck at the Battle of the Bands."

He remained stoic as she continued.

"I know how much this means to you. I remember how excited you used to get when you talked about how when Omega hit its six year mark you were surely going to win. I never stopped believing you guys."

She looked into his eyes as she uncomfortably shifted on her feet.

"I know you hate me—"

"That's one way of putting it."

She cringed and shot her head towards the fountain.

"I'm not here to attempt to beg your forgiveness or anything like that. I'm just here to do what I promised I would do before we moved to Bangkok. Which was wish you luck at possibly the most important show of your life."

She sucked in her breath once again, "But I know it won't mean much seeing as you have Tenten now, I'm sure she's given you all the motivation you need—"

"We aren't together anymore. The only motivation I need is my music now."

Kaede blinked furiously as she twisted back to him. Her confused expression did nothing to hinder Neji's blank and uncaring one.

"Broken up? What's that supposed to mean? The last time we really talked you were so into her. You bragged about her like she was the one. Like she was the greatest thing in the—"

"Well it's over now god dammit! I'm tired of fucking explaining myself! We're through alright! I messed up! She messed up! Everyone fucked up! That's. That." He spat bitterly.

Fearfully, Kaede held her hands to her chest and stared at him as if a strange being stood in front of her.

"Neji…what happened?"

"Like you give a damn. Look you've came, you've given your regards, you can leave now." He said coldly.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said firmly, putting her hands on her hips. "I know I may not be the person you remember and I've made some mistakes but that doesn't mean I don't care about you Neji. You're hurting, and I can tell. Talk to me." She sighed. "Please. What. Happened?"

"Ask her!" he shot, making her take a step back in surprise. "It all started with her! I don't know why I ever thought I could handle someone like her! She's loud-mouthed, sassy, irritable, short-tempered, a smart-alec, moody, pretentious, mischievous, egotistical, temperamental—!"

She watched as he stopped, breathing heavily as he stared into the distance.

"…Full of life…caring…lazy…funny…horrible at math…confident…daring…amazing at sports…has one kick-ass right clutch…and god…" he breathed. "The way her eyes light up when she talks about our future together…I know she doesn't want to…I know she's scared…but she does it anyway…"

Keade blinked as she stared down the alien before her. She could honestly saw she had never in her life heard him speak this way about anyone.

Not even her.

When he realized he was dazed he shook his head and plopped onto the porch, his face in his hands.

As he slightly groaned Kaede took baby steps up to him. Cautiously, she bent forward a bit and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It's my fault…" he mumbled. "I messed up…I mean I really messed up…we both did, but I took it too far. We've both never really, truly taken our feelings into consideration. We were both so used to jumping from different people we didn't stop to think about how much we affected the person we were with. We both did that. The only difference between us is, Ten cared."

Keade said nothing, she simply bent down in front of him.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do Kaede. I can walk around and act like losing her is nothing because I don't want to repeat my emotions after you left…but I can't…I've really lost her…"

"No you haven't."

He looked up to her. Kaede smiled weakly and patted his left shoulder. She looked into his eyes with her own glistened ones.

"I know, it's scary you find out that you care. But I think if you can show Tenten what you've showed me, you'll be able to understand each other better."

She let out a shaky, almost painful breath.

"I've never seen you more compatible with a person…I've never seen you so…so…so in love. You were meant to be together. And there has to be some sort of sign between you two that shows that, no matter how much you may try to convince yourselves this is only a fling."

He froze.

The baby!

"I'm no expert on stuff like this and I know you aren't either. I don't want to say it but I know it's the right thing to do. If you don't go after her you'll never be happy, and there will always be a rift in your heart when you look back in life and think of what you lost…I should know…I think about it every day…" she whispered.

"Neji. You're smart." Kaede smiled.

"Don't let her be like the others. Don't let this one go."

(^A.H^)

"You do realize we can't avoid this forever, right?"

Gaara said nothing as he trailed around the living room, looking for his book. Temari stormed behind him in shorts and a red tube top.

Everywhere he went, she followed. He didn't express his annoyance but she knew it was evident.

"Temari for the last time, I cannot think about it right now. I'll explain everything when we get home, maybe I'll even call you in Paris."

"Yeah right!" she snarled. "There's no way you'll call you'll be too busy! And I can't wait until you get back, I have to talk to Sakura too about—"

She jumped back when he twisted around to face her, "You, are not to say anything to her. Don't call her. Don't go to her house. Don't even text her." He said darkly.

Temari raised a brow and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, who is the older sibling here? If I wanna talk to someone I'll damn well talk to them."

"If you value our relationship you won't." he said, back to his stony tone as he continued to look around.

Temari sighed and plopped down onto the large couch.

"Gaara, why won't you talk to me? You always tell me what's going on in your relationships and your life and I listen. I care about you and I care about Sakura. What happened between you two?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled.

"Then you are not leaving this house until you do," she said firmly. "Battle of the Bands or no Battle of the Bands."

He turned back to her with his eyes narrowed. "I'm not a child Tem. I'll leave this damn house when I want to leave."

"Fine," she smirked. "Then I'll tell the guys you carried a stuffed raccoon around until you were twelve."

"Go ahead," he shrugged. "They already know. But unless those bastards enjoy their balls where they currently are they wouldn't say anything of it."

Temari blinked and flushed, "Fine! I'll tell the guys you wet your bed when you were ten!"

"You mean after a tried to sleep for the first time in forever and ended up having nightmares that still haunt me today?"

"FINE! I'll tell them—!"

"Go ahead and tell them whatever you want."

"You're not making this any fun, Gaara!" she growled.

"I'm not trying to make any of this fun!" he yelled, twisting around to her.

"You think I want to talk about how she made some mistakes that weren't under her control! How when I tried to fix things she didn't even want to look at me?! Or how she doesn't want to be with me because she's so fucking scared that she's not right for me?! You think I want to think about that at a time like this?! Well for your information it's all I'm thinking about when I should be thinking about the show! I CAN'T GET HER OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Breathing unevenly, he stared Temari down while she simply sat with her arms crossed and a blank expression on her head.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her, "I've tried everything to convince her that she's special to me and she doesn't need to be a princess! I've worked everything out! I've made promises! I've been faithful! I'm working my ass off to look into a law I can only change when I'm king! WHAT DOES SHE WANT FROM ME!"

"Gaara. Calm. Down." Temari said sternly as he stood nearly hyperventilating.

She stood up and held her hands on his right arm, setting him down into the lounge chair next to him.

"Look at me." She ordered. "Gaara, look at me."

Breathing heavily, he forced his eyes towards his elder sister and looked at her with fear and sadness in his eyes.

"You have done so much, Gaara." She reassured. "You have tried and pushed more for her than any girl would ever want, and Sakura knows this. This is bigger than just becoming a princess. This is about her life and her emotions and everything she's been through. The problem with these girls is that they think because of their past their hardly incapable of building perfect lives for themselves, especially Sakura, and she gets scared at just the thought of it. What I'm thinking now is that there is so much more to your break-up than any of you are letting on. I think the girls are finally coming out with their fears and insecurities and their emotions are taking them over. And I think you guys are realizing that you've met your match, and that scares you. You don't know how to handle it. None of you were prepared for how this year and how you would make each other feel, especially you…I think that's got a lot to do with what's going on here."

They sat in silence for a few dead moments before Gaara finally lifted his head and spoke up.

"So…what do I do now…?

Temari smiled confidently and ruffled his hair slightly.

"You keep pushing…"

(^A.H^)

"I never got a chance…I never got a chance to say I'm sorry."

Sasuke slowly turned to his door with an unreadable expression on his face. He stood in front of his window, staring down as the closed up. With the luggage and everything packed, their driver stood out and patiently waited for the boys to make their way out.

He tsked and turned away when Renge leaned on the door, dressed casually as Sasuke had gotten her the day off.

"What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"For this," she waved her hands. "For everything. I shouldn't have come here."

"No." he stated. "I got myself in this mess. I only dragged you into it. It's good that you came here, Renge. If not I would have had to live with this my entire life…I would have had to live a lie with her."

"Everyone's hurting…you're hurting…and I feel like—"

"None of this is your fault Renge." He said sternly, coldly. "I had a choice and I made it. And now…now I have to figure out how and if I can make things right."

She stepped into the room, a painful expression on her face. In dark blue skinny jeans, a brown ruffle top and black heels, she stepped over to him.

"I hope you all end up making things right. And I promise I will do whatever I can to make things peaceful again." She said confidently

He half-smiled and turned to the window.

"I don't know…I think this time—"

"There you go doubting yourself again!" she shot.

He turned to her with a brow raised.

"You love her right?"

He nodded slowly.

"Then isn't that all that matters…?" she whispered.

In silence in turned from her and walked over to his bedside table where his pictures still sat.

He had not taken down the ones of her that sat on there either. They sat as a reminder, but also as a motivation.

He set down the photo of the both of them she had brought in the box she came with all his/her things. The glass sat broken after he had crushed it in his chase after her, but he did not dare replace it.

Behind the photo, he picked up the sparkling necklace that had been untouched since he had brought it back from the jewelry store Monday night, after having taken it to be fixed early Sunday morning.

He clenched it in his hand as he walked back to Renge. She watched it sparkle in the sun's rays that rushed in from the window.

She let out a light gasp, which he noticed.

"She's really lucky…"

Though it was a whisper, he heard well. He looked into her eyes, as did she back to him.

"I'm sorry Renge…"

"I know. You don't have to apologize…I'm just jealous of her that's all…"

She breathed in as she lifted her hand and settled it on his chest.

"I just wish I could have your love like she does…"

He said nothing as she stared into his eyes.

"Could I ask you something…?" she whispered.

"Hm…?"

"I know I'm being selfish when I say this but…" she hesitated before continuing.

"Could I have one more kiss…? Just one last time…because I know this may be the last time I'll ever be able to get close to you like this…"

He half-smiled and slightly nodded. She smiled weakly and slightly blushed as she closed her eyes and leaned in.

They leaned in to brush their lips against each other and just when they were barely a centimeter apart he turned and brushed his lips against her cheek.

She froze and opened her eyes as he opened his mouth by her ear.

"I'm already in deep enough." He whispered, sending chills down her spine. "I would never do anything to make matters worse for myself, no matter who found out…I would know, and I would have to live with it…you're a good person Renge and I appreciate that. But I have to figure out how to get back someone who's of even greater importance to me…"

She smiled sadly and nodded against him. He stood up straight, his face blank again as he stuffed the necklace into his pocket.

He ruffled her hair as he began to walk past her. "Make sure you take good care of yourself and that baby."

She turned around to look at him as he left them room and smiled.

He lifted his hand up in a fit of goodbye as he stepped out without looking back.

"See you in three days."

(^A.H^)

When all was set and ready and a fruitful dinner was had, the boys piled into the limousine and darted off to the airport. Though they hardly spoke, they were all thinking the same things.

The time had finally come.

They wished the girls would at least call and wish them good luck.

And they were going to do whatever it took to win the Battle of the Bands.

On the way to the airport they passed by the fated Alpha household. The boys tried to force themselves not to look but they couldn't help but stare at the familiar home as they passed by it.

It was completely dark and the cars were gone, leaving only the motorcycle.

They wondered where they could be and if any of them were home.

The house looked so barren and dull in the nighttime when it was not lit up with all the house lights, blasting music, and dancing teenage girl who were trying their best to live life to the fullest.

As the limo shot past the house they had come to know so well, all five of the members of Omega couldn't help but feel empty inside.

Eventually, after what seemed like a drive through eternity, the boys made it to the airport where they were instantly met paparazzi photographers and fangirls of all kind, ready and waiting to wish them good luck and cover the story of their departure and ambitions for the tomorrow's news.

Eventually they made it onto the jet where the boys settled themselves in as their pilot prepared to take off.

The interior of the private jet was decked out in red wall design and carpeting. Chefs and flight attendants were at the ready while the boys could lounge of the leather seats, play video games, watch movies, sleep and generally relax.

"Wake me up when were in Korea." Shikamaru announced as he plopped himself onto the long leather couch, pushing a cushiony green blanket up his legs.

Sasuke and Neji took seats in the lounge chairs facing the video game console and proceeded to take out their laptops.

Gaara sat in another lounge chair and took out the book he had been searching for in the mansion.

Naruto took a seat though in one of the flight chairs by the window. He silently watched as the pilots began to take the plane off Japanese soil and eventually take to the skies.

As the pilot spoke he sub-consciously touched the guitar next to him and thought about heading to South Korea in the hopes of meeting a familiar face.

He slightly smiled to himself as the plane took to the sky in the night. The lights of Japanese buildings shined brightly as they left Japan to make their dreams come true.

(^A.H^)

"Where is this coming from all of a sudden girls? Just the other day we talked and you seemed like you were on cloud nine." Imoi gave a deep frown.

The girls glanced at each other then back to their parents.

"Like we said…there's been some recent events that have…" Sakura cleared her throat. "Hindered our abilities and progress."

The girls sat in the Yamanaka household in their home of Ame. Seated across from them sat their parents which consisted of Imoi and Inoichi, Hiashi, Kagome, and Aoi, called for an emergency meeting that not all parents could attend.

"Girls, we don't understand." Kagome frowned.

"It's just really hard to explain…but we're asking that you listen to us here," Ino explained.

"I hope this doesn't have anything to do with those boys, did they hurt you in any way?" Hiashi demanded.

"It's a long story father, but we can assure you we are all right…" Hinata reassured.

Aoi sighed as he looked to the five girls before them who looked nothing like the vibrant young girls they know them to be.

"You girls do know this will change a lot of you choose to do this. We don't allow you to just up and turn back."

Once more the girls glanced at each other in a way of mentally speaking to one another.

"We know." Megami spoke barely above a whisper.

Sakura sighed.

"But we've made our decision.

(^A.H^)

The nighttime Korean lights felt so lively and familiar as Naruto stared out to them from the taxi window.

He sighed contently to himself. He always enjoyed coming to South Korea and especially now that he had a friend he could come and see.

After arriving to South Korea two hours prior the boys immediately went into the qualifiers which was more simply registration, qualifications (years active, members present, ect.) and a demonstration on their abilities.

Of course, they made it in.

By now it was just past eleven. The boys had gone off to the hotel to get some rest before they headed for Paris in the early hours of the morning.

He on the other hand had someone he needed to see before he could go to Paris, otherwise he'd never be able to make it through the show.

The taxi driver pulled into the familiar Haruno hospital and Naruto, after giving a generous payment, stepped out of the taxi with his guitar in hand.

Silently, with the familiar beanie upon his head and glasses shielding his eyes, he stepped into the hospital.

Passing the front desk and walking down the halls he faintly remembered, he hoped she still remained in the same room. The hospital smelled of hand sanitizer and alcohol rub as he passed rooms with various patients with various problems in them.

When he found the room once again he smiled to himself when he saw the familiar face. But, the smile fell to a sad one once he saw her condition.

Gidae sat as she had the day Naruto and the boys went back to Japan after the CD signing. The only difference being now her condition had worsened. Before he even stepped in he noticed her breathing was deep and slow, as if she were forcing herself.

Heavy oxygen ran through her as well as life support beside her. The veins upon her bare head were visibly engraved in and dark bags sat underneath her eyes as well as dried blood on her nose. Her head rested against the hospital pillow and the only sound came from her slow heart monitor.

Nonetheless, he smiled. He had to be strong.

"A princess shouldn't be lounging in bed like this, she should be seeing the world. Or at least let someone show it to her."

Gidae's eyes nearly popped out their socket. She forced her head to turn to the door as Naruto quickly rushed in.

"Don't force yourself Gidae! I've got you!" he said quickly.

He set down the guitar and pulled her blanket back up to her. He put his hand under her head and rested it back onto the pillow.

"Naruto…is…it really you?" her voice croaked hopefully, barely recognizable.

He smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"I-I knew you…would come back…!" her voice cracked as her dried and cracked lips pulled into a smile.

"I promised you I would. And I always keep my promises dattebayo."

"I'm…so happy you came…" she breathed contently. "I…I…really wanted…wanted to wish you good luck…at the Battle…of the…of the…Bands…you should be in Paris…what are you doing…here?"

He smiled as he took a seat on her left where she laid so she wouldn't have to turn herself around. Behind him the window shined the darkness and the South Korean lights mixed together into the white lit room.

"Well the qualifiers were today in South Korea so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to come and see you! I can't come to South Korea without seeing one of my best girls!" he beamed as he took off his sunglasses and beanie.

Gidae cracked another weak smile and her red eyes glistened.

His smile slightly dropping, Naruto cleared his throat and willed himself to ask the question he didn't want to.

"So…how are you doing…?"

"Not so hot…as you can see…" her smile was bitter-sweet as if she were about to cry but at the same time she was happy.

"This is finally it…the doctors say…they said they don't know how much….much longer…exactly…but they don't think…I'll make it to the end of the month…"

"Gidae…"

"Yes…" she said in a whisper. "I guess all those times wishing…and hoping that tomorrow would be a new day…only stayed as dreams…"

He lifted his hand and touched her swollen, pale and vein covered left. He clasped it in his as she forced herself to lay completely on her back as she stared up to the ceiling.

"You know…I…I've lost complete use of my legs…even if I could…I can't walk anymore..." she whispered painfully.

He clenched her hand.

"I can…no longer see in….my right eye…Naruto…" she whispered, both eyes glistening with tears "I can't see in my right eye anymore…"

"Gidae…I'm so sorry." He mumbled, looking down.

She smiled weakly once again, "Please don't be…a lot of good has happened…since you left as well…my father…and brothers have come by…more often…I've met some people just like me…in the hospital…girls my age…I never usually left this room…but…but you've…all of you…have given me strength…and I'll be forever grateful…"

She trailed her eyes to him when she felt the tickling of salty tears on her vein covered left arm.

Naruto sat with his face on her arm, crying into it bitterly.

"I wish I could have more for you! I-I should have done more! I-I'm sorry Gidae! Y-you don't deserve a-any of this…!"

"Who really does…? Life's just funny…I guess…"

She lifted her right arm slightly and took her time leaning over to touch his hair. Her now gray and lifeless right eye focused slightly elsewhere as she did while her left was completely on him.

"Please don't cry…I'm thankful…that's why I'm…I'm glad you came Naruto…I don't know how long I have…and I don't know when I'll see you again…"

He cried harder into her arm as she slowly patted his head.

Everything around me is falling apart! He thought.

"I only have one regret…" she laughed weakly. "…I'm sad I'll never be able to go to…an Omega concert…it's always been my dream…to chant your names with others…hear and feel the music…dance…and sing like I have no worries or problems…like I don't have a tomorrow…but having you here by me…it's ten times better…"

He sniffled as he lifted his head. He wiped his nose and rubbed his eyes as he attempted to look at her straightly.

"How does a personal concert sound?"

"W-what…?" she whispered.

He smiled half-heartedly as he bent forward and picked up his guitar. Gidae gave him a confused but anticipated expression as he took a deep breath and let it out.

"I wrote this for you some time ago, after we got back to Japan. This…may not be your dream, but I hope it's the next best thing.

As he began to play, Gidae listened with glistening and hopeful eyes.

Fairy, where are you going?
I'm holding, all the light to your way; this light will shine upon a brand new day!

(Oh yeah!) Now can you hear the voice that's calling out to you?
(Oh yeah!) Though I know its shouts have caused its overuse.
(Oh yeah!) But will it stay until your heart can hear it through?
(Oh yeah!) OH YEAH!

The sun and moon have joined in celebration;
Have you forgotten our affiliation?
When you're not here to share your laughter with me,
I just can't find my inspiration, but it's:

Snowing, keep going; be honest and smile as we're,
Approaching, evoking, the clock to keep repeating over, but,
Fairy, where are you going?
I'm holding, all the light to your way; this light will shine upon a brand new day!
(Why?!) x3

(Oh yeah!) My feelings rush from my heart's core.
Seeing white flakes on the beach pour,
Makes me wonder when the sky was even orange.

(Oh yeah!) And I start to remember that rainbow,
Those seven beams that we once saw, start to flow as snow inside my mind.

Those times you laughed brought out a strange mystery,
Of unknown strength summoned from deep within me.

Snowing, you're holding your arms and trembling but,
I know the deep warming feeling would come if you could somehow find me,
Fairy, slowly,
But surely, you're walking your way,
Oh, Hang in there!
(Why?!) x7
(Yeah!) x7

You put the best in me, like a magic spell,
A guy like me, can enjoy laughing now.
All it ever took from you, was that single perfect smile.
So you're my,
My lone fairy!

It's Snowing, keep going; be honest and smile as we're,
Approaching, evoking, the clock to keep repeating over, but,
Fairy, where are you going?
I'm holding, all the light to your way and to a brand new day!

It's Snowing,
Keep going, be honest and smile because I know,
With just the light,
You've given me we'll be alright!

Snowing!…. Fairy!….
I'll clear the way till your in my eyes,
Racing to your side and I'll cry,
"Snow Fairy!"

Don't Say Goodbye!

As he strummed the last bit he smiled to Gidae who lay tears running down her face that sat with a full smile on her contorted face.

With all her strength she lifted her left arm and held his right cheek. He clasped his hand on hers and sighed, neither noticing her heart monitor slowing down.

"Thank you Naruto…Naruto Uzumaki…" she whispered as she closed her eyes, silent tears running down her smiling face.

"Thank you, Gidae."

"And I will be…forever grateful…" she said in what felt like a distant whisper.

"…Don't say goodbye…" he sang in a whisper as he too closed his eyes with silent tears running down his face.

When he was answered with a long beeping and a limp hand on his cheek, his heart burned.

Please don't say goodbye…

(^A.H^)

"Hey, looks like school is cancelled today."

The girls looked up from their current situation and looked at Tenten who held the phone to her ear.

"What do you mean, why?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Listen to this."

She put the phone back down and pressed the replay button. The phone beeped and replayed the message:

"Due to an sudden fire in classroom 607, all classes both a.m. and p.m. are cancelled for Konoha high school today. For more information please contact the district at 855—

"Hey! That's the music room!" Megami announced.

Hinata gasped, "Oh I hope Kurenai-sensei wasn't in there!"

"We'll just call her in a little bit and check on her, I'm she's fine but she must be really upset about the room," Ino frowned.

The girls nodded to each other and turned back to their work.

Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion, "I wonder how it caught on fire in the first place."

(^A.H^)

Before the boys knew it they were back on their jet in the morning and heading towards Paris. The qualifiers had gone perfectly and the boys had gotten a little sleep before they awoke at five a.m. to get said jet and make it to Paris by ten a.m.

When the boys arrived they were a little more than exhausted, having only been able to sleep a little on the jet. But, they knew there was work to be done.

Naruto whistled as he stared at the limo window, admiring the streets of Paris.

"It's always great coming here, you know? This place is so lively."

"Naruto come back inside, we're discussing today's schedule." Itachi ordered.

Naruto blew out a bored breath and crept back into the limo that contained the members of Omega, Itachi, and Midori who slept on Itachi's shoulder with her earphones in, a result of jet lag.

Itachi, with his reading glasses on, focused his attention on the paper before him.

"Alright, when we get to the hotel you guys can get settled in and relax a little bit, I know you're all tired. But at noon we're heading to the stadium for last minute rehearsal and clothing and mike check with the other bands. That should be most of the day so when we get back I want you all promptly in bed by eleven. If you don't get enough sleep you're not going to be worth shit tomorrow and Orochimaru is going to give me a world of crap."

"Since when do we have a bed time?" Neji remarked.

"If you actually want a chance tomorrow I think it would be good to get some sleep."

The boys said nothing further as the limo drove them through the quite narrow streets of Paris. The boys had been to Paris a few times before for things such as part of their world tour, CD signings, so they were familiar with their surrounds.

Even so, none of them would admit the emptiness they felt that being outside of Japan brought, and being so far away from the ones they used to say they loved.

After a couple minutes the limo pulled up to the Monte des Reves (World of Dreams) hotel, the finest on the west end of Paris, France. Itachi assisted Midori in as the rest of the boys stepped out while bellmen began unloading the limo of their bags.

After checking in the boys trekked up to their penthouse suite for some much needed rest.

Even Midori was surprised to see all five boys collapsed, as if their sleep schedule had been ridiculous the last few days.

"I'm a little worried about them," she sighed when their individual doors closed shut.

Itachi stepped next to her with his hands in his pockets. "They're strong guys. They may be in pain but they know when and how they should act. They'd never let anything, maybe not even death, get in the way of their dreams. If anything they'd use it to fuel their heart and mind and make a better person out of themselves."

(^A.H^)

"Alright you pansies! Time to get up! We're heading to the stadium!" Itachi barked at 11:45 a.m.

Midori rolled her eyes as she clutched her bag and the door knob, "don't yell at them, they'll only be more annoyed."
"Yeah well," he glanced at his watch, "we're on a schedule."

The (irritable) boys individually trudged out of their rooms. Itachi grimaced at their appearances.

"Clean yourselves up would you? You aren't walking out here looking like bums. It's not very Omega like."

"I'm off," Midori stated as she quickly kissed him and turned to the five boys who stood silent.

"You boys play nice with the other bands." She smiled and winked. Turned around, Midori headed out to hail a cab to take her to her own business she had in Paris.

"Well, you heard me." Itachi said sternly, turning back to back them.

"Make it fast, we're on a schedule."

(^A.H^)

"Look who finally decided to show up!"

"Yo! Dragneel!" Naruto called, waving to Natsu who stood by the other members of Delta on the large T stage with other bands.

"Took you guys long enough. We hoped that you chickened out and decided to stay in Japan." Gray smirked.

"What? Do you feel threatened by us?" Neji smirked.

Jellal huffed, "Not on your life."

The boys of both bands looked to their surroundings and the other bands that went about making sure everything was ready for them come tomorrow's show. There was no lock of determination or confidence in any person of any group, all had come to win and in the end only one could say they were the top band in the world. Following the win would mean heavy world broadcast and endorsement deals, more fame and popular than they ever thought possible and a ferry of other opportunities and prizes to be won.

It was the chance of the lifetime to really calm oneself king or queen.

"Looks like stiff competition." Zeref murmured.

"Aw, they're nothing compared to us. As much as I hate to admit we're the only two groups that have a shot." Loke chuckled.

"Don't get so cocky, Lion. We haven't seen anyone's full potential yet." Shikamaru remarked. "Not even our own…"

The boys soon separated and moved onto to clothing and mike checks, music, lighting positions needed and back up dancers if needed. It was encouraged for the contestants to think of the show as just another concert, so to prevent uneasiness and un-comfort. Finally, each was given a large room backstage where they could do their final practice in solitude.

As the boys practiced for the final time before the big day Saturday, Itachi stormed into the room, alerting them and seizing the practice.

"What's going on? I just heard that you guys let your back up dancers go! You do realize we need them too—"

"We didn't fire the backup dancers." Gaara stated quickly.

"What?" Itachi asked, confused.

"We didn't fire them. We just told them we wouldn't need them for the second song."

"What do you mean? You've been practicing with them—"

"We've decided…" Sasuke sighed. "To change a few things."

Itachi stared at the blankly for a few moments, his hands in his dress pant pockets.

"Just bear with us on this Itachi." Naruto pleaded, "We've done last minute things plenty of times. We just wanted to do something better."

Itachi sighed and glanced at his watch.

"It's getting late. I hope you have whatever your doing figured out well because when we get back I want your asses in bed."

"We aren't twelve!" Sasuke snarled as Itachi turned around.

"Sure, whatever." He called, lifting his hand up in a wave as he left them to their work.

The boys looked at each other, and together, just as the girls do, mentally communicating, all knowing and hoping that what they were going to do would work as they hoped.

(^A.H^)

"Ten fifty p.m. You have ten minutes to crawl into your big boy pajamas and get some sleep. Big day tomorrow." Itachi stared at his phone time for the fifth time as they stepped back into the hotel hours later.

The boys said nothing as they individually crept into their bedrooms. Oddly enough, not one of them had their minds on the show tomorrow, but something else tried to take over instead, something they never thought to be more important.

Silently, Gaara proceeded to unpack a few things from his three days worth luggage. Ever since Sakura came into his life he had found that he'd, somehow, actually been able to sleep some nights, even for a little bit without nightmares, but he knew he would be back to square one tonight, not that it would affect his performance tomorrow, as it never did.

As he took out his pajamas nonetheless so he could at least comfortably lay in bed, he stopped at the feeling of something unfamiliar. More actually, a few unfamiliar things.

What felt like cold plastic grazed his hand, but he knew it wasn't just plastic.

He pulled the item out and found it to be a plastic bag. Confused, he untied it and was surprised to see a collection of DVD's clasped together. On top of the DVD was a sticky note marked:

Tenten's home videos

Directed by Tenten (and sometimes other people)

Confused, he sat down on his bed. He didn't remember packing Tenten's videos. Hell, he didn't even own them, they were supposed to be in the bookcase in the living room at the girls house along with some in her own room.

Then suddenly it hit him. The boxes Sakura and Megami brought over. They had contained the bag with the DVD's. Sakura must have put them in without realizing, he assumed and a maid must have accidently packed them, thinking them to be something he needed.

His heart skipped a beat when he thought about all the memories each DVD held. Nearly every moment, every adventure, every laugh, every tear, every hug, every kiss, and every aftermath confession.

He jumped up to his door and peeked out. Itachi was nowhere in sight. Assuming he had gone to pick Midori up, he stepped into the living room.

With a deep breath he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, loudly.

Moments later, the boys, who were still up themselves but in their pajamas, individually stepped out of their rooms.

"Gaara? What is it?" Naruto asked.

"Some of us actually sleep you know." Neji bit.

Ignoring him, Gaara looked to all of them.

"You guys wanna see something?"

The boys glanced at each other in confusion then looked back to him. With that as an answer, he motioned for them to follow him back to his room. And so they did.

(^A.H^)

"—So today we're on The Alpha. The guys got a boat and they decided to call it this because this is they're new name for us or something," Tenten said boredly as the camera bobbed as she walked on the deck. She turned the camera to Sakura who looked to the boat.

"So Miss. Haruno, what do you think of The Alpha?"

Sakura giggled, "why did you bring that?"

"I have to capture everything! I direct as a side job, you know that. You're being interviewed! Answer the question!"

Sakura playfully rolled her eyes, "Well—"

She jumped back suddenly as Ino jumped in front of her in her sundress and black sunglasses. "I think it's absolutely magnificent! They should have given it a better name though! You know? Like The Ino."

"That's a horrible name." Sakura grumbled.

"Your face is a horrible name!"

"That made so much sense." Sakura sighed sarcastically, making Ino fume.

Tenten suddenly twisted around when she heard giggling behind her. Hinata blushed and held a hand to her face when Tenten turned the camera on her.

"What do you think of the new boat?"

"It's actually a yacht." Sakura corrected from behind her.

"P-please don't videotape me Tenten…" Hinata mumbled, her hand still shielding her face.

"Hey where's red?" she asked, waving the camera around.

" WOOHOO! I'm the queen of the world!"

Tenten turned the camera on the boat where Megami stood on the tip.

"Megami get down from there! The boat hasn't even moved yet! If you fall we're not calling the hospital just because you want to pull some titanic type shit!" Sakura yelled.

Megami grumbled as Tenten laughed and switched off the camera.

The screen went black then moments later, another image popped up.

"Guess what just happened tonight!" Tenten sang as she faced the camera to herself, noticeably in the girls living room.

She twisted the camera back around to the door where the rest of the girls were coming in from the darkness outside.

"What you mean my amazing performance tonight?" Ino cooed, tossing her hair back as the other girls shrugged off their coats.

"As if!"

Tenten's remark made Ino grimace and huff.

"I'm talking about tonight's little confession!"

Hinata instantly jumped and dropped her coat. She burned red and backed up behind Sakura and Megami, avoiding the camera that came closer.

"You guys are all in love now! It's so cute!"

"L-let's not talk about it…please…" Hinata whispered.

Sakura laughed as both she and Megami moved out of the way to reveal the squirming Hinata.

"Are you really sure you are Hinata? Don't you think you guys have moved a little fast? I mean it's only been a few months." Ino frowned a bit.

Hinata lifted her head and gave a weak smile as she stared to the floor.

"Naruto and I have known each other for much longer than that…even so…time means nothing…you know when you really love someone…I can't put into words the way I feel about him…and the way he makes me feel…"

The girls stood in a dead silence for a few moments, simply glancing back and forth at each other, excluding Hinata and Tenten.

"Alright! No more of this sappy shit!" Megami whined.

"Yeah, let's get some dinner." Tenten groaned as she dropped the camera to her side. "I'm starving!"

The screen went black once again and after a few moments another image came up.

Loud cheering and flashing lights shined as instantly the camera came upon Sakura and Ino who stepped out holding the large trophy that signified their win of the World Dance Competition once again. Gaara and Shikamaru stepped out next to them as the girls smiled and tugged on the trophy they both tried to hold.

"Guess who just won the World Dance Competition again?!" Tenten's voice said from behind the camera.

"Who do you think?"

She twisted the camera around to where Megami stood, sticking her tongue out with Sasuke on her arm as the crowd of people cheered for the girls.

"Didn't surprise me!"

She twisted around again to where Naruto and Hinata stood. The girls all still in their dancing sweats.

Naruto beamed, his arm around Hinata's shoulder.

"What do you guys think? We did alright?"

"I think we did damn good. But I don't have to think. I know." Ino smirked as Tenten navigated the camera back to her.

"Yeah that's right, you don't think." Sakura said under her breath, causing Ino to shoot a glare towards her.

Tenten laughed from behind the camera once again.

"What are you doing? Where did you get that?"

She turned to face Neji who raised a brow, stepping up next to Megami and Sasuke.

"I brought it with me in case we won! I wanted to film it!"

"What do you mean in case?!" Ino growled from behind her.

Neji rolled his eyes, "cut that thing off we have to make some announcements."

"Ugh…"

The screen cut to black once again and moments later, another image came.

"Hellooo!" Tenten's voice cooed as the camera came onto Hinata and Naruto who snuggled on the girls couch. Naruto looked up to her and smiled while Hinata shied away.

"Say hi to the world," she called as she turned the camera a bit to where Megami sat on Sasuke's lap on the chair. He looked towards it with a blank expression as she beamed and waved.

"Hi world! I'm Megami! I like cake!"

"Anyway…" Tenten grumbled as she lowered the camera to where Ino and Sakura were in a heated conversation on the floor that it seemed everyone had been listening too.

"Hey!" she yelled, catching they're attention.

Instantly, Ino posed and Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino blew a kiss to the camera.

"Like I was saying—" Sakura continued.

She turned the camera a bit to where Shikamaru and Gaara sat with their legs up on the couch across from the other.

"So as you can see the guys have been living with us for a week now and it's been kinda hectic. But now we're kind of just relaxing I guess. Ino and Sakura won't shut up…like usual."

"Bitch!" the girls said in unison while the camera still focused on Shikamaru and Gaara who smirked.

"What's with you and video-taping everything?"

"It keeps the memories and helps pass time." She answered swiftly as she turned the camera around to Neji which whom she sat in front of, both on a chair.

He raised a brow at the camera and put his hand in front, blocking the image.

"Hey!" she whined, turning away.

"Hey what do you guys feel like doing?" Megami whined. "Boredom gives me rashes."

"I thought it was latex that gave you rashes." Hinata frowned.

"We don't talk about that!" Megami shot.

"It's still early, we could just do something later tonight." Ino waved her hand nonchalantly waving her hand.

"We have plans!" Naruto and Megami yelled.

"Like what?" Neji called from behind Tenten. "Neither of you have social lives outside of us and World of Warcraft."

The majority of them laughed as both half-twins blushed.

"Shut the hell up Hyuga!" they said at the same time.

"We might as well call it a day. It's been an annoying week." Shikamaru sighed.

Ino scoffed, "Oh like you've done anything productive besides sleep in the woods and every other godforsaken place."

The lot laughed again. Shikamaru rolled his eyes as Gaara nudged him.

"Alright, snack time." Tenten announced.

"I'm game!" Naruto chanted as the ten began talking over each other as they stood to head to the kitchen.

The screen went to black once more. But this time, it took almost a minute before the screen came on again.

"First day at Konoha high! Over and done!"

All four girls looked up to the camera as they sat in the kitchen in after school clothes. They looked at Tenten in confusion.

"Where did you get that?" Sakura asked.

"Isn't that dad's camera?" Megami questioned as she stuffed her mouth with cheezits from the box in her hand.

"He let me have it when we moved." Tenten explained from behind the camera. "Now! How did everyone like they're first day of school?"

Sakura and Megami shrugged.

"Well I thought it was fantastic! I was the best dressed of course!"

"I'm so sure." Tenten said blandly, issuing a middle finger from Ino.

"I thought it was okay." Hinata smiled as Tenten turned the camera to her left where she sat next to her while Sakura, Ino, and Megami sat across from them.

"It could have been better though."

"Of course it could have been!"

When Megami spoke Tenten turned the camera to her, "You know, if we hadn't had to deal with those first class a-holes."

"Those guys weren't so bad," Sakura shook her head. "We just have to get used to them, that's all."

"It was weird to see Neji-niisan there. I completely forgot he went to Konoha high…my father didn't say a word of it to me." Hinata spoke with her head down when Tenten quickly turned the camera to her.

"We can easily avoid them. It's not like we have to deal with these guys this year. Trust me," Tenten said, quickly turning the camera to herself then back around. "They're just gonna be faces in the hall."

The girls nodded and gave their individual agreements.

The boys couldn't help but smile.

How wrong they were.

How wrong they were about them being just five more faces. They became so much more than they ever thought they would be and vise versa.

They boys saw noticeable differences in the girls since the first day they came to Konoha high. Now, seven months later, both Hinata and Megami's hair had grown and Hinata had grown out her bangs. Sakura had cut hers and Ino had cut her bang some. Tenten no longer wore thick bands in her buns as well.

Hinata hardly wore long-sleeves anymore because she was no longer too shy to show too much of herself anymore.

Megami hardly wore baggy, tomboyish and hip-hop clothes anymore, which she usually did when they girls began going to Konoha high and navigated to more of a hipster type of style. Even her stupidity meter had somehow risen.

Sakura dressed less like a prep school girl as she had begun to do after the first day (which was more punk) and she had become more open around the guys.

Ino's style had amplified and she had begun to emphasize her love for fashion more. She dressed in more accessories and talked more highly of herself—not that she didn't before.

Tenten, who dressed more predominantly in skinny jeans and loose shirts developed more of a tight, slightly gothic clothing. She wore more girly things, even though they were darker colors.

The girls personalities had emphasized more and they'd quickly become open with the boys and the school, where as they tried to—and failed at—keeping to themselves.

It was quite some time before any of the boys spoke up when the DVD shut off at the last clip within it. All sat and thought about everything they had been through up until this point and how it had greatly affected their lives.

Christmas.

The field trip in Hokkaido.

Meeting each other's parents.

The return of Sasori and the others.

The dance competition.

The week they spent together.

Furyoka.

Kai.

Their parents.

Old relationships.

The trial.

The midnight break-up.

Everything. Individual and not, had brought the boys to one conclusion.

"I love her." Naruto said aloud.

"I love her." Neji repeated.

"I love her." Gaara followed.

"I love her." Sasuke said after.

"I love her…so god damn much…" Shikamaru finished.

"I love all of them." Naruto said, looking up to his best friends who finally realized that they couldn't fight it anymore. "We've said it to them plenty of times but I don't think we really understood how much until now."

"I can't imagine life without her." Neji followed to himself. "I want her by my side…I want to have this baby…I've let my pride run my life…now anymore…"

"I don't care about what happened with Sai," Shikamaru breathed to himself, "we can deal with that in the long run…I just want her back…"

"I have to do whatever it takes…I have to do whatever it takes to prove to her that she's a princess in my eyes…and that I have to be worthy of her…" Gaara slightly whispered to himself.

"I've been an idiot…" Naruto stated to himself. "I ruined something special. Something that could last forever…I let my frustrations get the better of me…now I have to make things right…"

"I've completely destroyed her…" Sasuke whispered to himself. "And I don't know how or if I can put the pieces back together…but I'll do whatever it takes…I'll prove to her that I love her…even if it takes an eternity…"

The boys looked at each other. Mentally they understood each other.

Never in their lives had they felt emptier, more lost, and lonelier, than they felt right now. But they knew for a fact that they needed to make things right.

But first things first, they had a Battle of the Bands to win.

(^A.H^)

Clawing through dirt and grime, the five crept low in the dark of the ground as they avoided the search lights that blazed. Just a few feet away sat the iron clad gates that kept them trapped in the gates of hell. Just a few feet away, they saw freedom.

Removing their bright orange uniforms and stealing clothing from the officers they beat to death proved a fruitful idea, on one person's part anyway.

A few of them couldn't help their heart rate and the sweat that ran down they're body when they thought about being caught.

But, then there were others. Others that thought nothing of being caught, or even freedom itself.

The only thing they had on their mind was how sweet vengeance would taste once they grasped it and just how much of it they would take.

They were ready. They and the five that stood waiting outside the walls proved ready to completely annihilate those who wronged them. No matter the consequences.

Just as they reached the breach of the gates that had been made ready for them, the alarms went off.

But, they were far too late. For before anyone could probably understand what was going on, they were gone.

(^A.H^)

It was not an exaggeration to say that the much of the world was energized the following day.

It was finally the day of the World Battle of the Bands, a highly televised and highly watched yearly show that would change the face of whoever won.

All day the event was televised as if it were the Olympics. People rooted for their countries group or even a group they simply liked whose music or culture wasn't related to their country. Celebrations and gatherings were held. Signs were made. Crowds gathered. All around the world media showed everyone's excitement for the show.

Twenty groups were entered. Fifteen groups were officially qualified. Ten would make it to the quarter-finals. Five would make it to the semi-finals. Three would make it finals. There would only be a first and second place.

Media surrounded the stadium where thousands who were lucky enough to buy (afford) a ticket, excitingly awaited entrance.

Omega stepped into the large backstage stadium at seven p.m., where they would have an hour to get changed, do mike checks, music, dancers, and to make sure everything overall was completely perfect.

As the boys and Itachi walked through the hype of everyone getting ready they examined their surroundings.

Sound and lighting people ran like wild chickens. A girl from a Swedish rock band complained in heavy Swedish profanity about having the wrong lipstick. A guy from an Italian alternative band stood having panic attacks about losing his 'priceless' guitar pick while a French (who nearly had no idea what he was saying) sound girl tried to interpret that she would find him another one.

They decided to stop by Delta's dressing room to wish them good luck before they began their work. Itachi headed onto the dressing room with his working tools, ushering them to hurry up.

When the boys walked in they found all members of Delta sitting down, unchanged and not preparing.

With them sat five girls.

All ten seemed relaxed as they sat and talked in the dressing room. When the door opened they all stopped and turned their attention to the boys.

"Hey! Would you look who it is!" Natsu smiled, Lisanna seated next to him in front of his mirror.

"We were just talking about you guys." Gray smiled, shirtless with Juvia on his knee.

"Good things?" Neji raised a brow.

Jellal shrugged, Erza situated confidently next to him. "Maybe."

"You guys remember the girls right?" Loke beamed towards Lucy who blushed.

"Stop it!" she nudged him, turning to Omega. "Hey guys, long time no see!"

"Hey Lucy," Naruto smiled. "Erza."

"A pleasure to see you again," she nodded to them.

"Juvia."

"Hello again," she smiled weakly as she pushed a strand of blue hair behind her ear.

"Ultear."

"Hello boys," she cooed, waving a gloved hand as she sat on Zeref's lap.

"Lisanna."

"Hi guys," she waved.

The boys knew the girlfriends of Delta very well. Like how they used to be with the girls, they were very close. They were more than boyfriends and girlfriends. They were all best friends.

"What are you doing? The show starts in an hour. Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Gaara asked.

"Aw, we've got time," Loke reassured, twirling Lucy's hair in one finger. "We just wanted to spend a little time with our girls before we go on. You know, for good luck."

"We almost didn't allow them to come. But then we thought," Jellal said. "It just wouldn't feel right if they weren't here with us."

"You guys are so sweet!" Lisanna giggled.

"What's with all this sappy lovey-dovey stuff. I don't get you guys." Natsu grimaced, his hands behind his head.

The lot laughed when Lisanna elbowed his chest.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"Don't worry. The boys made us make sure that we'll be rooting for you guys too. You need a female's charm." Erza smiled.

"What she means is, we're all equals here. We just want to wish you good luck." Zeref said.

"And as much as we know we're going to whip your asses out there," Natsu smirked. "We want you to your best. We're all representing Japan after all."

The boys nodded to them in respect.

"We just came to wish you guys good luck too." Shikamaru said. "But if don't want us to completely wipe the floor with you, you had better prepare yourselves."

"Yeah right!" Loke laughed. "We'll see about that!"

"So we will. We'd better go get ready ourselves. See you on the stage." Sasuke nodded as the boys turned to leave.

"Yo! Uzumaki!"

Naruto turned around, as well did the other boys at the sound of Natsu's voice.

With a dead serious expression, Natsu stood up and walked over to Naruto.

Blankly, the boys looked at each other as they stood, at the same height, completely face to face.

Suddenly, they both smiled at the same time when Natsu held up his right hand.

"When this is whole mess is over, let's go celebrate. Omega and Delta. No matter what."

Naruto lifted his right hand and clasped it with his.

"You got it, Dragneel."

(^A.H^)

"Welcome one and all! Yes! You know it! It's that time of year! Welcome to this year's Worldwide Battle of the Bands! Where there will be only one!"

The thousands in attendance cheered and millions watching in their homes or elsewhere cheered as the Battle of the Bands officially began.

Famous British actor and talk show host Jay Bishop would be hosting the Battle of the Bands. He stood black suited with a black bow tie and dark brown windswept hair.

"Tonight is a night of excitement! Fulfillment! And a night for some, to make their dreams come true! Tonight! Legends are made!—"

The groups stood listening as they all stood, lined up as they waited to be called where they would all come on for an introduction, then return back so the first group would go on.

A panel of judges stood in front of the stage but they were simply a formality. The real judges were the audiences and their votes and reactions would be recorded on a site to determine who was good enough to move onward, who was not popular, and who deserved to win.

As the boys patiently waited they easily ignored the flirtatious looks girls from different groups gave them. Something not usually done in the past.

As Jay drabbled on, Itachi stepped up to the boys to give one final look over before he allowed them to go on.

Neji and Sasuke rolled their eyes as he looked at them like a hawk. But, they were surprised when Itachi suddenly sighed.

"Alright you guys…your moments here. Your big moment. This is something you all have been working towards for years and now you can finally stand and say you made it to the Battle of the Bands…but…just remember…"

The boys looked at him in surprise. They hadn't expected him to give some kind of a speech.

"Just remember…no matter what happens, you're still an amazing band, and an amazing group of friends. You have heart, and a passion for music and a love for your fans. Sometimes that's just all you'll ever need. So…I want you to go out there and do your best, and no matter what anyone says, you're number one."

"Are you showing weakness in front of us Itachi?" Neji smirked.

"You're like little brothers to me…some of you are…"

Sasuke averted his eyes.

"It's my job to make sure you only have the best interests at heart…this isn't about winning…it's about proving you love what you do…"

"We're not in it to win. We just love what we do…we love to dance." Sakura shrugged as the girls nodded their agreements.

Somehow, the boys recalled the memory at the same time.

"Good luck out there." Itachi called as he backed up towards the other managers and backup dancers, just as the groups were called out for their introductions.

The boys nodded to him, Naruto even saluted, as they were the seventh to step out into the beaming lights and the cheering crowd.

Itachi hoped that the girls were watching. That they were secretly cheering the boys on no matter what may hinder their relationship. He knew the boys needed their support, and he hoped with all his heart that they could feel it.

When introductions were done, the Battle of the Bands was finally underway.

(^A.H^)

Forty-five minutes into the show, the boys barely crept back into their dressing room.

Each one of them was pale and had a dead silence with dark clouds looming over them like a disease.

It was bad.

It was just, the boys didn't know how bad it had been, but they knew it wasn't even quarter-final worthy.

They had sung 'One Minute Back' a song from their new album. It contained backup dancers, complicated dancing, heavy notes, and strong cues. On any other day the boys could have gone through it without a hitch, but they didn't realize just how much the pain of losing the girls would affect them.

They were so sure, with their expertise and professionalism they would be able to go through the song with confidence, but out there they became weak and long.

The song was sung, okay. The dancing was somewhat off and Neji didn't hit the note he was supposed to. Not the judges, and not much of the crowd was impressed they could surely see that.

"Okay…okay…yes sir…yes I understand…yes…yes…okay." Itachi blabbered annoyingly as he sat on the phone with a fuming Orochimaru who complained about all the work put in, only for the boys to look like amateurs on a song. Orochimaru hardly ever ranted to the boys because he saw them as his children. Itachi nodded obediently as he typed away on his laptop

But, whenever the record company saw fit to be angry, he did.

The boys could hear him from the phone but none of them would have it, they were sick to their stomachs. Even Delta was shocked to see their state, for they had gone and come off with a perfect performance.

The only chance they really had now of making it to the quarter-finals was the Special Talents section, where a group would have another chance to impress the crowd and gain brownie points by distributing one members ability to excel. May it be an instrument, singing, or dancing.

They already picked who would be going out.

When Itachi ended the call he sighed and turned around to the boys.

"Alright, I'm going to ignore everything that just happened out there for a moment. Naruto," he turned to the blond who sat with his head down.

"It's all on you. Orochimaru said he doesn't care if you guys win, but if you don't make it at least to the semi-finals you're fired."

"What?!" Neji demanded.

"I can understand that…that wasn't us out there…after the stunt we pulled I wouldn't keep us around after all this work…" Shikamaru grumbled.

"No pressure." Itachi said quickly. The six of them listened quietly to the sound of the announcer calling all Special Talents to the stage, as the preliminaries were complete.

"You're on Uzumaki," Neji breathed a shaky breath.

Naruto stood, cringing as he looked to his band mates.

"Just do your best Naruto. And for god-sake do not hold back." Sasuke ordered. "Show them all that you're our lead dancer for a reason."

Naruto looked to the boys. Sasuke never called him by his name unless he was absolutely serious.

He nodded to them with upmost confidence as he walked out of the dressing room with glistening eyes.

As he walked down with other Special Talents towards the stage once again he thought about what he needed to do, and how all the boys work rode on how he did in the next few minutes.

When he stepped into the light it's as if he went deaf.

He stood next to other Special Talents, including Natsu who was lead dancer just like him, but his Special Talent would be drums.

He blocked out Jay's words as he thought about the promises he made. The ones he made to Gidae and the ones he made to Hinata, before their entire mess.

He made a promise to himself when he cried on her corpse at the hospital, that he would win for her, and win he shall. Even if it wasn't the title, he would prove he was number one here, right now.

He blinked a couple times when Natsu nudged him. He finally realized the mike was on him and Jay waited along with thousands for him to answer his question that he had asked all fifteen who stood with him.

"My Special Talent?" he smiled sweetly.

"Dancing."

(^A.H^)

The young blond beamed when walked back into the dressing room twenty-minutes later, only to be grabbed and clutched by the boys.

The five laughed together and nudged the youngest members head as they congratulated him on a job well done. He had put them back on top.

His performance had blown the stadium away. He did the dance version (which he'd created and choreographed) of Sherlock, a song from a previous album. He was well deep into the song and acted as if no one was there. He simply danced and showed everyone just what kind of a person he truly was.

And that, won Omega the attention of the world.

"Hey, you're not out of the woods yet," Itachi smirked, nodding to them as Jay spoke, asking all fifteen groups to come on stage to announce who would advance onto the quarter-finals.

The boys smiled once more and Neji ruffled Naruto's hair as they nodded to Itachi.

They turned to the door and stepped out like all the other groups.

Itachi smiled at the door and sucked in a deep breath as he turned back to his laptop, still listening on the loudspeaker for Jay's announcements, waiting to (hopefully) hear the boy's name.

He was surprised though when he turned back and found a waiting Skype call.

With fourteen other groups, Omega stood on stage while Jay spoke about how well all fifteen did, but that only five could make it to the semi-finals.

Ten groups would be sent home. Ten dreams would be crushed.

For the first time in their lives, the boys felt doubt. And for the first time in their lives they crossed their fingers.

Slowly, Jay began saying the names of those who had made it to the quarter-finals, reading off a paper handed to him with the votes.

"Delta! Black and Blue! The Cardigans! A.D.P girls! And Omega!"

The crowd cheered as the boys nearly fell over themselves.

Out of fifteen amazing bands that were nearly just as famous as they were, and after the performance they pulled they still made it to the quarter-finals!

The boys knew they just barely made it with Naruto and of course support from home.

"Thank you all! But maybe next year!" Jay said apologetically as the ten groups began to walk off. Many silently mumbled how they were so much better than some other band or how this could have happened when they worked so hard.

"Ten remain ladies and gentlemen! Now we jump into the quarter finals!"

(^A.H^)

The boys kept serious expressions as they walked back to the dressing room. They congratulated Delta on coming first on their way back.

When Gaara closed the door behind himself when they stepped into the dressing room the boys did something they hadn't done since they were preteens.

They cheered. They screamed. They wolf-whistled. They danced, and jumped, and thanked the skies for giving them another chance to redeem themselves.

They hadn't returned to their dressing room since the end of the quarter finals, where they had done slightly better than they did in the preliminaries, but still not Omega worthy.

Nonetheless, they had come in fourth place and made it to the semi-finals.

They were being boys as they jumped around. Something, along the way of becoming a band, they had forgotten how to do.

They heard a sudden familiar snort that also sounded a little scratchy.

The boys seized their celebration and turned around. Only Itachi sat, staring at them in surprise and amusement with his laptop turned back around to face him on the table in front of him.

Clearly it wasn't him.

"Good job guys. I knew you had it in you. I hope that's enough for you to get your heads back on straight and really show everyone out there that you—"

"You heard that too right?" Shikamaru asked, interrupting him.

The boys nodded in agreement as they looked to Itachi in confusion.

He rolled his eyes, smiling to himself. "I'd better shut up. Even I don't think I can hold it back anymore…I believe…you have a few fans who'd like to say hi to you."

The boy's eyes widened when Itachi turned the laptop around to face them.

Their hearts restricted and or skipped a beat and their throats caught fire when the girls stared at them through a Skype call, beaming as they visibly sat in the living room.

Sakura sat in the middle with Hinata on her right and Megami on her left with Ino above her and Tenten above Hinata.

"Hey strangers." Sakura smiled.

(^A.H^)

The boys tripped over themselves when they rushed to the laptop. They pushed each other aside until all five of them finally stood facing the giggling girls they used to know. They tried to smooth over the scene the girls just saw but gave up and began shooting questions at them.

"What are you doing?!"

"Who called you?!"

"Was it Itachi?!"

"Are you girls watching us?!"

"You called!"

"Hey! Shut up a little would yeah?!" Tenten growled with an eye roll.

The boys silenced.

"We've got a bone to pick with you five!" Ino shot. "What the hell did we just watch out there?! That wasn't Omega! That may have been Omega six years ago but there's no way in hell that was Omega now! You know damn well you're better than that! I can't believe this I'm so offended! Haven't I taught you better! You're lucky Naruto helped you to the semi-finals—"

She was ranting, and Shikamaru absolutely loved it. He missed her rants, as much as it was weird to say, it was one of the best things about her. Damn he wanted to kiss her.

"Ino." Sakura said coldly.

"What?!"

"Shut up."

Ino huffed as Sakura sighed.

"I hope to hell you guys are prepared for the semi-finals because we don't want to see any of what we just saw. You're Omega. You're the top band in Japan. Start acting like it." Sakura said sternly.

Gaara stared at her. He couldn't see any hint of pain in her eyes. She seemed serious. As serious as she always was when she talked to the boys as if she were their manager.

"Naruto, you're a saving grace!" Hinata smiled.

His heart fell into his stomach acid.

She actually spoke to him without disgust.

Maybe…just maybe…the girls had the same recollection they had the night before.

"Not that you guys completely sucked!" Megami threw in. "I mean well…you kinda sucked but that completely!" she smiled dumbly as if it were a perfect correction.

Sasuke's heart clenched.

He missed that idiot smile with every fiber in his body.

"So do you twats understand us?" Tenten demanded. "We don't want to see any of that amateur shit out there. We can't call ourselves Alpha and Omega without Omega being Omega." She winked.

Neji sucked in his breath, daring himself to ask the question all five of the boys wanted to ask

"Wait…so…so…does this mean—"

The boys flinched when Jay's voice came on once again, announcing the beginning of the semi-finals. The boys still had to change and prepare with their backup dancers. Luckily they were second to last.

"So. Are you tools gonna go out there and give us all you've got?" Tenten asked again.

Neji crossed his arms, "not if you call us tools."

"Alright then, bitches." Tenten smirked. "Go out there do and do what you do best."

The boys smiled and nodded to them.

"We'll be watching you from here." Sakura explained. "Good luck out there."

And then the Skype call ended. And as if it were a dream, all five of the boys blinked.

"Did they…did they really just…?" Naruto willed himself to ask, only for the boys to nod.

"Well! You heard them! Get your asses in gear!" Itachi barked.

The boys looked to each other again and smirked.

Finally, they had their mojo back.

Omega was ready to step out to the world and kick ass, and they would do that with 'Hitchhiking.'

(^A.H^)

The boys patiently waited and listened for their name to be called as Delta walked off the stage, once again with the crowds utmost respect and admiration, something Omega would have to win.

"Yo! Omega!" Gray called

The boys looked to Delta who walked out, sweaty.

"You get out there and you make yourselves worthy of being called out rivals, got it?"

The boys smirked and nodded.

As their name was announced to come on their backup dancers made ready on stage.

The crowd awaited to see what the band that had barely made it had in store. All across the world fans of Omega's hearts raced as the lights cut.

They sat in moments of silence before music and bright lights flashed and the boys were on stage.

It was an upbeat song, and it had all the boys in sync within it. It was an easy start that got watchers excited.

The boys sang on cue, walking up and down the stage before the chorus hit and they were dancing.

The beat, singing, and dancing had the entire stadium in a frenzy as the song grew more and more hyped. The boys let their voices go and gave everything they had.

Cheers visibly grew louder when Naruto did a scissor kick in the air. Right after Neji gave a high note his entire soul. Next to him Shikamaru and Sasuke were back to back dancing and Gaara caught the note right after Neji.

Just like they had been for six years, Sasuke and Shikamaru were brothers when it came to they usually dueled rap section that carried the song.

Through the screams and cheers the boys gave the song their heart and soul to the point where, like Naruto, they forgot where they were and simply got into the music, leaving the choreographed dancing to the backup dancers as they sang and jumped across the stage until finally, the music seized.

By the time the song was over the stadium was chanting Omega.

The boys stood for a moment, simply absorbing the love thrown their way. Finally, breathing heavily, they waved as they walked off the stage.

Even Ray seemed impressed at their wild comeback when he came back on stage.

The boys couldn't help fast walking back to their dressing room. They silently thanked their hair and makeup (clothing) girls who stood congratulated them on a wonderful job as they stood out waiting to change the guys.

They opened and closed the door in a flash and looked to Itachi who watched Jay talk on the TV screen

"Now that is the Omega everyone knows." He smirked. "Can you believe your world fanbase increased by twenty percent in a matter of minutes? If you thought you guys were big before, wait until we get back to Japan."

"Did they call back?" Gaara shot, ignoring everything he just said, which was unusual for the boys other than Naruto, which whom it normally went in one ear and out the other.

Itachi popped a nerve, "It's like I don't even exist…"

He sighed, "No, they didn't. And look I know you guys really want to talk to them and your relying on the girls to motivate you but you have to learn to be strong without them. With that call they just did I think the girls have realized they still support you. You have to picture them at your sides or in that audience, especially when they're not with you."

Little to Itachi's knowledge, that's what they'd been doing since they walked out for 'Hitchhiking.'

He felt like he was in front of boy scouts. Itachi could barely recognize the out of character boys who stood in front of them.

Who would have thought?

Who would have thought that they'd each find someone who would change their lives for the better.

They listened as Jay called for the five groups return to announce the finalists.

"Alright ladies. Go out there and win this thing."

The boys, with an extra confidence boost, stepped out once again and walked into the light.

For the third time the boys listened to Jay talk about how well the contestants did, but now there would only be three who would have to give it their all in the finals to determine a final winner, and a second best winner.

They would have to perform a song they felt through their heart and soul, and that would truly capture the hearts of millions wanting.

Finally, an assistant handed Jay the voting results.

"And your three finalists are…!..."

He began to read off excitedly.

"Delta! Omega! And A.D.P girls!"

The crowd cheered once as for the first time that night the boys cockiness showed. They knew they had wowed the crowd and they knew they had truly showed them most of what Omega had to offer. Now they had come in second place to the finals (Delta would let them remember that) and were ready to give a show stopper.

It had been two and a half hours since the start of the show. From performances, breaks, announcements, shout outs, vote tallies, and world broadcasts of who countries were rooting for, it was finally time to see who would be the winners of the highly anticipated Battle of the Bands.

"This is it." Neji said aloud as they walked back to the dressing room to prepare for their final performance. "It's finally happening…"

The show was taking a ten minute break and when they returned Delta would be the first to go on, then A.D.P girls, then Omega. And then there would be five minutes of final voting until finally a winner would be selected.

Itachi said nothing as he typed away on his laptop. The boys readied themselves in silence, for this song did not call for heavy layered clothing and male makeup. It didn't call for dark clothes and aggressive beats, super high notes, taking their shirts off, advanced dancing and backup dancers, and overall domination.

The song was simply, them.

Shikamaru dressed in dark jeans with a green and white striped shirt along with a black wrist band on his right hand.

Gaara wore a dark purple shirt with white cargo pants and red and purple ankle length socks along with purple and white shoes.

Neji wore a yellow collar shirt with a single brown horizontal slit across the top chest. Along with that he stood in dark green jeans with dark green shoes and a light blue beanie.

Sasuke wore green and white plaid shorts with a navy blue shirt. Along with that he stood in red vans and a dark blue bowler hat.

Finally Naruto stood in a red shirt with white thin stripes, along with dark green shorts with a baseball cap that matched his shorts and tan shoes.

When the boys were all set, simple, and ready they headed out with their heads held high and their confidence raised.

Delta was all but surprised to see them when they stepped out just as Jay stepped back up to announce the beginning of the finals.

Delta was decked out in layered, fashionable, gig attire. Their backup dancers awaited behind them as the boys stood concert ready. While Omega looked as if they were going for a walk in the park. Though their clothing still spelled fashionable, it just didn't seem like the type of thing to be worm at a show such as this.

"Well, you guys do what you gotta do. We'll see you on the other side," Loke nodded to them.

The boys gave their wishes as Delta headed out when they're name was called. They would be doing a song from their latest album: One Shot.

It was a forceful song that like their other perfect performances, won them a lot of admiration.

The boys patiently waited for their turn as they listened Delta come in and off. As the A.D.P girls moved in they recalled what the aftermath of the show could be.

If they lost, who would they go home too?

If they won, who would they go home too?

Sure there was family, and friends, siblings, fans, ect.

But none of them meant anything if they didn't have the girls waiting for them back home with their arms spread wide and kisses ready. They hoped to god the girls call earlier meant they wanted to talk about things.

The next ten minutes felt like a blur and before they knew it, it was finally their turn to go on.

It was finally Omega's time.

"—And finally ladies and gentlemen! I give you OMEGA!"

The crowds cheers escalated as the lights cut and the boys stepped on and into their places.

The crowd was confused when the large screen began to turn on, the one previously used to show broadcasts and reactions of people round the world watching.

It flashed a couple times until it began to count down from five.

When one blinked away a girl with buns came on, she looked confused at the camera as she tried to fix it. When it was adjusted in seconds she smiled, standing a school uniform.

"Hello world! This is Alpha and Omega!"

Five beats came on, and for every beat a light flashed onto each of the members of Omega until finally, all the stage lights turned on and their dancing began as the video played behind them.

[Neji] When I see myself during these times
I feel that I really am young
Even with you in front of me
I don't know what to do

[Gaara] To the people who are in love
Please tell me how you started to love

"My name is Tenten Sento! And these are my best friends!" she navigated the camera across the girls.

[Naruto] Will the day I hold her hand ever come?

[Neji] Will the day I kiss her above her closed eyes also come?

"We call ourselves Alpha. It mostly kind of came because we're dating those losers."

[All] Hello, hello

[Shikamaru] I brought up the courage

She directed the camera onto Omega who sat on their living room couch, they narrowed their eyes at her.

"Excuse me?" Neji raised a brow.

[All] Hello, hello

[Gaara] I want to talk to you for a moment

[All] Hello, hello

Neji] I may be rushing a bit

[All] Who knows? We might

[Naruto] End up doing well

"She's got a point." Ino shrugged. "Stop video-taping everything unless your gonna film me buns!"

[Sasuke] Whether I should approach you
Or wait a little longer

[Neji] With everyone saying different things
Makes it much harder ([Gaara] You might not believe me)

"Can I hold the camera Tenten?!" Megami whined.

"Hell no."

"Sasuke, can I hold the camera?!" she pleaded.

[Shikamaru] She has higher standards than she seems

[Gaara] This kind of thing is uncommon for me
Please believe what I say

"Say hi Hinata!" Tenten called. Hinata turned to the camera and blushed.

"Please, Tenten, you know how I feel about being recorded…"

"I think you look beautiful on camera Hina!"

[Naruto] Will the day I casually hold her hand come?

[Gaara] I believe everything will turn out the way you think it will

[All] Hello, hello

[Neji] I brought up the courage

"Tell us what we're waiting for Sakura!" Tenten called as she pointed the camera to Sakura who read. She looked up to her and smiled.

"We're waiting for limo to get back so we can all go get ice cream."

"And the boredom continues until!" Tenten said dramatically.

"We could always ice you." Gaara said tonelessly.

[All] Hello, hello

[Shikamaru] I want to talk to you for a moment

"I hate sweets." Sasuke said boredly.

"You hate everything you prick." Neji said obviously.

He jumped when Sasuke threw a book at him.

[All] Hello, hello

[Naruto] I may be rushing a bit

[All] Who knows? We might

[Neji] Oh yeah! It's not my first time to be honest
I've loved and broken up before

[Gaara] But it's hard, please believe these words

"Wake up you boob!" Ino snarled, nudging Shikamaru which whom she'd come to sit next to.

"Ha! She said boob!" Megami called aloud as she bounced on Sasuke's lap.

"You're a boob." Sakura sighed, planting herself next to Gaara.

[Neji] You are different!

[All] Hello, hello

[Sasuke] I'll bet my all this time

[All] Hello, hello

[Shikamaru] Ooh yeah, baby baby baby girl

[All] Hello, hello

"Kiss cam!" Tenten announced as she pointed it on Naruto and Hinata. She blushed and turned away as Naruto chuckled and kissed her cheek.

[Neji] I don't know how you feel right now

[All] Who knows? We might

[All] Hello, hello
Hello, hello

"Limo's here!" Neji called.

"Come on boy band, let's race!" Ino demanded.

The boys rolled their eyes as Tenten followed the camera to the eight of them running out. Neji stood by her, smirking as he looked to the camera.

"You coming?"

She bobbed the camera as she turned it back to herself.

([Sasuke] Hello, the times I spent by your side
Can no more compare to any other happiness
I can't express myself to you
My heart wants all of you, never let you go
If this is love, I'll never let it go ([Gaara] )Please give me a chance!

[Neji] I don't know how you feel right now

[All] Who knows? Two of us

"This is Tenten for Alpha and Omega. We're in love!" She stuck her tongue out and winked.

"Signing out!"

[Gaara] Might be destiny…

[All] Hello! Hello!

Though the excited cheers and standing ovations were there, the boys were deaf to them. They had sun a song unlike they had done since they formed Omega so long ago.

It just them being them. Just the boys singing. They jumped around, messed with each other and sang a song no one had ever heard before out to the world.

Not Itachi, nor Orochimaru or Kabuto, nor the record company had ever heard it, and they were surprised to say the least, the boys looked good just being boys.

They walked backstage with their hearts clenching as they thought about the video that had added last minute. It was from Tenten's collection and it was simply Alpha and Omega being Alpha and Omega, which is all they ever wanted and all they wanted anyone to see.

When they returned to the dressing room they were surprised to find Itachi's laptop turned to them again, and the girls faces on the monitor once again.

They said nothing as they looked to the girls glistening eyes and their contorted faces as if they were about to cry their eyes out.

"Why…" Sakura finally said after a few moments of dead silence. "why did you do that…?"

"Because we don't' care if we win." Gaara answered. "We're going to do whatever it takes to prove to you girls that we're meant to be together."

"Oh god…" Megami groaned as she held her mouth and turned away from the camera.

Hinata and Ino whimpered as Tenten turned away and Sakura took a deep and shaky breath.

"You guys…we have to talk…"

"We know!" Naruto threw in. "We need to talk to you girls too! And we're going too! After they announce the winner!"

Tenten looked up, "No, we mean we have to talk n—"

All silenced when Jay's voice came on the loud speaker again, ordering the three groups to come on for the final moment.

"It's time for us to go," Neji explained. "But please keep watching."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Hinata reassured, though her voice cracked.

The boys nodded to them as they rushed out and back to the stage for the final time.

"I-Itachi…" Ino whimpered as they remained faced away from him.

He sighed.

"I…I already know…"

(^A.H^)

"Ladies and gentlemen. The moment has finally come…in my hand sits the results of this year's Battle of the Bands…and this year's winner." Jay Bishop spoke through the hush of the highly impatient crowd.

"We have had wonderful sets of groups this year, but it comes down to only one."

Omega stood next to Delta who stood next to the A.D.P girls.

Natsu and Naruto nodded to each other when they caught one another's eye. Neither group cared who won, they were just happy that they had made it this far in their first year in a world music competition.

"…So, I won't leave you wondering any longer, it is now time for me to announce who will leave Paris with victory in their hearts." He turned to the three groups, smiling kindly. "You have all been fantastic. But first, I will announce who will be eliminated."

Hearts raced as he opened the envelope and the boys thought back to when all they ever thought about in life was coming to Paris and winning the Battle of the Bands and proving they were better than everyone else.

Now they knew there was so much more to life. And they did not care if it was their names that will be called first.

"A.D.P girls! I'm sorry but you have been eliminated!"

A couple members of the all girl German rock band slumped, while two others shrugged, content and the last smiled.

The girls waved as the crowd cheered for them, stepping off the stage and leaving two groups.

Omega, and Delta.

Japan's most popular bands.

Both groups seemed calm as Jay explained that only two remained. The boys actually felt a bit annoyed as they wanted to hurry up the announcement so they could get back to the girls.

As Jay was handed another envelope millions worldwide stared at their TV's in their homes or in a restaurant or bar or in the street. The thousands in the stadium silently waited.

Naruto couldn't help closing his eyes as Jay opened the envelope and raised it up to emphasize the wait.

He pictured the girls on top of a hill. All five of them running up it in sundresses as the sun shined on their beauty.

They laughed distant laughs as they ran into each of the boy's arms. They twirled them around or kissed them as happiness danced on all ten of their faces.

Through every obstacle, every burden, all the pain and suffering of the past and the now, they still smiled and their love for each other shined in all their eyes.

Their love…

"—DELTA! Which makes this years Battle of the Bands winner OMEGA!"

Screams ran through the stadium as multi-colored confetti and balloons fell down to the boys who stood with surprise and smiling faces.

Delta clapped and laughed next to them as the boy's debut song 'Replay' played throughout the entire stadium.

All five of them could barely see anything through all the confetti but they did not care, the only thing they thought about was their girls that had watched them win the Battle of the Bands.

"Congratulations you bastards. But, don't read too much into this…we'll get you guys next year." Gray called as the music and cheers rained.

The boys were supposed to make a speech, but everyone was so caught up in the celebration they didn't even notice the boys escape without accepting their prize or anything.

They rushed back to the dressing room at lightning speed, only to find it vacant of Itachi.

But, his laptop sat there, and on the laptop the girls sat with weak smiles on their faces.

The boys rushed over to them as if they were facing them right at that moment.

"Would you look at that? The girly-boys actually managed to do it." Tenten smiled wickedly, though it did not necessarily reach her eyes.

"We have you to thank for that." Sasuke admitted.

"We didn't do anything." Sakura shrugged. "We promised you guys that no matter whatever happened to us we would always love and support you. You're family."

"So even after everything…?" Naruto said slowly.

"Even after everything." Hinata answered. "We'll always be Alpha and Omega no matter what we do or where we may go in life."

"So this means you're willing to talk about things?" Neji smirked.

The girl's eyes popped wide.

"That's perfect. We don't have to stay in Paris long, we'll be heading back tomorrow. So now we thought we could meet you girls at your house and—"

"Guys." Ino cut Shikamaru off, shocked at his ranting. He never ranted. She did.

They weren't being themselves.

"What are you talking about…?" she asked hesitantly.

"Us." Gaara answered, confused. "Us talking about things."

"Oh no, I knew this would happen…I told you!" Megami whispered as he eyes glistened again. She whimpered and covered her face as she moved away from the camera.

"We shouldn't have talked to them!"

When she moved the boys eyes widened at the various bags behind them.

The house looked raided, the only thing they could see where the couches and even they were pushed together.

"Hey…what…what's going on?" Naruto laughed nervously.

Sakura lifted her head. It seemed she would always be the strong one. The other girls looked at them, nearly ready to break.

"We…we won't be here when you guys get back to Konoha…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Neji demanded.

Finally, Sakura sniffled and a single tear ran down her left eye.

"We…we're leaving…we're leaving Konoha…we're going back home…and we're never coming back."

Merry-Go-Round. Chasing after your profile left only in my revolving dreams.

And with that I greet the morning.

The boys sat in a state of shock so strong they couldn't move a muscle. None of them dared too.

Ino and Hinata burst into tears next to Hinata as they looked to the expression on the boys face.

You said, "I never want to see your face again," when you left me.

But the tears on your cheek said different.

Every time you felt like you'd be swallowed up in the waves of contradiction, you always held back your tears, you know?

"What a strong person,"

they said, but everyone overestimated you, and before you knew it you lost sight of who you really are.

They willed themselves to say something, but the surprise forced their mouths shut.

"We're leaving tonight. We just wanted to support you guys until the end. Please remember that we're doing what's best for us, and we will always…always love you guys."

The sun that should be by your side

Shattered and lost its light

Erasing both truth and

lies from back then

Merry-Go-Round. Chasing after your profile in my revolving dreams. And with that I greet the morning.

You know I live far away from you

And even though I know better

My heart keeps

spinning just for you.

Almost like a Merry-Go-Round. And even though that

love praises the past

Stirring up my feelings

I still want to see you. I do not wish it right now

But I will try to avoid it.

The boys were dead silent. With one final look Sakura smiled weakly and cut the connection.

I am regretting

Ever having said it but I don't want to know anything. I was always searching for some deep emotion within you.

A mysterious secret of yours, Merry-Go-Round spinning in a world of dreams

The silhouette you left behind

Chases after the morning sun one more time

Someday I'll see a paradise

Looking back with love

So that is why I only want to find an opportunity to reunite us by chance, Merry-Go-Round

Spinning in a world of dreams

Merry-Go-Round

Spinning in a world of dreams

Merry-Go-Round

I'm still calling your name

The sun that should be by your side shattered and lost its light

Erasing both truth and

Not one of them spoke a word when the screen cut to black. Not one of them knew what to say.

But, they were sure Naruto spoke for the five of them when he threw his head back and burst into tears.

lies from back then Merry-Go-Round spinning in a world of dreams the silhouette you left behind chases after the morning sun the sun that should be by your side,

Reminiscing on the Merry-Go-Round

Spinning in a world of dreams…

Okay so I expected this to be my fastest update in three years since I got such amazing feedback from this. BUT THIS IS THE LONGEST TIME I'VE TAKEN TO UPDATE EVER AND I HATE MYSELF FOR IT BECAUSE I HATE LEAVING YOU GUYS IN CLIFFHANGERS.

But, I've got a lot on my plate and a lot of commitments so I hope this update was at least slightly worth the wait.

Two weeks left of school means I'm dedicating myself to a lot this summer and one of those things is definitely A.H.

Never.

Ever.

Expect an update this late again.

So anyway yeah, how do you guys feel about this.

I love being wicked.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR YOUR PROM KING AND QUEEN (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A COUPLE)

CHAPTER TITLE IN PROFILE!

NEXT CHAPTER: SERIES CLIMAX

SEE YOU SOON!

*Konoha to the Stars*