Hi goise.

I'm back (for the most part). Here's an update.

Enjoy. :)

From My Cold Dead Hands

Battle Eleven: Progress

"Sanaku-san!"

It took a moment for Sasuke to realize he was being addressed, and he turned his head to see the pink-haired girl run up to him.

"Oh, Sakura-chan," he greeted with a smile, his persona ever in place. "Hello. Did you enjoy your other morning classes?"

"Oh yes!" She cooed, sitting next to him at the outside table as she opened up her lunch box. "They were enjoyable, but I wish I had them with you." Other girls he had attracted flocked to the table as well, and he could sense the (straight) boys in the courtyard scowling in disapproval.

He knew there was no way he could be perceived as a threat (he was too cute, too perfect for that), so he simply classified the looks as unworthy of his time and proceeded to ignore them.

For his persona though, he had no idea anyone was irritated at him. Why, he wouldn't dream of it. He was too innocent, too honest for that.

He had been at the high school for two days, and there still had been no sign of his target. The only one who truly peaked his interest (Sakura and her best friend Ino, while… interesting for high school girls, were not close to the top of his list) wasn't present, and Sasuke knew it was because he always took his lunch in an empty classroom inside.

Neji Hyuuga.

Over the past few days, Sasuke probably knew more about Neji Hyuuga than the other adolescent knew about himself. The white eyes were a genetic defect that ran in his family – the lack of pigment usually spelled out complete blindness at a very early age, but the clarity from the lack of pigment meant that (while he had it) his eyesight was sharp and missed absolutely nothing.

By the age of thirty, the great Neji Hyuuga was destined to live the rest of his life as a handicap, all because he had beautiful eyes.

Sasuke had to mentally smirk at the irony.

I have to admit, I'm glad that I will never have to suffer such a pitiful human flaw.

His master, Orochimaru, had made sure to engineer a perfect being. Millions of dollars, many years, and hundreds of lives went into the production of perfection, but it was well worth it.

At least, so far.

"Sanaku-san, are you hungry? I never see you eat anything. Do you want some of my bento?"

"Sanaku-san, please tell me how you get your hair so straight and shiny. It's so pretty!"

Neji Hyuuga belonged to a wealthy family specializing in banking and accounting industries. Many of his family members were responsible for keeping many of the companies in the area from going under due to the chronic recession. What was left of his family, at least.

For such a rare genetic disorder, it seemed like every single person in his family had it. His father died before his blindness manifested, his mother (from out of the family) didn't have it but still didn't manage to save her son from it. His uncle was blind, and so was his dead wife. Neji's younger female cousin was also doomed.

What a sad, sad family. No wonder he was so sour and bitter and-

"Sanaku-san?"

He blinked, coming out of the thoughts to look at Sakura as he realized he couldn't ignore her any longer without seeming rude.

And Sanaku was anything but rude.

"Hmm?" He replied curiously. Then he blinked and laughed. "Oh, no! Thank you." He smiled brightly at her. "I always eat a really big breakfast before I get here. My guardian insists on it." Before someone could ask about his family life, he stood and smiled at everyone. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and walk around and get to know the grounds a little more." Taking his bag, he swung it over his shoulder and waved at them as he walked away. "Enjoy your lunch ladies!"

A chorus of disappointed sighs and goodbyes met his ears, but he didn't acknowledge them as he crossed the courtyard and disappeared back inside the school.

He had no interest in parading around the school. He already had the entire blueprint of the area and history of the building saved into his memory, down to the average amount of windows in each room and which side of the cubed classrooms generally carried the most wall sockets.

No. He had one location in particular.

The chemistry lab.

Putting on his overly adorable curious face, he reached the door and opened it, letting the door swing in. And to his 'surprise'-

"Oh!"

Neji looked up in irritation from his book as the door swung shut behind Sanaku.

"Oh," he muttered in annoyance. "What do you want?"

Sanaku's eyebrows furrowed, and he nervously scratched at the clothing covering his right forearm.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he stammered. "I… I didn't realize anyone was in here."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Neji stated, turning his eyes back to his book. "It's lunch. All the classrooms are empty." His gaze flickered back to Sanaku in irked question. "So what're you doing here?"

Sanaku shrugged, looking away.

"Well… I haven't been able to check the chemistry labs yet," he offered as explanation. "I've read that this place has a really good science division, so I wanted to come and see an example of it." He gave Neji a cautious smile, and he slowly walked over to the table Neji was sitting at. "Is there a particular reason why you choose a chemistry lab to hide away in for the hour we have for lunch?"

Neji didn't answer – just shot him an angry look. Sanaku pouted.

"Wow," he commented, looking away from the brunette to the beakers and instruments that were out. "It's obvious that it certainly wasn't your charm that made you class president."

Ah. Now that wasn't particularly like the persona he had downloaded, but it seemed like the right thing to say, because instead of making Neji shut him out completely, it seemed to perk his interest.

"And you think you're more suitable?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned in his chair to look at Sanaku, who was drifting along the counters lined up at the walls, eying everything there. Sanaku raised his head and quirked his own eyebrow at Neji.

"Me? No," he replied, blushing lightly as he looked away, hands behind his back and bad placed on a table nearby. "I haven't been here nearly long enough. Besides, I think I would faint every time I tried to make a speech." Laughing, he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I'm not too good with public speaking."

Neji shrugged.

"I suppose that comes with being home-schooled all your life," he observed absentmindedly. Sanaku then realized that they were actually having a conversation. "It looks like you're adapting well though."

"Yes, I suppose," Sanaku replied, drifting back over to Neji. He smiled at the other male. "No fist fights or bruises yet. So far so good, right?"

Neji merely closed his eyes and shook his head, but Sanaku knew there was the barest hint of a smile at the corner of those lips.

Progress. It's being made.

"So, chemistry," Neji stated, glancing back at the open book in front of him before looking back up at Sanaku. "You like it then?"

"Oh, of course!" Sanaku replied, beaming. "It's one of my favorite subjects! I must admit, it's a quiet passion though." Blushing, he covered his face and looked away. Neji raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why is it so secret? And, if it's so secret, why are you telling me?"

Sanaku smiled brightly at him, pulling a chair from another table to sit next to Neji, but so that they could be face to face.

"Because I have a feeling you like the same things about chemistry that I do," he explained cheerfully. Then, behind sealed lips, he admitted, "I like blowing things up."

Neji stared at him in disbelief before actually chuckling.

"You?" He asked. "You like blowing things up?"

Sanaku shrugged.

"You know, tiny things," he replied. "Like balloons, and potassium, and tires…"

Neji shook his head in bemusement.

"Tires?" He reiterated. "It seems like your guardian really let you have free reign of the tool shed."

"For the most part, yeah," Sanaku agreed with a laugh. "But only if I did all my research first. He hated the idea of me getting hurt, but he knew the need to explore was just part of who I was."

"So you chose to explore things by blowing them up?" Neji asked. Sanaku nodded.

"Yes," he stated. "Just like you chose to enjoy yourself by hiding yourself away."

It was meant to be playful, and very like the persona, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say, because all light of the conversation vanished from Neji's eyes, and his lips pursed into a thin line. Sanaku's eyes widened-

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry-"

"I hope this chemistry lab is everything you hoped it would be," Neji snapped crisply, snapping his book closed and grabbing up his bag. Steely-eyed, he strode past Sanaku and out of the room. "Goodbye."

The door slammed behind him, and Sasuke was left standing there, fuming in both confusion and irritation.

Progress. It has been lost.

End Battle Eleven: Progress

Well, that's the next installment.

Hope you guys liked it!