Here is another chapter guys! :D Please comment! It makes me really happy!

Sasuke groaned as he woke, his hair disarray. He sat up, bags visible under his dark eyes and long lashes. Forcefully removing the bulky covers from his legs, he turned, letting his legs hang over the side of his large bed. His hands moved to his face as he tried to rub the sleep from his face as he stood, his large feet shuffling against the dark blue carpet.

Yawing, he reached the bathroom just outside of his room when he stopped, a scowl quickly making its way to his handsome features. He turned the other way, but the sound of a voice caused him to freeze in his place.

"Is that anyway to greet your brother, Sasuke?" Sasuke felt his fists tighten as he grunted, continuing to move away from his brother. He couldn't stand to be near that God forsaken man. Not after what he had done. A pair of similar eyes watched the retreating back of the teen as he gave a sad sigh, before continuing to wash up and prepare for work.

Sasuke sat at the kitchen table after heating up a premade meal. (Eggs with tomatoes on the side is one of his favorite breakfast meals.) He kept his eye on the plate as he ate, his mind wandering between football to his brother to the next time he would be able to use his prized possession. He quickly finished his breakfast, jogging once more to his room, passing his brother on the staircase as the man quickly bellowed a goodbye, in which Sasuke refused to respond.

It was always like this; It was the daily routine for the two brothers every morning. Sasuke would ignore Itachi and hate every fiber in his being, while Itachi tried to hide the fact that he was slowly getting annoyed with Sasuke and his antics. Sasuke knew this. He simply shrugged it off as he put on a loose gray shirt that just reached his scarred wrists. He went into another drawer and pulled out dark jeans that looked washed out near the thigh. After being fully dressed, he grabbed his bag by the dresser and headed out the door, his eyes on the road ahead of him.

Sometimes Sasuke wondered if people knew of his secret, then they would just stop talking to him. He wished they would just ignore him, judge him, and rid him from their lives. He truly felt this way most of the time as he sat in class as the eyes of girls were on him. He could merely grunt as he tried to ignore the constant uneasiness of being watched, as they all secretly wished he would turn to them and simply smile. Sasuke kept his eyes on his paper, his body slouched against the back of his chair as he wrote down the notes on the board.

He began tapping his foot, his eyes darting from his paper to the front of the room as he repeated the process several times. His brain was constantly thinking, most of the time being about the same thing. He hadn't realized it, but whenever he thought of cutting, the girl with pink hair would snake his way into his mind, or vice versa. He couldn't help but reminice about the time he had met her, her eyes so lively and her blushing cheeks. The thought made him cringe. He moved his fingers to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it as if trying to rid both thoughts from his mind. It never actually worked, no matter how much he wished it did. He sighed, his hands moving to his arm by itself. He rubbed it, the fabric being the only thing standing in his way; a shield to the rest of the world. This shield was the only boundary that kept his secret from leaking out to the rest of the world. Not like it mattered much to him anyway.

His eyes moved towards the door as he thought of escaping this stupid class that he hated with a passion. Literature. He despised it. He never understood how authors could possibly create such useless and emotional characters. Symbolism, metaphors, the whole nine yards, they all seemed pointless. The only thing he enjoyed reading were things that held facts with supporting evidence. That was all he needed. The use of imagination made no sense to him as he couldn't even fathom how some people loved to read words on a page that held hidden meanings and clues. Totally pointless.

With a small shift of his weight, his eyes moved to the clock that moved around the small circle slowly. Time: his one true enemy in the world. He also hated time, for it never sided with him. He was constantly knocking heads with this useable force that continuously plagued him each passing day. Time to Uchiha Sasuke, is the one thing he can't control, can't touch, and can't avoid. It is unstoppable.

With the sound of a bell, he stood, taking no time to stretch as he ran through the crowd of girls that began to huddle around his desk.

Sakura stared at the papers aligned neatly on her desk in deep thought. She grunted, her eyes demonstrating her contemplating figure. Her foot tapped feverishly against the floor as she tried to find a way to make her father sign the papers. She knew he would never do it willingly, so trickery would be the only option. She cringed at the thought of being caught. If he found out she was trying to force his signature on him without his consent he would surely flip, and that would be the end of her. Sighing, she looked from the desk to her ceiling, waiting for an idea to magically appear.

The girl sat up shortly after, her eyes glued to her door. She moved from her bed towards her father's room, as if a sinister creature were awaiting her. She swallowed hard, entering his messy and alcohol scented domain. Her small nose scrunched at the smell as she moved towards his desk, her eyes travelling the numerous amounts of papers her had lying around. At the sight of one, she picked it up, glancing it over quickly as a smile formed on her face.

Grabbing a pen from a small cup that lay forgotten on the side of the desk, she clicked it, making the small ball point tip appear. She glanced from the paper from his desk towards the paper given to her from the pretty blonde woman. She began to copy it, biting her tongue in concentration as she began to forge his name on the small lines that were meant to be signed by a parent. She grinned as she finished, her eyes glancing over her work happily as she compared the two. She could hardly notice a difference.

Giggling, she moved from the room, forgetting about the stray piece of paper that now lay on the floor by the chair.

The girl couldn't wait to get to the school. She ran down the sidewalk, her rosette hair flying behind her as her emerald eyes were vibrant with delight. She was so happy, she could hardly contain it. She arrived at the familiar building, making her way into it. There was no sign of students; she figured they were in the middle of class since it was still particularly early. She knocked on the door of the office she was in the previous day as she waited for the woman, whom she found out was Shizune, to open the door so she could talk to the blonde woman, Tsunade. The door opened as the smiling face of the short haired woman could be seen, her dark brown eyes friendly and welcoming.

"Sakura-san! Nice to see you so soon! Come on in, Tsunade-sama can see you now."

Sakura nodded towards the woman, walking past her as she stepped aside, closing the door behind her. Sakura fidgeted with the papers in her hands as Tsunade looked up, greeting the young girl with a small smile, her hazel eyes looking fierce and keen.

"So, you've returned with all the papers filled out I see." Sakura nodded, handing them to her quickly as she bowed, waiting for her to speak once more. The woman looked them over as Sakura waited patiently. The woman moved to a large drawer behind her, remaining in her seat as she opened a drawer, pulling out a small manila folder. Sakura blinked in confusion, her jade eyes following the thin folder that the woman now held.

Opening it, she looked it over, her eyebrow rising as she glanced at Sakura.

"I asked for transcripts from your previous school. I didn't expect the last time you enrolled to be since elementary school." Sakura's breath hitched as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She had been caught. They knew her secret. They knew she wasn't highly educated, her chances of getting into the school now close to none.

She looked down, ashamed as she felt tears brim her lids, the woman across from her giving her a look of sympathy. She doesn't know the girl's predicament, but she figured that whatever it was, it prevented her from going to school for over three years. Sighing, she tossed the folder onto the desk, her hands holding her head as she coughed, causing Sakura to look at her in confusion.

"I'm going to have you take a test. It's a proficiency test. I want to see where I can put you…" The girl suddenly smiled as she nodded quickly, bowing gratefully.

"T-thank you, Tsunade-sama! I won't let you down, I promise!" Tsunade nodded as Sakura left quickly, closing the door behind her. She shook her head. She had to admit, she felt bad for the girl, and the board wasn't going to let this go easily. Konoha Academy was a very prestigious school, and having failures wasn't an option. Sure, some students received special treatment, but that was mostly the result of their wealthy parents and family ties. Shrugging it off, she began finishing her work.

Sasuke grunted as the red haired girl, who he just remembered was named Karin, came running towards him, her ruby eyes sparkling behind her black rimmed frames. She gave him a smirk, causing the man to cringe. There was something off about the girl. Sure, she was most likely intelligent, but she came off as a total buffoon. Rolling his eyes, he fiddled with the lock on his locker as she leaned against the locker beside him, watching him in interest.

He noticed how the girl seemed, how could he put it lightly. Boxy? Her body had hardly any curves, and if she did, they were hardly extenuated through her seductive clothing. It's not like they were completely revealing, but it wasn't his taste. She looked so fake, it hurt. He noticed the light red eyeshadow she adorned her eyes with today, as he noticed her drawing closer to him in small, fragmented steps. He rolled his eyes, his eyes focusing back on his locker in haste.

"So Sasuke, are you ready for football practice today? I may watch for a while. Do you mind?" She bit her lower lip, attempting to look seductive. Sasuke gave her a blank stare before his eyebrows furrowed, his head shaking a bit.

"I could really care less." That was the truth. The girl was getting on his nerves quickly, and the fact that she asked stupid questions in an attempt to flirt gave him a headache. The girl clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth as she shrugged off the comment, sending him a polite smile.

"Ok! I'll be cheering for you then!" Karin said as she giggled. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he finally opened his locker and removed the large duffle bag he managed to stuff in there. He then grabbed the necessary books, before slamming the locker closed, and locking it once more. Karin, all the while, kept her eyes down the hallway, her eyes never moving. Sasuke gave her a questioning look before shaking his head.

'What a weird girl…'

Slinging the bag over his shoulder he turned and froze in his spot.

Pink…

'Sakura?'

Karin sent her a glare from across the hall, remembering the girl as she had showed her where the game was taking place. What was she doing here?

Sasuke's breath hitched as he remained unmoving, his eyes following the last of the girl's figure as she skipped happily from the school and out the front doors with a carefree look upon her gentle features. He shook his head quickly, regaining his composure before running after her, his breath caught in his throat as he couldn't bring himself to shout her name. He grunted as he realized she was now out of the school gates walking down the sidewalk.

Shifting his bag on his shoulder, he frowned, a small sound of displeasure sounding past his lips. The red haired female glanced at him before walking next to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed him suspiciously.

"You know the girl?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow towards her, glaring at her before stuffing his free hand in his pocket, speaking before he walked away.

"That is none of your business."

-x-x-x-

"Yo Sasuke, over here man!"

Look. Look. Toss. Catch. Score.

A wide field was covered with men in identical uniforms, each portraying their own talent in football as they passed, tackled, sprinted, etc…

Sasuke and Naruto were practicing plays made for the quarter backs and receivers. Naruto was grinning like a fool as he ran back and forth, as if he were dodging people that stood in the way between him and the ball. Sasuke followed his movements easily, throwing the ball as he sent it flying in a perfect spiral towards Naruto, in which he caught it with ease. Naruto then proceeded to throw it on the ground, pretending he had just scored a touchdown. Sasuke shook his head, his obsidian eyes glaring at the boy from afar.

'Moron…'

Naruto turned, scratching his blonde hair as he laughed, his voice being heard from yards away. Sasuke shivered at a passing breeze, the sun overhead hitting his white skin as Sasuke groaned, shielding his eyes from the sun. Naruto was now near him, the football in hand as he slapped the shoulder pad on Sasuke.

"What are you a vampire, Teme? You don't like the sun? Geez, you really are goth." Sasuke glared at the teen, hitting his helmet, causing the blonde to cringe as a loud sound was caused from hitting the hard material. Sasuke ignored the pain in his hand as Naruto chuckled, knocking on the helmet. "I'm lucky to be wearing this, ne, Sasuke-teme?"

The said man merely rolled his eyes as he grabbed the football from the boy.

"Go long." Naruto laughed, his grin still wide and goofy as he ran, his head over his shoulder, waiting for the ball to be thrown. Sasuke backed up, doing small footwork with his feet before throwing it. Naruto gaped as he stopped running, the ball practically reaching the end zone- a place he was not near. Turning, Naruto frowned, stomping his foot on the ground in a childish manner.

"Hey! You didn't tell me that long!" Sasuke smirked and chuckled at the blondes comment, shrugging it off.

"You didn't ask."

-x-x-

Sasuke threw his clothing off his body, a scowl present on his face as he removed the garments roughly from his body. He always went to change early. He didn't want others to see his body, knowing the scars of his tormenting addiction would surely create a harsh and thick air between his teammates. Not to mention he only went to practice to keep an eye on his teammates. He couldn't afford to lose respect anyway. He was hardly worried of that, when he thought about it. Even if they knew about it, he didn't want to bother with the hassle and attention. The stares.

The large wooden door that acted as the entrance to the locker room opened as Sasuke quickly put on his gray shirt. He shifted his clothing, adjusting it so he was comfortable as he watched his blonde friend enter the room, his helmet off as he tossed the football on the floor next to his bag. Sasuke gave him a curious look as Naruto remained still, his face blank.

"We need to talk."

Sasuke felt his breath catch in his lungs, no air escaping through his frozen being. He didn't show it to Naruto, but he couldn't think, nor breathe. His throat was dry, and he was ready to throw up. Honestly. He was lucky he had such a large amount of pride. Otherwise, it would be strangely difficult not to hold back the gnawing pains in his abdomen.

He shrugged off Naruto's comment as he began to change his pants, his eyes diverting themselves from the blonde as he tried to preoccupy himself with his clothing, but only found himself trying to figure out how to put it on, his hands making him look like a fool.

Naruto watched from behind, raising an eyebrow towards him. He stepped closer, putting his hand on his shoulder in concern.

"What's wrong with you? Geez, you've been acting weird lately man, let me tell ya. I just wanted to tell you that Hinata and I are going on a date tonight." He punched his fist into the air, his vibrant eyes dancing dramatically. "I can't wait, Teme!" He chuckled, his eyes falling on Sasuke who was staring at him with an annoyed expression. He looked around in confusion, shrugging. "What?"

Shaking his head, Sasuke quickly threw on his coat, lifting up anything on the floor and placing it into his locker, and locking it feverishly. Naruto watched with a raised eyebrow, his tone suspicious.

"Are you sure you're okay man? You're starting to ma-"

"I said I'm fine Naruto. Learn to drop shit when I tell you to. If I say I'm fine, I mean it." He grunted as he finished, his bangs shading parts of his eyes as he blew them from his view. Naruto paused, blinking though hardly surprised by the reaction from the teen. This was something normal from him, and it was usually when he was being bothered by something. Only Sasuke could handle the dark menacing things that lied in his own heart. Naruto knew this concept well.

Naruto nodded a bit, waving a hand behind his head as he began to leave the locker room, his face towards the floor.

"Alright, Sasuke. I figured you were going through your man PMS" He smirked, trying to lighten the stiff air between the two. It hardly helped. Sighing, he continued. "See you at the game tomorrow." Sasuke didn't say anything as he sighed in defeat, his body leaning against a locker as he tried to wipe the sweat that he realized had accumulated to his upper forehead. It was a close call, he had to admit.

If he could pick one person to not tell his secret to, it would be Naruto. He knew the way it sounded; Sasuke is not able to tell his best friend about his addiction to cutting. He hated seeing his friend's worried face. He was the closest thing he had to a brother, and losing him to this wasn't deemed worth it.

He removed himself from the locker, his racing heart returning to its stable rhythm as he gathered his belongings and left, the need for blood soaking into his brain, as he itched for his bright razor blade.

I'm in too deep.

It's scarring my heart, my skin unharmed.

Help me find my sweet, sweet haven.

Before it's too late.

"Sakura?"

A pause. A subtle look.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

Silence.

"Thank you."

A loud slam made her stir from her bed, her eyes weary from sleep. She sat up groggily, her eyes becoming wide as the sleepiness she once felt was washed away, a look of fear entering her emerald hues. She sat and waited, her back stiff with fear as her eyes darted back and forth in the pitch black room, as if something were out to get her. She heard grumbling erupt from her father as he came up the short flight of stairs, passing her room without a care as he made his way to his own, slamming the door behind him.

She let out a sigh of relief as his door closed, finding she was able to relax as she heard him shuffling in his room. A sudden pause caught her by surprise as she listened carefully. Suddenly, she jumped, the door to her room slamming open as she hid beneath her covers. She had completely missed the fact that he had moved from his room to her own, her eyes beginning to water as she bit her lower lip.

"Sakura." His voice was hard and booming in her small room, the sound bouncing off her plain light green walls. She didn't respond as she sat up slightly, scared to look into the dark to see her father hovering closer to her. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice.

"Y-yes?" The sound of paper hitting wind caused her eyes to go wide. Had she left any school papers in his room? Was she really careless enough to make that kind of mistake?

His eyes looked menacing, his figure only a large, black shadow as light from the hallway shone past him, the outline of his built form being the only thing she could see. She swallowed hard once more as she tried to gather herself, her face still hiding behind her covers. She heard his footsteps draw closer, his large hand moving towards her long hair as he grabbed a fist full of the soft locks and raised her head to meet his dull blue eyes.

She couldn't help but whimper. She hated that no matter how mad her father was, his eyes still showed one emotion. Pain. It wasn't pain towards her and what he was doing to her, that she knew well. It was the pain of a broken heart. Of having to look at her. She looked just like her mother, and she knew that was the reason why he hated her with every fiber within him.

She reminded him of everything he had lost.

With his free hand, he held up a piece of his work, the document looking unfamiliar to the girl as her hands were trying desperately to loosen the man's grip on her hair. Her eyes forced themselves closed as she hissed, his hand shaking her hard, making her look towards the paper.

"You were in my room, you little shit. What were you trying to do, hm? Sabotage my work so I'm out of a job?" He let go of her hair, only to send a harsh slap to her right cheek. "You're disgusting. I provide you with shelter, food, a room, and you still have the nerve to try and take even more from me!" The girl cowered at his hands, his calloused palm slapping her across the other cheek, her face now positioned behind her, towards her pillow. Ah, how she hated being slapped. Holding her now stinging cheek, she only looked at him once, as he clicked his tongue on his pallet in obvious disgust.

She watched as he walked from her room, slamming the door behind him as he made his way to his own quarters, shutting it roughly behind him as well. The girl sat, staring at the aged door as she felt tears prick her eyelids, though never falling. She hated crying over him. Sighing, she let her head fall on the pillow, her eyes hallow as she tried to think of a world without pain.

She couldn't help but smile, her world becoming black, praying she would wake up in the morning.

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