Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Sad but true.**

It was starting to rain slightly as Naruto made his way across the grounds to the dean's office. One of his professors had requested that he take some papers to her. Apparently they weren't all that important or professor Iruka would have asked a more responsible student to complete the task.

Naruto glared at the murky clouds and made to pull his hood up but froze midway through the gesture as he heard a sound coming from the trees to his left. He listened closer and quickly discerned that it was a person crying.

Naruto made his way through the bushes surrounding the forest and found a girl about his age sitting on the ground with her back against a tree. She was curled in on herself and her body shook with her sobs. Naruto also noticed that her shirt, though reddish brown at first glance, had actually been white but was now stained with blood. The girl had many small cuts adorning nearly every inch of exposed skin and some rips in her tattered clothes revealed larger gashes that were still oozing blood.

"Holy shit! Are you ok?" Naruto said as he quickly crouched down next to the girl. She flinched violently at his voice and swift movements but once she realized he meant no harm, she eventually calmed down.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. Naruto scoffed loudly at her.

"Are you kidding me? You're practically bleeding out right in front of me! We've gotta get you to a hospital or something," Naruto stood as he spoke and offered the girl his hand.

"No! They'll find me if I go there. I can't let them find me," she said as she curled back into herself. She ignored Naruto's hand.

"Well at least let me take you to the nurse," said Naruto.

Naruto waited for the girl to decide but it didn't take her long. She took his hand but when she got to her feet she nearly fell. Naruto ended up carrying the girl to the nurse's station. He could deliver those papers later.

"Naruto! What happened? Who is this?" Shizune exclaimed as Naruto walked in with the strange, bloody girl.

"I found her like this around the edge of the grounds in the trees. She never did tell me her name," said Naruto as he placed the girl on one of the examining tables. The girl looked up at him when he mentioned not knowing her name and pulled him down to her level with surprising strength.

"My name is Shirasu. Okita Shirasu. Don't let them find me Naruto. I trust you. Please don't let them find me," she whispered.

"Shirasu, I promise I won't let anyone hurt you again. You can count on me," he said as he looked down at her. Looking past the grime on her face he could tell she was quite pretty. She had dark green eyes and a pale complexion with a light dusting of freckles around her nose and cheeks. She smiled gratefully at him with a set of pearly white teeth before letting go of his jacket.

"Naruto, I think you should leave. I need to dress her wounds and I can't do that while she has a shirt on. You can come back later to check on her if you like," said Shizune as she bustled around gathering all the things she would need to bandage Shirasu's numerous wounds.

"Sure thing Shizune-san," he said cheerily, then to Shirasu, "I'll come back. You'll be safe here. Try to get some sleep or something. You look like you could use a good nap," he said quietly and squeezed her hand gently before exiting the nurse's station.

Naruto shook his head as the cool air cleared his thoughts. He zipped his jacket up, pulled his hood up against the rain, and turned in the direction of the dean's office once more.

When he got there, Tsunade was asleep on her desk with an empty sake bottle precariously held in her limp hand. Naruto rolled his eyes at the spectacle and made his way into the large office.

"Hey! Granny! Wake up!" he said loudly to the snoring woman in front of him. She snorted loudly as she jerked into a sitting position, somehow managing to not drop the bottle she'd been holding.

"Naruto! You little shit, what the hell do you want?" Tsunade said grumpily.

"Professor Iruka sent me to give you these papers," Naruto said as he handed them to her across the desk. She snatched them away and Naruto smirked at her. He always managed to find it hilarious when Tsunade was pissy. Most normal people ran away in terror.

"Well, you did your job. What are you standing around for? Get out," said Tsunade as she waved Naruto away. He shrugged and left the room. He was debating telling her about Shirasu but at the last minute he decided Shizune could take on that task. Naruto wasn't in the mood to stress over it at the moment. Besides, he was anxious to see how she was doing. He had promised her that he would come back.

On his way back to the nurse's station he ran into Kito…literally.

"Naruto! Ugh, can you try to watch where you're going next time? Aw, man! Grass stains. These are my favorite pants!" said Kito as she examined the knees and back pockets of her jeans. She wasn't really paying much attention to Naruto anymore even though she was technically still talking to him.

"Sorry Kito. I'm just a little distracted is all. I just had an extremely weird half hour," he said as he looked at her with his apologetic face. Kito rolled her eyes at the look and indicated with her hands for him to continue.

"Well, I was on my way to Tsunade's office when I heard this girl crying in the forest around the outskirts of the grounds. Anyway, I found her and she was all bloody and cut up like she'd been in a bad fight. I took her to Shizune and told her I'd come back to check up on her. I was just on my way to do that," he finished with a shrug.

"What did she look like?" Kito said, now rapt with attention.

"She's really pale with freckles. Her eyes were really green. She looked like she could be a couple inches taller than you and she had brown hair. I remember, she's really pretty when she smiles," Naruto said as his eyes drifted away from Kito to stare off into space. Kito rolled her eyes again and snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention.

"Did she tell you her name?" she asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah. She said it was Shirasu. Okita Shirasu,"

"Is it okay if I come with you to see her? That name sounds kinda familiar," said Kito as she picked up her backpack.

"Yeah sure. Come on. You shouldn't be out in this weather anyway. I wouldn't want my little Kito-chan to catch cold," Naruto said sweetly as he draped a warm arm around Kito's shoulder. Kito scoffed lightly and smiled at the cheesy flirting.

As they made their way across the lawn, Kito asked Naruto a few more questions about the strange girl Shirasu.

"What did her wounds look like? Obviously she'd been bleeding a lot but did they look like knife wounds or just scratches like she'd fallen or something?" Kito inquired as they walked together. Naruto appeared to look thoughtful for a moment before answering.

"Now that I think about it, she had a lot of both. It looked like she'd been sliced open a few times and most of the smaller wounds looked like scratches from thorns or branches, like she'd been tearing through some rough woods for awhile." Kito nodded as she listened.

Naruto held the door to the nurse's station open for Kito but then nearly ran into her when she froze in the doorway.

"Whoa Kito what's up? Why'd you stop?" Naruto walked around to face Kito but even when he was right in front of her, she ignored him completely. Her eyes were totally fixed on the sleeping girl inside.

"Okita," she said slowly.

Thanks for reading. If you get a chance, check out the companion to this story written by my best friend Protector of the Pharaoh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **

A/N: I started this story as a Naruto/OC but that changed pretty quickly after the first few pages. It's actually a slash fic now. There are a couple of slash pairings so if you're not a fan then I apologize for not putting a warning in the first chapter even though I didn't know myself at the time. :P

"Wait a minute, you know her?" Naruto exclaimed as he turned to face the sleeping figure. His loud voice woke the sleeping girl and she sat up swiftly, eyes wide.

When Shirasu spotted Kito in the doorway, she leapt off the cot she'd been lying in and crossed the room in three long strides. But she didn't stop in front of Kito as Naruto had expected her to do. Instead she practically launched herself at Kito and tackled the girl to the ground outside the door.

Naruto let out a little yelp of surprise as he watched Shirasu hit Kito in the face, leaving a large red welt on her left cheek. But Kito wasn't done by a long shot. She plunged her knee into Shirasu's stomach causing the girl to roll off into the grass gasping. Kito was up in a flash and preparing to kick her in the ribs when Naruto finally intervened.

He grabbed Kito around the middle and pulled her away from Shirasu, who was still trying to catch her breath.

"What the hell's the matter with you? Kito stop it! You'll kill her if you keep this up!" Naruto was struggling to keep Kito in his grasp.

"That's the idea!" Kito said savagely as she continued to thrash around in an attempt to escape Naruto's embrace.

Shirasu had rolled over onto her stomach and was coughing violently into the grass. Her teeth were pink from blood she'd coughed up. She finally lifted herself up into a sitting position and wiped her mouth on her sleeve after spitting a mouthful of blood onto the grass.

Kito quit struggling but Naruto wasn't ready to let her go just yet. Shirasu then got up and stumbled a bit before standing up straight and locking eyes with Kito once more.

"That looks painful," she said in a low voice, indicating Kito's swollen cheek. Her voice was menacing and calm at the same time. Naruto suppressed a chill.

Kito smirked and scoffed lightly, "I've had worse," she said. Naruto was surprised to hear the same menacing calm. "Naruto, you can let me go now," she said. This time Naruto did shudder as he released Kito.

"So, you enrolled in college huh? How's that working out for you?" said Shirasu as she wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

"It's great. Took some getting used to, but I enjoy it," Kito said as she slowly crossed the space between them, putting herself in a more advantageous position should Shirasu decide to attack her again. Shirasu, likewise, shifted her position slightly.

"Funny. You never seemed like the type to settle down to me. What changed your mind? Did you get tired of betraying your friends?" Shirasu's tone escalated a tiny bit. Kito's mouth became a hard line.

"I didn't betray you Okita. You're story got a little twisted somewhere if you think that's what happened," Kito said in a low voice, "From my point of view, you're the one that did the betraying."

A bell rang signaling a class was released. The sound drew the two girls out of their conversation. Kito realized Naruto was beside himself. His blue eyes were wide and kept flashing from Kito to Shirasu.

Kito sighed and looked back to Shirasu, "Okita, let's call a truce for today. Naruto over here is about to hyperventilate," she said, indicating Naruto's stricken expression.

Shirasu glanced at Naruto and nodded silently. She then acquiesced to follow Kito back to her dorm, Naruto trailing behind them, still nervous about what exactly he was getting himself into.

Kito reached into her back pocket and pulled a key out, which she then used to unlock her dorm. Once Naruto and Shirasu were in the tiny room she made to close the door but someone put their foot in the way, stopping the door.

"Kito," said a warm baritone voice. Kito froze when she heard the voice and without turning, opened the door again.

"Hello Gaara," she said with a hint of nervousness. She turned when she heard light footsteps behind her as Gaara entered the tiny dorm.

When she looked up at him, she could see the tiniest flash of surprise and anger cross his face when he took in the sight of her bruised cheek.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. Kito looked down as she answered. It was hard for her to lie to Gaara.

"I was playing volley ball earlier. The ball hit me in the face. Is it that bad?" she looked back up.

Gaara didn't say anything. He merely brushed Kito's injured cheek lightly with his right hand. Kito blinked once and the hand was gone.

"Gaara!" someone shouted from the hall. Kito jumped at the noise and Gaara closed his eyes in what could be perceived as annoyance.

"Put some ice on that," said Gaara before simply walking out of the room and into the hall. Kito could hear quiet nagging from Yoshi, the girl who'd yelled at Gaara, as she closed the door all the way.

"Hey, Kito was that Gaara?" said Naruto as he came up behind Kito.

"Yeah. He and his girlfriend just left," she said, her voice flat.

"Aw, Kito. Don't you worry. One day he'll wise up and dump that whore and then he'll be all yours," said Naruto as he placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Kito nodded and closed the door.

"Where's Okita?"

"Oh, she passed out on the couch. She's still pretty banged up and I think Shizune gave her some pain medicine so that probably made her kinda tired. She just sorta slumped over so I laid her on the couch," Naruto indicated the sleeping Shirasu with his thumb. Kito sighed and made her way to the living room to plop down into a chair.

"Have a seat Naruto. I've got a lot to explain and I'm hoping I can finish before she wakes up. I want you to understand why I acted the way I did today," Kito was looking at Naruto with clear eyes and Naruto was rapt with attention.

"See Shirasu's older brother was a very good friend of mine. He actually put the idea of college in my head in the first place. He was trying to help me get out of a bad gang situation. Shirasu was part of the same gang. We were very close, Shirasu and me. We were very stubborn too. Takumi wanted us to get out of that gang very badly and he tried nearly everything. He finally got to me with music. He got me into taking lessons for the violin and from then on that's all I wanted to do every day was play that damn violin. Nearly drove him nuts.

"One day, he was walking me home from one of my lessons when we ran into the gang in an alley. They were waiting for us there. It was the first time I'd seen any of them in over a month. I'd been so consumed with the violin lessons; I'd pushed everything else from my mind. Naturally, they were upset that I'd been gone so long. Takumi was always very protective. He…he started to defend me and…and the leader shot him in the head.

"I nearly lost my mind then. I tried to kill all of them with my bare hands. Broke my violin case over the head of one of them. They beat me until I could barely stand and left us there.

"You see the only other person who knew where we would be at that moment was Shirasu. She caved and told them where we'd be. She betrayed me and her brother. That's why I hate her. That is why she deserves to die," Kito wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Wow. That's an awful story," Naruto said sadly. His clear blue eyes were clouded by unshed tears.

Kito's eyes drifted to the couch where Shirasu still lay sleeping. Naruto could feel the anger radiating from Kito's skin, it was so tangible.

After a while, Naruto decided he couldn't stand Kito's angry glare anymore. He made a small noise in the back of his throat causing Kito to resurface from the deep hate she'd lost herself in.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I wish you'd never found her there. She'd be just a corps by now instead of a nuisance," Naruto could tell Kito was entirely serious about this.

"Kito, knowing what I know now, I still would have saved her. Everyone deserves a second chance," Naruto made to place a hand on her shoulder which she shrugged off.

"I think I'm gonna go get something to eat. If she wakes up before I get back, take her somewhere else. I don't think I'll feel like dealing with her today," Kito said as she grabbed a jacket from the back of a chair. Naruto winced slightly as the door slammed.

The loud noise from the door made Shirasu's eyes snap open and before Naruto could blink, she had him in a painful blood choke.

"You stay away from my brother," she whispered.

Naruto's limbs were growing heavy and he was seeing spots before he finally tapped Shirasu's arm. She blinked a few times and released Naruto with a horrified gasp. Naruto put his head down between his knees to get the blood flowing back to his brain. From this position he could see Shirasu slumped on the floor, tears oozing out from both eyes. He quickly turned and knelt beside her. Without any hesitation, she climbed into Naruto's lap and wrapped herself around him. He patted her hair as she sobbed into his shirt.

When she was quiet, Naruto pulled back to look at her face. It was red and puffy which he found adorable for some reason and so he couldn't help but smile at her. Suddenly, something clicked in his head and he looked away, focusing on nothing.

"I don't think you betrayed your brother and Kito the way she said you did. I think she made a mistake," he said as he focused on her face again.

"She's made lots of mistakes, but haven't we all?" Shirasu's malicious tone was barely discernable. Naruto appeared thoughtful again.

"Tell me your half," he said. "I want to know why you hate Kito. I have a feeling that a lack of communication is what caused all these problems from the start," he was smiling again.

"It's easy to see why she would have cause to hate me. I don't really have a reason, but I'll tell you my half if it will make things clearer for you.

"The night my brother died, some boys from the gang were talking about Kito. They all wanted to know why she never hung out with us anymore. I told them she was getting her life straight. That she wanted to go to college and make something of herself. Some of them laughed, but Matsu got really serious. He kept asking me what she was studying and why she didn't bother to say goodbye.

"I told them she would have, but she was so busy she barely had time to sleep. Matsu said he wanted to give her a good sendoff. Told me to tell them where she was right then. I said I didn't know, but I've always been a bad liar. Matsu got so upset he hit me. He never tolerated dishonesty among members.

"I still didn't wanna tell him were Kito was. I had a bad feeling about it. But eventually I caved. I told myself he wouldn't hurt her that he just wanted to take care of his own. I even planned to follow them so maybe I could help her out if they got rough," a small sob shook her frame as she spoke.

"I was about seven blocks behind them when I heard the shot. I ran as fast as I could but when I got there, everyone was gone. I saw Takumi, but at first I didn't know it was him. Then I saw the hat he always wore. I remember I always hated that hat. It was so old and dirty.

"I was so confused. Why did they kill Takumi? Why the fuck was he even there? I also found Kito's violin case. It was all smashed up, but she wasn't there. I put things together in my head pretty fast then. I figured Takumi was walking her home this time, and that he was being chivalrous. Matsu took him out of the picture. They'd never met him before. They didn't know he was even related to me.

"If she had just been a little more consciences and taken her beating, then Takumi would be alive today. I admit, I should have been brave too. If I'd stuck to my guns none of this would have happened. But it did. Everything got completely fucked because I'm a bad liar and Kito had a dream, and…and Takumi was a good person. That's why it's all fucked!"

Shirasu was sobbing uncontrollably by this point. Naruto felt like he was the only thing holding her together.

"So you don't really blame Kito for your brother's death?" Shirasu shook her head. "Then why did you attack her today?"

"She never came back. She didn't even come to Takumi's funeral. This is the first time I've seen her in over three years. I had to get out of that gang the hard way. She walked away with a few bruises and a broken violin. I had to bleed for those monsters that killed my brother. I tried to make them think they killed me. They cut me up so bad I passed out from blood loss, so they dumped me in the woods about six miles from here. I woke up there yesterday,"

"So you ran six miles with all those cuts? Man. That sounds rough," Naruto let out a low whistle.

"But you saved my life," she smiled at him. Naruto smiled back.

Shirasu was leaning forward, and before Naruto could really perceive what was happening, her lips were on his.

It was nice, warm and comforting, and it didn't progress. For some reason, Naruto felt that Shirasu knew he wasn't interested. It was just her way of thanking him.

When it was over, both of them smiled as Naruto helped Shirasu up.

"I think you need to try and straighten things out with Kito. I think it would help if you had her on your side. Someone who knew your brother like you did and who really understood what it was like to loose him," said Naruto as he took her hand and lead her to the door.

"You're right. Maybe she can forgive me, even if I don't deserve it. I can see now why she wouldn't come back for me if she knew I'd told Matsu where she was,"

"Judgment becomes clouded when you're upset," Naruto said trying to imitate a wise man's voice.

Shirasu laughed and the sound warmed both of them to the core as they made their way to the cafeteria.

**Hope you enjoyed this last little chappy :) Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Naruto. Sad day.**

Kito spotted Naruto entering the cafeteria with Shirasu in tow and made her way out to the grounds to finish her sandwich.

She'd just settled down on a bench under a tree when a warm baritone voice made her jump nearly out of her skin.

"Why don't you eat with Naruto?" it said silkily. Kito caught the curiosity in it.

"He's with someone I don't like," she said.

"You would prefer to eat alone?" it didn't sound like much of a question.

"No, I like eating with someone. It's nice to chat over lunch," she said while absently picking at the crust on her bread.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" the voice was closer this time and a shadow was blocking the sun.

She looked up at Gaara and blushed. The sun was behind him and his silhouetted form was swathing her in its shadow.

"Uh, sure. Have a seat," she said slowly indicating the empty spot on the bench next to her. When he moved to sit down, the sun momentarily blinded Kito.

He regarded her quietly as she took another bite from her sandwich. She noticed him regarding her and stopped mid chew, a questioning look on her face.

He wasn't sure why she was giving him such a strange look so he continued to stare in order to try and figure it out. Kito finally blinked a few times, swallowed her food, and cleared her throat.

"Um, is something wrong?" she asked.

"No,"

"Well, is there a reason you're staring at me like that?"

"No,"

"Oh, well could you maybe stop?"

"Why?"

Kito laughed awkwardly then coughed to cover it up.

"I just don't like it when people stare at me while I'm eating," she said slowly. She looked away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Gaara looked ahead of him. He wasn't really sure what to do now.

"I'm sorry," he said after a beat.

"It's ok," Kito said smiling. He looked at her again and caught her smiling for a moment before it faded and she looked away again. She took another bite.

"You're very pretty when you smile," Kito choked on her last bite, "Are you alright?" Gaara was patting her on the back. She was still coughing a bit but it passed soon enough. Gaara let his hand linger on her back somewhere in the middle. Kito could feel his warm fingers through her shirt and she blushed again at the contact.

"Gaara!"

Kito saw Gaara's eyes narrow slightly at the sound of Yoshi calling for him.

"Does she ever leave you alone?" Kito questioned. She barely succeeded in keeping her voice from wavering as she felt Gaara's hand slide from her back.

"Only when she doesn't know where I am," Gaara replied. Kito looked at him for a moment. She was about to ask why he was even with her when Yoshi finally reached their spot.

"Gaara, why are you out here with her? You told me you just needed some air! Are you cheating on me? This is all her fault! She's always stealing you away from me! Bitch, get away from my boyfriend!" Yoshi pulled Kito off the bench by the front of her shirt and threw her to the grass. Kito rolled swiftly to her feet and straightened her shirt.

"Don't ever touch me again," she said menacingly. Yoshi made to take a step closer to Kito when Gaara interceded.

"Yoshi, that's enough," his voice was low but hard and it caused both Yoshi and Kito to look over at him.

"Kito," he said his voice more normal this time. She looked at him in anticipation of his words. "See you around."

She nodded and threw away her half eaten dinner. When she passed Yoshi, the vindictive girl tried to hit her with her shoulder, but Kito dodged it at the last second causing Yoshi to fall forward.

When she was out of their line of sight, Kito ran all the way back to her dorm and locked the door behind her. She was close to tears when someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Sasuke. Where's Naruto?" came a low demanding voice from the hall.

"He's not here," she said.

"I don't believe you. Let me in," said Sasuke in an annoyed tone.

Kito groaned loudly and opened the door to a tall raven haired boy with pale skin and black eyes.

"I told you he's not here. Now go away," she made to close the door but Sasuke stopped it with his foot and slipped inside.

"I will wait here until he gets back," he said seriously. Kito rolled her eyes at him and closed the door.

"Fine. That may be awhile, so make yourself at home if you haven't already," she said from the tiny kitchen area. She was making some cereal to make up for her ruined supper. She didn't notice Sasuke make his way to the living room to sit on the couch. She was deliberately ignoring him.

The door opened suddenly and Naruto could be seen tugging Shirasu through the door much against her will it seemed.

"Naruto, I don't want to talk to her right now! I know you said we should work things out but I'm just not ready to…" Shirasu's words stopped slowly as she noticed two things. One: Kito was home and looking at her like she was a bug to be squashed and Two: there was an extremely gorgeous black haired boy sitting on the couch who looked if possible, both pleased and disgusted at the same time.

"Teme!" Naruto shouted and ran across the room. He leapt onto the couch and tackled Sasuke in a bone crushing hug.

To his credit, Sasuke never let his stoic demeanor slip. He hugged Naruto back but it looked forced.

Kito was standing next to Shirasu watching the two boys wrestle each other. Naruto was trying to hug Sasuke and Sasuke was barely managing to dodge Naruto's affections.

"Are they an item?" Shirasu asked quietly. Kito nodded with a slightly disgusted look on her face. "You don't like that do you?" Kito shook her head. "Why not?"

"Naruto could do so much better. He deserves better," she said almost to herself. Shirasu looked back and saw Naruto kiss Sasuke sweetly and couldn't stop the slight roll of jealousy that followed. She couldn't tell if it was jealousy for Naruto or Sasuke, but she knew she'd need to find out soon or it would drive her insane.

Shirasu saw Kito get something from a cabinet in the kitchen from her peripheral. When she returned she noticed it was a package of mini muffins. She watched as Kito took a muffin and instead of eating it, pegged Sasuke in the back of the head with it. He pulled away from Naruto and looked at the muffin with distain.

"Hey, quit making out with my friend on my couch!" Kito said with halfhearted anger. Sasuke gave her a loathsome look and continued to kiss Naruto with more purpose this time.

Naruto pulled away with a confused and almost hurt look on his face.

"Teme are you just kissing me to make Kito angry?"

"Shut up Dobe,"

"No, I wanna know! Are you using me to make her upset?" Naruto was on his feet now. Sasuke looked positively livid.

"I'm leaving, and you're coming with me," he said as he stood up and practically dragged Naruto from the small dorm.

"Bye Naruto," Kito said to no one in particular. Naruto was already out of ear shot.

Shirasu felt a great and overwhelming sense of awkwardness flood the room. She soon realized that the only reason she'd felt at all comfortable with Kito was because Naruto had been there. He kept things under control.

What would they do now that he was gone? Would they kill each other like planned or…what?

"You want anything?" Kito said from the kitchen. She was pouring orange juice into a glass already half full of what looked like vodka. Shirasu blinked a few times at the casual offer.

"I'll have what you're having," she said as she tentatively made her way into the kitchen.

Kito mixed up another screwdriver and handed it to Shirasu.

"Cheers," Kito said and drained her glass. Shirasu followed suit and made a face as the alcohol burned slightly.

"So, are we going to talk about all our problems and work through everything until we're friends again?" Shirasu said as she placed her empty glass next to Kito's who was refilling them.

"Na, I figure if we get smashed then the whole thing will work itself out," Kito said as she sipped on her second screwdriver.

"Hm, that makes sense," Shirasu said dryly, following Kito's example once again.

"It's more fun that way too," Kito said with a small half smile.

"Cheers," Shirasu said, sharing the grin with her.

They touched their glasses together and polished their drinks so they could make room for more.

Twenty minutes later, both girls had moved to the living room and were drinking straight vodka. They'd run out of orange juice.

"So you think I sold Takumi out on purpose? Man, that's some heavy shit. No wonder you hate my fuckin' guts!" Shirasu slurred as she refilled her glass once again.

"What else was I supposed to think? You're the only one who knew where we were!" Kito said her speech much clearer than the other girl's.

Shirasu laughed sardonically and took another swig from her glass before answering.

"I thought Matsu was just gonna give you a sendoff! I didn't even know Takumi was there! Hell, I didn't even know Matsu was packin' that night!" Shirasu was slowly sliding out of her seat with each sentence. Kito however, had gone very still. Then, very slowly, she smiled.

"Matsu was always packing," she said quietly, causing Shirasu to stop and stare at Kito with wide eyes.

The moment they made eye contact, both girls burst into a raging fit of laughter at the old inside joke about their gang leader. It was as if Takumi had died of natural causes and everything standing between them had evaporated. There was no more hate or confusion. They were friends again.

"Hey, let's get out of here. I know a little place within walking distance were we can get really sloshed," Kito said as she stood up. Shirasu was suddenly on her feet as well looking less drunk and more ecstatic than Kito had ever seen her.

"Hell yes I say," she said through a lopsided grin. Kito mirrored the smile and grabbed a jacket while tossing another to Shirasu who dodged it, not knowing what it was at first, and then picked it up with a sheepish laugh.

When both girls entered the little bar/club scene there was a slight uproar from one of the tables on the edge of the dance floor.

"Oh, I didn't know my posse would be here," Kito said through a light blush and a big grin. "Come on, I wanna introduce you," she said and Shirasu found herself flying across the room towards the half full table where four college students sat surrounded by glasses both empty and full.

"You have a posse?" Shirasu managed to gasp out.

"Well technically they're Naruto's posse but I take ownership when he's not around," Kito said seriously. Shirasu knew she was joking, however, because the corners of her mouth would twitch now and again like she was hiding a smile.

"Hey guys!" Kito said loudly, "This is Okita! She's new here but she's an old friend of mine so be nice!" Kito was positively beaming until she caught sight of a man at the bar with dark red hair and a kanji tattoo on his forehead. His turquoise eyes roamed over Shirasu, then over Kito where they lingered until a blond girl beside him recalled his attention.

Shirasu didn't notice the change right away since everyone at the table was busy shaking her hand or offering her drinks and places to sit. It wasn't hard to learn their names. The pink haired girl was Sakura, fitting. The foxy boy with red tattoos on his face was Kiba. The stocky kid with swirls tattooed on his cheeks was Chouji. Facial tattoos must be popular here, she mused quietly as she studied the last person at the table who'd failed to give a name as of yet.

He had dark brown hair and even darker eyes. His hair was up in a messy ponytail and he wore a listless expression which screamed I'd rather be anywhere but here. Shirasu decided to sit next to him since he was the only one who hadn't offered her a seat and both seats on either side of him were empty.

Kito, meanwhile, was weaving through the dance floor after saying a hasty farewell to Sakura. She was slowly making her way to the bar where Gaara was sitting having drinks with Yoshi. They seemed to be having a little spat since Yoshi was whispering angrily and Gaara was completely ignoring her.

She took an empty seat about four down from where Gaara sat with Yoshi on his other side. Ino was bartending that night along with Genma who reached Kito first and immediately began flirting with her.

"So you found a man worth your time yet or are you still swooning over the silent red head over there?" Genma said bluntly with a crooked smile. Kito blushed lightly from anger, but it was hard to stay mad at someone like Genma for too long. "I'll take your silence as 'still swooning'," he finished cheekily.

"Just shut up and get me a drink. I doubt they pay you for your small talk around here or else you'd have been fired months ago," Kito said without real feeling. This was their usual banter and she was going through the motions. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment.

"Certainly, what can I get you tonight?" he asked, all business now. He could tell when she didn't want to be messed with.

"Mojito, extra lime," she said absently. She didn't even notice when he left to fill her drink order.

Gaara was nursing a tall long island iced tea, one of Kito's favorites. Yoshi was slurping on an obnoxious sissy looking concoction with too many decorative fruits stuck to it. Kito rolled her eyes at the drink and wondered what in God's name Gaara saw in that girl. What about her made him keep her around?

"Your drink my dear," Genma said sweetly as he placed the mojito on a small blue napkin in front of Kito. She gave a short nod and without looking at him or the drink, picked it up and took a sip, making a slight face as the sharp flavor of the lime hit her tongue.

Kito was distracted from her drink when Yoshi suddenly smacked her hand on the bar and jumped out of her seat.

"That's it! I'm tired of you never speaking to me! You always look past me! I don't think you've ever once looked me in the eyes. Maybe when you learn some manners then we can try this again! Until then I'm out of here!" she was shouting now and half the people in the club were staring at her and Gaara, who seemed unperturbed by her outburst which served only to infuriate her further.

She shrieked in frustration before snatching her bag off the bar and running for the exit, tears smearing her heavy makeup. Kito's eyes were wide as she watched her go. It took a few moments for her to realize what it meant. Gaara was now single and he looked somewhat pleased by the fact, that is, until nearly every other girl at the bar began trying to 'console' him.

This made Kito see red. She wanted nothing more than to grab Gaara and take him away from all those hyenas that were now surrounding him. Finally she did get up and walk over to him.

"Gaara?" she said over the babble of the others close to them. He turned immediately and looked at her. He looked frustrated and bothered by something. Kito said nothing more. She grabbed his hand and led him away from the bar, causing a slight fuss, which she silenced with a hard glare.

He wasn't fighting her. He followed her silently outside where the crisp night air worked against the alcohol they'd both consumed earlier. Finally, Kito stopped under a large tree just outside the grounds and turned to face Gaara.

"Thank you," he said causing Kito to freeze. This was the last thing she'd expected.

"For what?"

"For getting me away from them," he said looking to his left towards the bar.

"Oh, uh…it was nothing," Kito looked away from him.

"You never did put any ice on that," he said as he let his hand brush Kito's bruised cheek again, only this time he lingered there letting his warm fingertips caress the cold flesh. Kito shivered.

"No," she said quietly. Gaara let his fingers drift into her hair to lightly grip the back of her neck. Kito's breath caught in her throat as he gently pulled her closer, slowly closing the distance between their lips.

She couldn't remember if she closed her eyes or not. It seemed she saw lights and colors either way. His lips were soft and warm against hers and they didn't move. They merely rested against hers in a light embrace that had her straining to keep her sanity. She longed to devour him wholly. She wanted so badly to part his lips and explore his mouth with her own. She'd almost built up the nerve to move when he pulled back, leaving her confused and completely unsatisfied.

"Be safe," he whispered in that deep silky voice of his before removing his hand and walking away completely, leaving her alone with nothing but the moon and the chilled air to keep her company.

**Hope you enjoyed this last installment. I'd really love some feedback from anyone willing to review. Let me know what you think of the story thus far. Thanks for reading. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. (sigh)**

Shirasu was beginning to feel a bit light headed. Everyone at the table seemed to be talking at once except for the man beside her. She had yet to learn his name and every question she'd managed to ask had gotten her nothing but a yawn and a couple of hm's. She was getting frustrated, and with the frustration came the urge to quell the feeling with alcohol.

"Hey! Get me another earthquake pleeease!" she barely managed the sentence as her mouth refused to form coherent streams of thought. A handsome bartender by the name of Genma brought out the drink and set it on the table.

"You know gorgeous, if you keep this up you're gonna have one hell of a morning tomorrow," he said through a grin that made Shirasu want to slap him and kiss him at the same time.

"Oh shut it, I know what I'm doing," she said with surprising clarity this time. She'd finally decided this was her last drink of the night and that her limit was up. She wanted very badly to learn this strangers name, but not at the risk of puking all over him or dieing of alcohol poisoning.

As she sipped on her fresh cocktail she tried thinking of new ways to ask him his name. Nothing came to mind unfortunately so she went with the blunt approach once again.

"Please tell me your name. It's literally killing me not knowing. It's really not that hard you see? I'm Okita Shirasu, and you are…?" she left it open for him and finally a response was given.

"Nara," he said his low voice lazy and cool, reminding Shirasu of languid clouds floating across a deep blue sky. But she wasn't satisfied with those two syllables. No. There had to be more to it.

"Oh! Come on please! I know you don't have just one name. What's the rest of it?" she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly causing him to lift an eyebrow. He finally looked over at her with some interest and replied.

"My name's Nara Shikamaru," he said to her face. She was thrown completely by his response and could do nothing but smile stupidly at him for a few moments.

"It's nice to meet you Shika…" she finally managed before gracefully slumping into her chair, completely passed out. Shikamaru smirked and rolled his eyes at the slumbering girl before muttering a low 'troublesome' and proceeding to lift her out of the chair and carry her from the bar.

Shirasu drifted back into consciousness when Shikamaru was already halfway to the college grounds. A heavily muffled scream alerted Shikamaru that his captive was awake.

"Finally," he said with relief, "please say you're ok to walk. You're heavier than I thought you'd be," he stopped and slowly placed her on her feet with his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"I'm fine, where the hell were you taking me?" Shirasu said angrily. She shook his hands off and scowled as he returned them to his pockets.

"Just to Kito's dorm. You looked like you'd had enough," he said trying vainly to hide a small smirk. Shirasu was finding it infuriating and she let him know.

"What the fuck! You practically ignore me for the whole hour we've known each other and then I happen to pass out in front of you so you decide it's ok to just carry me home?" Shirasu was raving by the end, pacing in front of him with her hands flying.

"I like you," he said, his grin slowly turning into a smile at her reaction.

"But you don't even know me! We never spoke! You just told me your name and I don't even remember what it was! FUCK! I bugged you the whole time for that and I can't even remember! Goddammit this sucks," Shirasu was slowly but surely sobering up. The chill air and her anger combined were clearing her mind but she still couldn't think of his name.

Shikamaru was trying to hide his smile again as he watched her pacing in front of him with her hands in her hair. She was muttering to herself in frustration.

"You're so adorable," he said out of nowhere causing Shirasu to stop and blink a few times before facing him again.

"You're kinda starting to creep me out," she said warily while taking half a step away from him. He took a full step towards her closing the gap between them almost completely.

"I like you because you're persistent but not annoying. You're adorable because you're flustered all the time. You seem smart but you're not a showoff and you're cute," Shikamaru sighed at the end like he'd just made a long speech instead of listed off a few words about the now beet red girl in front of him.

Shirasu's eyes lost focus for a moment before she suddenly let out a loud triumphant 'ha!'

"Shikamaru!" she said through a large smile then without warning she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. He kissed her back heatedly but left his hands in his pockets. They were more comfortable there.

"So, what is this now? Are we like boyfriend girlfriend? Are you gonna give me your class ring?" Shirasu said wryly through a brake in their kissing. Shikamaru laughed and shook his head.

"Actually I was thinking we could just keep it casual for now and see where it goes," he said with a smirk. Shirasu mirrored it.

"I like that plan,"

"I thought you might,"

"You know, I kinda like you too, but unlike you I have absolutely no idea why," Shikamaru laughed again but let it drift into silence when he noticed Shirasu began shivering violently.

"You must have a fast metabolism. You're feeling the cold which means you're not feeling the effects of the alcohol anymore. Impressive," he said as he remembered exactly how many drinks she'd ordered out of frustration.

"C-c-can we just g-get ins-s-s-side now?" Shirasu said through her vibrating jaw. The wind had picked up and it carried with it a light icy mist. Shikamaru nodded, placed a warm arm around her shoulder, and walked her back to Kito's dorm.

XXX

"Fuck," Kito whispered to herself. She was so completely frustrated she could barely stand it! She began pacing a line in the grass and after a bit she turned too sharply and nearly slipped. When she righted herself she could see the club in front of her. The lights were winking at her and if she listened, she could hear the low throb of the bass straining against the walls.

An idea struck her almost immediately and at first she refused to go through with it. But she couldn't turn away from the club and without warning she was in the doorway, the hard bass vibrating through her chest and feet. She took a deep breath and concentrated on the beat instead of on what she was doing.

It was later now and the dance floor was more crowded so she had no trouble finding a partner. She didn't even look at his face; she merely began to dance with him in a less than wholesome manner. She let the bass take over her body and mind and simply let herself go.

She was in the middle of the floor dancing between two boys and another girl when she sensed the frustration again. She'd needed to really kiss him so badly and he had pulled away at exactly the wrong time.

The other girl was smiling at her and she could feel the boys around them less than subtly pushing them closer. Without warning, she grabbed the girl's wrist and jerked her forward, crashing their lips together.

It tasted like cotton candy for a moment, but then she was past her lips and she lost the flavor. She vaguely heard the guys around them cheering; she was too busy concentrating on fulfilling the need inside.

Luckily, the other girl was dominant which made it easier to lose control of reality. Pretending isn't so hard when you're half drunk and your adrenaline is racing constant.

When it was over, the girl pecked her on the cheek and left. The gaggle of boys dispersed into the crowd and Kito was left alone again. It had taken the edge off, but she would always know in her heart that kissing anyone but Gaara would never be as satisfying as the real thing.

She meandered back to the bar and ordered a long island iced tea. Four glasses later found her with her head down on the bar using all her willpower to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

"Kito?" Naruto's voice was muffled like he was underwater. Kito glanced at him between the strands of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail.

"She's obviously drunk off her ass," said Sasuke. Kito couldn't see him from this angle but his voice cut through her alcohol induced haze causing her to sit up and look for him.

"Shut up Teme, she's fine," Naruto said, his voice a bit clearer now.

"No she's not, didn't you see her kissing that girl earlier? She's so smashed she's forgotten her own gender," Kito could hear the smirk in Sasuke's voice and her eye began twitching.

"Uh, yeah Kito what was that about? I've never seen you kiss a girl before," Naruto said as he fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket.

"Maybe she's decided to be a lesbian. Not like she's had any luck with guys," Sasuke said smugly. Naruto didn't get a chance to chastise him, Kito did it for him. Without a word or any warning whatsoever she threw a surprisingly hard and accurate punch right into Sasuke's jaw.

The black haired boy went flying backwards and fell into a table. Naruto stood next to Kito with his mouth gaping.

"Stop that Naruto, you'll attract flies," Kito said as she tapped his chin to close his mouth.

"Uh, Kito I hate to do this but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave after that," Genma said sadly.

"Right, sorry. Sorry Naruto," she said as she grabbed her jacket off the back of her bar stool. Many people stared at her as she left but she ignored them.

When she got to her dorm she heard voices and laughter from behind the door. She sighed dejectedly and braced herself for whatever she'd see when she opened the door.

She blinked a few times when she saw Shikamaru playing chess with a slightly frustrated but very intent Shirasu. There was a score sheet on Shikamaru's side with their names on two sides. Shirasu's side was bereft of points while Shika's held seven.

"Uh…I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kito said slowly. She was still a bit drunk and though she understood what Shirasu and Shikamaru were doing, she couldn't wrap her head around a plausible reason as to why they would be here playing chess right now.

"Kito! No you're not interrupting, it's your room, and we were just kind of hanging out. Shika's a beast at chess," Shirasu said cheerily. Shikamaru blushed and sighed.

Shirasu could tell Kito'd had a rough night and that she probably needed to talk about it so she decided it was time for Shikamaru to leave.

"Hey, it really is late and…" Shikamaru cut her off.

"Save it. I know when I'm not wanted," he seemed deflated. Shirasu followed him to the door.

"I wish you could stay really but she looks like she could use some alone time and you have class in the morning and…" he cut her off again.

"I said save it," he said through a smirk. "You really are adorable," he brushed a piece of stray hair out of her face and kissed her forehead before leaving the room altogether. Shirasu blushed and stood there stupidly for a moment before remembering she had a very upset Kito waiting for her.

She closed the door and turned around with her mouth poised to speak when Kito slumped pitifully into the couch and let out a muffled sob into the cushions. The breath rushed out of Shirasu in a whoosh and she went to sit in the chair next to the couch.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Kito said through the couch cushions. Shirasu barely understood her.

"Ok," Shirasu said in a low, calm voice. She knew it was best not to push it. Kito was very delicate when she was upset. The slightest thing could set her off and then she'd rip your arm out of socket.

Kito sat up slowly and ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her face. She was giving Shirasu a quizzical look and combined with her half inebriated status, the face she produced was almost comical. Shirasu used every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep from cracking a smile.

"What was Nara doing here?" Kito said in a sleepy way. She sounded like she'd just been woken up. Shirasu blushed at the question and cleared her throat lightly.

"We were just kinda hanging out; he wanted to see if I was any good at chess. Obviously he obliterated me but he said I held my own better than most people he's played," Shirasu was beaming as she said the last part.

"It seemed a bit serious when he left. You sure there's nothing going on?" Kito was waking up now. Having a reason to use her brain was slowly sobering her up. Of course, Shirasu knew Kito was just changing the subject so she wouldn't have to think about what was bothering her, but Shirasu knew the best course of action to take was to go with it. It was how Kito dealt with things.

"Well, we're kind of casually dating. It's nothing serious or binding just kind of a 'friends with benefits' type deal. I do like him a lot though and who knows? Maybe it'll progress as we get closer. He's very smart and sweet and lazy as hell!" Shirasu sighed dreamily, "I think he's almost perfect for me," she finished, still gazing at the ceiling like it was blue and full of clouds.

Kito was smiling pleasantly as she watched her friend daydream. She was glad Nara wasn't very serious about Shirasu; otherwise there was a good chance he would get hurt. It wasn't that Shirasu was a player or had a vindictive or sadistic personality; she was just fickle and indecisive. She went through boys like gum. But she wasn't shallow either, and every breakup left her heartbroken as well. It broke her heart that she could never find a way to love them the way they always ended up loving her.

Kito had many theories about all this but she'd never shared them with Shirasu. She had to find out about herself by herself.

"It sure is late; don't you have class in the morning?" Shirasu said after taking a glance at the microwave clock.

"Yeah, but I'll be ok. I'm used to not sleeping," Kito said as she stifled a yawn. Shirasu shrugged and took her shoes off.

"I am crashing here right? Or would you rather I ask around and see if…" Kito stopped her with a raised hand.

"You stay here. You can have the couch and maybe you can start coming to some of my classes with me. It wouldn't hurt," Kito said as she took her hair down and threw her shoes into a corner by the door. Shirasu smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that. Maybe I can start thinking about what I wanna study and just follow other people to those classes," Shirasu was looking at the ceiling as she spoke. Kito smiled again at the dreamy look in her eyes. She was grateful that the hardships of Shirasu's life had not affected her innocent personality.

"Tsunade probably wouldn't mind that. She's pretty lenient most time if she likes you," Kito said with a knowing grin. Shirasu shrugged and slipped her pants and t-shirt off leaving her in a gray cotton bra and panties. Kito threw a blanket and pillow at her and turned the living room light off.

"Goodnight then," Shirasu said after untangling herself from the blanket. Kito giggled a bit from her bedroom.

"Night Okita," she said as she turned all the lights off. Shirasu made a mess of the blanket and sprawled herself out on the couch. Minutes later, both girls were sound asleep.

**Thanks for reading. I'm really curious about your thoughts on this story so if any of you would like to leave a review that would be fantastic. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. :p**

"Kito! Wake up I need to ask you something!" said Kiba through the door to Kito's dorm. He was pounding incessantly on the door nearly knocking it off its hinges.

After about thirty seconds of his yelling and pounding, Shirasu woke violently and fell of the couch in a tangled mess of limbs. She was on her feet in a second and was inching towards the door. Kiba was still knocking when Shirasu threw the door open and grabbed him.

"What the hell are you doing here at six in the fucking morning?" She said as she looped her arm around his neck and cranked it. Kiba's face began turning red to the point where you could barely see his tattoos.

"J-just…wanted…to see…Kito," he said slowly as he gasped for air. He was starting to see spots since his blood was choked off.

Shirasu began to see reason immediately and released Kiba. He stood and coughed for a minute before he finally realized Shirasu was wearing practically nothing.

"Uh, wow you've got a pretty hot little figure," he said, still partially winded. He winked at her and gave her another, more deliberate, once over. Shirasu rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"You'd better shut up now or I'll choke you out for real next time," she said with idle venom. Kiba smirked at her and shut his mouth like she'd asked.

"What's going on out here?" Kito said as she came running out of her bedroom in a little black nighty with a bat in her hands. She saw Kiba and immediately frowned at him.

"Hey, what's that look for? I'm just here to confirm some stuff I heard about you," he said as he shrugged defensively.

"Yeah? What stuff?" Kito said as she lifted the bat and let it rest over her shoulder. Shirasu thought she looked rather menacing despite her nighty.

"Did you punch Sasuke last night?" he sounded awestruck. Kito ran a hand through her hair before answering.

"Yes, I punched Sasuke last night," she said sounding slightly exasperated. Kiba let a huge smile fill up his face. Shirasu noted his slightly elongated canines and without noticing, she began to smile too simply because he was.

"Awesome!" he barked more than said, "That little bitch had it coming man! Kito you're so great!" he said as he let his excitement flow having found out the rumors were true for once. Kito couldn't help but crack a small satisfactory smile.

Shirasu was drawn from her trance and after blinking a few times she focused her eyes on Kito instead of Kiba.

"You hit Sasuke? Why? Where? How hard?" Shirasu didn't pause between questions. Kito's eyes went a little wide at the onslaught of questions but she calmly answered them in order.

"Yes. He was being a jerk. I hit him in the jaw and I think it was pretty hard since he flew into a table," Kito said with a small smirk. Shirasu looked like she was torn between being horrified and completely thrilled.

"That's so…cool," Shirasu finally decided. Her love of violence finally won out over her less than substantial feelings for Sasuke. Kito rolled her eyes at Shirasu while leaning the large bat against the wall.

"Well, Kiba, I think it's time you left. Okita and I have to get ready for class," Kito said as she crossed her arms and halfway glared at Kiba who was still ogling Shirasu. Kiba shook his head to clear his mind and finally said a hasty farewell to both girls before hightailing it out of there.

"So we're going to class today? I get to find out what you've been studying for all these years?" Shirasu said interestedly as she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. Kito couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle the other girl made.

"I guess you do finally get to know," Kito finally answered.

Shirasu smiled and rushed back over to the couch where she'd piled her clothes from yesterday. Kito stopped her with a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"You can borrow some of my clothes. Then we can go shopping over the weekend and get you some new things," She said as she led Shirasu to her tiny closet.

"But I don't have any money," Shirasu said as she was shoved lightly into the closet.

"Well, there are plenty of places where you can get a job around here. You can pay me back once you find one," Kito said as she nudged the other girl further into the small closet space. Shirasu bumped her head on the clothes rack and pouted at Kito while she rubbed her head. Kito scoffed with a smile and went out to the living room to wait.

Shirasu came back out with a pair of cutoff jeans that were frayed and covered in holes paired with a turquoise t-shirt with a wave over a sunset with a small silhouette of a surfer on it.

"Wow, you managed to find those out of everything else in there?" Kito said with a surprised smile at the selection Shirasu'd made.

"What's wrong with these?" Shirasu said as she inspected the shirt more thoroughly. Kito laughed.

"Nothing, except that you picked out the only clothes in my closet that are not mine," she said. She was being somewhat cryptic now and Shirasu never did well with cryptic.

"These aren't yours? Then whose are they?" Shirasu said confused.

"Those are Naruto's clothes he left here one night after he stayed over. He and Sasuke had a fight and Sasuke kicked him out. God I fucking hate that bastard," Kito said angrily. Shirasu looked at the shirt and shorts again.

"Do you think he'd mind if I wore these? It's a cool shirt," she said as she admired the surfer design on the front again. Kito's eyes widened momentarily but then she merely smiled.

"No, I don't think he'd mind. He's probably already forgotten I even have those by now. I have some sandals you can wear with it if you like. It's still kind of chilly outside though. Are you sure you don't want some pants?"

"Na I'll be fine. I'll bring a jacket in case I get cold. I've never really had a problem with cold weather during the day before. It's when it's cold at night that I start freezing," Shirasu said as she threw the shirt on over her braw and slipped into the pants. They hung low on her hips showing the waistband of her underwear but they weren't big enough to slide off completely. They cut off just over her knee exposing only her shins. The shirt was baggy but it hung from her curves in a good way making her appear both rough and soft at the same time.

Kito stood there staring at her for a moment before something finally clicked in her mind. Her eyes widened slightly as she continued to examine her friend while Shirasu stuck her hands in the pockets of the pants to test their depth.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Shirasu said suddenly as she noticed Kito staring at her.

"Nothing, uh, just worried about being late. I'm gonna get dressed now. Be out in a sec," she said as she rushed into the bedroom. Shirasu shrugged and flopped onto the couch to wait.

Kito emerged moments later in a pair of flared, fitted jeans, and a short sleeved black shirt. It was slightly baggy but it hugged her chest well making her appear feminine but not overly so. She wore a pair of black boots with it.

"Nice. I like that shirt a lot," Shirasu said as she admired Kito from the couch. Kito noticed Shirasu's eyes lingered a bit longer on her chest but then darted down to her shoes once she realized where she'd been staring.

"Uh, thanks. It's one of my favorites. So you want those sandals?" Kito asked as she walked back into the bedroom, her eyes still on Shirasu who had a light blush on her cheeks. Shirasu cleared her throat and shook her head no.

"I'll just wear my chucks. Sandals aren't really my style. If I'm gonna go without actual shoes I wanna do it all the way," she said absently as she wiggled the toes on her left foot as if in demonstration of how she liked being barefoot. Kito smiled and switched directions.

"Well, get them on then or we'll be late," she said as she grabbed a jacket off the rack by the door. Shirasu stretched across the couch to snatch her dirty sneakers from the floor and ram them onto her feet.

"What's first on the agenda?" she asked, slightly winded after rushing towards the door to meet Kito. She also grabbed a jacket from the rack. Kito locked the door behind them before answering.

"Math," she said through a cough. Shirasu stopped for a moment before catching up to Kito as they exited the dorms building.

"You're taking me to your math class?" she said, slightly incredulous. Kito glanced at her before nodding.

"Well alright," Shirasu said as she mentally steeled herself for what was ahead.

"It's only because I want you to meet my professor and I have some more friends in that class you might like," Kito said through a smile. Shirasu returned the grin and nodded in agreement.

When they walked into the classroom, Shirasu recognized Sakura and Kiba. They waved at her and Kito as they took their seats close by.

"Hey cutie," Kiba said as he faced Shirasu who sat down in an empty seat behind him.

"Hey man, don't start flirting with me just because you caught me in my skivvies. I don't appreciate that kind of flattery," she said quietly to him over the desk. Kiba's smile dimmed slightly but didn't vanish altogether.

"You can't help that you're cute. Just thought you should know that," he said with a shrug as he turned around. Shirasu blinked a few times before finally slouching into her chair. She couldn't deny the boy in front of her was indeed extremely sexy, but there was something about him that made him completely unattractive to her. She stared absently at the back of his head for a long time it seemed trying to contemplate her feelings when finally Kito shook her out of her stupor.

"Hey, I'd like you to meet Hyuuga Neji and his cousin Hinata," Kito said as two black haired pale kids with especially strange and equally pale eyes walked up and sat in their general area. Shirasu nodded at Neji who returned it before looking away. Hinata was a bit friendlier.

"So you're friends with Kito?" Shirasu asked as Hinata took a seat next to her. Hinata smiled and nodded but didn't say anything.

"She's kind of shy," Kito whispered from Shirasu's other side. Shirasu nodded in understanding. She then began to study Hinata with renewed interest.

The girl was extremely gorgeous but she didn't know it, which only added to the allure. Shirasu hadn't noticed before, but the girl's hair was such a deep black that it actually had a bluish tint to it. She continued to gawk at Hinata until finally she realized the other girl was blushing crimson and Kito was shaking her.

"Dude, why are you staring at her like that? You're gonna make her pass out," Kito whispered. The bell then rang signifying class had begun.

"Hey, where's your professor?" Shirasu said as she looked around expecting him to be among the crowd of students in the room. Kito laughed lightly.

"He's always late. Naruto is too. He should be here in a minute though," Kito said as she watched the door for that famous shock of yellow, orange and blue that was Naruto.

"Hello there lady's," said the hyperactive blond as he finally entered the room. He plopped down into an empty seat behind Shirasu, Kito and Hinata. Hinata blushed again and slid down into her chair a few inches. Kito and Shirasu turned to face Naruto.

"So where's that bastard Sasuke? Doesn't he usually walk you to your classes?" Kito said with annoyance.

"He overslept. Guess I kept him up too late last night," Naruto said sheepishly. Kito made a small gagging sound in the back of her throat.

The door opened again and a man walked in causing the room to quiet down considerably as all eyes turned to the front.

"Hey, this is my math professor, Hatake Kakashi," Kito said indicating a tall, thin man with even taller, spiky silver hair. He wore a black eye patch over his left eye and a fitted black mask covered his face from the bridge of his nose down to his collarbone. Shirasu blinked a few times at his appearance before letting out a low whistle.

"Man you've got some pretty weird characters at this school of yours," she said quietly. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled like he'd smiled. Shirasu wondered if he could have heard her. Kito nodded in agreement but stopped when Kakashi looked over in their direction.

Shirasu noticed that his visible eye was a dark bluish gray. She couldn't help but stare at him. He was mysterious but somehow she could see he was a great man hidden not only behind a mask, but behind a shell of normalcy.

"Ok class, sorry I'm late. I got lost wondering the paths of life. Today we'll be working on chapter 6 in your textbooks so I suggest you get those out and start reading. If you have any questions try to hold them in until class is over and maybe you can ask me then if I'm still here. Have fun!" he said giving the class another, more prominent eye crinkle.

Shirasu deadpanned at his little speech and looked around the room expecting to see people laughing at what had to have been a joke. But instead everyone proceeded to grab a book and turn to the correct page, a few groans scattered across the class. So much for that shell of normalcy Shirasu thought to herself. She was giving Kakashi a weird look and only realized she was doing so when Kito shook her and smiled knowingly.

"I know it's unorthodox but you get used to it," she said through her smile. Shirasu merely nodded and sank down into her seat a little more trying to process how a man like Kakashi had even become a college professor in the first place. She got bored thinking about it however and decided she was more interested in what he was doing now.

Kakashi then proceeded to plop down behind his desk and pulled a worn, dirty, faded orange novel out of his back pocket. He rested his feet on the edge of the desk and began to read.

Shirasu studied the title of the book and the cover art before a light blush finally heated her cheeks as she realized what the book was.

"Dude! Your math professor is reading porn!" she whispered dramatically to Kito who was already beginning the chapter she was meant to read.

"Yeah, everyone knows that. We're all pretty used to that around here too," she said as she continued to skim the words in the textbook. Shirasu smiled to herself. She had a feeling that if she and Professor Kakashi were to ever hang out, they would get along swimmingly.

Shirasu didn't follow Kakashi's instructions. For one, she didn't even have a text book, and two, she absolutely hated math. So instead of studying, she decided to draw on a piece of paper she'd borrowed from Kito.

She had a pretty vivid sketch of Hinata going when the subject of her art suddenly became interested in what she was doing.

She didn't notice the girl looking over her shoulder until it was too late. Hinata was blushing so violently when Shirasu looked up that it was hard to tell the difference between the girls face and a ripe tomato.

"That bad huh?" Shirasu whispered with a sheepish shrug. Hinata didn't say anything for a moment.

"N-no. It's am-mazing," she said after Shirasu had turned away. Now it was her turn to blush. "Where did you l-learn to d-draw like that?" Hinata said in her quiet voice. Shirasu was starting to really like this girl. Her slight stutter was beginning to make Shirasu a bit hot under the collar.

"My brother taught me," she answered quietly. The slight pain in Shirasu's voice made Hinata sit back in her chair. She glanced at Shirasu once more and saw a small puddle of tears falling onto her likeness' forehead.

Shirasu sniffled indignantly and wiped the tears from her eyes almost violently as if she was ashamed to be crying. Hinata put a hand on Shirasu's shoulder and almost immediately felt the other girl relax under her hand. Hinata blushed again but was satisfied that Shirasu was no longer crying.

"Sorry," Shirasu said quietly. Hinata smiled and moved her hand to Shirasu's cheek in order to see her face.

"It's ok…t-to cry," she said slowly. Shirasu's eyes widened slightly. Her hand made its way up to her face to cup the other girl's hand in her own. She didn't notice she'd done it until she saw Hinata's face light up once again like a Christmas light.

The bell rang, causing both girls to nearly jump right out of their seats. Their hands were back at their sides and neither one could make eye contact with the other without blushing.

Kito had seen the entire thing and it only confirmed her earlier deduction involving Shirasu. She couldn't stop smiling as they all filed out into the hall. That is until a certain black haired boy came walking towards their group from the opposite end.

Naruto immediately rushed over to meet Sasuke but when he reached the other boy he instantly backed away as if he'd been burned. Kito's eyes widened in anger as she rushed over to see what was happening.

"How could you say that?" she heard Naruto say as she came within hearing distance.

"I only say what I mean. And I mean it. I'm done with you Naruto," Sasuke's cool voice felt like knives in Kito's ears. She watched a lone tear travel down Naruto's whiskered cheek and all the walls holding her anger in dissolved instantly.

**I apologize for taking so long to update. I'll try to be quicker about it in the future :) Thanks for reading. Feedback makes the world go 'round! **


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