Sakura's Boarding School Cliche Ch. 6 Pt. 2

.:.:.:.Pein's Point of View.:.:.:.

My migraine was growing by the minute. The dull, unbearable throb behind my eyes was the least of my problems at the moment however. There's still no word on our little dilemma involving the corrupt spy on our case. I shoved the rancid thought to the back of my mind so I could dwell on it at a later point in time. Now, onto focusing on my damn near endless stack of paperwork grading. That work was mind numbing enough that maybe it could rid me of my headache. I always did feel better once I got things done, and could mentally check things off of my list.

Perfectionist. That's a good word to describe me. If things don't go my way or go quite according to plan, I get in the worst mood possible. When I'm in a bad mood, it would be in your best interest to watch your back. I admit it. As evidence, I've been diagnosed with OCD, (obsessive compulsive disorder) and not only do I have my own quirks along with anxiety, I can't stand chaos of any kind. Needless to say, I get irritated very easily. Most especially on days such as this.

Today's gone to absolute shit. Not only have I received zero information regarding the pursuit of the 'mole' in our little mob, but I've got to hold another assembly because the morons I have to deal with in said mob can't do anything right without something backfiring or not getting done right the first time. On top of that, there's a never ending stack of paperwork inhabiting my desk, and piles peering over my head even when I'm sitting straight up in my chair. Lastly, I still have to get the forms for the new student's enrollment. What a crappy day. Whoop-Dee-Fucking-Doo, my migraine is back tenfold.

Turning my attention strictly back to my work, I started grading and looking over papers faster than most would think would ever be humanly possible. I'm special; what can I say? As I finished that pile before the homeroom bell rang, I felt a bit better, and somewhat more accomplished. I noticed that everyone was seated and present as I checked the mandatory attendance that I had to email to the school's database. Well, at least I won't have to deal with anyone having to make up work because that's a real pain in the neck. It's much easier having everyone on the same page.

I noticed that the new kid made it too, and remembered that I had to deal with the forms for him. Great. I might as well get it over with before I drive myself insane with the thought of not getting everything over and done with. I'll get him after class so he can go over the forms and make sure all of the information is correct so won't have to redo the whole damn thing, and waste even more time and brain cells. I swear they're being killed off faster than my body can regenerate them. Tch. At this rate, I'll be a vegetable by the end of the week.

If I would have said that out loud in front of the gang, they probably would've made another of their usual 'Carrot-Top' comments, and that would go over like a God-damn dream. Not.

Anyways, after zoning out while automatically handing out permission slips, and briefing the class of upcoming projects and events. That taking a good fifteen minutes, I let them have the rest of Homeroom to themselves. I'm such a nice person.

Actually, the only person that I didn't allow chill time for the rest of class was Haruno, and he didn't seem to mind helping me check his form one bit. That's actually pretty refreshing because a lot of other students would either throw a fit, give immediate attitude, or at least complain under their breath, and give me a hard time about it later. I got none of that from Yagura and was a little more than relieved. If I didn't care about my strict reputation or my sanity for that matter, then I would skip around the room singing something around the lines of a musical number from 'The Sound of Music'. You know, that one about the mittens? Yeah. I was ecstatic knowing that I wouldn't have yet another moron in the room, and instead some one who's actually not a hotheaded worm.

"So, what do you need me to do to complete the form?"

"I'm just making sure that all of the information is correct, so I can submit it to the school-board."

"Alright."

I handed over the form and watched as he made minor corrections, but I noticed how his expression changed from earlier. It was formerly carefree, but it changed to calculative with slight anxiety. It made the bruises on his face look more pronounced, and I vaguely remember hearing that he defeated Hidan in a boxing match. Impressive. Any-who, if I didn't have my own OCD-related anxiety, then I probably wouldn't have caught it or thought anything of it. I've become adept at sensing stress and apprehension since my symptoms started a few years ago, but I had no idea what might have triggered the reaction. I voiced my observation on the change in his demeanor.

"Are you alright Haruno? You don't look too well off."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been getting a sinus headache because of the weather that's rolling in."

Hmm, I wonder if that's why my migraine is killing me. I did hear that there was a forty percent chance of thnderstorms tomorrow. Man, sometimes I think I take over-analyzing to new levels. Maybe I'm just being overly cautious because Yagura is new here.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Eh, I'll get over it."

Yagura relaxed a little, but I could tell it was a bit forced. He sat up from working on the form, and sighed.

"Here you are, sir. The information should all be there."

"Thank you, Haruno. You may feel free to go back to your seat for the rest of the class."

"Alright. Thanks."

I went back to finishing my paperwork as I saw Haruno's retreating figure in my peripheral vision.

Another couple of minutes passed before the bell rang, and the students left the room like bats out of hell.

.:.:.:.Kakuzu's Point of View.:.:.:.

Assholes. All of them. The students. My coworkers.

It's not that I hate everyone, I'm just not necessarily thrilled about their existence. However, there is one person who I do hate, and manages to get the 'Asshole of the Day' award every goddamn day. That asshole would be the infamously stupid Hidan Yaguma. Not only does he do everything in his power to piss me off on purpose, but he also is the most unreliable fuckwit on the face of the earth. At this particular moment, I'd like to disembowel him with a spork, but unfortunately enough I have a class to teach.

The bell rang out like a banshee, and all of the students grudgingly sat down at their desks waiting for my instructions. I explained how the value of money could be either be reduced or increased depending on inflation in a country. But the cretins just barely listened enough to get by. They aren't even interested in the history and workings of money. Money. As in the thing that makes this whole world spin on its metaphorical axis. How can they dismiss the only certain thing in life that has rhyme and reason and can make your whole life worthwhile. I'll never understand their logic or, better suiting, lack thereof. Money's the only thing that's gotten me through life. Hell, it still is. I guess that's the only reason for taking this job. It pays well.

Anyways, the class as a whole was grating on my nerves while I was finishing up instructions, while a hand raised in the air. Now, I suppose that means that at least one student was at least trying to pay attention, but I wasn't about to get real hopeful. I looked at the person who's hand it belonged to, and found it to be the new kid's. I wouldn't have expected that considering the fact that he looked utterly intimidated yesterday when I was about to call him out on him sleeping in class. And now he's the only one out of all his classmates interacting normally? Weird guy; of course it's possible that he could be the only normal one out of the entire class. Not quite sure to be honest.

"Question?"

"Yes, sir. Uh, can you repeat the last point you made? I'm a slow note taker.. sorry."

"No problem. As I was saying.."

I repeated the last few points so he could catch up. Huh. A student in my class that actually takes notes voluntarily? And then apologizes? Did I overdose on my pain medication this morning? Yeah, the kid's pretty fucking weird, but whether that's going to be a good or a bad thing, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I did see the bruising and marks from the match I heard about in the gym. Apparently, if I heard correctly, Haruno managed to knock Hidan off of his feet and onto his ass. Respect is due there. So far, the kid's alright with me.

Class ended a half hour later, and on a mediocre note. Class nearly hurtled over their desks and sprinted out the door at the sound of the bell. Yagura took his time packing up and was dead last out of the classroom.

I smirked to myself. Students like that almost made the job not as excruciating, but at the end of the day, it's just another paper to grade.

.:.:.:.Orochimaru's Point of View.:.:.:.

As the bell rang for the next class, I was waiting for Zetsu to get back with the diagrams and worksheets from the printing room. Running a hand through my pitch black, mid-back length hair, and jumped out of the tall bar stool that we keep near the front of the classroom. I walked to the main desk and took a swig of my half-empty Pepsi can. Not expecting the class for another ten minutes, I made my way over to the back corner and unlatched the top of the massive glass aquarium. It rested on a heavy duty shelf, and instead of being filled with water, it held a half of a medium sized, hollowed out log with mulch along the bottom, and a large water dish made out of carved-out stone.

Peering inside, I pulled out the class pet, and today's experiment topic, Brutus, the nearly eight foot long (2.36 meters) and over seven pound (3.2 kilograms) Indigo snake. Despite looking huge, and known for being somewhat aggressive, Brutus was the sweetheart of his species. Well, he was if you weren't his dinner. He rested inside, curled up in the log when I pulled him out.

Slithering up my right arm, I felt his cold scales sweep over the back of my neck, and stopped when he was perched comfortably with his tail wrapped around my arm from the elbow to my bicep, and his head resting on my collar bone. I looked at the calender posted onto the marble wall next to the cage to see when the last time he was fed. Eh, I'll drop by the reptile store tomorrow after I get out of work. In mid-thought I noticed someone enter the classroom, but instead of the usual black, white, and green that I was accustomed to seeing in my peripheral, I saw neon yellow, topped with stripes of blonde and neon, reddish pink. I turned my head and saw the new student, Yagura.

I also saw the blue and purple blotches on his skin. That must have been some brawl for Hidan to get his ass handed to him. I grinned, and walked toward the Haruno, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I heard that you made it through a round with Hidan. And won. Congratulations, Haruno. That's not the easiest thing to accomplish."

"Yeah, thanks. It wasn't. So, who've you got there?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean Brutus? Yeah, he's the class pet, and we're going to be using him as a reference for today's classwork."

"Whoa, cool. Can I hold him? "

"Sure, but if the other students see you holding him, and then they all want to hold him, that"ll be a problem."

"Alright, I'll give him back right away. It's just so cool to see such a gorgeous snake. I've always wanted one, but my parents weren't for that whole idea."

I saw his eyes darken a bit near the end of his sentence, and felt a little pity for him because I read on his paperwork that his dad was missing in action due to the war, and had been presumed dead. While his mother died in an accident at a nearby state science laboratory. I'm guessing that those incidents were connected to the whole spy issue on our gang's radar. Apparently, there's been a few linked incidents not unlike these two mentioned. I'll discuss it with Zetsu at lunch, and see if we could use Haruno to help solve this sneaky spy bullshit. Maybe it'll help us get our job done quicker and more inconspicuously. If it did work out like that, and in our favor, we might be able to get justice for everyone who's been affected. That's including Yagura. And the other Harunos for that matter.

I snapped out of it while uncoiling Brutus from my person, and handed the snake over. I think the snake liked the kid, which was unusual behavior for him. Brutus only likes girls for some reason, but my theory was that it might be that their scent is different or something. Usually, Brutus would try to escape any other guy's hold, save for mine. There's an exception to nearly every rule, right?

Yagura looked excited when the snake coiled around his arm, slithered behind his shoulders, wrapping around his other arm, and continuously snaking (no pun intended) his head up the back of his neck.

Not two minutes later, I saw Zetsu return with a plastic container in which resided the worksheets and diagrams for today's lesson.

.:.:.:.Zetsu's Point of View.:.:.:.

I walked into the classroom with the worksheet crap that took me forever to print and copy. Next thing I realized, Orochimaru gave the damn snake to the new student. Really? I thought that thing hated everyone. Odd.

"I got the copies. What's with the snake?"

"Once again, his name is Brutus. I'm just having Haruno hold it while we set up for class. Chill out."

"Okay, whatever. Sup, Haruno?"

"Not much, just chillin' with a snake, and wasting space. How 'bout you Mr. Z?"

"Mr. Z?"

"Yeah, I'm not good with names, and the other teachers look like they'd hang me by my toenails if I called them by anything else other than 'sir'."

"Ahh, I see. Well, things could be better, so don't take it personal if we do decide to hang you by your toenails."

"Noted."

I chuckled a little bit before delving back into my pissed off mood from earlier after a few minutes went by.

Today I've been in a shitty mood because boss expects me to already have a lead on the traitor. I don't have jack shit on anyone because the trail is getting cold, and I'm suppose to be this gang's best tracker and interrogator. Pathetic. Now, I'll have to rely on the other guys to get a lead or a tip-off, and that usually ends up like a fucking treat.

Ugh.. Maybe I'll get lucky and something will turn up soon. Unlikely? Sure, but it's better than being one hundred percent pessimistic. Not a lot comes from that, and plus, being pissed off all the time gives me a headache. I want nothing more than to plug in my headphones and listen to my iPod, but I've got to get this class rolling. Well, at least it's not a boring subject.

After we passed out the papers and diagrams, about seven minutes went by, and the snake was tangled in a fake ficus residing in the front of the room. Yagura had already claimed the seat he took yesterday, and had his stuff out for class. Orochimaru was downing the rest of his Pepsi, and sat in a chair near the ficus, and I followed suit sitting on the other side of the room.

Not too long after I sat down, the first couple of students showed up, and ignored my presence as I welcomed them to class. The rest of the class followed suit, and then I got a little more pissed. Look, I know I don't appear as your average 'Joe', but I'm really not a creepy asshole. Unless you're rival gang shitheads. Then I'm an asshole. I guess my pissed off demeanor showed through because some of the students looked like they were about to piss themselves and hide under their desks. I cooled down a little seeing even Orochimaru raising his eyebrows at me.

I slumped in my chair, propping my chin on my palm, at the large desk, and saw that Deidara was late and he sat next to Yagura again. That's weird. He's always on time if not a little early. Not to mention I saw them passing notes yesterday. I've never seen him make contact with anyone other than gang members. Deidara is the kind of guy that doesn't give anyone the time of day let alone the new kid. I'll have to ask him about that later. Until then, I've got a class to teach.

.:.:.:.Deidara's Point of View.:.:.:.

I made it to my seat in biology next to Sakura, and got my crap out for class. I pulled out a crumpled, random piece of paper from the bottom of my backpack, and passed a note to Sakura.

'Hey, what'd I miss, yeah?'

'I met the class pet.'

'The snake?'

'Oh yeahh. Isn't it cool?'

'Honestly, I've never had a thing for snakes, yeah.'

'Really? Why?'

'Just never did, yeah. Not sure why actually..'

'Weird.'

'Yes, you are, yeah.'

'Touché.'

I smirked, and shoved the note in my pocket because I could tell Zetsu wanted to know what was up. I gave an 'I'll tell you later,' look before returning my attention to Sakura. She gave me a funny look after apparently catching the one I gave Zetsu. I just shrugged, and turned my focus onto the snake diagram in front of me and suppressed a shiver. I hate snakes. For no apparent reason, too. It's not quite a phobia per say, but just a natural intolerance and distinct hatred of them.

I saw the glow of my cell in the side pocket of my backpack, and undetected by anyone else in the room, grabbed my phone, and slid my thumb across the screen to unlock it. I saw a text message from Zetsu had been received. I looked over at him, but he was preoccupied, and talking to Orochimaru just out of hearing range.

Opening the message, it said that boss-man had a meeting that everyone needed to attend this weekend. Great, now I had to lie to Sakura, and get to the rendezvous without her getting the slightest bit suspicious. Just... great.

I slid my phone back into the pocket, and finished the damned assignment. Towards the end of class we were assigned homework about other reptiles. At least it wasn't another thing about snakes.

As the bell rang, and everyone was exiting the classroom, I was following Sakura out. However, Orochimaru called me back into the classroom.

.:.:.:.Zetsu's Point of View.:.:.:.

As soon as the other students left, I saw Orochimaru call Deidara over. I instantaneously wondered if Orochimaru noticed his strange behavior too, and, after I finished filling in some papers, I walked over to join in on the conversation. I was thrown off guard when I heard Orochimaru's findings on, not Deidara, but the new kid. If possible I honed in on the conversation even more.

"-so, I think that Haruno might be connected, and could be a lead considering the attacks. I'll be looking into the details later. Oh, Zetsu I- "

"Save it. I was already listening in. I believe that I should look over the details first, and then decide on what significance the new kid has to offer in this predicament."

I could tell that Orochimaru wanted to argue his involvement in the decision, but I chose to ignore his defiance. Instead, I found that throughout this conversation, Deidara was awfully quiet. Now, I know something's up.

"Deidara, perhaps it would be best to tell us -what's been with you lately?

"Nothing, uhn. What do you mean?"

I can't tell if he's being serious. It's either that or he things I'm an idiot and he's bullshitting me.

"Really.."

"Now that I think about it, you have been awfully palsy-walsy with the new guy."

I nodded in agreement with Orochimaru, and looked directly at Deidara. I saw his face flood with surprise, and I want to say that he looked a little nervous, but it might have been the lighting. He appeared to relax as soon as he understood what we were saying.

"Oh, is that all? Hah, he's my new roommate. I thought you guys knew already, hmm."

"No, Deidara. You failed to mention that."

Orochimaru sighed exasperatedly. I myself could feel my expression deadpan, and a headache coming on.

"Get out or you'll be late for your next class. Or my brain cells will continue to die out."

"Fine. Later, assholes, yeah."

He finally left the room and Orochimaru and I let out an annoyed exhale. I can't wait for the day to be over, so I can go home.

.:.:.:.Kisame's Point of View.:.:.:.

"Hey, asshole! Where the fuck are the-"*Crashing equipment avalanche in the far room at the end of the gym* "-Ow! Damn it to hell! Nevermind, I found them; they fell on my fucking head."

Oh, Hidan. Stupid, stupid Hidan. How he is even able to hold a job is beyond me. I need some Advil. Just a few. A few bottles. Just enough to kill the chances of Hidan giving me another headache. He's not even in the same room. How is it possible to get on my nerves? I'm like the most laid back dude on this planet. He's the most terrifying force of stupid on the face of the earth. I'm convinced.

"Hidan, could you shut up for twelve seconds?"

I shouted at him from the other room, trying to tie up some test dummies for a weapons practice lesson later in class.

Climbing down the twenty-four foot (7.32 meters) ladder, I was finally finished with hanging the targets from the rafters and headed over to the large metal doors that allowed the next class to enter. I unlocked one of the double doors while putting the block under the door to keep it wide open.

I set the main timer for ten minutes. The way this class works is you have the first ten minutes of class to change into your gym uniform before the locker room gets locked up, and get to your spot on the bleachers before the clock runs out. If it does go off before the former happening, then your grade for class participation and attendance suffer ten grade points.

As the class arrived, did what they had to in the locker room, and arrived at the four rows of the large bleachers, the timer went off with a single blaring buzz. All made it to their seats while I checked their attendance on my translucent, neon green clipboard. I blew the silver whistle that hung around my neck, and that made a few of the students jump.

"Alright, maggots." I grinned ear to ear. "Today, after the warm-ups, running laps, and stretching, we're going to work on weapon safety and wielding. Now, we're not going to go crazy during this unit of the year, so we're just going to go ever the proper handling of each type of weapon for now. That includes close range, mid-range, and long range weapons. We'll be alternating ranges each day. Yes, we did have to get assloads of permission for this crap, and we're prepared for lawsuits against us in case of injury to you guys, but I think this can be fun for all of us. That is, if you aren't going to act like a bunch of mindless imbeciles."

"Now, lets get to the track."

We ran onto the field as I instructed the class that we had to run six quarter mile laps (2.4 kilometers total). I know that in a lot of schools, the gym teacher just sits back, and watches while their students are worked like dogs, but I think it's bullshit, and I work with my students. When I attended here a few years ago, I remember my teacher made us work or asses off, but I bet if he did decide to get off his old, fat, lazy ass, he couldn't do half of what we had to.

Hidan was the same as me though in that regard. I noticed that though most of the class was behind be save for the few who've been at this school for a while and had built endurance levels. Deidara's always been one of the fastest at this school, but he was far from the top when endurance was concerned. I noticed that the new kid was doing surprisingly well, he was average when speed was concerned, but his endurance was top notch as was his strength. It took me by surprise because the guy's a total shrimp compared to most of the students.

I guess looks can be deceiving. Well, I should know that firsthand.

After the last lap was up, we stretched out our limbs in the field which was basically dying grass surrounded by the ring of dark brown tree trunks contrasted by neon oranges, yellows, and reds. The sky was cloudy with patches of blue, and the air was already starting to cool down while the breeze was picking up day by day. It's definitely October.

Stretching was over after a few minutes, and we headed back over to the gym. I assumed Hidan had already arranged the other targets made of ballistics gel and made to be the same density of human flesh. Being the same model types that they use in the show Deadliest Warrior, it's used to show the damage of weapons, and the affects it would have on the human body if used in combat. It's pretty neat shit.

I could already feel the anticipation in the air.

.:.:.:.Hidan's Point of View.:.:.:.

I finally finished setting up the damn targets, and just in time, before those fuckers showed up.

I blew the black, metal whistle giving them the heads up to shut their fucking mouths.

"Alright! So, today is going to be interesting. You fuckers" I pointed at them. " are going to learn how to yield weapons without maiming your dumbass selves. Now, the first thing we'll be working on... is close-range weaponry."

Kisame walked out of the room to grab the container that held our first weapon. Switchblades. Once he got back with the small beginners weapons, and I explained the safety requirements and guidelines, I got one of them out. I couldn't help but let a feral grin splice my face when I felt the knife in my palm.

Every single student was watching carefully as I hauled over a ballistics gel test dummy. I explained how closely it simulated human tissue before pressing the trigger switch on the handle of the knife so the blade could spring free. I did step by step examples on different ways to swing or approach an attack depending on what you were trying to accomplish.

By the end of teaching the basics of handling the knife, the test dummy had several lacerations with simulated blood running down from where the blade made contact. It was a fucking mess. A motherfucking fun mess.

I set all of the students up, and only a few actually picked this 'weapon wielding' thing up right the fuck away. Now, I kind of expected that blonde tranny *cough* Deidara *Cough* to be somewhat experienced, so he was the most skilled so far, but noticed that the new kid was picking it up pretty well but he had to work on the -what's the fucking word...- finesse?. Yeah, something like that. He wasn't a shitty fighter overall. I've still got some bruises as evidence, but I also noticed that so did he. That was a great fucking fight, I tell ya'.

After their turn at wielding weapons was up, I confiscated all of the switchblades. Some of the students tried to swipe an extra one, but I'd been watching them, and from now on, they're on my radar.

Next thing was assessing each dummy -the targets, not the fuckers in the room-, and grade their 'work'.

The class did about as well as expected. Not that fucking much was expected though.

I was fucking glad when class was over because I was fucking hungry.

.:.:.:.Itachi's Point of View.:.:.:.

I arrived at the tastefully modernized teacher's lounge, and placed my order for a tall caramel macchiato from the Starbucks stand. After the cashier added the cost to my tab, she handed me the drink. I pulled out a new novel that I'd been reading as of late after I had found a small, round table fit for two people along the mocha colored wall just hoping for a minute to myself. Noticing that someone sat down occupying the spot across from me, as I looked up to find Sasori also pulling out a book, and occasionally taking a swig from the drink in front of him labeled as a green tea latte.

"Long day today?"

"Hn," I nodded slightly, but didn't look up from my book.

"Same here."

It fell back into comfortable silence, both of us returning to our books.

Well, until somebody obnoxiously threw open the teacher's lounge entrance door in my peripheral, it was. The door slammed shut, and shook the frame as the doorjamb locked into place. I looked out of the corner of my eye without moving an inch, and could see Hidan loudly marching his way to the restaurant stands, and yelling his order at the employees while cussing like a barbarian. To be perfectly honest, He's my least favorite person in this organization.

Kisame, whom I didn't mind in the least, and whose company I actually enjoyed on the other hand looked especially perturbed by his coworker's entrance as he entered the lounge after him. He actually walked up to the vendors, and didn't make an ass out of himself as placed his order at the Korean cuisine stand. When they received their orders, they sat at a table next to us against a wall, with Kisame seated next to me, and Hidan next to Sasori. How unfortunate for him.

I heard Sasori let an out an annoyed sigh as he closed his book and set it on the table's while propping his arm up, and put his chin in his palm in an agitated manner. Hidan glared at all of us as he shoveled the mess of various international cuisine into his vulgar mouth. I was grateful that his mouth was full, preventing him from speaking, while the rest of us tried to ignore his existence.

"Hey, Itachi, Sasori," Kisame greeted us, nodding in our direction.

"Hn," I nodded politely, and took a swig of my macchiato as Sasori greeted Kisame accordingly.

"Hello, Kisame."

Kisame dug into his meal of noodles, vegetable, and beef enthusiastically, and I returned to my novel picking up where I left off. Hidan was busy being a loud oaf, and stopped as he noticed the other faculty enter the lounge.

Zetsu, Orochimaru, Kakuzu, and Pein. They all ordered their own preferences, and found tables. Our seating was arranged so we were all occupying four tables total, in a straight line, two members facing each other forming two rows. All of the members were arranged from the left of the room to the right as the following: Sasori facing myself, Hidan facing Kisame, Zetsu facing Leader, and Kakuzu facing Orochimaru.

After the majority of them were finished eating, Pein spoke up, and had our attention.

"Alright guys, we've finally got something to go on. Took you fucking long enough. Zetsu tell us your findings, and then Orochimaru will follow suit."

Zetsu cleared his throat, and adjusted his sitting position so that he faced the majority of us, and relaxed his posture.

"I've found that one of our members, who is not present, may have been having some odd, fucking weird ass, behavior."

"Care to tell us who?" Sasori piped up.

"Deidara."

"How so?" This had been Kakuzu speaking.

"He's been awfully social with the new guy, and has been hanging around the guy like white on fucking rice. We also called him out on it, and he denied everything. Orochimaru's a witness."

"Fuckass," Hidan muttered sourly.

"He is the guy's roommate, guys. Let's not forget about that," Kisame interjected.

"Even so, he's been buddy-buddy with the guy, and let's face it, Deidara usually doesn't tolerate others especially those who are new to the area," Pein.

That's true. Deidara may be loud, laid back, and close to some of the other members, but he's cold towards any outsiders, especially those who are rarely seen. It makes me wonder what Orochimaru has gathered. These matters certainly were worth looking into. I decided that I'd share my theory as to why Deidara may have been acting the way he been.

"If I may, boss, has Deidara kept any of the relationships intact since joining, or were his all severed clean like the rest of us had done? I'm wondering if he had history with the new student, and maybe that's cause of this behavior."

I put that thought on the table, and watched if Pein had any idea if that may be the case. His right eyebrow quirked up, and opened his mouth.

"I'm not sure; however, we still have to listen to what Orochimaru has to say, it may possibly be linked. Go ahead, Kiyohi. What piece do you have to bring to the puzzle?"

"I was reminded that both of Yagura's parents perished or disappeared in unusually familiar ways. They were both involved in the military somehow in their careers. The spy, and the ones that he's, excuse me, or she's been secretly working for, aren't on good terms with the government in any sense of the meaning. Yagura's father was on a spying mission for the Marines when he was pronounced MIA. Yagura's mother worked in one of the labs that worked with weapons, different chemicals, and anything that could be utilized as upper hand technology against the nation's threat. The lab exploded with her and some of the other head scientists inside. These kinds of attacks are very common with this particular pattern. Anything to get rid of some sort of evidence. Explosions, disappearances, and insiders. All have the same purpose; covering up evidence. Maybe we can use Yagura to get more information and see if he knows anything. It's highly probable. It is, after all, our biggest lead."

"Remarkable findings, Orochimaru. However, we should leave no stone unturned, and take this slow. We have no room for mistakes. I'll be talking with each of you individually regarding this matter, so we'll each know what to expect of each other. For the time being, We'll be keeping an eye on Deidara, and Haruno. Anything suspicious, and you come straight to me. I'll be filling Madara in on this along the way as well. Anyone else have absolutely anything to add?"

We all have him a "Negative".

"Fine. Akatsuki Dismissed. Thank you Zetsu, Itachi, Orochimaru. These observations will finally get us operating smoothly for a while until something else comes up. Well done."

As the bell rang for the next class to start, I picked up my novel and my coffee, and headed to my class. Everyone else followed suit.

I wrote a few algebraic problems on the board. After finishing, and writing down the homework beside that, I sat at my desk, and opened the book I had been reading before.

I've been reading Edgar Alan Poe's various works lately, and have just fond his writings particularly intriguing as of late. No idea why, though.

A few of the students showed up, and a few moments afterward, the majority of the class entered including Deidara and Yagura.

I started class, and every few minutes or so, I'd see Yagura and Deidara giving each other weird looks back and forth.

I stopped class, and made it clear to the entire class that I was waiting for them to knock it off.

"I'm sorry, was my teaching interrupting your little game?"

"Huh, uhn?"

"No? Good, now, you and Haruno stop making faces at each other or you'll be getting detention. Clear?"

"Crystal, sir," Haruno looked down at his desk.

I nodded, and continued the lesson. A few of the more immature students snickered at them, and yes, I was fully aware of Deidara sticking his tongue out at me, but I decided to ignore it. After the class settled down, and the minutes of the clock ticked by as class was drawing to an end, the bell rang out, and class was officially dismissed. Good riddance. Now, back to my novel...

:.:.:.Sasori's Point of View.:.:.:.

So, Deidara is chummy with the new kid, huh? I'll believe it when I see it.

I unlocked the door to my classroom, and sat myself at my desk. I had already set up for the next class, so all I had to do was wait for the students. I hate waiting. I hate making other's wait. Patience isn't one of my finer qualities, and it's not one of my refined attributes. I'm also already in a foul mood because the lesson we're starting today was clay sculptures and pottery. I personally abhor the use of clay because it's messy and feels disgusting between your fingers in my opinion. I prefer something solid like carving wood over anything else. I cannot wait to be back in my element again; that's for damn certain.

A few students showed up every minute or so. One of the first being Haruno, and was directly followed by Deidara. I called both of them over, introducing myself to Yagura, and telling Deidara to show him the ropes for class. I stood after that was out of the way, and begun instructing the class. I explained that they had to make something out of the horrid, muddy substance, and they had to put in effort, originality, and had to had a purpose. Whether it was for inspiration, function (from a vase to a plate), or an illusion.

I usually let my students sit wherever, but I made sure that Deidara showed Haruno how the class works so I can see for myself whether they really know each other. They did talk animatedly, and that was a little out of character for Deidara, but guess I'd just have to ask him about that sometime later after school. Maybe even later this week.

Everyone, excluding me, seemed to be ecstatic about the project. Especially Deidara, but that was already a given. Him and his atrociously misguided view on art. Art is eternal. Never would it be considered barely a second's worth. It's a waste of time believing in something that lasts a second. 'Art is fleeting, and spontaneous.' what a load of bullshit. Art is meant to be forever appreciated, and hold out era after era, giving future generations a sense of appreciation and a taste of what it was like in the past. Good times and bad times. Existing for the rest of eternity. Now, that's what I consider art of the highest form. Everlasting.

I shook my thoughts returning to observing the students, and seeing what they were trying to sculpt. Most looked like a pile of grey shit that didn't resemble anything of important. Some were decent though; the most impressive pieces including Deidara's which was being shaped into some sort of animal. He was also giving pointers to Haruno who looked interested enough to listen while absorbed in sculpting his own work resembling some multi-legged creature.

Yes, it was a little strange seeing Dei so interactive outside of the guys in the gang, but I'm not too sure whether that's a good thing or not. All in due time I suppose.

Class passed by, and everyone managed to create and finish their sculpture. Deidara's was by far the most detailed, and well, the best in the whole class. He had a "paperweight" as he called it in the form of an intricate tiger baring its fangs in mid-pounce ready to capture the invisible prey with it's claws ready to dig into flesh. I was mildly impressed. Not far behind was, surprisingly, the new guy. Probably prospering from Deidara's insight and tips. He created a detailed tarantula, and said it was a decoration to put in his actual tarantula's habitat. The other's clearly didn't have much experience in sculpting.

I looked at another one of the students' sculptures.

"Is that suppose to be an elephant, Choji?"

He looked insulted.

"No, sir, it's suppose to be a birdhouse!"

"Of course. That's what I said."

I turned on my heel, and sighed exasperatedly. This was going to be a long rest of the year.

The bell rang, and I told the class to scram, as I collected all of the sculptures to get sent to the kiln. Once they go all through the kiln, which should be a two day adventure, then the students could glaze them, and we'll be finished with the clay unit. Yay.

.:.:.:.Pein's Point of View.:.:.:.

Homeroom. It was busy, and people were fidgeting in their seats in anticipation for the final bell to ring, and signal last locker break so they could get the hell out of here. I couldn't wait myself to be perfectly honest. I'd be finished with school work, and then all I had to do was work my schedule to set up the individual meetings with the guys, and I'd be home free to spend some time with my girlfriend. Finally.

Konan and I haven't been able to do anything or go out for quite some time. I might ask if she would want to eat out for dinner tonight. The thought made me want to smile.

The 'class' was over fairly quickly, and that I was grateful for. Everyone left, and once my paper work was completed, I left the building as well, and headed for my car.