Marionette - Naruto Shippuden High School [Akasuna no Sasori x OC]

Chapter Six: Sike!

[f]

Kuro's heart raced.

She'd finally made it home, but after a brief glance at the time on her phone after they'd released her from their hideout, her blood froze.

9:37 PM.

Originally, she had planned to return home by 3:30 PM, having had promised to help her parents out with their deli that evening, but... there happened to be something that interfered. It just had to be the Akatsuki. What was going to happen now that she finally arrived, hours later than she had intended?

Especially as bruised and battered as she was?

--

"My parents will fucking kill me if they find out about this," Kuro groaned exasperatedly on Monday, a few days later. "They already beat the shit out of me when I came home late last Friday, because of a few fuckers who don't know how to tell time." She lowered the hem of her shirt to cover the red cloud tattoo inscribed into the skin on her back, right beside her left dimple, nestled close to her hip.

"It's normal protocol," a guy she'd learned was named Itachi explained. "We all have our tattoos in various places." Pulling down the collar of his black tee, he pointed to the same tattoo on his collar bone, the red and black contrasting against his pale skin.

"Whatever," Kuro sighed as she waltzed into school, heading straight to her first class. She wore a plain dark jacket and baggy, dark sweatpants to cover up all of the bruises and bandaged wounds she'd acquired during the weekend. "Leave me alone at school. I don't wanna be seen with you weirdos."

"Remember to come to the base right after school!"

"Yeah, yeah." She pushed through crowds of people, hoping to have not been seen talking to Itachi. Spotting her usual crew in the usual spot in the B wing, she greeted her friends.

"Yo, Kuro," Naruto addressed, narrowing his eyes when he locked gazes with her. "How come you weren't at the deli when I came by last Friday?"

Kuro opened her mouth to tell the small circle, now quiet, but she shut it again, rethinking her actions. Her friends of all people knew best that Kuro was loyal to all promises she made, especially to her parents.

"I was working in the back," she lied, shrugging a shoulder.

"I asked your parents. They said they thought you were with me."

"Uh, I..." Kuro struggled to find an excuse. "I guess I just wasn't feeling well yesterday. My 'rents let me steal a few z's." Kiba interjected, looking as if he wanted to say something, but the bell to signal the first period was starting cut him off. Kuro mumbled a distracted, "See ya," and started toward her health class.

Once there, she entered, not surprised to see everyone milling around, with Ms. Godaime rather late—as usual. Within their six-period day, there were only so few teachers that really caught Kuro's attention, bringing her to listen to them—and Ms. Godaime was one of them. It was the hot-headed, always-ready-for-a-fight attitude, like her own.

She slunk over to her seat without a greeting from any of her classmates, specifically because none of her friends were in that class. She plopped down in her seat and collapsed on the tabletop. Her heavy gaze was stuck on a boring, plain maroon long-sleeved shirt on a straight back (with surprisingly great posture), shoulder blades prominent through the fabric. Her deep eyes slowly floated up, and they widened when they landed on a shaggy head of fiery red hair.

The redhead had to have had eyes on the back of his head; he turned around and eyed the girl.

Ah... fuck.