Living a Lie

Chapter Five - Mouths

Once I was safely inside my room, I grabbed my bag and dug around for a new outfit (well, a new set of the same outfit that I always wear), pulling out a clean set. I paused, looking down at my still-bloodied legs, and sighed. I really wanted a shower.

Conveniently enough, someone was passing by my bedroom door at that particular moment, and I ran to open the heavy wooden door and ask of whomever it was where a bathroom was located. I inwardly groaned when I came across Hidan, and he glared at me while attempting to nurse his fist-sized bruise in the middle of his chest.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked hostilely.

I glared back. "I was going to ask where a bathroom would be…"

He paused for a minute, looking me up and down as if he was seeing me for the first time. Finally, "Two doors down on the left, that way," he pointed.

"Thanks," I grumbled.

"Whatever," he replied, continuing on towards what I assumed was his room.

I followed his directions and found the bathroom easily enough. It was relatively clean, but you could tell guys used it more than girls (toilet seat was left up, sink was messy, mirror was smudged, etc.).

I sighed, closing and locking the door, and took a much-needed and relaxing shower.

"Took you long enough, un," complained the tall blonde guy I had met (sort of) earlier.

I had just stepped out of the bathroom holding my dirty clothes to find the guy standing impatiently across the hall from the bathroom door. "Aren't there any other bathrooms here?" I asked innocently. Truth be told, I don't like it when people whine, which is why I had trouble putting up with Naruto for so many years.

He frowned, saying, "No. And even if there were, this one's closer to my room, un."

"'Beggars can't be choosers', you know," I recited, walking toward my room.

"Yeah, well you're not even a member yet, un, so don't go acting all high and mighty, Haruno," he spat.

I whipped my head around to face him. "How did you know my name?"

"I researched you after you killed Sasori, un. He was my partner," he replied, hatred coloring his tone.

That was where I had first met him! How could I have forgotten? I had seen him briefly before and after I had killed the puppet master. I mentally berated myself for forgetting.

"Look, I'm sorry that I had to kill him; I was on a mission, and I had to follow orders. You know how it is," I said, trying to explain myself.

His eyes narrowed. "I don't care what your excuses are, un. You killed him, and that's that." He turned around and slammed the bathroom door behind him.

'Well, I tried,' I thought, returning to my room.

For the next few days, I spent most of my time in my room, only venturing out to go to the bathroom or get food. I often heard the rest of the guys in the living room, shouting about something that had happened on the television. I ignored them for the most part, still a little sore about the whole test thing. They could've just dragged some poor guy that they had fought back to wherever the heck this building was and had me heal him that way. I hadn't been made aware of any more upcoming tests, but I was wary.

One particular day, I had been sitting in my room, reading a book I had found in the desk in my room (some previous occupant must have been unable to retrieve it before they… left), when I felt the unmasked chakra signature of the blonde guy whom I had yet to hear the name of. He knocked sharply on my bedroom door, calling, "Sakura, un?"