Paranoia of the Starved |Kankuro|

Chapter 3

Needless to say I got in trouble for leaving class. Although everyone was more impressed that I was able to exit so swiftly without being noticed by Nakomi-Sensei.

It was only noticed that I was gone when Nakomi-Sensei started passing papers, and when he reached my desk, it was empty. He decided stay with the rest of the class, and only discovered a sleeping Himoko lying in the sand after sending the others to run laps.

I was given extra homework for the inconvenience, and I didn't mind. I had it finished within 2 minutes.

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The night was chilled and ill-lighted, like every night in Suna. I reclined on the park sand, staring skyward at the stars that ignited the world above me. The night sky in Suna was wiped clean of any clouds or fog. If you waited long enough, you might catch a glimpse of a lonely puff of white that floated overhead, but not usually. There were also never really any rainy nights.

I perked up, knowing I wasn't alone. From aloft, I found Gaara, lounging on a rooftop. He didn't seem to be bothering anyone, so I sighed, returning to the interstellar light show displayed before me. I felt the paranoia still tugging and pinching in the back of my mind.

I don't want to die.

I ran my fingers through the cool desert sand, feeling the fine minerals cascade down my hand like mini waterfalls. I sighed, picking myself up off the ground and stretching out my arms. As I began walking back into town, I swore I saw a peculiar shadow in the corner of my eye.

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Another awfully humdrum day at the academy. I came early, Nakomi-Sensei perking up as I closed the door behind me with a thud. "I didn't hear you come in, Himoko! Now, I know that you're a bright girl, and I don't want to bore you. So, I retrieved some higher level material for you to practice," he said, handing me a packet. "You don't need to do it all, and you don't need to worry if it's not one-hundred percent! You're still just learning and it is pretty difficult."

I nodded in response, taking the packet.

"Just in case you finish with those, I have something for you, to keep you in class." He pulled out a small bag of marbles, shaking them a bit as they rattled. "Don't tell the other kids, but these are special marbles, made from a metal resistant to chakra. So how about you exercise slipping your chakra passed them, and when you do, the marbles will begin glowing." He explained, setting the sack of marbles right on top of my papers.

"These were mine when I was younger, so take good care of them, okay?" He finished with a small smile, to which I returned one slightly. I stared down at the marbles, conflicted.

What was he trying to do?

Was he trying to deceive me so that I'd tell him what I supposedly know?

Did the Kazekage put him up to this?

What was he doing?

What was he trying to do?

My mind rambled on and on, perplexed, finding it hard to perceive a general act of kindness.

I waited at my desk, Gaara soon arriving as I quickly thrusted the marbles into my pocket.

I stared at the packet. The front was easy enough. Just some simple algebra. Then it moved upwards on the difficulty scale. It began with pre-algebra. Then algebra 1 materials. Then algebra 2. Then geometry. Then geometry 2. Then I paused. This man gave me trigonometry to do. Then calculus. Is he crazy?