Paranoia of the Starved |Kankuro|

Chapter 4

A sunburn seared my skin, the contrast between my pale color and the irritated redness was very noticeable. I was always very pale, and it stayed that way. No matter how many times I was burned, no matter how long I ran around in the Suna sun. I would become nice and crispy for a day or two, and then the burn would vanish, leaving no traces that it was ever there.

I carried my belongings in a sack, just to contain all of the books and papers piled onto me. I had a hard time carrying everything without the wind blowing it away. So, I got a bag, courtesy of Nakomi-sensei. For some reason, he just enjoyed stacking me with book after book. This bag was apparently his old one from the academy. The marbles. Extra work packets for me to do when I get bored. A dull set of training kunai and shuriken. A book on chakra control and theories.

He was always handing me something new and I had no clue why, I felt smothered. Did he want something from me? Was he scared of me? Did he pity me? What was it? It was driving me insane, probably in a literal manner.

I took my place next to Gaara as I continued playing with the smallest marble, still trying to figure out the mystery behind it. I've been at it for weeks now, to be honest.

"Alright, everyone, today we will be doing something a little different. You will be assigned a peer to spy on. Your mission is to gather intel on your target, and even befriend them if possible, although you don't want to make it obvious on who your target is. After a month of this project, you will take a guess at who was spying you, and then you will turn in a written report on your target to me." He explained. "Are there any questions?"

"Will anyone have to follow Gaara?" Someone in the front row asked. Gaara shifted beside me.

"Yes, everyone will be included in this activity," Nakomi-sensei responded. "Anything else?"

No one else spoke up. "Alright, well, I have everyone's partners decided, so I will pass you a slip of paper with some general information, and who your person will be. Don't let anyone else see it." He handed out the papers face down on everyone's desk.

He then reached Gaara and I, placing my paper first, and then Gaara's. "Now that I have explained our long term project for this quarter, lets begin with today's lesson."

I spaced out as Nakomi-sensei rambled on, drilling multiplication into our skulls. I took a peak at my paper. My heart skipped in unease at the scribbled words on the white slip. Gaara Sabuku.

Why did everyone want me paired up with Gaara? Couldn't I have gotten someone less nerve-racking, like Yuno? I lived with him, it would've been a piece of cake! But no, I was matched up with Gaara. He would probably end up killing me if I got too close! What's the word? Psychotic.

I sighed, barely being able to concentrate on the marble or my teacher.

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After class came lunch, which I usually skipped. My only meal on an average day consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, and boiled vegetables. With the tiniest bit of seasoning. The only accessory foods I'd have in a day were bread and jerky, which was all I brought for lunch.

I sat on the sandy stone ground of the lunch courtyard, other kids mingling with their friend groups, chowing down their nicely packed lunched, and were those fresh vegetables I saw? That was a blessing in itself.

I took a sip of my water as the sweltering sun poured down on me. Temari and Kankuro were sitting together a little ways away, eating their vegetables and fresh, warm bread. And jerky. Decent jerky with spices, not a ton of salt, meat aged just right.