ILLUSIONS - ITACHI UCHIHA

one

"Could I offer you a towel, perhaps?"

"I'll be fine", Saori replied. She mentally cursed and bit her lip. A bad habit of hers was declining she needed things, even if she did. Her whole body was drenched in water from the rain outside, and she somewhat regretted turning down the umbrella her chauffeur had offered her.

 She stood in an office belonging to the principal of Kohana Preparatory School. The nameplate on his desk read, Orochimaru. No surname, which Saori found odd. His dark, long hair spilled over his stiff figure. He had piercing gold eyes and a sly smirk that gave the impression he could not be trusted. Saori honestly found him creepy and fought down the urge to drop her luggage and run.

The room was dull; no paintings or posters on the beige-painted walls, just a small window. Its blinds were closed tight, and the small chandelier being the only source of light.

 Orochimaru propped his arms on his desk and placed his head on his hands. "Alright then, have a seat." Saori hesitantly set down her luggage and sat in the chair in front of the desk.

 "My name is Orochimaru, and you may call me nothing but Orochimaru. I like to have my students call me this, so we can get... closer". His smirk grew larger. "Welcome to Kohana Preparatory School. At this boarding school, you will find that obedience, respect, and duty are highly valued. There will be consequences if you do not follow our morals. Any questions?"

 Yeah, what's your problem? Instead, she said, "No".

 "Perfect. I will call my assistant to direct you to your designated area." Orochimaru leaned forward, pressed a button on his telephone keypad, said something into the mic, and leaned back. He kept his smirk on and simply stared at Saori.

 She didn't know what to do and awkwardly coughed, tapping her foot on the ground to break the deep silence. Her eyes looked down, for anywhere but Orochimaru was a decent place to set them. She dared to look back up and he was still staring at her, which made her very uncomfortable.

 As if on cue, the door opened and a man with dark eyes and round glasses entered. His ash-grey hair was kept in a ponytail, bangs on either side of his face. Again, he gave off the same creepy energy that Orochimaru did, but less of it. At least he wasn't staring into Saori's soul.

 He looked at Orochimaru, then Saori, and back at Orochimaru. "Is this the new student?", he asked, raising his eyebrow slightly at Saori. Orochimaru nodded and gestured to her. "Assist her to a student... someone to help her around. Let's see..." Orochimaru narrowed his eyebrows while thinking. "Ah, Konan. Yes, that will work nicely." He faced Saori. "This is Kabuto Yakushi. He is my assistant and your vice principal."

 Kabuto nodded at Saori. "Good day to you", he said bluntly, seeming like he didn't mean it.

 Saori was eager to get away from Orochimaru, so she grabbed her luggage and stood up. Kabuto formed a small smug look. "Follow me", he said and started walking out the door. Saori tailed behind him, struggling to keep up at Kabuto's pace while holding all her luggage. When the door closed behind them, Saori looked at him.

 "Kabuto, sir-"

"That's Mr. Yakushi to you", he said with a sneer.

"Right, Mr. Yakushi. Who is, um, Konan?", Saori asked cautiously.

 Kabuto sighed as if he was fed up with Saori already (which he probably was). "Just a student that your dorm is assigned with. She will be helping you around if you need it." He smirked confidently, though Saori didn't have a clue why.

 She decided not to say anything for the rest of their walk, or else she would be wound up in a conversation she didn't want to be in. As the empty hallway took a turn, there were doors on each side. A few down, Kabuto stopped and knocked on it. It opened, revealing a girl about the same age as Saori.

 Her hair was short, part of it put up in a bun. A detailed flower also sat in her mane. Her amber eyes were glossy, reminding Saori of honey. She had a sharp yet structured jawline.

 Saori assumed this was Konan. Kabuto cleared his throat and introduced Saori, explaining her arrival to Konan. But Saori wasn't listening. She was paying attention to the background behind Konan: their dorm. It was somewhat small, but considering only two people were staying there, it was satisfying.

 "Well, it's great to meet you", Konan said, thrusting her hand forward for a handshake.

"Huh?", Saori said cluelessly. She realized she had zoned out. Feeling embarrassed, she said, "Uh, yeah, you too." She accepted her handshake, which lasted two awkward seconds.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone", Kabuto verbalized, and proceeded to walk away.

 Konan gave Saori a small smile and made room for her to walk into the dorm. Saori dragged her luggage in, taking in the space. Konan had taken care of it exceptionally. A bunk bed lay in the corner, the bottom taken; photos pasted on the wall, extra pillows, and dirty but made sheets. Two separate desks sat in the middle of the room, and office chairs were behind them. Sliding doors led to a closet, which was open, revealing clothes set on one side, the other empty.

Saori stood there as Konan shut the door, walking to her side. "Yeah, home sweet home".

 "It's nice", Saori stated kindly, making Konan's expression pleasant. "Thanks. I'll, uh, help you get unpacked. If you want, that is."

"Yeah, that would be nice".

They spent the rest of the evening unpacking Saori's luggage and getting to know each other. She made sure not to let Konan see her white, plastic container. It was important. The key to her being satisfied. She had secretly put it in her pillow, somewhere Konan probably wouldn't look.

Saori thought Konan was nice enough. She was the kind of person to only show a large amount of affection when it mattered.

 The weather was just about the same; pouring water from the clouds. The skies were darker and set an irascible mood. Saori's stomach lowly growled, thankfully not loud enough for Konan to hear. She peered over at the bluenette, who was straightening the last bit of Saori's luggage up. As if Konan read her mind, she said, "Dinner is in a few minutes. I'll help you to the dining room. It's like, a cafeteria, pretty much. You can sit with us."

"Us?", Saori wondered aloud.

"Yeah, me and my friends. Just a bunch of stupid guys, but I'm sure they'll like you."

Saori forced a light smile. Great. New people. She wouldn't know them long enough to enjoy the friendship, even if they were nice.

~

A/N:

oml again