Konoha high

Fillers are trash, but those who writes fillers are worse than trash!

Monday comes with hell and high water. That's not how the saying goes and I'm not sure what it means, but it sounds cool so I'm sticking with it. Monday comes with hell and high water!

Basically, it's a regular monday. 

I finished the sketch of Gaara yesterday, so I make a sneaky detour to his locker to drop it off before heading to my own locker. Duckbutt isn't there, for better or worse. Pops has yet to uncover all the secrets regarding Shisui Uchiha, so the emo brothers will have to make due with hating each other another day.

My silent musing is cut off by a familiar weight around my shoulders. 

"Oh man, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Kiba playfully grumbles. "A lesser man would've thought you didn't like me!" 

I scoff. "I don't like you." But it does feel like forever since I last saw him, so I don't shrug him off. 

"You are a cruel woman, Lil' Fairy. My heart is delicate, yknow." Kiba pretends to swoon like a maiden and I grunt under his weight. 

"That'd be the only thing 'delicate' about you, you big lump. Off!" I push him and he annoyingly doesn't fall on his ass. 

"Rude, are you calling me fat?" 

"You tell me." 

"The absolute nerve! You're lucky I like you so much." 

I shake my head, how Kiba could spew that kind of bullshit so casually I don't know. I don't want to know, for fear of catching his weirdness. We make it all the way to English before I realise that I don't have English with Kiba. 

I frown at him. "Aren't you supposed to be on the other side of the building?"

He shrugs, unconcerned. "Yeah, but I wanted to see you. Monday doesn't feel right until I've suffered your sweet insults." He coos.

I can't help but snort. "Alright you freakin' masochist. Scram." 

Kiba clutches dramatically at his heart. "Oh, but parting is such sweet sorrow!" 

"Piss off, Romeo!" 

Kiba is clearly not done but a cleared throat cuts him off. "Are you two done?" Pops levels Kiba a look with one judgemental eye. 

Kudos to him though, mutt-boy salutes Pops before scurrying off. Then Pops turns his gaze to me. "You too. Sit down, Juliet." 

"I'll piss in your socks." 

And Pops, being the mature, responsible adult he is, ignores me by sticking his nose into his porn book. Naruto makes a what was probably supposed to be quiet, but totally isn't, cheer. "Whoo, free period!" 

I grin at his dorky victory dance. 

"Fay-chan, you'll never guess what I did this weekend! I'm pretty sure I beat a world record-" I let Naruto spend the rest of the period rambling about eggs and other things, barely listening with half an ear. 

Of course, I should have known that the peaceful, almost picturesce, morning would be a warning. The calm before the storm. But I didn't, because I'm an idiot and I never learn. 

Everything was fine, or as fine as it could be. Neji followed me to Bio, Orochimaru was only moderately creepy and didn't call on me or make me write any more snake essays. Sasuke was back to being the emo duck that was his normal. 

When second period ended, Naruto came running, Shikamaru and Hinata in tow, poor dears, and invited Sasuke and I to get lunch with them. I say invited but it was more of a cheerful demand, non-refusable. 

And that's when it all went to hell. 

We were making our way out of the school, debating where to get lunch. Naruto was trying to get everyone to agree on Ramen, and Hinata agreed without a fuss, but Shika, Sasuke and I were against it.

"It's too far." Shikamaru grumbled. 

Naruto didn't back down. "But we have cars! And it's only a few miles!" 

"A few miles too far. We'll be late for third period. Getting detention is a drag." 

I snorted at Naruto's whine. "Let's just go to 7/11, it's like one block." 

Naruto was about to argue but cut himself off when he noticed Sasuke had stopped just outside the school gate. 

"Teme? What's the matter?" 

Sasuke didn't answer, he just stared dead ahead. There was a turmoil of emotions in his eyes but I couldn't make out which. Instead, I followed his gaze to the other side of the street.

And locked eyes with an old guy who was standing just as still as Sasuke across the street. His one eye locked on us, on me, the other one kept beneath bandages. 

He was leaning quite heavily on a cane but despite his seemingly fragile appearance, I got a bad vibe from him. 

"Who's that guy? Why is he staring at us?" I moved in front of Hinata and Naruto, mentally preparing for the worst. 

It was Shika that spoke first. "That's Shimura Danzo." 

I recoiled a bit. "That's Danzo?" A million questions swarmed my brain like angry wasps.

Why is he here? What does he want? Did he kill Shisui Uchiha? Does he know who did?

Sasuke broke my staring contest with Danzo by shielding me with his own body. He was glowering worse than usual. "I don't like how he's looking at us." 

He said 'us' but the way he looked at me told me what he meant. To be fair, I didn't like it either. 

"Maybe we should go back to school? Fayette-chan?" Hinata asked, already pulling my sleeve back towards the gate. 

Looking at her nervous, concerned eyes I couldn't say no. Nodding I cast one last look at Danzo, who hadn't moved an inch, before turning back. 

I didn't miss the way the others strategically surrounded me. Hinata and Naruto flanked each side, Sasuke at my back and Shika walked just slightly ahead. I let them. They were worried and so was I.

It hit me that the deeper Pops dug, more and more people would get unsettled. Powerful people. Powerful people, who weren't above staging suicides. 

A shudder ran through me and I glanced back at Sasuke. I wanted to reconcile the brothers but was I prepared to risk my life, not to mention Pops', to do it? Is it worth it? I don't owe them my life. I could back down, tell Pops to leave it be. He'd be relieved surely but wouldn't he also be disappointed?

Sasuke locked eyes with mine. Obsidian pools that I knew hid a lot of pain, nearly identical to Itachi's. 

No, I thought. I can't back down. This is worth it.

I smiled at Sasuke, quickly getting over my short bout of doubt. He just frowned at me and mouthed 'dumbass'. 

I laughed and the somber mood that had fallen over our little group broke. Completely worth it.

________________________________________________________________________________

So this started out a filler, gained a little plot, but ended up being a filler anyway. Ish. 

Fayette: This is so painful. Can't you just write something and get it over with?!

Y'know plot and action is my weakness. I keep setting it up and then I'm like; wait I have to write it too?? Since when?? 

But yeah, shit should go down soon, if I manage to pull my head out of my ass.

Don't forget to comment, just in case I forget this exists again! And as always, thanks for your amazing support, you're all incredible!