WhiteMint: Yay! for the one-shot contest! I planned on writing another story, the sequel to this one-shot, actually, when I realized that the other story might take too long to be a one-shot so I decided, why not write the prequel?

'thoughts'

"words"

lyrics

Summary: For Sakura, the first day of school was always the worst day. Little did she know that she definitely underestimated the horror until she found herself getting the attention from the entire Akatsuki basketball team

Song: Knock You Down by Keri Hilson

Clutz

Heh, not again
Ohh, this ain't supposed to happen to me

Walking through the humongous campus of Tokyo University was quite intimidating, to say the least, for Sakura Haruno.

As she wandered around, Sakura once again cursed herself for being so smart that she was allowed to skip one year of highschool – and one year of college – and even receive a full scholarship to Japan's best college. So when she was introduced this morning, the obvious two-year difference (as well as the suspected difference in intelligence) between her and the rest of the class was terrifying to the poor girl.

Luckily for her now, classes for the day was over and she could now go back to her dorm that she shared with an unknown college senior.

As Sakura walked past a couple druggies, trying to not inhale the smoke she noticed an outdoor basketball court where six guys were playing basketball.

Keep rockin', and keep knockin'
Whether you Louis Vuitton it up or Reebokin'
You see the hate, that they're servin' on a platter
So what we gon' have, dessert or disaster?

'Three on three?' Sakura thought, as she watched for a second, bemused by their loud playing and shouting of

"You're going down!"

and

"I wanna see you try!"

'Well, I guess' Sakura mused, 'boys will be boys…'

It took a while before she suddenly noticed the skill of one of the - amazingly enough - quiet players. Looking on with awe, she watched this one guy single-handedly take on three others and go right pass them with ease, scoring a goal for his team in a beautiful shot.

"Nice Itachi! Nothing but net!" One of Itachi's teammates praised, copying that last shot Itachi made before high-fiving him.

"Hn," was all Itachi replied, along with a smirk before getting the ball that someone else had picked up and resuming the game. As they started playing again, Sakura stood still as she watched Itachi handle the ball.

'How could anyone move so gracefully and beautifully in a game of basketball?'

With a jolt, Sakura suddenly realized that Itachi had seen her and was currently looking at her with a strange expression. Not strange as in bad, but strange as in Sakura didn't have time to interpret it in her embarrassment.

I never thought I'd be in love like this
When I look at you my mind goes on a trip
Then you came in, and knocked me on my face
Feels like in I'm a race
But I already won first place

Blushing furiously at being caught staring, Sakura hurried off to somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was away from the really-handsome-guy-playing-basketball.

Spying a copse of trees, Sakura scampered over to what she hoped would be a safe and quiet haven for her.

'I can't believe this place is so big that it even has it's own forest complete with a fountain…'

As Sakura neared the fountain with a statue of Cupid shooting five arrows at once, her trail of thoughts immediately came to a halt when she tripped over something, or more correctly, someone.

Sometimes love comes around
(Love comes around love comes around)
And it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(Knocks you down)

Looking back – for she tripped past him – Sakura's heart hitched as she was met with the sight of one of the most breathtaking men she ever saw. Amused amber eyes looked at her through a mop of red hair that was adorably tussled about as if the man just woke up, which wasn't surprising considering how Sakura had just tripped over him.

'Shit! I woke him up! Wait, why is he even sleeping here?!?'

By now, Sakura's face could even put a tomato to shame.

"I'm really sorry!" was all Sakura could muster before pelting off in embarrassment.

'All this running is kinda like déjà vu… Except it's in terms of my reaction…'

As she ran, Sakura really wished that she was smart like her genius friend, Shikamaru, who escaped the school boards attention by purposely failing his tests, and getting a free nap while at it.

'This is too troublesome even for me...'

"Hm?" Sasori wondered at the disappearance, before deciding to go back to his nap, only this time his mind was on the adorable pink haired girl that had tripped over him like a clutzy little angel.

Sakura ran away quickly, not paying any attention to her surroundings in the necessity to leave the – not one – but two hot guys she embarrassed herself in front of that she didn't even bother to slow down at a corner where she immediately and accidentally crashed into a person.

'I seriously need to start paying attention'

Hey, now I'm crashing, don't know how it happened
But I know it feels so damn good
Said if I could back, and make it happen faster
Don't you know I would baby if I could

"Ow! Watch it, yeah!"

Rubbing her sore butt and spewing out as many apologies as she could –

"I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention and I –"

Sakura looked up to see a male version of her highschool best friend, Ino Yamanaka.

While there were some differences in hair color – Ino being platinum blonde and this guy with gorgeous honey blonde hair and 'don't even think along that path Sakura!' she mentally berated herself – this guy could easily have passed for Ino's brother.

He grinned cockily at her before replying, "No worries, yeah. It's not everyday that I get to meet up with such a pretty girl! What's your name, yeah?"

Feeling her face turn red, Sakura was at lost on what to say as she noticed the guy looking at her with a calculating air.

'Interesting…' Deidara thought as he examined the cute, but flustered girl in front of him. She was wearing a magenta too big for her sweater that went down to her upper thighs covering part of her plaid skirt and giving him the overall appearance of a highschooler out of place. The way she was looking confused and embarrassed with her cheeks an adorable shade of red didn't help.

'Highschooler? Wait…'

"Would you happen to be Sakura Haruno, the infamous transferred highschooler?" Deidara asked, watching her carefully as her suddenly pale face confirmed his suspicions.

'INFAMOUS?' Sakura's mind screamed as she looked at Deidara with horror, 'Well, I guess it would be quite the achievement to get into TU normally let alone be allowed to skip two grades and receive a scholarship at that… But still! I don't want people to know about me! Oh kami! I'm totally going to get bullied at this rate!'

Ignoring Sakura's inner turmoil, Deidara continued, "Since you're obviously very smart, I was wondering…"

Already writing out her will in her head, she grumbled out, "Yes?"

"Do you know much about basketball?"

Confused and back to her senses, Sakura answered, "A little bit… I know the rules but that's about it."

"How good are you at tactics?"

"I'm alright? I guess… but I'm actually studying medicine to be a doctor so I'm not exactly a tactician…" Sakura trailed off, playing around with the sleeves of her sweater in embarrassment.

Even though she hadn't given much of an answer, Deidara suddenly jumped up in excitement like a kid at a candy store. "You're perfect! I can't wait to tell the other guys yeah!"

'HUH?' was the only think the poor girl's intelligent mind could think of before she was suddenly whisked off to Kami knows where.

Kisame waited, holding his breath as he stared down his opponent, looking out for any signs of weakness.

It was time.

As the two of them mirrored each other's movements, they both flipped their respective cards and-

"SPEED! Tobi beat fishy-chan at speed again! Tobi is a good boy!"

"Damit!" Kisame grumbled as he, being the loser at the speed game, had to shuffle the cards.

They were currently sitting on the bleachers that were normally filled with cheering crowds during game time. As he was about to deal, Kisame loudly complained, "Why don't we play something else? I bet I can beat you at poker, not some loser game like speed!"

A man with dyed green hair suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, "Dumbass, remember that time we played strip poker? - It's not right to gamble, please play good card games."

Kisame groaned, "How could I forget? His poker face is just looking happy as hell all the time."

"Sorry for the embarrassing memory where – you got fucked up so badly, we decided that there was no other punishment after loosing all your clothes"

As Kisame started to deal again, trying with might to erase the horrible memory, the door to the gymnasium suddenly slammed open.

"I FOUND A NEW MANAGER YEAH!"

Won't see it coming when it happens, hey
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down

It was Deidara. And not only Deidara, it seemed as if he dragged along a cute, but tired and flustered little pink haired girl.

Tobi wondered why Kisame suddenly looked so flustered. Was it the heat? Tobi is a good boy who should check the AC!

Pein looked up from a discussion with his heart's sister Konan, to frown at Deidara.

'Predictable… Konon wont even graduated for another year and yet and he's looking for a replacement… I'm more like a tutelary of a bunch of kids than the team Captain.'

I never thought I'd, hear myself say, ooh, ya'll gon' head
I think I'm gonna kick it wit my girl today, kick it wit my girl today
I used to be commander and chief
Of my pimp ship flyin' high, flyin' high)
Til I met this pretty little missile that shot me out the sky
(Oh shot me out the sky)

But looking at the shy girl, he suddenly had the urge to drag her away from the madness called Deidara and cosset her in a nice haven – his arms, not Deidara's. But he kept his cool – after all, he was their captain - and stated calmly, "Deidara, if this is another one of your stunts like that time you said you would fly on the ridiculous clay bird of yours" –

"Don't insult my art!" Deidara sniffed at the reminder.

"And besides, this is the famous transfer student! She's studying to be a doctor so she can be the team healer too yeah. I bet Sakura's even smarter than that stupid Uchiha yeah!"

Now, the only Uchiha that Sakura knew was Sasuke, who was really smart in her opinion, but happen to be at Konoha High so she was curious. 'Is there another Uchiha here? A cousin?'

Suddenly, everyone sensed an evil aura, or maybe just a pissed off aura.

"Your definition of 'stupid' seems wrong. Stupid is clearly a term for blonde idiots who tried dancing "Single Ladies" while drunk"

Sakura and Deidara both turned around to look at said mystery person. One in curiosity and one in anger. You can pick who had which emotion.

While Deidara promptly started yelling at the "Bastard Uchiha", Sakura blushed furiously, 'Oh crap it's the hot-guy-playing-basketball-outside-who-saw-me-watching-him! Hitachi? Wait- Itachi!'

And as fate would have it, he directed his attention to her and gave her a dashing smirk with heated onyx eyes.

'So that was his expression from before…'

We, were never meant to be baby we just happen
So please, don't mess up the trick, hey young world I'm the new slick rick
They say I move too quick, but we can't let the moment pass us
Let the hourglass pass right into ashes

Walking slowly up to the petrified Sakura (and blatantly ignoring a yelling Deidara), he raised his hand to tilt up her chin so that she was looking directly up at him.

"Hello Sa-ku-ra…" The way he said her name just had to be illegal

Or at least X-rated

"My name is Itachi Uchiha"

Sakura mentally rolled her eyes 'I already figured that out' while at the same time melting into puddy at his very presence and proximity. Yes, geniuses can emotionally double-task.

"Please pardon that stupid Deidara for dragging you all the way down here to these… savages" Itachi apologized the very paragon of a prince, all the while kissing Sakura's palm in a slow and sensuous manner that made her insides melt with happiness when Sakura was suddenly yanked away from his grasp and her back was suddenly pressed up against someone else's chiseled chest.

"Watch it Uchiha. Sakura's mine yeah."

Fighting the blush – she was starting to get the hang of it – and ignoring Deidara who was currently in a somewhat one-sided pissing contest with the Uchiha, she started to edge away from the two towards escape.

"Who are you calling yours? Anything you own runs away at the fear of blowing up from your stupidity."

"Don't insult my art yeah! An unartistic bastard like wouldn't know art even if it kicked you in the face yeah!"

"Or blow up, based on your ideas of art in that empty skull of yours."

"That's it yeah! You're going down Uchiha!"

"Only the mentally incompetent would intentionally pick fights."

Sakura was almost at the door. She could practically taste the triumph of escape when the doors suddenly opened.

'Crap'

Was all Sakura could think as she was suddenly hugged by a certain person that she coughtrippedcough over.

"So that's where my little angel went… I was sad when you ran away before but now that I've caught you… You can't run away."

Wishing that she had magic powers to make her disappear, heck, even something like a music box that lulled everyone to sleep while she escaped would be good enough.

Sadly enough, Sakura lacked said magical powers and magical items.

Being cuddled by a stranger and feeling sudden murderous auras coming from many people behind her, Sakura wished that it was all just some stupid, fucked up dream.

Won't see it coming when it happens
But when it happens you're gonna feel it, let me tell you now
You see when love knocks you down
Yeah

WhiteMint: It's over! I have to say, this one took a while. This one is going to be continued! Just check out my profile, it has the sequel... along with a side story

This story is basically all the Akatsuki falling in love for Sakura-chan! The other members will be out later (depends on my mood) and yes, Pein loves Konan like a sister so he's after Sakura too. I'm not into yuri or yaoi so no one get there hopes up in that area.

Oh yah, that part about the x-ratedness, I read that from another fic and I thought it was genius! So I incorporated it to this one-shot!

More reviews, faster updates. Sounds like a plan?