WARNING: PROFANITIES

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STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED

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Maybe in hell I'd be accepted.

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J U V I E

we are all but the same, sinners

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"You are disgusting, get out of my sight," the man bitterly spat as he literally threw her out the door. The door slammed shut and all that was left was a wrecked mess left teary-eyed, staring at the door in dismay.

She could hear the distinct sound of a vase (it sounded rather expensive) shattering into pieces as the thin glass windows gave away the hysterical screaming inside.

She was unwanted.

Her friends didn't believe her, hell; her own family even threw her out! She felt all alone, no one was there.

She smiled sourly.

She would be in prison by the end of this week, might as well enjoy the remaining days of freedom.

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Naruto sneered as he dropped his last card onto the pile. He had always been great at card games, be it poker or Uno. But compared to the pride of winning a poker game, he felt a zilch hint of smugness. How can he be proud when he'd just won a card game for petty ten-year olds? Damn rules.

The prison warden had one day, somehow gotten this crazy idea that playing cards in juvenile prison would influence the juveniles to start gambling once they got out, so he banned them and decided that the only type of playing cards that was allowed were Uno cards.

Can anyone say paranoia?

"That's it, I'm done with this. There is no way in hell or heaven, am I going to stay here playing such childish games. This isn't even worth a bet," Shikamaru lazily pointed out. "This game is shit. I don't even understand why kids would even like the idea of playing a game with so many colourful cards. I swear; looking at these cards would probably blind me."

"Maybe that's what they're trying to do. They're trying to blind us so we won't escape!" Suigetsu shouted smartly. "I heard from my people that the meeting between the warden and state officials was pretty much in turmoil after Gaara came close to escaping last week."

The red-head viciously glared at the blonde sitting across of him. "And I would've gotten away if it weren't for that stupid Naruto pulling my leg and begging me to bring him with me. You're an idiot. I considered helping you out, but after that stupid stunt you pulled― I think I'm happier with the thought of you rotting away in this hellhole."

"Oh, Gaara, I know you don't mean that!"

He glared in response. "Try me. Just wait and see till the next time I get the chance to get out of here― I'll nail your hands to the bloody wall so you won't get away," he said, his face as serious as a rock. Then again, when was Gaara otherwise?

Naruto gulped and smiled nervously at him. "I understand that you aren't kidding when you say that, Gaara."

Why did he have to be the one to do the most stupid things? Why couldn't he be born with a greater sense of common sense? And why did everyone have to act deadly serious when they threatened him? It was as if they were really going to do it― which he really hoped they wouldn't because he still wanted to get out of here and get married.

"Anyways," Suigetsu said, cutting through the thick tension that had started to develop between the small group, "I've been hearing some… interesting things."

Naruto's ears perked up. He was sort of like the male version of Gossip Girl― you could say Gossip Boy. He was always on the prowl for juicy news to get his paws on. "What kind of things…? Tell me!"

"Hear this," he said, leaning closer, "there's a girl coming here."

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The judge pounded his gavel.

Guilty.

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Two primly dressed guards led her down the dark hall.

She could hear maniacal laughter and hissing as she passed cell after cell, figures in the dark corner looking at her with a slight hint of animalistic hunger.

This was the first time they'd seen a female in years.

Sakura internally cringed as she felt a man look her up and down as he leaned against the bars of his own cell – which was right next to her own, as the guards stopped and unlocked the sliding bars before roughly pushing her in and locking it again.

"Meals are at six hundred, thirteen hundred, and eighteen hundred thirty hours respectively. The cells are unlocked in the early morning till the late afternoon, you are free to wander about the containment grounds and go for your meals in these hours. Anyone caught beyond the permitted hours will be severely punished, no exceptions," one guard said, referring to her gender.

The other one laughed and the two continued their way down the hall, occasionally banging their batons against the bars in attempt to silence some of the juveniles who had started screaming obscurities in their faces.

She didn't belong here.

At least, she hoped she didn't.

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As she walked into the cafeteria that morning, a bit happy at getting out of that cold, dark cell, all eyes turned to her.

It seems that Konoha Juvenile Prison isn't short of variety. There were tattooed guys, skinny guys, fat guys, short guys, tall guys, ugly guys, and strangely, even good-looking guys.

Sakura did, however, note that she was the only girl there. How lovely. Now she just had to make sure she slept with her eyes open.

A light tap on her shoulder and a loud, boisterous voice broke her small train of thought. "Excuse me, are you the new girl or am I just daydreaming? It has been a few years since I've seen a woman, after all. Well, a woman other than mum."

Sakura stood still and quiet, gripping her tray of food so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Oh, she knew she should've just stayed in her cell. That way, she could have just starved her way to death and would forever rest in peace… in hell, of course. Suicide really isn't the answer to heaven. Then again, how can you even rest in peace when you're in hell? Isn't it supposed to be burning hot with little demons crawling around, trying to eat your head?

"I'm sorry. How rude of me! You must be terribly frightened at the thought of some random stranger― not to mention, from prison― speaking to you. I'm Suigetsu, pleased to meet you, milady. Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you."

Sakura (who was, by that time, determined to turn around and race toward her space) turned around to run when she caught sight of the rather attractive man bowing down and offering a gracious smile to her.

Oh.

He wasn't exactly the scary, burly man she had thought of him to be.

"H-hi! I'm S-sakura!" Sakura spluttered, unable to say anything. What else was there to say?

The man (Suigetsu was his name, she recalled) straightened up and offered his hand to her. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura! I guess I can understand why you have that name," he said, laughing slightly, "your hair somewhat gives it away, what with green eyes and pink hair. I must say, it certainly is very suitable for you. Why don't I introduce you to my friends?"

She smiled a tad bit unsurely at him. He seems nice enough, but what can you expect from a man who hasn't met a woman in a long time? And of course, she can't forget the fact that this was juvenile prison and that this man was a juvenile prisoner here. Sakura decided to say silent.

Taking her silence as an answer, Suigetsu decided it was a yes and pushed her towards a table at the far right corner of the cafeteria.

Sakura started to panic.

Noticing her growing wariness, he patted her back friendlily, he told her he wasn't going to do anything else other than show her to his friends.

"Here they are, the people I dread to call my friends," Suigetsu said as they stopped at a round table occupied by four.

One looked aloof (and really, really good), one looked homicidal, one looked dead, and the last one just looked stupid― maybe rather cute, but still stupid nonetheless.

Suigetsu pointed at the one who looked stupid. "That one there is Naruto. He's an idiot, don't talk to him." Naruto threw a spoon at him― which he dodged, of course.

"The redhead is Gaara. Note that he has an ego the size of Mars. He likes pandas, eyeliner, and scaring the shit out of people." The addressed glared at him at the first three mentions but secretly smirked as he heard the last one. Yes, Gaara was a masochist. Blood was sort of his thing.

"Shikamaru is the one sleeping. He's a lazy arse, so don't expect any favours from him! And he's half Spanish― if I'm not mistaken― which is why everyone calls him our hermanito!"

Shikamaru who was dead asleep woke up suddenly and sluggishly said, "No, only you call me that, Suigetsu. Everybody else sticks to my real name, thanks." And his head fell back onto the table as he resumed his slumber.

"Whatever, hermanito. Anyways, the last and definitely the least is Sasuke! If Gaara has an ego the size of Mars, then Sasuke has one the size of Jupiter! You shouldn't piss him off― and I'm telling you that it's a very, very easy and regular occasion 'cause he's so temperamental― because he might just kill you. Seriously, Naruto and I have been there, done that. We were just too smart and fast for him."

The two high-fived each other before a spontaneous fight suddenly started between them.

"Sakura-chan will never love you! You're as ugly as the wall― and not the kind with nice wallpaper!" Naruto screamed as he mounted Suigetsu's stomach and began to beat him with his used food tray. "You're almost as hideous as the bastard!" Sakura cringed as Suigetsu threw Naruto off his stomach and began kicking him.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" she asked worriedly. The three of them shrugged nonchalantly, so she took it as a no.

"They do this all the time. Everyone's already used to it, even the guards don't seem to care," Gaara said dully. "Give yourself a few months to know these two and you'll understand why we don't care if either one of them slits the other's throat."

As the two continued to fight, the other three merely watched in boredom. Sakura awkwardly stood beside the table, still holding the tray of food in her hands which she admitted― was growing kind of heavier by every passing second.

Sasuke, noting her discomfort, nonchalantly said, "If you're done standing there like a complete idiot, I suggest you sit down."

Sakura blushed bright scarlet in embarrassment and shuffled over to the circular table to take a seat right beside where Shikamaru was sitting (or sleeping, whatever). She stared down at her feet and continued to prod at her food (that slab of meat suspiciously looked like foot, hm).

"You'll get used to it," Gaara said indifferently, taking a spoonful of his own tray Sloppy Joe (or so she presumed it to be) and carefully swallowing it. "Once you get over the smell, the taste really isn't that bad. You've just got to learn to chew and swallow without breathing. Easy."

She stared at the redhead strangely.

Something just wasn't quite right with that boy, Gaara. Sakura could just feel it.

Then again, she had crap instincts, so never mind, then.

"I… I don't really think I can get used to something like this…" she said uncomfortably, smiling uncertainly.

Gaara shrugged. "Whatever. You have all the time in the world to do that. Three years isn't very little time. On the other hand, juvie prison can be an awfully dull place, so don't hope for any midnight raves or anything."

Sakura's eyes widened like the sunny side up eggs on her tray and she stared at him with her mouth hanging open.

No.

Way.

"T-three y-years?"

Gaara nodded wisely. "Aa. But three years is the minimum. I mean, your time here depends on what you've done to get yourself here."

Sakura panicked.

She knew she deserved more than three years. Most of the teens here might've been caught for drug dealing or illegal possession of weapons, but she was here for something worse. Something that might've even gotten the bulked up alley boys in the corner to gasp in shock.

Oh yes, Sakura knew she was in for hell.

"Don't worry, Pinky. I doubt you did something that bad. Come on, what did you do? Steal candy from some little girl? How bad can it be?" Gaara mocked, sniggering.

She blinked nervously at him.

Her hands were clammy, her head was spinning, and she couldn't even think straight anymore.

She didn't do it, she was sure of it.

But everyone kept blaming her, blaming her, blaming her― and she wondered if she really didn't do it.

Sakura stood up abruptly. "I… I need to go back to my cell… excuse me."

As she sprinted back to her cell, curious eyes and confused glances were sent her way― including one of a usually ignorant, dark, young man.

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Sakura leaned her back against the wall and sighed.

She even had to convince herself that no, she didn't do it.

But it was so hard when there's no when there to reassure you, hold you, tell you it's all going to be alright.

And she felt something wet run down her cheeks and she realized she was crying. She wasn't supposed to cry. She was supposed to be strong, independent, and self-reliable. Especially since she all on her own.

But she couldn't help it.

What she did was unforgivable― whether or not she believed herself.

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edit 20.05.10: well, i decided to totally rewrite the whole first chapter because it sucked so much. not much improvement, though :-P and i basically removed neji out of the mix for particular reasons that you shall find out later on. ah, i used to be so excited about writing this. now i'm just sort of lagging behind. idk. loss of interest ig. though with that being said, i will still continue writing! i hate to let you all down :-) updates, though, don't count on them. i can tell you that i'll update next week, and yet you'll be reading it half a year later. heehee.