Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2755133.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Naruto
  Relationship:
      Uchiha_Sasuke/Uzumaki_Naruto, Uchiha_Sasuke_&_Uzumaki_Naruto, Gaara_&
      Uzumaki_Naruto, Hyuuga_Neji_&_Uzumaki_Naruto
  Character:
      Uzumaki_Naruto, Uchiha_Sasuke, Gaara_(Naruto), Hyuuga_Neji, Haruno
      Sakura, Nara_Shikamaru, Inuzuka_Kiba
  Additional Tags:
      mentions_of_domestic_violence, Explicit_Language
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-12-11 Updated: 2016-08-18 Chapters: 17/? Words: 42647
****** This Way to the Stars ******
by skyemaxwell
Summary
     When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. AU.
Notes
     Disclaimer: I own nothing but my dreams. I pretend to own the stars,
     until someone else would claim them.
     I first posted this fic on ff.net years ago under the pen name
     godofcontradiction. In the light of Masashi Kishimoto finally closing
     the last page on the wonderful journey of Naruto, I took this one out
     of the shelf and dusted it off. Reading one's old work is fascinating
     and embarrassing, so I'm re-writing this one and posting it here,
     because, what the heck! Maybe in a few years, I'll get to come back
     and read this again and marvel at how much past-me had sucked. Haha.
     Comments would be highly appreciated!
***** Wish *****
                   “She had to gather her wishes like coins.
                     She drowned them in a wishing well.”
                                  -Clairvaux
 

“Boy!”
Eyes snapped open as he felt the knee-jerk reaction of fear clenching his
stomach. He took a second to re-orient himself as he found himself in an
unfamiliar room.
That's right. They had just moved to the city. This was his new room.
“BOY! Get your lazy ass down here right now!"
He struggled to sit up, wincing at the pounding in his head and gingerly
testing his legs against the cold floor. In the chaos of moving in, he had been
unable to find spare sheets and discovered first-hand just how cold an attic of
an old Victorian house could get.
“I’m coming!” he croaked, stumbling down the steps and into the warmer recesses
of the house. It was a beautiful house, and truthfully, Naruto would have taken
the time to admire the sweeping façade and the winding staircase, if he hadn't
had to worry about finding the time to clean it.
The Harunos had struck gold winning a lottery, and no one had been more
surprised than Naruto, who found it supremely unfair that such luck could
befall on such a rotten family. Immediately, they had used the large sum to
move into the city, and bought a large property in the affluent area of Konoha.
Naruto had been over the moon. His life with the Harunos had never been very
pleasant, and the entire neighborhood avoided him. Thanks to that, he had no
friends and his teachers pretty much pretended he was not there. Hopefully, in
this new place, in a new school, he had a chance of starting anew. Maybe it
would be different.
"Yes?" Naruto stood in front of Nana Saya (whom he secretly called Baba Saya),
the head help of the house.
"Sakura needs help unpacking. Go make yourself useful."
Naruto bit back a sigh. "I'm sure she wouldn't want me hanging around her
stuff. Are you sure there isn't anything else I could do?"
He nearly got walloped in the head for that.
For as far as he can remember, Naruto had lived with the Harunos. If he had
parents who loved him, he would never know, since the Harunos had never spoken
of his parents or ever mentioned the fact that he had one.
The family had a daughter of the same age, and she and Naruto were brought up
together, in a way that was like something out of a social experiment. One was
lavished with love and affection, while the other was ignored. When he was
younger, he remembered wanting to play with Sakura's toys, and got badly
scolded for it. As soon as they could, they made him help around the house to
'pay his keep.' Privately, Naruto could deal with the manual labor and the
overt favoritism, but he never really understood the despise with which they
treated him. All his life, he was treated like a pariah, like he had committed
a crime that only he wasn't aware about. Growing up, it was just the way it
was. Now that he was older, he found it was too late to question it. 
“I'm supposed to help you unpack." Naruto said glumly, peeking through the door
of Sakura's room.
She gave a cursory grimace but pointed to a pile of boxes which he dutifully
began to rip into.
“That box contains breakable objects that's worth more your life ten times
over." She commented. "If I hear so much of a tinker you’ll be out sleeping
with the dogs.”
“Whatever.” Naruto mumbled, but noticeably slowed his movements. It was the
first day of school tomorrow. He couldn't afford to sleep outside.
“I’m sorry?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
"Good boy."
The box was full of junk. Naruto grimaced as his fingers caught on the pointed
end of a figurine. These were collecting dust in Sakura's old bedroom, and why
she had brought them, dust and all, into her very new, brightly lit bedroom was
unfathomable.
"Where do you want these?"
"On the shelf."
"You don’t have a shelf, Sakura."
"Then you'd better get me one, hm?"
Naruto bit back a scathing retort. Instead, he tried to keep casual
conversation since she seemed to be in a talking mood.
"Say, what do you think our new school is going to be like?"
"Way out of your league." Sakura gave a mean smile. "You can't possibly hope to
fit in."
"Hopefully, we won't be in the same class." Naruto replied sincerely.
"Don't even think about talking to me at school." Sakura tossed her hair. "I
don't know you. You don't know me. Let's keep it that way, indefinitely."
"Deal." Naruto replied fervently. "Please don't even look in my direction."
Sakura shot him an ugly glare.
"Shut up and get back to work."
Maybe I pushed her too far, Naruto wondered, as he glanced at the moody
expression on her face. Pissing Sakura off was one of Naruto's few pleasures in
life, but it never bode well for him.
He ended up working all through the night.
Naruto put down the last of the boxes on his cold floor with a loud sigh. His
clock read 3:10 and he ached all over, the headache blooming into an all-out
migraine. He dug out a jacket and curled up into the threadbare sheet he
managed to steal downstairs. Chills wracked his thin frame as he coughed into
his stiff hands.
This sucked.
It was the first day of school tomorrow and he'll be damned if he messes up. It
was supposed to be his shot at a new beginning. Things were supposed to be
different. They had to be. 
He glanced up at the dusty panes of his window and allowed a small smile at the
view. He could see the stars.
That night, for the first time in a long time, he put his hands together and
clasped it to his chest. He fell asleep like that, as if in prayer, with the
stars winking above him and the whisper of a dream long, long forgotten.
 
**
***** Journey *****
                       “The journey of a thousand miles,
                          begins with a single step.”
                                  -Confucius

                                        
“I give up on you, you useless child. Go bother someone else so I can finish my
work.”
Naruto winced as the cook tossed him the knife. He forced himself to catch it,
nearly slicing off his fingers in the process. He was more afraid of what would
happen if he didn’t. Gingerly putting the knife back in its place, Naruto
slipped out of the kitchen before the cook decided to throw something more
hazardous his way.
He had woken up that morning, shaking with fever and a cough. Miserable, he had
asked for some medicine and attempted to go about his usual morning chores
before going to school. After knocking over a few pans and nearly upending the
Haruno’s breakfast, he was finally allowed to wallow in self-pity in the
bathroom.
“Hey.”
Naruto blinked against the white porcelain, where he had rested his forehead to
cool. Sakura stood by the doorway, frowning at him. 
“I have to use the bathroom.”
Sakura was using the bathroom? That meant…
“Wh-what time is it?”
“Time for you to get out.”
Naruto stumbled out of the bathroom, wincing as the slamming door made his head
protest. He had to put on his uniform… shit.
“It hasn’t dried properly.” Naruto sighed, plucking at the green blazer hanging
in his room. He barely had time to wash it yesterday, and now it hadn’t had
time to dry. This was officially turning into a very sucky day.
His white button-up at least was wearable, and he quickly put it on, stopping
for a moment to grab his one jacket and his bag, before rushing out of the
house. He should be able to make it. Please, oh please, don’t let her leave
yet—
“Sakura!”
Naruto managed to catch the tail end of the black sedan as it rolled out of the
driveway.
“Fuck!” Naruto fumed, kicking at the dust left behind. “She totally did that on
purpose. FUCK YOU, SAKURA!”
He just lost his ride to school and he had no idea where Konoha Academy was.
Biting back the urge to shout out more expletives, he hunched his shoulder and
set off outside the black gates. He was getting to that school, even if he had
to fucking walk all the way to the other side of the city.
He tried to keep track of his route so he could at least find his way back to
the house, but after his third or fourth turn, the gray buildings all began to
look the same.
“Watch it.” Someone groused as they bumped into him.
“I’m walking here!” Naruto snapped automatically, scowling at the person who
didn’t even look at him. Naruto blinked. These people were rude, but… they
weren’t rude to him specifically.
Gradually, he realized that there was an odd, yet gratifying change in the
atmosphere. The people here weren’t glaring at him, there were no village kids
trying to trip him with their foot. There was no whispering, or catcalls. In
fact, Naruto braved approaching a middle aged woman and asked for directions,
half expecting a disapproving glare and a stern word; but was pleasantly
surprised when she smiled kindly at him and pointed southwards.
It was crazy, he knew. But despite being hopelessly lost in this new and
unfamiliar city, he felt the stirrings of hope in his heart that maybe, just
maybe, this could work after all.
And on that high note, he saw someone wearing a familiar uniform walking across
the street.
“Wait!” He immediately broke into a run, determined not to lose the figure.
“You! In the uniform! Stop!”
The boy must have heard him since he stopped to turned around, but Naruto was
so intent on getting to him that did not notice the speeding car as he
scampered across the road.
“Watch out!”
Naruto yelped as he was yanked forward, the blaring horns and angry yells
roaring past him as he met the painful taste of concrete on his knees.
“Do you have a death wish?” came the tight, angry voice from above.
Naruto blinked up at a pair of impossibly gray eyes. For a second, he was
struck dumb at the thought of how pretty they were (like pearls), before he
registered the glare of disapproval in them. An instinctive defensive retort
was halfway out his mouth before he realized the death grip on his arm was
shaking.
“Um… I’m… I’m sorry,” Naruto said instead, thrown at the confusing mix
of signals he was receiving. “I wasn’t thinking, and I just—“
“You should value your life more.” The boy replied, visibly reining his control
and Naruto felt a sinking disappointment as he saw a mask slide firmly into
place. “And look both ways when crossing.”
Naruto knew that was an insult, but he couldn’t find himself to care.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
The boy looked slightly taken aback. “I was not the one nearly hit by a car.”
“Did I fall on you? Did I wrinkle your shirt?” Naruto insisted, gripping at the
hand on his arm, trying to get back the spark back in the eyes that now looked
halfway dead. “I’m Naruto, by the way. I’m new here. I’m sorry if I upset you.”
The boy stared at him and Naruto was once again distracted by the pale gray of
his eyes. He was not admittedly the sharpest tool in the box, but somehow… he
couldn’t describe it… he knew this person was extraordinary. 
“Neji.” He finally replied, helping him up. He hesitated. “Hyuuga Neji.”
“Nice to meet you. I'm Naruto.” Naruto shuffled his feet, feeling the on-set of
a mild panic attack. He was having his first non-threatening conversation with
a stranger he desperately wanted to like him. He was badly out of practice.
“Um… which way to Konoha Academy?”
Neji frowned at his jacket. “Are you a student at our school?”
“Yes,” Naruto deflated. “Er, I mean, I’m new. I just moved into town
yesterday.”
“I see.” Neji turned to walk. “It’s not far from here. Walk with me, if you
like.”
Naruto tried to swallow the ear-splitting grin as he fell into step with the
taller boy. He hadn’t been told to fuck off—that was a win in his book.
“Um, so… Tell me about the school?” Naruto began, admiring the wealth of dark
hair of his companion. It sat well against the smooth paleness of his skin.
Neji looked something right out of a Japanese painting.
“It is a very prestigious school dedicated to the holistic education of its
students.” came the cool reply and Naruto couldn’t help the sting of rejection.
“It demands high academic achievements from its students and well-rounded with
various extra-curricular activities.”
“Okay,” Naruto replied in a small voice and they fell into silence.
“…what year are you?” The taller boy finally, hesitantly reached out. 
“Freshmen!” Naruto replied, visibly perking. “And you, Neji?”
“…Sophomore.”
“Aw, that means we won’t be classmates at all. That sucks.”
“…why would you want to be my classmate?”
“Why not? You’re pretty cool.” Naruto hesitated. “Would you want to be my
classmate?”
Neji regarded him for a moment, as if trying to decide what do answer.
“I’m not very good company.” He finally replied.
“No, you’re good.” Naruto hurriedly assured him “You’re the best company, Neji.
Believe it—OW!”
He had been so busy trying to assure Neji of his awesomeness that he walked
face-first into a lamp post.
Neji stared down at him in bewilderment. 
“Ow, ow, ow…!” Naruto clutched his head in pain. “Motherfu—!”
“…mph.” Neji slapped a hand to his mouth. “Your face… that was the most
ridiculous…” He gave up and threw his head back and laughed. 
“Shut up!”
“Who slams into a post like that?” Neji’s shoulders shook with mirth. “That was
like a one-man gag show, are you for real?”
“Well, at least you laughed.” Naruto chuckled ruefully, rubbing at the red
blooming on his forehead. “Ah-choo!”
Neji’s face was much more relaxed now as he once again helped Naruto to his
feet.
“A cold?”
“Yes, on top of everything else.” Naruto sniffed, rubbing his nose. “Man, this
day sucks.”
“You have a habit of causing injury to yourself.” Neji observed. “That’s twice
already today.”
“It’s not on purpose!” Naruto replied exasperatedly. “Trouble just finds me.
It’s evil. I’m cursed.”
“I shall guard you from further harm until we reach the Academy.” Neji replied
solemnly. 
“My hero.” Naruto muttered as they continued walking. Still, Naruto felt a
warmth in his belly as the silence now was much more comfortable than before.
He wasn’t too bad at this after all.
Neji wasn’t lying, Konoha Academy was barely a ten-minute walk and Naruto felt
the butterflies returning as he saw more and more people wearing the Konoha
uniform. He plucked at the garish orange of his jacket as he spiraled into dark
thoughts. Who was he kidding? He was not ready for this. They were going to
hate him. He was going to fuck this up. Nothing was going to change. Fuck. He
should just turn back now. He should just—
“We’re here.”
Naruto jerked back into reality. Neji looked at him intently for a few seconds
before nodding his head imperceptibly.
“You’re new here. I’ll show you to your room.”
“Th-thanks.” Naruto forced his feet to follow as Neji led him into the school
premises. He was probably imagining things, but people were staring at him.
Naruto felt the familiar curl of dread in his belly and hunched his shoulders,
trying to make himself as small as possible. His headache was making itself
known again with a vengeance, and the uncomfortable roil in his stomach made
him realize with a pang that he had not had any breakfast.
“This is the freshmen floor.” Neji said, glancing down at him. “Which class are
you in?”
“Um, Class D.”
“This is the one.”
Naruto did not reply, busy staring at the floor and trying not to hurl. Neji
watched him for a few moments, noticing the clammy pallor and white-knuckled
grip he had on the strap of his bag.
“Naruto.”
Naruto jumped, hearing his name being called out for the first time.
“Uh, yes—“
Neji reached over and flicked him on the forehead, where he had bumped into the
pole earlier. Naruto cried out and clutched his abused forehead in indignation.
“You’ll be fine.” Said Neji. “Take a deep breath and put on that big smile of
yours. They’re going to love you.”
“D-do you think so, really?”
“No,” Neji admitted. “They’ll probably think you’re strange, loud and
annoying.”
Naruto’s expression crumpled.
“…but there will also be others who will think you’re...” Neji gave a wry
smile. “Pretty cool.”
Naruto stared at him for a heartbeat before choking on a fit of giggles.
“You’re unexpectedly hilarious.” Naruto slapped him on the back. “I like you!”
“Lucky me.”
“Okay, smart mouth.” Naruto took a deep breath, feeling braver. “I’m ready.
Naruto Uzumaki is going in.”
Neji gave a small nod. “Good luck.”
He began to walk away.
“Hey, Neji?”
Neji glanced back as Naruto gave him a sheepish smile.
“Thanks.”
And with a last, small wave, the blonde head slipped into the classroom. Neji
stood in the hallway for a brief second longer before continuing his way
towards his own classroom. He allowed himself a small smile before carefully
slipping on his usual, blank expression.
After all, he was Neji Hyuuga, the proclaimed genius of the Hyuuga-clan and the
youngest student council president in the history of Konoha. He had no business
smiling in hallways when he had an image to keep up.
***** Season *****
                       To everything, there is a season.
                                -Ecclesiastes 3
 

Naruto’s pretty sure the universe hated him for some reason.
He had parted ways with Neji in good spirits, with more confidence that he
ought to have; but the excess energy caused him to open the door with more
force than necessary, and he was met with every pair of eyes in the room.
Smile, Neji’s voice rang in his head.
He cracked a nervous grin and scanned the room, when he saw a flash of pink. In
that split second, his world came crumbling down once again.
Of course. He just had to be classmates with Sakura.
Feet like lead, Naruto slunk his way over to the back of the classroom and sank
into the seat next to the window. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears.
“Hey, pretty boy.”
Naruto paused. Someone was talking to him. He slowly raised his head.
“Never seen you before, blondie. You must be new.”
Naruto tried to work his jaw past the shock of having someone strike a
conversation... and the shock of seeing a person with tattoos on their
goddamned face.
“…pretty boy?” he croaked instead.
“He speaks!” The boy dropped heavily into the seat across him. He was tall and
heavily built, as if he had spent his lifetime eating meat with the intention
of becoming a wrestler. He smelled of sun and, to Naruto’s slight horror, a
little bit of dog. “What’s your name?”
“Who are you calling pretty?” Naruto scowled. “Who are you?”
The boy frowned at him. “I asked you first. Didn’t your mother ever teach you
manners?”
Naruto felt himself go white and then red-hot as the boy’s words hit a familiar
nerve.
                       He doesn’t have a mother!
                                                   Why don’t you go crying to
your mommy?
                                                                               
   Oh wait--you don’t have one!
                                                                               
                                           Or-phan.      Or-phan.     Naruto’s
an or-phan.
“I wouldn’t bother talking to him.” A familiar voice spoke up from the center
of the room. Naruto whipped a glare towards Sakura, who was looking casually at
her nails. “Guys like him, so ill-mannered, so… uncultured. You can guess what
kind of family he is from. Or, well… isn’t from.”
The entire room had now fallen silent, watching the two new-comers drama.
Naruto clutched at his pants, nails digging painfully into his palms to stifle
the cry of rage and despair that was trying to claw its way out of his mouth.
She was doing it again. She was ruining his life.
“Oi.”
There was a small cry of alarm and a flurry of movement as a dark figure parted
the crowd like the red sea. Naruto kept his eyes pinned on the table,
humiliation and anger raging inside him, barely controlled. A dark shadow
falling over his desk finally forced him to look up. He was met with a
murderous expression and a shock of blood-red hair.
“Move,” The pale boy muttered, voice like sand-paper.
At that, Naruto physically felt his temper snapping.
“Who the hell are you?” He said rudely.
The boy—the other boy, the one who smelled of dog—had long since vacated his
seat and backed away, eyeing the red-head warily.
“This is my seat.” Came the cold reply, blood-shot eyes staring him down.
“Move.”
“I don’t see your fucking name on it.” Naruto crossed his arms defiantly. “I
got here first. This is my seat. Deal with it.”
“Blondie.” The dog-boy slowly said, eyes sliding between the two figures locked
in a staring contest. “Give Sabaku the goddamn seat for god’s sakes.”
“No.” Naruto replied stubbornly.
The other boy narrowed his eyes dangerously, and Naruto tensed, his body
instinctively reacting in fight-or-flight. The blood was roaring in his ears
again. He had dealt with a lifetime of bullies. This was just another one.
“Good morning.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the tension broke upon the arrival of
their teacher, who took one look at the scene and waved a placating hand.
“Making friends with the new kid? Good, good. I see you’ve met Gaara. Make nice
now, he’s gonna be your new seatmate for the semester. Isn’t that great?”
Naruto scowled back at Gaara’s death glare and tossed his head as the red-head
stiffly took the seat next to him.
“I’ll kill you.” Gaara murmured softly.
“You can try.” Naruto muttered back, sinking lower into his seat. “I’ll haunt
you to your grave, you bastard.”
They spent the rest of the class in utter silence, which was totally fine with
Naruto, since he had no intention of picking fights if he could help it. He
took this time to study his new classmates, making a mental note that Sakura
seemed to have found herself a new group, and that the blond-ponytail was her
new best friend. The dog-boy, who now sat with his back to Naruto, was
resolutely not looking at him. Naruto tried not to take it personally.
After all, he should have known this would happen.
 
===============================================================================
 
Naruto was having a nightmare.
He dreamt that he was in a classroom in a new school in the city, and that he
was in the same class as Sakura. He felt the crippling sensation one only got
in nightmares, and he was helpless to watch her slowly poison the well.
Eyes—cold, hard, merciless eyes. He could feel them like brands on his skin.
“Hey.”
Naruto tried to sink deeper into himself. No. He didn’t want to listen to any
more abuse. Hadn’t he had enough for a lifetime? He’d rather spend the rest of
his high school being ignored.
“Hey, blondie.”
Naruto slowly opened his eyes. Wooden desk. Unfamiliar face. Tattoos. That’s
right. It wasn’t a dream. The nightmare was real.
“Are you okay?” The dog-boy whispered. “You don’t look so good. You’re sweating
a lot.”
Naruto didn’t feel very good either, but that was probably the left-over nausea
from the over-all shittiness of his life. He barely noticed the classroom door
opening and the explosion of excited whispers in the room.
“Uchiha.” Their teacher—Kakashi—sighed. “You’re late.”
“I’m sorry. The council meeting took longer than expected.”
“What were you even doing in the council meeting?”
Naruto glanced up just as a dark-haired boy stepped into the classroom with a
careless shrug. The dog-boy made a tetchy sound under his breath.
“Damn. Uchiha’s in our class. Goodbye, peaceful days of youth.”
But Naruto was too busy realizing that the nausea wasn’t simply a psychological
one anymore.
“Sensei…” Naruto rose shakily from his seat. The room began to tilt sideways.
“T-toilet…”
“Blondie!”
“Oi!”
Naruto registered a sense of vertigo, jet-black hair and pale, moonlight skin,
before darkness enveloped him with whisper of wings and a vague sense of birds
in mid-flight.
 
***** Wings *****
                   “He clipped her wings so she couldn’t fly
              And she couldn’t escape while she watched him die.”
                                  -Clairvaux
 

Naruto ended up being sent home at the recommendation of the school nurse. He
had to practically grovel on his knees to stop them from calling the Harunos
and promised the school nurse that he was totally fine to go home by himself.
He barely remembered how he managed to get back, but he stole some soup from
the kitchen and fell into bed, more exhausted than he’d ever felt in a long
time.
He woke up the next day feeling like he’d been hit by a truck. Still, he didn’t
dare stay in the house, so he put on his uniform and dragged himself back to
the nurse’s office and begged her not to send him home.
“Who comes to school when they’re practically dying?” she scowled, watching him
settle into one of the beds. “You’re a strange kid.”
The school nurse was a scary lady called Tsunade, but her eyes had softened at
Naruto’s snot-covered expression and even gave him a warm cup of honey tea for
his throat.
“It’s just warmer here, that’s all.” Naruto murmured into his cup.
“Don’t you have heating at your place?”
Naruto opened his mouth to reply when the office door slid open and a vaguely
familiar head of jet-black appeared. His hand slipped with a clatter of the
teacup and he fell into a hacking cough to cover up the fact that his cheeks
were turning red.
“Uchiha,” Tsunade sighed exasperatedly, handing Naruto a napkin. “What is it
this time?”
“Headache.”
“You’re a shitty liar.” Tsunade snorted but allowed him to slink into the empty
bed at the corner of the room. “I’m kicking you out before lunch, you got
that?”
“Hn.” Was the only reply before the bed curtains swished close.
“Bastard.” Tsunade rolled her eyes. “All done, blondie? Time for your
medicine.”
Naruto silently downed the colorful pills and didn’t protest even as she
physically manhandled him into the covers. He tried to keep his eyes from
wandering constantly towards the closed curtains.
Why, he wondered, is my heart pounding like crazy?
“Granny,” he began, and promptly got hit on the head. “Ow! What the hell? Who
hits a patient?!”
“Who the hell are you calling ‘granny?” She snapped. “Do you want to die?”
“What a violent nurse.” Naruto groused. “You’re supposed to be nurturing. Nur-
tu-ring!”
“How about I nurture your face? With my fist?”
Naruto grumbled into sheets, losing the courage to ask about the boy on the
other side of the room. Maybe it was for the best, Naruto thought as he settled
into his bed. After all, people who looked like that don’t associate with
people like him.
With that thought, Naruto closed his eyes and fell asleep, trying not to think
about what happened yesterday and the emotions it brought like the rough winds
of autumn.
 
===============================================================================
 
It was lunch time when Naruto woke up. Tsunade took one look at him, declared
him fit and ordered him back to class.
“Hey there, blondie.”
“My name,” he sighed, dropping tiredly into his seat. “…is Naruto.”
“I’m Inuzuka Kiba.” The boy stuck out a large hand. “I’m sorry about what
happened the other day.”
Naruto was floored. He had never met someone who was so in-your-face. He never
had anyone apologize to him so straightforwardly either. Despite himself,
Naruto felt the air clearing between them as he took the offered hand.
“Wrong foot and all, eh?” Kiba grinned with a hint of sharp teeth. “I mean, I
wasn’t expecting the girl to go all psycho-mode on you. Bad blood?”
“Er—“ Naruto watched Kiba swing himself up on the desk, the wood creaking in
protest.
“Don’t tell me—“ Kiba raised a hand. “Ex-girlfriend?”
“Don’t even joke about that.” Naruto scowled, suppressing a shudder. “I don’t
know who she is. I’ve never seen her in my life.”
“Yeah?” Kiba shrugged. “So! Let’s be friends. What are your hobbies? Do you
like dogs? What do you think of ninjas?”
Naruto had to work hard to keep up with Kiba’s idiosyncratic speech pattern,
but despite encountering a few awkward conversational blocks, they finally
found a topic in which they began to discuss in earnest. In spite of
everything, Naruto found that he liked Kiba.
“But man, what a rough first day for you.” Kiba shook his head ruefully. “You
even pissed off Gaara. Do you have a death wish?”
Naruto frowned.
“I’m not scared of him.”
“You’re an idiot.” Kiba scoffed. “It’s basic human preservation, to be scared
of Gaara. He probably eats babies for breakfast.”
Naruto rolled his eyes and spied the now-familiar dark head enter the
classroom.
“Hey, who’s that?” Naruto watched as the boy was immediately surrounded by half
the girls in the class, including, Naruto noted, Sakura.
“Uchiha Sasuke.” Kiba rested his chin on a hand, gazing moodily at the
commotion in front of the classroom. “Konoha's precious genius. Bah. So what if
he’s got a pretty face, he’s a bag of dicks.”
“Genius?”
“Yeah, he’s the Captain of our soccer team. Mind, we’ve got the best team in
the league and we’ve got a freshman for a captain.” Kiba scowled. “I mean, he’s
pretty good, I’ll give him that, but man, is he a piece of work. He thinks he
can do whatever he wants and the thing is, he actually gets away with it. The
fucker.”
“Sounds like a douche.” Naruto admitted, sneaking a glance at the boy who
looked like he was bored to death. “He’s in our class?”
“Oh yeah, you were probably too out of it to remember.” Kiba snickered. “You
threw up on his highness’ shoes.”
Naruto gaped at him.
“I did not!”
Kiba howled with laughter, clutching at his belly.
“Oh MAN, that shit was gold. You sort-of stumbled out of your seat, face-
planted on his feet and went to town. It was crazy.”
Naruto wanted to die of embarrassment.
“Did sensei bring me to the nurse’s office?”
“Nope. Uchiha did. We all thought he was going to kill you and bury your body
somewhere.” Kiba wiped a tear from his eye and patted him on the shoulder.
“Glad you lived, buddy.”
Naruto covered his face and he decided, fervently, that he was never going to
get within a ten-foot radius of Uchiha Sasuke. He’d rather die.
“Move.”
Naruto glanced up as Gaara showed up, glaring at Kiba who had hopped off the
desk so quickly, he nearly hit his head. The red-head looked as surly as ever,
and Naruto realized with a frown that the boy had no eyebrows.
“Do you have like, two words in your vocabulary or something?”
Gaara ignored him. Naruto sighed and turned away, giving Kiba the stink eye (He
was staring at Naruto like he had grown two heads) and started doodling on his
notebook instead.
“Sabaku.”
Naruto looked up so fast his neck hurt. Uchiha Sasuke was standing in front of
them, staring down at Gaara. Naruto fought the curl of embarrassment creeping
up his face, with every fiber of his being. Gaara on the other hand, did not
even look up.
Naruto nudged him with a foot.
“You’re being spoken to, douche bag.”
Gaara gave him a filthy look before stiffly turning to the Uchiha. The dark-
haired boy tossed his head in a careless fashion.
“You’re in my seat. Move.”
Naruto felt his jaw dropping. What the fuck even. What was it with these people
and their seats?!
“I don’t see your name on it. Captain.” Gaara said coldly.
In spite of himself, Naruto couldn’t stop the small snicker that escaped him.
He quickly ducked his head as Uchiha’s eyes flickered to him.

“I'll say it again. Get out of my seat. Right now.”
Naruto snuck a look at Gaara’s face, secretly alarmed at the level of
malevolence an expression can convey. He wasn’t sure he was comfortable with
murder happening under his very nose.
“Why don’t you shove your—“ 
Naruto stood up with a loud scrape of his chair. The two stopped to stare at
him.
“You can have this seat. Geez!” Naruto spat at Sasuke, as he slung his bag over
one shoulder. “Enjoy, motherfuckers.”
Ears hot, Naruto dropped heavily beside a dumbfounded Kiba and resolutely kept
his eyes forward. He was highly conscious of the slight movements of the dark-
haired boy as he took the seat behind him. The scrape of the chair on the
tiles. The creak of wood. The overwhelming tension radiating like a physical
wave of discomfort.
“Close your mouth, Kiba.” Naruto said stiffly just as the bell rang shrilly,
announcing the end of lunch. The classroom regained some sense of normalcy as
more students came shuffling into the room, chatting about mundane things.
“Blondie,” Kiba shook his head, patting him on the shoulder. “You’re fucking
crazy man. And you’re my new best friend.”
Naruto paused, stunned into a helpless grin. Kiba may have not meant those
words, but it still made him overwhelmingly happy to hear them. He’d never had
a proper friend before.
“Believe it.”
 
===============================================================================
 
When Naruto opened his eyes, he immediately registered the familiar smell of a
nurse’s office. He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath, feeling the
pull of every aching muscle and hurt. His senses were bogged down by the fever
and his throat was on fire.
Oh. He fainted in class. On the first day too.
“This sucks.” He croaked into the silence.
A rustling sound answered to his right and Naruto looked down by his bedside
and saw a boy slouched in a chair; head tipped back and fast asleep. Naruto
stared at the pale expanse of neck and the finely cut jaw.
Who…?
He watched the rise and fall of his chest for a few more moments before slowly
turning to look up at the ceiling. He noticed the patch of cooling-gel on his
forehead and the glass of water by the bedside table. A swell of unknown
emotions rose like a tide from within him. For some reason, this strange boy
had probably carried him to the nurse’s office, stuck the gel to his forehead
and stayed to keep him company.
Despite the chills that wracked his body and the pounding in his head, Naruto
stared at the uninspiring ceiling, listening to the soft tinkle of wind chimes
from the open window and the steady breathing of the boy by the bed.
And felt peace.
 
***** Heart *****
              “People think that I must be a very strange person.
                             This is not correct.
                       I have the heart of a small boy.
                       It is in a glass jar on my desk.”
                                 -Stephen King
 

“I didn’t touch your stupid little lunchbox!”
“Liar! You stole it, you little thief! Everyone knows you steal food! I can’t
believe it! Do you even know how long it took to make it?!”
“I was upstairs, working on your stupid shelf the entire night!” Naruto yelled
back. “Besides, I wouldn’t eat anything you made even if I starved to death!”
Sakura let out a shriek of rage and seized the large steel pan from the stove
and flung it at him. Naruto was too stunned to move away and it hit him across
the cheek. He fell to his knees, the explosion of pain blindsiding him for a
few moments. The kitchen door swung wildly as Sakura ran out, leaving him on
the floor, ears ringing and breathless with pain.
She had always been prone to lashing out but lately, she had grown into the
habit of throwing things at him. Honestly, Naruto had enough trouble avoiding
the cook’s knives; he didn’t need another person joining the party!
“Fuck, this is going to bruise like hell.” Naruto sighed, clutching at his
cheek as he stood on shaky feet.
He heard the tell-tale slam of doors and the sound of the car pulling out of
the driveway. He stuck out his tongue and stooped down to pick up his bag. Off
to school it was.
Since the school was blessedly close by, he was able to walk there everyday and
lessen his time in Sakura’s presence to a bare minimum. After that disastrous
first day, a week had gone by with relative normalcy, and Naruto had finally
begun to relax. He found himself looking forward to school, where, despite
being classmates with Sakura and butting heads with Gaara, he had friends who
not only tolerated him, but… dare he say it… seemed to like him.
Kiba had taken the best-friend duty to heart and introduced him to his group of
friends at the lunch table. They were an odd bunch, a mix of second and first
years, but they had taken Naruto under their wing like it was perfectly normal.
Naruto had never been happier.
He still had trouble keeping up with Kiba’s pop-culture references, and Lee’s
over enthusiasm sometimes gave him headaches, but… they were good people. And
they thought Naruto was funny and not strange at all (probably because they
were much stranger to begin with). Shikamaru and Shino made up for the other
two’s loudness by being practically dead. Chouji… well, Chouji just ate a lot.
Naruto paused in his musings and blinked in confusion. He thought he saw… That
had been a giant carp running past him…wasn’t it?
He whipped around and stared at the disappearing tail with mystified alarm. Had
he been hit that hard? Was this a concussion? As he approached the wrought iron
gates of Konoha, Naruto realized that the school ground was unusually busy with
students running around and pitching up tents. Naruto brightened as he spotted
a familiar figure.
“Neji!”
The graceful figure turned to look at him. Naruto hesitated for a split second
at the cold look on his face, but it soon melted into a more relaxed
expression.
“Well. I see you’ve survived your first week, freshman.”
Naruto grinned, screeching to at stop in front of him and punching him on the
arm.
“I’ll have you know I’m doing great. I even made friends.”
“Congratulations.” Neji grudgingly rubbed at his arm and then paused. “…what
happened to your face?”
“Huh?” Naruto’s hand shot up to his face and he was painfully reminded of this
morning. “Oh. Uh, I fell.”
Neji looked at him sternly. “Did you get into a fight? Was it another student
at this school?” His eyes narrowed. “Sabaku Gaara’s in your class, isn’t he?”
“No!” Naruto cried, shaking a hand violently in denial. “I mean, yes, Gaara’s
in my class, but… god, no! Gaara has absolutely nothing to do with this, we
don’t even speak to each other. He doesn’t even know I exist.”
“He has a history.”
“Even if we did get into a fight, I can hold my own.” Naruto replied firmly. “I
fell. End of story. Tell me why I saw a giant carp headed this way.”
Neji tactfully dropped the topic.
“It’s club-fair week. Haven’t you been paying attention to your teachers?”
“New guy.” Naruto pointed to himself. “What’s a club fair?”
“Konoha dedicates a week for various clubs to sponsor events or productions, to
attract new members for their choice of after-school activities.” Neji nodded
towards a booth. “That’s the Drama club. They’re very prestigious; they hold a
production every year at the local theater. That one’s the Baseball Club.
Basketball Club. Archery. Art. Konoha has a lot to offer.”
“Hmm.” Naruto surveyed the grounds. “Are you in a club, Neji?”
“Of a sort. It’s mandatory, or did your teacher forget to mention that, as
well?”
“Kakashi-sensei doesn’t really tell us much.” Naruto mumbled, already worrying
about how to adjust his workload at the house with the added problem of an
extra-curricular activity.
“Ah,” Neji sighed, as if he understood everything. “Kakashi-sensei is the type
who won’t share information unless being asked. I suggest next time you ask him
questions. A lot of it.”
“Do we really have to join one? Is there any way out of it?” Naruto pressed.
“What if we don’t have the time for that?”
“The school allots a specific time during school hours for official club
activities. That is why it is mandatory.” Neji shrugged. “If you are concerned
about your valuable time, I suggest you pick a club that will not require you
to invest in after-school hours.”
Naruto was not convinced. "I guess.”
A harassed looking boy appeared, waving a bunch of papers.
“Hyuuga, I need you to look at these.”
Naruto immediately stepped back. “That’s my cue to leave. Thanks for the info,
Neji.”
“Put some ice over that.” Neji advised, already turning to the address the
documents. “And don’t get into fights.”
“I didn’t get into a fight!” Naruto yelled over his shoulder, sticking out his
tongue. He didn’t notice Kiba until he practically crashed into him. “Oof!”
“How the hell are you even in speaking terms with the Hyuuga?!” Kiba
immediately rounded him in a headlock. “Do you make it a habit of attracting
trouble, blondie?”
“Good morning to you, too.” Naruto snapped, struggling out of his grip. “Ow,
ow, ow. Get OFF me, jeez.”
“What happened to your face?” Kiba blinked at him.
“I fell.” Naruto replied shortly.
Kiba let out a howl of laughter. “I~diooot!”
“Fuck you!”
“You picking a fight, blondie? Huh?!”
“Bring it on, dog-breath!”
“Hey! The two idiot freshmen over there!” Neji snapped from where he was
talking to a group of people. “Shut your mouths and get back to your
classrooms!”
Naruto scowled, affronted.
“Who are you calling idio—?!“ Kiba stuffed a large hand over his mouth and
dragged him off the grounds.
“Ouch—you fucker—that hurt!” Naruto rubbed at his jaw. “What’s the big idea?”
“I just saved your ass from getting suspended. You’re welcome, you ungrateful
shit.” Kiba laughed as they moved inside the building. “You don’t mouth off at
the Student Council President. School rules.”
“Who?” Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. “Neji?”
“What, you didn’t know?” Kiba looked at him funny. “So what the hell were you
two talking about? The weather?”
“He… he’s…”
A friend.
“He’s a good person.” He finished lamely instead.
“He’s scary as shit, that’s what.” Kiba corrected, sliding into their classroom
which was abuzz with excited chatter. “What’s going on?”
Shikamaru was slouched in a corner, looking disgruntled.
“Some girl confessing to Uchiha again.”
“Ah,” Kiba threw his bag onto his desk. “So it begins.”
“What?” Naruto tried not to sound too interested. “What’s going on?”
“For reasons unknown, girls lose their shit over Uchiha Sasuke.” Kiba sighed,
as he dug a finger into his ear. “They fall into this...rabid trance. It’s a
disease.”
“Cut it out.” Shikamaru snapped as Kiba flicked off some earwax at him.
“So, they like him, and they confess to him, right? They get rejected,
spectacularly, it’s not even funny. It’s a whole production. He’s an asshole.
And yet…” Kiba rolled his eyes. “They keep coming back. Like flies. Or rats.”
“You’re the asshole, Kiba.” said Naruto.
“Anyway, it’s always like this. Better get used to it.” Kiba stretched. “Ahhh,
damn it! That’s why I didn’t want to be classmates with Uchiha!”
“You’re just bitter he dropped you from the soccer team.” Shikamaru supplied.
“Shut up!” Kiba leapt to his feet. “That’s not true!”
“So noisy.” Someone muttered from the side.
They glanced up at Gaara who had just arrived, looking ready to commit mass
murder. Naruto noticed the bags under his eyes were darker than usual.
“Good morning, Gaara.” Naruto smiled sweetly. “What died in your cornflakes
today?”
Gaara ignored him and moved to his desk, sitting stiffly and automatically
moving to face the window.
“I keep telling you blondie,” Kiba murmured. “Keep poking the bear and it will
fucking rip your head off one day.”
Naruto ignored him in favor of watching the Uchiha slink into the classroom,
his usual blank expression on his face. There was no way the dark-haired boy
didn’t notice the hushed whispers and furtive looks. Naruto felt kind of bad
for him. Although their situation was different, he had spent a whole lifetime
blocking out unwanted attention. Somehow, he felt sympathetic.
“Sitting next to Sabaku was a tactical move on his part.” Shikamaru suddenly
spoke up. Naruto thought he had fallen asleep. “Nobody’s brave enough to
approach Uchiha now.”
“Why is everyone so scared of Gaara anyway?!” Naruto cried exasperatedly.
“Oh, haven’t you heard? He’s famous around here, you know? The red-demon
Gaara.” Kiba lowered his voice conspiratorially. “They say… he killed his own
mother.”
Naruto’s eyes widened and then narrowed.
“Bullshit.”
“Like you know better, blondie.” Kiba scoffed. “Look at him, man. He has
psychopath killer written all over him.”
Naruto gave a loud snort but obediently moved to his seat as Kakashi entered
the room to start class. He snuck a look at Gaara before sinking to his seat,
tapping his pencil in contemplation.
He couldn’t tell Kiba without the risk of sounding stupid, but despite his
violent appearance and the unmistakable aura of danger surrounding him, Gaara
did not look like a murderer.
His eyes, Naruto decided. It’s his eyes.
He would never admit it, even if he was tortured for a hundred years. He would
take it to his grave. But Naruto felt a spark of recognition when he saw
Gaara’s eyes. They were an angry, deep, sea-green; the color of empty skies and
pale sand and an island marooned in the depths of a stormy sea.
 
***** Understanding *****
                     All understanding is interpretation.
                               -Martin Heidegger
                                        
 
“Honestly, Kiba. You and I don’t work.” Naruto gritted his teeth, frantically
mopping up the mess that was their work table. “I can’t believe you tossed a
whole bowl of unpeeled potatoes into a pot of boiling water. Are you an
idiot?!”
“You told me to put the damn potatoes in, so I did!” Kiba snapped, brandishing
a knife.
“Don’t wave those around!” Naruto cried shrilly.
“What’s going on here?” The teacher looked down at them disapprovingly and
shook her head at the overturned pot. “A change of partner seems to be in
order.”
Naruto and Kiba kept silent, scowling at each other.
“Inuzuka with Nara.” She waved an impatient hand. “Uchiha! Get over here.
You’re pairing up with Uzumaki. That should keep you both out of trouble.”
Naruto felt himself go pale and then bright red in an instant.
“No! I’m sorry! I’ll do better. Kiba, I love you after all!”
“Heh! Idioooot.” Kiba stuck out his tongue. “Take you stupid potatoes and go
throw them at Uchiha’s hair for all I care.”
“You’re an asshole, Kiba!”
“Language,” The teacher sniped, already dragging Kiba by the ear towards
Shikamaru.
Sasuke approached the work-station, stoic as ever.
“And play nice!” She tossed over her back.
Naruto resolutely kept his eyes down as he stiffly bent to pick up the
discarded potatoes. He refused to look even as the Uchiha began to wordlessly
peel them.
For the whole of five minutes, the pair worked in complete silence, disturbed
only by the occasional clang of pots and soft bubbling of the water. Naruto was
halfway convinced that they could go through the entire class without speaking,
before his hand slipped and the knife cut deep into his finger.
“Shit!” Naruto cried, dropping the knife. He was an idiot. He was so
preoccupied with mentally beating himself up that he didn’t notice the other
boy talking until his hand was grabbed.
“Wh-wha—?”
“I said, you need to stop the bleeding.” The Uchiha muttered, ripping out a
paper towel. “Dumbass.”
Naruto could only gape in shock as the other boy pressed the paper towel onto
the wound. Embarrassed, he went for his default reaction.
“Who are you calling dumbass?!”
Sasuke made an annoyed sound under his breath. “So loud.”
Naruto’s face was in flames. Lost and embarrassed, he did the only thing he
could at the moment—run away.
He ducked inside the pantry where it was blessedly free of people, clutching
his wounded hand to his chest.
Why? Why? Why?
He didn’t understand how and why this boy’s presence made his insides feel like
jelly. The place where Uchiha had touched him still felt hot, and—what the fuck
was he even saying?! Get a grip, idiot!
“Ahh, stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” Naruto beat his head against the wall.
“Oi!” Someone started banging on the door. “Who’s in there? Open up!”
Naruto grabbed a few onions from a nearby basket and slapped himself in the
face with it.
“Get a grip, Naruto. He’s just some asshole. You just need to keep cool. Keep
cool. Just… whatever. Be cool.” He took a deep breath and opened the door. He
was on the slow trek back to his worktable when something made him stop dead in
his tracks in disbelief.
“Neji!” He cried, jogging over to the boy who was standing at the far end of
the classroom. “What are you doing here?”
The tall boy nodded at him in greeting.
“Supervising.”
Naruto threw up his hands in indignation. “Did the teacher report me or
something? I don’t believe it! It was just a pot of potatoes, and I cleaned it
all up! Jeez!”
Neji’s lips twitched for a split second before he folded his arms in a stern
manner.
“While I’m sure you’ve caused Kurenai-sensei enough grief for one day, I assure
you I have better things to do than supervise a freshmen in his Home Economics
class.”
“Oh right, mister Student Council President.” Naruto frowned. “By the way, I
totally didn’t know, okay? You’re not allowed to suspend me for rude behavior.”
“Am I?” Neji finally cracked a smile. “Well, I am allowed, however, to give you
an official warning on record, for disruption of duty since I am currently in
the middle of supervising the board of directors.”
Naruto whipped around and finally saw the strange people in suits milling
around the room. No wonder the class seemed uncharacteristically orderly. That
also explained why Kurenai-sensei was on hair-trigger all day.
“Did you ice that, like I told you to?”
For a second, Naruto had no idea what he was talking about, until Neji brought
up a hand and poked his badly bruised cheek. Honestly, he had completely
forgotten about that.
“Ow!”
It was still painful, though.
“If you don’t ice it, it’s going to look even uglier.” Neji sighed, slowly
putting his hands on Naruto’s face and gently tilting it to inspect the bruise.
Naruto squirmed. Neji’s hands were warm.
“Oi, dobe.”
Naruto grit his teeth before turning to face the Uchiha, who was standing with
a hand on one hip, looking very annoyed.
“Are you going to spend the entire class slacking off?”
Naruto felt a spark of irritation. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, asshole,
but I’m bleeding out of my finger.”
Neji made a sound behind him. “How do you find ways to constantly hurt
yourself?”
“I told you, Neji.” Naruto grumbled, giving Sasuke the stink eye. “Trouble
always finds me.”
Sasuke’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt. Naruto was
stunned into stillness and he could only stare into the dark, bottomless eyes
locked onto his own wide blues. They were so close, Naruto could count his
eyelashes. Sasuke’s eyes were cold fire, boring holes into him and burning him
from inside out.
“Don’t fuck with me, dobe.” The boy whispered. “You don’t want me as your
enemy.”
“Uchiha.” Neji spoke up. “Violence is frowned upon in this school. Release
him.”
Kiba, who took one look at the scene, threw down his soup ladle and scrambled
towards the blond, with every intention of helping him out. That Uchiha bastard
needed to have his ass kicked and besides, he was itching for a fight.
“Oi, Uchiha!” Kiba yelled, stomping towards the pair. “Let him go right
no—WHOA!”
He skidded on a wet patch of linoleum and barreled straight onto Sasuke’s back.
The momentum caused all three boys to topple over with a loud crash. Some girls
screamed and the adults came rushing forward, headed by Kurenai-sensei who
looked like she was ready to murder them.
Kiba immediately rolled off the Uchiha, who gave him a blood-curling glare,
before rising to dust himself off. He gave a sound of disgust and turned to
leave the room, ignoring the cries of indignation from the teacher.
“Sorry man, are you okay?” Kiba peered down at Naruto who now had a split lip
to go with his shiner. The blond was staring wide-eyed at the ceiling and Kiba
was concerned for a moment that he had hit his head. “Oi! Earth to Naruto! How
many fingers do you see? Speak to me!”
“Move back, let him breathe.” Neji snapped, kneeling before the blond and
helping him sit up.
“I…I’m fine.” Said Naruto, absently batting his away. “Really, I’m…”
“Hyuuga, bring him to the nurse’s office.” The teacher said. “Everyone else,
back to your stations! Move! Now!”
“Up you get.” Neji muttered, helping Naruto to his feet. “I’ve never met anyone
so prone to catastrophes, honestly…”
He was concerned when the blonde kept silent. He did look awfully pale.
“Are you alright?” Neji asked quietly as they made their way to the nurse’s
office.
Naruto made a non-committal sound and kept walking, eyes downcast. He was
afraid of opening his mouth and letting out the turbulent emotions raging
inside him. The cut on his lip was throbbing and he must have banged his elbow
on the way down because it hurt like a bitch—but all he could think of was the
sudden intake of breath, the painful clash of noses and a scent--like the smell
of lightning in the air.
Naruto raised a hand and touched his lips.
The feel of lips, rough and impossibly hot, pressing onto his like something
he’d never felt before.
 
 
***** Happiness *****
              “Today’s tears always bring tomorrow’s happiness.”
                               -Joe (the fairy)
 
 “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.”
 “Shut the fuck up.”
 Naruto slammed a fist down his table in irritation.
 “Work with me, damn you! It’s not like I asked for this class!”
 “You sound like a douche.” Kiba pointed out, crumpling his own poem piece and
tossing it away. “I am not reading this crap and you can’t make me.”
 “Fine.” Naruto grumbled, burying his nose onto his own paper. “Fail, for all I
care. See if Iruka-sensei lets you off of this one.”
 “Since when were you a teacher’s pet?” Kiba kicked back and tossed his feet up
on the desk, much to Naruto’s chagrin.
 “I’m not. Iruka-sensei’s just fucking scary.”
 He wasn’t. At least, not really. Naruto just really, really liked the man, who
had given him the first friendly smile in the school and asked him if he had
adjusted nicely to Konoha.
 “I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.”
 Naruto wrinkled his brow in frustration. He had absolutely no idea what the
poem was saying and he was expected to write a report on it?
 “Hey, Gaara. What do you make of this?” Naruto turned around to address the
surly red-head. He had taken up a habit of talking at the boy, who never
reacted much except for an occasional glare or hiss of irritation.
 As it was, Gaara barely looked up from where he was staring at the table.
Naruto snuck a glance beside him, where Sasuke was looking out the window. He
punched himself mentally in the face.
 Stop it, idiot. You hate the guy’s guts, remember? You swore never to look at
his ugly mug again.
 Naruto quickly turned back to his poem and decided that he was going to make
up some bullshit. Lots and lots of bullshit.
 “Naruto.”
 “I’m sorry!” Naruto leapt to his feet in alarm. “I’ll do this properly, I
swear! No bullshitting!”
 There was a round of snickering from the class.
 “I’m sure you’ll do a great job,” Iruka replied, amused. “So why don’t you
come up here and read your poem to the class?”
 “What?” Naruo’s voice cracked. “Uh, no thanks. I mean, Kiba ate my poem.”
 “That’s ok, sensei. He can take mine, instead.” Kiba grinned, grabbing the
paper that Naruto had been clutching behind his back.
 A few catcalls and whistles from the boys sealed his fate and Naruto was
forced to stumble to the front, where Iruka patted him encouragingly on the
shoulder.
 “Try to understand what the poet is trying to tell you.” Said Iruka. “Every
person has their own version and interpretation of poetry. We want to know
yours.”
 “I didn’t really understand the poem.” Naruto replied nervously.
 “Have you ever been in love, Naruto?”
 There was a whoop from Kiba, that asshole, and a bunch of girls giggled,
causing another round of teasing from the boys.
 “Sensei, are you bullying me?” cried Naruto.
 “Not at all!” Iruka laughed. “Alright then, how about I put it like this. Have
you ever felt something for someone, that was different from anything else
you’ve felt in your life? That moment, when… as if the whole world was down to
the two of you. Like nobody else really mattered. Like your heart was being
squeezed so hard, it hurt.”
 A few girls sighed dreamily and Naruto realized in horror that his face was
turning red. The floor. Please. Let it crack open and swallow him up.
 “H-how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Naruto began, shooting Kiba the
dirtiest look he could muster when the boy swallowed down a large snort of
laughter. “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,
when feeling out of sight…”
 The thing was, though he was loathed to admit it, Iruka-sensei’s question
bothered Naruto. Love? Had he ever been in love? If Naruto would have to
answer, it would be a ‘no.’ But what did it mean, to be in love?
 Have you ever felt something for someone that was different from anything else
you’ve felt in your life?
 Naruto felt the heat creeping into his cheeks again as an image of dark hair
and pale fingers rose unbidden in his mind.
 “Ugh! No! Fucking NO!”
 The class erupted into hysterical laughter as Naruto threw down his poem in
disgust and kicked it around for good measure.
 Iruka sighed and waved him off, knowing it was no use to force him any longer
than that. Naruto gave Kiba a kick for good measure (he was dying on the floor)
before slumping into his seat. It felt like every cell in his body was
vibrating with tension as he attempted to mentally bleach himself.
 Uchiha fucking Sasuke. That was dangerous territory. Naruto tried to ignored
the fact that the mere mention of the name made his stomach drop.
 Like your heart was being squeezed so hard, it hurt?
 Naruto gritted his teeth and buried his face in his arms as he remembered:
 Kiba had barreled head-on to Sasuke and forced him to crash into Naruto, who
happened to be mere inches from his face. Flat on his back, blue eyes widened
in alarm as he felt lips—hot, dry lips—press onto his with a painful clack of
teeth.
 They had kissed.
 Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!
 Naruto shook his head violently, trying to physically dispel the images in his
head. He didn’t want to remember, damn it! He swore he would block it from his
memory till the end of time! That same night, wide-awake and thoughts spinning,
he decided that he was going to forget the fact that he basically had his first
kiss stolen, on a grimy kitchen floor, in front of a shit-ton of people.
 “Sensei, sensei!”
 That was Sakura’s voice. Even in the depths of his despair, Naruto felt a
spark of nails-on-a-chalkboard irritation.
 “I think Sasuke-kun would do a great job!” She said eagerly. “Don’t you think
so, everyone?”
 A chorus of wild ‘yes’s filled the classroom as a few girls fervently backed
her up. Iruka gave an indulgent smile.
 “What do you say, Sasuke? We’ll finish with you. Come on up here.”
 Naruto almost fell out of his seat in shock when he heard the scrape of chair
from behind. He was seriously going to do it? Forgetting his embarrassment,
Naruto raised his head and watched as the Uchiha slowly made his way to the
front. Even Kiba had picked himself up from the floor to watch properly.
 “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate,”
 His voice was like liquid gold, and Naruto felt it slowly pooling from his
head, warming him up to his toes.
 “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date,”
Naruto soon noticed that Sasuke held no paper, and the realization made him
snap his eyes to his face. Dark eyes glanced towards him at the exact moment
and Naruto felt a jolt of electricity as their eyes met.
 Holy shit.
 He quickly looked away.
 “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,”
There were dreamy sighs around the room but no one said a word, too caught up
by Sasuke’s performance. Naruto kept his eyes firmly glued to the desk, even
though he could swear…
 “But thy eternal summer shall not fade,”
He suddenly remembered something Grandpa Sarutobi told him once.
It was very rare, but sometimes, Naruto would get a flash of an image, or a
face, but mostly strong emotions. When he was around eleven, Sarutobi—who was
the Haruno’s then-gardener—had once found him crying in the shed. He had been
slapped for stealing a cookie from the pantry. He was at the age where he felt
angry at the world; his small, child’s body struggling to contain the violent
emotions of a teenager.
In his moment of weakness, he had lashed out at the old man, who had simply
taken it all silently and then pulled him close afterwards. In the face of
unexpected kindness, Naruto confessed through bitter tears that, at night, he
sometimes dreamed of being surrounded by warm arms and feeling loved. And
sometimes, he thought he could make out the faces of strangers. Naruto knew
they were most likely fanciful imaginings, and he was angry at himself for
wanting something, even though he knew he could never obtain it.
“The mind never truly forgets.” Sarutobi had told him gently. “You might not
remember it, but your body does. Your heart does. Once upon a time, you had
parents, Naruto. Once upon a time you were loved, and you were happy.”
“I was never happy.” Naruto replied dully.
“What is happiness?” Sarutobi had laughed. “We all strive to reach it but what
is it, really? They say those who search for happiness, must have known it once
upon a time. That is why they try so hard to find it again.”
“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,”
 Naruto slowly raised his eyes and felt an out-of-body sense of inevitability
as Sasuke’s gaze turned to meet his.
“So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
Naruto held perfectly still until the other boy broke the gaze, turning to
accept congratulations from an ecstatic Iruka-sensei. Somehow, in those few
moments, he had a mini revelation.
These emotions… this heart-pounding confusion and exhilaration, like the feel
of a thousand expanding balloons… he had never known them, but they did not
feel alien. For the life of him, he wouldn’t be able to say how or why, or when
and where. Like de-ja-vu, or the whisper of dreams between the state of waking
and sleep. It was not tangible, but somehow… somehow, he knew.
“Those who search for happiness… must have known it once upon a time. That is
why they try so hard to find it again.”
 …Happiness, huh?
 
***** Trust *****
                        “I don’t think you trust in my
                            self righteous suicide.
                     I cry.  When angels deserve to die.”
                               -System of a down
 

Uchiha Sasuke was an asshole.
Naruto sat seething in his chair at the principal’s office, refusing to even
look at the brooding boy next to him. To anyone passing by, it seemed like
Naruto had been beaten up by a very good-looking bully. The bruise on his cheek
had deepened to an ugly purple and his lip had split anew.
“For the record, this is entirely your fault.”
Sasuke didn’t even bat an eye.
“Fucking bastard can’t mind his own business.”
It started out something like this.
Class was over and they were heading outside to the Music room. Naruto had
forgotten something in his desk and so he waved Kiba off and returned to the
classroom alone. His pen was nowhere to be found, and didn’t that just suck, he
was going to have to steal another one somewhere, somehow.
Just as he was about to leave, he felt himself yanked roughly by the collar of
his coat and dragged back into the empty classroom. Bewildered, he looked up to
see Sakura standing over him, arms crossed and frowning heavily.
“Excuse me,” He picked himself off the floor, annoyed. “Do we know each other?”

Sakura leveled her gaze at him for a few moments before finally tossing her
hair to the side.
“Stay away from Sasuke-kun.”
For a second, Naruto was sure he misheard her. He stared at her, speechless,
before his irritation hit the roof.
“I’m sorry, what the fuck even.” Naruto threw his hands up. “What do you want
me to say to that? Sure, yes, I’m sorry for intruding on your property, thank
you for your time?”
“That’s a start.” Sakura frowned. “I don’t like the way you hang around Sasuke.
It literally nauseates me that he is breathing the same air as you.”
Naruto rolled his eyes so far he practically saw the back of his head.
“Why don’t you tell that to your boyfriend?”
He recognized the gleam in her eye and felt instantly uneasy. Sakura was
calculating and smart about getting what she wanted. Naruto had spent years
watching her in action, as she spun web after web, trapping people like flies
until she rose as a victor.
“I intend to.” She smiled conspiratorially. “Did you know that the Sasuke’s the
sole heir of the Uchiha clan? He’s a very eligible bachelor who needs to
carefully think about the future of his family line.”
Naruto couldn’t believe his ears. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m very serious.” Sakura glared. “I’m on a mission, and you’re a fucking
eyesore. Get out of my way.”
With a flip of her strawberry hair, she turned to leave the classroom.
“Wait just one goddamned moment!” Naruto didn’t think as his hand shot out to
grab her by the wrist.
She gave a cry of dismay and violently wrenched back her hand, backhanding him
in the face.
“Ow! Mother—!” Naruto grabbed at her hands to stop her from further landing
blows. “Stop it!”
She began to struggle against him.
“Help!” She cried out. “He’s attacking me! Help!”
They were out in the corridor where people were beginning to gather at the
commotion. He immediately let go of Sakura in horrified realization.
“Sakura-chan!”
“Ino!” Sakura ran to her friend’s embrace and began to cry. “H-he was so
violent! I was so scared!”
Naruto recognized his classmates in the crowd and with a sinking feeling, he
realized what it must look like.
“Oh my god,”
“He raised a hand to a girl.”
“Scary!”
“So violent.”
Each accusation was like a nail on a coffin, slowly but surely suffocating
him. Naruto’s steps faltered as he backed away, feeling the weight of accusing
eyes directed at him.
He couldn’t breathe.
“Oi.”
A dark figure rose among the crowd, and Naruto watched in daze, as Sasuke
stopped before him. Everyone held their breaths as the two figures stood
staring each other down.
And then, between one breath and the next, Sasuke jammed up his right leg and
kneed the blond in the stomach.
Cries of alarm rose from the group as Naruto dropped to the floor, coughing.
The blond glared up, anger re-kindling inside him and no force could have
stopped him from leaping to his feet and punching Sasuke in the face. The
Uchiha retaliated and panic broke out in earnest as it escalated into a full-
blown fight.
The teachers came running down the hall at the commotion, and the two were
forcefully separated, snarling at each other the entire time.Naruto wasn’t sure
how they were manhandled into the nearby classroom, but they were yelled at for
a full ten minutes by the scary science teacher Azuma-sensei. And just as
Naruto was sure he was about to get murdered by a teacher, they were sent to
the principal’s office.
…which was where Naruto found himself currently, slumped against the squishy
armchairs and stewing in irritation. The calm secretary handed him a cup of tea
and told him the principal would see them now.
The principal of Konoha was an odd man called Jiraiya, and with his shock of
white hair, Naruto found out up close and personal why he was considered an
eccentric man.
“Forget eccentric. Isn’t he just a freaking pervert?” Naruto gaped at the
several posters of scantily clad women hanging around the office.
“Welcome, welcome.” Jiraiya slapped him on the shoulder as he sauntered into
the room, clad in a full-blown hakama in the middle of September. He wore a
pair of geta that were obnoxiously loud against the polished wooden floor of
the otherwise beautiful office. Naruto forced his eyes to keep it above the
man’s partially exposed (hairy) chest.
“So! My first freshmen delinquents of the year.” Jiraiya flopped onto his seat
and kicked up his feet on the table. “Wasn't expecting to see you, Uchiha.”
Sasuke did not say a word, eyes stubbornly downcast.
“Blondie over there looks like he got run over by a train." Jiraiya continued
conversationally. "You better defend your honor now or I’ll be forced to
suspend you for violence against another student.”
Naruto snuck a glance at the other boy who was still as a statue. Jiraiya
waited a beat, drumming his fingers against one arm.
“Well, that’s that, then!” Jiraiya moved to stand up. “Shizune will help you
with the paperwork. You’d think being suspended would mean less work but
honestly, it’s so troublesome—“
“Um,” Naruto cleared his throat, unable to keep silent any longer. “I…
actually, I… I fell.”
Jiraiya blinked at him. “You fell?”
“These,” Naruto pointed to his face. “They’re from, like, a week ago. I fell.
You can ask Neji—he’s the student council president—for proof.”
“So…” Jiraiya twirled a finger in the air. “You’re saying, Uchiha didn’t beat
the crap out of you?”
Naruto nodded his head stiffly.
“Huh, well. How about that.” Jiraiya mused, grinning wickedly. “Unfortunately,
there were too many eyewitnesses to your little scuffle back there, so we can’t
really dismiss this case without proper disciplinary measures.”
The two boys kept silent, unable to find a proper response.
“How about I suspend the both of you?”
Naruto’s head whipped up in alarm.
“Wait! I… Please, could you give us another chance?”
“You should have thought of that before you got into a fight, blondie.” Jiraiya
clucked his tongue. “A week’s suspension and a written apology to each other.”
Naruto paled at the thought. A week’s suspension! If the Harunos hear about
this…
“Please!” Naruto grabbed at Jiraiya’s hand as he was making his way towards the
door. “I… I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. Please, just… I’ll do anything!”
“What’s the matter, blondie? No big deal, you’re just going to take a break
from school. I won’t even let it go down on your official record. Okay?”
Naruto was just about to get on his knees when Sasuke abruptly stepped up to
interrupt him.
“Two weeks detention and an oral warning.” The Uchiha declared.
“Mm, and a written apology to each other.” Jiraiya said gamely.
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
“And a letter of apology to each other.” He agreed begrudgingly.
Naruto clapped his hands, hardly daring to believe it.
“Oh, and new rule. You two will pair up on every official project for the whole
semester.” Jiraiya grinned smugly. “To, uh, build camaraderie.”
“What?” Naruto’s face fell.
“Problem?”
“No!” He said quickly, grabbing Sasuke by the neck and pulling him close.
“Nope! We’re going to be best friends, right Uchiha?”
The dark-haired boy looked annoyed but didn’t say anything and Naruto counted
that as a victory.
“I look forward to it.” Jiraiya waved them off. “Now, go get something for that
nasty bruise of yours and don’t show up here again for at least a month, got
that?”
“You got it!” Naruto yelled, already halfway out the door. The faster he was
out of there, the better he would feel.
“Ah, that was close.” Naruto sighed, crumpling to his knees outside the
principal’s office.
Sasuke shut the door behind him at a more leisurely pace. He barely glanced at
the blond and turned to walk away the other direction. Naruto watched his
retreating back with mixed feelings. His stomach still hurt from the knee-kick
a while back and Naruto still wanted to punch him, given the opportunity… but
somehow, Naruto was walking away from this fiasco with barely a slap on the
wrist. The chaos of the fight between them overshadowed the fact that he had
been nearly accused of hurting Sakura—oh.
Oh.
“Hey!”
Naruto stumbled over himself to catch up to the Uchiha. Wide-eyed and mind
racing, he raised an incredulous finger at the boy.
“Y-you… you…”
Sasuke looked like he was about to murder him, but Naruto didn’t even flinch at
the glare aimed his way. His mind was spinning with so many preposterous ideas
and what the hell, it can’t be, he couldn’t have picked a fight with him on
purpose… could he?
Sasuke took one look at his expression and promptly hit him on the head.
“Ow!” Naruto cried in indignation,
“Don’t get any stupid ideas, dobe.” His face was fucking scary. “Get your
stupid face out of my way. So annoying. Ugh.”
“Your face is so annoying!” Naruto yelled after him, rubbing the tender spot on
his head.
He waited until the Uchiha disappeared into a corner before allowing a wide
smile to break out his face.
“Thanks, bastard.”
***** Stars *****
                             This way to the stars
              You told me where to go but please tell me how far
                           Tell me what should I do
                       If I reach the stars but get you
                          And what if I make it there
                    Will my heart still be lonely and bare
                      Will the darkness wrap me in tight
              Our will my heart be the star that shines so bright
                             This way to the stars
                            If only I knew how far
                             -Sora Jr (Thank you!)
 

“I’m home.”
The door slammed shut, and the only answer that came back was the distant echo
of his voice and the pitter patter of the rain outside. Sasuke stood for a
moment by the entrance of his house, listening to the last of the echo
disappear into an oppressive silence that seemed to haunt the house. For
someone who was quiet as himself, he didn’t much appreciate the silence. 
He had forgotten to set the timer on the heating before he left for school.
Again.
Sasuke let his bag slither off his shoulder and land onto the floor with a
thump, catching against the puddles forming by his feet.
It was suffocating.
Spurring into movement, Sasuke turned and ran out the door, trying to block out
the buzzing in his ears as memories threatened to surface again. He didn’t want
to remember. He would spend his whole life forgetting.
Today was a bad day—he grimaced, as he ran out in the rain; running, running
until his thighs burned and his lungs protested for air. Rain had always put
him in a bad mood and it was harder to keep his mind from wandering.
He leaned against a nearby pole to catch his breath, resting his forehead
against his arm.
To add to his already foul mood, something was niggling at the back of his
mind, like an annoying fly that wouldn’t go away.
That blond idiot was avoiding him.
Sasuke gritted his teeth—he was so obviously avoiding him. He wouldn’t even
look in his direction, when he had spent weeks sneaking glances he thought
Sasuke never noticed. Not that he noticed. Whatever. The idiot was not doing it
now.
But: So. Fucking. What. Right?
He didn’t give a flying fuck that the dobe decided to turn a 180 and completely
ignore him. At least… he shouldn’t be giving any fucks.
So, then… why?
“He’s shacking up with the Red Demon.”
The school was abuzz with the rumors that Sabaku Gaara of the Sand was seen
spending time with the blond freshman in the same class.
“Didn’t he get into a fight recently?" 
“Birds of a feather…”
Some of the more outrageous speculations claim that Gaara had taken up a lover.
“I saw them holding hands.”
“Are you serious? Gross!”
Sasuke hated to admit it but deep down, it bothered him. He had watched as the
blond, normally so loud and vibrating with movement, limped into the classroom
one Monday morning, head bowed and hiding behind the shadow of Sabaku Gaara.
The blond was sporting new bruises and a swollen eye. The entire class fell
into a scandalized hush for a whole minute. Before the first hour, the entire
school was raging with speculations.
Sasuke was disquieted by the nature in which the blond had attached himself to
Gaara, who had not once shown a shred of compassion for another human being. It
was alarming, therefore, to catch the red-head quietly reaching out across the
floor with his foot and resting it against the blond, who had tapped his shoe
against his in acknowledgement.
An ugly emotion rose within him that Sasuke had been wrestling against ever
since. It was juvenile and unreasonable and it didn’t make any sense. But it
fucking pissed him off.
Wait—
Sasuke blinked the rainwater from his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing
things. There was no mistaking that bright hair and god-awful jacket.
The boy was still nursing a limp--and walking without an umbrella, Sasuke
noticed, with a spark of irritation. What was that idiot doing wandering around
in the rain like that?
Sasuke’s feet automatically moved towards the other boy, and he had to stop
himself mid-way. He had absolutely no business with him, and the idea of going
up to make idle conversation made him nauseous. Despite that, he could not make
himself turn around and move the other direction.
Resigned, he followed the other boy, falling into step behind him and
contemplated his recent life choices.
The blond ended up heading to the local supermarket, and though Sasuke kept his
distance, he watched him wander through the aisles, listlessly picking up eggs
and milk and other groceries. No matter how you looked at it, it was too much
for one person to carry.
“That idiot.” Sasuke muttered, irritation bubbling up again as he watched the
blond struggle with the bags.
Before he could think much about it, Sasuke grabbed an umbrella from the stands
and ran after the blond.
“Oi, dobe!”
Naruto jumped, dropping one of the bags and cursing as he quickly bent to save
it from the puddles on the ground. Sasuke wrestled the bag from him and shook
open the umbrella.
“What are you going to do with wet groceries? Are you an idiot?”
“What are you doing here?” Naruto gaped at him. 
“Start walking.” Sasuke jerked his head to the side. “Before you cause us both
pneumonia.”
Naruto stepped back from the shelter of the umbrella.
“I don’t need your help.” Naruto tried to retrieve the bag. “For fuck’s sake,
give that back.”
The blond made a wild grab for it, but his hands slipped under the bag’s weight
and caused the sides to rip open. A few apples tumbled out and rolled across
the wet pavement of the parking lot. For a split second, Naruto’s mask broke
and his face crumpled up like he was about to cry, before a world of weariness
replaced it.
Sasuke wordlessly crouched down and helped him retrieve the apples. This time,
when Sasuke took the bag from him, Naruto did not protest.
They walked away from the parking lot, the steady thrum of rain against the
umbrella soothing the silence between them. Sasuke watched the blond from the
corner of his eyes, noting the slump in his shoulders and the bruises along his
neck.
His neck?
“Oi.” Sasuke’s eyes flashed darkly as he grabbed the boy’s arm. “Who did that
to you?”
“Huh?” Naruto raised confused eyes to him and Sasuke suppressed the urge to
shake him.
“Your neck.” Sasuke said pointedly. “If you’re being beaten up, you need to
tell someone, you dumbass.”
Naruto jerked back as if he’d been slapped. His hand shot up to cover his neck
and Sasuke saw the fear flash in his eyes.
“I-it’s nothing.” Naruto muttered. “I’m fine. I just bruise easy.”
Sasuke gazed at him for a pregnant moment.
“…was it Sabaku?”
“What?” Naruto startled before scowling heavily. “No! What the fuck. Gaara
isn’t like that.”
Naruto walked away with a huff and Sasuke followed, pressing the issue.
“What the hell do you know of what Sabaku Gaara is like?” He challenged.
“None of your business, Uchiha.”
Sasuke couldn’t help but thrill at the spot of color returning to the boy’s
cheeks.
“Thanks for your help.” Naruto said stiffly, stopping along the curb leading
down a residential street. “I can take it from here.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
“No.” Naruto refused bluntly. “Give me my bags.”
Sasuke refused to let go of the package until Naruto finally tossed his head in
disgust.
“Don’t you have better things to do?” He stomped away. “Honestly!”
Sasuke recognized the street now. It was an uptown, high-society residential
area not far from where he lived. He glanced at Naruto’s garish orange jacket
and the scruffy quality of his shoes.
“You live here?” He asked skeptically.
Naruto did not reply and kept a moody silence all the way up to the gate of an
old, Victorian-style house.
“This is it.” The boy mumbled. “Can I have my bags now?”
Sasuke wordlessly handed it over.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Naruto gave a slightly hysterical guffaw. “In no universe will that ever
happen. Goodbye, bastard.”
Sasuke watched as he shuffled towards the entrance of the house. The blond
hesitated by the door and turned to look back. He opened his mouth as if to say
something, when the doors burst open and a girl came rushing out with a high-
pitched squeal of delight.
“Sasuke-kun! It’s really Sasuke-kun!”
Sasuke reeled back in shock as his senses were assaulted with pink and a wave
of strong perfume. Oh. It was that girl. In the same class. The one who had hit
the blond in the face and tried to frame him instead. What the hell was she
doing here?
Sasuke’s eyes swiveled back to the entrance of the house. The blond had
disappeared.
He let out a frustrated breath and glared down at the girl who hadn’t stopped
talking the entire time.
“Hey, you—“
“Sakura. My name is Sakura, Sasuke-kun.”
He disliked her instantly.
“What the hell are you doing here? “
She smiled sweetly at him. “This is my house! Ah, you’re getting wet from the
rain! Won’t you come inside? I was just having some tea—“
“In no universe will that ever happen.” Sasuke said before abruptly walking
away, ignoring the cries of protest from the girl.
His head, which had gone blessedly silent in the moments he spent dealing with
the blond, was once again swirling with violent thoughts and emotions as he
contemplated the recent events.
And yet, when he entered the house and kicked his sopping shoes to the side,
not once did he stop to glance at the photo hanging in the darkened area of the
hall, for his head was filled with thoughts of yellow and electric blue and a
particularly hideous shade of orange.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
To be honest, he had been expecting it for a while now.
Naruto slammed his books shut in alarm as he heard heavy footsteps thundering
up towards the attic. No one ever ventured up anymore, so it could only mean
one thing. He scrambled off the bed and rushed to bolt the door with shaking
hands—but it was too late, and Naruto screamed as the door flung open and he
was grabbed violently by the hair and dragged into the room.
“You useless piece of trash! Useless. Worthless. Fucking. Trash.”
Naruto struggled against the iron grip, hands scrabbling for purchase as each
verbal abuse was punctuated with a vicious slap to the face.
“I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!” Naruto cried out, blood spilling over his
face.
This was bad. Sakura’s father was an angry man, but when he was drunk, he
turned mercilessly violent.
“How dare you!” He seethed, voice shaking with alcohol and rage. “How dare you
make a fool out of me. Out of Sakura. Raising a hand to her? You dare?”
“I didn’t!” Naruto begged. “I swear, I didn’t!”
“You’re a filthy LIAR.”
Naruto felt his vision darken as he was flung across the room and his shoulder
hit the wall with a sickening crunch. Pain and fear filled his mind and he
could only watch with tear-filled eyes as the large man hunkered towards him
and began kicking his prone form.
Naruto tried not to cry out. It only spurred the man to kick even harder. He
blocked out the string of abuse being yelled down at him and begged for his
consciousness to fade.
He must have, at some point, because when he came to, he was lying on the cold
floor of his room, bones aching and face sticky with tears and dried blood.
He took a moment to do what he’d always done, breathing in deep and testing out
the extent of the damage. Nothing seemed broken, at least. But it hurt.
Everything hurt.
Naruto didn’t move for a while, face down on the floor and watching the light
flickering from the window with dull, heavy eyes. Gradually, as his heart rate
slowed, he could feel himself becoming numb.
At some point, when he couldn’t feel his toes from the cold, Naruto slowly sat
up, bones creaking and muscles clenching in protest. He gritted his teeth and
forced himself to limp towards the bathroom, where he struggled to open the tap
with shaky hands.
He hadn’t been beaten up this bad in ages. The last time was three years ago,
after Grandpa Sarutobi had gone, and Naruto had tried to run away. He hadn’t
even made it outside the village when he was found by the police and returned
to the Haruno’s that same day. It had been the neighborhood gossip for a whole
month.
He was beaten within an inch of his life and left to starve for almost the same
amount of time it took for the gossip to die down. It discouraged him from
running away ever again.
Naruto stared hollowly at his reflection in the mirror. He almost didn’t
recognize himself. The blue eyes that he had inherited from his nonexistent
parents—they were dark, almost black, and Naruto frightened himself by how much
they looked dead. Unbidden, his hand came swinging down and his reflection
cracked with a satisfying crunch of glass. He watched the blood slowly drip
from his fingers and stain the porcelain washbowl.
Emotions welled up in him like a giant wave and he was gripped by the intense
desire to be anywhere else but inside the four walls suffocating him. Mind
blank, he ran back out to his room and threw open the window. The main doors
would be locked at this time and he would be caught sneaking out the servants’
quarters. He had no other choice but to climb down from the third floor. In
that instant, Naruto neither worried nor cared about the consequences. He
wanted out.
He needed out.
With agonizing slowness, Naruto clambered down the balcony, reaching out to a
nearby branch and practically falling onto the arms of the large cherry tree.
He stifled his cries on his way down, slipping and stumbling, his hands
faltering, too weak to carry his weight. And when his strength failed, he
simply shut his eyes and allowed gravity to drag him to the ground, where he
landed with a painful oomph.
Naruto didn’t think. He staggered to his feet and blindly ran the opposite
direction, all torn pants and bare feet.
He ran, and ran and ran, until he couldn’t feel his lungs, but forced himself
to keep going as he couldn’t shake off the terror of being caught. Of being
forced to go back. His body seemed to be giving up on him, though, and Naruto’s
breath caught as his knees gave out, and he stumbled onto gritty sand.
Sand?
The world was spinning, but Naruto could barely make out the shadow of trees
and an abandoned pair of swings under the light of a faint, flickering lamp. He
picked up the last of his strength and crawled towards the shelter of a dome-
like structure, where children might have once-upon-a-time played hide-and-
seek.
Exhausted, Naruto slumped against the dome walls, resting his swollen cheek
against the cool smoothness there. His tears had started again at one point and
Naruto found that he didn’t have the energy to hold them back anymore. His
chest ached like something heavy was pressing down and crushing him, and Naruto
let out a shuddering breath, crying out in sheer, utter misery.
He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, unmoving against the stone wall.
But suddenly, there was a crunch of sand and a voice piercing through the
silence like lightning across the sky.
“You can’t stay here.”
Naruto slowly lifted his eyes at the speaker. He must be hallucinating.
“…Gaara?”
If this was a hallucination, it was a very good one.
Or a bad one, because the Gaara standing over him, stark against the weak light
of the lamp, was not glaring hatefully at him, but looking… looking like...
“You’ll freeze.” The Gaara of his hallucination spoke again, and Naruto had to
admire the way his mind had captured the scratchy quality of his voice.
“I don’t care.”
“Do you want to die?”
Naruto closed his eyes. “Who cares?”
There was no reply for a long time and Naruto wondered if the hallucination had
disappeared. His eyes snapped open when he felt the sand next to him give under
the solid weight of a real person.
“…Gaara?” He asked again, hesitating, because how the heck was he here?
“Sometimes,” Gaara finally spoke after a long silence. “I think about dying
too.”
The haziness in his mind cleared a bit as Naruto sat up, regarding the red-head
more fully as a not-hallucination. Gaara’s words were casual, but Naruto felt
the fragile truth between them, the brittleness of his control. Naruto
swallowed heavily.
“…why do you think we were born?” he whispered.
Gaara turned to look at him, and they shared the silence for a while, heads
bowed and knees almost touching.
“...you can’t stay here.” Gaara said again.
“I can’t go back.” Naruto felt the tightness in his throat as the words struck
home. “I… I can’t.”
Gaara stood up, holding out a hand.
“Come.”
Naruto considered the outstretched hand, feeling almost detached from his body
as he contemplated the gravity of what it meant. Somehow, he understood, if he
took that hand, he would have to face tomorrow with all the consequences of
today. A part of him, the part that was half mindless with terror, was
screaming at him to push the hand away; to never get up from the cold ground
and close his eyes from the pain.
But a bigger part of him, the part that had always been desperate for a hand to
reach out, was giving him the strength to lift up his arm.
All his life, he had been alone. Hated, ignored, punished for being who he was,
without understanding why. Why him? What crime had he done to deserve such
punishment?
Despite all that, despite constantly being hurt by other people… he was an
idiot who constantly struggled to be closer, to be acknowledged by
people—starved for their affection and acceptance. He was an idiot, and yet…
Naruto grasped Gaara’s hand tightly, like a drowned man, but the other boy
didn’t even flinch. He simply tightened his own grip and helped the other boy
to his feet, supporting him on one shoulder.
They walked out of the playground, slowly, their shadows moving like a
grotesque figure in the night. Naruto felt the pain wracking his body with
every step, and his breath came short as he fought to stay conscious.
“Gaara…”
The red-head simply gripped his arm tightly in response.
“Promise me…”
Naruto felt himself sinking into darkness. As he fought to hold on to the last
of his consciousness, he caught Gaara’s lips moving in response and the
scattering of stars in the sky that witnessed their unspoken oath.
***** Bullet *****
                    “He died with God’s name in his lips,
                       and a bullet through his heart.”
 

Sasuke was in a terrible mood.
Granted, he was often in a terrible mood, but in that moment, he had no way of
relieving the tension that had been building up since the other day. He glared
across the table at the source of his problem, the blond messy head pointedly
turned towards the other direction. Beside Sasuke, Haruno Sakura sat
uncomfortably close, apparently determined to talk his ear off.
Azuma-sensei, their Science teacher, had grouped the class into threes as Lab
groups. Sasuke and Naruto were put into Team Seven, abiding by the rules of
Jiraiya that the Uchiha-Uzumaki pair must be constantly forced into
cooperation. Both wore matching expressions when their third member was
introduced.
Sasuke bit back a biting comment when Sakura exclaimed how this must be
destiny. Personally, Sasuke thought it was the Universe trying to fuck with
him.
“Complete the worksheet that I have provided, as a group.” Azuma-sensei said,
going around the room. “You are going with these people all the way to the end
of the year. Make sure you get along.”
There were muffled groans around the room which the teacher completely ignored.
“Soon, we will be going into preparation for our Group Science Projects, which
will encompass most of your final grade. Keep that in mind and start thinking
of interesting topics you would like to pursue.”
Naruto wordlessly picked up the worksheet and began writing their names on the
blank spaces provided. Sakura had not once acknowledged the blonde’s presence
and Sasuke wondered for the umpteenth time what kind of relationship they had.
It had been on his mind the entire weekend, and despite trying to corner the
blond, he proved to be elusive. And now that they were finally pushed together
in a group, the girl was an effective mood killer, so Sasuke kept his mouth
shut and waited impatiently for the bell to ring.
When it finally did, they had managed to get through the class without
speaking. But before Sasuke could open his mouth to address the blond, Naruto
was already halfway out the door. When Sasuke moved to follow, Sakura was
there, blocking his path with an eager invitation to have lunch together.
Sasuke gritted his teeth when he spotted Gaara, who paused long enough to give
him a death glare before following the blond out the door.
He felt like punching something in the face. Preferably with Gaara’s body
attached.
“Listen, Haruno.” Sasuke looked at her impatiently. “Get this through your
head. I don’t like you and I’m never going to like you. So Get. Lost.”
“That’s mean, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura crossed her arms. “After all, we’re going to
be in the same group for the whole year. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each
other.”
Sasuke made a sound of disgust and walked away, intent on finding the blond and
maybe wringing his neck a few times.
Sakura watched him walk away, a thoughtful expression on her face. Ino appeared
by her side, letting out a disgusted sigh.
“I have the worst group mates. A lazy slob and a fat-ass. I’m going to fail
this year!” Ino gave a wistful sigh. “You’re so lucky, Sakura. Group-mates with
Sasuke-kun! If only!”
“It’s fate.” Sakura laughed airily. “The universe is on my side, Ino. Sasuke
will be mine. I’ll just have to work on him.”
“Goodluck, darling.” Ino sniffed. “Girls leagues away from you have tried and
failed. He’s a star that we should be content to just look at.”
Sakura smiled slyly.
“But this is the future, Ino-chan. When you want a star, you can simply put
your name on it and make it yours.”
 
===============================================================================
 
Sasuke couldn’t get his hands on the blond idiot, so he settled for cornering
his red-headed shadow instead. The corridor they were standing in, which was
normally bustling with people heading down for lunch, was inconspicuously
empty.
“Sabaku.”
The other boy stood unmoving as a statue and Sasuke regarded him, suspicion
itching against the back of his mind.
“I’ll be blunt. Were you the one that beat this shit out of that idiot?”
The reaction was immediate and Sasuke dug his heels in as Gaara grabbed him
violently by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.
“Drop it, Uchiha.”
If nothing, it confirmed Sasuke’s suspicion that Gaara was a fucking
psychopath.
“Let go.”
“Leave him alone.”
“Let go,” Sasuke repeated slowly. “Before I break that hand.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
Tension rose between them and Sasuke was just gearing himself for a serious
fight when they were interrupted by a stern voice.
“Well. I thought I’d never see the day.”
Sasuke and Gaara glared up at the newcomer, who stepped up with a frown on his
face.
“Fighting in school is strictly prohibited.” Continued the boy. “Desist
immediately.”
“Stay out of this, Hyuuga.” Sasuke snapped.
Neji calmly crossed his arms.
“Unfortunately, my duty prohibits me from walking away. Uchiha, may I remind
you that as the captain of the soccer team, you have a responsibility to
yourself and to your team to maintain a good record? I hear you’re already on a
two-week detention.” Neji turned his gaze to Gaara. “You, on the other hand,
have enough on your record to get kicked out of school and face a detention
facility for juvenile delinquents. Don’t force my hand. Now, step away from
each other.”
The three locked into a contest of will, each refusing to be the first to back
down. It was at this moment that Naruto appeared around the corner, stopping
dead in his tracks when he saw the frozen tableau.
His mouth dropped open as the three pairs of eyes turned to him.
Neji was about to greet the blond when his eyes fell on the swelling and
bruises mottling the blonde’s face. He stiffened in shock and, eyes dark, moved
to grab the blond by the wrist.
“Who did that to you?” He demanded.
Naruto flinched back, eyes wide with fright, and in a flash, Sasuke and Gaara
were there, each grabbing at the arm that held the blond captive.
Taken aback, Neji let go. He regarded the blond with wide eyes as Naruto slowly
backed away, looking confused and wary.
“Naruto,” said Neji, in a calm he didn’t feel. “I apologize if I frightened
you. I’ll talk to you again soon, so could you leave me with these two for a
moment? I have things I need to discuss with them.”
“Oh,” Naruto smiled weakly, edging away. “Um, sure. I… sorry, you just
surprised me.”
Neji waved a dismissive hand. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
Naruto turned to Gaara awkwardly. “I’ll, uh… wait for you downstairs.”
Gaara gave a short, terse nod, not taking his eyes off Neji. Naruto gave them
one last uneasy look before practically running away the other direction.
“Waiting on each other? What, do you braid each other’s hair too?” Sasuke
mocked, dropping Neji’s hand with a disgusted snort.
“Shut up.”
“You two.” Neji crossed his arms sternly. “Explain it so I can understand what
the hell is going here.”
“None of your business.” Gaara growled.
Neji narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“Out of respect for the ties between our families, Gaara of the Sand, I will
let that comment slide. That boy,” Neji jerked his head towards the direction
Naruto went. “…is obviously a victim of physical abuse. Putting aside the fact
that this needs to be reported immediately, I want to know what you two are
doing, sticking your nose into his business.”
“You have some goddamn nerve—“ Sasuke began.
“Don’t report him.” Gaara interrupted.
Immediately, the air between them changed. Neji turned the full weight of his
gaze onto Gaara.
“This is not a joke, Sabaku. What you are asking of me… I need a valid reason,
or I would be neglecting my duty as Head of the Student Body…. and as a fellow
human being.”
“Reporting him won’t help him. It’ll only make things worse.”
They stared at each other, the silence lengthening between them. Finally, Neji
backed off.
“Rash decisions never did serve well.” He sighed. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Gaara did not reply, glaring down at his shoes.
“Uchiha,” Neji turned to the other boy. “Give that boy a break and leave him
alone. I heard about what happened in the hallway the other day.”
Sasuke chose to remain silent as well.
“I mean it.” Neji said sternly, as he turned to leave. “If I hear that any of
you, for any reason at all, laid a finger on him, I will personally ensure that
you be suspended for life.”
And with a flutter of long, dark hair, he was gone.
Sasuke’s temper flared once again. How did the blonde manage to get these
overprotective assholes on his case?
“Uchiha,” Gaara muttered, eyes still refusing to leave the ground. “I mean it
this time: Fuck. Off.”
“You’re not his fucking keeper.” Sasuke snarled.
“What the hell do you want anyway?” Gaara snarled back. “You talk big, walking
around with your self-entitled bullshit—but what the hell do you know? You
don’t know anything.”
Sasuke balled his trembling fists and held back his tongue as he watched the
red-head storm away from the hall. He was loathed to admit it, but Gaara was
right. He didn’t know the first thing about the blond. He had no fucking clue.
Most of all, he still didn’t understand why he fuckingcared.
But Sasuke had a straightforward way of dealing things he didn’t understand.
He squared his shoulders and turned to walk towards the Teacher’s office. He
needed to speak with a certain Kakashi-sensei.
 
===============================================================================
 
Iruka didn’t have a very easy life growing up, but somehow, he had always found
time to spare a kind thought for other people. It was a trait, he’d been told,
that he had gotten from his kind mother. He had never met his mother.
He sighed, absently rubbing the scar on his nose as he stared out the window,
watching the blond figure standing listlessly by the school grounds.
“Do you know what Jiraiya-sama was thinking, when he decided to stick those two
together?”
“Who?”
“You know who.”
“Naruto again?” Kakashi stuck his head from under the desk, where he was
rifling through his things. “You really took a liking to that boy, huh?”
“I can’t help it. The poor boy.” Iruka shook his head, gazing at Naruto’s bowed
head. “You saw him that day, he looked awful. He’s obviously being abused. Why
we can’t do something about it—“
“School rules.” Kakashi reminded him gently. “We can’t interfere unless the
student directly asks for interference—“
“That’s a stupid rule, and you know it—“ Iruka argued.
“Such is the nature of this school. We can’t risk stepping on any toes here;
these families are powerful enough to destroy the very foundation of this
nation.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea that he’s spending so much time with
Sasuke.” Iruka insisted.
“Relax. Naruto’s a good influence on him.” Kakashi stood, joining Iruka by the
window. “Sasuke needs something to occupy his mind other than dark, creepy
things.”
“And now, somehow, he’s gotten involved with Gaara too.” Iruka continued as if
he didn’t hear him. “I don’t think it’s in Naruto’s good interest that he’s
getting involved in their world—“
Kakashi placed a finger against Iruka’s lips, effectively shushing him.
“They’re just kids.” He said calmly. “Hokage-sama brought them here so they can
have a chance to be that. And Naruto is that chance for them.”
“Yes, that’s all very well for them.” Iruka sighed, leaning against Kakashi’s
warmth. At the corner of his eye, he spied Naruto through the window being
joined by an unmistakable red-head. “…but can we say the same for Naruto?”
 
===============================================================================
 
When Naruto woke up that morning, the first thing he saw was sunlight.
The cotton sheets were soft against his cheek, and Naruto slowly blinked away
the sleep from his eyes. He was warm and comfortable—and that was his first
clue that he was not in his own bed. And as his memory returned from last
night, so did the feeling in his body, and with it, the gripping pain that
paralyzed him.
He barely felt the bed dip beside him, but suddenly, there were cool, clammy
hands brushing back his hair and resting against his forehead. Somehow, that
helped him relax enough for his muscles to unclench.
“Gaara?” Naruto croaked.
His right eye was swollen nearly shut and his mouth tasted awful—probably dried
blood. He didn’t need a mirror to know that he must look like death warmed
over.
“You have to get up.”
Naruto closed his eyes.
“And go where?”
“To school.”
Naruto couldn’t help it—he laughed.
“Are you freakin’ serious?”
“You have to show up today.”
“I’ll show up tomorrow.”
Gaara nudged him again. “Today. You can’t lose to them.”
Unbidden, Naruto’s eyes began to well up with bitter tears. Gaara did not push
him, he simply stayed there, a solid warmth beside him as the blond gathered
his wits.
Gaara waited, with patience he didn’t know he was capable of, as Naruto slowly
sat up, wincing with pain and regulating his breathing. He waited as Naruto
took a moment to stare down at his hands. He waited until Naruto was the one
who nudged him to move, and they got out of bed together.
Gaara had, against his better judgment, brought Naruto to his house.
It had been one of those nights, plagued with insomnia and migraines and the
suffocating desire to be anywhere but inside. Gaara had sneaked out of the
walled estate and wandered around the empty streets for almost an hour. He was
so caught up in his turbulent thoughts that he would have passed by the park
entirely, had it not been for the disturbance of the flickering lamp light.
And then he heard it—a slight shifting of weight, the scratch of sound, and a
whimper.
Gaara had not expected to see the infuriating blond from school, now quiet and
bruised, lying on the cold ground. And it was like a slap to the face—the sight
was too painfully familiar.
They were probably fated to meet, Gaara realized. The moon must have called him
out that night. And as he stared down at the pitiful form of the blond, instead
of feeling hatred or anger, all he felt was the pathetic urge to cry.
What have they done to the world to deserve this?
So Gaara took his hand and took him in—what else could he do? He was not going
to leave him there. At that moment, nothing could have ripped him away from the
boy’s side.
When he came back to the house, he found that the gates were unlocked. Someone
must have figured out he had gone, but did not wake the entire house to hunt
him down. Probably Temari, then. He spared a moment to thank her in his mind as
he half-dragged, half-carried the boy into the house.
It’s been three days since he’d last slept properly, but when Gaara laid the
boy down in his bed, he climbed in with him, closing his eyes and finally
allowing himself to let go.
For once, the nightmares were silent until morning.
 
 
***** Friends and Enemies *****
                        “Am I not destroying my enemies
                         when I make friends of them?”
                               -Abraham Linconln
 
Naruto sat sullenly in what was now dubbed ‘his spot’ in the infirmary. He was
around so much, Tsunade had even gotten him his own cup, since their tea-time
chats had become a thing.
Despite the fact that he was hurting all over and he suspected broken
ribs—Naruto had refused to go to the hospital. Besides, Gaara was efficient
with bandages. It was Kakashi-sensei who had forced him to go to the infirmary,
asking him to deliver a note.
The school nurse may be rough and sometimes downright violent, but when Naruto
had appeared at her office, bruised and looking dead on his feet, she ushered
him in without a word and patched him up, handing him a cup of steaming
chocolate afterwards. Naruto appreciated the fact that she did not ask any
questions.
After that, Naruto escaped to the Infirmary whenever he needed to think or hide
from overbearing people.
Tsunade sauntered into the room.
“Bee in your bonnet?”
“What does that even mean?” Naruto mumbled, accepting his tea. Something hot,
red and smelled of flowers.
“Haven’t the foggiest.” Tsunade stretched out in her seat, sighing. “Why do you
look constipated?”
Naruto pondered his tea for a moment.
“I had a talk with Kakashi-sensei.”
Tsunade snorted, like that explained everything. “And? What did he have to
say?”
Naruto blew on his tea, staring at the ripples that flowered on the surface as
he looked back at what happened just moments ago.  
"Naruto Uzumaki. My, haven’t we been busy!”
He had been called out by Kakashi-sensei right after the bell had rung for
lunch. He had tried to avoid this confrontation—questions from the teachers
regarding his bruises were going to be a pain in the ass. And he had just
narrowly escaped being suspended a week ago!
But Gaara had looked like he was about to pick a fight with a teacher, so he
waved the red-head off and begrudgingly allowed Kakashi-sensei to lead him away
from the hallway.
A few curious passersby stopped to gawk, but Naruto kept his eyes firmly to the
floor. He passed by Sasuke on the way and avoided his glare as he walked past.
Recently, the boy had taken to boring holes into him with his eyes. A few days
ago, all that attention from the Uchiha would have probably made him (secretly)
happy. Now, all Naruto wanted to do was crawl up in a hole and hide from him
forever.
Kakashi-sensei led him to an empty room on the third floor and invited him to
sit. He didn’t seem like a bad guy but Naruto found him sort-of creepy, with
his face mask and nose permanently buried in an erotic novel. His only saving
grace was that he seemed to be good friends with Iruka-sensei.
“Relax, I’m not here to lecture you or anything.” Kakashi waved a hand. “I’m
sure you know better than anyone what kind of deep shit you’re in.”
“Thanks, sensei.” Naruto replied dryly.
Honestly, why were all his teachers so strange?
“Personally, it’s always been my policy to let the kids go around figuring
stuff out for themselves. Gives them character, you see?”
“You mean you’re just lazy.”
“Unfortunately,” Kakashi-sensei ignored him. “A higher power dictates that I
address the issue of your extra-curricular activities. Or, your lack thereof.
Are you aware that it is mandatory for all students to engage in a worthless
endeavor for the betterment of themselves?”
Naruto vaguely remembered Neji mentioning something like that.
“As it stands, the school has noted that you have yet to join a club, and have
sent me to ensure that you stop slacking off. So.” Kakashi waved something in
the air and Naruto recognized it as an Application form. “Stop. Slacking off, I
mean.”
“Sensei,” Naruto began, already feeling a cold sweat coming on. “I… kinda don’t
have the time for extra-curriculars? Could you, somehow, make an exception?”
“No can do.” Kakashi-sensei replied. “The school is very strict about the… er,
well-rounded education of their students.”
“My guardians—“ Naruto blurted out, and immediately regretted it.  
“Oh, all parents and guardians have been notified of this. You’ll find that
your guardians, are already well-aware of what you must do in order to maintain
a pleasant stay in Konoha Academy.” Kakashi had a slightly dangerous gleam in
his eye.
Naruto pondered over his words. If what Kakashi-sensei said was true, then the
Harunos would have no choice but to let him stay out later. After all, as long
as he came back before Sakura did…
“Fine, whatever.” Naruto sighed.
“Excellent. Now, for your club activities, may I suggest the Soccer—“
“No.” Naruto quickly said. “I… I don’t do sports. I’ll… I’ll just join whatever
Gaara’s in.” 
It was alarming how much Kakashi’s maniacal grin could be seen despite the
ever-present face-mask.
“That works out perfectly, as Gaara’s in the Soccer Team.”
Naruto startled in his seat.
“What?!”
“And Uchiha had just sent me an official request for a Team Manager. So!
Congratulations, Naruto. You are now the Official Manager of Konoha’s Soccer
Team—
Tsunade burst out laughing.
“It’s not funny!”
Tsunade was too busy clutching at her stomach to hear him.
“He totally planned that!” Naruto complained, leaping to his feet. “What a
scary person. He’s all smiles and carefree attitude but inside, he’s a demon!”
“Congratulations, kid.”
“Don’t mock me.” Naruto dropped back to his seat with a huff. “Me? Join the
soccer team? Give me a break. I’ll find a way to get out of it, just you wait.”
“No can do. I already received your application for the team, it’s all been
processed.” Tsunade grinned wickedly.
Naruto paused, looking at her suspiciously.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m the moderator of the Soccer Team. Surprise!”
“Lies.” Naruto scoffed. “What’s a nurse doing playing coach to a varsity team?”
Tsunade hit him across the head. “For your information, I am a licensed medical
professional and I specialize in sports therapy. You’d be surprised by how much
these idiots hurt themselves running around chasing after a ball.”
“I’m not joining your stupid club! I won’t!” Naruto cried, rubbing his head.
“Are you a child?!” Tsunade glared, kicking him out of the bed. “Break is
almost over; get your ass back to class.”
“You’re a disgrace to the medical profession!” Naruto cried over his shoulder,
running out of the office. “You stupid old hag!”
He slid the door open and ran smack into a solid wall of chest.
“Oof!”
Naruto looked up and felt his stomach dip.
“Er, hi Kiba.”
Well, this was bound to happen sooner or later.
The morning after that fateful night on the playground, after Gaara had dragged
him out of (his) bed and forced him to go to school; Naruto hadn’t been in the
right state to deal with people. Gaara had reasoned that by not showing up at
school, Naruto was conceding defeat. At that time, however, Naruto did not feel
very much like fighting the world, and so he had stayed within the comfort of
Gaara’s presence and blocked out the outside world.
Kiba, who had braved Gaara’s death glare in his concern, had grabbed Naruto by
the shoulders and shook him like a rag-doll, alarmed at his lack of response.
Gaara nearly broke his wrist for that.
They had not spoken since.
The taller boy looked down at him with an unreadable expression on his face.
Naruto couldn’t help the guilty clench in his stomach as he looked away.
“Look, I’m… I’m sorry for…” Naruto’s words caught in his throat and he felt
stupid as he realized he couldn’t find the words. What could he say? Nothing he
could say would ever sound right.   
“Sorry.” Naruto said again in a small voice. “You should… just stay away from
me.”
He stepped aside and walked away, feeling his heart grow colder with each heavy
step he took. Behind him, Kiba made a loud, exaggerated noise.
“Ahem,” Kiba shuffled his feet, scowling at the ground. “I need a partner for
Gym class.”
Naruto paused, ruthlessly suppressing the hope blooming in his chest.
“Er… What about Shikamaru?”
“I can’t count on someone half-dead for gym class.” Kiba scoffed, and it was
all so familiar that Naruto wanted to cry.
“But… I’m…”
Kiba made a frustrated sound.
“Do you want to be my gym partner, or not?”
This time, Naruto allowed the grin to eat up his entire face.
 
===============================================================================
 
Gai-sensei was another strange teacher to add to Konoha’s long list of
instructors. However—Naruto stared avidly at the blinding green jumpsuit
shining mysteriously under the sun—the enthusiastic Gym teacher was probably in
another league altogether. For one thing, everything about the man was… there
was no other word for it… blinding.
“I love freshmen class! Ah, smell the vigor of youth! We are the peak of our
vitality, we are invincible!”
Even his teeth were blinding.
“NOW! GO FORTH WITH THAT ENERGY AND GIVE ME TEN LAPS AROUND THE FIELD!”
Naruto cried in outrage along with the rest of the class, but quickly leapt to
action when the man began to chase around students with an enormous paper fan.
“He’s insane!” Naruto gasped, falling into step along Kiba, who was watching
the teacher warily.
“Anyone wearing that much green spandex has got to be hiding something—“
Naruto jumped in alarm as Kiba keeled over, the ball bouncing off his back.
“LET’S GO! LET’S GO! LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICES, YOU PUNKS!”
Naruto clapped his hands to his ears and sped up, unwilling to get caught in
the vortex of Gai-sensei’s presence. He spotted Gaara, who was several feet
away, jogging leisurely as if there wasn’t a green monster in a bowl-cut, hot
on their tails.
“You,” He caught up, panting. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in the soccer
team?!”
Gaara glanced at him. “You never asked.”
“To begin with, why the hell are you even in the soccer team? That makes no
sense at all!”
He shrugged, and Naruto hated the easy way he kept his pace at the turn of the
second lap, when his own ribs were starting to protest under the strain.
“They told me they’d exempt me from all in-class homework if I joined.”
“What?!” Naruto found it so unfair, he stopped in his tracks.
 Gaara did not even pause. Naruto stomped his foot in indignation. He’d be
damned if he was forced into the soccer team, when Gaara fucking Sabaku was
exempted from fucking homework.
Ten minutes later, Gai-sensei finally blew his whistle to end their torture.
“All right, gather up!”
Naruto gasped, clutching his knees as he attempted to get as much oxygen into
his lungs as he could. His ribs were on fire, still not fully recovered from
the beating it received, and sweat had gotten into his eyes. A few feet away,
Kiba was lying on the ground, boneless against the hot sun while Shikamaru—that
bastard—hadn’t even broken a sweat. Did the guy even run?!
“That was ten laps, I’m sure that’s got you warmed up enough!”
Burned out was more like it.
“Good! Because we’re playing a team sport today. I hear the captain of our very
own soccer team is here. This will make my job much easier.”
Naruto looked longingly over at the other side of the field, where the girls
half of the class were sitting in the shade, listening to the female teacher
lecturing on the principles of gymnastics. He’d gladly do cartwheels if he
could just get out of this mind-numbing heat—
“You’re on my team.”
Naruto blinked confusedly at Gaara, who was looking at him impatiently, a red
jersey on hand.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re playing a game.”
He glanced around and realized half the class was accepting blue slip-on
jerseys from Gai-sensei. Ugh. A soccer game? In this heat? Kill him now.
“Who’s on the other team?” Naruto groused, slipping on the jersey.
Gai’s whistle blew and Gaara stepped forward to shake the hand of—Sasuke. What?
That was so not fair. He was the freakin’ captain of the varsity team, why were
they making him play with mere mortals?
“We’re gonna get clobbered.” Naruto muttered, sidling next to Kiba who had the
most serious expression Naruto’s ever seen on his face.
“Naw, don’t underestimate Sabaku. On this team, I’m gonna show that great
Uchiha Sasuke that Soccer isn’t a sport played by one great man!”
“What in the world—“
Naruto was not able to process anything else as the game began in earnest, and
he found out just how into soccer Konoha Academy really was.
This was the school with the top soccer team in the league after all, and
Naruto couldn’t help but be swept away by the energy, pushing his legs faster
to keep up with the hard pace of the mock-game.
“Naruto!”
Kiba passed him the ball and without thinking, Naruto kicked it towards Gaara,
who had miraculously appeared in his line of sight. The sound of the ball
flying into the goal was exhilarating and Naruto cheered along with his
classmates and ran towards the red-head.
“That was amazing!” Naruto grinned, raising his arms for a high-five.
Gaara blinked at him for a second, cocking his head, before Naruto high-fived
him in the face.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know what that was.” Naruto snickered, patting him on
the back as they ran back towards the defense. The ball was on the other team
now, and Sasuke—
Whoosh.
The whistle sounded as a point was awarded to the other team.
“Whoa,” Naruto gaped at the still quivering net where the ball had nearly
ripped through. “I didn’t even see the ball.”
“Wonderful shot, Uchiha.” Gai-sensei said, admiring the abused net where the
poor goal-keeper was shaking in his gloves.
Naruto couldn’t help but agree. So this was Konoha’s pride and joy?
They played another ten minutes where Gaara seemed to have taken it a personal
mission to put in as many goals as possible, while Sasuke refused to lose. In
the end, Gai-sensei had to end the game as the poor goal keepers burst into
distraught tears.
“Why did you have to do that, geez.” Naruto chided as they walked back to the
bleachers.
“I didn’t want to lose.”
“It’s just a game.”
Gaara ignored him but Naruto was used to that already. He paused instead to tie
up his shoelaces, which proved to be a terrible mistake as he got roped into
clearing up the field by Gai-sensei. Naruto didn’t want to sound whiny, but his
ribs were really killing him now. But Sasuke was there too, silently gathering
stray balls at Gai-sensei’s orders, and somehow, Naruto didn’t feel like losing
either. So he hunched his shoulders and began to collect the orange cones
scattered around the area.
The hour spent running around in the heat was starting to get to him and Naruto
fought the swaying as he stooped to pick up the last of the cones. That was
probably why he hadn’t noticed the presence coming up to him, until he felt the
icy shock of a bottle pressing against his face.
It was Sasuke, and Naruto couldn’t help but accept the water bottle as he was
caught completely off guard. He held the bottle, the coolness feeling great on
heated skin, as he stared after Sasuke’s retreating back.
Slowly, he twisted off the cap and took a drink, the water giving him immediate
respite as he felt some of his fatigue washed away by the fluid entering his
body. That was definitely the only reason why he was grinning like an idiot.
And he totally didn’t keep the bottle.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sasuke tried to tamp on the embarrassed flush that crept up the back of his
neck as he walked away from the blond. Whatever possessed him to give that
bottle, it was gone now, and in its stead was the angry voice in his head
calling him an idiot.
He wasn’t watching the dobe. Not at all. He didn’t notice the way he winced
through the whole class, carefully avoiding strain on his left side. The way
the blond was heated and dehydrated and yet forced to put more strain on his
injuries by joining the clean-up. He totally didn’t jog all the way up to the
lockers to retrieve the coldest bottle he could find, and he definitely didn’t
intend to give it to the blond at all.
Who the fuck was he kidding?
Sasuke paused in the safety of the bleachers, a hand rising up to cover his
face.
This was getting out of control.
“Sasuke-kun.”
It was like a switch had turned off, and Sasuke was snapped back to reality as
he looked up to pinkness and dear god—
“Go away.”
Seriously. She was the most annoying of them yet.
“Are you busy over the weekend?”
“Yes.”
“It’s for our science project.” Sakura crossed her arms, a slight smile on her
face. “We’re in a lab group together, remember?”
“I’m busy.” Sasuke repeated, already turning to walk away.
“We can talk about it over at my house. You know the place. I’ll make sure the
other guy’s there too.”
Despite himself, Sasuke froze mid-step as he processed her words. The other
guy? Her house? So many questions, so many theories that he didn’t like the
sound of, and what was he to do?
“What do you want?” He finally said, not turning around to look at her.
“Come over for tea, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura laughed, flipping her hair to the side.
“And I’ll show you something really interesting.”
Sasuke frowned, squared his shoulders and walked away.
“You’ve got a terrible personality, Haruno.”
Sakura simply smiled at his retreating back, watching him disappear into the
locker room. The sun was beginning to sink to a more comfortable spot in the
sky, and Sakura leaned back slightly to glance back at the blond figure
standing in the middle of the field, grinning like an idiot. 
“Terrible personality,” Sakura mused. “Aren’t we just a perfect match, then?”
 
                                        
***** Stronger *****
Chapter Notes
     Thanks to all those who gave constructive reviews. I really
     appreciated them and thought about them seriously. I think I've
     already addressed most of the concerns in my later chapters (which
     I've already drafted) so I guess time will really tell where this
     will all go. All I can say is, it's a looooong journey up ahead,
     folks. Please let me know your thoughts, it really gives me a lot to
     think about. ^^
     -skye
                  “What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.”
                         -Wilhelm Friedrich Nietzsche
 
He was back to scrubbing floors today.
Naruto sighed as he adjusted his grip on the rag, moodily wondering why Baba
Saya had suddenly pulled him out of his usual Kitchen duties to work on the
first floor hallway. Was he being punished for something? He hadn’t done
anything too bad lately.
He pretended to be focused on a particular grimy spot when she walked past. She
paused to glance sharply at him before whisking up the stairs. Naruto made a
face at his rag. Crazy old hag.
It was a beautiful Saturday outside, too. Naruto glanced wistfully out the
window at the bright sunshine and wished he was working outside instead. His
stomach still ached and his back was protesting against crouching over the
floor for so long, but what could he do?
He let his mind wander instead, to keep his thoughts away from his protesting
knees; and inevitably, his thoughts went back to one thing. Or, to one person.
It made absolutely no sense and Naruto would have sworn he was imagining
things… if there hadn’t been undeniable proof that—yes, Uchiha Sasuke was
noticing him.
The water bottle was the highlight of his week (it was hidden guiltily in the
second drawer of his bedside table) but then there was the staring. Which,
honestly, Naruto would have denied—like, why would Uchiha Sasuke stare at him,
right?—until Gaara had pointedly turned heel and threatened to rip off his
eyeballs.
Naruto had nearly died of embarrassment, but was saved by Kakashi miraculously
appearing and diffusing the crowd that had formed in front of their classroom.
Remembering brought out the embarrassed flush in his cheeks. But in the privacy
of his own thoughts, he was able to admit to himself that it was not only
embarrassment. 
Like that morning the following day, when Naruto stepped into the classroom and
nearly walked right into Sasuke. Before he could hurriedly step away, Sasuke
looked down at him and said:
“Good morning,”
Like it was absolutely normal. As if he did it everyday.
Naruto had barely mumbled out a reply before scurrying off to his seat, but the
warmth that had settled in his chest was a revelation. Gaara was already there,
staring out the window per usual, and Naruto squinted at him, testing out a
theory.
“Good morning,” He said clearly, waiting expectantly for a reply.
The redhead simply glared at him before turning back to staring at god knows
what.
“Yeah, I thought so.”
Naruto hadn’t been able to put to words the emotions he suddenly had before
him, but he took extra care to be more polite to Sasuke. Well, as far as
politely ignoring him went. He didn’t think anybody noticed (except Gaara, who
occasionally took the time off from his window to give Naruto an exaggerated
roll of the eyes), until it was freakin’ Chouji who brought it up at the lunch
table.
“What’s going on between you and Uchiha, lately?”
Naruto choked on his drink.
“Oi, Chouji. What’s the point of pretending the elephant doesn't exist, if
you’re going to bring it up?” Shikamaru groused, flicking a french-fry at him.
“Everybody’s thinking it.”
“And no one’s touching it with a ten-foot pole, are you an idiot?” Kiba
scowled.
The hacking cough was a good excuse for his beet-red face.
“Nothing is going on.” Naruto cleared his throat loudly. “Wh-what are you even
talking about?”
“Like we haven’t noticed his highness’ creepy stares. I mean, come on, blondie,
we’ve got eyes.” Kiba tore into another bag of chips.
“Take it up with him, I’ve got nothing to do with it!”
“Except his stares are connected to your ass—“
“SHIKAMARU!”
“Oh my god.” Kiba’s eyes rolled back to the back of his head. “Please don’t say
things like that. UGH.”
“I don’t see why not. Blondie here’s got a nice ass—“
Naruto snorted out loud as he rinsed his rag in the bucket. Shikamaru looked
harmless but he had the wit of the devil and a mouth to go along with it.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the front door opening, and
Sakura’s chirrupy voice floated over from outside.
Naruto resolutely kept his eyes downcast and his hands busy. He wasn’t in the
mood to deal with Sakura’s face today. Scowling, he realized that Sakura would
be muddying his just-cleaned floors. That was totally on purpose. 
“We got a new set of tea bags today, from Morocco. We should try them later.”
She had a guest?
Despite himself, Naruto glanced up curiously as two pairs of footsteps entered
the hallway. Pink hair, pink dress, and behind her, a strangely familiar dark
head.
His stomach dipped in sickening dread as he realized who it was.
Rooted to the spot, mind blank, he could only stare in horror at Sasuke’s wide
eyes.
“Ah, there you are. Would you mind fetching us some tea?” Sakura’s words were
light, but it sounded like the proverbial drop of an axe on his head.
It felt like ants. Hundreds of them, crawling over his skin.
Humiliation made him sick to the stomach and Naruto scrambled away from the
floor, overturning the bucket in his haste. He ran past Sasuke, not looking at
his face, and fled up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn’t
stop until he got to his room, slamming the door behind him and locking it with
shaking hands. Breathing sharp and heavy, he pressed his back to the door and
banged his head against it.
Hot, angry tears spilled over his face as he let out a strangled sob.
Humiliation was not a strange emotion to him, and this was not the first time
Sakura had done such a thing. But Naruto could not erase Sasuke’s wide eyed
expression from his mind, and every time he remembered, it brought another
fresh wave of pain in his chest, until it suffocated him.
Knees giving under him, he slid to the floor and gave in to the overwhelming
need to cry.
 
===============================================================================
 
 “…What’s the meaning of this?”
Sasuke’s voice was steady, calm despite the storm raging inside him. He had
come in today, wary and expecting to have a few words—but he had not been
prepared to see…that. He felt something stir in his chest as he remembered the
look of utter devastation on the blonde’s face when he saw him. In that
instant, Sasuke felt like a monster. He felt helpless as he stood there,
towering over the blond slumped against the floor, staring up at him like he
had done something unforgivable—
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Sakura replied, just as evenly. “It wasn’t the
best way to have introduced you to this, hm?”
Sasuke did not reply.
Sakura sighed, gesturing for him to follow her. Woodenly, Sasuke did, unable to
do anything but. She led them into a small receiving area, and called for some
tea.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura began, as the maid
left with a click of the door. “However, I’m not sure I’m in a position to
answer them.”
“What is your relationship with Naruto Uzumaki?”
Sakura cocked her head, studying him. “Why do you care?”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her.
“You can’t intimidate me in my own house, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura laughed.
“Besides, I don’t think I owe you any answers, especially since I won’t be
getting any answers in return.”
Sasuke tossed his head, smiling grimly.  
“I knew you were rotten, Haruno, but I guess I underestimated just how much.
Fine, then. Two can play this game.”
“Oh, you misunderstand me.” Sakura raised a hand. “I don’t want Sasuke-kun as
my enemy. In fact, I want to help you.”
Sasuke kept silent, a vein ticking near his mouth. 
“Shall we play a game, then?” Sakura smiled at him. “A question answered for an
answered question.”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 
“I want to know more about you, Sasuke-kun. And it seems this is the only way
to get close to you. I heard you have a habit of pushing people away.” Sakura
leaned in, extending a hand. “So, do we have a deal? I’ll tell you everything
you want to know.”
Sasuke stared down at her hand for a few moments, before letting out a sigh. He
got to his feet and slowly, deliberately got up close to her face.
“Maybe you’ve gotten used to manipulating idiots, but you’re a hundred years
too early to be dealing with me,” Sasuke leaned close, until he was able to
whisper in her hear. “New money.”
Sakura flinched.
She felt the hot flush of anger and embarrassment spread even as the door
closed shut behind her. She sat unmoving, listening to Sasuke’s footsteps
disappearing into the silence.
Calmly, she raised the teacup to her lips and took a sip.
The tea had gone cold and bitter.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Monday came around, Naruto was an absolute wreck.
After that disastrous encounter, Naruto hadn’t had a moment’s peace of mind. At
one point, after he got his ears boxed by the cook for a mistake he couldn’t
even remember, Naruto was so filled with torment that he had wanted to run away
again. For once, he had somewhere to run to. Gaara would let him crash for
sure.
And then he realized with a rush of bitterness that he didn’t know where Gaara
lived. He didn’t even have a number to call. His only consolation was that
Sakura had not looked in his direction since. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if
she had spoken to him at all.
Bags under his eyes and exhausted after a night of fitful tossing and turning,
Naruto showed up to school at the last possible minute, hoping to avoid
confrontation with the Uchiha. Seeing Sasuke’s empty seat nearly made him cry
with relief. Gaara took one look at his face and frowned but Naruto shook his
head. Later.
The seat next to Gaara was conspicuously empty until third period.
Sasuke slunk into the class during History with Kakashi-sensei, who didn’t even
glance his way and chattered on about the bloody history of the Silk Road.
Taking cue from Kakashi and Kiba (who was snoring into his book), Naruto kept
his eyes firmly on the board and ignored the sound of the chair scraping behind
him.
He felt more centered now, somehow, not like this morning, when he felt ready
to fly into a million pieces. Naruto glanced to the front of the classroom at
Sakura’s pink head.
Que sera, sera.
What will be, will be.
Naruto had planned to eat lunch with Kiba and the gang, since they could always
be counted on for a good distraction; but when the bell rang for lunch, Gaara
did not waste any time. He grabbed Naruto by the wrist and dragged him out of
the classroom. Naruto let him, determined to make sure Gaara did not find out
what happened over the weekend.
Or at least, that was what he had intended.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Gaara informed him. “I don’t know why you even
bother.”
“Thanks.” Naruto said dryly.
“What happened with Uchiha?”
Fucking Gaara and his weird sixth sense or something.
“I told you not to go near that guy.” Gaara seethed, misinterpreting his
expression.
“It’s not like that!” Naruto cried. Backed against the wall, he threw his
metaphorical hands up in the air. “He… he showed up where I live.”
Gaara waited for him to go on. 
“…so?”
“So,” Naruto gave him a look. “He knows.”
“Knows what? That you live with her and her child-molester father—“
Naruto slapped a hand to his mouth, scowling heavily.
“Don’t fucking say it!”
Gaara glared at him over his hand.
“He came in through the door, and there I was, on my knees, cleaning the stupid
floor.” Naruto’s face colored with bitterness and humiliation over the memory.
“He saw me at my worst.”
Gaara shook off his hand.
“Is that what you’re upset about?”
“Oh, I forgot. I’m talking to you. Why the hell should I expect any sympathy?”
Naruto sighed.
Gaara frowned at him.
“Why the hell should you care what Uchiha thinks of you?”
The defensive retort was halfway out his mouth, but Naruto gave up and sighed
instead.
“You’re right.”
Of course he was right.
Gaara leaned back against the topmost bleacher, a spot they favored since it
promised a good view and a peaceful lunch.
“You’re better off not involving yourself with that guy.” Gaara murmured,
staring out into the grassy field.
Naruto snickered half-heartedly.
“Why? Looks bad for my rep? Gaara, half the school thinks I sleep with you, for
god’s sake.”
Gaara extended a mulish sort of silence and Naruto took the time to stretch out
and plant his head on Gaara’s lap. The red-head kicked at him in protest.
“Don’t be stingy, you jerk. Let me close my eyes a bit. I haven’t slept for two
days.” Naruto muttered, elbowing Gaara and forcing his legs still.
Finally, begrudgingly, Gaara settled down,
“…do you think he’ll ever talk to me again?” Naruto murmured with his eyes
closed.
Gaara ignored him, which made Naruto dig his elbow deeper. Gaara glared down at
him but replied:
“You have detention with him.” 
Naruto wasn’t sure if the thump in his chest was one of trepidation or hope. As
soon as the thought arose, he squished it down violently and decided that
things would be easier for him if he forgot this entire fiasco. 
“Hey,” Naruto suddenly remembered. “Can I visit your place next time?”
He felt Gaara tense under him.
“You’ve been to my place.”  
“I mean like, later.” Naruto emphasized, hoping Gaara understood what he meant.
“You can, uh, help me with my homework.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Naruto couldn’t help it. He felt the sting of rejection.
“Why not?”
Gaara looked down at him. “Can I come over to your place, then?”
Naruto paused and then sighed. “No, I guess not.”
“Oi.”
Naruto and Gaara both looked up in surprise. They hadn’t heard him approach,
but there he was, dark hair fluttering in the breeze and expression carefully
blank.  
Naruto scrambled off of Gaara’s lap, suddenly self-conscious. Gaara sat up at a
more leisurely pace, crossing his arms and regarding the Uchiha with a
challenging gaze, as if saying: And? What are you going to do about it?
Sasuke ignored the red-head and tossed something to Naruto, who gazed down
confusedly at the key-card in his hand.
“Detention starts today. 3 o’clock, at the Greenhouse.” Said Sasuke.
“What?” Naruto stared incredulously at the note attached to the card. “He’s
making us do manual labor?”
“The hydrangeas need re-potting.” Was Sasuke’s curt reply before he turned
around and left.
Naruto tried not to take it personally and ignored the way his stomach clenched
at his retreating back. Gaara gave a sigh to his right.
“Give me a break—“
“I didn’t say anything!”
“Your face tells me your every disgusting thought.”
Naruto kicked him with a scowl and then immediately regretted it when Gaara
moved to leave. He latched onto Gaara’s leg, apologizing.
“I don’t suppose you’d like to help re-pot the hydrangeas?” He smiled weakly up
at Gaara, who looked like he was about to throw him off the bleachers.
 
===============================================================================
 
When Naruto arrived at the Greenhouse later, he awkwardly poked his head inside
and spotted Yamato-sensei, already talking to Sasuke and giving instructions.
He shuffled in, apologizing for being late, and occupied himself with looking
everywhere but in Sasuke’s direction.
They were indeed re-potting the hydrangeas, and for the first time, Naruto was
glad for this kind of mindless work, as it did not require him to talk or
interact with his fellow detention buddy. Still, physical labor was physical
labor, and Naruto winced as he stooped down to lift a sack of dirt. His ribs
were still sore, damn it.
And then suddenly, Sasuke was there, wordlessly helping him hoist the sack onto
the wooden worktable. Naruto quickly turned his back and began gathering the
clay pots they needed, ignoring the heat creeping up his cheeks.
They worked in silence, setting up the worktable as Yamato-sensei instructed.
They had not spoken a word yet, but Naruto was surprised every time Sasuke
handed him something he needed, or moved the heavier stuff within easy reach.
It was almost…thoughtful.
The temperature was pleasantly warm inside the greenhouse, and not the muggy
kind he was expecting. Outside, birds could be heard twittering a faint melody,
accompanied by the rustling of leaves against the autumn wind.
With a strange calmness, Naruto selected a pot and began to work in earnest,
digging through the roots and carefully transferring the plant to a larger,
awaiting pot.
He was on his third pot when he realized that Sasuke was not making any
progress. He paused in his work and sat back to watch as the dark-haired boy
struggled with the plant, spilling dirt everywhere and possibly ruining the
delicate buds of the flower. Finally, unable to watch any longer, Naruto placed
down his tool and gently took the plant away from Sasuke’s crushing grip. He
coaxed it into a fresh pot and began filling it with fresh earth.
Sasuke watched him work, simply handing over tools when Naruto needed them. 
“You’re good at this.” He murmured, finally breaking the silence.
Naruto kept his eyes on his work, nimble fingers untangling gnarled roots with
practiced ease.
 “…I used to do a lot of work in the gardens.”
The silence hung heavy between them at the implication of his words. The memory
of the other day was still raw and painful for Naruto, and he had no idea what
Sasuke was thinking. But Gaara was right. It was no use beating himself over
something that was past. He was laid out bare. The ball was now on Sasuke’s
court.
“How long…?”  Sasuke trailed off, and then fell silent.
Naruto waited nervously, almost afraid of the question, until it seemed Sasuke
wouldn’t speak up anymore.
“My parents are dead.” Naruto finally blurted out.
Sasuke did not reply. He simple dragged a fresh pot towards him and silently
began to copy Naruto’s gentle ministrations.
Naruto tried not to let the awkward silent between them get to him. It was so
embarrassing; they were so out of sync. He secretly hated himself for being
unable to hold a normal conversation. And then—
“I’m sorry.”
Sasuke said it so softly, Naruto thought he might have just imagined it.
And then, just like that, the silence didn’t seem as strained. Naruto felt his
chest slowly lighten up on his next exhale.
Sasuke kept his eyes on his hands, half wondering if the blond even heard him.
But then he felt a brief brush of shoulder from the blond. That spot remained
warm even after they had packed up and gone home, where Sasuke dreamed of
sunlight and the impression of fresh buds in Spring.
 
***** Stranger *****
                  People are strange when you’re a stranger.
                                  -The Doors
                                        
“Hyuuga-sama. You may now enter.”
Neji stiffly straightened out his robe and followed the attendant into the
hall. He was rarely called out into the main house, and he was usually not
happy with the reason. The wood under his feet was polished to a fault, and
Neji hated the dull sound of their footsteps as they neared the large,
intricate doors. They were round, a symbol of zen, of high-grade wood and
paper. They slid soundlessly open, the seemingly harmless gates of hell.
“Enter.”
The head of the Hyuuga Clan was a stern and calculating man. Never mind that he
was his father’s twin brother, Hiashi Hyuuga wielded his birthright like an
iron rod and treated his family, and the rest of the Hyuuga branch family, like
they were inferior. Like they were his servants to do his bidding.
“You called for me, Uncle.”
The room was beautiful, really. A zen masterpiece. It was bright, airy, with
open paper-screen windows overlooking a Japanese garden. A painting of a
majestic white tiger hung in the center of the room, along with the Hyuuga clan
seal. The master of the seal sat under its shadow, calmly tending to a bonsai
plant. Had he been in the mood for it, Neji would have laughed at the cliché.
“How goes your first weeks back in school?”
“Fine.” 
Get to the point, he wanted to say.
“How’s the Uchiha boy?”
“Fine.”
“Still playing that ridiculous sport?”
“He’s become the Captain of the team.”
The man chuckled from the shadows, the snap of his tool echoing in the
stillness.
“Worthless fool. Let him play with his toys and remain foolish for a while
longer. His parents will be rolling in their graves.”
Neji forced himself to stay absolutely still.
“And the boy from Suna?”
“He has joined the team as well.”
At that, Hiashi let out a bellow of laughter, setting Neji’s teeth on edge.
“That old coot is attempting to keep an eye on both of them. And this is how
she does it. How cute.”
“Will there be anything else?”
Slowly, Hiashi rose to his feet, rising out of the shadows like a nightmare.
Slowly, calculatingly, he reached out towards Neji’s face.
Neji couldn’t help but flinch as cold fingers touched him, brushing back the
hair from where the Hyuuga Mark lay stark on his forehead.
“Say hello to your father for me.” Came the sweet reply, as the fingers
fluttered away.
Neji gave a stiff bow and retreated from the room, barely restraining himself
from running. The place where the fingers had touched him was still icy. He
ignored the several attendants bowing to him on the way and marched
purposefully out of the main hall. He crossed the large courtyard and slipped
into the quieter, more peaceful area of the estate.
There, he allowed his heart some time to rest, to stay the trembling in his
hands. His footsteps gradually moved him deeper into the gardens, hand straying
to a nearby shrub and picking a single delicate bud. He moved along the
familiar steps to a nondescript doorway, the humble partitions unassuming
against the many others in the same hall.
He raised his hand to knock, the answer of a wind-chime accompanying the soft
voice that filtered from within.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me for intruding.”
Neji gently slid the door close shut behind him, carefully moving deeper into
the modest bedroom. The walls were a light, beige color, the color of rice
paper, and the hint of jasmine lingered in the air. Nestled in the bed by the
window, was a delicate figure dressed in intricate silks, woven with gold
thread. She looked up from her book, her long, silky hair, not unlike his own,
falling over one shoulder. Her face broke out into an expression of joy as he
held out the flower, a humble gift.
“How have you been, Hinata-sama?”
 
===============================================================================
 
The sound of whistles blowing sharp in the air made Naruto wince. The grass
beneath his feet was crisp and the weather was otherwise perfect, but it felt
like walking to his doom. It was the first official week of club activities,
and Naruto had been cornered by Tsunade, who gleefully informed him that all
members (and that included him) were obliged to attend the try-outs for the
main line-up. Naruto had begged and pleaded and even tried to make a run for
it, but he was dragged by the hair into the soccer field where he now currently
stood, feeling like a fool.
Gaara had spotted him at some point, barely giving him a nod before being
whisked off to do warm-ups. Some people were openly staring at him—skinny,
ratty gym-shirt and all, so obviously out of place among the gaggle of sturdily
built athletes.
“Heads up!”
Naruto stifled a cry and ducked, the ball whizzing alarmingly close to where
his head had been. He glared at the figure jogging towards him, ready to give
him a piece of his mind.
“Sorry, ‘nii-chan! Didn’t mean to hit you. My ball control is still a little
whack.”
The insult died in Naruto’s mouth. He was still getting used to people
straight-out apologizing to him. He tried out a painful smile instead.
“Watch where you’re aiming that thing.”
“Working on it.” The boy laughed, scratching his head. “Are you new? I didn’t
see you at the try-outs this summer.”
“Oh, uh, I didn’t. That is, I didn’t try out.”
“Special recruit, then? Wow, you must be insanely good.” The boy looked far too
interested than Naruto was comfortable with. “What position do you play?”
“I… I… er…”
“Number 23, get back on the field.”
The boy stiffened to attention so fast, Naruto was afraid he had pulled a
muscle.
“Y-yes, captain!”
The boy (number 23) jogged away, glancing back curiously as Sasuke stopped in
front of the blond. Naruto fidgeted, plucking at his shirt and shuffling his
feet.
“You made it.”
Naruto immediately clamped down the stirring in his chest as he looked up at
Sasuke. The sun was at a perfect angle, hitting his dark hair and accentuating
his already devastating good-looks—what the fuck was he even saying.
The blonde gave a tentative smile, the quiet moment at the greenhouse still
lingering between them, almost like forgiveness. Sasuke rewarded him with a
small smile of his own—which, wow, Naruto didn’t think he’d seen Sasuke smile
before—and gestured for him to follow.
The entire field was now watching them, eyes boring onto the newcomer,
assessing, calculating, speculating. No one had missed that it was Sasuke who
had approached the blond first. And if this blond guy was someone for Sasuke to
give special attention to… then he must be pretty damn special.
“Okay, gather up.”
 Tsunade had changed into more casual clothes, and Naruto goggled at the tight
white shirt stretched across her generous chest.
“We’re going to start the bloodbath for the main line soon, but before that,
some announcements.” She tapped the clipboard she carried in her hand. “The
Spring Tournament won’t be until next year, but we’re already bogged with
practice matches, training camp and inter-school mock ‘tourneys. We’ve got a
rep to maintain, so anybody caught slacking off will be gutted from this team
like a fish. Got that?”
There was a chorus of yes’ in the group and Naruto glanced around in
bewilderment at the seriousness of their expressions. They were freakin’ high
school students, for god’s sakes.
“Second in agenda.” Tsuande gave a devilish grin. “Our very own Gai-sensei has
volunteered to oversee our winter training camp this year.”
This time, it was groans and cries of despair that rose from the group, and
this time, Naruto joined them.
“Yeah, yeah, quit your whining. Also,” Tsunade gave Naruto a quick glance.
“We’ve got a new Manager, since the old one quit so unexpectedly.”
She gave the stink eye as a couple of boys in the back snickered.
“This one ain’t gonna be that easy to replace, so you better make damn sure you
cherish him, alright?”
Naruto felt the clamminess in his skin as he stepped forward to be introduced,
feeling the weight of everyone’s attention on him.
“Um… I’m Naruto Uzumaki. First Year. I… I don’t really play soccer—“
Someone snorted from the back. But instead of breaking his spirit, it just made
him more stubborn.
“But I can kick balls as well as anybody.” He glared at the boy who laughed.
“So you better watch out.”
A couple of jabs and snickering broke out from the crowd, until Sasuke stepped
up to the front. Instantly, everyone fell silent.
“I will not tolerate disorderly conduct in this team.” Sasuke said coldly, and
Naruto suppressed a shiver. Somehow, he was thankful that he was never under
the brunt of that tone. “He’s here to make our lives easier. If you make his
life harder for him, then you will have to answer to me.”
The shocked silence was a cold and ugly one as they all heard the universal
message: Fuck off. He’s mine.
“And to me.” Gaara stepped up, glaring for good measure.
Instead of feeling grateful, Naruto felt embarrassed and angry, knowing full
well what the two idiots had just done. They didn’t do him any favors with
those words. They had just turned him into a pariah. Almost instantly, the
curious and reserved gazes that were on him had changed into something more
hostile.
“Everybody finish warming up!” Tsunade blew her whistle, almost rudely.
“Formation in five!”
She sidled up to Naruto who was glaring at his shoes as the rest of the team
broke away.
“You sure got a lot of knights in shining armor.”
“You mean knights of freakin’ dumbasses, right?”
“I never said they were smart.” Tsunade smiled at him grimly. “They just made
your life living hell.”
Naruto groaned into his hands. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“Cheer up blondie. It could be worse. It could be Sabaku or Uchiha picking on
you.”
“How are they not picking on me right now?”
“Touché.” Tsunade tossed him a file. “Your list of duties, princess. Also a
record of our current team members-- their strengths, weaknesses, play
statistics, etc. Memorize it. Learn it by heart. You’re going to be of no use
otherwise.”
“Gee, it feels great to be needed.” Naruto replied dryly, leafing through the
file. “Clean up duty? What am I, a glorified nanny?”
“You don’t have to clean chicken squat, if you don’t want to.” Tsunade grinned
at him. “Your job is to make sure the rest of them do. And let me tell you,
they’re a bunch of slobs. The lot of them.”
“Like hell am I going to pick up after them.” Naruto squared his jaw. He did
enough of that back home.
“That’s the spirit, kid.” Tsunade walloped him on the shoulder. “Now, I want
you to stick to Uchiha like white on rice and take notes of the stuff that
comes out of his mouth. You get to be his secretary. How about that?”
“Joy.” Naruto mumbled, dragging his feet towards Sasuke, who was busy glaring
at a pair of seniors goofing around with a ball. “Naruto Uzumaki, at your
service.”
“Put this on record,” Sasuke said without prompting. “Numbers 14 and 17 to be
taken down the roster to 17 and 21, respectively. Shuffle the rest of the team
up.”
Naruto hastily patted himself down for a pen, struggling to remember the
barrage of data the Uchiha had just released. And he was still talking!
“Wait, wait, I need to write this all down.”
“Keep up, dobe.” Sasuke said impatiently.
“I will, if you just give me a moment.” Naruto glared, finally tugging out a
pen from his bag. “Okay, so 14 and 17… that’s Davis and Yashiro, by the way.”
Sasuke glanced at him.
“To be demoted… for what reason?” Naruto glanced up at him curiously.
“For being annoying as fuck.”
The blond scoffed. “You can’t just do that.”
“I’m the captain. I can do whatever I want.”
The Uchiha moved away.
“Tyrant!” Naruto called out, shaking his fist, before realizing he was supposed
to be sticking close. Ugh.
The try-outs were brutal, and Naruto had to wince several times, watching
player after player get hit with a vicious ball. Gaara and Sasuke were manning
the net, challenging each player to get the ball past them. Each player gave
their best, but every single time, the two monsters would catch the ball
without fail and send it back to the kicker with twice as much power. Naruto
wasn’t sure if this was a try-out or a valid excuse to beat people up.
“You’re having way too much fun.” Naruto quipped, helpfully handing Gaara a
towel.
“Does it really show?” Gaara replied dryly, mopping the sweat off his forehead.
Suddenly, he yanked Naruto to the side, leg whipping up to counter the ball
that had sailed towards them.
“What the fuck!” Naruto cried, alarmed, clutching Gaara’s arm in a white-
knuckled grip.
“If you’re quite finished, I need to talk to you, Manager-kun.” Sasuke said,
tossing a ball threateningly.
“If you’re quite finished being an asshole, I’ll be right up, Captain.” Naruto
snapped, letting out a frustrated huff. He turned to Gaara, handing over a
water bottle. “Wait for me after practice? I need to copy your Math homework.”
Gaara gave him a look. “I’m exempted from homework.”
“You’re still letting me copy it, anyway.” Naruto scowled. “I know for a fact
that you solve equations in your sleep.”
He didn’t wait for Gaara to reply before turning and running towards an
impatient looking Sasuke.
“What do you want?”
“Did you keep track of the score within the past few minutes?”
“Uh, yeah. Zero. Nil. On both sides. Why?”
“I expect a report on each players attack and defense plays during the past ten
minutes.”
Naruto’s jaw dropped.
“You can’t be serious!”
Sasuke gave him a look. “Part of your duties, Manager.”
“You never told me to do that! How was I supposed to know?”
“Didn’t Tsunade brief you?” Sasuke crossed his arms.
Naruto stomped his foot. “You can’t expect me to magically know everything on
my very first day. Stop looking at me like I’m incompetent! I’ll just do better
next time. Just you watch! I’ll be the best damn manager this team has ever
seen!”
 “Looking forward to it.”
The brief smile on Sasuke’s face took the wind out of Naruto’s sails. He stood
there in dejected silence as Sasuke barked out an order for everyone to clear
the field. The surreptitious glances towards his directions were not missed and
Naruto gave another sigh as he steeled himself for the long climb ahead.
“Hey.”
“What?” Naruto groused, glancing at his watch. It was barely four. If all went
well, he could finish up his homework (copy off Gaara) and make it back in time
for dinner duty.
“Come over to my place.”
Naruto choked on his next breath and then gave Sasuke a flat glare.
“No.”
“We need to work on our projects.” Sasuke said pointedly. “We’re paired up for
almost everything, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“So let’s meet at the library.” Naruto shot back, fighting back the blush
creeping up his neck. “Y-you know I can’t just…” He fell silent, staring down
his shoes.
An awkward silence fell between them. Greenhouse moment or no, the topic was
still too raw after all.
“I’m coming over, then.” Sasuke finally said.
Naruto ground his teeth in exasperation.
“What the fuck is wrong with the library?”
“What the fuck is wrong with your house?”
“It’s not my house. It’s S-sakura’s house.” Naruto had to practically spit out
the words. He wanted to run away from the conversation. In fact, what was
stopping him?
“Oi, dobe!”
“Don’t come! Never come! Go to hell, bastard!” Naruto cried behind his back,
sticking out his tongue.
Sasuke made an annoyed sound and rested his hands on his hips. The blond was
like a skittish rat that was impossible to corner. A flash of pink caught his
attention from across the field, and Sasuke glanced over the fenced area, where
the cheerleading team was having practice. Haruno Sakura stood there, arms
crossed and staring after the retreating blond.
Gritting his teeth, he squared his shoulders and moved towards her.
He knew what he had to do.
 
===============================================================================
 
“Everyone pair up. Whoever’s fine.”
Naruto snuck a glance at Kiba who gave him a thumbs-up.
“Except you, Naruto.” Kakashi said cheerfully, waving a finger. “Principal’s
order.”
Naruto gave a deep sigh as Kiba stood up, already making a beeline for
Shikamaru. Naruto grabbed his shirt, scowling.
“You’re pairing up with Gaara.” He muttered at him.
“Over my dead body.” Kiba muttered back through gritted teeth.
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” Sasuke said, looming over them. He tossed his
head at Kiba. “Change seats.”
“No.” Kiba said stubbornly.
“Shikamaru’s already paired up with Chouji.” Naruto said exasperatedly.
“No!” Kiba wailed.
“Kiba, for god’s sake—“
Gaara stood up with an earsplitting scrape of his chair. Everyone stared as he
calmly moved to walk away, towards the direction of the door. They were doing
library work.
“You’ll pay for this.” Kiba cried, shaking his fist at Naruto as he turned to
follow Gaara out of the classroom.
Left with Sasuke, Naruto shuffled his feet, gathering his notebook and a pen.
He tried a tentative smile.
“We better get going too.”
Sasuke simply shrugged and followed Naruto out of the room. They walked in
silence all the way to the library, and Naruto tried not to feel awkward. This
was normal. This was totally fine.
“Hey.”
“What?!” Naruto said, a little defensively.
Sasuke frowned at him. “The History section is this way.”
He pointed to the left. Naruto felt himself go purple.
“I knew that.” He said instead, making a sharp turn.
They were supposed to be looking up books on a famous war lord, but honestly,
Naruto couldn’t even remember his name. Besides, Sasuke didn’t care either way.
Still, Naruto pulled out a few books and made his way over to an empty table,
just to have something to occupy his hands.
Sasuke took the seat next to him a few minutes later, leisurely opening his
book and flipping over a few pages. They sat like that for quite some time.
“Have you written that report yet, Manager-kun?” Sasuke murmured out of the
blue.
Naruto rolled his eyes, refusing to look at him.
“There’s nothing to report on, Captain. No one scored a single ball. You and
Gaara pulverized them, hurray for you.”
“So they’re all useless.”
“Not totally useless.” Naruto protested halfheartedly. “They couldn’t score,
but some were pretty good… Like Raidou.”
“Who?”
“Number 12.” Naruto said exasperatedly. “Honestly, you should at least know the
names of your players.”
“Hm, he had good aim.” Sasuke agreed casually. “Number 14?”
“Too hasty. He needs to think before acting.” Naruto replied, flipping a page
of his book.
“It’s called instincts.”
“Well his instinct sucks.”
“Who else?”
“Number 23 needs to work on his ball control.” Naruto slowly ventured. “But I
like his spirit.”
“Spirit isn’t going to get the ball to the net.”
“He’s working on it.”
Sasuke smirked. “Well, well. Looks like you’re not useless after all.”
Naruto flushed.
“You need to fix that attitude of yours.” He muttered into his hand.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” Naruto spotted a flash of red. “Gaara’s surprisingly good, isn’t he?
I mean, who would have thought?”
Immediately, Sasuke scowled.
“Next topic.”
“What do you have against Gaara?” Naruto frowned at him. “He doesn’t bother
you. You guys are on the same team. Leave him alone.”
“Since when were you best friends?” Sasuke said dryly.
“We’re soul-mates.” Naruto replied sarcastically. “Haven’t you heard? We’re in
love.”
Sasuke eyed him. “Oh, really?”
Naruto couldn’t keep a straight face and started snickering. “No way! We just
clicked, okay?”
“You ‘click’ with Sabaku Gaara?” Sasuke asked in skeptical tone. “Really?”
“Like you’re one to talk.” Naruto scoffed.
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you hate people.” Naruto replied easily, ticking off his fingers. “And
you hate the attention everyone gives you. You hate rain. You hate cafeteria
food. Basically, you hate everything.”
Sasuke was quiet for a moment.
“I like tomatoes.” He finally said.
“No way, really?” Naruto couldn’t help but feel relieved that Sasuke didn’t
punch him. “Okay, noted. Uchiha Sasuke doesn’t hate tomatoes. Uchiha Sasuke
doesn’t hate something!”
“I don’t hate you.”
Naruto’s words got stuck in his throat and he fell silent, staring down at his
hands.
Suddenly, he remembered that quiet moment in Iruka’s class, when he listened to
Sasuke read his poem. That same, floating feeling settled in his stomach, like
balloons.
Those who search for happiness, must have known it once upon a time.
Naruto felt a small smile break through his face. He glanced up at Sasuke, who
was calmly reading his book. Naruto pulled his own book closer to himself and
focused for the first time on the words written on them.
In 334 BC, the army crossed the Hellespont with approximately 48,100 soldiers,
6,100 cavalry and a fleet of 120 ships with crews numbering 38,000.
He kicked Sasuke gently under the table, the corner of his lips turned up on
one side.
“Thanks, bastard.”
 
 
***** Sun *****
“If this place were deep inside the earth, I would not yearn for a sun I never
                                    knew.”
                        -Son Goku, Genso Maden Saiyuki
 
 
Naruto stood frozen, one foot halfway out the door, staring up at the woman
before him.
He rarely ever saw Sakura’s mother, who spent most of her time either locked
away in her room with a bottle of wine, or out shopping or gambling with her
‘friends.’
It was especially rare for her to be in the house on a weekend.
The Lady Haruno was a beautiful woman, in her own way, despite her heavy
perfume and immaculate make-up. Naruto wasn’t an expert on other households,
but he’s pretty sure wearing expensive furs and jewelry around the house wasn’t
normal. Today, she wore a lilac gown that shimmered with her movement. She
would be lovelier, Naruto thought privately, if there wasn’t a permanent look
of distaste on her face.
“Excuse me.” Naruto murmured, eyes downcast. “I was just leaving.”
“Make us a pot of tea, if you would.” She said disinterestedly. “We have a
guest.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Naruto slunk back into the kitchen and reached for the Haruno’s best china,
picking out the latest batch of tealeaves. As he waited for the water to boil,
he wondered what kind of guests the Lady Haruno had that she would order tea.
Usually, she’d break out the whiskey or yet another bottle of wine and Naruto
would have to wait until they were all passed out in the living room before he
could go to bed himself. He shuddered at the thought as he viciously capped the
teapot. Tea was good.
Quickly, he reached the Lounge where the Harunos usually received guests,
remembering to knock before entering the room. He nearly dropped the tray in
shock, however, when he recognized Uchiha Sasuke, sitting on the frankly ugly
settee, across Sakura and her mother, chatting like it was perfectly ordinary.
He inched into the room, eyes darting towards Sasuke who acknowledged him with
a brief nod. Naruto then glanced nervously at Sakura, who had put on a cool
expression. Okay, then. Best behavior in front of mother? Naruto could work
with that.
“Have you met Naruto? He goes to Konoha Academy as well.” Lady Haruno said
lightly, accepting a cup from him.
“Yes, we’re in the same class, and in the same Soccer team.” Sasuke replied and
Sakura couldn’t help the slight frown on her face then.
“Are you?” Lady Haruno glanced at her. “Sakura hasn’t mentioned that.”
“We’re in the same lab group, us three.” Sasuke added pleasantly. “And perhaps
it’s because of our names—Uchiha, Uzumaki, but we often get paired up for class
work.”
“That must be hard on you, Uchiha-kun.” She took a dainty sip from her cup.
“Sasuke, please. And yes, I do struggle a bit. He isn’t the easiest to partner
with.”
Naruto forced his grip on the teapot to relax as he handed over Sakura’s cup.
He could feel his cheeks burning as a myriad of emotions swirled inside him.
“I’m at the top of the class. And captain of my team.” Sasuke continued. “And I
prefer to stay on top. Naruto here seems to hate staying behind for some after-
school work. Please put in a stern word for me.”
“Of course.” Lady Haruno agreed amiably. “And you are welcome to come over as
much as you like. I’m sure Sakura could use your guidance as well.”
“Your offer is kind, but I prefer to work at school. And what with the winter
training camp coming up for the Team… You won’t dare miss that, will you?”
Sasuke suddenly turned to address Naruto, who was just handing him his cup with
shaking hands. “Coach will be furious.”
“Uh,” Naruto stammered.
“I’ll personally make sure he attends it.” Lady Haruno waved a dismissive hand.
“No worries.”
“You are truly kind.” Sasuke smiled, accepting his cup and taking a sip, eyes
flicking over to Naruto who was rooted to his spot on the floor.
Outside, the phone began to ring and Lady Haruno excused herself to answer it.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Uchiha Sasuke.” She smiled, all dimples and
fake eyelashes. “Take care of my Sakura for me.”
And with a whiff of perfume, she left the room.
Naruto let out a gust of air as he slumped against the floor.
“Might as well sit down, since we’re all chumming up and becoming such good
friends.” Sakura crossed her legs and leaned back.
“Your mother is lovely.” Sasuke replied calmly, setting down his tea. “I wonder
where you got your charming disposition. Your father, perhaps?”
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
“You’re a pretty shrewd person, Sasuke-kun, involving my mother like that.”
“I wasn’t really expecting to meet her, to be honest.” Sasuke replied easily.
“But it was a nice coincidence all the same.”
Sakura smiled grimly down at Naruto, who was watching their exchange with wide
eyes.
“What a shame our mothers couldn’t all be present. They’d have a wonderful
time, having tea together on the porch.”
Sasuke’s expression darkened even as Naruto let out a sigh, getting to his feet
and collecting Lady Haruno’s abandoned cup.
“Oh, but maybe we shouldn’t invite Naruto’s mother. She’d ruin the mood, maybe
even get us all killed. After all, they run with the wrong sort.”
Naruto shot her a glare, fingers clenching against the teacup.
“That’s enough, Sakura.”
“No, no. Sasuke would want to hear.” Sakura replied lightly, examining her
nails.  After all, that’s what he came here for today, hm? To get to know us
all a little bit better.”  
Sasuke glanced at the blond who gave him a pained look.
“Do you know how he ended up here, with us?” Sakura continued. “He was
abandoned, you know. By his good-for-nothing parents. His father was a bully,
threatened my father into accepting another mouth to feed or he’d burn our
house to the ground.”
“Shut up.” Naruto whispered, pale as the china he held in his trembling grip.
He felt like he was drowning. Sakura had never spoken about his parents before.
These were all ugly, twisted lies and they dug into him like knives.
Lies!
“And then, what? They get themselves killed in a car-crash.” She threw her head
back and laughed. “Ah, how things turn out.”
“You’re lying!”
Naruto shook with emotion, and—he recognized, rage.  
“How dare—you don’t know shit about my parents. Don’t you fucking talk about
them that way—“
“Oh?” Sakura unwound her legs, sitting up. “And you would know better, would
you? Defending the very same people who abandoned you on our doorstep with
barely a coin to your name—“
In a spark of anger, Naruto seized the white-china teacup and raised it above
his head with every intention of throwing it at Sakura’s ugly, smug face.
 “See how the apple falls!” Sakura burst out angrily. “Apparently, they were
hunted by the law. Criminals! Dirty, stinking, worthless criminals!”
With a cry of rage, Naruto hurled the cup onto the wall. It broke into pieces
with a sharp sound. Not satisfied, he turned and upended the entire table. He
did not wait for it to crash to the ground before turning tail and fleeing.  
Left behind, Sakura rose half-way from her chair, fists clenched and breathing
sharply. Wordlessly, Sasuke stood as well, slowly reaching down and picking up
the lone unblemished teacup among the broken mess, and placed it delicately on
Sakura’s armrest.
“See how the apple falls, indeed.” He murmured, before moving away.
Sakura gazed, expressionless, at Sasuke’s retreating back. When he disappeared
through the door, her eyes fell towards the cup balanced on the arm of her
chair. It stood innocently, the dull gleam of china reflecting her face, as if
mocking her.
Mindlessly, her hand came up to touch the cup, stroking the delicate pattern
there.
A mockery.
She lashed out and stared down at the broken pieces on the ground, still
gleaming despite lying in the shadows. Nana Saya burst into the room,
exclaiming and cursing and ushering her out of the room before she cut herself.
She made sure to crush the china under her foot on her way out.
 
===============================================================================
 
Sasuke finally found him an hour later.
The sun was on its way down, setting the whole playground ablaze with warm
gold. The trees were beginning to give from the chill in the air, a few stray
leaves fluttering down, catching against the sunlight. No children played here,
the abandoned playground rusty, old and run-down.
Naruto sat on one of the swings, staring glumly at the sand, his hair lit up
like the sun. Sasuke paused in the shadow of the trees, taking a moment to
simply watch him, eyes grazing over the fading bruises on his skin, the scars
on his cheeks, the exhausted slump of his shoulders.
He emerged slowly, allowing the branches under his feet to alert his presence
to the blond, who didn’t even bother to look up. With even movements, he
approached, moving to sit on the swing next to the blond and simply joining him
in silence.
There were no birds here. Either that, or they did not feel like singing in
such a place. But the crickets were obnoxious, and Sasuke took that as an
excuse to glance towards the blond, noting the blood on the fingers clutching
the swing handles.
“You should have been more careful.” Sasuke commented lightly, reaching out to
take Naruto’s hand and examine them. He frowned when he noticed the embedded
glass shards. “If you were going to break the glass, you should have at least
broken it on her face.”
“Go away.” Naruto mumbled.
“Is that how you talk to the one who secured you a way out of that shithole?”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.” Naruto rasped, staring at the ground. “I didn’t
ask you to… You had no right. You…”
Naruto took in a shuddering breath and wrenched his hand back.
“…why are you here, Sasuke?”
Sasuke glanced up at him.
“…you finally said my name.”
“Beside the point, you bastard—“ Naruto caught himself, and then closed his
eyes, as if counting to ten.
“You should go.”
“This is a public space, I have every right to be here—“
“Haven’t you humiliated me enough?” Naruto whispered, fists clenching against
the swing, causing the bleeding to start again.
Sasuke fell silent, the witty retorts dying like ash in his mouth. Even the
crickets seemed to catch on, judging the silence stretching between them with a
low buzz.
“…I’m sorry.”
Naruto sat, unblinking, unmoving, and Sasuke wondered if he heard what he said
at all.
“I’m sorry.” Sasuke repeated, more clearly. “I… It was not my intention to… to
hurt you. Or get you hurt. And… what I mean to say is…”
The apology felt awkward and wrong in his mouth, as Sasuke was not used to
apologizing. But finally, just as Sasuke was beginning to really hate himself,
the blond let out a sigh. And at once, Sasuke knew that it was going to be
okay.  
“I never knew my parents.” Naruto murmured slowly, gazing at the elongated
shadows on the ground. “I don’t… remember their faces. I don’t know their
names.”
Sasuke kept still, waiting for the blond to continue, not wanting to spook him
into clamming up.
“I don’t… I don’t really know them, but… They weren’t bad people.” Naruto
looked up at him almost desperately. “I just know it.”
“Don’t listen to a word that crazy bitch said.” Sasuke insisted.
“You don’t understand how it felt—when she insulted them, and called
them criminals—I was so angry—“ More blood pooled from his hands, dripping down
his arms. “I wanted to hit her so bad.”
Sasuke stood and knelt before the shaking blond, reaching out and gently taking
the bleeding hands into his own. Carefully, Sasuke folded open his fingers,
picking out the worst of the shattered glass embedded into the flesh.
“We need to get this cleaned up, or you’re going to need stitches.” Sasuke
murmured.
Naruto’s hands tensed against him. “No.”
“Dobe,” Sasuke sighed.
“I’m not going back there.” Naruto said stubbornly. “I’d rather bleed myself
dry first.”
“Where will you go?” Sasuke pointed out.
“Gaara’s.” Naruto replied. “He’ll take me in. He’ll—“
He didn’t notice the way Sasuke’s jaw tightened.
“Fine, then. Go. Get some help, god knows you need it.”
Naruto shot him a dirty look but got to his feet. He raised his nose in the air
and tried to hobble forward, but ended up falling back to the ground, clutching
his ankle.
“I don’t believe it—did you sprain something?” Sasuke didn’t even realize he
was there until he was clutching the blond by the arm.
“Fuck you, too.” Naruto hissed.
“How the heck did you possibly—“
“I fell, okay? It’s not like I do this on purpose, you bastard.”
With a huff, Sasuke turned and offered his back to the blond.
“Get on.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Get on, before I drag you by the hair, so help me god.”
Naruto bit back a scathing retort, face purpling with the effort. He glared
suspiciously at Sasuke’s back and considered kicking him and making the smug
bastard land flat on his face. But his ankle was throbbing and his fingers were
still bleeding, and honestly, when did the universe ever take into
consideration his personal feelings anyway?
Slowly, begrudgingly, Naruto climbed onto his back, arms hanging uselessly over
Sasuke’s shoulders. Face flaming with embarrassment, he didn’t make a sound as
Sasuke stood, adjusting his weight, forcing Naruto’s face to settle onto the
point where Sasuke’s neck and shoulder met.
“Don’t make me go back.” Naruto said weakly.
“Do you really think I'm an idiot?” Sasuke sighed, making his way out of the
playground. “You’re coming with me, dobe. You need something for that hand
before you bleed to death.”
“No hospitals.”
Sasuke rolled his eyes. “No hospitals.”
The air was really settling into coolness, but the sun was warm on his back and
Sasuke was a furnace underneath him. For such bony features and a slim build,
Sasuke was surprisingly comfortable, and soon enough, Naruto was fighting to
keep his eyes open.
“…won’t your parents mind?” He murmured, the gentle rocking motion lulling him
deeper into drowsiness. 
Sasuke pondered the comfortable weight of the blond against his back.
“My parents are dead.”
He finally said it out loud.
“Mm,” Naruto sighed, and Sasuke felt it brush against his hair. “M’too…”
Sasuke did not reply to that, knowing the exact moment the blond fell asleep
when his head rolled closer towards his face. If Sasuke tilted his head just a
bit, they would be touching foreheads, and the intimacy and show of trust left
Sasuke with a warmth in his chest.
And if he took the slightly longer way home, well… none would be the wiser.
 
===============================================================================
 
Gaara sat by his usual spot overlooking the fish pond.
The Koi pond had been empty of fish for a long time, but the water stayed
clear, devoid of decay. Gaara had spared a moment to wonder who would have
enough time on their hands to carefully maintain an empty fish pond. At some
point, it became his favorite spot to think.
Weekends were terrible.
Gaara had not appreciated being uprooted from his home in Suna; nor did he
relish being placed in the middle of a school full of juvenile children, who
moaned and bitched in their little world; and everything was so fucking petty
it made him want to scream.
Home was a desert, full of sand and heat and the angry gaze of his people… but
it was home. It was where he belonged. Here, in Konoha, everything was green
and clean, and no one looked at him like he was the scum of the world.
But they feared him.
And he hated them.
And he resented his father for banishing him here.
And yet, if Gaara had to choose between the mundanity of school and the
oppressing silence of the house, then Gaara would rather throw himself into the
chaos and noise of Konoha Academy.
Silence was blessed, but only in his head. In the silence of this house, the
demons in his head came knocking; and one day, Gaara was certain that he’d give
in.
Besides, recently, things weren’t so terrible. He couldn’t help the snort that
escaped his mouth as a flash of blond hair and wide grin flashed in his mind.
Gaara was snapped out of his musing as he heard footsteps approaching. He
glanced up in time to see Temari’s dark head rounding the corner.
“Gaara,” she called out, walking brusquely towards him.
She attended university in Konoha, as his official chaperone, and though Gaara
knew she also missed the Sand, he also knew that she was not as concerned about
leaving it. As the lone girl in the family, she oftentimes felt estranged.
Perhaps Konoha was a good chance for her to be a little free from that.
“I’m glad I caught you.” She cocked her head to the side. “I heard you made
front line of the Soccer team. Congratulations.”
Gaara rolled his eyes.
“Make nice with the Uchiha boy.” She coaxed. “You know what happened to their
family. We can afford to be a little nice to him, don’t you think?”
“He wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
“Well, you’re probably right.” Awkward silence fell between them. Friendly
chit-chat was never a strong point in their family. “I’ll be going now.”
She began to move away.
“Temari,” Gaara hesitated. “Can I… invite someone over?”
Temari paused, trying not to show how taken aback she was.
“Who?”
Gaara looked like he was chewing on the word.
“A friend,” he finally said. “A nakama.”
“From which family?” Temari asked, curious despite herself. Gaara? Her brother,
Gaara? Had a friend?
“He’s not like that—“ Gaara paused, a little frustrated. “He’s… he’s safe. He
doesn’t know.”
“We’re not supposed to bring outsiders in.” Temari said slowly.
“I know.” Gaara scowled, glaring at his shoes.
“…but you’ve already brought him in, haven’t you?”
Gaara refused to react, keeping his head bowed and holding his tongue. Temari
sighed.
“I know about that, and no, I haven’t told Father. But I’ve been meaning to ask
you. Do you know what you’re doing?”
No reply.
“…is he really worth all the trouble?”
Finally, Gaara gave a small nod.
Temari watched him for a few more seconds before nodding to herself.
“Okay, then.”
Gaara slowly dared to look at her.
“…okay?”
“Okay.” Temari agreed. “Bring him over. Let’s meet this mystery friend of
yours. Does he like sushi?”
“…are you going to kill him, if he doesn’t?”
“I won’t, if you don’t.” She grinned.
Despite himself, Gaara smiled back.
 
===============================================================================
 
He dreamt of a car crash. Or at least, that’s what it sounded like. In dreams,
one was never sure what they were seeing, but it all made sense in his head.
All in his head.
Because now the world was underwater, the sound muffled and distorted, and even
though there was fire, it was not hot. Everything was cold, and supple, almost
elastic. And maybe that was a woman’s scream, or a screech of tire, but Naruto
was too busy clutching at the wealth of dark hair in his hand.
Yes, that was his name. Who was calling him?
It was deep. The voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it was deep.
Don’t forget.
Don’t forget.
Wait. Don’t go. Who are you? Naruto felt the silky strands slipping through his
fingers, like the dream that was fading away. He struggled to open his eyes.
Dark hair, pale face, and eyes, red like fire.
Red like blood.
“Wake up.”
Naruto blinked up blearily, finally recognizing Sasuke’s face looming over him.
Dark hair, pale face. He took a second to make sure he still wasn’t dreaming,
and then slapped the face in front of him to double check.
“Ow!”
Naruto sat up, snapping awake as the warm weight lifted off him with an
explosion of curses.
“Sasuke?” Naruto rubbed his eyes.
And then it all came back. The playground. The teacup. Haruno Sakura.
“Ugh, no wonder I had crazy dreams.” Naruto sighed, digging at his eyes.
“Crazy dreams for the crazy idiot.” Sasuke rubbed his cheek  and scowled from
where he stood over him, and Naruto realized he was lying on a couch. A very
comfy couch he’d never seen before.
“Where am I?”
He looked around curiously and noted the wide, high-ceiling living area of what
looked like an apartment. An apartment?
“You’re in my house.”
“No way, really?” Naruto looked more carefully, cataloguing the smooth, wooden
floors and heavy dark curtains. There was hardly any color in the house, and it
was kind of… well, it was kind of…
“Dark.” Naruto decided, sitting up more fully.
“Better than your place.” Sasuke shot back, padding away towards the kitchen.
Naruto could not argue with that.
The apartment was a fusion of traditional Japanese and modern style. The couch
he sat on was a luxurious monster of a thing, made of white leather and god
knows what. The lamp and the TV were all very modern too. But the floor was the
traditional polished wood, and the blinds were made of bamboo. The space was
large enough to comfortably house a family, but it didn’t feel like a family
lived here.
He stood up, making his way around the living room, a circular area that
connected the open kitchen and a hallway that disappeared around the corner.
He took in the details like they could give him clues about Sasuke. About his
life.
Why did he want to know?
Naruto ignored the voice in his head, stopping in front of a large portrait
towards the far end of the room. It was almost hidden in the shadows, as if on
purpose. Naruto stepped closer, eyeing the crest of a red fan blooming at the
bottom of the ornate frame. It was a family of four, all proud and severe
looking, staring straight ahead. Naruto’s eyes widened as he realized who they
were.
“That’s my family.”
 Naruto whipped around and stared at Sasuke, who was looking up at the portrait
with an unreadable look in his eyes.
“Come, we need to treat your hand.”
Naruto wordlessly trailed after Sasuke, sneaking one last look at the portrait
as it melted back into the shadows. He had a million questions dancing on the
edge of his tongue, but he held them back, allowing the Uchiha to push him back
onto the couch and tend to his fingers.
The bleeding had stopped, but the wounds on his hands were ugly, dirty and
swollen. Naruto winced as Sasuke placed a steaming towel over his hand,
carefully wiping off the dried blood there. He set to work with a pair of
tweezers, taking out as much barbed glass as he could.
“Go see Tsunade about this, first thing.” Sasuke murmured, digging deeper for a
stubborn shard.
Naruto simply nodded, watching Sasuke work. He was so gentle, it barely hurt,
and Naruto felt himself soften even more for this bastard who, for reasons
unfathomable, was looking out for him.
“What happened to your family?” Naruto murmured.
Sasuke did not answer for a while, and Naruto decided not to press the issue.
After all, he wasn’t like Sasuke-the-bastard. He didn’t press for unwanted
details when the other party obviously didn’t want to give it—
“They died when I was eight.”
Naruto carefully swallowed back the breath that he had choked on. He gazed at
the top of Sasuke’s head, waiting for him to continue.
“It wasn’t just my parents. My uncles. My cousins. The entire Uchiha
bloodline.”
Naruto’s eyes widened at the implication.
“How did they die?” He asked carefully, almost afraid of what he’d hear.
“Murdered.” Sasuke gave a bitter laugh. “Massacred. Throats slit open, left to
choke on their own blood. Women, children, no one spared.”
Except for me.
Naruto’s watched as Sasuke swathed his hand with disinfectant. He barely felt
the sting, he was too wrapped up in the emotions Sasuke’s words evoked. He
wanted to ask so many things.
Why were you spared?
Did they catch whoever did it?
How did it feel to lose everyone you loved?
But the words were stuck in his throat, like peanut butter, and Naruto didn’t
know what to do, just that he needed to do something—to comfort Sasuke who was
obviously hurting.
Sasuke was now wrapping his fingers, and Naruto caught his hands between his,
clutching at them, trying to convey what he desperately wanted Sasuke to
understand.
He felt for him. He was sorry.
He wished the hurt would go away.
Maybe Sasuke understood him, because he did not push him away. He simply looked
up and met Naruto’s gaze, and Naruto marveled at the darkness of his eyes, how
different they seemed now, when once before, they bore into him like cold, cold
fire.
Unbidden, Naruto’s fingers rose to touch the face before him, smoothing over
pale cheeks and thinking, absently, how long Sasuke’s lashes were.
They were so close, and it was a simple matter for Sasuke to lean in, and touch
their lips together.
Sasuke’s lips were cool, like drops of rain on his lips, and when they moved
apart, warmth spread inside him like answering ripples. It was strange, like
they were floating in a dream.
Sasuke bumped their foreheads gently before rising to return the medicine kit.
The silence between them should have been awkward, but Naruto simply settled
deeper into the couch as Sasuke turned his attentions to their dinner.
The pensive silence between them continued as they ate their simple meal, only
the sound of wooden chopsticks and the clinking of glass disturbing the air.
They glanced at each other over their bowls, sharing a small smile when their
eyes met.
Naruto blamed it on the drowsiness returning as night fell in earnest.
It was strangely peaceful; Naruto slumped on the couch, watching TV, with the
muted sounds of Sasuke washing the dishes from behind. He must have fallen
asleep at one point because he remembered opening his eyes to Sasuke carrying
him to the bedroom and depositing him gently on wonderfully cool sheets.
It took almost nothing for him to sleepily make room as Sasuke moved to join
him. The thought that this was strangely effortless might have crossed his mind
at one point, but the night had a hazy, dream-like quality to it, and Naruto
was already falling back asleep when he felt the press of warm lips on the back
of his neck. 
What else was there to do but to sigh and surrender into dreams?
 
 
 
***** Struggle *****
                   “I wouldn’t mind if you want to kill me,
                         But I might struggle a bit.”
                                 -Trowa Barton
 
Fall was well on its way.
Students began breaking out their scarves as the leaves started to fade in
earnest. Naruto was a little concerned over the fact that he still hadn’t
figured out how to re-direct some heating into the attic, but he did not dare
talk to anyone at the house at the moment.
The fact was, everyone was on eggshells, as Sakura’s father recently started
coming home late, drunk and angry about something related to the company.
Naruto was never privy to information about Sakura’s father line of work, but
he knew it had something to do with oil, and that he was in a very high
position in the company.
Sakura herself seemed to be in a terrible mood, constantly snapping at everyone
in the house and mostly keeping to herself in her room. Baby Saya had taken to
giving Naruto the chore of cleaning her room—but he always waited until she
left for school before tidying up.
One thing he noticed however, was a new addition to her room—a small, framed
photo of Sasuke on Sakura’s desk. Naruto had paused in front of it for an
embarrassingly long time, staring at the candid expression on the stolen photo.
It looked like it was from a soccer game when Konoha Academy had won
championship. Sasuke would have been in middle-school then.
Looking at the photo made him remember last week, lying in a warm bed, wrapped
up in arms and silk sheets—
Naruto shook his head and hurried away.
It’s been a week since that morning.
Naruto had woken up in Sasuke’s bed in a state of panic, staring up at dark
lashes and pale face. He slipped out of the arms that were wrapped around him
and tumbled out of bed, clutching his head and trying to re-orient himself.
Maybe this was happening way too often, but this was already the second time
this month that he’d woken up in someone else’s bed. But unlike waking up to
Gaara, Naruto had absolutely no idea how to handle facing Sasuke when he woke
up. What would he say? What was the right thing to do? He was so out of his
depth.
The floor was smooth under his palm, so different from the rough wood in his
own room. Somewhere, the delicate sound of tinkling glass floated in from the
slightly ajar door, but instead of feeling comforted, his stomach dipped with
something akin to fear. He didn’t understand it himself.
And so, both mind and heart in a state of chaos, Naruto did the only thing he
could do—he ran away.
He didn’t stop running until he reached the black gates of the Harunos. He had
hardly paused to catch his breath when the door opened and Baba Saya flew out
with a furious expression.
He stifled a cry as she slapped him across the head, scolding him for
disappearing the entire day. Inside, his punishment waited, in the form of a
bucketful of laundry that had to be done by hand.
“I might stain something.” Naruto protested, raising his wounded hands for her
to see. “I can do the ironing instead—“
“Don’t test my patience right now, boy.” Baba Saya growled, shoving an armful
of clothes into his arms. “There’s a Dinner tonight and the silver hasn’t been
polished. The napkins still need ironing! If you hadn’t disappeared like you
did, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
Naruto stifled a groan as he was dragged into the laundry room.
Formal dinners! They were absolute torture. The entire household would be up to
their elbows—preparing meals, cleaning the rooms; and for what? For a three-
hour torture session with awful music and awful company, smoking expensive
cigars that were impossible to wash out of the curtains.
Naruto told himself he was better off stuck doing laundry, than be under the
foul temper of Cook that day. And so, hands still raw and wrapped with flimsy
bandages, he gritted his teeth and spent the rest of the day wringing his hands
in freezing water, trying to numb the stinging from his wounds. He tried to
keep his mind off Sasuke and what happened that morning, and the knots in his
stomach and what it could all mean.
By the time Naruto finished the last of his chores, the Dinner was well
underway, and he was able to sneak a loaf of bread from the kitchen and hide in
his room. The only good thing about the entire situation was that Naruto was
obliged to stay out of sight, and so he wouldn’t have to see Sakura’s face. He
was seriously contemplating if it was worth the repercussions for punching her
in the face.
He sat by the window of his room, gazing out into the calm, star-less night and
simply wallowing in his exhaustion. His hands were raw and swollen and they
were absolutely ruined now. He allowed himself a small, lopsided smile as he
imagined the look on Gaara’s face when he showed him his hands.
The smile slowly disappeared as he stared down at the ugly shape of his hands.
“What am I doing?” Naruto wondered to himself.
The touch of the night breeze on his face kindled the memory of the feel of
Sasuke’s hands, warm on his skin; long lashes against the nape of his neck, and
the aching ease in which their bodies fit together, like two pieces of a
puzzle.
Naruto buried his face in his arms as he tried to wrap his mind around the
whirlwind of events that had happened in the past 24 hours.
They had kissed. Again.
Naruto’s fist clenched as he remembered. How did he react then? Nothing
special. They didn’t even talk about it. Was that normal?
Did it even actually happen? He wondered to himself.
Sitting there, in the cold silence of his dingy attic—Sasuke’s clean, white
walls and polished floors seemed like a far-away dream.
No, Naruto told himself. I remember his family. I remember what he said.
He remembered the pain in Sasuke’s voice when he spoke of them.
He dug his fingers in his arms as he was gripped with the overwhelming longing
to see him. He was vibrating with the need to run out of the house and run as
fast as he could to Sasuke, who was alone in that big, empty house with nothing
but memories of his murdered family.
He was ripped out of his thoughts by a sharp rap on his door, and a voice
telling him to go down and help with the clean-up.
So he took a deep breath to center himself and took one last look out the
window. He squinted and tried to look for a star in the vast darkness. And he
prayed, as loud as he could in his head, that Sasuke would have pleasant dreams
tonight.
He went down and wordlessly accepted a mop and began cleaning up the dining
room. He did not look up, even as he felt Sakura’s presence. He felt her
watching him from the doorway, and he could imagine the look of contempt on her
face—but he did not look up. He kept his eyes on the floor and kept repeating
his wish instead.
It was past midnight when he was finally able to sleep.
In the safety of the attic and away from prying eyes, Naruto finally allowed
himself to settle into bed, wrapping the blankets around him and imagined it
was the warmth of someone else’s arms, lulling him to sleep.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Gaara was the first to notice the change.
It was Monday morning, and Naruto had shown up with bags under his eyes,
smiling tiredly at him and showing off his badly cut hands. Gaara was furious,
of course, and it was not fair of him to lash out at Naruto; but it was no
secret that Gaara had problems dealing with intense emotions. Naruto simply
listened to him snarl and spit death threats, and then asked him to help wrap
his hands.
They were on their way to Tsunade’s to get fresh bandages when the Uchiha
showed up. Naruto froze, like a deer caught in headlight. But before Gaara
could tell him to get a fucking grip—Naruto had turned tail and run.
Gaara stared after his retreating form and then turned to look at the Uchiha,
who did not take his eyes off the blond until he disappeared around the corner.
Gaara would not have thought twice about it (Uchiha had the nasty habit of
staring), until his eyes fell on the fresh linen bandages clutched in Uchiha’s
hand.
And then it hit him.
At first, Gaara thought it was funny in a twisted kind of way. The great Uchiha
Sasuke, finally mingling with the mortals.
But then it got old really fast and Gaara honestly just found the whole thing
fucking annoying.
Whatever happened between them during the short span of time Gaara wasn’t
looking, Naruto went from actively trying to ignore Sasuke, to being hyper-
aware of him.
“He’s not here.” Gaara muttered as they entered the classroom.
Naruto jumped from where he was trying to stare a hole into the ground.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gaara’s eyes rolled back so far he might have seen the back of his head.
For Sasuke, it was a bit more straightforward. It seemed that he could not
control the way his eyes would follow the blond, or the way his hand itched
with the overwhelming urge to touch. He spent class after class, staring at the
back of the blonde’s head, but Naruto would not react. It gave Gaara an ulcer
watching them.
And then, of all things, Sasuke resorted to childish antics and began randomly
kicking at Naruto’s seat to get his attention.
It was juvenile, and for a while, Naruto simply ignored it, because
acknowledging it would mean he would have to talk to him. But soon enough,
annoyance won over any trepidations and one particularly hard kick had Naruto
leaping out of his seat, yelling: CUT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!
Azuma-sensei made him stay behind for that.
But, Gaara noted, that was that. The ice was broken and the two were back to
sniping and trying to out-annoy each other. Which, in the end, only made Gaara
so irritable, he walked out on them by lunchtime.
Kiba, on the other hand, who was usually unconcerned with Naruto’s occasional
behavioral quirks, had taken to shooting him strange looks. Still, he held his
tongue even when Sasuke basically forced him out of his seat during a paired
work. Kiba didn’t appreciate sitting next to a foul-tempered Gaara, but he was
torn between fascination and horror as he watched Naruto and Sasuke bantering
like it was natural as breathing.
By now, Principal Jiraya’s Uchiha-Uzumaki mandate was widely known in the
school—but fresh rumors began circulating when they were seen eating lunch
together.
“Give me your sandwich.” Sasuke said, as he appeared by Naruto’s table at the
cafeteria.
The mere fact that Sasuke was inside the school cafeteria made everyone stop
and stare in shock. He stood out like a sore thumb. Beside Naruto, Kiba was
busy trying not to choke on his drink. 
“I’ll give you one with my knuckles.” Naruto replied snidely, hiding his
surprise with an annoyed expression. Still, he was dying to ask. “What are you
doing here?”
He knew for a fact that Sasuke hated cafeteria food.
“The history paper is due today.” Sasuke replied dispassionately. “After
lunch.”
Naruto slapped his forehead and groaned.
“Shit, I forgot. Can we just, I dunno, not pass it?”
The glare Sasuke gave him made him throw up his hands in surrender.
“Yes, okay. We’ll do it now.” Naruto groused. He nudged Kiba. “Budge over.”
“I think I’m done.” Shikamaru stood up from where he had been silently
watching. “See you later, Naruto.”
“Uh, me too.” Chouji followed him and they were soon gone.
“You can have my seat, Uchiha-san.” Lee said politely, and Naruto goggled at
him. “Bye, Naruto!”
“See you later.” Shino muttered.
“Kiba, wait—“ Naruto made to grab at him. But Kiba was already gone.
“Look what you did.” Naruto crossed his arms, glaring as Sasuke casually took a
seat in the now-empty table.
Naruto looked around uncomfortably at the people staring and whispering, and
felt his hackles rising. He was about to suggest that they move to another
location, when he noticed the stiffness in Sasuke’s shoulders, and the way his
jaw was locked, as if in determination.
So Naruto held his tongue and took the report Sasuke brought, pulling it closer
and leafing through it. Wordlessly, he pushed his sandwich to Sasuke. After a
few moments, Sasuke picked up the sandwich with mechanical movements and began
to eat it.
Naruto hid a smile and began to write on the paper, making up bullshit for
Kakashi-sensei to read.
And that was their first lunch together.
Usually, Naruto would alternate sitting with Gaara or Kiba’s group for lunch,
depending on if he felt like subjecting himself to the noise and crowd of the
lunchtime rush. Whenever he decided to be sociable, he left Gaara to brood by
himself in the classroom, while he re-joined civilization through the comfort
of Kiba’s table. Most of the time though, Naruto would drag Gaara out to a
quiet place behind the school, or by the bleachers, and share a sandwich
between them.
But Gaara apparently could not stand Sasuke’s face and had little patience for
Naruto's constant Sasuke-this, Sasuke-that—so when the bell rang for lunch, the
red-head gave Naruto a look of disgust and high-tailed out of the room. Before
Naruto could follow him, however, Sasuke dragged him up to the rooftop (“Aren’t
we breaking a school rule here, somewhere?”) and they would end up spending
lunchtime with the excuse of homework between them.
Naruto tried to reason with Gaara:
“I promise to kick him in the balls if he insults you, will you please have
lunch with me?”
“No.”
“Okay, I’ll sneak off and run away with you. Will you have lunch with me?”
Gaara wordlessly turned around and walked away.
“I still love you!”
Soccer practices were held every day, after school, much to Naruto’s chagrin.
Still, despite his rocky start, Naruto found that he had a talent for keeping
track of things, and an even greater talent for keeping the more unstable
players on their toes.
“You can’t tell me what to do—“
“On the contrary, I have every right.” Naruto replied crossly. “So if you can’t
pick up your damn towels like you’re freakin’ five, then I’ll have to call your
mommy and tell her what an idiot son she has.”
Davis turned so red, Naruto was prepared for a fist-fight—but then Gaara walked
by at that precise moment and… well. Davis picked up his towels.
He had even found an admirer in Konohamaru, or, what he’s forever known in
Naruto’s head as ‘Number 23.’
“Naruto ‘nii-chan!”
“That’s Manager to you, kid.” Naruto groused, but he couldn’t help ruffling his
hair. “Did you finish your warm-ups?”
“Yeah.” Konohamaru bounced around like an excited puppy. He was still in
middle-school, but he did a good job keeping up with the more senior players.
But, a kid was a kid. “Can you help me with my drills later? I swear I’ve been
practicing!”
“Just as soon as I finish organizing these files.”
“I can help—“
“Number 23,” Sasuke’s cool voice was heard like a foghorn, despite him being on
the other end of the field. “Do you have so much free time in your hands that
you’ve got nothing better to do than chit-chat? Give me ten laps around the
field.”
And Naruto swore he didn’t laugh, but Sasuke glared at him anyway.
By the end of the week, Naruto felt that he had somehow managed to find a
balance, and work through the screwballs the universe had thrown into his life
as of late.
He should have known it was too good to be true.
===============================================================================
 
“Naruto Uzumaki.”
Naruto and Kiba both looked up from their conversation at the back of the room.
It was homeroom period, and that meant thirty minutes of free time while
Kakashi-sensei read his erotic novel from his desk.
Today however, for some reason, Yamanaka Ino, the class representative, was up
in front, conducting some sort of discussion with the girls half of the class.
Naruto must have heard wrong, he thought he heard his name being called—
“Naruto.” Ino cleared her throat awkwardly. “Naruto Uzumaki.”
“Uh, yeah?” Naruto glanced at Kiba bewilderedly, but Kiba had the same blank
look.
“Congratulations.” Ino looked like she was fighting a smirk. “You’ve been
nominated as our class’ Fall Princess.”
The thing was, Naruto understood nothing of what she had just said. Nominated?
Fall Princess? It was Kiba who leapt to his feet in indignation.
“Stop screwing around!”
Everyone else seemed to get over their initial surprise and began laughing.
Naruto Uzumaki? Fall Princess! It was so preposterous, it was funny.
“What the fuck is a Fall Princess?” Naruto complained, brows furrowed. “And I’m
a boy, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Now, now. Who says boys can’t be princesses?” Ino was now outright grinning,
waving a piece of paper in the air. “Besides, you’ve been rightfully chosen
through a bureaucratic process.”
“What?!” Naruto ran up to the front, grabbing the paper in her hand and reading
his name off it. He grabbed the other slips of paper that littered the table
and it all said his name, clear as day, for everyone to see.
“Very funny, guys.” Naruto said exasperatedly, throwing the slips of paper in
disgust as the class rippled with more laughter. “Ha-ha. Jokes on me. I’ll
apologize for not paying attention, is that what you want?”
Kakashi-sensei chose that moment to decide that he would try a hand at being a
teacher.
“So! Is everyone satisfied with their choice of candidate?”
“Sensei, for god’s sake—“
“I say yes to Naruto!” A girl from the back giggled.
“I second the motion!”
“Me too! Me too!”
Naruto was rooted to the floor, feeling an out-of-body sort of experience as
the idea caught on. What the hell was even going on—
“Okay, that’s that!” Kakashi sensei snapped his book closed, rising from his
chair. He clapped a hand down Naruto’s shoulder and grinned at him as the rest
of the class burst into applause and whistled catcalls. “Congratulations,
princess.”
Of course. Of course, the bell would ring in that exact moment.
“Wait, wait—!” Naruto tried to grab Kakashi-sensei. Everyone else was busy
grabbing their things for next period at the Music Room. “You guys must be
joking right? What the hell is going on? What the hell is a Fall Princess?!”
“It’s a joke, that’s what.” Kiba scowled. “The entire Dance is a joke, and the
only reason we’re still doing it every year is because it means the midterms
get pushed back two weeks.”
“So I just ignore this, like a bad dream.” Naruto said forcefully, as they
moved classrooms.
“You do that, blondie.” Kiba rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Stupid girls.
They just didn’t want it to be them, you know? Each class is required to shell
out a candidate to run for the pageant. Basically they bully each other into it
and then the girl who gets to be crowned Harvest Queen will have to bear the
shame forever.”
“But I won’t need to worry about that, because my participation is invalid.”
Naruto insisted, like he was trying to convince himself. “I mean, do I look
like a princess to you?”
“Well, if you squint reaaaaaally hard—”
“KIBA.”
“Right, before we start class, we need to settle our entry for Harvest King.”
Ino spoke up from her seat up front. “I leave that to you boys. Pick whoever
you want. I need the name before lunch today.”
Naruto quickly turned to glare at Kiba, who immediately raised his hands.
“Ah, yeah, there’s a Harvest King. It’s a goddamn pageant, blondie. But you’re
not the real princess, remember?”
“What the fuck is the entire point of this stupid pageant, anyway?” Naruto
scowled.
“There is no point.” Kiba sighed. “There’s a dance, at the end of the festival,
and the school puts up a show since we’re opening the gates to outsiders for
that one night.”
Naruto paled.
“I’m going to be a public mockery?!”
“Technically, you both will be—“
At Naruto’s sour look, Kiba hastily corrected himself. “But that’s not the
point here—“
“Kiba.” Naruto grabbed his hands, staring at him seriously. “Be my Harvest
King.”
“Whoa. No can do, man. I’m not meant for sovereignty.” Kiba snuck a look behind
Naruto. “What about, uh, you know, Sabaku.”
Naruto whipped around, like the thought never occurred to him.
“Gaara!”
The glare the red-head fixed on him could have curdled milk.
“Come on,” Naruto whined. “It’s not like it’s real or anything. We can quit
togetherrrr.”
“No.”
Naruto sighed, resting a cheek on one hand. Whatever. He’ll have to hunt down
Kakashi-sensei first thing during Lunch time and clear up this nonsense. After
all, Kiba said it himself, the pageant was a joke. It wasn’t a big deal. This
would all be forgotten by the end of the week—
“I’ll do it.”
Some people turned to look, but most of the class wasn’t even paying attention.
Naruto shot Sasuke a glare, motioning a cut-it-out motion with his hand.
“I’ll be Harvest King.” Sasuke repeated.
Naruto hated the heat creeping up his cheeks.
“That was joke, you bastard. Shut. UP.”
“What’s the matter? It’s not like it’s real or anything.” The smirk was all the
warning he gave before Sasuke stood up with a loud scrape of his chair,
instantly commanding the attention of the entire class. “I’m running for King.
You got that, Yamanaka?”
Naruto cried out along with everyone else as Sasuke’s words doomed him. He was
never going to get out this now, he just knew it! Some of the girls began
rallying towards Ino, insisting they would like a re-election. But Ino’s
expression said it all.
He was fucked.
***** Courage *****
Chapter Notes
     Rating changed to Explicit! You have been warned.
             “You can always die. It’s living that takes courage.”
                                –Himura Kenshin
 
Naruto heard the doorbell ringing before anybody noticed. He jumped and quickly
tried to pass it off with a cough and went back to scrubbing at a nonexistent
smudge on the dish. A few moments later, the kitchen door opened and Baba Saya
rushed in, cupping a hand against Cook’s ear and whispering furiously. Naruto
snuck glances, trying not to look too obvious, scrubbing earnestly when both
turned to stare at him.
“Boy, you’re needed upstairs.” Said Baba Saya.
“But what about the dishes?” Naruto replied innocently.
“To hell with the dishes.” Baba Saya said impatiently. “You get yourself
presentable and go up immediately, or… or…”
Naruto tried to hold back his delight at seeing her purpling face.
“Or I won’t have any supper.” Naruto supplied, adopting his most morose tone.
“Yes,” Baba Saya sniffed. “You won’t have supper. Or breakfast, for that
matter. Now, go!”
Naruto didn’t need to be told twice. He dropped the dishes and threw down his
apron, scampering up the stairs to freedom. He stopped by the entrance to the
main hallway, taking a deep breath and slowing his steps, in case he ran into
someone. He passed by a hanging mirror on the way and stopped for a moment to
rub at his nose and fix his hair.
And then he opened the door and peeked outside.
Sasuke was there, standing a few feet from the porch, hands tucked into the
pockets of his trousers, looking bored out of his mind. Naruto had never seen a
more beautiful sight.
Naruto closed the door shut behind him, leaning against it, waiting to be
noticed. Sasuke looked up then, and when their eyes met, the Uchiha gave a
small smirk.
And that was all it took for an earsplitting grin to break out Naruto’s face,
and he was sprinting towards the Uchiha, grabbing his hand and dragging him
away from the house as fast their legs could carry them. They didn’t stop until
they reached the playground. There, Naruto finally allowed himself to laugh out
loud, clutching his belly.
“You should have seen Baba Saya’s face!” Naruto crowed, climbing up the bars
and standing at the peak, taking a deep swig of air. “She looked so mad! Hah!”
Sasuke stayed on the ground, arms crossed and brows raised.
“Go upstairs and have some fun… or no supper or breakfast for you!” Naruto
growled, trying to imitate Baba Saya’s scratchy voice. “Stuuuuuu~pid!”
Sasuke felt a muscle in his face twitch in irritation. They starved him? Of
course they did. 
“Have you even eaten yet?” Sasuke eyed him skeptically. The blond was way too
skinny.
“Not since breakfast,” Naruto replied cheerfully, hanging upside down on the
bars. “Hey, this is fun. No wonder kids like playing outside.”
“How old are you?” Sasuke sighed, gesturing for him to come down. “Let’s go
grab something. I’m starving.”
He just ate.
“Yeah?” Naruto immediately dropped down, eyes shining. “What are we eating?”
“Something that’s not out of a can.” Sasuke decided, already trying to think of
places. Sushi? Meat? Pasta?
“Ramen!” Naruto clapped his hands in delight. “Let’s go! Ra-men! Ra-men! Ra-
men!”
“Ramen?” Sasuke looked at where Naruto was pointing. It was a Ramen stall,
tucked in a street corner, red lanterns and everything. Before he knew it,
Naruto was slipping into the rickety bench, calling for an order of Miso.
“You’re paying.” Naruto informed him, already snapping into a pair of
chopsticks.
Sasuke eyed the well-used table and the greasy signs tacked on the wooden
panels. He wasn’t sure this was all very sanitary, but—
Naruto dug into his bowl, slurping loudly and with relish. He ate like he was
five, mouth bulging and stained with sauce.
“An’choo eat’ng?”
And he talked with his mouth full.
“I lost my appetite.” Sasuke threw a napkin at the blonde’s face.
“S’yerself.” Naruto picked up the other bowl, digging in. “M’re fer me….”
“What a beautiful princess you’d make.” Sasuke commented dryly, resting his
chin on one hand. “I should snap a picture, for your posters.”
“Shut up.” Naruto scowled, putting his bowl down with a loud ‘thunk.’ “This is
all your fault, you know. What the hell were you even thinking?”
“I thought you’d thank me.”
Naruto scoffed, causing Sasuke to glare as a piece of noodle flew from his
mouth.
“Thank you? For what? Honestly. Konoha’s a fucking weird school, you know? What
sane institution would even allow this to happen?” Naruto banged his fist on
the table. “A boy can’t be a princess, that’s freakin’ obvious. I swear this is
all just a ploy to humiliate me.”
“A boy can be a princess if he wanted to.” Sasuke quipped, grinning slyly. “You
just have to wish very hard and tap your heels thrice—“
Naruto threw his spoon at Sasuke's face. 
ARGH—Naruto chewed on his chopsticks, fuming. He still got annoyed remembering
it and it’s been weeks. He couldn’t get a hold of Kakashi-sensei and Naruto had
even tried reasoning with Tsunade—which was a fruitless endeavor as she had
basically laughed at his face. Iruka-sensei seemed sympathetic enough but said
that there was nothing he could do about it. So what the heck was Naruto
supposed to do with all this frustration? Who was he supposed to vent it out
on?
“Stop grinding your teeth.”
“Shut up,” Naruto said rudely, still stewing in his thoughts.
Preparations were well underway for the Festival, and posters of the Dance had
begun appearing around the hallway. It set Naruto’s teeth on edge because his
name, his fucking name, was printed on the poster and there was nothing he
could do about it.
He was snapped out of his thoughts with a flick on the forehead.
“Don’t think too much, dobe, you’ll hurt yourself.” Sasuke stood up, placing a
note down for their (Naruto’s) meal.
“Where are you going?” Naruto quickly downed the rest of his ramen, scrambling
after him. “Hey, wait up!”
“I got you out. This is your free time. Go, be free.” Sasuke looked at him
expectantly.
Suddenly, Naruto felt awkward, standing before him in a street corner, stained
sleeves and tousled hair.
“Er, I’ve never… really had free time before.” He mumbled, eyes flitting here
and there.
“Now you do.”
Naruto made a frustrated sound, but he couldn’t help it. He stared up at Sasuke
uncertainly.
“Where… am I supposed to go?”
And god damn it, Sasuke was not supposed to weaken here. He had dragged out the
blond today with pure intentions—after all, weekends were about free time, and
he wanted to give him that. But hearing those words out of the blonde’s mouth…
there was no way in hell he was going to let him escape now.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s wrist and dragged him towards the direction of his
house.
“Where are we going?” Naruto said, a little worried.
“My place.”
Naruto couldn’t help the thump in his chest.
“Wh-what are we doing there?”
“Homework.”
Naruto made a face but didn’t protest, matching his steps to Sasuke’s until
they were walking side by side, shoulders bumping. He did not say anything
though, when Sasuke didn’t let go of his hand.
The fact is, they had kissed.
Naruto still felt his stomach drop and embarrassment heat up his face whenever
he remembered it. Somehow, both times had been something that just… happened,
and Naruto still wasn’t sure how exactly they happened. And, well, it’s not
like he wanted it to happen.
Probably.
Maybe.
The direction of his thoughts somehow made Naruto conscious of the weight of
Sasuke’s palm against his, so he faked a sneeze and made a show of wiping his
hands on his pants. Sasuke did not react much, perhaps caught up in his own
thoughts and Naruto took the chance to observe the way back to Sasuke’s house.
So, Sasuke lived in an apartment. Somehow, Naruto had the impression that they
lived in the same neighborhood. That would make sense, right? But Naruto knew
too little of Konoha to recognize where he was, except that the houses were
nice. White picket fence and everything. And there, in the distance, was the
now-familiar rise of Sasuke’s apartment.
It figured that Sasuke lived in the penthouse. Though Naruto privately wondered
why Sasuke would need that much space when… well, when he lived alone.
Naruto chatted about something mundane all the way to his house, taking off his
shoes and taking over what he had dubbed ‘his spot.’ The couch was now
officially his.
Sasuke was not kidding about the homework, though, and Naruto scowled even as
Sasuke propped open their books on the table.
“Since when were you my keeper?”
“Since I realized how far behind you are in class ranking.” Sasuke snipped,
flipping open their Math book. “Tell me honestly, you’re a natural idiot,
aren’t you?”
“Excuse me,” Naruto replied, offended. “Just because I don’t have the time to
concern myself with class ranking, doesn’t mean I can’t wipe your ass with my
freakin’ pinky.”
Sasuke somewhat understood that. Naruto was usually quiet about the details on
how he was treated in the Haruno household, and he brushed everything off like
it was no big deal—but Sasuke can’t imagine he’d have much time for leisure or
for studying.
Yes, he spent his free time thinking of Naruto. And no, he would never admit
it, not if they pulled out his fingernails one by one.
So they started with Math.
Sasuke had never been a good teacher (he lacked the patience) and though his
claim as a “Genius” were not for naught, he wasn’t very good at explaining
things. Honestly, he suspected their study session wouldn’t last very long at
all—so it was a bit of a surprise when Naruto, after finally accepting that
they were going to do schoolwork, settled down and was actually trying. So
Sasuke held his temper in check and dutifully corrected mistakes, and showed
him the equation one more time—yes, it’s the same equation as the last one, are
you fucking serious?
It was only at one point, after a particularly lengthy stretch of silence, did
Sasuke look up and realize just how close they were.
Naruto was chewing on his pen, working at a problem on his workbook. He was
slumped against the table, one hand resting against his knitted brows. Sasuke
hadn’t even noticed that they were practically leaning against each other’s
side, shoulders brushing, and if Sasuke turned his head, he’d be able to touch
the blond hair.
The itch to touch came roaring back in full force, and with that proximity,
Sasuke didn’t even think. He moved just a bit closer, touching his lips, barely
a whisper against the blonde’s temple. Naruto glanced up at him briefly and
gave a shy smile, and then returned to working on his problem.
Somehow, that was all the encouragement he needed.
It was like a dam had burst and all he could think about was pinning the blond
down and trying to elicit all kinds of sounds from him. For all the blond was
loud as a foghorn, in moments like these, he was surprisingly quiet. And Sasuke
wanted to touch. He wanted to hear what Naruto would sound like, crying in
pleasure. He wanted.
So greedy.
“Sasuke,” Naruto murmured, tapping a pen against the table. “I still don’t get
this part of the equation.”
Sasuke took a measured breath, sliding their elbows together to look at the
said problem. They were trying to study. He was actually making an effort to be
a good friend—ugh, Sasuke cringed at the word—and helping him study. He was,
dammit… but…
“Sasuke, you’re too close.” Naruto murmured, eyes shyly downcast, and Sasuke
felt the last of his self-control snap.
He pressed closer and breathed in sharply, resting his lips against the
blonde’s cheek and savoring their closeness. Naruto stiffened a bit in his
arms, but before Sasuke could feel the sting of rejection, the blond gave a
sigh and bumped his head gently against Sasuke’s.
“What’s with you?”
“I want to kiss you.”
Naruto jerked back at his frank words, wide eyes snapping up to him in
surprise. Sasuke immediately grabbed at him, half afraid he’d run away.
“…can’t I?”
Naruto was turning red, face aghast.
“You can’t just say that! Oh my god.”
“Why not?” Sasuke was starting to feel embarrassed as well. Ugh.
The blond made a strangled sound and buried his face against his arms, still
held captive by Sasuke. Despite himself, Sasuke found it endearing. Moved by
the strong emotions inside him, Sasuke shuffled closer, touching his lips to
the blonde’s ear.
Naruto tensed, but did not move away as Sasuke slowly began to explore the tips
with his lips. This close, he could smell Naruto’s hair, the clean scent of
baby shampoo and sweat. The scent only made him hungry for more and he opened
his mouth to taste the flesh.
The body underneath him made a small groaning noise and emboldened, Sasuke bit
into the fleshy part of his ear and ghosted his tongue over it. Ignoring the
muffled sound of protest from the blond, he ventured lower, kissing along the
nape of his neck and breathing in the scent, stronger and more distinct there.
“Sasuke,” Naruto said weakly, eyes fluttering close against his will. “Wh-what
are you doing…”
Despite everything, Naruto’s body moved on its own, mind consumed with the
heady sensations, and he tipped his head back to grant Sasuke more access. The
Uchiha was now nipping lightly against his skin, leaving red marks and soothing
it with his tongue. He gently kissed a path along his throat, moving up towards
Naruto’s face.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Isn’t it a little too late to ask for that?” Naruto groaned, touching their
lips together, a little desperately.
It was nothing like how they kissed before. Naruto felt like his whole body was
plunged into a pool of warm molasses, and he was helpless to do anything but
open his mouth to Sasuke. Sasuke’s tongue was hot and seductive and there was
no way it should feel this good—
“Wait, wait…” Naruto whispered, head spinning. This was too fast and too
strong; he was already in so deep, he could feel himself drowning.
“Do you want to stop?” Sasuke murmured, breathing heavily, staring at Naruto’s
swollen mouth.
Naruto swallowed, catching his breath. He didn’t want to stop. He really
didn’t. But at the same time, he did. The passion that Sasuke evoked in him was
so strong, it frightened him. He couldn’t trust himself to stop.
“Just… just a little bit, okay?”
What was a little bit? Naruto wondered to himself as he pushed aside the
remaining distance between their lips. Ah, whatever, all he knew was that
Sasuke’s mouth was amazing, and he never wanted to stop kissing him.
Somehow, they ended up sprawled on the floor, with Sasuke fitted above him, and
Naruto felt his body grow hot and cold when he felt something hard brush
against his thigh.
“Oh,” He breathed.
“Ignore that,” Sasuke whispered against his collar bone, hands deftly slipping
into his shirt.
“H-how can I ignore something like that?” Naruto replied in a high voice as
warm fingers ghosted over his rib-cage, tracing patterns there.
“Sasuke—“
Sasuke’s fingers brushed over a nipple, causing Naruto to jerk violently in
response. Sasuke toppled over with a muffled yell as Naruto’s hand came flying
towards his face, nearly piercing his eye.
“What the heck—“
“Are you okay—?!“
They stared at each other in disbelief for a few moments until it was Naruto
who laughed first, sinking into his elbows as the hilarity of the situation
weakened him into a helpless flap of limbs on the floor. Sasuke grumbled as he
sat up, rubbing the area where Naruto’s hand had connected.
“I can’t believe this.” Naruto took in a gasp of air, flinging one arm over
Sasuke’s crossed legs in abandon. “What the hell are we doing?”
“We were making out.” Sasuke grumbled, pushing off the arm. Naruto flung his
arm against Sasuke’s face in retribution.
“Ow! Fuck you!”
Naruto burst into a fresh fit of giggles, rolling around on the floor as Sasuke
made a grab for him. Sasuke finally lost patience and attacked him with a dive
worthy of WWE. Naruto cursed as an elbow made painful contact with the small of
his back, and with a headlock, their wrestling began in earnest.
“Oh my god.” Naruto grunted as he was pinned down to the floor. “I made out
with a guy.”
“I'm not gay.” Sasuke grumbled into Naruto’s back. 
“Yeah, right. Say that to my face.”
“I don’t go around kissing just about anyone, you idiot.”
“I’ve never kissed anyone. Ever.” Naruto softly replied.
They fell silent, simply lying there and waiting for their heartbeats to slow.
“Would you do it, though?” Sasuke suddenly spoke up from his comfortable perch
on Naruto’s back. “Now that you have. Would you do it with anyone else?”
Naruto gave a bark of laughter.
“Who the hell are you suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting.” Sasuke scowled. “I just meant would you do it. With
another guy.”
“I can’t really imagine it.” Naruto confessed; face scrunching up in a
disgruntlement. “I mean, ew.”
Sasuke agreed.
“Maybe, if I closed my eyes and tried really hard… Gaara.”
Instantly, Sasuke sat up, the flare of jealousy sparking his temper.
“Don’t you dare—“
“Don’t even start.” Naruto snapped, smacking him on the head. “You asked me
that stupid question.”
“See if I let you near that red devil ever again.”
“Excuse me,” Naruto replied snidely, resting on his elbows. “You’ll let me near
him? Just for that, I’m giving Gaara a big, fat, wet kiss on the mouth, and I’m
going to like it.”
“You’ll have to find the body first.”
Naruto grabbed a nearby fallen cushion and threw it at Sasuke’s face. Sasuke’s
expression in that split second was so funny, Naruto fell over laughing again.
His stomach and face hurt from laughing, and it felt so good, tears were
beginning to form in his eyes. Sasuke pretended not to notice him wiping his
eyes, and stood up with a stretch, claiming that he was going to get a drink.
He swooped down to kiss Naruto in the forehead on his way to the kitchen.
The grin that split Naruto’s face stayed on, well into the night.
***** Howl *****
Chapter Notes
     Thanks for the support, folks! Inspiration is a fickle thing, but
     comments really do the trick haha. xoxo!
                        “All I do is howl at the stars.
                     I aint got the guts to jump to them.”
                                    ~Renji
===============================================================================

“Okay, kids! Get moving--we’re going to the gym!”
Everyone looked up at Gai-sensei warily.
“Why? Weren’t we doing calisthenics today?” Ino spoke up.
“Change of plans. You’re with Iruka-sensei today.”
Naruto cheered up at that. He’d take Iruka-sensei over Gai any day.
“What for?”
“Y’all taking dancing lessons!”
Naruto’s smile dropped from his face as more than one student began to protest.
“Dance class!”
“What, like-- boys and girls?”
“Is this for that stupid Harvest festival--”
“We never had to do dance class before!”
Gai cheerfully ignored it all and began to round up the class like a herd of
sheep.
“What a colossal joke.” Kiba muttered, as they trudged their way towards the
gym. “This is your fault, blondie.”
“My fault?” Naruto looked at him incredulously.
“People are taking the Festival seriously this year, and it’s all. your.
fault.” Kiba groused, punctuating each word with a vicious kick.
“Oh, give me a break, I didn’t ask for this.” Naruto scowled. “How is this my
fault?”
“You might have unintentionally started a war, Uzumaki.” Shikamaru spoke up
from behind them. “Haven’t you heard? Class A’s candidate is Karin and Class B
has Hotaru.”
“So?” Naruto felt dread starting to pool in his stomach.
“So you just poked the wasps nest and they’re going to want blood.”
Naruto tore at his hair. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Rumor has it, Uchiha Sasuke is running as your King.”
Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. He had totally forgotten that Sasuke had
done that. He spun around and tried to hunt down that familiar mop of dark
hair--
“You!” Naruto stomped over, shoving an accusing finger to his face. “This is
all your fault!”
Sasuke looked at him impatiently.
“You’re blocking the way, dobe.”
“You need to drop out of this Harvest King nonsense.” Naruto snapped, allowing
himself to be shooed inside the gym doors. “You’re making it worse. We’re
having freakin’ dance class!”
Sasuke sighed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Just--!”
“Okay, class!” Iruka-sensei clapped his hands cheerfully from up-front.
“Welcome to Formal Dancing 101! I’m sure everyone’s excited for the upcoming
fall festival--”
Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead.
“So we’re taking this opportunity to learn some formal dancing! Everyone grab a
partner, we’re going to start with a simple waltz.”
Naruto glared at Sasuke, pointing a finger.
“Drop out of the race.” He warned, turning to walk away.
Sasuke grabbed him by the arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Naruto blinked at him. “Iruka-sensei said to find a partner--”
“Yes. So where are you going?”
Naruto’s jaw closed with a click as he slowly turned red.
“W-we… we can’t be partners!” He hissed.
Sasuke raised a brow. “Why not?”
“Well, that’s…! That…” Naruto floundered, realizing he had nothing.
“...It’s embarrassing.” He finally said.
“We’re partners in pretty much everything, what’s the big deal?”
Sasuke rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about idiots, but Naruto
did not protest as he was pulled closer into strong arms when the music began
to play.
“One-two-three, one-two-three… The waltz is a three-step pattern that’s simple
to execute once you’ve got a hang of it.” Iruka-sensei was demonstrating simple
steps at the front with a girl in a short bob. “Someone has to take the lead,
while their partner follows. Use your right foot to step up--like so--and the
left foot follows, switch to the right… that’s it. Excellent.”
“I’m leading.” Sasuke murmured to Naruto as they began to sway to the music.
“Says fucking who--” Naruto gritted his teeth as he stared down at his
uncooperative feet. “One-two--shit, wait--”
“Says the one who’s done this before.” Sasuke muttered, narrowly avoiding
getting stepped on. “Relax. Follow my lead.”
Naruto concentrated on the gentle pressure of Sasuke’s arms around him,
directing him where to go, and forced his feet to follow.
“Hey, this isn’t so bad--” Naruto began, and then promptly tripped on his feet.
“Oof!”
“Dobe!” Sasuke caught him, and then forced his chin up to look at him in the
eye. “Don’t look down. Focus on me. I got you.”
Heat crept up Naruto’s face, but he resolutely kept his mouth shut as they
tried again. One-two-three, one-two-three.
Soon enough, amidst furtive and occasional jealous looks, they were one of the
successful pairs dancing across the room.
Kiba and Shikamaru stood in the corner of the gym, silently watching the pair
twirling around in the center. After a few moment, Kiba finally spoke up.
“Are we really not going to talk about the elephant in the room?”
“Well,” Shikamaru heaved a sigh. “It’s dancing right in front of us.”
Kiba snorted so loud, a few girls up front turned to look at him in disgust.
“Yeah, literally.”
Across the room, Sasuke had suddenly made a half-turn and swept the blond into
a spin that caused him to break out in surprised laughter. Kiba made a face at
them.
“What will you say if I told you I had seen this coming?”
“I’d tell you to go get your head checked.” Shikamaru drawled as he made
himself comfortable on the floor. “But then, here we are.”
“I didn’t plan on telling anyone,” Kiba lowered his head, as if about to reveal
a big secret. “But actually… I saw them together.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Shikamaru looked pointedly at the dancing pair, who had
somehow drawn even closer and were now practically draped across each other.
“No, I mean ,” Kiba insisted. “Like before. I saw them together, outside
school.”
Shikamaru raised a brow at him.
“…So?”
“So!” Kiba threw up his hands. “They were spending time together, outside
school! Those two! I mean, what the hell? Uchiha had Naruto on his back, for
god’s sake. He was giving him a piggy-back ride into the freakin’ sunset.”
Shikamaru gave another sigh.
“Kiba, I seriously don’t have the energy to deal with your idiocy right now—“
“Uchiha was smiling.”
Shikamaru paused.
“Yikes.”
“Exactly!” Kiba threw his hands up. “I thought the apocalypse was upon us.”
“I guess they’re for real.” Shikamaru shrugged, like the matter was over with.
“Let’s congratulate Naruto, the poor bastard.”
“But I thought,” Kiba paused, suddenly sullen. “That he was… you know… with
Sabaku.”
Shikamaru made a miserable sound and sank deeper onto the floor.  
“What? How was I supposed to deal with Sabaku Gaara suddenly making nicey-nice
with another human being, huh?” Kiba glared at his feet. “Naruto must have the
charm of the devil or something.”
“Maybe he does.” Shikamaru eyed him. “If he’s friends with you.”
“Look at that,” Kiba stared in mild horror as Iruka forced Gaara to his feet.
Naruto had been pulled away from Sasuke and made to partner with the
disgruntled red-head.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Kiba’s mouth hung open as Gaara begrudgingly accepted
Naruto’s hand and they began practicing the dance steps as Iruka-sensei
instructed them. Kiba snuck a look at Sasuke who had been taken over by a bunch
of overzealous girls all clamoring for a chance to partner with him.
“Naruto’s been good for him.” Shikamaru commented, already falling asleep.
“Sabaku doesn’t look like he wants to kill a cat anymore.”
“Maybe he still kills the cat, but now he does it in his basement.” Kiba
muttered, staring at the strange picture that the blond and the red-head made.
They were dancing—or, at least, attempting to. The blond danced with the grace
of a donkey—but he was far too invested in making Gaara participate because
like hell was he going to be exempted from this too.  
“Don’t be so stiff,” Naruto commented, shaking Gaara’s hand which was encased
in his own. “You’re gonna break my hand.”
Gaara’s jaw tightened and he did not reply, but Naruto gave him another nudge,
until he finally relaxed the tiniest bit.
“One-two-three, one-two-three,” Naruto chanted, staring down at their feet.
“Jesus Fu—don’t step on my foot, you’re going to kill ‘em—ouch!”
Iruka had wandered off after a while, trying to save Sasuke from the gaggle of
girls clinging to him. Naruto pretended not to notice, but Gaara did not miss
the way his eyes flickered over to the Uchiha’s direction.
“…what are you doing?”
“Hm?” Naruto glanced up at him. “I’m trying to two-two-three you into dancing,
you lazy ass—“
“Uchiha.” Gaara interrupted him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Naruto opened his mouth, and then closed it when he saw Gaara’s expression.
Instantly, the air between them became heavy, like a blanket was draped over
the two of them, cutting them off from the outside world.
“I don’t know.” Naruto finally said, lowering his eyes.
Gaara gave a frustrated sigh.
“If you’re just playing around, find someone else. He’s bad news.”
Naruto frowned.
“M’t not playing around.” Naruto mumbled, trepidation creeping into his voice.
“Maybe… maybe, I kind of… like him.”
“Then stop liking him.” Gaara said shortly. “He’s no good for you. You don’t
belong in his world. You’re just going to end up hurt.”
Gaara’s words actually didhurt, and Naruto felt his cheeks begin to flush hot
with embarrassment. So he got defensive.
“I can handle myself, thanks.”
“You’re getting in too deep.” Gaara said, and Naruto hated him for being right.
Usually, he appreciated the red-head for his honesty. At the moment, he wished
Gaara would shut the hell up. “You don’t know anything about him—“
“I know some things.” Naruto started to become genuinely angry. “I know about
his family—“
“Everyoneknows about his family.” Gaara snapped. “The entire country knows
about his psychotic brother who murdered his own clan in cold blood.”
Naruto dropped Gaara’s hand in shock at those words.
His brother?
“Oh, did he forget to mention that bit?” Gaara said dryly.
“You’re a bastard, Gaara.” Naruto whispered.
“And you’re a fucking idiot.” Gaara pushed ruthlessly. “You don’t see how he’s
playing with you, like something to be thrown away when he gets bored. Do you
think you’re the first one he’s shown interest in? That you’re something
special?”
“Shut up—“
“You know nothingabout him. And seeing you playing right into his hands like
the idiot that you are—“
“Gaara!”
“Why don’t you fuck him already and get him out of your system—“
Smack!
The heavy sound echoed into the abrupt stone-cold silence of the gym. Naruto’s
hand was trembling and he stared, almost disbelievingly, at Gaara’s reddening
cheek. It was instant regret.
“Gaara, I’m sorry—“
“Don’t touch me!”
“Whoa! Easy there, Sabaku!” Shikamaru stepped up as Kiba hurried over to help
Naruto to his feet. The blond was looking wide-eyed at Gaara, guilt eating at
his insides at the look of hurt, disbelief and rage in Gaara’s eyes.
Everyone instinctively took a step back, frightened of the intensity of the
red-head, like a cornered, dangerous animal.
“What’s going on?” Iruka-sensei appeared, looking worried. “No fighting in
class!”
And then Sasuke was there, positioning himself between Gaara and Naruto.
“Take this outside, Sabaku.”
Gaara snarled at him, looking poised to attack, but Sasuke stood his ground,
glaring at him coldly.
“Out.” Sasuke stressed. “Side.”
Everyone held their breaths, glancing between the war of wills between the two,
tension mounting like it was palpable. And then Gaara moved, quick as
lightning, grabbing a nearby chair and hurling it across the room, the force of
it shattering the chair into pieces. As screams of alarm erupted across the
gym, Gaara turned and fled. Naruto immediately moved to follow him but was
quickly stopped by Sasuke.
“I have to go after him.” Naruto pleaded.
“Later.” Sasuke insisted. “He’s unstable right now.”
“He won’t hurt me.”
“In his state right now, he’d hurt his own mother.” Sasuke looked at him
firmly. “Even if he didn’t want to.”
Naruto felt himself slump against Sasuke. Guilt and frustration made his
stomach churn, until he felt physically ill.
“What a monster.”
“Scary.”
Whispers. Naruto could hear them, like thunder in his ears.
“Did you see his eyes? He could have killed someone!”
“That Naruto better watch his back.”
You’re wrong! Naruto wanted to scream. This was my fault! Don’t talk about
Gaara that way!
Before Sasuke could stop him, Naruto ran out the door, leaving a stunned class
and a very upset Uchiha held back by Iruka-sensei.
“Stop it, Sasuke!”
“I’m going to kill him!”
“You’re over-reacting—“
“If I don’t, Sabaku sure will!”
Kiba stared with his mouth hanging open from his position on the floor.
Shikamaru held out a hand and helped him up.
“I think... Sabaku still wants to kill that cat.”
 
===============================================================================
 
Somehow, the entire school knew before the day was through. Naruto ducked his
head as yet another group of third years turned to stare at him. It was the
last period of the day and Naruto decided to skip it because he had more
important things to do like hunt down Gaara—
“Get your punk ass back to class,” Kakashi-sensei had said, but did not stop
him when he turned tail and ran.
Naruto headed first to the bleachers, where he hoped to find Gaara nursing his
wounds—but it was empty. He tried going up to the rooftop next, and then to the
Labs. He even peeked inside the locker rooms. After being spotted by Gai-
sensei, he hightailed out and ran to the Infirmary.
“Naruto?” Tsuande blinked up at him from her magazine. “What run over you this
time?”
“Did Gaara drop by here, by any chance?” Naruto shut the door behind him,
glancing around for an occupied bed.
“Should I ask?” Tsunade looked at him warily.
Naruto sighed, inching closer inside and dropping heavily onto an empty seat.
Tsunade nudged a cup towards him.
“I don’t feel like drinking tea.” He said miserably.
“Nonsense.”
“I might throw up.” Naruto said honestly. “I did something terrible to Gaara.”
Tsunade couldn’t help the way her eyebrows rose in disbelief. Somehow, it was
hard to believe that the blond could even leave a scratch on the red-head.
“You pulled his pants down in public.” Tsunade hazarded a guess.
“I might as well have.”
Interesting.
“Talk to me.”
“We were in class, okay, and, well… he started talking about weird shit, and… I
just lost it!” Naruto rubbed his face. “I mean, yeah, he’s a dick, and mostly
I’m okay with that—“
Tsunade snorted.
“Yeah, okay, I give him shit about his attitude sometimes, but I accept him!
His weird tattoo and penchant for black eyeliner and everything.”
“That’s sweet.”
“But then he just started making all these assumptions, and I… I didn’t think
it was fair.”
“You have to be a little less vague, blondie. I have no idea what you’re
saying.”
Naruto fell silent for a bit, stewing in his thoughts.
“It’s about Sasuke.” He finally said.
At that, Tsunade sat up, her eyes sharpening as she regarded Naruto more
seriously.
“What about Sasuke?”
“He’s… I don’t know why, or how, but…” Naruto hated that he was beginning to
blush. “I, I think we… there’s something.”
“…something?” Tsunade said slowly.
“You know, something.” Naruto looked pained. “…we, sort-of… kissed.”
This time, Tsunade managed to school her expression before it got out of hand.
She simply raised an eyebrow and waited for Naruto to elaborate.
“It was an accident! I mean, it was, the first time—the second one just sort-of
happened, also like an accident—“
Second one?
“…and I slept with him—“
What?!
“I mean!” Naruto yelled, arms flailing as he realized what he said. “Not like
that! Ugh, we slept, like, in the same bed! In his house! OH MY GOD!”
I’m not judging you , Tsunade’s expression said. But I am.
“What were you even doing in Uchiha’s house?”
What Tsunade really wanted to ask was, How the hell did you get him to invite
you to that miserable place?
“F-for some homework.” Naruto stammered, his face deepening in color. “That
perverted sennin made us partners for almost every project imaginable—“
“That’s Principal Jiraiya to you, you brat—“ Tsunade frowned, squeezing his
face. “And? What was Sabaku’s problem? Jealous of your new lover?”
Naruto was so scandalized he choked on a violent intake of breath.
“He’s not my lover!”
“Which one?”
“Neither!” Naruto grabbed at his hair. “Oh my god!”
“So Sabaku’s jealous of your new friend,” Tsunade rolled her eyes. “And, what,
did you tell him to grow a pair?”
“I slapped him in the face.” Naruto replied sullenly.
Tsunade scoffed, waving a hand. “What’s a few punches between boys? He probably
didn’t even feel it.”
After a silence, Naruto finally murmured, so softly, Tsunade barely heard it.
“…it wasn’t the physical blow that hurt.”
Tsunade had nothing to say to that. She simply sat back and allowed Naruto to
stew in his silence, waiting for him to speak up.
“I think… he was just trying to protect me.” Naruto finally said. “He said… he
said Sasuke wasn’t good for me.”
“Well, personally, I don’t think Uchiha Sasuke is good for anyone’s mental
health—“
“He said I was going to be thrown away.”
Tsunade fell silent and glanced at Naruto, expecting an angry expression—but
instead, he simply looked sad. Like a boy faced with the inevitability of the
truth.
“Look, I was just joking about the mental health part—“
“Sasuke makes me feel… different.” Naruto confessed, burying his face in his
hands. “I don’t understand it. From the very start, he was just… different. And
I know I’m a fool for falling for him, I know he’s going to get tired of me
sooner or later—“
“You don’t know that—“
“I do.” Naruto sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes. “Gaara’s right. I know he’s
right. It just… it just hurt to hear it out loud, you know?”
“I know you hold Sabaku Gaara in high regard,” Tsunade began gently. “But it
doesn’t mean he knows everything. He doesn’t always have to be right.”
Naruto gave a weak laugh.
“He knows me.” He said, like it was enough.
Tsunade took in a deep breath and slowly, gently, rested a comforting hand
against Naruto’s shoulder. Honestly, there was nothing she could say to refute
his words. The ugly truth remained that Uchiha Sasuke had a habit of stepping
all over other people’s feelings. Countless of people, hurt by his
inconsideration, by the simple fact that he had shut off his heart to the
world.  
“Gaara saved me, you know.” Naruto finally murmured, gazing down at his hands.
“He showed up like a… like a guardian angel, and he took my hand.”
Naruto gave a small laugh, glancing up at her.
“Sorry for the melodrama. But I owe him a lot.”
“You sure have a way of choosing them,” Tsunade finally said.
“Hey—“
“But, I’m glad you found each other.”
Naruto glanced up at her, hearing the sincerity in her words. A helpless grin
spread across his face and suddenly, everything was clearer. Gaara was the one
who had stepped into the darkness and found him that night. He was the one who
took Naruto’s hand and showed him he was not alone.
The least he could do now was return the favor.
“Where are you going?” Tsunade raised her eyebrow.
“To find my nakama!” Naruto called out behind him as he disappeared through the
door. After a beat, footsteps came running back and Naruto poked his head
inside.
“Thanks, ‘baa-chan!”
“Don’t call me that!” Tsunade yelled as he promptly disappeared again. “Jeez,
that damn brat.”
Tsunade crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, listening to the breeze
filtering in through the window. Her eyes flicked towards the curtains
fluttering in the nearby bed, where glimpses of cotton sheets and a flash of
red hair made her smile widely up at the ceiling.
“Nakama, huh?”
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