Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Path to You ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: siberianknight 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.05.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 389 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.05.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 389 | Status: Completed
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<i>Author's Notes</i>: First off I'd like to apologize for the length of this chapter. Usually my chapters are much longer than this, but for some reason I wasn't able to get as much out of this chapter than I thought I could.<br>Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
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Warnings: None
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Chapter Status: COMPLETE
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<center>
<b>Important announcement!</b>
<br>I just want to let everyone know that I am going to finish this story before I post anymore of it. I've got a new job that takes up much more time than my old one, and it's proven difficult to try and write as much as I could before. However, by doing it this way, when it's complete no one will have to wait anymore than a few days for the next chapter.<br>If you want to know how far along I am go to my livejournal (siberianknight) and look for my Tuesday posts. You can also friend me if that would be easier for you. I don't mind either way. :)</center>
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Sasuke entered through the gray aluminum door with a bit of apprehension. He had heard about the art teacher, but had yet to actually meet him since said teacher had been ill for the first week of classes. From what he had learned through whispers amongst fellow students, the teacher known only as Jiraiya was a bit … eccentric. There were rumors of illicit affairs with fellow female teachers as well as hints that he was an insatiable flirt.
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As Sasuke settled into a seat near the window and far away from the rest of the class, the door opened once more and in walked Sai. Despite observing his fellow students, Sai was one whom Sasuke hadn’t quite figured out. He smiled yet it was always an expression of coolness not warmth. Plus his voice never rose above a quiet and steady tone, and even though Gaara was like that as well, Sai seemed distant and unapproachable. Sasuke decided that having him sit next to him was better than a more talkative student. He never said one word as he unpacked his pencils and charcoal, nor as he set up his drawing pad on his drawing bench. “I thought I’d keep you company today,” he finally stated quietly once his unpacking was finished.
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“I don’t want company. That’s why I’m here and not over there.” Sai smiled into the face of Sasuke’s glare, but as the two’s eyes met, a shiver ran through Sasuke. Was it possible that Sai knew? His heart began to race at the sheer possibility. He didn’t need sympathy or any help that he may offer. He was fine on his own; he could take care of himself. The creek of the door dispelled the sudden tension between the two boys. Their teacher had arrived.
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The moment Sasuke laid eyes on him, he decided that eccentric was not a fair description of the art instructor for Konoha Gakuen. The tall man had long stark white messy hair that fell just below his bottom. He wore a blazingly bright lemon yellow and light green Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. “He looks like fun,” Sai whispered under his breath. Sasuke simply stared at the other boy.
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Jiraiya stepped onto the square stage in the center of the room and held his hand up for silence, which he instantly got. “Boys, welcome to Jiraiya’s art experience! I feel that you will learn much more from me than that other teacher,” he gritted his teeth momentarily and Sasuke wondered briefly what was so wrong with Orochimaru-sensei. “Anyway, today we will be focusing on the female form! And to help us –” Many of the boys perked up and began speculating who the model may be, but their hopes were quickly dashed as their fellow classmate, Ino, walked into the room wearing her school bathing suit. “Ino-chan from class 2-C.” He turned to her with a smile and thanked her quietly.
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“Yeah, yeah … you better not back out of your end of the agreement though. I want my money.” Ino smiled sweetly, a stark contrast to her threatening tone.
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Sweating slightly, Jiraiya turned back to the class. “Take out your charcoal. We’ll begin with some warm up exercises. Thirty-seconds to begin with. And … start!” The soft beep of his wristwatch was drowned out by the sudden furious scraping noises of charcoal against paper. Sasuke decided to focus simply on her shape for the time being and began to quickly gesture out Ino’s form. After Jiraiya called ‘time’ Sasuke felt Sai’s eyes on him.
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“What?” He asked agitated by the boy’s nosy behavior.
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“Just looking at your work. How long have you been drawing?”
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Sasuke turned back to face his drawing pad and frowned at it. He wasn’t one to reveal much about himself, and he certainly didn’t want to open up to Sai. Why couldn’t he just leave him alone?
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“It’s good to have something therapeutic like drawing to get you through rough times. At least it helped me, and I’d wager that it’s helped you too. But perhaps in a different way.” Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat as his head whipped about to face Sai. He <i>did</i> know, but how? How could he know when even Sasuke’s own parents had never known what had happened?
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“Wha--?” Sasuke sputtered quietly. Sai turned and smiled that same cool icy grin just as always causing Sasuke to lose hope that he would find out exactly what he knew. Meanwhile, Jiraiya was walking around behind his students seeing exactly how they were faring.
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“Okay, several more thirty second sketches and then we’ll move on.” He turned to Ino, a bright smirk on his face. Despite the fact that the man was definitely middle aged, he still was handsome and Sasuke could see why girls would flock around him; however, he was fairly confident that the man was a pervert which most likely scared any girls away after he spoke with them. “Now, Ino-chan please find another comfortable position. Yes, yes … but why don’t you –”
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“Teacher or not. Touch me and you die.” Jiraiya laughed nervously and backed away from the young blonde.
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“Of course, of course. Just simply thinking of helping.”
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“Right,” Ino drawled with a strong hint of doubt in her voice.
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The remainder of the class continued in the same manner. Jiraiya would get close to Ino thinking of helping her, but she would then threaten him with violence. All the while, Sai continued to occasionally glance with his all-knowing eyes at Sasuke which made him feel very uncomfortable. He was dying to ask what the other boy knew, but Sai left rather quickly once Jiraiya released everyone. Despite looking for him, Sasuke was unable to locate Sai for the remainder of the afternoon.
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With a heavy sigh he plopped down into an empty chair which was nestled in a lonely corner of the common room. Surely it had merely been a coincidence that what Sai had said matched with the incidents of Sasuke’s past; it just wasn’t possible that he had figured out something that not even his own parents had. A slow chill ran down his spine as Sai’s cold smile flashed briefly through his mind. In an attempt to rid himself of the sickening feeling that was steadily settling in his stomach, Sasuke shook his head from side to side gently; however it failed to completely clear certain images from forming in his mind. He glared down at his hands as they began to shake. He would fight this and win just like always, his past would not control him.
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“Everything alright?” The voice was way too cheery for Sasuke’s current mood. Why of all people did he have to be the one to approach him now? “Uchiha? Are you okay? Do I need to get the nurse?” His head shot up as his teacher finished his sentence.
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“No! I’m fine. As I said before, this is none of your business – so leave me alone.” He rose and began to push past Naruto, but was stopped by a gentle yet firm hand upon his shoulder.
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“Look, I know that you don’t like me … but I can see that something is seriously bothering you and you <I>are</I> one of my students. That’s why I’m worried about you.” Sasuke’s black eyes slowly raised to look into the bright baby blues which were staring at him with a measure of concern in their depths. He was worried about him, just like his parents, but that didn’t matter. No one could stop the nightmares nor reverse what had happened. Anger bubbled up to the surface of Sasuke’s being. His face slowly contorted into a ferocious glare and he reached up to rip Naruto’s unwanted hand away from his body.
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“Don’t <b>ever</b> touch me again. I won’t allow you.” There was a brief flash of surprise in Naruto’s eyes before he laughed lightly.
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“Won’t allow me? Are you threatening me?” Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but Naruto waved him off with a sly smile. “I don’t need to know. I get it … you don’t like me. If you want to wallow in your troubles then that’s fine, but I thought that maybe I could extend an offer to you. If you ever feel like talking, my room is open. Don’t hesitate. Whatever you’ve been through – it doesn’t matter,” he gave up after seeing the annoyed look upon Sasuke’s face intensify. “I don’t know why I’m even suggesting this to you. You obviously don’t want it.” Sasuke’s dark eyebrows raised slightly at his teacher’s abrupt change of mind. He watched silently as Naruto walked over to Kiba and Chouji who were sitting in the opposite corner from himself. In their past few meetings, Naruto had shown signs of being an impatient type of person, but at the same time he seemed to have a large heart that just wanted to help everyone. Sasuke wasn’t sure if he could be trusted or not, but he knew that he couldn’t tell him everything about what had happened that night. There were just some things that no one needed to know.
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The aluminum door shut with a soft click behind Naruto who slumped sleepily against its cool surface. The day had been long and tiring, especially the teachers’ meeting earlier that night. The headmaster had been kind with him, but Naruto was convinced that the old man didn’t think he was doing a good job. The boys were too wild and not learning what was in the text books which had been chosen by Sarutobi-sensei himself. Most likely that was why the headmaster had not been fully appreciative of Naruto’s unique approach to the teaching of the world cultures.
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The blonde rose to his full height of five feet ten and stumbled sleepily to his bed where, with a soft plop, he collapsed on his stomach. He had hoped that by becoming a teacher he could help kids, but there was one in particular that was giving him a hard time. Uchiha Sasuke wanted help from no one. Naruto had heard the story of how he had become distant after his brother’s death and that it had been his decision to leave home and attend Konoha Gakuen. He couldn’t help but wonder, however, if Sasuke’s father had been part of the problem. In fact Hatake Kakashi, the Literature teacher, had pulled him aside to tell him about Sasuke’s father’s abruptness just two days prior. He had speculated himself that it was a possible explanation as to why the boy behaved the way he did, but Naruto wanted to wait until he had actually met the man before he made any kind of decision regarding Sasuke’s father.
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Naruto lifted his messy blonde head and gazed at the picture which sat by his bed. There within a simple silver frame was a photo of three people. Naruto had been only six at the time of the photograph and he had stood close to his mother’s side. She held his small hand in hers while her other was locked in the tight grasp of her husband’s. Naruto greatly resembled his father, but his stubborn will was that of his mother. He <I>would</I> get Sasuke to talk to him. He didn’t care what it took, but he was determined to get through to him. Not necessarily to find out what was wrong, but just to be his friend. There was something about Sasuke, something that drew him toward the boy. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” His bright blue eyes stared into those of his father waiting for some feeling to come over him, some sign to let him know that he was in fact going down the right path.
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He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the dim light which illuminated his ceiling with a warm yellow glow. The sounds of spring drifted in through his partly open window and a soft breeze was blowing across his bed. A small smirk slowly started to dance across his face as ideas began to flit through his mind as to how he would deal with Sasuke. “He won’t know what hit him.”
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Naruto strode into the now familiar classroom the next day with renewed vigor. His bright blue eyes scanned the group of rowdy boys, and girl, with a light twinkle as he thought of how one day Sasuke would thank him for his efforts. He stopped his casual perusal of his students when he noticed that the one he most wanted to see was not present. “Where’s Sasuke?” The crowd continued in its usual noisy fashion with the exception of Sai who ventured quietly up to his teacher.
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“I’m afraid he’s not coming today. He – well he’s most likely locked himself in his room.”
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“Huh? Is he sick?”
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“No, not exactly.”
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Naruto sighed with exasperation. “Then what’s wrong?”
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“My answer would be speculation. If you’d like I can take you to his room.” Sai moved toward the door quietly awaiting his teacher’s decision. Naruto glanced back at the class who had yet to notice his presence. With a lazy shrug he turned to Sai and nodded. The two walked in silence to the dorm, it wasn’t until they reached Sasuke’s door that either of them said a word. “I believe it would be best if you were the one who knocked, Sensei.” Naruto simply nodded and rapped lightly on the door. Silence greeted him. He cast an impatient look over his shoulder at Sai, who merely shrugged. Naruto knocked a bit harder this time and was rewarded with the sounds of movement within the room.
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The door slowly opened and a red-eyed Sasuke poked his head out to see who had disturbed him. “Oh, it’s you.” He started to close the door on Naruto, but his teacher grabbed the handle and held on with all his strength to keep it open. “Look, I don’t feel well. Sorry for not informing you.”
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“May I come in?” Naruto ground out through gritted teeth.
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“No.” Sasuke shoved against the door in an attempt to rid himself of his obnoxious teacher; however, Naruto was faster and managed to squeeze half of himself through the opening. “I didn’t give you permission to come in, <I>sir</I>.”
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“Oh, so sorry … I thought you did,” Naruto’s grin was strained as he pulled the rest of himself into the dorm room. The aluminum door snapped shut with a sharp click. They were alone together.
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“Leave.”
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“No. You don’t look all that sick to me. So why aren’t you in class?”
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“I have my reasons.” Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and walked over to his computer desk. He clicked off his monitor, which Naruto had caught a brief glimpse of an email which Sasuke had apparently been reading.
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“Mind sharing those reasons?”
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“Yes.” Sasuke kept his back turned to his teacher. He could feel the anger building up inside him and didn’t trust himself to face Naruto. Being expelled for beating up his teacher didn’t sit too well with him.
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“Really? How about you share them anyway.”
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Sasuke wheeled around and his glare should’ve killed any defiance within Naruto, but the blonde stood with his arms crossed and an expectant look upon his face. For a moment Sasuke’s mind went blank. What was it that he had wanted to say to him? He couldn’t seem to even remember why exactly he was so angry <I>at</I> Naruto.
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“I’m waiting. Your reasons had better be good since you have a test today.”
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The cockiness in his teacher’s voice brought back every ounce of fury which he had felt before looking into Naruto’s eyes. “Why do you even care!? It’s not like I <I>have</I> to be here. I can go home you know!”
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“True, but I don’t think you want to.” Sasuke’s glare intensified as Naruto inched his way closer to his pupil. “I think that you’re here because you don’t want to be there, am I right?”
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“I told you it’s none of your business.” Sasuke’s entire body tensed as his teacher came within grabbing distance.
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Naruto paused in his approach of Sasuke as he noticed him begin to tremble. He gazed into his eyes only to see a strong defiance within their ebony depths. “What’s –” Naruto reached out to Sasuke only to have his hand slapped viciously away. Sasuke backed away from the desk and stood pressed against the wall. The trembling was gone, replaced with a deadly gleam in his eyes and fists raised in waiting.
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“Leave me alone.” His words were strained and Naruto understood that he wasn’t going to get any further by pressuring Sasuke. The blonde backed away, his hands raised in a show of peace.
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“You can make up the test this weekend.” Naruto opened the door, but before leaving he turned one last time to face his student. “I expect you to be there with no excuses.” The door closed softly behind him and Sasuke sank to the floor, his entire being shaking. It had been a long while since he had reacted such to the nearness of another person. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared blankly at the far wall. He wouldn’t let those age old memories destroy him. That was why he was there away from the home he had shared with his brother, away from the horror that had happened not so long ago.
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“I’m over this! So why can’t I be normal!?” Sasuke sobbed to the room at large. Hot angry tears began to streak down his face as forced himself to stand. He was going to class and taking that test, but it was just to prove to himself that he could be a normal student.
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TBC
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<i>Author's Notes</i>: First off I'd like to apologize for the length of this chapter. Usually my chapters are much longer than this, but for some reason I wasn't able to get as much out of this chapter than I thought I could.<br>Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
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<br>
Warnings: None
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Chapter Status: COMPLETE
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<br>
<center>
<b>Important announcement!</b>
<br>I just want to let everyone know that I am going to finish this story before I post anymore of it. I've got a new job that takes up much more time than my old one, and it's proven difficult to try and write as much as I could before. However, by doing it this way, when it's complete no one will have to wait anymore than a few days for the next chapter.<br>If you want to know how far along I am go to my livejournal (siberianknight) and look for my Tuesday posts. You can also friend me if that would be easier for you. I don't mind either way. :)</center>
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Sasuke entered through the gray aluminum door with a bit of apprehension. He had heard about the art teacher, but had yet to actually meet him since said teacher had been ill for the first week of classes. From what he had learned through whispers amongst fellow students, the teacher known only as Jiraiya was a bit … eccentric. There were rumors of illicit affairs with fellow female teachers as well as hints that he was an insatiable flirt.
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As Sasuke settled into a seat near the window and far away from the rest of the class, the door opened once more and in walked Sai. Despite observing his fellow students, Sai was one whom Sasuke hadn’t quite figured out. He smiled yet it was always an expression of coolness not warmth. Plus his voice never rose above a quiet and steady tone, and even though Gaara was like that as well, Sai seemed distant and unapproachable. Sasuke decided that having him sit next to him was better than a more talkative student. He never said one word as he unpacked his pencils and charcoal, nor as he set up his drawing pad on his drawing bench. “I thought I’d keep you company today,” he finally stated quietly once his unpacking was finished.
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“I don’t want company. That’s why I’m here and not over there.” Sai smiled into the face of Sasuke’s glare, but as the two’s eyes met, a shiver ran through Sasuke. Was it possible that Sai knew? His heart began to race at the sheer possibility. He didn’t need sympathy or any help that he may offer. He was fine on his own; he could take care of himself. The creek of the door dispelled the sudden tension between the two boys. Their teacher had arrived.
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The moment Sasuke laid eyes on him, he decided that eccentric was not a fair description of the art instructor for Konoha Gakuen. The tall man had long stark white messy hair that fell just below his bottom. He wore a blazingly bright lemon yellow and light green Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. “He looks like fun,” Sai whispered under his breath. Sasuke simply stared at the other boy.
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Jiraiya stepped onto the square stage in the center of the room and held his hand up for silence, which he instantly got. “Boys, welcome to Jiraiya’s art experience! I feel that you will learn much more from me than that other teacher,” he gritted his teeth momentarily and Sasuke wondered briefly what was so wrong with Orochimaru-sensei. “Anyway, today we will be focusing on the female form! And to help us –” Many of the boys perked up and began speculating who the model may be, but their hopes were quickly dashed as their fellow classmate, Ino, walked into the room wearing her school bathing suit. “Ino-chan from class 2-C.” He turned to her with a smile and thanked her quietly.
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“Yeah, yeah … you better not back out of your end of the agreement though. I want my money.” Ino smiled sweetly, a stark contrast to her threatening tone.
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Sweating slightly, Jiraiya turned back to the class. “Take out your charcoal. We’ll begin with some warm up exercises. Thirty-seconds to begin with. And … start!” The soft beep of his wristwatch was drowned out by the sudden furious scraping noises of charcoal against paper. Sasuke decided to focus simply on her shape for the time being and began to quickly gesture out Ino’s form. After Jiraiya called ‘time’ Sasuke felt Sai’s eyes on him.
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“What?” He asked agitated by the boy’s nosy behavior.
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“Just looking at your work. How long have you been drawing?”
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Sasuke turned back to face his drawing pad and frowned at it. He wasn’t one to reveal much about himself, and he certainly didn’t want to open up to Sai. Why couldn’t he just leave him alone?
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“It’s good to have something therapeutic like drawing to get you through rough times. At least it helped me, and I’d wager that it’s helped you too. But perhaps in a different way.” Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat as his head whipped about to face Sai. He <i>did</i> know, but how? How could he know when even Sasuke’s own parents had never known what had happened?
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“Wha--?” Sasuke sputtered quietly. Sai turned and smiled that same cool icy grin just as always causing Sasuke to lose hope that he would find out exactly what he knew. Meanwhile, Jiraiya was walking around behind his students seeing exactly how they were faring.
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“Okay, several more thirty second sketches and then we’ll move on.” He turned to Ino, a bright smirk on his face. Despite the fact that the man was definitely middle aged, he still was handsome and Sasuke could see why girls would flock around him; however, he was fairly confident that the man was a pervert which most likely scared any girls away after he spoke with them. “Now, Ino-chan please find another comfortable position. Yes, yes … but why don’t you –”
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“Teacher or not. Touch me and you die.” Jiraiya laughed nervously and backed away from the young blonde.
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“Of course, of course. Just simply thinking of helping.”
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“Right,” Ino drawled with a strong hint of doubt in her voice.
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The remainder of the class continued in the same manner. Jiraiya would get close to Ino thinking of helping her, but she would then threaten him with violence. All the while, Sai continued to occasionally glance with his all-knowing eyes at Sasuke which made him feel very uncomfortable. He was dying to ask what the other boy knew, but Sai left rather quickly once Jiraiya released everyone. Despite looking for him, Sasuke was unable to locate Sai for the remainder of the afternoon.
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With a heavy sigh he plopped down into an empty chair which was nestled in a lonely corner of the common room. Surely it had merely been a coincidence that what Sai had said matched with the incidents of Sasuke’s past; it just wasn’t possible that he had figured out something that not even his own parents had. A slow chill ran down his spine as Sai’s cold smile flashed briefly through his mind. In an attempt to rid himself of the sickening feeling that was steadily settling in his stomach, Sasuke shook his head from side to side gently; however it failed to completely clear certain images from forming in his mind. He glared down at his hands as they began to shake. He would fight this and win just like always, his past would not control him.
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“Everything alright?” The voice was way too cheery for Sasuke’s current mood. Why of all people did he have to be the one to approach him now? “Uchiha? Are you okay? Do I need to get the nurse?” His head shot up as his teacher finished his sentence.
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“No! I’m fine. As I said before, this is none of your business – so leave me alone.” He rose and began to push past Naruto, but was stopped by a gentle yet firm hand upon his shoulder.
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“Look, I know that you don’t like me … but I can see that something is seriously bothering you and you <I>are</I> one of my students. That’s why I’m worried about you.” Sasuke’s black eyes slowly raised to look into the bright baby blues which were staring at him with a measure of concern in their depths. He was worried about him, just like his parents, but that didn’t matter. No one could stop the nightmares nor reverse what had happened. Anger bubbled up to the surface of Sasuke’s being. His face slowly contorted into a ferocious glare and he reached up to rip Naruto’s unwanted hand away from his body.
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“Don’t <b>ever</b> touch me again. I won’t allow you.” There was a brief flash of surprise in Naruto’s eyes before he laughed lightly.
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“Won’t allow me? Are you threatening me?” Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but Naruto waved him off with a sly smile. “I don’t need to know. I get it … you don’t like me. If you want to wallow in your troubles then that’s fine, but I thought that maybe I could extend an offer to you. If you ever feel like talking, my room is open. Don’t hesitate. Whatever you’ve been through – it doesn’t matter,” he gave up after seeing the annoyed look upon Sasuke’s face intensify. “I don’t know why I’m even suggesting this to you. You obviously don’t want it.” Sasuke’s dark eyebrows raised slightly at his teacher’s abrupt change of mind. He watched silently as Naruto walked over to Kiba and Chouji who were sitting in the opposite corner from himself. In their past few meetings, Naruto had shown signs of being an impatient type of person, but at the same time he seemed to have a large heart that just wanted to help everyone. Sasuke wasn’t sure if he could be trusted or not, but he knew that he couldn’t tell him everything about what had happened that night. There were just some things that no one needed to know.
<br>
<hr align=center width=500>
<br>
The aluminum door shut with a soft click behind Naruto who slumped sleepily against its cool surface. The day had been long and tiring, especially the teachers’ meeting earlier that night. The headmaster had been kind with him, but Naruto was convinced that the old man didn’t think he was doing a good job. The boys were too wild and not learning what was in the text books which had been chosen by Sarutobi-sensei himself. Most likely that was why the headmaster had not been fully appreciative of Naruto’s unique approach to the teaching of the world cultures.
<br>
<br>
The blonde rose to his full height of five feet ten and stumbled sleepily to his bed where, with a soft plop, he collapsed on his stomach. He had hoped that by becoming a teacher he could help kids, but there was one in particular that was giving him a hard time. Uchiha Sasuke wanted help from no one. Naruto had heard the story of how he had become distant after his brother’s death and that it had been his decision to leave home and attend Konoha Gakuen. He couldn’t help but wonder, however, if Sasuke’s father had been part of the problem. In fact Hatake Kakashi, the Literature teacher, had pulled him aside to tell him about Sasuke’s father’s abruptness just two days prior. He had speculated himself that it was a possible explanation as to why the boy behaved the way he did, but Naruto wanted to wait until he had actually met the man before he made any kind of decision regarding Sasuke’s father.
<br>
<br>
Naruto lifted his messy blonde head and gazed at the picture which sat by his bed. There within a simple silver frame was a photo of three people. Naruto had been only six at the time of the photograph and he had stood close to his mother’s side. She held his small hand in hers while her other was locked in the tight grasp of her husband’s. Naruto greatly resembled his father, but his stubborn will was that of his mother. He <I>would</I> get Sasuke to talk to him. He didn’t care what it took, but he was determined to get through to him. Not necessarily to find out what was wrong, but just to be his friend. There was something about Sasuke, something that drew him toward the boy. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” His bright blue eyes stared into those of his father waiting for some feeling to come over him, some sign to let him know that he was in fact going down the right path.
<br>
<br>
He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the dim light which illuminated his ceiling with a warm yellow glow. The sounds of spring drifted in through his partly open window and a soft breeze was blowing across his bed. A small smirk slowly started to dance across his face as ideas began to flit through his mind as to how he would deal with Sasuke. “He won’t know what hit him.”
<br>
<br>
<br>
Naruto strode into the now familiar classroom the next day with renewed vigor. His bright blue eyes scanned the group of rowdy boys, and girl, with a light twinkle as he thought of how one day Sasuke would thank him for his efforts. He stopped his casual perusal of his students when he noticed that the one he most wanted to see was not present. “Where’s Sasuke?” The crowd continued in its usual noisy fashion with the exception of Sai who ventured quietly up to his teacher.
<br>
<br>
“I’m afraid he’s not coming today. He – well he’s most likely locked himself in his room.”
<br>
<br>
“Huh? Is he sick?”
<br>
<br>
“No, not exactly.”
<br>
<br>
Naruto sighed with exasperation. “Then what’s wrong?”
<br>
<br>
“My answer would be speculation. If you’d like I can take you to his room.” Sai moved toward the door quietly awaiting his teacher’s decision. Naruto glanced back at the class who had yet to notice his presence. With a lazy shrug he turned to Sai and nodded. The two walked in silence to the dorm, it wasn’t until they reached Sasuke’s door that either of them said a word. “I believe it would be best if you were the one who knocked, Sensei.” Naruto simply nodded and rapped lightly on the door. Silence greeted him. He cast an impatient look over his shoulder at Sai, who merely shrugged. Naruto knocked a bit harder this time and was rewarded with the sounds of movement within the room.
<br>
<br>
The door slowly opened and a red-eyed Sasuke poked his head out to see who had disturbed him. “Oh, it’s you.” He started to close the door on Naruto, but his teacher grabbed the handle and held on with all his strength to keep it open. “Look, I don’t feel well. Sorry for not informing you.”
<br>
<br>
“May I come in?” Naruto ground out through gritted teeth.
<br>
<br>
“No.” Sasuke shoved against the door in an attempt to rid himself of his obnoxious teacher; however, Naruto was faster and managed to squeeze half of himself through the opening. “I didn’t give you permission to come in, <I>sir</I>.”
<br>
<br>
“Oh, so sorry … I thought you did,” Naruto’s grin was strained as he pulled the rest of himself into the dorm room. The aluminum door snapped shut with a sharp click. They were alone together.
<br>
<br>
“Leave.”
<br>
<br>
“No. You don’t look all that sick to me. So why aren’t you in class?”
<br>
<br>
“I have my reasons.” Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and walked over to his computer desk. He clicked off his monitor, which Naruto had caught a brief glimpse of an email which Sasuke had apparently been reading.
<br>
<br>
“Mind sharing those reasons?”
<br>
<br>
“Yes.” Sasuke kept his back turned to his teacher. He could feel the anger building up inside him and didn’t trust himself to face Naruto. Being expelled for beating up his teacher didn’t sit too well with him.
<br>
<br>
“Really? How about you share them anyway.”
<br>
<br>
Sasuke wheeled around and his glare should’ve killed any defiance within Naruto, but the blonde stood with his arms crossed and an expectant look upon his face. For a moment Sasuke’s mind went blank. What was it that he had wanted to say to him? He couldn’t seem to even remember why exactly he was so angry <I>at</I> Naruto.
<br>
<br>
“I’m waiting. Your reasons had better be good since you have a test today.”
<br>
<br>
The cockiness in his teacher’s voice brought back every ounce of fury which he had felt before looking into Naruto’s eyes. “Why do you even care!? It’s not like I <I>have</I> to be here. I can go home you know!”
<br>
<br>
“True, but I don’t think you want to.” Sasuke’s glare intensified as Naruto inched his way closer to his pupil. “I think that you’re here because you don’t want to be there, am I right?”
<br>
<br>
“I told you it’s none of your business.” Sasuke’s entire body tensed as his teacher came within grabbing distance.
<br>
<br>
Naruto paused in his approach of Sasuke as he noticed him begin to tremble. He gazed into his eyes only to see a strong defiance within their ebony depths. “What’s –” Naruto reached out to Sasuke only to have his hand slapped viciously away. Sasuke backed away from the desk and stood pressed against the wall. The trembling was gone, replaced with a deadly gleam in his eyes and fists raised in waiting.
<br>
<br>
“Leave me alone.” His words were strained and Naruto understood that he wasn’t going to get any further by pressuring Sasuke. The blonde backed away, his hands raised in a show of peace.
<br>
<br>
“You can make up the test this weekend.” Naruto opened the door, but before leaving he turned one last time to face his student. “I expect you to be there with no excuses.” The door closed softly behind him and Sasuke sank to the floor, his entire being shaking. It had been a long while since he had reacted such to the nearness of another person. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared blankly at the far wall. He wouldn’t let those age old memories destroy him. That was why he was there away from the home he had shared with his brother, away from the horror that had happened not so long ago.
<br>
<br>
“I’m over this! So why can’t I be normal!?” Sasuke sobbed to the room at large. Hot angry tears began to streak down his face as forced himself to stand. He was going to class and taking that test, but it was just to prove to himself that he could be a normal student.
<br>
<br>
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<br>
TBC
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