Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Underneath it All ❯ Sasuke Uchiha ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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Disclaimer: Don’t Own…
Warning(s): none…yet…

“Alright you guys. Let’s settle down,” the homeroom teacher had arrived, a man between the ages of 30 and 40 with his brunette hair pinned up in a high ponytail and a small scar horizontally across his nose. Naruto was relieved to count five empty seats arranged in a semi-circle at the back corner of the room where the group he’d newly-joined had stopped. Usually the scene that greeted him was that of a spot short…his spot to be exact. The boys settled one by one, from left to right, Kiba first followed by Shikamaru then Gaara and Neiji. After dropping Gaara’s younger sister off in her classroom it was just the five of them…well, and that Sasuke guy the rest of the guys seemed to be expecting with particular interest. Naruto was just about to take the last empty seat when,
“Ah ah,” his head snapped up his eyes falling on Neiji. “That’s Sasuke’s seat,” Neiji stood and pulled on a nearby seat the dorky kid with wide eyeglasses and dirty blonde bowl-cut hair currently on the seat struggling to his feet before he fled the scene vacating the space. “Here’s yours,” lavender eyes sparkled with arrogance and an evil smirk took over those fine lips. Naruto watched as the kid nervously wrestled with his semi-open book bag and even tripped on his own feet managing to catch himself just before he hit the ground earning a few chortles from the rest of the crowd. Of course nobody dared to continue laughing if the group on the corner at the very back of the classroom refused to laugh at all.
Naruto frowned.
He had experienced the freshly unfolded scene too many times to let it slip by when it was done to someone other than him for a change.
“Why did you do that?” Shikamaru gave the blonde a tired stare while Kiba and Gaara each arched a brow as if they couldn‘t believe what they were hearing.
“Do what?” Neiji asked bordering confused. His actions had never been questioned before.
“Gentlemen I take it your argument bears no absolute importance,” blue and lavender gazes clashed against dark brown. “I’d like to check attendance before homeroom period is over,” Iruka Umino, the teacher’s name written on the board, stated waiting patiently for both of them to sit so he could go on with his usual role. The young professor’s stern expression left no room for argument. Neiji nodded silently and returned to his seat beside Gaara and Naruto chanced a last glance at the Hyuga jock before he occupied what he felt was his undeserving seat which Kiba had pulled beside him by now.
The teacher placed a couple of books atop his desk and stared at a medium-sized index card he had brought with him. “Before I begin, we have a new student with us,” he spoke to the whole class now. “His name is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto please introduce yourself...”

The first time Sasuke had thrown a football had been on the playground during his second grade lunch break. The length it traveled proved to witnesses nearby that he was meant for far greater things right off the bat. Raw talent was all they saw. Sasuke knew how to run the game cleverly enough to be considered a prodigy who would one day grow up to be a once-in-a-decade player. Many followed his young and fruitful career. It came as no surprise when the boy made the varsity team and made history breaking world records in passes, fumbles and touchdowns while he was only in seventh grade. He was that good. The school hadn’t lost a championship since and by the looks of it they wouldn’t, at least not while he was around.

It was here the life he currently lived began. From rising star Sasuke became something of an icon. Storeowners made a fortune selling merchandise branded with his name. ESPN didn’t tire of interviews with him, he got more attention that some of the best NFL players sometimes. Moreover Sasuke was offered full scholarships from only the best universities in the nation as well as professional contracts from the best teams in the league. He was the number one recruit, at the top of the mountain with nobody remotely close to surpassing him. People looked up to him, they admired him, they wanted to be him. Fanatics hunted him down the second he stepped out of his house and followed him wherever he went. Girls declared their love to him publicly mindless of the place. His phone rang off the hook with anonymous calls, probably because the classmates he shared his number with in order to get schoolwork done sold his number off in some auction somewhere. That hadn’t changed in the four years he had been dealing with it all…

Iruka was unsurprised to see who Naruto was when he stood up. He didn’t forget a face easily and he remembered every one of his students very well. Naruto, he’d never seen before; it was the only new face among the crowd. To be honest he didn’t expect the kid to get acquainted with such a difficult clique so fast. Those five were so exclusive of their pack he never expected they‘d accept a newcomer so easily.

Unless they had other plans in mind.

Naruto cringed inwards when he was asked to introduce himself. The silence was sudden and hollow to the point of chilling when he stood up. He waited for that moment when the whole room would roar with laughter as a single insult directed towards him would rise into the air…only it never came.
“Welcome to Konoha High, Naruto,” seeing the boy was stalling out of nervousness Iruka decided to lend a helping hand. It wasn’t the first time it happened after all. Iruka had had many students in the past that choked when they had to speak of themselves to the whole class.
“Thanks, sensei,” Naruto felt his shoulders stiffen when sounds similar to girly squeals and giggles erupted in one big wave.
“Did he just say sensei?” he managed to catch one girl’s question and saw her cheeks taint with a rosy color.
“That is so cute!” he heard another girl screech. Two other girls were whispering to each other while sparing him flirty glances. The rest of the girls within the room, which were many, were literally melting on-site. They were lost in dreamland, fazed by his innocent azure eyes, his sexy lips and his bright sunshine hair. Kiba smirked and smacked Shikamaru on the shoulder who surprisingly had been awake through the development and even more surprisingly was also sporting a wide grin. Gaara joined with a dark sneer of his own and Neiji just couldn‘t help himself. They’d known Naruto was captivating but charm was a different matter and the blonde seemed to radiate unusual amounts of it in such a natural flow. Sasuke would like that…
“I,” Naruto gulped feeling flustered from head to toe. This was definitely unexpected. “My name is Naruto…I came from Leaf, a small town in Japan--” dreamy sighs interrupted him. He smirked shyly his hand finding comfort at a particular spot on the nape of his neck a gesture he was used to resort to when he was nervous like this. More giggles broke out as girls complimented the cute mannerism as well as his perfectly white and lined-up teeth.
“Says here your mother just accepted a proposal as the head surgeon of St. Augustine’s. Must be exciting for her,” Iruka commented casually trying to get him to talk. The boy seemed incredibly shy though with the strength his eyes showed Iruka had been fooled thinking otherwise. Still, Iruka recognized he needed time to adapt. The teacher couldn’t help feeling a sense of pity towards him along with a sense of foreboding. He didn’t know in Japan but girls in this school were like piranhas especially when the boy that caught their interest had two of the three main qualities they looked for: looks and money the third one being brains, something they were yet to find out.

Naruto nodded again. His pleading eyes then fell on Iruka silently asking him to stop. He didn’t care to correct him because he didn’t want anybody to know about his parents. Right now he just didn’t want to talk anymore. Iruka seemed to have gotten the message.
“Well Naruto. I’m sure people will get to know you with time,” he put the index card away and Naruto had never felt as relieved and grateful as he was right now. He definitely owed him one.

Iruka understood Sasuke’s problem with fame reason why he allowed the latter to miss homeroom and be fashionably late for class on the first few days of classes until things settled down some. It was for Sasuke’s own benefit as well as his own and the class‘s. He wasn’t sure he could teach the essentials of U.S History with girls fussing over the young Uchiha. More than half the class would fail. Besides, Sasuke was a 4.0 GPA student. There were no risks involved by allowing him to miss 5 to 10 minutes of lecture.

When Sasuke entered the classroom through the back door Iruka acknowledged his presence with a glance and continued reading through the attendance sheet saying nothing of the matter. Sasuke occupied his seat next to Neiji. The two greeted by locking eyes for a second then Sasuke proceeded to make himself comfortable on his seat. He could feel the atmosphere changing as classmates, one by one, noticed he was finally here.

Just because he got attention on a daily basis didn’t mean he was used to it. Everyday was like the first day to him: awkward, frightening and embarrassing. He looked to the side to greet the rest of his friends. Gaara’s lip twitched at the end so quickly it was hard to think the action ever occurred. Shikamaru brought his index and middle fingers to the edge of his forehead in a muted, overly-simplistic military salute. Kiba nod his head at him once which he returned in the same fashion.

And then there was him.

Naruto’s eyes deepened when they fell on the sinful charcoal gaze. He was mesmerized. Quickly but very slowly at the same time all noise seemed to fade, all surroundings seemed to disappear, until it was just those smoldering bottomless pits drawing him in and his own. He swallowed forcing himself back to reality. Blue eyes refocused on Iruka who was still calling student names but thoughts were running wild. He had seen beauty before but nothing compared to this. The guy was, in a word, flawless.
“That’s Sasuke,” Naruto almost jumped out of his seat when Kiba’s voice rang beside him. He had forgotten he was there. He had forgotten everybody else was there.
“I see.” Sasuke the great Sasuke. People seemed to hold a form of reverence towards him and Naruto could see why. His presence alone demanded your respect. His nose high in the air exhibited pride while the smirk spread on his lips defined self-assured with impeccable exactitude.
“Meet Naruto,” Neiji whispered to Sasuke. Sasuke continued to stare at Naruto though the latter refused to look at him again. “Gorgeous, yeah? He‘s just moved in from Japan. His mother’s the head surgeon of that newly founded hospital.”
“Okay,” Iruka called. “That’s everyone. We’ll get started with chapter 1 today. I want a reaction paper to hand in at the end of the class. I‘ll let you know when you have 20 minutes left so you can get started,” and classes officially began for the year.

When the bell rang Naruto stayed rooted to his seat. Unlike those who liked to enjoy their five minute break between class periods out in the hallways he preferred to stay inside. Outside this four-wall parameter he had been unwelcome in the past, he understood it wasn’t his ground out there, just as he understood the classroom was his shelter. He was about to reread his History notes just to have something to do as he waited for the bell to ring again when,
“C’mon blondie!” a voice rose above the crowd of people leaving the room and Naruto looked up to see Kiba waiting for him by the door. He shot to his feet with renewed determination. He was going to do away with his fears in the face of living this new life that strangely kept surprising him by the second.

They had taken a few steps away from Naruto’s fortress when Kiba stopped him by gently pushing him against a locker behind him.
“Listen,” he started and Naruto braced himself for the worse, an insult, maybe a punch to the gut, or worse…he knew much worse. Seeing the panic swirling in blue eyes Kiba lightened his grip on the other’s shirt. “Sorry but I have to tell you,” Naruto relaxed at the gentler tone. “Beware of Uchiha,” the brunette had witnessed the exchange of looks back in the classroom. It had been enough to convince him to give out the SOS. “You’re the perfect kind of prize he likes. You know what I’m talking about?”
“Yes,” said Naruto straightening up. “Why are you telling me? Aren’t you his friend?”
“Friend?” Kiba echoed with disbelief. “Sasuke’s doesn’t have friends, he never has and he never will. I mean sure, we’d give our life for him, but there are things about him even we don’t know. He doesn’t trust his own shadow much less us. Besides, you seem like a good kid,” Naruto frowned. As if Kiba was that much older than him. “I‘d hate for you to get screwed over by him.” The blonde stared at the guy before him. He was wondering whether he was saying the truth. Something about the care glinting in his eyes told him he was even when he-Naruto had only known him for practically an hour and fifteen minutes. But he felt he could trust him.
“Thanks,” he said.
“No problem. Let’s go,” Kiba took off again.
“Where to?” Naruto was about to catch up with his friend when he crashed into a hard-rock surface. He realized the surface had been a chest when it inflated to heave a short breath. Over the figure’s shoulder he watched Kiba disappear around the corner before his eyes stopped to see the face of the intruder. Sasuke.

Wasn’t that his name?

Raven hair with touches of blue and that fair clear complexion, it was Sasuke. Sasuke was standing right in front of him. Why did his heart flutter so earnestly?
“S-Sorry,” Naruto decided to apologize. It was a tactic he used to keep people in the hallways from attacking him. He found if he apologized quickly they would ignore him but also refrain from charging at him. It didn’t always work but for the most part. Sasuke, however, stood still never recognizing the apology. When Naruto tried to walk around him, he moved with him and blocked his way. Naruto tried again and again found that muscular chest in front of him. He looked up with a frown.
“What the hell do you want? I said I was sorry.” A slow smirk spread on the fine lips of his provoker. Sasuke dipped his head to talk in the blonde’s ear.
“You.” Naruto shivered at the contact of fresh smooth lips against the outer shell of his ear. As pleasant as it felt having Sasuke’s sudden comfortable warmth wrapped around him like a cocoon, Kiba’s voice rang at the back of his head and made him push the football jock away.
“Not interested, asshole.” Sasuke didn’t budge.
“You’re sure about that?” a thin dark brow arched in question. “You must be incredibly smart…or incredibly foolish. I’m leaning towards the latter.”
“I‘ll turn you down if I want to,” Naruto spat anger bellying at the pit of his stomach.
“Idiot, do you have any idea who I am?” Sasuke asked scornfully. “This is my ground. I own everything around here,” bottomless coal eyes looked straight into and through his bright cerulean gaze. And for once Naruto wasn’t only alive, no, he existed. He existed in somebody else’s eyes. “And I always get what I want,” Sasuke whispered his warm breath fanning against Naruto’s bronzed face gently, soothingly and Naruto found himself blushing at their proximity. When did Sasuke get so close? “You’ll be no exception.” Suddenly, all heat left him. The taller of the two walked around him ready to leave.
“I know your kind,” Naruto made him stop and they stood shoulder against shoulder facing opposite ways. “Just because you happen to have a few things in your life doesn’t mean you can have it all,” he said.
“I’m willing to take a challenge,” Sasuke murmured against his temple.
“Good ‘cause I’m no damn walk in the park,” Naruto left him before Sasuke could make his grandiose exit. The big and famous Uchiha suddenly felt so…small.

Naruto.

Naruto.

Fucking Naruto! No one said no to Sasuke Uchiha. How dare he!? What did he take him for!? Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself. Naruto’s sweet and heavenly aroma refused to leave his memory, it had penetrated through his pores, he couldn’t get rid of it even if he wanted to and it made him even angrier. He wanted to kiss those flushed lips. He wanted to run his fingers through those soft spikes of bright golden hair. He wanted to touch that skin.

And he was definitely losing it.

What had he done to him? He fixed those eyes of his on him and he was caught in his illusion, lost in an interminable ocean, flying high across the bluest sky…what had Naruto done to him?

Although his impenetrable composure was shaken it only took a second for him to recover and put his mask of pride and indifference back on. When Kiba found him he already looked his usual stoic self.
“Hey have you seen Naruto? He was with me a second ago…” the mentioning of the name made Sasuke drown in utter sulkiness. The shaggy-haired brunette trailed off noticing this. Something had gotten to him? He knew Sasuke sometimes went into strange brooding moods that were hard to read and even harder to understand but he’d never seen him like this before. So miserable. “You okay? You look--”
“I’m fine,” Sasuke buried his hand inside his pants pocket and left one very confused, very clueless Kiba behind…

The bell rang shortly after Naruto’s first encounter with the much acclaimed Uchiha. He was back in the classroom just in time for their Calculus class to begin.
“Ah, Naruto I forgot you don’t have all your books,” Asuma-sensei had said after he had assigned the problems the group was to work on for the day. “Pair up with someone. I expect you‘ll have our class text between tomorrow and Thursday--” Asuma stopped talking abruptly for about twenty girls were on their feet ready to elbow their way through to get to Naruto’s side and share their Calculus books with him. Naruto couldn‘t believe what was happening. Students in Leaf were awarded letter grades if they accepted to share assignments or books with him. It was the only way teachers got anybody to work with him at all.

The professor had noticed Naruto had quite the pull on girls. He’d have to assign Naruto a partner for the safety of the new student. “Sasuke why don’t you share with Naruto,” Asuma went with the safest bet. Sasuke was a guy, first and foremost, and despite him being a genius he liked to keep up with the readings unlike the rest in his little gang who either fell asleep-like Nara, focused their undivided attention on their boyfriend-like Hyuuga and Sabaku, or simply took the period to get ahead in other classes-like Inuzuka. Sasuke smirked predatorily and Naruto gulped. His luck just kept getting better and better…sarcasm…

Sasuke and Kiba switched seats so the raven could be closer to the blonde without causing much of a riot by moving their chairs. Girls seemed not to mind much as it was Sasuke the one that got granted the pleasure of sitting beside their new object of desire. If it had been another girl they’d wait for her outside while they schemed what to do to her through the entire class period out of jealousy. Sasuke pulled Kiba’s seat closer to Naruto’s until there was no space between the two desk-chairs. He then settled swiftly and spread the book so one part of the hardcover was on Naruto‘s desk and the other half on his own.
“Missed you,” Sasuke whispered into Naruto’s ear when people were no longer looking. “You left in such a hurry,” he chuckled devilishly. Naruto jerked his head to the side annoyed with the antics.
“We have work to do, you know?” demanding sapphire eyes fell on his coal playful ones.
“I‘m not stopping you am I?” Sasuke smirked and Naruto let out an exasperated sigh in response lowering his head to begin his work in silence. He finished the first exercise and turned to Sasuke with a frown.
“Stop staring at me!”
“Why?”
“Because!” Naruto replied in a hoarse angry whisper. “It‘s distracting!”
“Am I distracting you?” Sasuke smirked as his question made a beautiful blush cross the other’s cheekbones. Naruto wasn’t mistaken to think the guy couldn’t care a shit less about their assignment. He went on to work on the second exercise out of ten they had to finish only to be interrupted again when Sasuke came too close for comfort to join him. Naruto could feel his sweet breath again, ghosting through the features of his face, trailing his lips so perfectly. It felt comfortable to have someone breathe so close and quiet as if enjoying his company. It wasn’t to say spiteful words. It wasn’t to remind him of his place without the teacher knowing.

In the end, Naruto had to agree it was better to have Sasuke quiet like this rather than having him hitting on him…though a part of Naruto was elated that he had such a pull on the ‘unreachable’ Uchiha all the same…

Naruto decided to go to the nearest bathroom to cool off when the bell rang. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and was unabashed to see he was blushing like a madman. Sasuke’s strong manly scent was invigorating. Just the memory of it made him tingle all over. The feel of his lips on his skin and the closeness of their bodies had set off a plethora of giddying emotions. He was glad that bell had rung when it did. Sasuke would’ve seen how so very quickly he had fallen under his spell. The spell those dark eyes had cast on him the second they had looked at each other.

Naruto called to reason to pull his dignity back together. He decided he’d join his new friends as means to get away from Sasuke. He didn’t know he was inevitably falling into a trap for the place his ‘friends’ gathered during breaks was like a world apart. Dark blue letterman jackets with white sleeves took up all the space where only football players were apparently allowed. It was the clique raised to a tenth exponential and at its beautiful peak. Naruto groaned inwards.

He wanted to get away.

Neiji and Gaara were in a corner busy with public displays of affection. Shikamaru seemed to be halfway listening as his enraged girlfriend stood before him demanding things he obviously found were not worth his time. Kiba was now greeting his friends with full-body salutes that should probably only be practiced on the field and with good reason as they required they bump against each other and were probably safer to do with safety pads on.

Then his eyes fell on Sasuke.

Of such a large group he was the center of attention, imagine that Naruto thought suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. Every eye was on the Uchiha refusing to look away, refusing to budge, they couldn’t get enough of him. Every gesture he acted, every word he said with a certain edginess and coolness only he could muster made the others gape with admiration while at the same time envy ate their insides raw. How they wished to be like him.

He doesn’t trust his own shadow much less us…

Naruto suddenly understood something. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to trust other people it was just that he couldn’t. With his social status he was constantly under scope, being watched like a prey and the predators were always waiting for that opening, for that slip where he showed his weakness, his vulnerability, ready to attack and ruin the life he’d built and worked for. Keeping his distance from people was a defense mechanism.

A fuming Temari rushed past Naruto breaking the daze he had fallen into while staring at Sasuke. Not two seconds after, Shikamaru stopped by him giving up the chase after the curly haired girl as she got lost in packs of people blocking the hall for passage. Shikamaru let out a long and tired sigh.
“Everything okay?” Naruto decided to help if he could. Shikamaru scratched the side of his head lazily.
“Don’t worry about it,” he dismissed. “She gets like that when she’s on her period,” fine chestnut brows drew together to add to the effect of his pout.
“How long have you been together?” asked Naruto after a few moments of silence. His newly acquired friend huffed hopelessly.
“Three years…and I still haven’t won a fight--”
“Against who?” Gaara joined the twosome emerald jewels staring at Shikamaru mainly. Even when Naruto didn’t know him so well he had the distinctive feeling the redhead was a little overprotective of his younger sister. “Answer, Nara.”
“No one,” Shikamaru looked him straight in the eye. “It’s nothing--”
“You better not have made her cry,” Gaara’s dangerous tone left something very clear: the smallest hint that Temari had shed tears and it would be Shikamaru’s head on a silver platter.
“She’s not gonna cry,” Shikamaru assured letting his hands find shelter inside the pockets of his letterman jacket. Gaara stared threateningly. “She’s not,” the high pony-tail brunette reassured with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Hey have you guys seen Mary?” Kiba arrived just in time for a topic shift. Naruto, Shikamaru and Gaara turned to their friend the latter confused while the former maintained his signature scowl.
“If Neiji hears you call his cousin Mary as in Virgin Mary he’s going to pulverize you,” Gaara said seriously making his friend chuckle and Naruto who’d felt like he had been left out of the loop finally understood. He wanted to burst out laughing but restrained thinking it wasn’t good to push Gaara’s limits. Defending his boyfriend’s cousin obviously came with the territory.
“What do you need her for anyway?” Shikamaru asked. No that he minded really but at least it would help keep the heat off of him if only for a little bit.
“I need her Biology notes. Mine kinda suck,” the instigator shook his head. He couldn’t find a valid reason why Kiba would need to find Neiji’s cousin but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a shitty one behind all this.
“I don’t wanna be around when Neiji finds out. Too troublesome,” Shikamaru said. Gaara agreed with his silence. Naruto was deeply puzzled. There was a single fact that didn’t go with the rest.
“But classes just started,” he commented out loud. Shikamaru stared at Kiba with a doubtful expression while Gaara smirked darkly. Busted.
“Exactly my point. Are you sure you only need her notes?” Kiba blushed brightly at the question.
“Y-Yes,” he responded nervously.
“Cause Neiji would figure out if Hinata was seeing someone,” Gaara continued. “He’d make sure the guy knows a few rules before Hinata even knows what’s going on.” Pleased with the fear he had induced in the other man Gaara turned around to leave exactly when the bell also went off.
“C’mon. We’ve Biology now,” Shikamaru told Naruto and Naruto nodded following behind him towards the classroom. “Move your ass, Kiba,” the brainy brunette called without bothering to stop as Kiba remained still in the same position Gaara had left him in.

“So…Naruto,” Shikamaru called once they settled inside the classroom. The other four were still missing though they were probably underway. Naruto turned his azure gaze towards the dark copper one beside him. “You play football?” Shikamaru asked.
“Not on a regular basis like you guys but I’ve played before,” the blonde responded. Playing football in P.E class were the only vague memories he had of Leaf where he had been somewhat happy. Though he’d never played the sport outside of recreational purposes he was pretty good, a little rough around the edges but it wasn’t like he was playing for real anyway. Football wasn’t as big in Japan as it was in America. That much was true.
Shikamaru nodded. “We have a good football team. Haven’t lost a championship game in four years and we aren’t going to. As long as Sasuke‘s around.” Naruto instantly frowned.
“Sasuke? What position does he play? Is he really good?” Shikamaru missed the boy’s grim sarcasm as he shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess. He‘s been the national player of the year thrice and the top recruit in the nation right now. He plays quarterback. What about you?”
“I’ve played running back though I wasn’t so bad a defensive end. You?” Naruto asked curiosity getting the best of him. Shikamaru scratched his head.
“I’m the quarterback backup,” he seemed to be frowning but Naruto couldn’t remember him having any other expression when he was calm.
“Do you get to play at all?” the blonde asked already knowing the answer.
“No,” Shikamaru confirmed calmly. “It’s better that way. I don’t like playing too much. It’s such a drag.” Naruto got the distinctive feeling that Shikamaru was as lazy as a house cat. The position really fit him perfectly. If he was seconding Sasuke then he was pretty much going to sit it out the whole season.
“Alright people time to get started,” their Biology teacher arrived, a well proportioned beautiful woman with brown locks down to her waist and sharp red eyes. The remaining four from the clique arrived just in time. Thankfully Naruto had the book for this class…

Classes kept the same rhythm through the day. Lectures were fast paced while there were assignments to hand in at the end. Naruto found himself falling a little behind. Though he could hand in his work without a problem his notes were not clear, a mixture of Japanese and English since he dominated both languages but sometimes could not remember the English word to write in his notes for the life of him. Calculus had been a breeze as it was all numbers and that was his forte. Biology was a nightmare. Kurenai sensei had such an amazing ability to confuse him beyond saving. Fucking DNA codes! He was sure his report for this class was all wrong. English had been okay though he didn’t know how much Shakespeare and Milton and Francis Bacon and Charles Lamb he could take in a whole semester.

Finally lunch arrived. Naruto had to admit it felt gazillion times better to have all eyes on him sparkling with acceptance and not disgust. People moved their bags to sit on the ground just to open up a space for him on the tables as if inviting him to sit with them. When Naruto overlooked the whole lunch area with his tray full of food on hand he couldn’t find Shikamaru or Kiba or even Gaara to sit with. He decided to accept an offer thinking they’d show up eventually and join him. The blonde grinned wide at a particular group of people. He thanked them for clearing up a spot and was just about to sit when--
“Naruto what the hell are you doing?” Naruto looked behind him to see Neiji and Gaara staring at him with disproving glances.
“Oh, hey. I couldn’t see any of you guys--”
“You don’t sit with this sort of people,” Neiji cut him off and gave the people behind him the same look he-Naruto was used to receiving at school back when he was in Leaf, that of repugnance and sickness, making them shy away. Naruto furrowed his brows confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. C’mon,” Neiji took off. Though Naruto didn’t understand what was going on he apologized to those behind him and followed after Neiji with Gaara right on his tail. They carried their food over to a different table its only occupants Kiba, Shikamaru and much to Naruto’s dread and delight a very sultry looking Sasuke. Gaara and Neiji sat together beside Kiba and since Shikamaru and Sasuke had left an empty space in between them the blonde had no choice but to sit there.
“Why are we sitting here?” Naruto quickly asked making the rest of them look up at him with puzzled expressions. “There was enough space on that table over there for all of us,” he explained. Understanding dawned on their faces.
“Naruto you‘re not part of them, you‘re part of us,” Neiji just about summed it up.
“Their economical status doesn’t compare to yours. As friendly as they seem they loathe you with passion,” said Gaara.
“Why would they?” Naruto asked now beyond confused. He knew what being loathed was like. This didn’t even come close. He could go as far as saying he was liked here.
“Because,” Kiba spoke up. “As rich as everybody is in this school we are the top of the hierarchy. They hate the fact that there’s someone better than them and there‘s nothing they’d like more than seeing us overthrown.” Naruto’s heart beat quickened. Did they know the only reason he was as ‘rich’ as they thought he was, was because his grandmother had accepted that job offer? He wasn’t like them, probably born to a life of affluence and god knows what. His wealth was a strike of luck. That’s all there was to it.
“Be careful, Naruto,” Naruto heard Shikamaru say. “People here walk with their claws hidden behind their back. You never know what they’re up to. Don’t go trusting them without knowing what their real intentions are.” Naruto nodded not sure what to believe anymore. Maybe high-class people lived like this, he didn’t and he never had. He wondered if this was what his new life would consist of. If it was, he was already starting to regret it.

Sasuke remained quiet. He knew exactly what they were talking about. What Naruto didn’t know, also the reason they all hung out together, was that in order to survive in high society you had to keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

When Naruto arrived home, after what seemed like the longest day of school, he learned Jiraiya wasn’t in from a note the old man had left on the table. Jiraiya had gone on foot to a plaza nearby where they sold organic edible stuff. It was the one thing Naruto had always admired about him. He always had the energy to walk places, always had the time to wonder off and discover the undiscovered, along with an endless curiosity to know where everything was. He stayed true to basic survival rule number one: find food and water reserves. He loved the old perverted man to pieces though he loved his godmother the same.

Naruto was so physically and mentally exhausted he decided a nap was in order before he got a work on his homework. He entered his new room and dropped his bag at the corner pulling on the heels of his shoes with opposing toes to leave them there along with the bag. He was unbuttoning his shirt when his eyes darted to the window at the sound of loud voices echoing from the house next to his. His neighbor’s humongous living room was to clear view as they had seemingly forgotten to close the curtains. A man and a woman, whom Naruto immediately identified as Sasuke’s parents because the similarities between them were unmistakable, were engaged in what seemed like a heated argument.
“…just let him be!”
“He is not going to be a football player Mikoto! It is a disgrace to this family!”
“But it’s what he wants to do!”
“I will not allow it! It is my duty as his father and the head of this family to choose the path that is best for him!”
“You don’t know that!”
“And you do!? If it was for you he‘d be a high school dropout like Itachi!”
“Fugaku--”
“Don’t!”
“Listen to me!”
“This conversation is over!”

Naruto blinked back shocked at the scene that he shouldn’t have seen and heard. A little piece of Sasuke was so clear now…

End of Ch.1. I don’t know about you guys but this chapter seems so loooooooooong and slooooooooooooooooow to me! There was barely any SasuNaru interaction but next chapter will be full of that, I promise! Sorry about long paragraphs but it’s important I put everything in otherwise I won’t be able to tie loose ends throughout the story and that’s where writer’s block comes in. Thank you for reading!

LilyU23