Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Hello readers! So, I've been writing on fanfiction here for a while, couple years at least, but looking back on all my old stuff, it's rather embarrassing with all the terrible grammar and what not. So I'm here incognito with a whole new kind of writing style that includes (hopefully) a little bit more plot development and a little less rushing to the point.

So I'll hope you'll enjoy and give me a little feedback!

Pairings

Main: Sasunaru

Side: a bunch. Some more surprising than others nyahahaha

Onesided: Sasusaku, Kibanaru, Narusaku

This first part that's all fancy and italicized is a flash-forward (is that what they call it?) just to clarify.

**Chapter One**

_It had all happened in the blink of an eye. When had things escaladed to this kind of level? All he could see was his team furiously fighting to reach him, Naruto being the only one successful. The sky was too dark and this alley had too few lights to see what happened next. But he could hear it. Everyone could hear it. Everyone could hear it, smell it…Sasuke was sure he could feel it. And if that bitter taste on his tongue _wasn't _gunpowder residue, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it really was._

_He knew exactly who it was that stopped the hot metal that caused the loud noise from piercing his skin. He could tell by the look of relief on Naruto's tan, whiskered face before it was wiped off by furrowed eyebrows in a mix of pain and confusion. The deed was done and everyone seemed to halt their fighting in something akin to foreboding. Nobody meant to let it go this far. Sasuke watched as the gun was slapped out of the hand of the attacker by the other gang's leader, much to his surprise. _

_His eyes shot back to Naruto who was struggling to stay on his feet. Sasuke caught him before he could begin to fall over and gently guided him to the ground, cradling his shuddering body. _

"_Somebody call a damn ambulance!" Sasuke screamed, throwing an incredulous look around at even his enemies. It was clear that they too knew they took it too far. He could tell by the fear in their faces._

_But he wondered if they would feel the same way if that bullet had hit its mark: him. _

_Which brought him to wonder, when had he become important enough to take a bullet for?_

---

Sasuke walked briskly down the run down neighborhood that belonged to his favorite and probably most shameful addiction in the eyes of society. No, it wasn't drugs or whores or any of the other filthy desires of men that roamed these parts of town. But it wasn't too far off in the eyes of the socially accepted side of society. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at that thought. He _was_ the socially accepted side of society. His last name practically completed the definition of socially acceptable and held onto it with pride and complacency. It was _his_ approval that the world was after. Not the world's approval that he was after. Sometimes he loved being rich.

But then there was his habit. All the money in the world couldn't help anyone with what he couldn't get enough of. Because his habit was more of a sport than anything and no matter how rich a kid was, it didn't make him athletic.

Sasuke loved fighting.

He loved the blood and sweat and ache of his muscles after a good fight. He loved the raw conflict he could never find in any sort of martial arts. He loved how unprocessed these fights could get while keeping to the strict but completely tolerable rules.

And Sasuke had no problem with the fact that his reputation in the underworld was in no way influenced by his family's wealth. He had earned his reputation there through blood and sweat but mostly blood: blood of his enemies that is; more so than his anyway.

Except…his habit was posing a potential problem. Several gangs controlled the underworld, his being one of the more powerful, but then there was Akatsuki. He couldn't help but clench his jaw in anger over the mere thought of their name. His team was the best. Well…at least they used to be. That was, until Akatsuki moved up from Mist to live comfortably in Sasuke's turf. Konoha was his town, damn it!

The two groups had been close to evenly matched. Sasuke's stronger fighters could easily match up to any of Akatsuki's best fighters and win at least half the time. That's what he considered a good match: an opponent who could come back the next night and put you out the same way you put him out last night.

But he hated the thought of anyone from his team being 'put out' by Akatsuki. He just hated them. And his pride would not allow him to admit that it was because Pein – Akatsuki's leader – was quickly and with seemingly no effort, stealing his reputation as one of the best leaders in the underground.

And now, with the biggest tournament of the year closing in on him, he worried about his team's chance in it.

He knew his fighters, including himself, where some of the best out there. Their only problem now was that they lacked in numbers. Akatsuki had the full group of five. In the underground tournaments, each gang was allowed up to five fighters. Tournaments held five rounds between each group: one fight from each fighter. His problem was the fact that there were only four of them. Usually, one of them would pick up the fifth fight with ease. But ever since those fucking Akatsuki bastards came around, none of them ever made it that easily out of a fight to be able to take on the fifth. He needed a fifth man. And he needed a damn good one. Anyone with any less skill than that of his own would more than likely be no good. But he knew it would be damn near impossible to find someone who fit that role.

Sasuke heard a low rumble coming from the west and he pulled his coat around him tighter as he looked up into the cloudy night sky, oncoming rain evident to almost all of his senses. He could smell it.

He was about to call for a cab when he heard a commotion coming from the next alley down the street. Sasuke sighed. He was a sucker for helping out people who needed it and acting like it was nothing. Maybe it was the attention he received that was absolutely unconnected to the fact that he was rich. He liked to think that maybe he liked helping people out because they would be more thankful to him for saving their asses rather than thankful to the heavens that his presence was near.

He quickly reached the edge of the alleyway to see what was going on. _Great_, Sasuke thought as he watched the scene before him unfold. Sasuke, although he would never admit it out loud, hated watching people gang up against the smaller, weaker population. And here were three burley guys cornering a surprisingly not too scared looking blonde into a corner of the alley. The blonde seemed to just watch the three, as if calculating when the best time to make his move would be. Sasuke was about to intervene but had decided against it, leaning back against the corner of the alley as he watched, completely intrigued by the look in those cerulean eyes.

"I'm not a girl in case you didn't know," the blonde suddenly informed and Sasuke had to wonder if he had heard correctly. But upon closer inspection, he understood why he could have been mistaken as female. He was nothing short of breathtaking. And in an area like this, this boy was probably used to being mistaken as an attractive girl that could be easily taken advantage of.

"We don't care," the man on the left stated as he took a step towards the blonde. Sasuke had to make sure he didn't blink again while he was watching because he swore the man hadn't been lying on the ground moaning in pain at the brink of consciousness a second ago. The remaining two men charged at the blonde teen, one of them side stepping behind him and grabbing his arms while he was distracted by the man charging straight at him.

Sasuke sighed, figuring it was time to step in before he had to once again stop himself. The blonde seemed far from ready to give up just yet. The man charging at blonde pulled back his fist to punch the kid who merely shifted, tilting his head to the right and easily avoiding the fist which connected painfully to the man's partner who was holding him. Sasuke seemed intrigued by the look on the teen's face. He seemed…_amused_.

"Well done," the blonde complimented facetiously as he ripped his right arm out the weakened grasp of his captor before swiftly throwing a punch at the man who avoided the fist that grazed his ear much like the blonde had. The blonde merely smirked before opening his fist and twisting his wrist so that his hand grasped at the back of the man's head before quickly and roughly pulling him forward, hitting him square on the forehead with his own forehead, a loud and painful sounding crack resounding in the aftermath. The man fell heavily to the ground, unconscious.

The blonde received a blow to the jaw from the man standing beside him, sending him to the ground. But the blonde caught himself on his hands before he could hit the ground, twisting his hips as he kicked the remaining man across the face. The man staggered slightly before catching himself and grabbing the blonde's ankle in a deadly and seemingly pissed off grasp. The blonde fell onto his back from the momentum and was now glaring up at the man who seemed to twist his foot in a warning of what he would do if he didn't receive some cooperation.

"I wouldn't," the blonde suggested earning a self-righteous scoff followed by a sneer from the man whose look was quite clearly asking the teen what he planned to do about it. The blonde shrugged in an 'I-told-you-so' sort of way before pushing himself so that he slid closer to the man, his free foot kicking up to hook behind the man's neck, using the foothold to pull himself up in a sort of midair sit-up, using the momentum to deliver a hard punch to the man's temple, knocking him hard to the ground, seemingly unconscious, the blonde himself sitting on his chest with a scowl.

Sasuke was speechless. Either God wanted to send him this person as his fifth fighter or this kid was the Devil incarnate, here to show him what his team would never get to have.

He watched as the blonde dragged himself to his feet, grasping his head in pain as he staggered slightly. Sasuke assumed he had received a concussion of his own when he head-butted the second man to go down and now he was suffering from it. But, if it had been him, he would have chosen the concussion over whatever those men had planned for him any day.

Now, how to get this kid on his team…that would be the hard part. He pushed himself off the wall and approached the blonde who immediately dropped his hand from his head to glare defensively at the raven and Sasuke noticed a stream of blood immediately pour down the side of his face, probably from a cut he received when hitting his forehead so roughly against the other man's.

"I don't have any money," the blonde informed as he backed away slightly, becoming somewhat dizzy. Sasuke smirked at the remark. This kid obviously had no clue of whom he was. He didn't _need_ money.

"I'm not after you're money," Sasuke assured as he took another step forward, causing the blonde to tense with anxiety.

"And I'm not a damn girl!"

"I'm not after you're chastity either," the raven stated, feeling somewhat sorry for the fact that this obviously happened habitually if this kid was so quick to assume anyone he met in an alley was probably after his ass, his wallet, or both.

"Then what _are_ you after?" the blonde asked, backing himself into the back wall of the alley.

"Let's start with your name," Sasuke suggested, as he continued to walk towards the blonde, taking in every detail his eyes would allow. He stopped when he was arms length away from the teen and he noticed how thin the boy was. The last thing he would have expected out of someone his size was the performance he had just put on. When the hell was this kid's last meal? And what kind of damage could he cause with a little more healthy meat on him?

"None of your business," the blonde snapped back weakly before his eyes rolled back and he slipped to the pavement, only half conscious. Sasuke caught him before his head could hit the hard ground and possibly worsen his condition. The raven looked at the blonde, noticing three whisker-like scars on each cheek and he couldn't help but feel that this kid seemed so familiar. He was positive he knew him from somewhere, he just couldn't pinpoint where.

The blonde seemed to squint at him as if trying to decipher a code before he slipped into complete unconsciousness, going limp in the raven's arms. Sasuke picked him up with ease as he grabbed his cell phone, calling for a cab as it began to rain.

The cab driver only took several moments before screeching to a stop at Sasuke's location, probably in such a hurry to get there because of his last name: or possibly because he was known to confuse 20s and 50s all the time and was too lazy to care when he did. Thirty bucks was about as important to him as a quarter was to a normal man. He only used the word normal because that's what he'd been brainwashed into thinking. And, although he hated it, it was only his thoughts; it wasn't as if he voiced any sort of discrimination against the poorer class. He had no problem with people who didn't have money. In a way, he sort of envied them. Sure, money made everything (and he meant _everything_) in life easier, but there was always the initial fear of getting close to anyone because everyone was always after his money or his good looks. Was it really so hard to ask for someone who could look underneath that all and realize he had an opinion? Contrary to popular belief, he actually liked talking. The only problem was that he hardly ever found someone who he honestly believed was listening.

"Where to?" the cab driver began before glancing at the unconscious blonde in Sasuke's arms, "The hospital?" the man asked, a little unnerved.

Sasuke took a moment to glance down and felt as if he should consider just saying yes. The rain had mixed with the blood, only making the blonde's head injury seem worse than it actually was.

"No. The Uchiha Estate will be fine. Thank you," the raven replied as he scooted into the back seat, setting the blonde against the door and fastening his seatbelt as the driver took off.

It wasn't long before they reached the huge estate. Sasuke handed the driver a generous bill as he unbuckled himself and the whiskered teen. The man offered the change to be polite but Sasuke shook his head as he grabbed the blonde, lifting him bridal style and throwing out the excuse that he didn't have any hands to take the change so he might as well just keep it.

He stumbled through the front door, glaring at his brother who was sitting at the kitchen table, daring him to say something about the odd fact that he was carrying an unconscious blonde kid through the threshold before kicking the door closed behind him and continuing on his way to his bedroom. Sasuke laid the blonde on his bed, quickly forcing himself to get over the fact that he'd probably have to buy new sheets as he watched the blood from the blonde's still bleeding head wound seep into his white pillowcase.

Sasuke opened his bedside table, taking out a strip of gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He silently apologized as he poured a generous amount of the alcohol to the gauze before applying it to the lesion just above his left eyebrow, internally noting that the blonde should feel lucky for being unconscious. Alcohol always stung like a fucking bitch.

After he deemed the cut clean, he removed the gauze, his eyebrows furrowing slightly at the sight of the cut. He knew it looked worse than it was but that was just because head injuries always bled more than normal injuries.

He quickly applied a clean swab of gauze to the injury before tightly wrapping the blonde's head with non-stick bandages to keep the gauze in place while not sticking to his hair. It was only once he finished dressing the wound that he noticed how violently the blonde was shivering. He had completely forgotten about the fact that the both of them were completely soaked from waiting for the cab in the rain and, although he didn't feel an oncoming cold anywhere near, he knew the whiskered teen was more susceptible in his weakened state.

He turned to his closet, grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of sweats before turning to the blonde, feeling slightly conflicted about undressing someone he only vaguely remembered, (and from where, he still couldn't recall) but quickly pushed the uneasy thoughts aside as he reminded himself that if he ignored the situation, the kid could go into shock. He unzipped the wet orange sweatshirt and had to take a moment to process the information he gathered from the shirt underneath. The t-shirt had his school emblem embroidered on the upper left side of the shirt and Sasuke immediately remembered why this kid was so familiar.

They went to the same school.

He quickly shook off the fact with a smirk. It would be useful for them to be attending the same school. Because if this kid told him he didn't want anything to do with fighting, he wouldn't be able to completely escape Sasuke's advances. He felt the shirt, noting that it wasn't at all wet and left it alone. He felt almost guilty for not minding that he had to take off the blonde's jeans next. He felt even guiltier for enjoying it.

He didn't know whether he was disappointed or relieved that his boxers were also dry but slipped the sweats on without thinking further about it. He knew he was gay but that didn't mean he would molest an unconscious and possible future teammate. He had to stay on this kid's good side.

Just as he was finished changing out of his wet clothes, he heard a soft moan from the bed, signaling the blonde's return to consciousness. Sasuke turned around and headed over towards the bed, ready to explain where he was and why but was suddenly speechless as the air in his lungs hitched involuntarily at the back of his throat when his eyes locked with bright and slightly hazy cerulean ones that seemed to bore to the center of him even in his slightly delirious state. He wondered what those eyes could do to him when the teen was more alert.

The blonde seemed to glare at him for a heated minute before releasing a revolted scoff.

"Perfect. This is just perfect. Uchiha fucking Sasuke," he mumbled to himself, not caring for the fact that the raven had clearly heard every disgusted word he muttered.

"You know my name," Sasuke stated more than asked. The blonde seemed to shoot him an incredulous look.

"How the fuck can I not?" the blonde shot back. Sasuke had to actually remind himself not to look taken aback. He hadn't expected words like that to come out of a mouth on such a pretty face.

"We go to the same school," the raven remembered, not entirely meaning to make the statement out loud.

"I know. I'm the one that has to listen to all my girl friends bitching and moaning about how you won't give them the time of day," the blonde snapped bitterly.

"Why would you go out with a girl who had her eyes on someone else?" the raven asked, wondering why someone would put themselves through that kind of relationship.

"No, you misunderstood: my friends that are girls. Not girlfriends. Anyway this is completely irrelevant. I am _not_ having a conversation with you. I'll just let myself out," the blonde stated in a berating tone. Sasuke didn't know if he should feel uneasy about the fact that the blonde was so clearly upset with himself for being civil with the raven.

"Well, can I at least have your name?" Sasuke asked as he watched the blonde struggle to his feet.

"Pay attention during school and you'll figure it out pretty quickly. I probably participate more than anyone else in our class. And you don't have to ask which class since we have all the same classes."

It was official. Sasuke felt like the biggest asshole in the world.

He felt the need to explain that it wasn't the fact that he blatantly ignored the blonde so much as that he just never paid attention during class. Classes always just bored him too much to keep his attention. He had this bad habit of already knowing all the material.

But he would have to save it for another day because the whiskered teen had already made his way out of the room, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

---

Naruto stalked out of the Uchiha's room, glancing left and right and deciding that the exit to the huge estate was probably down the hall to the right. He came upon a kitchen, catching eyes with a politely curious older version of that Sasuke bastard. Naruto was glad when he didn't ask any questions as he left, slamming the front door behind him to emphasize a point. Although, he had no idea what point he was trying to make by doing so. Did he really hate Sasuke? His two and a half years of high school so far he spent building up as much hatred for the raven as he could but…Sasuke didn't even know his name! He didn't know whether to be pissed with himself or Sasuke for that. What a waste of almost three years of despise. He was obviously not doing a good enough job of hating Sasuke if the raven didn't even notice.

But why was it again that he hated the raven?

Well…that was obvious. Because he stole his crush's heart. Naruto would have probably liked nothing more than for Sakura to give him a chance but she was so focused on Uchiha Sasuke that he could never finish asking her out before her mind wandered to the raven.

But now that he thought about it, he couldn't really berate the raven for something he had no control over. It wasn't like Sasuke ever showed any interest in Sakura. It just felt better to have someone to blame her lack of interest in him on. And Sasuke was perfect for the role. He was a coldhearted jerk. Every time he opened his mouth it was either to give a teacher the perfect answer or to deny any girl in his range the chance of going out with him. It wasn't the fact that the raven was denying all these girls that made Naruto so mad. (Obviously it would be ridiculous to expect him to go out with them all) But it was the way he went about it. He didn't just let them down easy about it; he let them fall…hard.

Naruto had spent more than enough nights sitting up on the phone listening to Sakura cry her eyes out over his harsh words. That was what pissed Naruto off. Didn't the bastard have any idea what a crush was like and what it felt like to not have those feelings returned?

But what was confusing him now was the fact that the Uchiha hadn't seemed cold, distant, or cruel at all. He was actually gentle and, dare he say, _kind_. As the thought passed through his mind, he reached up to feel the area of his head that was hurting the most and realized that the bastard had even gone as far as to dress his wound for him.

It was then that he finally realized that he wasn't wearing his jacket or his jeans anymore.

Sasuke had undressed him. Great, that was just great. He was at least thankful that the boxers he was wearing were his own as well as his shirt. But it didn't change the fact that the raven still had his clothes and that he would have to get them back somehow.

Now, how to go about getting his clothes back was the problem. Was he going to be civil about it and possibly…thank the Uchiha? Or would he handle it like he handled most situations – by acting ungrateful and angry about the unwanted help?

He groaned as he held his head tighter in his hand. The internal war over which method to use would have to wait. He had a raging headache and still had a couple blocks to go before he would be even near Kiba's house. His house was even further still.

And here came his next headache; should he go home or to Kiba's? Would he even make it home if he wanted to go there? After a slight waver in his step, he decided that no, he would probably not make it home and would have to set his mind on just making it to his best friend's place for now.

When Kiba's street finally came into view and he saw the front door (which he could never forget due to the fact that he didn't know anyone else who would equip their front door with a doggy door) to the home, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. As he walked up the gravel walkway, a small white dog came bursting through the flap of the dog door to greet him with a happily wagging tail.

"Hey there, Akamaru," the blonde greeted as he bent down to pet the seemingly attention starved animal. Although Naruto knew Kiba treated that spoiled animal better than most adults treated their kids; his act of 'I'm starved of attention' was futile to resist nonetheless.

As he was petting the dog, the front door opened to reveal a feral looking teen who looked both surprised and happy to see the blonde at his front door. Naruto usually never called before coming over but it didn't change the fact that it was still a surprise each time. Not to mention the fact that he looked like hell.

"Naruto? What the hell happened, man?" Kiba asked as he picked up the white dog, setting him back inside the house in a gesture of trying to gain Naruto's complete attention. He knew how easily Naruto's mind could stray. He could be spilling his guts in a conversation as deep as the ocean, but if Akamaru was there, Naruto's attention was gone. It was true; his dog was cute. But it didn't make it any less frustrating when it did happen.

"I got in a fight, kind of. It's a long story. Can I crash here for now? I don't think I can make it to my house," the blonde admitted sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, shooting the brunette a guilty smile.

"Yeah, get in here," the dog lover welcomed as he stepped back, motioning for Naruto to come inside.

"Thanks," Naruto breathed as he stepped over the threshold, heading straight for Kiba's room. He entered the messy bedroom and immediately collapsed onto the full sized futon that was folded up into a couch, his gaze falling to the clock on the bedside table and his gut twisting in guilt when he realized it was already 10:30 at night. He hadn't realized how late it was.

"Oi, lemme at least pull out the couch so I can sleep too!" Kiba exclaimed as he stalked over to the bed.

"Sorry I came over so late," the blonde apologized in a weak voice, causing Kiba's features to soften.

"It's ok," Kiba assured, feeling slightly worried with how lax the blonde seemed. There was a slight tint to his cheeks and Kiba worried that he might have had a fever.

"Can you get up?" Kiba asked as he reached under the bed to motion that he wanted to flatten the couch. Naruto just seemed to smile sheepishly at him as he shook his head.

"I don't even want to try."

"Alright, don't complain then–" the brunette began as he lifted the bed at an angle before yanking it forward and letting it fall into place, making enough room for the both of them to sleep comfortably on. He almost laughed at the scene before him; Naruto groaning in the center of the bed, rolled over slightly from the abrupt movement. Kiba just pushed him onto his back, causing him to slide into place next to the wall so Kiba himself could fit on the bed.

"Wanna explain what happened?" he asked as he sat cross-legged near the head of the bed, facing the blonde who shot him a look that stated he'd rather not.

"It was disgusting Kiba, you'll never guess what happened. Not the getting jumped part, that was just a normal fight, but the person who did _this_," he began, motioning towards his dressed head injury, "probably destroyed my pride forever," Naruto finished as he sighed, shifting his gaze to the ceiling in something akin to shame. Kiba didn't speak which was his way of telling Naruto to continue, "It was Uchiha Sasuke. He practically saved my ass. Actually, I shouldn't say practically, I should say he _really_ saved my ass. And I mean literally saved my _ass_," he continued to explain as Kiba nodded in understanding and sympathy, trying to keep his anger in check at whoever was after Naruto this time. It wasn't uncommon for people to attempt to attack Naruto like this with the area they lived in. But that never made it easier to deal with. The idea of someone even thinking about touching Naruto like that pretty much ticked him off more than anything else he could think off. But he let the blonde continue, knowing there was nothing else he could do about it now, "I have no idea how long I was even out, but I was out. It would have been long enough for whoever to do whatever they wanted if Sasuke hadn't been there to clean up the mess. It was utterly humiliating."

"So why were you walking around after dark to begin with?" Kiba asked trying not to sound too scolding while emphasizing the fact that Naruto should know not to walk around alone after dark.

"Says who it was even dark?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a look from Kiba that was practically screaming 'get real Naruto'. Naruto sighed before continuing, "Ok so maybe it was dark but…it was just getting loud at home. I had to get out, ya know, clear my mind," the blonde stated airily. Kiba bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from calling Naruto a liar. He didn't have to always act like everything was ok, but he also didn't need to be reminded that the soft lie he told himself was just a cover for the truth of betrayal that laced the confines of his home. There had probably been a fight – a bad one. Kiba could only try to understand what Naruto's home life was like. It was true that his parents were divorced, so he knew to an extent what Naruto must be going through, but from what he gathered from the small amount Naruto _did_ share with him, the blonde's parents had taken it to a level beyond just falling out of love and it was ripping Naruto up inside.

Although, who couldn't be devastated with the way things turned out? Especially when they were once so good.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Kiba whispered as the blonde shot him a deceiving smile. Kiba only knew it was fake because he'd seen it too many times. But he appreciated the blonde's attitude anyway. Naruto never was the self-pitying kind. And Kiba preferred it that way since he wasn't ever really the comforting kind.

"Let's just go to bed," Naruto suggested, flashing the brunette one last smile before turning over to face the wall. Kiba nodded, not really caring that the blonde couldn't see him do so. There was a silence now that he knew he shouldn't break. Naruto didn't want to talk about it – couldn't talk about it. And he would leave it that way if that's what he wanted.

Because he would do just about anything Naruto wanted. He would do anything Naruto asked of him. He wasn't sure if that could be considered a healthy friendship. Actually he was almost positive it couldn't be. But he also wasn't sure if that was all he wanted. The only thing he _did_ know was that friendship was all he was getting.

---

"_Achoo!_"

Naruto coughed a little in the aftermath of his sneeze, earning the berating attention of his surrounding friends.

"Naruto, just go home! You're obviously way too sick to be at school," a pink haired classmate stated in a firm voice.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan," Naruto assured in a congested voice, flashing her a smile, "It's already lunch and I feel great anyway," he lied in a tone that completely contradicted his assertion as Shikamaru mumbled 'troublesome' from the spot of grass he was lying on, content to watching the clouds roll by during his lunch session.

"You're not fine, stupid. I told you I would take you home this morning," Kiba scolded before adding in an undertone, "I should have just done it anyway."

"Naruto, I'm going to drag you to the office if you don't just agr–" Sakura began before cutting herself off midsentence as her gaze flicked to something approaching from behind the blonde.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned, slightly taken aback by her abrupt silence and her wide awestruck eyes.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she stuttered, blushing furiously while Naruto's shoulders sagged. He knew he'd have to face the bastard sometime or another today. It only took about four minutes into their first class for him to hear Naruto's name and the entire day he could feel the raven's heavy gaze on him, practically begging for him to gaze back. With a sigh, he turned to face Sasuke, meeting his eyes for the first time since after Sasuke had saved him.

Sasuke almost stopped and turned away, almost. If he had not received special Uchiha stoicism training, he might have gasped or blushed from the intensity behind those cerulean eyes. How the hell did Sasuke not know Naruto until now? He was more breathtaking than anyone he'd ever met. Sasuke's gaze flicked up to the cut on his forehead and he noticed that it was now kept tightly shut with two butterfly closures. It looked kind of cute.

"Can I talk to you?" Sasuke asked while Naruto's friends shot each other puzzled looks. Since when did someone like Uchiha Sasuke talk to anyone from their social class? _Especially_ someone like Uzumaki Naruto: the epiphany of the lowest class this country housed.

"No," Naruto replied curtly as he turned back around to emphasize his point.

"Well, I've still got–"

"Alright, alright!" Naruto interrupted, knowing the raven was about to mention the fact that he still had the blonde's clothes. Somehow, Naruto just didn't see that piece of unexplained information sitting peacefully with his friends. He knew they'd never let him live it down even after he explained the perfectly reasonable explanation as to why Uchiha Sasuke had his _clothes_.

So with that thought in mind, he slowly dragged himself to his feet as he ignored the confused glances each of his friends kept shooting him. Kiba seemed to be the only one not giving him puzzled looks and seemed to be avoiding everyone else's eyes. Damn it, he'd give himself away too easily if he kept up that suspicious behavior. It was obvious he knew something. And he was an awful liar. They'd be able to squeeze anything they wanted out of him the moment they figured out he knew something.

When they were finally out of earshot, Sasuke continued to say what he had sought out Naruto to say.

"I still have your clothes," he stated as Naruto nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I've got yours too," the blonde mused as he shifted his weight onto his left foot, his hand resting on his hip. There was a question ringing at the back of his throat but he quickly bit it down.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, picking up on the sound of congestion in Naruto's voice.

"It's just a cold," the blonde stated offhandedly, a bit of irritation in his voice. Sasuke almost felt guilty. He knew he probably got that cold because of how long it took Sasuke to realize he was soaking wet.

"Alright, well your clothes are in my locker, do you want to come get them?" the raven asked as Naruto furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

"I guess," the blonde sighed as Sasuke turned to walk back towards the school, Naruto falling into step with him, "It _is_ ok for me to walk next to you right?" the blonde asked in an insultingly sarcastic tone. Sasuke shot him a sidelong glance that clearly told Naruto he was out of line.

"Why are you acting like I'm some sort of jerk who's treated you like crap before or something?" Sasuke asked, becoming rather irritated with Naruto's uncalled for behavior.

"Because you _are_ some sort of jerk and you've treated one of my best friends like crap before and that's all the same to me."

"Don't tell me you're pissed off that I won't go out with that pink haired banshee?" the raven asked incredulously as Naruto threw him an angry look for insulting Sakura.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled you don't wanna go out with her. But you don't have to be so mean to her," the blonde explained, feeling almost guilty for the way Sasuke seemed to be reacting to this newly developing relationship. It seemed he wasn't accustomed to being disliked.

"I tried the nice thing. You have no idea how persistent she was becoming," Sasuke defended as Naruto seemed to bite his lip in internal confliction. Sasuke was…kind of right. Sakura _had_ become overly persistent.

"Ok," the blonde stated with a bit of a laugh, "I agree with you there. But…it's _Sakura_-chan. How could you _not_ want to go out with her? She is _so_ gorgeous," the blonde stated in a tone that Sasuke noticed as affection. Well it was obvious now why Naruto was so bitter towards him. Naruto was in like if not love with that Haruno Sakura girl. And it was probably hard to watch her pursue him without her giving even so much as a second glance in Naruto's direction.

"Wouldn't it be even less ethical to give her false hope?" Sasuke asked, positive that it would be worse that way.

"What would I know?" Naruto breathed in a nostalgic sort of tone, his thoughts still halfway elsewhere, "Anyway, let's just return our respective clothes and we can both be on our separate ways," the blonde stated, feeling that it would probably never be that easy.

"My locker's right–"

"Here?" Naruto asked as he slapped his hand on a locker before grabbing the lock of the locker next to Sasuke's, "_U_zumaki, _U_chiha," the blonde explained upon seeing the raven's confused gaze as to why Naruto knew where his locker was, "Your locker's been next to mine since freshmen year. And I only know that in spite of you so don't get excited. How could I forget where the root of all my locker access problems lies? Do you know how hard it is to get to my locker when I have to weave through a crowd of desperate women intent on getting to yours?"

"As if that's _my_ fault," Sasuke shot back, just as annoyed with that fact as Naruto was.

"It _is_ your fault," Naruto accused as he spun the three numbers into the lock before gaining access into his locker, Sasuke following suit, "Maybe you should…I dunno, look uglier or something."

Sasuke had to smirk at this as he fished through his locker, grabbing the blonde's sweatshirt and jeans. Wasn't that pretty much a confession that Naruto also thought of Sasuke as attractive?

"Thanks for um – just – thanks," the blonde mumbled suddenly as he handed the folded and freshly smelling pair of sweat pants back to the raven who honestly hadn't expected such a gesture as cleaning the item before returning it out of the blonde.

"For what?" Sasuke asked as he handed the blonde his clothes in return.

"Ya know," Naruto began awkwardly, wishing now that he could take it back, "For um, helping me out last night."

"Wow, did that hurt?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. It was clear that Naruto wasn't practiced in thanking people. Or maybe it was just the fact that he was shattering his pride because it was Sasuke he was thanking.

"Shut up, jerk," Naruto mumbled sheepishly, blushing slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Just then, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch block and Naruto couldn't have been more thankful for the beginning of class. He couldn't have thought of a better excuse to leave the raven's presence if he wanted to. But as he turned to leave, Sasuke was on his heel, falling into step easily with him and Naruto had to refrain from slapping his own forehead as he remembered that Sasuke was in the same class as him.

"What do you usually do after school?" Sasuke asked, taking the blonde by surprise. That was just a weird thing to ask. Most people started off with 'What kinds of music do you like?' or similarly impersonal questions when trying to befriend each other.

"Um," Naruto began, unsure of how to answer. Was this some sort of trick question? "It varies from day to day?" he questioned more than stated.

"So you don't have a set schedule or anything like that? No after school commitments? What about weekends?"

"What? Why do you want to know?" Naruto asked somewhat defensively.

"Just wondering," the raven stated offhandedly as they entered the door to their classroom.

"Don't tell me that was your attempt at small talk. You really do need to talk more – to people. You know, like the rest of us. You'll get better at it after some more practice," Naruto insulted in a light tone that let Sasuke know it was just a joke.

"Hn, dobe."

"What was that?!" Naruto snapped, positive that it was too early in their fucked up sort of relationship for Sasuke to be deeming that sort of nickname as his.

"You heard me, dobe."

"Ok, I get the whole part about being inexperienced with talking to people so I'll let the whole shitty small talk bit slide. But calling people names isn't a great way to befriend a guy," Naruto berated as Sasuke smirked.

"Says who I'm trying to befriend anyone?" Sasuke asked while Naruto blinked, slightly taken aback. That was completely true. Never once had Sasuke said he was trying to earn Naruto's friendship. He had only strongly suggested so with the way he talked to the blonde. Naruto suddenly felt uncomfortable and was about to lash out with an insult of his own to save face but Sasuke spoke up before he could do so, "I was kidding," he assured as he, surprisingly, took a seat next to the blonde who had dropped his bag next to the middle seat of the first row.

"Well I wasn't," Naruto mumbled as he sat down at his desk, resting his chin on the hardwood surface in a dejected manor.

"Can I ask you something?" Sasuke asked earning a sidelong glance from the blonde who raised an eyebrow in question, "Why are you so against the idea of giving me a chance?"

"Because you're parents would probably spank you for associating with someone like me. I'm poor as dirt," Naruto mumbled in an undermining tone.

"Rich people aren't like that, idiot," Sasuke stated, becoming irritated with Naruto's views on him. They were just like everyone else's and that was disappointing.

"I didn't say it was 'cuz you were rich. It's 'cuz you're stuck up. I just assume you learned it from someone."

Scratch that. Naruto's views on him were completely original. The fact that the blonde had absolutely no fear in throwing out a comment like that thrilled him in a way he couldn't really explain. Not even the people who considered themselves his friends had that kind of backbone around him and that was because they clearly feared his financial position. It was true that Sasuke could probably do whatever he wanted should someone piss him off but people just didn't get it that he didn't mind confrontation. He fucking loved it. Which might have been the foundation to why he loved fighting so much.

But now he found the sort of emotional tension he'd always been praying for: someone to irritate him in that good way friends usually did.

And he just had to have it.

Uzumaki Naruto could resist all he wanted, but Sasuke was at least going to get him in on his team. He could easily form a friendship from there.

---

Naruto was quickly becoming irritated. It had been a week and a half and Sasuke would not get off his back. What was worse – his friends were beginning to become suspicious as to Sasuke's motive for doing so. He closed his locker with a sigh, jumping and almost yelling out in shock when Sasuke's face came into view from right behind his locker door.

"What?! For Christ's sake, _what_?!" Naruto asked, hoping that his clearly visible irritation would do something to scare Sasuke away, or at least make him apprehensive to continue approaching him.

"What are you doing tonight?" Sasuke asked as he leaned against his locker, giving Naruto an interesting and calculating look, apparently quite unfazed by Naruto's aggressive demeanor.

"Why? _Why_ do you need to know that?" Naruto asked, desperation clear in his voice as he tried desperately to make Sasuke understand that he wanted the raven to back off.

"Naruto, stop acting like a girl and get over whatever grudge you have against me and answer the damn question. What are you doing tonight?"

Naruto was speechless. It was true that he _did_ kind of want to let this guy have a chance, but he felt as if he would almost be betraying Sakura by doing so. She had been hurt so many times by Sasuke's rejections but…then again, she did seem to set herself up for them. Would it really be that big of a deal to befriend Sasuke? Would it really hurt anyone to just be nice? Before he could continue with his internal battle, Sasuke raised an impatient eyebrow that was telling Naruto to hurry up and answer.

"Tonight? God, I dunno. It's Friday so I might go to Kiba's but I dunno. I haven't really decided yet."

"Good. You don't have plans," the raven decided for the blonde who bristled with anger.

"Hey! I _did_ have plans!" Naruto attempted to explain before Sasuke shook his head in disagreement as he raised a hand to tell Naruto to shut up.

"Can I show you something tonight?" Sasuke asked, taking Naruto completely by surprise. What the hell could Sasuke possibly have to show to Naruto? As far as he knew, Sasuke didn't really know any of his personal interests which made him question what Sasuke thought was interesting enough to capture his attention long enough to get his mind off the fact that he was trying so hard to hate Sasuke. It was so much easier hating Sasuke before he found out that he really wasn't as bad as Naruto once thought he was. But then there was that accusation his subconscious kept bringing up: Sasuke clearly wanted something out of Naruto and friendship probably had nothing to do with it. People like Sasuke just didn't associate with people like Naruto just because they wanted to be friends.

"Sasuke," Naruto began with a sigh, "What exactly do you want from me?" Naruto finally asked. All week he had been avoiding asking that question, feeling that it was too suggestive. But all Sasuke did the past few days was make small talk with him. And it was getting to a point where Naruto was becoming irritated. Sasuke had an ulterior motive and Naruto wanted to know what it was.

"Join my team," he demanded more than asked, throwing Naruto off guard. His…team? What kind of team?

"What?" the blonde asked, looking rather confused.

"My team," Sasuke stated again, earning an incredulous look mixed with an amused smile from the blonde. What the hell was this guy going on about?

"Thank you for clarifying that _so well_. Listen, I don't really like that many sports–"

"It's not that kind of sport," Sasuke interrupted, and Naruto had to keep his patience in check. Sasuke's obscurity was really starting to bug him.

"Ok, I'm just gonna say it. I have no fucking idea what you're talking about. No one in their right mind could follow whatever it is that you're suggesting. I don't understand you're subtle hints. You're going to have to just do the normal thing and not talk in code. Alright?" the blonde stated, earning an annoyed look from the raven who sighed in irritation before grabbing the blonde by the arm just above his elbow and roughly leading him outside where no one could overhear them, Naruto protesting all the way.

"What the hell!" Naruto yelled as he ripped his arm out of Sasuke's grip.

"I want you to fight for my team," Sasuke demanded while Naruto's annoyance faded into a blank and unreadable expression – probably only unreadable because Naruto was completely baffled at the request.

Once Naruto recovered from his state of confusion and had told himself that he _had_ heard correctly, he slipped into a fit of laughter.

"You – you want me to _fight_ with your team?" he asked through his laughter, "Like, what do you mean? Is it like Smackdown wrestling?" he mocked before Sasuke cut him off.

"No, shut up. It's really different. It's more like an uncensored MMA," the raven explained, Naruto's offensive laughter having absolutely no effect on him.

"Mixed Martial Arts, huh?" the blonde asked after recovering slightly, a smirk the only trace of his laughter remaining on his features, "Well I dunno what kind of rumors are going around but I don't have a single day of experience in any kind of Martial Arts so I'm afraid I can't help you out."

"Yes you can. I saw you fight those guys last Wednesday. You were incredible," Sasuke defended as Naruto gave him a disbelieving look.

"Those guys were belligerently drunk and too stupid for their own good. Anyone who's not a complete moron probably would have done just fine," Naruto stated, earning an annoyed glare from the raven.

"Fight me then. If you lose, you have to at least give it a chance. If you win, I won't bug you anymore," the raven offered. Naruto's stomach churned in a sort of 'I told you so' way. Sasuke was never in this for friendship; that much was clear now. He just wanted Naruto to fight for him, "Well I mean I won't bug you about _that_ anymore. I still might bug you," the raven confessed and Naruto had to check himself to make sure he wasn't smiling like an idiot. Maybe Sasuke wasn't so bad after all.

"You want me to fight you? What, like, right here?" Naruto asked, shooting a glance around the area and noticing that it was quite empty.

"Hn, no. I'll pick you up at seven tonight so be ready," Sasuke stated as he turned to leave.

"I can drive you know!" Naruto defended, feeling as if he were being treated akin to how a guy might treat a girl before a date.

"Yeah, but you might not be able to after I'm done with you so it's better if I just drive," the raven insulted, smirking from the rise he was clearly earning out of the blonde.

"Don't act so cocky, asshole!" Naruto yelled back.

"That's good. Hold on to that anger and save it for tonight. I want see you at your best."

And with that, he disappeared back into the school, leaving Naruto to wonder what the hell he had just gotten himself into.

---

Well that's it for now! Hope it was enjoyable :] Shall I continue?


	2. Chapter 2

[Ok pleasepleasepleaseplease don't hate me for this scene. I love Minato and Kushina and I think they'd be just the most awesome parents. So their relationship falling apart was difficult for me to write too. People fall out of love…it just happens. But the reason behind it is extremely significant to the storyline. It had to happen. I love you Minato! Sorry to make you the badguy(kinda)!]

**Chapter Two**

It was nearing seven and Naruto couldn't help but feel nervous. Ok so maybe it was true that he was a bit notorious for starting a lot of street fights because he loved the thrill, but street fights were nothing like the MMA fights he'd watched on television. He didn't think he'd be able to keep up with a trained fighter. He figured anyone with as little training as him would just make of fool of themselves no matter how much street side experience he had.

He sat down at the kitchen table with a new cup of ramen, his eyes darting to the clock every thirty seconds or so. He wished Sasuke would hurry up; he could feel it in the air, things were going to get loud here soon and he didn't want to be around when they did.

But Naruto was accustomed to never getting what he wanted. First came the yelling. No, more like screaming: frustrated screaming that resounded through the small apartment and seemed to echo back even after the yells subsided. Naruto sat at his kitchen table, his knees drawn up to his chest, his head resting on his knees and his hands gripping firmly at his blonde locks in anxiety. Each time their voices rose beyond their usual angry tone, he clenched his hair so firmly he was sure he was going to rip it out. It would be entirely their fault when all his hair fell out.

He blocked out the words he knew he'd be able to hear. He didn't want to know what the fight was about; he never did.

He heard a door slam down the hall and he ducked his head further into his knees, wishing he could just disappear into the walls somehow. If he had the nerve, he would have gotten up and gone to his room, but he was too afraid of having to pass his parents' room on the way.

Although, there was no avoiding it now: the fight had come to him and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"Look at what you're doing to this family!" his mother screamed as she motioned angrily towards her son who was clearly agonized by the constant arguing.

"Please don't involve me," the blonde begged softly but was ignored as his parents continued to plow through their argument.

"I said I was sorry, alright?! I know what I did was wrong. I know, ok?" his father screamed back, regret clear in his tone.

Naruto had had enough. He slammed his fists onto the table, upsetting his untouched and now cold cup of ramen which fell over from the abrupt movement of the table's surface.

"Then why are you guys still fighting?!" he screamed, earning two shocked looks from his parents, "If Dad's sorry then why can't you forgive him?!"

"Naruto, son," Minato began as he crossed the kitchen to kneel down next to the younger blonde who was avoiding his gaze by now, "You're mother can't forgive me because I've screwed up that bad. Don't blame her," he defended, and for a minute Naruto could have sworn his father had fallen in love with the woman all over again with the way he was selflessly defending her.

"I don't understand," Naruto mumbled, trying to keep the strain from showing in his voice. If he had any less self control, he would have probably already been in a fit of tears. Minato placed a fatherly hand his son's shoulder as he contemplated how to explain.

"Don't try to be anyone you're not, because you'll end up hating yourself in the end," the older blonde finally advised before standing up straight, his hand dropping from Naruto's shoulder as he turned to leave, closing the front door behind him without another word or a second look back.

"Dad?" the younger blonde whispered, confused about what exactly what was happening.

"Idiot!" he heard his mother curse from the doorway of the kitchen. She had obviously heard the exchange.

"Where's Dad going?" he asked the woman who broke down into a fit of frustrated tears.

"Like you don't already know, Naruto," she snapped before turning and exiting the kitchen, leaving Naruto to wonder how he was expected to know the answer. He didn't know how long he sat alone in that kitchen, probably only a couple minutes, before he heard a car horn out front and he slowly rose from the chair, announcing to the empty room that he would be with his new friend Sasuke and wondering if it would ever matter to anyone where he was.

---

Sasuke watched from his car as the blonde left through the front door of one of the ground floor apartments, slamming it behind him in a spiteful sort of way. Something seemed off but what would he know? He'd only known the blonde two weeks. Naruto seemed to hesitate in his steps slightly as his gaze fell upon Sasuke's car, his eyes widening slightly in something akin to awe.

He reached the rolled down window, breathing 'holy shit' as he rested his elbows on the sill, his previous demeanor completely forgotten.

"You _own_ one of these?" he asked incredulously as his eyes darted over every feature of the black SSC Ultimate Aero, "I thought there were only like…"

"Twenty-five ever made? Yeah," the raven stated with a smirk, "Stand back," he suggested before Naruto lifted his arms from the window as Sasuke leaned over and opened the door which lifted into the air causing Naruto to gasp in something akin to anticipation before jumping in and closing the door.

"I wanna drive," Naruto stated, shooting Sasuke a thrilled look.

"No."

"Please Sasuke! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!" he begged, his eyes pleading with something Sasuke found increasingly difficult to deny.

"No."

"Sasuke! Come on!"

"No."

"Alright: addition to our earlier deal. If I win, no wait no! If I _lose_ I also get to drive," the blonde suggested, his voice sounding too hopeful.

"No way! Then you'll just throw the fight."

"Ok fine, if I win then," Naruto compensated.

"Maybe, dobe," the raven partially agreed with a smirk.

"Oi! Don't call me that!" the blonde berated as he shot the raven a glare, "So um, where are we going exactly?"

"My gym," Sasuke stated monotonously. If Naruto didn't know any better, it would have sounded like Sasuke felt this whole ordeal was tedious. Somehow, Naruto figured Sasuke was just like that and for some reason he was completely ok with it.

"Hey Sasuke?" Naruto asked, a sudden question burning in his mind, "How the hell did you know where I lived?"

Sasuke merely smirked as he pulled into the parking lot of a gym Naruto hadn't really expected Sasuke to even know about. They were still on his side of town anyway. Naruto figured he'd belong to one of those expensive high-end gyms that were two stories tall and equipped with industrial sized air conditioners. He doubted that this gym owned anything better than windows and fans.

"Are you gonna answer my question?" Naruto asked as Sasuke pulled into a parking space near the front that was conveniently left unoccupied.

"No," the raven replied shortly as he turned off the engine, and got out of the car, motioning for Naruto to follow suit.

They walked through the doors in silence, Sasuke shooting a glare at the man at the front door who was seemingly about to ask for Naruto's gym membership but backed down when he realized the blonde must have been with Sasuke.

"Come on," the raven coaxed as he dragged the blonde through a door at the back, into a lowly lit room. Naruto glanced around, noticing that there were only three other guys in here, two of whom were fighting in one of the caged in octagon fighting rings. He recognized the boys right away as other kids who went to his school, two of whom were a year older than him and Sasuke.

Sasuke led Naruto into the empty ring and Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, but excited all the same. He could feel his muscles aching with the anticipation of fighting.

"First thing you need to know. You never fight anyone with a shirt on. Because you _will_ make enemies and they _will_ try to pull dirty tricks," Sasuke stated as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it out of the ring while Naruto mimicked his actions, "Same goes for shoes. We always fight barefoot."

Naruto nodded as he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, his eyes beginning to glint with an anticipation that thrilled Sasuke to see.

"Alright, let's go," Sasuke stated as he dropped into a steady stance, Naruto doing the same. Sasuke waited for the blonde to make the first move and was rather impressed with the fact that he didn't. Most untrained fighters didn't know it was smartest to gauge the unknown opponent's strength before attacking. So Sasuke went first, stepping forward as he threw a punch that Naruto easily dodged with a smirk. Sasuke had to make sure he was seeing things right. He could have sworn that Naruto's canines just grew, barely hitting his bottom lip as he smirked, making him look even wilder than his whiskered cheeks already did.

Naruto ducked slightly as he put his weight behind him, launching at the raven's stomach, pushing him roughly into the chain-link fence caging in their small fighting arena. Sasuke gasped slightly at the sudden lack of air before wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist, and turning roughly as he jerked the blonde up, sending the both of them to the floor, Sasuke on his back with Naruto landing roughly on his stomach. Sasuke was first to recover, quickly going to grab for Naruto's shoulder to pin him down but Naruto quickly rolled over before kicking up at Sasuke who caught the foot just before it came in contact with his ribcage. Naruto quickly slid his other foot across the floor, taking Sasuke's feet out from underneath him. Sasuke landed harshly, still holding onto Naruto's ankle which caused it to twist in a painful angle, making Naruto move with it. He was close to getting to his feet again before Sasuke pushed the captured ankle higher into the air, causing Naruto to lose his balance and fall onto his back while Sasuke quickly climbed on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the ground as he sat on his waist.

Sasuke watched as the blonde calculated his position, blue eyes seeming to assess all possible escape routes in an otherworldly speed. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's right wrist with his own, cupping the back of his pale elbow with his left hand as he wrapped his left foot around Sasuke's right before rolling his hips upward and rolling on top of the raven who was now lying flat on his back, an incredulous look dominating his features.

Sasuke mimicked the move with a quicker and more practiced fluidity and grabbed the blonde's tan arms, pinning them above his head to prevent the same move twice. Naruto struggled fruitlessly against the hold, glaring heatedly at Sasuke.

"I win," the raven stated with a smirk, causing Naruto to blush slightly as he shifted his gaze away in something akin to shame, "How did you know to do that?" he asked, taking Naruto a bit by surprise.

"How did I know to do what?"

"It's called a trap and roll. Were you taught that?" Sasuke asked, obviously quite impressed with the fact that Naruto instinctively knew how to get out of a pinned position.

"I don't really know what you're talking about," Naruto admitted, feeling rather sheepish.

"I'm almost afraid to teach you even the basics dobe. You're already really good," Sasuke complimented, earning a deeper blush from the blonde who quite honestly disagreed.

"I lost. I can't be that good."

"You only lost because it's me. I _am_ the best, dobe," Sasuke sated as he released his hold on the blonde.

"Sasuke, s'that him?" a blue haired teen asked, smiling with sharp teeth at the blonde who hadn't even noticed the spectators until just now, "You were right. He's pretty good."

"That's the rest of our team," Sasuke introduced as the three boys made their way into the ring to meet their new teammate, "That's Suigetsu, Neji, and Juugo," he stated as he pointed out each one. Naruto nodded, smiling shyly at each of them in turn.

"Welcome to the team," Neji greeted as he smiled at the blonde, giving him a heavy and calculating look that made Naruto want to shy away.

"Go spar. Him and I need to talk and I'll explain everything he needs to know," Sasuke demanded, watching as the three left without complaint, Neji shooting Naruto one last smirk before following the other two. Sasuke turned his gaze to the blonde and had to use all the willpower within him not to blush. It was incredible that he was just wrestling with that tan body and hadn't really put much thought into how sexy it really was. It was incredible what fighting did to him. He was so wrapped up in getting Naruto onto his team that he had pushed away those dirty thoughts that seemed to come back full force now. Naruto shirtless – his tan skin glistening in the low light with a thin coat of sweat coating his body and still panting slightly from the fight. Sasuke wondered if that's how he might look during sex but pushed the thought aside.

"So, you lost dobe," Sasuke stated as Naruto sighed, smiling softly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess I did," he stated with a soft laugh.

"Which means you're on my team."

Naruto seemed to think for a second before turning to face Sasuke with a look in his eye that caught Sasuke off guard. Was he about to tell Sasuke he didn't want to have any part of him and his team? Because that's what it looked like.

"I'll join. But on one condition. You have to give Sakura-chan a chance," he stated, feeling as if he should make up for this forbidden-feeling friendship to his pink haired friend one way or another.

"Give Sakura a chance? But I thought _you_ liked her?" Sasuke asked, positive that his assumptions had been correct.

"Sasuke," the blonde sighed as he shook his head slightly, his smile fading from his features, "I love her. She's one of my best friends. And I definitely like her as more than a friend. But it's clear that she doesn't feel the same way. It would mean the world to her if you just gave her a chance. Just _try_ and see past the fact that she's a stuttering idiot around you. She's really an amazing girl when she's not so intimidated. Give her a chance and I'll join you're little knitting circle," he stated, offhandedly insulting this 'uncensored MMA', probably to lighten his own mood. He had practically just given away any chance that he'd ever get to be with Sakura.

And dear god did it hurt.

"Alright," Sasuke huffed after a moment of contemplation, "One date. She's got one date. And even if it goes like hell you're still on my team for at least long enough to grasp an appreciation for all this."

"Just that long?" Naruto asked, unsure of why he wasn't being contracted in for life.

"Well it's not like I expect you to fight if you hate it. It would be counterproductive," the raven admitted, taking Naruto a bit by surprise.

"Ok, but I get to drive your car too," Naruto added, earning an incredulous look from Sasuke.

"You can't just keep adding more onto it! You were going to drive if you _won_, dobe," Sasuke reminded as Naruto huffed in irritation.

"Yeah well! You destroyed my pride so I think you owe me something," Naruto reasoned, feeling like even a lame excuse as that was better than no excuse at all.

"Alright, fine," Sasuke sighed, earning a shocked stare from the blonde who had to wonder if he had heard right.

"Yatta!"

---

Oh god, Sasuke was really beginning to regret letting Naruto drive his car as they walked out to the parking lot. He just had this feeling Naruto would screw up somehow and send his car into a ditch or wrap it around a telephone pole or something.

Naruto reached out his hand anxiously, smiling in anticipation as he motioned for Sasuke to hand over the keys. Sasuke sighed, shutting his eyes as he slowly held out the keys, flinching slightly for himself as Naruto snatched them out of his hand almost too quickly.

"Hurry up Sasuke!" the blonde yelled, already seated comfortably in the driver's seat. Sasuke dragged his feet towards the passenger's side, feeling as if he'd doomed himself as he sat down, "Stop acting like I've already crashed your car. I'm not an idiot. I'm perfectly capable of driving your car without destroying it so just chill out."

"Shut up and drive dobe," Sasuke demanded while Naruto shot him a fox-like grin that only doubled Sasuke's unease, "You_ do_ know how to drive a manual right?"

"Are you kidding me Sasuke?! My dad's truck is a stick and I drive that all the time," he stated as he double pumped the clutch as he started the car. Sasuke shot him a confused glance which Naruto was practically waiting for, "Sorry, bad habit," he apologized sheepishly, "My dad's truck is a little more temper-mental. You kinda have to pump the clutch to get it started."

Sasuke groaned as he leaned back into his chair, wishing with everything he had that he could take it back that he was letting Naruto drive. His stomach lurched as Naruto swiftly pulled out of the parking spot before bolting for the exit to the lot.

"Speed limit," Sasuke reminded, sounding rather bored as Naruto took off down the street, quickly passing forty and not paying any attention to the raven's reprimands. Sasuke sighed, knowing exactly how Naruto felt. It was impossible to drive anything other than fast in his car. He smirked slightly because he knew he sped too.

Naruto couldn't help but smile with thrill as he quickly gained speed, that is, until he spotted traffic ahead. But it wasn't long before that mischievous grin quickly reinstated itself onto his features.

"Hold on Sasuke," he advised as his confident grin split across his face. He hit the clutch, shifting up a gear as he punched the gas, sending them jolting forward as he weaved in and out of the lanes at a deadly speed, surpassing the traffic that honked at his reckless driving with ease. Sasuke rested his elbow on the base of the window, his chin resting on the palm of his hand as if he were bored.

"Naruto," the raven began in a monotonous tone, "You're being pulled over."

"Wha–?" the blonde asked as he shifted his gaze to the rear view mirror to find blue and red sirens flashing behind him, "Oh damn it," he breathed as he lifted his foot from the acceleration before slowing to a stop at the side of the road. He absently registered Sasuke fishing through his wallet for something but Naruto couldn't be bothered with what. Right now, he was worried about the fact that he didn't have a license. Not to mention the fact that he was going well over seventy which was at least thirty over the speed limit.

That was a felony. As far as he knew, he'd be spending the night in jail. Like hell his parents would pay bail on him for this. They'd let him spend the night as part of his punishment. That is, if they could take a minute out of their busy schedules of arguing to take a second to care.

The officer soon reached the window and was tapping with his pointer finger knuckle on the glass which Naruto quickly rolled down.

"Do you realize I clocked you at seventy-four miles per hour in a forty mile per hour zone?" the officer asked, speaking to Naruto as if he was some kind of idiot, "And I've also noticed you don't have plates. Can I see your license and regist–" he began before Sasuke shoved a laminated yellow card into his outstretched hand.

"You must be new, what, were we the first people you've ever pulled over?" Sasuke asked, earning a glare from Naruto. Did Sasuke want to make this worse for Naruto than it already was going to be? Because that's where this was heading if Sasuke kept up that kind of talk.

But, surprisingly, the man just apologized, looking as if he had made a huge mistake and was now feeling rather stupid for it. Naruto just stared at the man incredulously as he apologized again before taking off back to his cop car.

"What the hell?" Naruto asked, as he handed back the yellow card to the raven who was smirking like he was some sort of god and Naruto was only just figuring it out.

"The perks to being rich," he stated as he slipped the card back into his wallet.

"As if there's a downside," Naruto stated incredulously, feeling a sort of jealous pang at how ungrateful Sasuke seemed about being so rich. He made it sound as if it was more troublesome than it was worth and…maybe it was. Naruto didn't know. All he knew was that being poor sucked.

"More than you know dobe," Sasuke stated in a bitter tone that took Naruto aback slightly.

"Like what?" Naruto asked, feeling as if this conversation was about to get so much more personal than either of them probably felt comfortable with.

"Hn, like an idiot like you could understand."

For some reason, that just pissed Naruto off.

"Yeah, it must be hard trying to decide what you want to spend all that money on," the blonde snapped back, earning a furious glare from the raven that told him he took it too far.

"Or maybe it's hard trying to decide who's just in it for all that money. How 'bout you Naruto? What do you really want out of me? Money? A reputation? What?!"

Naruto just gaped slightly at him before shutting his mouth and shifting his gaze away as he mumbled an apology.

"It's kind of ironic, how we always want what we don't have. I wonder if any class out there is content," Naruto mused as he rested his head against the headrest, shooting a sidelong glance at Sasuke who seemed to have calmed down for the most part. At least he wasn't still radiating bitter hatred.

"You have no idea what it's like, trying to sort out who even gives a shit and who couldn't care less," Sasuke sighed as he, too, rested his head against the headrest, staring up at the ceiling of his car.

"Maybe," Naruto breathed, feeling that he might know a little bit how that feels but keeping it to himself all the same. This sounded like something Sasuke probably didn't just tell anyone. Actually, it sounded as if Sasuke had never said it aloud _ever_, "But you can bet I don't give a shit about your money since _you're_ the one who forced me into this fucked up thing we have."

Sasuke shifted his gaze to the blonde before smiling and Naruto had to blink as his breath hitched in this throat. Sasuke should definitely smile more, that much was clear. But maybe it was better this way – his contentment coming in rare moments where they meant so much more. Besides, Naruto suddenly didn't _want_ everyone to get to see it. For reasons he couldn't begin to try to describe, the thought that Sasuke maybe would only smile for him made him feel important if not content.

"You're such a weird guy, Naruto," Sasuke stated while Naruto scowled slightly.

"Weird?! What the hell!"

"You heard it right dobe," the raven assured with a smirk, "Now get out. I'm driving," Sasuke began while Naruto shot him a look that stated it was unfair to only let him drive for as short as Sasuke let him, "Don't give me that look idiot. You're the one who went and got pulled over," he added as he unbuckled himself before getting out and heading over to the driver's side where Naruto was still staring at him with that incredulous look.

"Come on, dobe, out."

Sasuke sighed when the blonde didn't move before gripping Naruto under his armpits with every intention of moving him. Naruto jumped, tensing as he glared at Sasuke with an angry and something close to frightened glint in his eyes. Sasuke merely shot him a look that screamed 'what the hell?' which Naruto blushed under.

"I'm ticklish," the blonde explained sheepishly with a shrug earning yet another sigh out of the raven.

"Well then hurry up and move before I use that against you," Sasuke droned as he shifted his weight on his feet out of impatience while Naruto seemed to shift over into the passenger's seat with almost too much haste.

"Eight-thirty on a Friday night. Did you have other plans tonight?" Sasuke asked, glancing at Naruto who raised an interested eyebrow.

"Um, well, _this_ was what I had planned. Actually, if I remember correctly, this is what _you_ had planned. So will it make a difference if I did have other plans? Won't you just change them again?"

"I probably would have," Sasuke admitted as he returned his attention forward, pulling out into traffic when a safe chance permitted he do so.

"Do I need to get you home by any certain time?" Sasuke asked, feeling that he should at least _act_ concerned about if his parents had set him a curfew.

"Like my parents would notice if I was home anyway," the blonde mumbled.

"What?" Sasuke asked, hardly catching a word Naruto said.

"I don't need to be home by any specific time," Naruto corrected loudly, a tinge of annoyance in his tone.

"Don't get irritated with me! I'm not the one mumbling," Sasuke defended earning a soft laugh and a halfhearted apology from the blonde.

The rest of the car ride to wherever they were going was spent in comfortable silence, which Naruto wasn't at all used to. But he wasn't complaining. Sitting around with Sasuke and just being quiet was enough for him. For reasons he couldn't explain, he enjoyed Sasuke's mere presence more than he enjoyed his favorite hobby of talking to most of his friends.

That strange truth struck him in an odd way – one that wasn't unpleasant. He was absolutely baffled by what to do with that kind of feeling, so he just left it alone.

When they pulled into the gated residence of the Uchiha Estate, he was almost excited to be voluntarily entering this time around. He gazed around in amazement when they pulled into large showroom garage. The cars in here were incredible; to think that he was standing in a room filled with items each more expensive than his entire apartment was astonishing to him. Wealthy people always amused him with all the things they thought necessary to buy. Naruto was positive it wasn't entirely necessary for Sasuke's family to own seven different cars.

But he knew that if he had money, he'd spend it on those kinds of things too.

"Come on, dobe," Sasuke began as he opened a door at the back of the garage that looked like it led into a kitchen. Naruto quickly caught up to the raven, shooting one last glance back over his shoulder at the expensive machinery before following Sasuke into the house, closing the door gently behind him.

"Company?" a voice asked from the kitchen table, his eyes meeting with Naruto's as recognition flashed behind both their eyes, "Ah, the bleeding kid from a couple weeks ago," the older version of Sasuke recognized as Naruto smiled sheepishly in return, rubbing the back of his neck. 'The bleeding kid?' Was that nickname entirely necessary?

"Shut up Itachi. He has a name. And it's Naruto," Sasuke chided before motioning for the blonde to continue following him out of the kitchen and towards a staircase in a room behind the kitchen.

"Well, until later then, Naruto-kun," Itachi stated as he waved at the blonde who blushed at the smirk on the older Uchiha's features. He was stunningly attractive and it was enough to make any man blush, straight or gay.

Sasuke seemed to harden his features as he grabbed the blonde by the arm, helping him up the stairs a bit roughly and away from his older brother. By the look on his features, if Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say Sasuke seemed jealous.

"Don't talk to my brother, Naruto," Sasuke began as he closed the door to his room behind them.

"Why?" Naruto asked, wishing he could take it back after seeing the dangerous look behind Sasuke's eyes when he did.

"He just sucks. So just don't."

Naruto had to check himself because he knew if he didn't he'd laugh. Yep, Sasuke was definitely jealous.

"Why does he su–oh, ok, never mind," Naruto began, changing his mind midsentence after seeing the glare he was receiving.

"So, what do you want to do?" Sasuke asked after a tense silence.

"I dunno," the blonde shrugged.

Sasuke nodded for the blonde to follow him as he opened his bedroom door, leading them down the hall and into a home theater.

"Holy shit," Naruto breathed as his eyes darted around each feature of the room. The room was bigger than his entire kitchen and the television itself was probably more expensive than all the kitchen appliances put together.

"I don't know why you seem so surprised," Sasuke stated with a smirk.

"I'm not _surprised_, I'm just…I dunno," the blonde explained, unsure of how to explain exactly _what_ it was he was feeling.

"What kind of movies do you like?" Sasuke asked as he kneeled down before a cabinet, opening the door to reveal shelves upon shelves of DVD cases.

"Anything that doesn't have to do with ghosts," he admitted before he could stop himself. Sasuke looked back over his shoulder to give the blonde an incredulous but amused look.

"So nothing too 'spooky'?" the raven mocked earning a scowl and a blush from Naruto who was mentally kicking himself for having let that slip.

"Shut up," the blonde mumbled as he shifted his gaze away.

"Alright," Sasuke began with a smirk, "I've got the perfect movie then," he finished as he grabbed a DVD case before pulling out the disk and popping it into the DVD player.

He motioned for the blonde to take a seat as he took his own while the credits began to roll. Naruto watched as the title 'Paranormal Activity' flashed onto the screen before getting up without a word with every intention of leaving the room.

"Wait," Sasuke began as he grabbed Naruto by the wrist, stopping him from going any further and pulling him back into his seat, "It's not even scary."

"I don't care how scary it is, I don't wanna watch it!" the blonde assured as he attempted to free his wrist from Sasuke's grasp, "And this movie isn't even out yet. How do you have it?" Naruto asked, curiosity overwhelming his senses momentarily.

"My parents are movie critics. That's why we have all this stuff," Sasuke explained as he nodded towards the television.

"Oh, well anyway, I'd much rather be able to sleep tonight so I think I'll sit this one out," the blonde elucidated as he continued his attempt to escape from the room in which the movie had already begun.

"You can stay here tonight if that makes you feel better," he stated in a tone of finality as he tugged Naruto's wrist roughly, pulling him back into his seat.

"That makes me feel worse," the blonde mumbled as he leaned deeper into the couch, earning a chuckle from the raven who seemed amused for the most part by the blonde's gall.

Just over an hour and a half later, the ending credits began to roll, and Naruto immediately turned towards Sasuke, throwing a punch at the raven's arm who shot him an incredulous look.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked as he rubbed the spot to soothe the sting.

"What – the – fuck?!" the blonde yelled, throwing another punch with each word, "That sucked! I'm never gonna sleep again!"

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked, throwing his hands up to avoid being hit again.

"Well maybe if it wasn't a god damn true story!" he reasoned, attempting to defend his pride.

"Naruto, you really are an idiot. That wasn't a real story. God, you're just like all the other morons that actually believed that was real footage."

"It was real! I mean didn't you see how bad the camera was? That was _clearly_ homemade," Naruto argued, earning an exasperated sigh from the raven.

"No that was called a low budget movie accommodating the moronic masses that seem to believe anything they read. Find one instance of this even recorded in any newspaper and I might give you _some_ leniency for even thinking about believing something like this actually happened. Just try to find that guy's name in a morgue."

"Well – try to find that guy in real life!" the blonde countered, earning a sigh from the raven who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Naruto, that doesn't even make sense."

"_You_ don't make sense," he mumbled back, frowning at the fact that Sasuke had been right. What he said didn't make sense. It made sense better in his head which is where it should have stayed.

Most of the rest of the night continued on like the beginning had, and, as they were lying down to go to sleep, Naruto couldn't help but sense how natural this felt. He'd never become so attached to the idea of friendship with someone as he had become with the idea of Sasuke.

And somehow, that scary movie hadn't entered his thoughts once as he drifted off to sleep. His mind was too far consumed with something else.

---

I kinda wrote the part about paranormal activity like forever ago (ya know...back before it was on DVD) so if you'll kindly just go with it...that'd be great :P


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