Naruto Standstill

**Hello, I have decided to rewrite and finish this story. I know it's pretty farfetched seeing as I never finishi anything, but trust me on this one. I have laid this out in my pretty orange notebook and I have the pushiest boyfriend ever who would nag me till I finish this story. I actually have eight chapters now so please, please give me a chance. At best, I'll be posting once a week or every two weeks.**

**I have work now, which is sad because I wrote this when I was in college… second year college.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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**Standstill: Chapter 01**

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"Whoa. Another one, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto, another one." Sakura Haruno sighed, quickly jamming her test paper away in her cherry red backpack. It was another one of those days. A day when her disappointments hit her the most. It was a Monday, again.

"Ouch. How bad is it this time?" Naruto Uzumaki probed, watching his pink-haired friend grudgingly place her backpack on her back.

"Same as always, Naruto, but one gets used to disappointments." Sakura smiled a fake smile. Naruto wasn't fooled. He had smiled those smiles long enough to recognize it.

"Is there anything wrong, Sakura? Maybe I can help you out or something?" He offered.

"No, I'm fine." She stood from her chair. "I actually have to go now. See you whenever."

Before Naruto could get another word in, Sakura was out the door.

It was always like that. He knew and he could feel that Sakura was troubled. Heck, she's been troubled since her first day in Konoha High.

He remembered the day Kakashi, his homeroom and general science teacher, introduced her as a new student. She walked into the classroom with her hands inside her pullover's pocket. Her long pink hair was unruly with her bangs covering half her green eyes from view. She spoke, in the daintiest voice that day, as if willing for people to not listen to her.

That was three months ago. Today, she still has the same unruly hair, the same eye-covering bangs, and the same aloof air around her. There was still not much known about Sakura, except that her pink hair was natural—she admitted to it during one biology class—and that she used to go to Suna High, Konoha High's rival school.

She never opened up to anyone and she barely talked unless needed to. He was the only one she talked to on her own and yet, even he was at a loss about her. She feels so unattached to everyone, like she has a fear of interacting with other people.

Naruto dared ask her once about her family and she blurted an excuse as fast as she was able to run to the other side of the school. He didn't dare ask her again.

Naruto was patient with her. His friends thought he was an idiot by putting up with her. She was barely on the border of friend territory, but he would never leave her. He knew all too well how it was like to have no one beside you.

"Naruto? Naruto, you fucktard, quit spacing out." Sasuke Uchiha all but kicked Naruto's chair.

"What the fuck do you want, teme?" Naruto shouted at the dark-haired guy smirking at him. "And I wasn't spacing out. I was thinking."

"I never knew you were capable of that." Naruto badly wanted to wipe the smug smirk off his best friend's face. The glint in Sasuke's black eyes were asking for a fight.

Sasuke Uchiha was, unbelievably, Naruto Uzumaki's best friend. It was a fact that no one ever questioned regardless of the… way Sasuke and Naruto's friendship worked. Ever since middle school, they became inseparable. It was sweet in a weird kind of way, but a pain in the ass for their group of friends.

"Shut the fuck up! You piece of emo shit." Naruto growled. He was not in the mood.

"Whatever, dead-last." Sasuke started to walk out of the classroom. "Maybe that girlfriend of yours can teach you a thing or two, but then again, you both lack any brain cells."

Naruto Uzumaki gracefully threw his chair at Sasuke, the insensitive prick.

Sasuke Uchiha dodged in time, the chair hitting the doorframe instead with a loud crack. He promptly grabbed the nearest chair to throw at Naruto.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice drawled out from outside the classroom. Sasuke and Naruto stopped almost instantaneously, both with chairs ready to be thrown. "God, knows you're both in so much shit already."

_Fuck me sideways, _ was all Naruto thought as he looked at the grinning face of Kakashi Hatake.

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Sakura had arrived to an empty classroom like she always did. She took a seat in her usual chair, the one at the very back of the classroom. It was her silent sanctuary in the bustling school. It kept her off everyone's attention and she can do just about everything without Kakashi noticing her.

"Hey, Haruno." So much for not being noticed, Sakura looked up to speaker. Her eyes met a familiar set of red eyes looking down at her. "My friends and I were just talking and got to the interesting subject of you."

Sakura stared at her with uninterested green eyes. Obviously annoyed at the lack of a response, the girl sneered, "We were wondering how'd you get to high school when your grades are shit. How'd you do it, huh? What's your dirty little secret? I bet you slept with the teachers."

A roar of laughter came from the Karin Ayame's group. Happy with her jab, Karin looked down at Sakura again, but there was nothing in her green eyes but disinterest.

"Karin, give it up. That girl doesn't talk to anyone other than Uzumaki. You can't make her talk." Ami, one of Karin's friends spoke before snickering into her hand.

A maniacal smile spread across Karin's face. "Well, if we can't get her to talk, we'll make her scream then."

With a quick thrust of her arm, Karin got hold of Sakura's long pink hair and twisted it strong enough to hurt Sakura. Sakura has to bite her tongue to stop herself from screaming.

Karin sneered at Sakura, "Now, bitch. I want you to scream for us." No response; another tug. "Scream. Now."

"Karin, take your hands off of her." The order was barked loud enough for the whole classroom to stop their chatter. Karin froze in her place. "That would be detention for a week."

In front of the class stood their teacher, Kakashi Hatake, a tired look in his eyes. After stumbling upon Naruto and Sasuke having a chair fight, he thought that homeroom would be less violent.

"Tch. Lucky bitch." Karin spoke, harshly letting go of Sakura's hair before turning to walk back to her chair.

The comment didn't come unheard. Kakashi smiled, "Two weeks detention, Karin."

"What the fuck? What was—?"

"Three weeks."

"But—"

"Four weeks."

"Holy—"

"Five weeks. Come on, Karin, make my day. Speak one more time and it would be suspension." Kakashi smiled brighter.

Karin plopped down on her chair, arms crosses, and pouting.

Turning his attention to Sakura who has trying her best to massage her aching scalp, "Are you alright, Sakura?"

"Hai, sensei." Sakura spoke, trying her best not to show how rattled she was inside. Since her stay in Konoha, Karin has turned all her attention on her for some unbeknownst reason. The bullying was always there, but it was never to this extent of physical harm.

Here she though school could be a safe haven of some sorts.

Kakashi proceeded with his morning routine, namely reading his icha-icha books and letting everyone do whatever the hell they wanted as long as it was socially acceptable. Sakura couldn't but chuckle inside. It was hard to believe how fast Kakashi can turn from strict to laid back. She never thought he was capable of it.

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"Sakura, can I talk to you please?" Kakashi called out just as Sakura was about to leave the room. Homeroom was finished and she was one of the few left inside the room.

"Is there anything wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked nervously.

"I should be the one asking you that, Sakura. What happened a while ago?" Kakashi stared at her point blank with his eyes.

"It was nothing. Karin was just joking around." Sakura averted her eyes from looking at his.

"That wasn't a joke, Sakura, and you know it. Now, please tell me what really happened?" Kakashi's normally cheery voice turned stern, his eyes expectant.

Sakura didn't utter a word.

Kakashi sighed. He ruffled his silver hair in frustration, "Okay. If you can't tell it to me as your teacher, will you at least tell me as your uncle?"

Sakura hated it when he used that on her. Exasperated, she spoke, "Karin was asking how I got into high school because my grades suck and I didn't answer her so she got mad and pulled my hair."

If it were any other teacher, Sakura would never have answered regardless of any consequence. Kakashi had always been there for her. Some of the best childhood memories she had were the tips they had to the park whenever things got worse at home. IF it weren't for his subtle interventions, she would have been a lot more scarred than she already was.

"Look, kiddo. I know your mom and dad's divorce was real hard on you especially since they've placed you through hell with their custody battle, but edging yourself away from people won't make things any better. Failing your grades intentionally doesn't help either." Kakashi spoke, standing from his seat to hug his beloved niece.

Crying was something Sakura repressed herself from doing. It was one of the few indications she had that she was strong, but in the arms of her uncle, she couldn't help it. Months of holding it in were let out and she cried as she clung to Kakashi. He continued, "You're a smart girl. I know it and all of Suna knows it. It hurts me very deeply seeing you like this."

Sakura's sobs were muffled by his shirt. Kakashi couldn't blame her. Haruka and Shiro had put her through hell worse than what he could ever imagine. Having dead parents was better than having Haruka and Shiro.

He waited for Sakura to calm down, even by a bit, before he spoke, "As your uncle, I can understand your situation, but as your teacher, I can't let this through. It's school police to give you a tutor with the grades you've been giving yourself."

Sakura pushed herself a bit away from Kakashi, gaping at him. A tutor? What the hell?

"Here." Kakashi handed her a yellow piece of paper.

Sakura took it gingerly, reading through her blurred eyesight. _**School library: MWF – Every free period. **_

Humiliation. This is what Sakura Haruno feels right now. Soul-crushing humiliation.

She stared up to Kakashi, "What if I ace a few tests here and there. Can you please not give me a tutor?"

"Sorry, Sakura. It's school policy. You don't want your favorite uncle to lose his job, do you?" Kakashi smiled, ruffling Sakura's locks.

"You're my only uncle, Kakashi-ojisan." Sakura pouted, fixing her hair.

"All the more reason to follow school policy. Now off you go! I've held you back longer than I intended."

Sakura sulked as she made her way out of the room. Before going out, she flashed a genuine smile to Kakashi, "Thanks, Kakashi-ojisan."

Kakashi was left staring at the space where his niece had smiled at him. Out of anger, he punched the blackboard. If he could only see that smile everyday, he would be so happy, but her parents had left her as an empty shell.

He had to act fast, but still he would need a means to do. _Just a little more._

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**As stated, I am rewriting everything in this story. I have uploaded this before and deleted it because well, I did not finish it. BUT I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY THAT I WILL THIS TIME.**

**Anyways, please review. Any comment, feedback, or reaction will do fine. Hugs to those who will. :)**

**Also, do you think that my writing it kinda... boring? Please tell me so I can fix it. I'm a bitsortavery rusty. Cry.**

**IF EVER YOU HAVE READ THIS BEFORE, PLEASE, PLEASE DISREGARD EVERYTHING THERE AND DON'T TELL ANYONE. WE DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS HERE. DON'T BE A BITCH FACE. THIS USED TO BE FAILED SUCCESS, BUT NEW TITLE YAAAAAAAAY**


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Naruto, Drama, Romance