Naruto 1. Old Friends, New Enemies

**Disclaimer: **I do not, in any way, shape, or form, own Naruto. All character credits go to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warning:** Not much happening in this chapter. Maybe some **mild cursing**. But that's about it for this chapter.

**Redemption**

**Chapter 1:** _**Old friends, New enemies**_

"Yes, that's it! Now turn your head slightly over here. Yes! Good, good! Give us a wink! Perfect!" The hefty photographer exclaimed between the multiple clicks of his camera whilst maintaining to keep the cigarette between his lips from falling. He shimmied from side to side attempting to catch the ivory beauty in his studio, in all of his glory.

The dark haired teen obliged with each of the older male's requests, covering his sickened expression with one coated in arrogance.

The photoshoot had been more simple than most. He was offered a cover page and pull-out poster opportunity from a top-leading magazine targeted towards teenage girls. Sliding one of the black sleeves of his tank top from his shoulder, Sasuke gave the camera a sly grin, as he outstretched his shredded jean-covered legs over the couch, earning more rapid clicks from the camera.

"Alright, I think we're good, Sasuke!" The man gave a sigh of content. He stood up straight scrolling through shots on his over-sized camera before shot Sasuke a playful wink, earning a cold glare from the teen. The photographer just shook it off with a chuckle, returning his gaze to the camera.

Giving a sigh, the fair-skinned model slid himself from the red velvet couch that he was splayed across, the seductive smile that once played across his lips, fading to reveal his typical stoic expression. The photographer's assistants bustled around Sasuke, retrieving his belongings. The Uchiha stood as the women removed the concealer and other makeup that highlighted his nearly flawless complexion, giving slight nods as they complimented him on his photoshoot.

He didn't need their praises. This wasn't something he did for the attention or for the women. He simply needed the money, and this wasn't exactly an opportunity he could pass up. The money instantly shut up any complaints he had.

The women each gave Sasuke their last compliments before leaving to help the other employees pack away the equipment on the set.

"Takahiro, I'm leaving." Sasuke called out to the photographer, sliding each of his rings from his fingers one by one, before removing his multiple necklaces as well and placing them in his backpack.

"Eh? Don't you want to see the shots?" Takahiro quirked an eyebrow at the teen.

The Uchiha only shook his head, shrugging on his leather jacket as he exited the studio and entered the cold of the winter.

He had done his job already and found no reason to stay any longer. Besides, he was exhausted and had sleep to catch up on.

At seventeen years old, Sasuke was not only the top student in each of his classes, but he also worked part time as a model. He couldn't stand it; the preying eyes of perverts, females fawning over him for reasons as shallow as his appearance.

But what choice did he have? Since his brother abandoned him after their parents' death, he had to fend for himself. School supplies, food,and clothes weren't exactly cheap, especially when he was the only source of income in the Uchiha mansion where he resided alone.

Though his parents had included him in each of their wills, he wouldn't get a single cent of their fortune until he turned eighteen.

_If I could just hold out one more year…_

The raven's thoughts were interrupted when a pair of bright headlights shone in his face as the vehicle parallel parked on the curb he was standing on.

"Juugo." Sasuke acknowledged the large, orange-haired male who was stepping out of the sleek black Mazda RX-8. Rounding the car, the older male gave a brief nod, opening the door on passenger side of the car to let the Uchiha in.

The Uchiha let out a sigh of relief as he sank into the seat and let the heat blowing out of the air conditioner melt his stress away.

"Where am I taking you?" The orange haired male asked, sliding into his seat before he shifted the Mazda's gears into drive and pulled off of the curb.

"Home."

* * *

_Vrrrrr! Vrrrrrrr! Vrrrr!_

Sasuke groaned, as the vibrations of his pillow awoke him from his slumber. His eyelids remained closed over onyx orbs as he rummaged underneath his pillow for the source of the vibrations. Sliding his finger across the screen, he placed it to his ear.

"Hello…"

"You're going to be late." The familiar voice of the ginger stated, his voice stoic as always.

"Hn…What time is it?" The raven moaned through the receiver.

"7:50"

At this, Sasuke's eyes shot open, his body snapping upward from the mattress. Flinging his covers from his body, Sasuke hopped out of bed, cursing himself under his breath.

It was his first day back to school from Winter Break, and from the looks of it he would be late.

The raven hurriedly finished dressing himself in his school uniform; a typical button up white shirt, and matching blazer with a golden emblem of a leaf stitched to the right side, khakis, and black dress shoes.

He locked the doors before jetting out toward the curb where this companion had been patiently waiting for him, leaning against the car. As Sasuke approached him, the older male opened the passenger door.

Juugo rushed to the other side of the car, wasting no time in starting it and jetting off in the direction of the school. He himself hadn't exactly favored being late, but would never consider leaving the raven for his own sake.

As they got onto one of the main streets, Juugo opened the center console fishing out a red sphere. Outstretching his hand toward Sasuke, he kept his eyes on the road.

"You haven't eaten breakfast, right?"

Sasuke shook his head, accepting his favorite fruit. His friend knew him all too well.

The Uchiha proceeded in taking small bites of the tomato, rolling his window down slightly, letting the breeze flow through his ebony locks.

"Sasuke."

"Hm?" Sasuke's gaze shifted, his mouth full of tomato bits.

"I can't have lunch with you today. I have some business to take care of. Also, expect Takashi-san to pull you out of class today. He needs you back at the studio for the interview portion of the magazine photoshoot." Juugo pulled into the school parking lot, before shifting his car into park and shutting the engine off.

Sasuke sighed and flung his door open, whiping his phone out to check the time.

7:59 am

Shit. There was no way he'd make it on time. Sasuke waved to the senior as he turned to head to his own junior homeroom.

* * *

Thrusting open the door, Sasuke burst into the classroom, in a fit of heavy pants. Attempting to regain his composure, he glanced around the room to see that his grey-haired teacher was in fact absent from the room, and that he had only succeeded in grabbing the attention of each of his peers.

He should have known better. Kakashi-sensei had always been notorious for his tardiness.

Sasuke steadied his breathing, closing the door softly behind him. Having already embarrassed himself in front of his classmates, the Uchiha wasn't in the best of moods.

Sasuke sighed as the stares ceased, weaving down the aisles to his usual seat on the opposite side of the classroom, near the windows.

Onyx eyes narrowed, as the Uchiha caught view of his seat, which was currently occupied by an unfamiliar blond. Apparently he was new, considering Sasuke would have definitely noticed such a bold hair color if he had been in the class earlier in the year. But new students were to be expected. They always did seem to pour in during the second semester, replacing those who chose to transfer out of the high school. Yet, whether the boy was new or not, there was no excuse for him to be in _his_ seat, when clearly there were many other seating options.

As Sasuke finally approached his desk, he came to realize that not only was the blonde sitting in his seat. But the male had the audacity to be napping on his desk.

Slamming his backpack onto the desk, just missing a resting head, Sasuke glared down at the new student.

Naruto groaned lifting his head up slightly to view the disturbance. A chill rolled down his spine when he caught sight of the cold gaze that locked onto his. He hadn't exactly enjoyed being waken up from a nap, especially in such a disruptive manner. Nevertheless, he greeted the ebony-haired teen with a slight yawn, followed by a soft smile.

"Eh, hey. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Who're you?"

Sasuke's glare softened as he caught view of the blonde's facial features. As if his unnaturally golden locks weren't eye-catching enough, they were complimented by the sapphire orbs that were slightly hidden by lazy tan eyelids.

An unusual warmth brushed over Sasuke's ivory cheeks, as those eyes locked onto his were accompanied by the sweetest of smiles that laid between cheeks, each scarred by three horizontal slashes that resembled whiskers. Sasuke clenched his fists, both to regain his composure and remind himself of the situation at hand. There was no way he'd let his emotions be swayed so easily.

"You're in my seat. **Move.**" Sasuke leaned into the tan face, hoping to intensify his glare enough to intimidate the other.

"Ehhh?!" Naruto sat up fully, caught off-guard by the harsh command. Glancing around the room, he noted there were plenty of empty seats. So why was this guy bothering him? He had been used to being bullied at his old school but he'd never expected for it to continue immediately after he transferred to a new school.

"Why can't you just sit there? Or there? Or there?" Naruto began pointing at the various vacant seats, only succeeding in frustrating the Uchiha more.

"Because _this_ is my seat. Now move." Sasuke brushed the papers and writing utensils that had been previously splayed out across the desk onto the floor, gaining the attention and whispers of his classmates.

The sapphire eyes that once exuberated confusion, now filled with malice. Releasing a growl through gritted teeth, Naruto thrust himself backward, his chair screeching against the hardwood floor as it slid.

Removing himself from the seat, Naruto caught view of the smug smirk that played across the ebony-haired teen's lips. His eyes narrowed as he shoved the other out of his way, kneeling to the ground to scoop up his belongings, setting them back on the desk. Just as he noticed Sasuke heading toward the chair, Naruto shoved past him again. The blonde bent over slightly lowering himself onto the seat. He felt his bottom just barely skim the seat of the chair, before it was pulled from under him and hemet the cold, hard tiles of the floor. The classroom overflowed with 'ooh's and other incoherent whispers.

Naruto leaned his head back, growling at the upside-down view of Sasuke who was standing behind him with an arrogant smirk, chair clenched in hand.

_Damnit! Everything about this guy pisses me off…!_

"Teme…!" The blonde growled, shooting himself from the ground and to his feet before lunging toward the fair-skin teen, grabbing a fistful of his uniform shirt. Sasuke wasted no time in snatching the blonde's collar into his own fist.

Ebony and golden pairs of eyebrows depressed in a downward slant, as their bodies each trembled with anticipation of a heated brawl.

Simultaneously, they each retracted their free hands, clenching them into fists. Just as they were both about to deliver the blows, a hand planted itself on each of their forearms, forcefully pulling them apart.

"That's enough, you two. Sit in your seats." The lazy eye of their teacher glanced between the two teens, watching them carefully for any cheap hits either would attempt in delivering.

Kakashi sighed, releasing them both as they grumbled their apologies, before turning back to the rest of the class, claiming that 'the show was over'.

Naruto took the liberty in scooting the chair; he was previously sitting in, back to the desk, this time holding onto it as he sat down. He flashed a mischievous grin, to the Uchiha, as he grumpily seated himself at the desk next to him.

Naruto savored the cold glare, directed toward him by the other teen, knowing that he had indeed won the battle. But what he failed to see was that the war had just begun.

* * *

_**A/N**_**:**

_In case it wasn't clear enough Takahiro is the photographer and drector of the photoshoot in the opening scene. _

_**Please review!**_


	2. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**CHAPTER 2: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

"Alright, alright. Settle down." Kakashi waved his hands at his students as he took his place in the head of the classroom. As if the teacher had said nothing the whispers continued. It seemed that the events this morning would be the talk of the school for quite a while.

A loud smack ricocheted throughout the room as the grey-haired male slammed his palm against the whiteboard behind him, effectively silencing his talkative students. Numerous pairs of startled eyes were now widened and watching him, questioningly.

"Great. Now that I have your attention, let's get started." The older male grinned through the facial mask that he relentlessly refused to remove, no matter the occasion. He turned himself to face the board, uncapping a dry erase marker, before scribbling the word: ADAPTION..

"As you probably know, each month you are given a theme and small assignments within that month that relate to that theme. As you can probably tell by now, this month's theme is Adaption."

The teens exchanged glances. Sasuke only groaned, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. This was the only school he had ever known where Homeroom actually gave homework. Anywhere else, it would just be used as a study period and a time to take attendance.

Once he regained his students' attention, Kakashi continued.

"This time, I've decide not to give various small assignments, but to instead give one large assignment." A mixture of groans and cheers filled the room at the news.

Kakashi walked over to his desk, fishing out a pile of papers from one of the drawers before he began passing them out .

"These are your instructions. For the three-week duration of this assignment, starting this Friday, you will be assigned a partner." Returning to his desk to retrieve a stack of journals from one of its drawers, he continued to drone on whilst passing them

"Each of you will be assigned to either Partner A or Partner B. During the first week, both of you will be staying at Partner A's home together. On the second week, you will both be staying at Partner B's home. And lastly, on the third week you will both be staying at each others home individually and effectively switching roles with each other.

This entire assignment is worth 100 points. 60 of the points consist of what is written in these journals individually; 20 points for each week of entries. The other 40 points are from the joint essay you and your partner will write together on your experiences and how you adapted to the situation at hand."

Sasuke groaned again inwardly as a journal slapped across his desk. He always despised partner work, or any work that required the work of others, for that matter. He usually offered to do most or all of the work, for he never trusted that anyone would actually do their part. Besides, he learned to stop relying on others, for the fear that they may just betray him in the end.

Then it hit him.

'An overnight assignment...?' How the hell was he supposed to pull this off when he was barely home himself?!

The Uchiha shot up from his desk, slamming his palms on the wood.

"I don't believe my guardian would be fine with another person living with us for a week, and vice versa. Are there any alternate assignments?" Sasuke held back a smirk. If there was a way out of this, he sure as hell would find it.

"Ah, good point, Sasuke." Kakashi stated, returning to the head of the classroom.

"I've taken the liberty of calling each of your parents and guardians over the Winter Break and not a single one of them objected. Have a seat, pretty boy."

Sasuke slumped back into his seat in defeat, glaring at anyone who dared to giggle or snicker.

Kakashi approached an unsuspecting student, plucking the baseball cap from his head.

"H-hey!" The teen protested, reaching out for the cap.

"You know the rules. You'll get it back after class." The grey haired male droned, placing the hat on his desk to fill it with small folded up sheets of paper.

"The partnerships will be chosen at random, separated by male and female. Each of these sheets has a name written inside. Ladies first, line up."

The girls dragged themselves to the front of the classroom, only half of them picking out sheets of paper. They each solemnly accepted the placement except for Ino and Sakura who put on a show for the class by spitting obscenities at each other.

Kakashi sighed once he was able to calm the quarreling girls, refilling the cap with male names.

"Alright, line up, guys."

A chorus of groans rang out. Sasuke walked up to the front in silence, strategically placing himself in the middle of the line rather than closer to the front. This way he would get a chance to pull a name but he would also have an opportunity to see who would be eliminated from the possibility of being partnered with him.

Before he knew it the spiky haired brunette with odd red facial tattoos standing in front of him was fishing his hand into the hat.

Eagerly pulling out one of the folded pieces, the teens expression turned from an excited one to one of utter disgust as he read to small lettering.

"Hyuuga Neji..." Kiba mumbled, shooting a glare down the line to the long haired brunette's pale lavender eyes. He mumbled incoherent curses as he and his partner exited the line and returned to their seats.

"Next." Kakashi called out, shaking the hat to toss the names around more.

Sasuke gulped audibly, struggling to keep his face as calm and composed as possible, though he could heartbeat speeding up by the second. Stepping forward, he reached into the cap, letting his finger toss around the papers before finally plucking one out.

"Suigetsu." The corners of Sasuke's lips tugged upward, as the cold sweat that was forming on his brow began to vanish. Though he didn't particularly 'like' the white-haired male, he was one of the few people in the class that he could tolerate, despite his constant complaining. All the boy practically talks about was swimming and the ocean so writing about his day to day activities shouldn't be all too difficult. Sasuke could easily consider this an easy A.

"Oops, I forgot to throw this one away. Suigetsu transferred out during the break."

Sasuke almost whimpered as he felt the paper slide from his fingertips and into the hands of his silver-haired teacher before being ripped to shreds.

"Feel free to pick another." Kakashi gestured to the cap again with another shake.

Reaching into the hat once more, the Uchiha pulled out yet another piece. Unfolding it slowly, his eyes scanning over the text.

"Uzumaki...Naruto...?" Sasuke glanced up to Kakashi with a puzzled expression. The older male only pointed a finger out to the class.

Sasuke's eyes followed the trail, landing on locks of blonde hair splayed out across his favorite desk.

'Oh. Him.' Onyx eyes narrowed as he made his way down the aisles to the sleeping teen. Grabbing Naruto's journal, Sasuke smacked him on the head.

Golden eyebrows furrowed as cerulean irises peered through squinted eyelids.

"What is it...teme?"

"You're my partner."

"N-nani...? For what?" The blonde mumbled, brushing his eyes with his forearm to rid them of sleep.

"Maybe if you'd pay attention instead of drooling all over my desk, you would know." The Uchiha glowered in response, turning to return to his seat. _Out of all of the idiots..._

_'Why him?'_ Naruto huffed, lying his head back onto the desk, this time being sure to stay awake for any further instruction Kakashi offered.

The bell dismissing homeroom couldn't have come any sooner. After the partners had been announced, the aura that radiated over the classroom was too tense to bare. To say the least, most of them weren't too pleased with the pairings, and those who were didn't dare to celebrate, fearing the jealous glares from their peers.

Naruto was hoping to somehow make amends with his partner before he left, but was ignored. He was still unsure on what exactly he had done to deserve the cold shoulder.

The blonde sighed, packing the rest of his pencils and notebooks into his bright orange backpack.

"Ah!" The teen called out upon feeling a harsh slap against his back. Softer pats followed as he turned his head to meet shiny, yet unusually sharp teeth and beady eyes of one of his peers.

"Yo, you're the new kid, right?"

"Ye-" Before he could properly introduce himself, he was cut off.

"Dude, the way you stood up to that Uchiha kid was fucking awesome! Him and that Hyuuga guy need to be knocked from their arrogant high horses, and I'm glad you took the honors of taking care of one of them."

The brunette let out a cacophonous chuckle so contagious that Naruto couldn't resist chiming in with one of his own.

"I'm Naruto, 'ttebayo." The whiskered teen spoke once the other's laughter began to die down, and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"I'm Kiba. If you ever need anything, I'm your guy! So, where's your next class?"

"Er…" Naruto shoved his hand into one of the pockets of his jeans, pulling out a crumpled sheet of printer paper. He carefully unfolded it, before letting his eyes scan over the printed script.

"Physical Fitness through Team Sports with Sarutobi-sensei."

"Oh cool, me too!" Kiba gave a punch to Naruto's arm, before yanking it to drag the blonde out of the classroom and towards the gym.

"Sasuke-Kuuuuun~ Wait up!"

Recognizing the ear-splitting squeal coming from behind, the Uchiha kept his gaze forward and continued walking down the hall. This didn't deter or discourage the girl's efforts though as she pushed and shoved through the crowded hallways to catch up. When she finally did, she clutched his forearm, hoping he'd at least slow his pace.

Sasuke's head whipped around, to shoot a menacing glare at the emerald eyes that looked up at him.

Sakura yelped audibly, quickly snatching her hand away, instead running it through her pink hair to tuck a few loose strands behind her ear.

"S-so, it must really suck being paired with the new kid. I mean, he's so annoying already. I don't know how you'll survive-. H-hey!" Sakura shouted at the retreating form of the raven-haired teen as he began to walk away from her mid-sentence.

The last thing Sasuke needed was recap of what occurred last period. Sure, the whole thing might have been childish in some people's eyes, but frankly, Sasuke couldn't care less what people thought of him. Uchihas _do not _lose; especially to idiots like Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto? That's an odd name,"

Naruto grimaced as his PE teacher scanned through his schedule; not for his name being ridiculed but for the horrible stench of cigarettes that seemed to puff out of his mouth with each word.

"Well, I'm Sarutobi Asuma. But you can just call me Asuma-sensei. Kiba will show you the locker rooms. Today we're playing basketball, and we need you to make the teams even. Here's your locker combination." Asuma scribbled a few digits on the paper before returning it to its rightful owner. Naruto accepted it, thanking his teacher before turning to walk with a chattering Kiba to the locker rooms.

"Ugh, why does he smell like that?" Naruto twisted the knob on his lock back and forth. Kiba's locker was only two away from his so he began to do the same.

"What? Like an ashtray?" Kiba barked out, another round of chuckles beginning to erupt from him.

"Yeah! He smelt like he eats cigarettes rather than smokes them. "

Naruto lifted his shirt up and over his head, flinging it into his locker, as more people began to fill the locker room.

Kiba, on the other hand, was clutching his own bare stomach in laughter.

"You're a riot, kid." He let his chuckles die down as he unbuttoned his pants, sliding them off to slip on a pair of gym shorts.

"Heh heh, you think?" Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a grin, turning slightly to face his new friend.

Kiba turned, mirroring Naruto's grin with a nod.

"Alright, alright. Get a room, lovebirds." A male with a spiky ponytail that seemed to defy gravity and beady black eyes, interjected.

"Shut up, Shikamaru. I'm the farthest from gay you can bad I can't say the same about you." Kiba turned back to his locker to continue dressing. Naruto turned farther to catch a glimpse of the lazy eyed newcomer.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Who's this guy?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm new here, 'ttebayo." The blonde responded, a bit louder than he had intended.

The corners of Shikamaru's lips curved downwards slightly as he turned to unlock his locker behind Naruto.

"Another loud mouth. How troublesome." Shikamaru scoffed, lifting his shirt over his head.

Naruto's smile faded as he turned back to his own locker, bending over to reach into his backpack for the new gym clothes Jiraiya had bought him.

Feeling the nudge of an elbow in his side, Naruto paused. He glanced up to see Kiba leaning in to speak to him in a hushed tone.

"Don't mind him. He doesn't mean any harm. That's just how he is." He muttered before slamming his own locker shut.

"Oi, I'll meet you guys back in the gym. You guys take too long!" Kiba called out as he scrambled out.

Naruto nodded, pulling on his gym clothes in silence. He and Shikamaru shut their lockers simultaneously, only exchanging brief glances as they exited the locker-room as well.

**A/N:** _Naruto just can't get a break. With every friend he gains, he seemed to gain two enemies. Haha! I was in a pretty good mmood, so I treated you with another chapter same-day (:_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

The next period did nothing to ease Sasuke's temper. His head was still spinning from the altercation with a certain blonde, and to make matters worse he had managed to make a fool of himself by slipping on coffee his teacher had accidentally spilt at the entrance of the classroom. Luckily he didn't fall, but he was dangerously close.

Sasuke gave a defeated sigh, heading to his seat as the teacher apologized profusely. What had he done to deserve this lately? He could already begin to call this the second worst day of his life and it had barely begun.

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted when a sweet fragrance penetrated his nostrils. He grimaced, moving his hand to shield his nose as one of his peers sat in the seat next to him.

"Hey, did you do the Winter Break packet? I thought it was a bit difficult but good thing it's due Friday instead of today or else I would've been totally screwed. So what do you say, we work on it together this weekend?" Ino rambled as she unpacked her backpack and spritzed herself with more perfume, before turning to the other.

"Hn." Sasuke turned away from her, silently cursing their seating arrangements. He was about one more spritz of perfume from jumping out the nearest window.

* * *

"Woo! We won! Suck it, bitches!" Kiba grabbed a handful of his crotch, barking obscenities at the opposite team, who in return waved him off heading for the locker rooms. They were used to Kiba's antics and zealous attitude when playing. And to make matters worse they were playing basketball, and the brunette was a point guard for the school's team. And on top of that, he'd been voted MVP consecutively for 3 years, despite trash talking.

Naruto wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead with the back of his hand. Though he hadn't make many shots, he'd worked his ass off running up and down the court blocking the opposing team's shots. And quite frankly, he was in desperate need of a shower.

"Yo, Naruto!" Satisfied with his gloating, Kiba pranced over to the blonde.

"You were killing it out there! You should definitely consider joining the basketball team. And lucky for you, we're having tryouts next week."

"I don't know. I never really pictured myself as the type to be on a sports team." Naruto gave a weak chuckle.

Besides, his game plan for the rest of the school year was to lay low and blend in. Especially considering the events of earlier that morning. The last thing he needed was a repeat of what happened at his previous school. He couldn't afford to keep running from his past, switching from school to school.

Naruto lifted his hand to graze his fingers across the scars on one of his cheek. They were a constant reminder that, not everyone was worthy of his trust and he needed to keep his guard up.

But the opportunity of meeting friends was a little too good to pass up.

"You know what. I'll consider it."

"Heeey, cool! I'm gonna hit the showers." Kiba patted Naruto's back, flashing his shiny whites before jogging off in the direction of the exit.

Naruto was about to do the same, but an eerie feeling fell over him. Glancing around himself, he saw that he was the only one left in the gym. Even Asuma-sensei had been making his way to the exit.

For now, Naruto ignored the feeling and headed towards the locker room to join the others.

* * *

The next period went by smoothly for Naruto. Well, for the most part. He had Art that period, and were doing 'conceptual paintings'. Which basically meant, sit in front of an easel and improvise the entire period.

Under normal circumstances, Naruto wouldn't mind this, but it was the fact that a disgruntled Uchiha had entered the class not too long after him that kept him on edge. Not only that but he could practically feel said teen's glare daggering the back of his head throughout the entire class.

His efforts to ignore the attention Sasuke was giving him weren't successful, but luckily he was saved by the bell. At the sound, the students scattered and filled the hallways, while the slower few staggered along after packing their bags.

Any other time, Naruto would've opted to be the bigger person, but he couldn't let the opportunity pass him up. When Sasuke passed by his row, Naruto inched his foot out slightly.

Sasuke fell flat on his face. He hadn't even had enough time to catch his fall. In a pushup position, Sasuke hoisted himself up. But by the time he got a chance to stand, he was the only one left in the classroom. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he headed for the exit as well.

'_If that's how you want to play, so be it.'_

* * *

Naruto pushed aside the double doors of the cafeteria, a triumphant yet smug expression plastered across his face. As soon as he stepped in, an arm slung around his shoulder.

Immediately the blonde swung his elbow back and into the stomach of the other, before turning to face his attacker.

"Shit, Naruto! What the fuck?!" Kiba doubled over, clutching his abdomen while Shikamaru and two other companions of theirs stood wide-eyed at the scene before them.

"Oh, fuck! I'm so sorry!" Naruto grabbed Kiba's arm and helped him up. "I've just been kind of on edge. That Uchiha guy has been down my back all day and I don't know what he has up his sleeve." Naruto told Kiba of his eventful morning, conveniently leaving out his faults in the matter. Though he would admit he instigated certain actions, he didn't they were significant enough to be worth mentioning.

The rest of Kiba's crew had already gone to get their lunches and already seated themselves when Naruto finished his story. Kiba shook his head.

"I swear, man. These Uchihas are getting worse than those snobby ass Hyuugas. After that incident when we were younger, Sasuke's been a complete ass.

"But usually, he's the the kind of ass that'll just ignore you completely or look at you funny. He must really have it against you." Kiba chuckled as he and Naruto headed to the lunch line.

"Can he not?" Naruto added, before sniffing around. The familiar aroma of broth perked him up. Where there was broth, there had to be…

Chicken noodle soup.

'_Close enough, I guess.'_ Naruto shrugged to himself before reaching up to grab one of the many bowls on the counter. Kiba nodded towards the table and Naruto got the hint and followed.

* * *

" What the fuck did you do that for?!" Karin reached over the table and smacked the back of Sai's head. Said male winced, rubbing the now tender area of his scalp.

"That soup smelled like ass." Sai scrunched up his nose in disgust.

"So! That doesn't mean you just fling my bowl across the table, you fucking idiot!"

" I was only doing you a favor. If anything you should be thanking me. You're welcome."

Sai rested his head on his propped up arm and gave a small grin.

Earlier in the school year, Sasuke had grown fond of Sai. They were alike in many ways; silent, conserved, and a times snarky. After inviting himself to sit with Sasuke's table once, he made it a regular occurrence.

Karin had never taken a liking to the pale male, in fact, she hated him and his smart mouth. But Jugo, however, felt indifferent towards him.

Before Karin had the chance to swing at Sai, she was lifted into the air by Jugo, his arms looping under her armpits to hold her arms back. He legs flailed everywhere as she spat curses at him as he packed his things, said his goodbyes before walking off. Sasuke shook his head at the scene before him, dipping his spoon into his own soup.

But as soon as he lifted the spoon to his lips, Karin had kicked his bowl off the table and into the walkway in her fury.

Not a second after, a certain blonde slid across the chicken noodle soup puddle and landed flat on his back. His bowl that he had been carrying, flew into the air before ceremoniously showering him with its contents.

The cafeteria went silent as Naruto slowly lifted himself to his feet. Sasuke could barely stifle his laughter, the blonde look truly pathetic to be totally honest. He had noodles dangling from his sopping wet hair, and bits of chicken clinging to his eyelashes.

"This look suits you a lot better. Congratulations on making a fool of yourself yet again." Sasuke slowly clapped in mock applause, standing to be on eye-level with Naruto.

The blond snapped wrapping Sasuke's tie around his fist before dragging his off and away from onlookers. As they entered the nearby mens' restroom, the voices of the students in the cafeteria slowly rose back to its typical volume.

As soon as the door shut, Naruto took no time in shoving Sasuke up against it, causing his head to slam against it.

"You know what, you fucking asshole! It's my first day and you're already making this place a living hell for me. You even dumped your soup in front of me so I'd slip."

Sasuke rose a finger, opening his mouth to deny the allegations. But that only resulted in Naruto slamming him against the door again.

This time Sasuke wasn't going to let him get away with it. He swifty abdomen and when the blond doubled over, he took the opportunity to knock him over and onto his butt. Pulling Naruto's hair back so he could get a clear view of his face, Sasuke leaned in looking the blonde dead into the eyes.

"Listen, punk. I have a rep to withhold here, and I'll be damned if I let some uncultured loser come and ruin it for me. You obviously don't know your place. Overstep your boundaries again and I'll make sure you regret it.

"Oh and before I forget. If you flake out on our assignment next week, I'll make sure Jugo pays you visit."

"Who the fuck is, Jugo? I'm not afraid of you, bastard!" Naruto spat in Sasuke's face,, just beneath his eye.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his grip on Naruto's hair tightened and he retracted his other arm ready to pummel the blonde's face in.

That is, until the bathroom door opened. In came a heavy set teen, known as Chouji, holding his stomach and groaning in pain before quickly scurrying into a stall.

"You've been touched by an angel." Sasuke smirked. He let go of Naruto's hair, fixing his disheveled clothes as he exited the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?"

"I don't want to hear it, Sai." Sasuke dipped his paintbrush in the water cup, and tapped it before swirling it on his palette. It was the last period of the day and he was tired of hearing about the events from earlier. He wanted to put it behind him and get on with his life, but apparently Sai wasn't going to let that happen just yet.

"Besides, where were you when all of this happened? Last I checked, you fled the scene before everything went down."

"Oh, I have my ways of finding things out." Sai placed a finger to his lips and gave a sly wink, which in turn earned an eyeroll from the other. "Besides, it's the talk of the school right now."

Sasuke didn't acknowledge Sai and continued to stroke his canvas with his paintbrush. That is, until he felt a tickle on the back of his neck. Smacking Sai's paintbrush away, Sasuke gave him a sharp glare.

"Can you not?"

"Alright, I'll let you be. I have some business to handle in the darkroom anyway." Sai shrugged, grabbing his camera from the nearby table before making his exit.

Sasuke adverted his gaze back to his canvas, thinking of how he would proceed with the painting, when his phone started to buzz in pants. He set down his palette and fished it out of his pocket.

It was his manager, Orochimaru.

"Hello."

"I've got a gig for you booked at 3:00. So I took the liberty of excusing you from the rest of your class. It's a 'Uprising Talent' interview to accompany the shoot you did yesterday. There's wardrobe specialists on set, so don't worry about changing on your way here. Do you need a ride?"

"No."

"Alright, I'll text you the location information right now."

Sasuke hung up the phone, and placed it into his pocket as he began to pack his belongings. As of late, he's been getting more modeling gigs than ever and as a result began having to be pulled out of classes frequently. He's been gaining popularity with the masses rapidly and honestly Sasuke didn't know how to feel about it.

He had only meant for modeling to be something to cover his financial needs until he was eighteen and got the assistance of what was left for him in his parents' will, not as a career path.

He had dreams and aspirations of his own which didn't include flaunting his body to fulfill the voids of male eyecandy in women's (and some men's) lives by fulfilling their fantasies via an alternate persona. But right now, his values and morals weren't nearly as important as his salary.

Otherwise he wouldn't be afford to stay enrolled in the private high school he attends. or stay living in his family's estate, for that matter. The latter of which, he'd lately been having trouble with recently. Bills definitely weren't cheap. Since his brother decided to flee the country, the property was put in the hands of a bank and in order not to lose it he had to pay rent monthly.

But luckily, he may have just dodged a bullet by having a sudden increase of gigs. As long as he didn't let his influx in stardom get to his head, Sasuke was content in staying like that for a little while longer.

Sasuke was getting the last of his television makeup applied, when he was approached by his manager.

"So, you're sure this interview is about my career and nothing else?"

"Of course, I've told them to keep it strictly professional and not to go too personal, so don't worry your pretty little head."

Orochimaru held a smug smile upon his features as he ran his fingers through Sasuke's hair before pinning one side back with some bobby pins. Sasuke brushed away Orochimaru's hand away. His manager, while being very efficient in his job, could get a little touchier than Sasuke had liked. If he hadn't have known any better, he'd have been suspicions of the elder man's feelings for him. And whether his actions were endearing or predatory. But for the most part, Sasuke ignored his advances. As long as Jugo was around, his safety wouldn't be compromised.

"Today's a big day for you. She's very well known upon the masses so this can make or break you in this industry. I suggest you don't fuck it up."

"Pft, do I look like an idio-ACK!." At this remark, one of the stylists had accidentally sprayed hairspray into Sasuke's mouth, causing him to gag and go into a coughing fit. She apologized profusely as Sasuke shot her a glare.

"I don't know about that. But, that ass is looking spectacular." Orochimaru gave a sly wink and a flick of his unusually long tongue before walking off, switching his hips along the way. Sasuke shuddered before he was led to the set on stage.

There was a light blue loveseat sitting across from another one with a small glass coffee table in front of them, garnished with a vase of white Gardenias. Sasuke had a seat, crossing one of his legs over the other, as the interviewer sat across from him, playing with her hair while looking through her compact mirror.

"And we're rolling in 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!" The director mothed zero as the interviewer stashed away her mirror and turned her head to smile at the camera.

"Hello, everyone. It's Miyu Tachibana, and we're back with a whole new episode of 'Model Watch With Miyu'. Today our segment is about new and uprising talent, shining their way into the spotlight and into our hearts." She made a heart symbol with her hands an held it up to her chest.

Sasuke had to resist the urge of scoffing at the cliche'd gesture.

"Today we have a young man who I know many of you have probably already heard of and know very well. Sasuke Uchiha!" She let out a squeal at the end of his name, as the camera panned over to him. The tape recording of a crowd screaming and cheering played, and Sasuke waved , as if to an audience, and gave a bright smile.

"Thank you for coming!"

"I'm glad to be here, Miyu."

"Well, lets get down and gritty. We've seen you do numerous shoots throughout this year of your debut. From fashion magazines to advertisements, your face has been adored by many fans. Would you ever consider pursuing a career in acting? I'm sure we'd all love to see you live in action~" Miyu inched to the edge of her seat, giving all of her attention to the young man before her.

"I'm flattered, but no, it isn't a future plan or an interest of mine at all. I don't really think I'm cut out for that kind of thing."

"Aw, okay. Hopefully you'll give it some thought! How about your life at home? What are your parents like? Do you have any siblings?"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced around the set briefly before back to her.

"I'd rather not speak about that. I am, however working with Calvin Klein on an underwear shoot next month."

"Is it true that your parents are deceased, and are victims of homicide?"

Sasuke's jaw tightened. "Can we please change the subject?"

"And it is rumored that your older brother, Itachi Uchiha is a suspect in that murder. How do you feel about that?"

At that, Sasuke snapped. He took the vase of flowers on the table and tossed them at a nearby wall and kicked over the coffee table.

"I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT!"

Sasuke stormed out shoving anyone who was in his way. He was sick of this. Knowing Orochimaru, he was probably in on it too.

"Sasuke!" Jugo called out, trying to catch up to him. Sasuke kept walking, picking up his pace even more. He walked across a busy roadway, various cars and trucks honking at him along the way, and stopped when he was dead ended in an alleyway.

His back against the wall, he slumped down to the floor. His shaky hands reached into his pants pocket, fishing out his pack of cigarettes. He lit one of them hastily and shut his eyes.

Nothing's changed since then. He was still that scared little boy, running away from his issues and living in fear. He cursed himself for letting his brother have that kind of power over him. But his brother was gone. After killing their parents, Itachi had fled the country and was no where to be found, leaving Sasuke, who was at the tender age of 10 years old at the time feeling hopeless and having to find his own means of survival.

"Sasuke, get up." He opened his eyes to see Jugo towering over him. Sasuke glowered when his cigarette was snatched from him and stomped into the ground by the other.

"Just leave me be. I'm sick of you people pretending like you give a fuck! Just go!"

Jugo didn't falter, instead he grabbed Sasuke's forearm to lift him to his feet.

"Let me go, you fucking faggot! Leave me alone!" Sasuke began to pound away at the Jugo's chest and aimed a few shots at his face, although he missed.

Jugo wordlessly wrapped his arms around Sasuke tightly, cradling his head over his shoulder.

"Stop! I said let me go." Sasuke's beating died down as the embrace didn't falter.

"I'm here, Sasuke."

"I fucked up…" Sasuke let out a quiet sob as he buried his face deeper into Jugo's shoulder.

Sasuke took the rest of that week off school to get his head in the right place. With everything that went on in the interview, the press was too far up his ass for him to go anywhere. He flipped on the television in the kitchen before continuing to chop tomato slices for his turkey sandwich.

"-Uchiha who violently reacted to accusations of his brother being a murderer."

-click-

"'YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT! YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT! YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT!' As we can see, Sasuke Uchiha has no blatant care for people's feelings. Who knew this guy was such a sexist piece of-"

-click-

"Consider Sasuke's career over."

-click-

Sasuke shut off the television this time, wishing he had never turned it on in the first place. He sat on the couch in his living room, dressed in a tanktop and sweats, sandwich in hand.

He had been expecting Jugo to be over pretty soon to bring him his school work and guide him through it.

Honestly Sasuke didn't know what he'd do without Jugo by his side. If it weren't for him, he'd be dead by now, for sure.

Sasuke crumpled the papertowel that once held his sandwich, and disposed of it in the trash can in the kitchen. Glancing at his wristwatch, he read the time.

3:00pm

A half hour before school let out. Sasuke took this as a chance to do some excersise. He walked down the long narrow corridor of the house until he reached the sliding door leading to the backyard. He stepped into his running shoes which he convenietly kept there and tied his hair into a short ponytail to keep it out of the way.

Giving himself sometime to stretch, Sasuke went on with his activities.

He took a jog around his backyard, alternating between standard running and knee-highs. Now that he was warmed up, he stepped into the shed in the back that he had turned into his own personal weight and cardio room. He went to the punching bag first, bouncing on his toes in a boxer's stance.

He threw the first jab, before alternating fists in a three hit combination move. He then went on to practice his front, side, and roundhouse kicks. Already he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Excersising always seemed to have that effect on him, that's why he tried to do it more often than not. Not that he had much of a choice anyway. His line of work demanded that he stay in the best shape as possible.

His motions came to a halt as he heard a loud crash coming from his home. Bursting through the shed, he hastily flung the back door open and stepped into his home cautiously.

"Hello? Who's there?"

He heard the front door slam then. Sasuke walked quickly down the corridor but came to a complete stop once he saw the condition of his once pristine living room. The further Sasuke stepped in, the worse the scene got. The couch was slashed, it's stuffing hanging out in various areas, and the vase of flowers he kept on the coffee table was now shattered on the floor. His flat screen television, now sporting a rather impressive amount of cracks, hung on only one end, dangling against his wall. His family pictures on the wall were spray painted over, and some ripped up on the floor.

A bright yellow post-it hung from the front door. Sasuke stepped around the shattered glass to pick it up. What was written on it was the simplest of phrases, yet knowing from who it came made Sasuke's stomach curl.

'See you soon.'

**A/N: And the drama begins~ I'd like to take the time to thank each of my reviews for taking the time to tell me what you like and dislike about the story so far. I want you to know that I read each of them and that they encourage me to continue and write more. Thank you! **

**Also I'd like to give a shoutout to my homie (Luciferism). If you're into NaruSaku, or stories with a lot of drama in general, check out her recent ongoing fic: Deception **

**/s/10551085/1/**

**(Paste that part after fanfic. net)**

**Until next time~**


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Naruto, Drama, Romance