Chapter 4
Two Years Later
Sasuke was walking down the road towards the academy. He was wearing his signature dark blue shirt, with white shorts. He was whistling some tune, he had heard his mother singing this morning. It was a lullaby he remembered his mom was singing to him as a child. HE was still whistling when he felt a presence on his right.
“Ah, shut up teme! I swear, fricking tone deaf is what you are.” Sasuke felt himself smile in spite of himself.
“And a good morning to you too, Dobe.” Naruto, was scowling, but then again he wasn’t really a morning person.
“What the hell has got you so frickin’ happy this morning?” Naruto grumbled, he was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt with grey stripes on the sleeves and the whirlpool insignia, and a pair of black knee length pants. Sasuke smiled.
“Ahh, the sweet thought of smoking more students at the academy has gotten me happier.” Naruto snorted.
Sasuke didn’t need to tell him why he was happy. He and Itachi had spoken this morning about how different Naruto had become. They had become friends, no he corrected himself, they had become more like brothers. Even, Itachi enjoyed being around the blonde. He had a strange air around him. He was desperately trying to be pessimistic around others, but when it was just the three of them, Naruto relaxed into this kind, gentle, and caring person. Sasuke loved that he’d been a part of the transformation. They bickered good naturedly until they reached the Academy, Sasuke sighed as Naruto fell silent and his face sombered and fell into a cold mask of disinterest. But he just kept walking until they reached the classroom, and sat down in the third row, in their seats. They were right on time, and as they walked up Naruto rolled his eyes at Sasuke’s fangirls, they all hung around drooling watching him.
As one girl stepped forward, Naruto sent a hard glare her way. As she scuttled back to the waiting arms of her friends Naruto let his head fall into his hands. He massaged his temples.
Dang….Its only eight. My head is already killing me. I hate this stupid Academy. Naruto just kept trying to assuage his ache as Iruka walked in.
“Welcoem back! How was everyone’s vacation?” Iruka spoke happily, and he looked across the room as he received a smattering of responses. However, his gaze settled on a young blonde wearing a white shirt and black pullover. The boy was staring out of a window.
“Perhaps, we should have a couple people come up and tell us about their break activities?” He waited as several students volunteered. He allowed them up, then called out.
“How about we hear from Sasuke-kun next?” Sasuke shrugged. He stood up told the class about his training with his brother.
“Hmm, and Naruto?” Narkuto kept staring out of the widnow.
“Naruto?...Naruto!” He snapped out his reverie, and glared at Iruka.
“What do you want?” He said flatly. Iruka’s eyebrow shot up.
“Is that how you speak to your sensei?” Naruto looked at him, appearing quite bored with what Iruka was saying.
“I guess that isn’t how I’m supposed to talk to a sensei, but I’m still waiting for you to become my teacher. Until then, I guess you’ll just have to wait won’t you?” Naruto’s eyes bored into Iruka, as if he could see into his deepest recess of his soul. Then Sasuke elbowed him.
“Just answer his question, dobe.” Naruto glared at his friend but then in a quiet voice simply stated he spent his vacation training. Then, he went back to looking out the window. Iruka sighed. He wasn’t quite reaching the boy, and wasn’t sure he would be able to. But he was given this assignment by the Hokage himself, so he’d try his best.
“Thank you, Naruto. But you’ll have to stay for your little outburst.” That made Naruto scowl. Iruka chuckled to himself.
At least he is able to show some emotion, he has come quite a ways in two years.
Sasuke sighed as he packed up.
“Naruto I’ll be at training ground 1. Try to hurry. Aniki hates waiting.” He got up and walked out of the classroom. Naruto was silently fuming. He almost wished he hadn’t promised Itachi he’d obey the Academy teachers. He’d been fine chasing teachers from the classroom, with his impossible manners but Iruka, he was determined, and strangely he seemed to target Naruto as if he could sense something that the boy was hiding.
Well he’ll never know what’s behind my mask. He grinned at that thought. But as Iruka walked up to him, he set His face into the mask of indifference.
“Naruto…”
Great, I’m going to get a lecture about respect again.
“Naruto, what am I supposed to do for you?” Naruto let his head slip to the side, in surprise.
“Naruto, you have been in my care in this academy for the past two years, and yet you continually put space between you and your classmates. You insult others, intimidate people, and insinuate authority in the classroom. I want to help you, I want to understand you! I really do! But you need to meet me halfway Naruto.” Iruka watched as the blonde boy’s eyes diverged from his. He could sense the boy warming up to him already.
“Alright Naruto, you can go now.” Iruka gave him a quick smile, and Naruto gave him a hesistant look before running out of the classroom.
As Naruto ran for the training ground, he spotted something that caused him to groan aloud. Sasuke was cornered by fifteen girls and they were steadily closing in like lionesses on the prowl. Naruto growled as he stopped behind the crowd of pre-pubescent girls and muttered. Then he gently tapped a girl with brown hair on her shoulder. She turned and jumped. He fixed her with his cold empty glare. Then he preceeded to push through the crowd, the girls hissed at him but then they jumped back. When he finally reached Sasuke, he sighed in frustration. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Then he turned to the crowd of girls.
“Scram.” He hissed in anger. The girls disappeared in seconds, except for Sasuke’s two biggest fan girls, Sakura a fiery pinkette, and Ino a pretty blonde. Naruto could feel a headache coming on. The two girls gave him a disappointed frown. He growled at them.
“Sorry, but Sasuke has a prior engagement and you two, have made us late.” They stood their ground and frowned at him more.
“Sasuke-kun doesn’t belong to you!” the Pink haired girl said with a smile. Naruto gave her a feral grin.
“Yes you’re right. But he won’t belong to either of you, ever.” Then, he turned his back on them speaking to Sasuke instead.
“You, were supposed to get to Training ground one. Itachi’s gonna be pissed.” He said it quietly. Sasuke shrugged.
“What do you want me to do? I can’t beat up a bunch of defenseless girls…” Naruto groaned again.
This time he just pulled Sasuke with him, his glare effectively keeping all fan girls at a respectable distance. Once they reached the gate, Naruto turned and yelled.
“Any fan girl found on the training grounds spying will be used for training!” He said it darkly, and pulled Sasuke with him. Once they were inside the training grounds Naruto locked the gates with relish.
“You’re late.” A dark voice muttered. A grumpy Itachi wearing his ANBU uniform was leaning against a training post.
“Don’t look at me. Yell at lover boy over there.” Naruto said it matter-a-factly and proceeded to take a seat against the training poles. Sasuke managed to look insulted as he walked forward.
“You got cornered again, Sasuke?” Itachi’s eyes betrayed his amusement. His face was red with shame.
“I couldn’t bring myself to harm a bunch of innocent girls!” He managed to choke out. Naruto sniggered.
“Oh yeah! Those annoying girls are soo innocent, they didn’t even look like predators stalking their cornered prey!” Naruto snorted with laughter, and Sasuke to his immense annoyance saw Itachi smiling too. Sasuke grunted, then spoke in a sugary sweet voice, that sent shivers up Naruto’s spine.
“Aniki? Can we start with some sparring?” Naruto’s sixth sense was ringing in his head, he was sensing a great danger to his life, as he Itachi nod and Sasuke’s face break into a vicious smile. Sasuke leapt with blinding grace to the open space in front of them.
“Come on, Naruto! Lets have some fun.” As he spoke the last word his eyes flashed and his Sharingan activated. Naruto swallowed hard.
Its going to be a long training session…
After an hour of intense hand to hand combat, Itachi called them to a break. Sasuke nodded, having vented most of his anger out. Naruto winced, and stepped gingerly trying to make his bruised body move any faster than it had to. They settled down and ate a small meal Itachi had with him. Then Itachi had them practice their throwing. He stepped back against a tree. Naruto smiled at Sasuke.
“Sasuke-kun,” He said in a singsong voice.
“Would you like to make this practice more interesting?” Sasuke could sense a brewing revenge, but he couldn’t think of a way to get out of it.
“Sure, Ototou.” He said it because he knew that Naruto hated that he was younger. Naruto smiled,
“Come on Sasuke. Lets see who can land a weapon on the other person’s target.” Sasuke swallowed this time. Even without Uchiha eyes, Naruto was a formidable opponent. Sasuke usually had to rely on his Sharingan to get them on an even playing field. He knew that Naruto was actually a genius who hid his talents, well. But he smiled as well.
“Lets!” HE replied and sent three shuriken at Naruto’s posts which were immeadiately knocked out of the air by two kunai followed by five shuriken at his post. Sasuke managed to hit tehm out of the air, and defend his post. They began to hurl ninja weapons with lethal accuracy at the posts. Thirty minutes later, they were breathing hard and the posts were unharmed but weapons covered the ground in front of them. Then Naruto hurled a knife a Sasuke, who dodged it easily but missed that Naruto had neatly pinned his log with five kill shots. Sasuke scrunched his face in annoyance.
“I win.” Naruto sang like a small child. Sasuke couldn’t help but smile at his friend. Naruto reached down to help his friend up.
“Well done, Naruto.” Itachi breathed into his ear and he yelped and dropped Sasuke. Itachi was gently laughing, as Naruto apologized and glared at him.
“Well it’s time for us to go home.” Naruto moved his face to a smile, but his eyes betrayed the sadness he felt.
“Hey don’t worry! We’ll come down and visit more tomorrow and Nii-san will keep training us right?” Sasuke said with a generous elbow to his Aniki’s ribs. Itachi winced and nodded. This time, Naruto’s smile reached his eyes and he waved them off before going around and picking up the fallen weapons.
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