Growing Up and Getting a Life

A Naruto Fiction by S. Wright

Summary: When Naruto Uzumaki looked at Sasuke Uchiha, he saw everything that he was not. Sasuke was perfection in the eyes of many and Naruto hated him for it. In Naruto's mind, he and Sasuke were rivals, enemies known to each other until one day Sasuke asked, "Naruto who?"

Alternative Universe, non-Ninja world set in the US. There may be a few Japanese words thrown about, but that depend on most of the character's ages and if I want to them to be natives or whatnot. There will be heterosexual couples in this, that is your warning, heed it. However, this is a Sasuke and Naruto romance.

Read, enjoy, and review (Can't say that it will influence my writing speed but they are nice to receive.)

Chapter One: Reality steps in and backhands you with a brick

It happened and was over in a single moment.

The loud-mouth pretentious blond hooligan stood in the middle of the hall of Sasuke Saratobi Memorial High School staring at the retreating back of Sasuke Uchiha as the other boy walked away from the blond kid who moments before had declared how much better 'Naruto Uzumaki' was than Sasuke.

Sasuke had frowned, it was oblivious to everyone standing in the hallway that he frustrated and just wanted to get away to his last class for the day. He pushed up his glasses, his frown deepened when he saw the kid flinch; he thought Sasuke was going to take a swing at him.

Sasuke sighed as he fixed the kid with a firm stare and said, "I don't know who your friend is, kid, nor do I care. If neither of you have anything better to do with your lives than running trying to start fights and make up rivalries, then you have far more free time than those of us who actually care about our futures more than high school. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go to class. I don't have time to listen to a cheerleader."

With that, Sasuke Uchiha walked away and took Naruto's pride with him.

Naruto could feel eyes on him as he pulled himself together and went to his own class. He felt eyes on him throughout the entire lesson, along with the whispers, and the texting. The teacher said nothing, this was the first time in the entire semester Naruto Uzumaki was quiet during class and she was going to enjoy it.

As he left school, Naruto was the subject of intense scrutiny of the student body. Someone had recorded his dressing down and posted it on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and now everyone in the world knew who he was but not how he imagined.

As he walked to his car, a random girl shouted out "It's about time someone shut you up, Uzumaki."

"Bullies like you need to be brought down a peg or two," someone, a guy shouted at Naruto's car.

"When are you going to grow up?" he heard before peeling out of the student parking lot. Naruto had completely forgotten about Kiba, in his desperate need to be away from his shame.

At home, Naruto sat in his bedroom staring blankly at wall as the day replayed itself in his mind. It had been his typical day. He arrived late to school, joked around with Kiba, went to a few of his classes, asked Sakura for a date but was shot down, complained about Sasuke to Kiba, and skipped a few classes with Kiba to hit a joint, saw later in the afternoon Sakura with a few other girls fawning over Sasuke while the other boy was taking a book out of his locker.

That was when everything went wrong.

Naruto, still a bit high, and being egged on by Kiba, stormed over to the group, with every intention on starting a fight with Sasuke. He was going to prove to Sasuke and everyone who worshipped him that was Sasuke nothing. Sasuke did not deserve their praise and admiration, because he was loser, an anti-social bastard who did not love Sakura and wasn't like Naruto.

Naruto was tired of Sasuke having everything that he wanted so Naruto was going to take it all and bask in the glory of the popularity and admiration that Naruto knew should have been his all along.

In his mind, when Naruto threw himself before Sasuke, he saw Sakura turning her nose up the Uchiha-brat as she sashay over to Naruto finally realizing that he was the man for her and Sasuke was going to be crying for her to come back to him.

Then Naruto's world dissolved. Sasuke didn't know who he was. He thought Naruto was someone else and the guy in front of him was some groupie fan-boy.

Naruto lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. After that utter humiliating encounter the rest of Naruto's day went straight into the crapper. His confrontation with Sasuke served as a catalyst for the student body of SSM High and they were not quiet in showing their contempt for the troublemaker who until that afternoon never knew how many people disliked him. He didn't like what the other kids in school had said about him as he left to go home. He wasn't the bully, he wasn't an arrogant jerk, nor was he the bad guy. Damn it! It was Sasuke, why couldn't the others just see it.

Except Naruto never heard of Sasuke getting into fights with anyone in school since freshman year when Sasuke took down some senior with three quick hits. Everyone knew Sasuke was a Fifth Degree black belt; he was on the Kendo team, captain of rugby, lacrosse, and basketball teams. Sasuke was on the Junior Olympic Boxing team and he taught Karate at the local Boys' and Girls' Club. Sasuke was a straight A-student in all advance courses and for the last two years he had been in AP courses, and he was graduating with full honours as valedictorian.

Naruto did none or was not any of those things.

Back when he was younger, Naruto's godfather had taught him martial arts, ninjutsu, but over the years Naruto didn't keep up with it. Nowadays Naruto usually just hung out with his friend Kiba, playing video games, going out, trying to get laid, or high. He never thought he was hurting anyone. In Naruto's mind, he was just having fun and enjoying his life, while being a clown.

Was it so wrong that he wanted a little attention from everyone and the girl of his dream on his arm?

Unfortunately, as Naruto learned, it was.

The next day, Naruto stayed home from school. He didn't answer his phone or his emails, knowing that only person who would call was Kiba because he was usually the other boy's ride to school. He did nothing by lie in his bed trying to figure out how this all went wrong for him.

It was the weekend, Naruto for the first time in a very long time did not go out, he was not hosting a party, or doing he would normally be doing. He just stayed in bed until Monday morning.

Monday rolled around, and Naruto actually showed was in his first class of the day. The teacher was surprised to hear him reply to his name and more so by the silence that immediately followed.

Naruto's eyes drifted over to unusual rosé coloured hair and terrible little smile crawled over his lips as he looked at the girl he wanted to love him. Naruto had loved Sakura from the very first moment he saw when he entered high school. She wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, but she was pretty enough for Naruto even when she had strawberry blonde hair that went so well with her Kelly green eyes. But she changed her hair when she heard that stupid rumor Naruto started with the hope of pulling Sakura away from him only to have the reverse happen. Sakura never looked at Naruto the way he looked at her and even when she did look in his direction, it was an in disgust or annoyance.

The latest rumor was that Sakura was thinking about getting a restraining order. Her friend, Ino said maliciously, all the while the witch's eyes were glued on Naruto. Apparently, Sakura didn't feel safe with Naruto around.

Suddenly depressed, Naruto looked down at his desk and when he looked up again, and before he knew it the school day was over and Kiba was bouncing around him, demanding to know where Naruto had been all weekend while making plans to come over to his house.

Not wanting to disappoint his friend, Naruto agreed and with a whoop, Kiba set out inviting everyone over for a party. Feeling somewhat better at his friend's exuberance, Naruto could not help but to feel excited and as he shook of his depressive air. Kiba was just like Naruto except Naruto had a trust fund and a mansion on the other side of town that he lived in with only a staff ran by a butler.

Naruto's guardian lived in Japan and never visited the US. Naruto would meet Jiraya ever other summer in some country for wild tour. When with Jiraya, Naruto was still alone. He would be given anything and everything he wanted but it was never enough. Naruto had sex when he was thirteen, but he had started drinking the year before that and at fourteen, drugs were thrown in the mix.

Naruto didn't have to go to college, but Jiraya had already secured him a place at Harvard because it was where Naruto's father had gone to school and Jiraya had something about Naruto's father wanting him to continue the tradition. Naruto would graduate with a degree in Business and Finance and then move into his position as the CEO of Nam-CO International. All of this planned down to the detail. Naruto would never have to do anything except show up and take a few pictures.

People were hired to write his papers, professors had been bought, the president of Harvard already had his degree ready to go, he just had to show up on the first day of his classes, let the press take photographs of the Namikaze heir.

So why was he so fixated on Sakura and Sasuke?

The easy answer was that Naruto was used to having everything he wanted when he wanted it so it upset him when he could not have the things that he desired.

Naruto was richer than the Uchiha's could ever dream, but he didn't want Sakura to want him for his money alone. Sakura was a simple girl, plain, not too pretty, but she was smart and different from other people Naruto knew, so it was easy for him to decide that she was the one for him. Unfortunately, Sakura she fixated on Sasuke that it was impossible for her to see anyone other than him. Even when she was in Naruto's house, enjoying his things, Sakura was still talking about Sasuke even though the other boy hadn't come.

Feeling depressed and lonely, Naruto went looking for his only friend in the sea of people. Naruto looked around his house and all the people crammed into it, laughing, talking, and dancing, they were all having a grand time—but no one seemed to acknowledged his presence.

He could the see the sneers and hostile looks directed his way but he didn't think about it because he was still looking for his friend. And just when he found Kiba, standing around with a group of seniors who though they were popular, Naruto heard someone in the circle ask Kiba why had he invited him. The person, some girl whose name Naruto did not know, was looking at Naruto as she went into her denunciation as she moved closer to Kiba, her hands all over the costly pieces he wore with a greedy possessiveness that absurd and yet telling.

The covetous wench had the gall to say that Naruto was a loser and a social outcast. But it was his house, this was his liquor and food, all of this was his that these worthless little nobodies were using and taking advantage of so who was she or any of them to say anything since they were all guests of—

"…yeah, what else can I say," Naruto looked up when heard Kiba, he was apologizing to the simpering girl who from the look in her dark eyes was dreaming of spending the night in the fabulous mansion among many other things. Still Kiba continued to speak, shattering the remaining illusion Naruto had, this time it was about his supposed best friend. Kiba, the arrogant, self-important little fool was completely oblivious of the trap the little she-devil had walked him into, because she like everyone else had fallen for the same game. "Naruto is such a reject that you gotta feel sorry for him." Kiba said with a hint of contempt just edged with some enough pity to make it seem as if he was still a good guy.

"But you let him in your house, man," another nobody said, Naruto could practically feel the contempt rolling off the other, "Aren't you afraid he's gonna trash the place—"

"Or steal something," another added and before shoving Naruto in the back. "Why don't you go home, Loser, no one wants you here."

The sudden silence that overtook the room as the crowd turned on him, sneering and hostile, everyone waiting for him to get up and just disappear. With a jolt, Naruto realized that the people in his house, drinking his liquor and eating his food, using his game room, and touching his things did not know they were in his home.

Naruto never thought about how at all of his parties, how no one ever came up to him, but they flocked to Kiba, thanking Kiba for inviting them, thanking Kiba for throwing the best and wildest parties—Kiba was popular and well-liked because Kiba had been lying about who they really were. And there was Kiba now, realizing the position these little nobodies had unwittingly pushed him into without knowing it because that was the way Kiba had engineered this from the beginning.

Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder, at which he looked up into the face of his supposed friend, who was looking at him with expectation in his eyes. With a sick feeling, Naruto realized that Kiba wanted him to play along, to pretend because Kiba was just another nobody wanting to desperately impress the other little nobodies and his house of cards were tumbling down.

Before Kiba could open his mouth, Naruto spoke.

"I understand," he smiled, "Your friends don't want a loser like me to be here. They want me to go back to the trailer park on the other side of town were a poor, orphan boy like me is supposed to live with his abusive, drunk foster dad, right?" His smile turned vicious as Kiba's widen in fear. "Is that the story you have been telling everyone? Telling all these little people that this is your house, that the cars in the garage, and that clothes that you are wearing right now, all of this belongs to you?"

"Naruto, man," Kiba tried to laugh it off but there was no mistaking the fear and the loathing in his tone, "Just do us all a favor, man, and just go home."

Disgusted, humiliated, and betrayed, Naruto quickly ended the charade. Tuning his back on Kiba, Naruto stormed away, calling for his butler to turn everyone out and to call the police if his house was not cleared out in five minutes.

There was real confusion on the nobodies' faces.

They did not understand what was going on or why Kiba's staff was obeying Naruto—then it clicked as Naruto was ripping his clothes off Kiba, the silk shirt, the expensive jeans, and the Audemars Piguet watch. Kiba was thrown outside on the lawn with the rest of the nobodies and his clothes were tossed outside with him.

Naruto did not yell. Naruto did not say another word once the door was closed. He just went upstairs to his bedroom and tried to forget everything that had happened. There was no going back from this.

The next day at school, things were very different.

Naruto had walked to school instead of driving. He wanted to clear his head and just blend in for once. His uniform did not make him stand out as his regular clothing would. He looked the same as he always had, but now everyone knew he was the rich kid and they wanted to be in his good graces. They had all been to his house before, they knew what he had, and they wanted it again.

Walking into the school, Naruto heard his name, this time without the loathing and contempt that usually came with it. The calls today were friendly and filled with smiles from girls who just yesterday were shooting him down with looks of pure revulsion on their faces. The jocks and other so-called popular kids were clapping him about the shoulders and patting his back, call him 'Bud' and 'man' as if they were they were the best of friends, commenting on how great the party had been and asking we was going to have another.

Even Sakura was different.

Normally, Sakura could not find a moment to spare for Naruto much less a kind word, today she was full of soft smiles, and sweet blushes, and she had plenty to say to the boy who just the week before she violently rejected. Sakura sat beside Naruto in all of their shared classes, preening like a little princess as she giggled and flirted with Naruto throughout the day, latched on his arm, talking about where she wanted to go for their first date.

Today, Naruto had everything he wanted as of last week, but it was not what he wanted today.

Then he saw Sasuke Uchiha walking towards them.

Naruto heard Sakura gasp and quickly straighten herself as she smiled broadly. But Sasuke walked past them, his eyes never straying from book in his hands as he continued on…At least he hadn't changed.

As he was leaving for the day, an arm fell over Naruto's shoulders and hand grabbed his face as Kiba pressed a noisy kiss to side of his face before letting him go.

"There," the boisterous boy declared loudly earning everyone's attention with his usual antics. "We've kissed and made up and I forgive you for throwing me out naked on the street. Now let's go to your house and celebrate!"

"Yeah, party at Uzumaki's!" Someone shouted and the cry was quickly picked up as people began to rush out of the school towards their cars, or however they travelled, a race to be the first to arrive at Naruto's place.

Sakura was back at his side, on his arm with her little court of friends.

They were all blathering, making plans for what they were going to do. Sakura was frowning and starting to rant that she did not want to walk all the way to Naruto's house and a demanded that he call for a car to come pick them all up.

Ino sneered, "It's the least he could do."

Sakura was nodding her head, "I am your girlfriend, Naruto." She huffed, "You should treat me better."

Naruto stopped walking then. He looked at the others as they walked away from him, still talking and going on in their own little worlds that involved everything that was but without him.

This was everything he wanted, the girl of his dreams, the popularity, the attention, it was all his, but this was not how he wanted to gain it. Suddenly sick at the thought of being alone with all those people, Naruto turned away from them and ran.

This was not what he wanted. Sakura was supposed to come to him not because he was rich, she was supposed to realize that she loved him and she was supposed to be sweet, loving, gentle, and the prefect girl he had long envisioned from since the first time he saw her.

Sakura was supposed to love him because he loved her, she was supposed to turn up her nose the Uchiha brat and be all over Naruto because he was better than Sasuke—he was better than the boy who walked past her each day but never looked at Sakura.

How could Naruto rub this in his face when Sakura still preened for the other boy even when she is calling herself Naruto's girlfriend?

This was not what he wanted; this was the opposite of everything what Naruto could have wanted. Naruto felt his gut clench as nausea raced up his throat. Naruto turned on his heel and raced towards the closest men's restroom before he was sick all over himself in the hallway.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto was slumped over in a corner in the toilet, crying into his folded arms.