Rites of Passage

by Malebolge

When Sasuke enrolled in Konoha Arts Academy, he never imagined his worries to go beyond whether the institution would be on par with his academic standards. Dealing with a sudden crisis of identity mid term had certainly no been included in the brochure.

Title: Rites of Passage
Chapter: 1/?
Rating: Light R at the most
Genre: Yaoi, romance
Pairing: SasukexNaruto
Warning: No spoilers, being as this is an AU fic.

Summary: When Sasuke enrolled himself in Konoha Arts Academy, he never imagined his worries to go beyond whether the institution would be on par with his academic standards. Dealing with a sudden crisis of identity while studying for his midterms had certainly not been included in the brochure.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Naruto, or profit from this fic in any way whatsoever.

AN: So I felt like writing something uncomplicated that revolved around a cliché plot. I'm hoping the inspiration bunnies—or pixies, or fairies, or whatever the hell you want to call them—will stop gathering dust this way. We'll see. As far as the story goes, it's not meant to be anything but mindless entertainment. Knowing myself as well as I do, however, it'll probably end up an angst-filled drama somehow.

--

It was at the age of six that Sasuke came in contact with his first glimpse of true greatness— a greatness which, were he to be completely honest with himself now, he had understood as little as he had understood the world in general back then. But though he'd been far too young and inexperienced to understand much of what had been said or had occurred that night, he had known, even then, that he had witnessed something awe-inspiring and life-altering.

His father, in all his Uchiha pride, had boasted, describing Itachi's ascension into the professional world of music as a step forward for the betterment of the clan. His mother, a gentle woman by nature, had merely smiled with pride as the audience gathered in the concert hall applauded her elder son's musical genius.

There had been lights, bright and warm, illuminating Itachi all through his performance; an orchestra and its conductor, accompanying his brother's playing. Men and women dressed in their finest and carrying airs of grandeur.

The memory of that night was still sharp in Sasuke's mind, even after all these years. It had been after that concerto that Sasuke's love for music had flourished into true passion, and as such his own artistic talents had proliferated.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" The voice was feminine and assertive, making Sasuke turn on his chair to regard the new presence behind him.

The woman was blonde, with sharp features and critical brown eyes. She wore a gray suit and white button-up blouse. Though the woman could be called attractive, Sasuke decided that the vulgar size of her cleavage overpowered her overall appearance.

"Yes," was all Sasuke could bring himself to answer. He was already bored with the next half hour conversation he was most likely going to be forced to participate in.

It hadn't been easy, moving from one corner of the globe to the other without so much as a by your leave. But Sasuke was trying to make the best of it. He understood that his father's business ventures were important and all but unavoidable. And though he hadn't by any means liked the impromptu move away from home, Sasuke had been oddly willing to compromise. Though he had been privately tutored throughout his entire academic career, Sasuke had always wondered what attending a real campus would be like. His father had warned him against it, assuring him that the academic standards of any school, be it private or otherwise, would be well below his expectations. Unsurprisingly enough, Sasuke hadn't really cared.

He was curious, and as such he had enrolled himself in the elite boarding school of his choice. His mother had fussed for weeks after he'd announced his decision, apparently resenting the fact that her youngest son had felt no compunctions about leaving the house or, in turn, his family behind. And not even Sasuke had been bastard enough to tell her that all her unnecessary fretting was doing nothing but reasserting his decision.

The only one that had shown the slightest bit of approval had been Itachi, though Sasuke was sure his brother's favorable response had been more out of some kind of twisted amusement than any genuine goodwill. Sasuke held no misguided concepts of the kind of relationship he shared with his brother, that was for damn sure.

The blonde woman walked to sit behind the office desk, lacing her fingers together and placing them below her chin as she appeared to appraise Sasuke's character.

"My name is Tsunade," the woman began to say, "Headmistress of this academy for the last twenty years." At that Sasuke couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow. This woman couldn't possibly be more than twenty-five. But unless she had taken over the position as Headmistress sometime during her infancy, Sasuke was inclined to believe that his first assessment of her age had been a little off. "I trust you know what to expect once the new school year starts officially?"

Sasuke nodded in affirmation, remembering the mountain of information he had received via both email and regular post mail about Konohagakure Arts Academy. The brochures had been simple enough to read, though if the look the Headmistress was giving him at the moment was anything to go by, Sasuke doubted many prospective students actually took the time to even check their mail. "This is where I'll be living for the next year. I thought it important to keep myself informed," he explained simply, his voice even.

"Good," the Headmistress continued with a pleased upturn of her lips, seemingly relieved to have skipped the tedious portion of the introduction. Moving a hand behind her desk, she removed a large manila folder from one of the drawers and slipped it across the desktop toward him. "Here you'll find your schedule and dorm information," she pointed out as she tapped the folder with her index finger. "There's also a campus map here that you should keep with you at all times for the next few weeks in case you get lost. I don't care how good you think your sense of direction is. Also, make sure to schedule an appointment with the Head of our Music Department before the end of the week. He'll choose the private instructor best suited to your needs."

Sasuke took the folder and scanned its contents with a superficial glance, assessing whether his classes had been chosen according to his wishes, or whether he would be forced to complain this early in the semester. Fortunately for those in Student Services, everything appeared to be in order. Satisfied, he merely nodded and waited for the woman to proceed. "I've asked a prefect to come and give you a tour around campus so you'll get better acquainted with the school. She'll show you to your dormitory once you're ready to settle in, and she'll also explain the rules all students are to follow during the weekends if they decide to venture outside of campus and into the village nearby."

He was further warned to inform the resident physician of any medical conditions he might have omitted while filling out his application, as well as to purchase any necessary materials he might need from the bookstore. The whole induction into the world of private schooling proved to be, as Sasuke had predicted it would, completely uneventful. He knew well what was expected of him. He had read the handbook outlining all school rules beforehand, after all.

The loud buzzing noise from the speakerphone interrupted the Headmistress in mid-sentence as she was warning Sasuke against the evils of wondering outside school boundaries alone. She reached out to answer it, the urgent voice of her assistant coming through the other end. "Sorry to interrupt, ma'am. Naruto just arrived and he insists on speaking with you."

The blonde Headmistress pursed her lips together in annoyance before pressing the button to answer. "Tell the brat to come back later. I'm busy right now."

"I already did. Several times in fact," the assistant exhaled through the speakerphone. "But he insists that it's a matter of the utmost urgency. He seems pretty upset about something."

"Ha," the Headmistress snorted with no small amount of vindictive amusement, her lips curving into a triumphant little smirk. "I bet he is."

Whomever they had been referring to must have heard that last statement, because in the next second there was a loud, grating male voice yelling through the speaker as though intent on rupturing the eardrums of anyone unfortunate enough to be listening at the other end of the phone line. "What do you mean by that, you old hag?! You planned this, didn't you?! I bet you're even enjoying—!"

Whatever other rude remarks had been about to make their way out the other end of the line were abruptly cut off as the Headmistress disconnected the conversation, her expression dark and her eyebrows knitting together as she muttered things about spoiled, inconsiderate brats and their yapping mouths. "As I was saying," she began again after a minute of having apparently regained her composure. "All students are encouraged to explore the abundant wildlife surrounding the school; this isn't a correctional institution, after all. But because of our location so high in the mountains, winter can tend to reach temperatures of well below freezing. So unless you want to find yourself frozen in some god-awful part of the forest, I suggest you—"

The words stopped abruptly as the office door burst open. "You hung up on me!" a blond boy accused as he walked to stand between Sasuke's chair and the desk, apparently unmindful of the Uchiha's disapproving scowl.

The boy was tanned-skinned and, as far as Sasuke could see, stupid-looking, with a mess of overgrown blonde hair that settled in no particular direction on his head and a loud, obnoxious voice that rang across the office in abnormally high volumes. He was wearing an obscenely bright orange jumpsuit, which Sasuke found to be particularly offensive to his eyesight. The boy, Sasuke decided within the first second of being blatantly ignored by both blonds as they continued to glare at each other, was an idiot. The only redeemable feature Sasuke could find at first glance was the unique cornflower blue of the moron's eyes.

"Brat! Didn't I tell you to wait!" the Headmistress bellowed exasperatedly. She was standing up now, all dangerous intent and harsh look as she pushed one fist menacingly in front of the boy's face. "Go bother someone else before I throw you out myself!"

Looking decidedly unimpressed, the blonde boy pulled a crumpled piece of paper from one of his pockets before slamming it against the hard desktop. "You shouldn't have messed with my schedule if it bugs you that much, you old bat! Now change it back!"

The older woman's left eyebrow twitched visibly. "You ordering me around, kid?"

The boy leaned back from the desk and straightened. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest and proceeded to look as defiant and threatening as his less than impressive height allowed for. "I'm just making a suggestion."

"Are you now?" the Headmistress whispered in a decidedly calmer voice that Sasuke found not all that comforting for some reason. "Well, unless you want to have Home Ed as an elective for the rest of the year, then I suggest you find a different tone when speaking to me, brat."

The boy snorted. "Compared to the crap you already chose for me, Home Ed sounds just peachy."

Sasuke was strongly reminded of the hour-long staring contests he would sometimes engage in with the neighbor's cat when he was a child. The boy even possessed a feline quality of sorts marked by the unique scaring on his face— symmetrical lines carved on his cheeks, running almost parallel to each other.

"Listen up, kid!" the Headmistress finally bellowed. "You're taking those classes whether you like it or not! I'm not giving you an option this time! Either you pass every single course this year, or you'll be saying goodbye to that perverted toad you call a teacher, do you hear me?!"

It was as the blond boy opened his mouth to retort that Sasuke became aware of the two women peering inside through the opened doorway. The older of the two he knew to be the woman mining the reception desk. The younger, however —a brunette wearing a kimono-style blouse— was most likely the prefect that had been assigned to show him around campus. Neither woman looked to be particularly perturbed by the scene in front of them; as though having the Headmistress of a renowned arts academy threaten one of her student with bodily harm was an everyday occurrence.

"Hey, you Uchiha Sasuke?" the brunette asked with an amiable smile, ignoring the fighting blonds as she walked into the office. Sasuke nodded, earning himself a stretched hand in greeting. "My name's Tenten, nice to meet you. I'll be your guide for the next—" she glanced quickly at her watch, raising an eyebrow as she assessed the time, "—half hour, I guess. I'm also a fourth year prefect, so if you have any questions, just go ahead and ask."

"You better just leave," the assistant advised, looking to the Headmistress and the blond moron, who were shoving the piece of paper to each other and hissing like wildcats, with mild resignation. "Who knows how much longer it'll be."

With no other choice but to comply, they did as told, Sasuke taking his bags and violin case and following the girl out into the front exit after providing her with his dorm information. "That's the Physics and Math Lab," the brunette pointed out as they passed the first buildings on their way to the dormitories. "The one next to it is the Chemistry Lab. Are you taking any sciences this semester?"

"Honors Physics and AB Calculus," Sasuke replied shortly, looking to each building and committing their location to memory.

Looking decidedly impressed, the girl whistled approvingly. "Nice. A bit too overzealous for my taste, but to each his own. What art program are you in for, then?"

"Music." An obvious answer since he was carrying around a violin case.

"Oh, you'll need to know where the music classrooms and practice rooms are located at," she explained helpfully, guiding Sasuke through a shaded area filled with students lingering outside in small groups. "The Counseling Center is in the Far East corner of campus, and there's a Concert Hall where all Music majors are expected to perform during recitals. By the way, have you met with the Chair of the Music Department yet?"

"Not yet," was Sasuke's reply.

"Well, you should do that as soon as possible, before the first years take a hold of all the best tutors," the girl advised, turning to Sasuke with a look of mild curiosity. "It's rare that upper year students get accepted into this school. Especially because of the academic program being as demanding as it is. Usually first years are the only new students we see around here; helps them adapt to campus life much faster that way. Have you attended boarding school before this?"

Apparently this was the portion of the tour where the idle inquiries would be introduced. Sasuke, feeling no inclination to begin a conversation on his personal affairs, however, was quick to discourage it all together, "No," he answered curtly.

Fortunately, the girl was smart enough to take the hint without looking at all offended. She guided Sasuke past a garden of sculptures, some of which were impressive renditions of Greek Gods, before returning to the main road.

He was shown the Dinning Hall, Campus Security Office, Visual Arts Studio, and Humanities Center before reaching the dormitories. Here Sasuke opened the manila folder to check for his room number, extracting the key that would open the door to his new living quarters. According to the information he found, he would be sharing a room with one other student— not something he was particularly looking forward to.

They passed through the common area, where most students were sitting about playing video games or just exchanging tales about their summer vacation. He could also see a few faculty members checking the progress of arriving late students. Most of the alumni had arrived a few days prior to Sasuke's own arrival, something he blamed entirely on his mother's insistence on him staying back home. He had missed orientation week, and now he had no other option but to rely on the knowledge of a second party to get around campus.

He followed the brunette to the third floor, where he found a small common room of sorts inside his assigned door. It was more like a living room connecting four rooms, one of which he guessed would be his to share with a roommate. A green sofa had been placed in the center of the private area, one of its arms poorly patched with an off-colored fabric; a television set stood near one corner of the room, an item Sasuke was certain went against school regulations. Below the largest window, a desk had been pushed, though its use was notably not for any academic purposes if the boxes of donuts and canned soda were anything to go by.

"Here we are," the girl announced while Sasuke dropped his bags. "I'm not sure which room is yours. I'm not one of the prefects residing in this building, so you'll have to check with one of them. In the meantime, just leave your bags here."

They were probably expected to continue with the tour, but Sasuke felt no inclination to do so. He could follow a map well enough that it would suffice when in need of a particular location. He was making his wishes known when a boy his age appeared from within one of the four rooms. He looked to be around Sasuke's height, though with his slouched posture it was hard to tell, and his hair was long, held up in a high ponytail. The boy appeared to be bored beyond belief, with his hands shoved down his pant pockets and an expression of complete apathy plastered on his face.

"Shikamaru!" the girl called out with all the familiarity of a long acquaintance. "I didn't know you were here." The boy merely shrugged, inclining his head in greeting before taking a sit on the green sofa. "That's Nara Shikamaru, one of the prefects living in this dorm building," the brunette explained, pointing to the other boy with a raised thumb. "He'll know where you were placed."

Much to Sasuke's irritation, the boy seemed bothered by the duties he was expected to perform, because he made no move to get off the couch. He looked Sasuke over with a languid gaze instead, dissecting him with a stare that was far too intuitive for Sasuke's comfort.

"Your room's the second furthest from the door," the boy began to say in a very impassive voice. "Anything that's labeled is off-limits, so put your name on anything you don't want other people to touch. Any problems with your roommate or any other resident go to the Residential Coordinator. Breakfast starts at 7:15, the hot showers are functional beginning at 5:30, and lights-out is at 10:45."

With that he proceeded to take the remote control and surf through every available television channel. Apparently Sasuke had been dismissed, and not accustomed to being the recipient of such treatment, Sasuke scowled. There wasn't much he could do though, apart from a derisive comment that he felt would be the wrong start to a new term.

"I'll just leave you boys to your own then," the brunette suddenly declared, turning to exit the room with a backward glance and a wave of the hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke, and good luck this year."

Sasuke watched her leave before taking his bags and moving to his room, not bothering to acknowledge the presence occupying the sofa. The room was spacious and very accommodating, large enough to house two people comfortably. There were two large, narrow desks occupying opposite section of a wall, complete with built-in bookshelves and swiveling chairs. Plenty of light and drawer space had been provided; even the closet had been clearly divided to prevent any problems between roommates. To Sasuke's approval, the décor of the bedroom consisted mostly of dark mahogany tones, including the carpeting, curtains, and bed comforters.

So long as his roommate proved to be a considerate person who picked up after himself, Sasuke would have no trouble rooming two semesters with a complete stranger. Fortunately, the section of the room that was clearly being occupied already was immaculate enough to meet his standards. Feeling some degree of relief at this discovery, Sasuke took the next half hour or so to unpack his belongings, fishing out his laptop from within his suitcase and resting it atop his desk.

He was in the process of storing his shirts into a drawer when his roommate made his first act of presence by walking into the room. There was very little to catch Sasuke's attention other than the fact that the boy wore a dark shade of glasses indoors. Also, the neck of his jacket had been pulled up to obscure the lower half of his face as he moved, leaving only his black hair as a defining characteristic in identifying him.

He introduced himself as Aburame Shino, a Creative Writing major. Sasuke was pleased to discover that he spoke very little and in a tone that was pleasant to the ear. They walked out into the common room together, talking of the benefits offered by the academic program of the school, when a group of gathered boys caught Sasuke's attention.

There was a plump boy gobbling down donuts near the window, his round cheeks inflating as he shoved two pastries inside his mouth. Near the sofa, next to the television, sat a boy with a striking resemblance to a canine, most defining of which were the shaggy mane and sharp teeth. The last boy stood casually against a wall, and he at once proved to be the most arresting of the three new comers. His hair was a very deep red and his green eyes had been heavily lined with kohl. On his forehead a Japanese character had been tattooed with red ink, near which no eyebrows could be found.

They all watched Sasuke with varying degrees of suspicion, though the fat boy appeared to think it more precarious to stop eating than to account for a potential threat within reach. The prefect who had dismissed Sasuke so rudely minutes earlier was still watching some television program, making no move to slice through the tension that had suddenly permeated the atmosphere. It was the boy sitting on the floor that finally broke the silence, reminding Sasuke almost immediately of that blond idiot that had interrupted his meeting with the Headmistress.

"That your new roommate, Shino?" the boy demanded loudly, grating on Sasuke's every nerve. He received an affirmative, after which he looked to be amused for some reason. "You look familiar," he declared suddenly, inclining his head to one side, much like a dog not understanding a particular command, before asking, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I doubt it," Sasuke replied dryly.

"Yeah? Guess you could be right," the boy said as he got off the floor, patting his pants before walking to Sasuke. "The name's Kiba by the way," he stated abruptly, extending a hand in greeting and catching Sasuke off guard. "The garbage disposal over there is my roommate Choji, and that deadbeat watching tv on the couch is Shikamaru, but I think you already met him. The guy looking at you with laser beams shooting out of his eyes is Gaara. Don't take it personally though; he's like that with everyone."

There was a repressed sort of aggression coming from the redhead, though it didn't feel all that personal. His expression was guarded and flat, but Sasuke was intuitive enough to perceive the instability lurking behind that stare, as well as to understand that he was not the sole recipient of such hostility. Clasping the offered hand with his own, Sasuke shook it firmly before introducing himself.

"So what are you?" Kiba asked ambiguously, earning himself an odd look from Sasuke. "A musician, artist, or theatre major?" he explained with a dramatic gesture of one hand, an expectant grin forming on his lips.

"I'm a violinist."

"Excellent! Another musician in our group!" Kiba exclaimed noisily, obviously pleased with the answer, before narrowing his slanted eyes at Sasuke. "You any good? 'Cause let me tell you offhand, Kakashi can be a real asshole to people without talent."

Feeling appropriately lost, Sasuke frowned. "Kakashi?" he asked expectantly.

"Head of the Music Department," Kiba explained casually, shrugging one shoulder as he did so. "Real laidback kind of guy most of the time, but he'll tell you straight out if you suck. Made a first year cry once. Can't remember what he said though, but it wasn't all that bad. He's not a mean guy, just honest, is all."

At this, Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk. It wasn't often that he bragged about his musical prowess, rarely feeling the need to assert his own ability as a musician, much less in public. But to conceive a scenario in which a professor called his talent below par... it was improbable enough to amuse him to some degree. "I should have no trouble then."

Kiba's grin widened notably, enough for Sasuke to become aware of how pointed the tips of his canines truly were. He was clearly amused by the smug reply and felt no need to hide his disbelief. "If you say so," Kiba remarked somewhat mockingly.

The door to the conjoined dormitories burst opened at that moment, admitting that loud blond who'd thought it appropriate to walk in on Sasuke's meeting with the head of the academy. He looked completely ruffled, as though he'd just survived a minor brawl with a rabid bulldog. His hair was a mess and his orange jacket had been thoroughly stretched by the fabric of his collar, a large ink stain soaking through the cotton fiber covering his thigh. Sasuke couldn't be sure, but his left eye looked to be a little swollen as well, the beginning symptoms of a black eye manifesting as the tanned skin began to take on a purplish tint.

The boy lumbered toward the sofa indignantly, acknowledging no one as he slumped over the cushions before throwing his head against the backrest. He looked peevish and despondent as he rested against the green fabric, one arm thrown over his eyes in a dramatic gesture that Sasuke supposed was meant to convey hopelessness.

The room was silent for a moment, the only noise coming from the television set. Kiba looked to be enjoying the theatrics, though Shikamaru was rubbing steadily at the juncture between his shoulder and neck, showing the first vestiges of emotion Sasuke had seen him express since the beginning of their short acquaintance. "You're so troublesome," the prefect announced with resignation, provoking the blond into lifting his head.

"Shut up, man," the blond mumbled with a glare.

"We told you to leave it alone," Choji commented offhandedly, licking the remnants of a jelly-filled doughnut from off his chubby fingers.

The blond looked irritated with his arms crossed as they were, opening his mouth to retort before thinking it best to just give in. "Yeah, I know," the boy sighed moodily, scrubbing at his face with both hands a bit roughly.

"Dude, cheer up," Kiba urged with a curved smile, throwing an arm around the blond's shoulder as he pushed himself in between Shikamaru and the other boy. "At least now we'll have all the same classes," he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, the mischievous intonation of his voice escaping no one. "We can ditch Chemistry together whenever we feel like it, and it'll be fun getting Iruka to help us out with Algebra every Wednesday after class. I bet we can filch a good cup of ramen out of him every time as long as we play our cards right."

This seemed to lift the blond's spirits a great deal, because next thing Sasuke knew, the boy was grinning like the moron that he was, his eyes creasing in excitement as his teeth caught the bright florescent glow emitting from the television screen.

At the mention of ramen Choji dropped the canned soda he was holding in his hands, reminding everyone of the fact that dinner would be served within the next ten minutes. Standing with his hands in his pockets, Sasuke watched as Shikamaru pushed himself from off the couch, turning off the television set with a flick of the remote before walking toward the exit. Everyone followed; even Gaara shoved himself from off the wall.

Sasuke and Shino walked together behind the rest of their peers, speaking amiably enough as they crossed a large expanse of lawn on their way to the Dinning Hall. The courtyard was dimly lit by artificial light, and the grass soggy from the sprinklers having been activated earlier that evening. There was a line of sunlight beyond the horizon that was quickly fading into darkness, the moon a white crescent hanging overhead.

Their destination was quickly reached, a building packed with students hungry enough to shove their friends to the ground in their haste to get first dibs on the coleslaw. The hallway was narrow and allowed only two people to walk comfortably together without the danger of invading each other's personal space. Sasuke was forced to step ahead of Shino in order to avoid slamming his hip against a drinking fountain attached to the wall, but ended up crashing into Kiba instead, their shoulders bumping harshly.

"Hey, Uchiha," Kiba spoke, taking the unintentional body contact as some misguided cue to start a conversation between the two of them. "Whatever you do, don't touch the meatloaf, man. Last year Naruto and me broke into the cafeteria 'cause we needed some... um, some stuff—" at Sasuke's raised eyebrow, the boy merely grinned roguishly, "—long story. Anyway, you wouldn't believe what that crap's made out of."

Trusting Kiba's shuddering reaction more than his words, Sasuke decided that perhaps it would be prudent to take the boy's advice this once. He was even considering asking for a more thorough description of the menu provided by the staff, when an all too familiar voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Who the hell are you?" the blond asked callously, the non-sequential affording their party a few curious glances from nearby students.

Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in exasperation, finding some offense in the fact that his presence had gone completely unnoticed by this boy until this moment.

"Dude, you're an idiot," Kiba offered none too gently, halting in the middle of the hallway to better assess the blond's reaction to his barb. "This is Shino's new roommate Sasuke, remember? You've only been wondering about who it'd be for the last two days, stupid."

"Shut up, Kiba!" the boy bit back indignantly. "I wasn't asking you!"

"Whatever," Kiba scoffed with a sarcastic upturn of the lip, unmindful of the galled look this earned him as he turned to Sasuke with a cocked thumb turned toward the blond. "That's Naruto, Gaara's roommate and number one biggest loudmouth you'll ever meet."

"That's number one greatest artist!" Naruto corrected vehemently, his facial scarring growing more pronounced as his tanned cheeks took on an angry flush. "Kiba, you fuck!"

"Oy, stop fighting you guys," Choji interjected with barely concealed apprehension, his forked gaze peering past a group of upper years, to the swinging double doors of the cafeteria.

Beyond the zigzag motion of the swaying doors, Sasuke could see a line of students moving along the lunch counter, lime-green plastic trays sliding against the brass surface as they took their pick of available foods. The strong smell of burnt grease, though far from pleasant, reminded Sasuke of the fact that he had refused breakfast that morning, eager as he'd been to get away from his mother's backhanded accusations of abandonment. In fact, the only nourishment he had consumed during the past eight hours consisted of a single cinnamon flavored energy bar offered to him by Kimimaro during the five hour drive to the academy.

Feeling suddenly ravenous —and caring very little about appearing churlish in the eyes of his peers— Sasuke began to walk away from their small group, effectively interrupting all arguments as the abruptness of his actions seemed to catch the quarrelling friends by surprise. The fact Shikamaru, Gaara and Shino decided to follow his example, looking not the least bit offended, was received with only mild interest by Sasuke' backward glance. Choji, on the other hand, walking two steps behind the other three boys, seemed unsure of how to best handle the situation.

"You guys suck," Naruto mumbled petulantly, shoving Kiba roughly against a wall before running to catch up with the rest of the group.

There was a barking laugh from Kiba, though Sasuke paid it no mind as he pushed the swinging doors aside. Maneuvering his way between the long tables and chatting students, Sasuke reached for a lime-green tray, taking his place behind the lunch line before sifting the edible food from the bowls that looked questionable at best.

"Stop sulking," Kiba ordered Naruto, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately before getting his hand slapped away for his efforts. "It's not like I insulted your dead ancestors or anything."

"You're an ass."

They paid for their food and moved to sit on one of the long tables, where they spoke in more neutral tones. Even Naruto was quick to move past any insults delivered by Kiba, engaging Gaara in a friendly conversation instead, and looking completely unperturbed by the redhead's monosyllabic responses. Sasuke, who had never concerned himself with concepts such as socializing, was surprised to find himself enjoying the moment. The company was agreeable; even Shikamaru, who had given the impression of being laconic, was an interesting conversationalist. Sasuke discovered that, despite the listlessness of his voice, the boy was fluent in many topics, as proven by the ease in which he spoke about —of all things— the tanbark beetle with Shino.

It was all the more unfortunate to have that moment interrupted by a cluster of girls assaulting their table, mainly because Sasuke had seldom found it enjoyable to interact with people his age.

"Hey, dimwit, who's your friend?"

It was a rather attractive girl with an outlandish sense of fashion who spoke this, her turquoise eyes locking on Shikamaru as she squeezed herself in between Gaara and the prefect. She wore tight clothing, though Sasuke could find nothing raunchy about the way she carried herself. What's more, there was something very bewitching about the way she moved, a natural sex appeal that not even Sasuke could find disagreeable.

To his left, Sasuke found that genial brunette who'd shown him around campus earlier that evening sitting beside Shino. The long sleeves of her kimono-style blouse brushed against the tabletop as she took it upon herself to answer the girl's question. "This is Sasuke, Temari, the guy I was telling you about."

It aggravated Sasuke to be spoken of as though not an arms-length away, and he would have scowled in displeasure if not for a girl with bubble-gum pink hair who chose that precise moment to slide in between Sasuke and Naruto. Her hipbone and upper thigh grazed Sasuke's side as she shoved Naruto aside none to gently, her gaze turning coy as she greeted Sasuke with a welcoming smile.

Beyond the girl's shoulder, Sasuke could see Naruto frowning, his fork stabbing at his salad with something akin to resentment. Obviously the boy didn't enjoy being ignored by this girl, though Sasuke, having suffered through years of unwarranted female affection, couldn't understand the appeal of having the undivided attention of a woman.

"How do you like it in Konoha so far, Sasuke?" the girl asked in a simpering tone that the Uchiha couldn't help but find annoying.

Before he could answer, however, and perhaps crush this girl's misinformed concept of how she thought him to be with a cutting remark, a second girl uttered, "Geez, Sakura, why don't you just throw yourself at the guy?"

She was standing behind Choji, holding the boy's shoulders with slender hands, and as Sasuke studied her profile, he couldn't help but think her a bombshell of a blond. Even her movements, deliberate and feminine as she slouched down to place a kiss on Choji's cheek, spoke of self-awareness and confidence. Sasuke had seen those same mannerisms, though in no way effeminate, on Itachi enough times to realize that this girl probably suffered from a high opinion of herself.

"Stay out of it, Ino!" the pink-haired girl, Sakura, exclaimed waspishly.

Smirking haughtily, Ino merely shrugged, ushering the last of the girls —a rather unassuming girl at that— to sit on the bench nearest to Kiba. Though the girl was agreeable, Sasuke couldn't help but think her awkward. Her bashfulness, apparent even to someone as apathetic to human interaction as Sasuke himself, overpowered her more attractive qualities, such as her silver eyes or smooth features.

Despite how they interacted as a group for the next few minutes, it was Sasuke who found himself the center of attention. Sakura, especially, seemed particularly interested in any background information he might be willing to share with the rest of the group. Curt as his nature tended to be, however, Sasuke veered the conversation elsewhere, willing in no way to divulge personal information about himself or his family. With his surname as conspicuous as it was, Sasuke was certain they would recognize him eventually. For now, though, he would content himself with this slice of anonymity which he seldom got to experience.

Clearly disappointed, Sakura chose instead to give Sasuke a play-by-play explanation on the life story of everyone present. "My dad's a foreign diplomat," she began, apparently starting with herself, "so I get to see him very little. I actually spend most of my holidays out of the country with my mom and her relatives."

"Or you end up crashing over at my place," Ino added.

Not appreciating the interruption, Sakura's eyebrows knitted together before she nodded grudgingly. "Yeah, that too." She returned her gaze to Sasuke, and then proceeded to explain the reasons behind her acquaintance with Ino, as though apologizing for the fact. "Most of us have known each other for years. My mom and Ino's aunt were roommates in College, and Shikamaru and Choji grew up together. Even Shino and Kiba were part of the same little league team."

Hearing this, Tenten smiled. "You could say we came in groups," she said, pointing to Gaara and the girl sitting next to him in lieu of explanation. "Temari and Gaara, for example, are brother and sister, and Hinata—" here she signaled to the girl with the mousy disposition "—has a cousin named Neji who's in my year."

"The only oddball in the picture is Naruto," Kiba announced, for which he received a punch on the shoulder. "What? It's true!"

"No it's not!" Naruto argued loudly. "Stop saying that!"

Rubbing his shoulder, Kiba merely scoffed. "You're such a drama queen."

"Anyway," Sakura interrupted exasperatedly, apparently intent on continuing her one-sided conversation with Sasuke. "Since most of us are well acquainted with each other, we tend to spend a great deal of time together away from school. Mostly during winter holidays, though. We've often planned trips together and spent Christmas as a group."

"Which reminds me, we should plan something special for this year since I'm graduating," Temari declared, half her concentration on the task of stealing the salad bowl of a thoroughly indifferent Shikamaru, while the other focused on the conversation. "Preferably somewhere out of state where Kankuro can finally get laid and stop bitching about dad being a bastard-prick every five minutes."

"A release from sexual frustration would hardly alter Kankuro's view of our father in any dramatic sense," Gaara said bluntly, his expression, though retaining its neutral façade, showing the barest hints of puzzlement as he regarded Temari. "If you insist on organizing a trip out of state, then I suggest you choose a location based on its inherent cultural values, its natural or architectural appeal, or its historical significance, rather than Kankuro's dissatisfaction with our father or his unattended libido."

There was an awkward pause, with Temari looking decidedly pained —albeit, in a frustrated sort of way— as though her brother's inability to take anything figuratively was something she had vast amounts of practice dealing with, and thus should have known better than to expect differently. "Yeah, thanks, Gaara," she replied somewhat lamely.

It was decided after that, while gathering their leftovers and promptly chucking them into the trash bin, that some thorough research on plausible locations was needed before making any decisions. By the time they reached the crosswalk that led to the girls' dormitories, an agreement had been reached regarding a probable list of contenders, and Kiba and Naruto where expressly forbidden to make suggestions of any kind, as they would apparently be vetoed by Ino with little consideration.

Sasuke found it interesting to note that, somehow without his knowledge, he'd been roped into assisting with this project, which meant in turn that most everyone had assumed he'd be a member of the traveling party. It wasn't a disagreeable thought, being as his family had never bothered to make his holidays memorable; so he said nothing to the conjecture and decided instead, for once in his life, to just follow along and try to enjoy himself. He'd enrolled into boarding school for varying reasons, and one of them had been to broaden his horizons by interacting with people other than the acquaintances he'd made because of his family name or social status.

The connections he'd made so far where bound to piss off his father, true, as loudmouth idiots and lazy bums had never been encouraged as acceptable company. But then again, Sasuke rationalized while in bed that night, the fact his father would probably disapprove was the main reason why he found the whole ordeal worthwhile.

He'd never found it easy to conform, after all.

TBC...