Warning: Yaoi, OOC, possible cursing, possible violence, possible gore (it all depends on which chapter you're on and I don't feel like re-doing it for every one, sorry)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…Damn!

Naruto sighed heavily as he stepped into his small, three room apartment. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted. You would have thought that after working two jobs for the past three years with just about no sick days or vacation time, he would be used to it, but that wasn't the case. He quickly went to his room, changed into pajama pants, and set his alarm for his next day of high school. He then flopped on the bed and fell into a deep, troubled sleep within minutes.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BE-SMACK.

Naruto groaned as he got out of bed. He got ready, ate breakfast hurriedly, and gathered all the things he would need for school. The blonde boy walked out of his apartment, shut and locked the front door, and was on his way.

He got to school early and made his way to his assigned locker. The hallways were almost empty, which he was grateful for. He quickly shoved all his things into his locker and looked at his schedule:

1st hour (8:17 - 9:02): Japanese III - Touji Mizuki

2nd hour (9:06 - 9:51): Physical Education - Maito Gai

3rd hour (9:55 - 10:40): Japanese History - Sarutobi Asuma

4th hour (10:44 - 11:29): Chemistry - Mitarashi Anko

5th hour (11:33 - 12:17): Anatomy - Yakushi Kabuto

Lunch (12:17 - 12:47)

6th hour (12:50 - 1:35): Art III - Hatake Kakashi

7th hour (1:39 - 2:24): Trigonometry - Umino Iruka

8th hour (2:28 - 3:13): Study Hall - Hidan (1).

He sighed as he made his way to Japanese III…with Mizuki…so much fun. As he turned the corner he ran into Shizune, the school Secretary.

"Ah, gomen, Shizune-nee-chan," he apologized.

"Iie, it's alright, Naruto-kun. I was just looking for you actually! We're getting a new student today and since you two are the only ones with such advanced classes in your year, Tsunade-taichou would like for you to show him around and help him today," Shizune replied.

"Ano…I don't know if that's the best idea." Naruto frowned. "I wouldn't want him to get a bad reputation for being around me."

"Nonsense! That won't happen, and besides, he doesn't strike me as the type to care what other people think," she said with a smile.

"Well, if you're sure…I guess I could…but tell obaa-san that it's only for today!"

"Great! Just follow me and you can wait in the office for him to arrive. We'll give you both late slips so you won't get into trouble with your teacher," the woman said.

"Alright," Naruto sighed as he followed her.

Naruto was sitting in the office talking to Shizune when he walked in. Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasuke-teme?" asked the confused blonde. "What are you doing here?"

"Naruto-dobe?" asked the just-as-confused, black haired boy. "I just transferred here. I assume you go here too."

"Un, but I thought you moved away back before…" Here he frowned, "before middle school."

Sasuke looked at him questioningly. "Hai, but Itachi decided we should move back so I can go to school here and he could work in the Konohagakure Police Department."

"Well it's nice to see that you two are already acquainted."

Naruto and Sasuke looked over to see Tsunade coming out of her office.

"Nani? You aren't still hungover, baa-san?" Naruto asked and then ducked to avoid the flying stapler.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CALLING ME THAT, GAKI?" Tsunade screamed.

"Alright, alright! Jeez! No need to get so violent, old hag!" he yelled back. He took one look at her face and said, nervously, "I think we'll be going now! Ja ne!"

He grabbed hold of Sasuke and ran before Tsunade could get her hands on him and tear him limb from limb. Sasuke looked at him like he was crazy.

"Nani?" he asked innocently.

"Hn…never mind."

"So, I guess I should show you to our first class." Sasuke followed Naruto through the empty halls to their first class. As soon as the blonde opened the door, Mizuki was on him.

"You're late!"

"I have a pass, Mizuki-sensei. I was showing the new student around," he replied, while handing the pass to him.

"Fine, go sit down, you dem-Naruto." Mizuki scowled as Naruto went to the back of the classroom with his head down. Sasuke wondered what the teacher had been about to say. "Why don't you introduce yourself and then you can find an empty seat," he said to Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I used to go to school here before my brother and I moved to Otogakure." Sasuke, to the dismay of the girls in the class, walked to the back of the classroom to sit in one of the empty seats surrounding Naruto.

"Are you sure you want to sit there?" asked some guy with dark skin, and hair. He had a tan jacket with a giant music note on the back.

"Why wouldn't I?" asked Sasuke.

"Dude, don't you know what he did?" the guy asked him.

"What are you-?" Sasuke began.

"Kidomaru! Stop talking when I'm teaching!" scolded Mizuki.

Sasuke sat down by Naruto, who was looking at the desk like it was the most interesting thing in the world at that moment. Sasuke decided that he would ask Naruto about it later and started paying attention to Mizuki.

Naruto showed Sasuke the way to all of his classes, including his Anatomy class with Kabuto: there was something really weird about that guy. Naruto said the man was creepy and gave him a bad feeling, and Sasuke had to agree.

When they got to lunch, Naruto told Sasuke that he could get his food and sit wherever he liked. "I usually just sit outside in the courtyard, unless there's really bad weather," he informed Sasuke. "You can sit with some of our old friends if you don't want to sit with me."

"Why don't you sit with your friends? And why wouldn't I want to sit with you?"

"Well, I don't…actually…have any friends. And if you sit with me you probably won't have any friends, cause not many people like me," he explained hastily. "Actually nobody likes me." Sasuke was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear that last part.

"Naruto, what happened after I left? You used to get along great with everyone! Everyone liked you! Why are the teachers and students here so mean to you now?" Sasuke inquired.

Naruto brought his head up so fast, Sasuke was surprised he didn't get whiplash. He thought that Sasuke hadn't noticed the mean looks and the rude remarks he got all day. Then he noticed the looks people were giving Sasuke and him.

"Ano…I…I don't think…I mean I…" suddenly he looked scared.

"Naruto?"

"I'll show you to the rest of your classes today, but if you still need help after that then maybe you should find a different guide."

Sasuke was surprised with the abrupt change in subject. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't think it would be good for you to be around me anymore. It's for the best if you don't talk to me anymore."

"Nani? Why?" asked Sasuke.

"You'll find out sooner or later. Just ask anyone and they'll tell you what happened," replied Naruto.

"Nan-"

RIIIIING.

"Come on, we need to go."

Sasuke just looked at him for a minute before he realized that he had better follow him.

They got to art before everyone else and Naruto went to the furthest table from the door. When the other students walked in they stayed clear of the last table and looked at Sasuke with pity. Except for one group. They looked down at the Naruto's table as if they wanted to join them, but they didn't. Sasuke recognized them as Hinata, TenTen, Shikamaru, Gaara, Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Lee. (2)

Their teacher came in 15 minutes late with some lame excuse about having to take care of his dolphin. Sasuke thought that their teacher was very strange: he wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face and a bandana over his right eye. Sasuke glanced at Naruto and was shocked to see his drawing. From what he could see of it, the drawing was really good. Everything was going fine until halfway through class.

"Oi, Naruto!" Right when he looked up a huge blob of bright blue paint hit him in the face. The paint splattered everywhere: in his hair, on his clothes, and on his picture. Just about everyone laughed. Everyone except Sasuke, their old group of friends, and Kakashi. Kakashi jumped out of his chair and walked over to the kid that threw the paint. Sasuke stood up and was about to say something to them when Naruto grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't." He grabbed his stuff and walked to the door. "Kakashi-sensei, I'll be in the bathroom."

"Awww. Is the wittle baby gonna go cry and slit his wrists?" jeered one of the paint throwers' friends. Naruto tensed visibly before hurrying out of the room.

"Get down to the office. Both of you! Now! Before I do something I'll regret!" he said releasing an aura of pure rage. Everyone backed away from Kakashi and the two students. No one had ever seen Kakashi this angry before. "Shikamaru, watch the class while I check on Naruto." Everyone was silent after that.

"Naruto?" He heard Kakashi yelling his name.

"Down here," he all but whispered from that stall he was in; nevertheless, Kakashi heard him.

"Are you okay?" asked Kakashi.

"Hai, I'm fine."

"Are you lying to me?"

"…Maybe…"

"They're stupid. They don't know what they're talking about, so don't listen to them," he told Naruto.

"Easier said than done."

"Do you want to stay in my class the rest of the day? I can get you a pass. You know Tsunade-sama won't mind."

"…Iie. I promised her and Shizune-nee that I would show around Sasuke-teme."

"Still using those childish nicknames, I see," he said with an eye-smile.

"Un, I guess we are."

Naruto went back to the Art room at the end of the hour to take Sasuke to trigonometry and study hall. Naruto left the room quickly after class was over, so Sasuke didn't get a chance to talk to him. He figured he would just ask tomorrow and headed to the front of the school building to wait for Itachi to pick him up. When he got there Sasuke climbed into the car.

"Aniki, do you remember Naruto?"

"Naruto? The little blonde that was in your class when you were younger?"

"Hai. Do you know what happened with him? Everyone here is so horrible to him now, even some of the teachers. And when I asked him about it he completely changed the subject. He told me that it would be for the best if we didn't talk to each other anymore and that I shouldn't be seen with him."

Itachi sighed, "I don't know whether I should tell you this or not, but I guess you would rather hear it from me than from those idiots at your school…"

As Naruto walked home from school, he felt as if someone was watching him. He glanced back, but he never saw anyone. About a block from his apartment, he was pulled into an ally and slammed against the wall. It was the two guys from his art class.

"Thanks to you we got two fucking days of suspension, you fucking demon!" one of them yelled.

He punched Naruto in the stomach: the blonde felt the air leave his lungs. They let go of him and he tumbled to the ground, then they kicked him in the stomach and kneed him in the face. One of them pulled him up by his hair and slammed his fist into Naruto's face. They kept at it until he could barely feel a thing: everything was numb. They gave him one last kick before walking away.

He lay there for a few minutes until he found the strength to stand up. He stumbled the rest of the way to his apartment complex, into the elevator, down the hall, through the door, and into the bathroom. He looked at his face in the mirror. It's going to be impossible to hide those bruises tomorrow, he thought. He took care of his wounds and went to his first job of the night. He cooked (and cleaned occasionally) at a restaurant because it was an easy job for him and he got paid a considerable amount. After he got done there, he would head to his second job: bartending. Even though he was underage, they let him work there on the condition that he disguise himself so they don't lose customers for employing 'the demon'.

Naruto could already tell it would be a bad night.

(1) Ok, so I don't really know how classes are over in Japan, so these are some of my classes and some of my sister's classes and just some classes I made up... Oh! For anyone who doesn't know this, study hall is just like a free period. : )

(2) If you're wondering, the reason why they are only in this class and not in any others of Naruto and Sasuke's is because all of the other classes are advanced and they aren't placed in those. They are in Naruto and Sasuke's art class because its easier to just lump art kids of all levels together instead of having only an art 1 class, or only an art 2 class, etc… We do this at our school and our art teacher just tells us "Art 1 is doing _ and it's due on _. Art 2 is doing _ and it's due on _. Art 3 is doing _ and it's due on _." And then art 4 just has independent study, where they can do whatever they want (drawing, painting, clay, collage, computer graphics, etc…) and they just have to turn in a certain amount of projects a quarter. Its just easier than having to fit it into a schedule at certain times. If you still have questions then feel free to ask me. : ) Oh, and in this story, for all intents and purposes, Team Gai is the same age as the rest of the Rookie 9.