The Hit List
Chapter 1
College Freshman, Naruto Uzumaki sighed as pulled out of his boyfriend, Sai's embrace. He had to be at his Physics class in an hour, and he hadn't done the homework that night before due to his boyfriend demanding that Naruto take him to dinner and then a movie. Naruto had tried to explain that his classwork was just as important as dating. Sai insisted that Naruto spent too much time at school and that he deserved to spend just as much time with Naruto as Naruto spent at school. Naruto had actually thought that Sai's line of thinking was rather selfish, and when he had tried to say something, Sai had accused Naruto of not loving him. Naruto and Sai had been dating since their senior year at Konoha High, and now Naruto was a freshman at Konoha University and he was starting to wish that he had broken with Sai long before he had ever gotten to college, because at the rate that Sai demanded attention Naruto was going to end up failing his courses.
"Where are you going?" Sai asked, a whining tone to his voice. Naruto silently groaned, annoyed that Sai was going to try this again.
"I have to go to class." Naruto said, as he started to gather his backpack and started shoving his unopened physics book inside. He didn't know why he bothered trying to study at Sai's, he never got anything done.
"Which one?" Sai asked while attempting to sound interested, but really seeing if the class was taught by another male. He didn't want Naruto to have any classes with male teachers, and he constantly asked Naruto to change the few that he did. But so far Naruto was refusing, saying that there wasn't any women who taught those classes, and that he needed them in order to graduate.
"Physics." Naruto replied. "And algebra." Both of which were taught by males. Itachi Uchiha taught algebra while Kabuto taught science.
"Do you really have to go to those?" Sai asked. "I don't know how they apply to your major anyways. You're only going to school to be a lawyer."
"It doesn't matter if they apply to my major or not." Naruto said annoyed. He really hated when Sai got super needy like this. "They are a requirement for graduation."
"You just think your professor for physics is hot." Sai accused, glaring at Naruto. "That's why you don't ever want to skip class to hang out with me."
"I can't just skip class because you want me too." Naruto said, struggling to stay patient. Why couldn't Sai understand that he wanted to make a better situation for himself. His mom and him had struggled to make ends meet after his father had died. For a long time they had barely gotten by, even with both of them working. It had only made Naruto determined to make a better life for himself, if Sai couldn't understand that he could hit the road.
"Whatever." Sai said turning away from Naruto. "Go to class. I'll just stay here and miss you the entire time."
"Don't act like that." Naruto groaned. "You know why I am doing this. I can't go back to living the way I was before. In order to make a better life for myself I need a good career."
"You just want to get away from me." Sai said. "You think I'm too needy."
"I think you do have some issues that need to be worked on, but it doesn't meant that I don't want to be around you." Naruto said. As he lifted his backpack onto his shoulder and started towards the door. "I'm probably not going to come back over tonight either, I have a ton of homework that I need to get done."
"You better not have Kiba or Sasuke over to your apartment while you are supposedly working on homework." Sai said.
"What's your problem with my friends? You've known them as long as you have known me. And as far as I know neither of them are gay." Naruto said.
"I can't stand them because they encourage you to break up with me because they think I control you too much." Sai told him. "They think I'm too needy."
"You are a little." Naruto said, not seeing the way Sai's eyes narrowed. "But I deserve to spend time with friends too, it's not like I get to spend a ton of time with them, between school, work and you."
"You need to find better friends, ones that I like and approve of. Kiba and Sasuke are bad influences on you." Sai said and Naruto could tell that he was annoyed. Which meant that Naruto would really have to suck up to him later, to sooth Sai's ruffled feathers.
"Whatever, I'll call you later." Naruto muttered as he exited Sai's apartment shutting the door firmly behind him. He couldn't stand the way that Sai tried to control every little thing about him. So what that his friends tried to encourage Naruto to break up with Sai. They didn't like the way Sai tried to tell Naruto what to do all the time. No one deserved to have their every moment spent trying to give a desperate boyfriend all of their attention. Naruto secretly agreed with them, and was trying to find a way to break things off with Sai. Naruto had too much that he needed to do in order to graduate, and if Sai had his way then Naruto would be completely dependent on him.
Sighing, Naruto exited the apartment building grateful that the Konoha University campus was only about a five minute walk from Sai's apartment, it was a ten minute walk from his own apartment, which Naruto barely ever spent any time at anymore because of Sai. Shaking his head, Naruto knew that if he wanted his freedom the only thing he would be able to do was to end things with Sai. He hadn't been anywhere near this controlling in high school but once they had graduated Sai decided that he didn't want Naruto to have any contact with males that he didn't approve of, and unfortunately he didn't approve of Kiba or Sasuke. Naruto was certain that it was because Sai didn't like for Naruto to hang out with them very much.
Crossing the street, Naruto continued his journey towards the math building. Naruto wondered briefly what it would be like to date someone who actually allowed him the freedom to do whatever he wanted.
"Hey, Naruto!" Naruto turned as he heard his name being called, he saw Sasuke and Kiba both hurrying towards him. He was grateful that they both had the same class with him. At least then Sai couldn't complain so much.
"Hey, guys." Naruto said cheerfully, as he high fived both of his friends.
"I'm surprised that you don't have an armed escort with you." Sasuke said dryly, and Naruto chuckled.
"It was a pain to get away from him today." Naruto said shaking his head.
"And that's why I date chicks." Kiba said. "I don't ever have that kind of trouble."
"Find one that crazy and I'm sure you will." Sasuke replied. "I don't think crazy just applies to homosexuals."
"Of course not." Naruto said. "though I'm not insane."
"I beg to differ. Anyone who puts up with Sai's shit has to be certifiably insane." Sasuke informed him as they entered the math building and headed down the hall to his brother's classroom. Naruto shrugged.
"I have been thinking about breaking up with him." Naruto said as they entered Itachi's classroom, and made their way to their seats in the front of the room. "I don't really have the time to give him all the attention that he wants."
"Good. I wouldn't put it past him to start stalking you." Sasuke said, nodding towards his brother as he sat down beside Naruto. "And if he does that he'll probably eventually get violent. I wouldn't want to see that happen."
"I don't think he will ever hit me again." Naruto said his mind going back to the time a few months before when they had gotten into a fight about Naruto spending time with Sasuke and Kiba instead of going on their date like Naruto had said he would. In the middle of the fight, Sai had slapped Naruto across the face and accused Naruto of cheating on him with Sasuke.
"Hit you again?" Sasuke asked, frowning at his blonde haired friend. "He's hit you before?"
"Once." Naruto admitted. "He was pretty pissed about me canceling our date so I could hang out with you and Kiba. He said he was sorry and that he wouldn't ever do it again."
"That's bullshit." Sasuke growled, causing Itachi to look in their direction. "If he hit you once, it's only a matter of time before he will hit you again. I suggest you break up with him and not speak to him again."
"It's not that easy. I don't think he intended to hurt me." Naruto said, even though the excuse sounded lame to his own ears. "Besides how would you know? Have you ever been in a relationship like that?"
"Of course, not but I've heard plenty of stories where it starts out with just a hit and gets worse from there." Sasuke said. "I don't want something like that happening to you."
"I'll be fine." Naruto said. "Even if I am annoyed with his neediness from time to time."
"I hope your right, because I'll kick his ass otherwise." Sasuke warned as Itachi stepped in front of the class, calling it to order. Naruto bit his lip, in silent contemplation, wondering if Sasuke could be correct about Sai. Surely wouldn't there have been other signs of him becoming abusive, not just one hit that happened a while ago?
"Please pay attention, Mr. Uzumaki." Itachi said, tapping the edge of Naruto's desk to get his attention.
"Sorry." Naruto said blushing at having been caught not listening. Itachi was a fair teacher but if you didn't do the work, you wouldn't pass the class.
"I'm going to need to speak with you after class. Mr. Uzumaki." Itachi said and Naruto nodded. He could only imagine what it was about, he probably failed the last test that he had given because Sai had been too damn needy to let him study for it. If that was the case, he really would end things with him, school came before anything else even if Sai couldn't understand that.
By the time the class finished, Naruto was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor. He dreaded whatever Itachi had to talk to him about, but at the same time he wanted to get it over with.
"I'll see in Science." Sasuke told Naruto who remained seated in his desk as the other students gathered their supplies and headed for the door.
"Yeah, see you in a few." Naruto told Sasuke as his dark haired friend headed towards the door.
"You seemed distracted today." Itachi said once the classroom was empty of students.
"I'm sorry, I've got a lot on my mind." Naruto apologized. "It's been a little bit of a rough week for me."
"Hate to hear that." Itachi said, as he sat down in the desk that Sasuke had been sitting in. "The reason I asked you to stay is because you aren't passing this class." Naruto swallowed hard, and looked down at his desk, his fingers dragging across the wooden surface. He had worried it might be something like this.
"If you work hard you can still bring your grade up to a passing mark." Itachi said. "but you will have to work really hard. I know you need this class in order to graduate."
"Math has never been my strong point" Naruto muttered. "Its always been a struggle for me. Sasuke is the only reason I passed high school math."
"Maybe he can help you again." Itachi said. "otherwise you will have to take another semester."
"That's if Sai will allow Sasuke to tutor me." Naruto muttered darkly, thinking of how possessive his boyfriend was.
"You're boyfriend shouldn't be determining you chose to hang out with and at this point you have to decide what is more important. Whatever your boyfriend wants or your grade." Itachi said.
"I know, you're right of course." Naruto said. "But it isn't always that simple."
"It should be. It's your future, not his." Itachi replied. "If you want me too, I can tutor you myself on the days we don't have class."
"You would take the time out of your day to do that?" Naruto asked, sounding surprised. Itachi was always busy so Naruto didn't know how the man would have time to tutor him.
"Of course, you're my little brother's best friend. I think he would kill me if I didn't at least try and help you." Itachi said chuckling.
"I would very much appreciate it. I want to stay on track to graduating on time." Naruto said.
"I have two hours free after this class on Monday's, Wednesdays, and Fridays." Itachi said.
"If you don't mind I'll stay after for an hour on all three days, that way I will still have time to get to Kabuto's class." Naruto said.
"That's fine." Itachi said, offering Naruto a small smile. He didn't like to see any of his students fail. "And maybe you should reconsider your choice of boyfriend, if he smacks you around. No one should have to put up with that shit."
"You were listening to Sasuke talking." Naruto muttered.
"He was talking about it loud enough." Itachi said. "Clearly he wanted me to hear about it. Although I don't know what he expects me to do about it."
"Well, it was only the one time." Naruto said. "Like I told Sasuke, Sai said he wouldn't ever hit me again." Itachi raised his eyebrows and looked at Naruto skeptically. He had heard that excuse more times than he could count and it always turned out much differently than the victim expected it too.
"I guess I ought to go now." Naruto said. "I would rather not be late to Kabuto's class."
"I'll see you Wednesday then." Itachi said as he turned back to his desk. Naruto nodded and gathered his things and headed for the door.
"What the hell did you have to discuss with him?" An angry Sai seethed as soon as Naruto stepped out of the classroom. "And I thought you said you wouldn't be seeing Kiba or Sasuke today?"
"I can't help it that they have the same class as I do. And if you really want to know what I had to discuss it was my grade. No thanks to you, I'm failing the damn class." Naruto hissed, irritated that Sai had showed up at his school.
"Shut the fuck up!" Sai hissed, his fist reaching out and slamming into Naruto's eye causing the blonde boy to gasp. "I heard you telling him about me hitting you. That's none of his business."
"Just go the fuck away!" Naruto yelled as he raised his hand to cover his rapidly swelling eye. Perhaps Itachi was right in saying that if Sai hit him once he would do it again.
"Don't fucking talk to me like that! I thought I told you I didn't want you around them, that I didn't want you taking this class anyways." Sai glared at Naruto.
"I told you I need this class in order to graduate. You can't keep me from taking it." Naruto said.
"If you really loved me, you would drop out of school and focus your attention on me." Sai said, his rage suddenly disappearing. "I need you more than you need a career."
"I think it's time that we take a break." Naruto said, not looking Sai in the eye. "I'm going to be super busy, I can't give you the attention you are looking for."
"Don't do this." Sai said, his voice low and whining. "I'll kill myself if you break up with me!" Naruto felt like screaming, something told him Sai would try to kill himself. Naruto really had never felt more manipulated in his life.
"Then keep you damn hands to yourself." Naruto said, feeling his eye swell as he turned and headed towards the door, more angry at himself for falling for Sai's shit yet again. He was tired of this power play with Sai.
"Where are you going?" Sai asked.
"Back to my apartment, I can't go to class looking like this!" Naruto said. "Don't think about following me. I want to be alone."
"I really am sorry." Sai called after him. "I didn't mean to hit you."
"Yeah, where have I heard that before." Naruto muttered as he exited the building. He would have to think of an excuse to explain to Sasuke why he didn't show up to class. Maybe one day Sai would feel comfortable enough with their relationship that he would trust Naruto to be around his own friends. Of course, Naruto didn't expect that to be anytime soon.
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