I've always wanted to write an AU story, because honestly I don't mind them. And thought this was a nice scenario to put the characters in. So many fun possibilities! This will be a romance story between Sasuke and Naruto but I'll try to keep a realistic dynamic between them. I think it's that rivalry between them that gives the story spice. I know that there will be (awkward) sex in the story, but I'll only up the rating until it appears. Anyway, here is the short prologue. Enjoy!
Sannin Manor
A Story by Balloon Animal
Prologue
The glaring sunlight was peeking through the blinds. Sasuke groggily blinked his eyes and rolled over to avoid the light shining directly on his face. What day was it again? Oh yeah, Saturday. Good. No obligations today. It was simply a free day to do nothing and relax (something he rarely allowed himself to enjoy), so he pulled the covers over his head and prepared to sleep for another three hours.
Three large door knocks echoed from the entrance hall.
Sasuke froze.
Straining his ears, he listened for any more sound and furrowed his brow in confusion. He hardly ever had visitors come by and especially not at this time of day. Why would someone want to see him this early in the morning? When he didn't hear anything further he relaxed. Whoever it was it certainly wasn't important enough to interrupt his nap time.
He sighed and nestled back into his blankets savoring the blissful semi-conscious state he had entered.
Three knocks rattled his front door once again. They were louder than last time and a touch more frantic. Sasuke growled as he rolled onto his back and palmed his face. It was probably just some persistent evangelists coming to try and convert him and waste his time. He really didn't want to deal with that, so he decided that ignoring the knocking was the best course of action. They'd go away eventually.
The knocks had now turned into relentless thumps. They sounded dangerously close to busting the doors off their hinges. Sasuke threw the blankets off in a rage as he scoured his bedroom for his robe. This better damn-well better be important because nothing less than a bomb raid warranted Sasuke to prematurely get out of bed on a Saturday morning.
He hopped on one leg as he clumsily tried to pull a pair of jeans on. Boxer shorts weren't quite decent enough to greet people at the door. "I'm coming! For God sakes…" he yelled as the persistent knocking continued. He gave a yelp as he pulled his zipper up too quickly. Hissing, he finally pulled his night robe over his shoulders and raced out his bedroom door.
Descending a marble staircase he tilted his head to see if he could identify the blurry silhouette that stood behind the stained glass window that framed his door. Even at this distance he could tell it was someone irritating. He approached the door and winced as another deafening knock resounded from it. He paused at he touched the doorknob and took a moment to set his face into a scowl he had been perfecting for a lifetime. Ok, ready to go…
He cracked the door open a generous half-inch as he peered out the crack. "I'm sorry" he mumbled without even bothering to get a proper look at the person he was addressing. "I'm not interested in buying anything today. Thankyou!" And promptly shut the door.
He didn't even get a foot away from the door when a series of rattling taps iterated from it once more. He growled as he turned around and this time allowed two whole inches to stare at the perpetrator. "What do you want? He hissed. Money, what?!"
A blond teenager looked back at him slightly stunned. "Ahh, no" he chuckled "I'm not selling anything. "I'm--"
"Thankyou but I'm satisfied with my religious beliefs. Goodbye." Sasuke made a move to slam the door shut, but it seemed at the boy had been expecting it this time as he pushed his weight against the door and wedged his sneaker encased foot between the door and the door frame, preventing it from closing.
Great. This guy was especially intent on ruining his morning. Sasuke growled as his finally relinquished and fully opened the door to face the interloper. "Pardon me for being rude, but who the hell are you?"
"Well, nice to meet you too princess." The blond kid frowned.
"Listen" Sasuke sighed as he raked fingers through his bed-matted hair. "Whatever church you're with, I'd be appreciative if you took us off your list."
"No" the stranger waved his hand "you don't understand, I'm not from any church or asking for money or anything. I, I'm… wow, is this where you live?!" He seemed to have completely forgotten what he was going to say had he gaped, transfixed at the room behind Sasuke. He even made a step forward to get a closer look. Sasuke put arm across the doorway to block the blond kid, wondering if it was possible to be any more annoyed than he was right now.
"Excuse me" he placed a palm on the guy's chest to push him away. "If you don't tell me who you are right now I will call the police."
"Hmph" the stranger grumbled as he folded his arms. "Some welcome I'm receiving." It was only now that Sasuke noticed he was carrying a small paper bag at his side. Not for the first time he wondered what he was here for. This ruffian certainly didn't look like a local, especially adorned in that gaudy orange hoody. It wasn't uncommon for people to come around these parts looking for handouts. He squinted in suspicion. This guy had better explain himself.
"I'm Naruto!" he pointed a thumb towards himself and grinned. As though that was supposed to explain everything.
Sasuke felt his body sag. Well, this was progress at least. "Okay, uh, Naruto. Can I help you?"
"Geeze, you're not a cheerful guy are you. I know your type. You one of those people who sit miles above everyone looking down on them, not realizing that the thing keeping them up there is that long stick up their as--"
"What do you want?!"
Naruto recoiled, offence clear on his face. He huffed and stuck his nose up. "Well if you're going to be rude I don't see why I should tell you." He must have noticed the vein that was threatening to burst on Sasuke's forehead because he took a step back and tugged his collar chucking nervously. "I'm your new neighbor!" He said and gestured towards the large mansion that stood next to Sasuke's.
"Oh" Sasuke relaxed as he let this information sink in. "I wasn't aware that the previous owner had sold his house…"
"Well, not exactly." Naruto looked down as he scuffed his foot across the tiles of the porch.
Sasuke squinted, trying to read into Naruto's body language. "Soo… you're moving in with him?"
"Yeah, well… not really. I mean, I guess he might've…that is to say…" He trailed off and swallowed. He took a long dramatic sniff and looked Sasuke in the eye. "I inherited it."
"Ah" Sasuke said understanding. This Naruto kid had suddenly become a lot more interesting. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Yeah" Naruto said quietly, looking somber. "It was all pretty sudden. But, you know I guess I was lucky to have known him at all." He gave a smile that Sasuke could tell was forced. "Man, when you meet a pervert as big as him it's hard to believe that he could be gone. I learned heaps from him."
"Right…" Sasuke said not sure how to respond to that. "Uh, what was your relation to him? Uncle?"
"Nah" Naruto scratched the back of his head as he looked at his new house, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. "He was my Godfather. Probably the only family I really got to know." He looked back at Sasuke abashed. "Sorry, I don't mean to dampen the mood or anything. Say! Is anyone else in your house up? I'd like to meet them too."
Sasuke shifted, wanting nothing more than to say goodbye to this guy and go back to bed. "There is no one else."
"Oh! Really! You mean you live here all by yourself?" Naruto said, shocked.
"I have a cleaner who comes once a week and a carer who occasionally checks up on me. But yes, I live alone."
"No way!" His eyes widened in such a way, that although he was probably around the same age as Sasuke, it gave him the appearance of someone much younger. "I thought I would be the only one! Wow, I guess I'm not as out of place in the neighborhood as I thought I was."
I wouldn't say that…thought Sasuke. But he had the sense of mind not to say this to Naruto. Instead he leaned against the doorway and looked the blond up and down. "I'm guessing your previous living arrangement wasn't the same standard."
"Ah it wasn't so bad." Naruto fidgeted. "But you know, it wasn't a mansion. Anyway, I'll be closer to school if I live here."
Hmm, Sasuke murmured only half paying attention. His mind was devising a way to end this conversation as quickly as possible. He really couldn't care less about dead-beat neighbors moving next-door. He'd never spoken to anyone in his neighborhood and wasn't about to start. He valued his solitude.
"Oh I nearly forgot!" Said Naruto and began to rummage through the paper bag that he had been holding. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when he was presented with a large yellow candle,
"What's this?"
"It's a candle."
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know it's a candle. Why are you giving me a candle?"
"It's a gift. You know, a neighborhood gift for when someone moves in."
Sasuke reluctantly accepted it and held it away from his body in distaste. "Aren't I the one who's supposed to be giving you a present?"
"Well yeah" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "but this place is so posh I guess I just wanted to make a good impression. Um, its lemon scented by the way."
"Uh, thanks…"
Naruto paused and peered at Sasuke, as if only seeing him for the first time. He pulled back with a finger pointed firmly at the aggravated brunette. "Ha ha! Did I get you out of bed or something? Man, you look terrible."
Ok, Sasuke had had enough.
"Well it was simply charming meeting you Narugo--"
"It's Naruto."
"Whatever, but I'm a very busy person so I'll just…"
Wait! Naruto quickly placed his hand on the door looking back at Sasuke with exasperation. "I didn't even get your name."
"It's Sasuke" he relented, as he gave another push to close the door.
"Well Sasuke" Naruto strained, still not giving up. "Maybe we could hang out sometime. Perhaps we could even be--"
"No, I don't think so."
This clearly insulted the blonde. He puffed his cheeks out and glared at the indifferent teenager. "Bah, you're just like the rest of them. You know, you didn't even tell me about your family."
Sasuke's eyes darkened and he paused from his efforts at closing the door. "I really don't think that's any of your business."
"Well," Naruto huffed as he stepped away. "I'm sorry I live next door to such a jerk."
"Yeah. You should be."
The door slammed shut, rattling the stained glass window.