This is an AU fic with a high school setting. Read to find out more mohahhaa :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto :/ …. *sob*


Konoha wasn't a big town, nor was it a small one. Visitors called it cosy and close to nature, influenced by the vast amount of trees and other growth. The weather was generally good, people sometimes said that the sun seemed to favour the town. But with a bright light comes a dark shadow... And Konoha was more than the paradise perceived by outsiders. And one mustn't assume that rainy times did not come. For some, it seemed that life was always shaded by dark clouds.

In a tranquil part of town was an amiable orphanage built of stone. The exterior was in a warm creamy colour and the sign "Konoha Haven" hung in a cute and quirky font with walnut letters above the large mahogany front door.

A blonde teenager clad in a black school uniform exited through the wooden doors and squinted as the bright morning sun struck his big azure eyes. A nametag on his chest revealed him to be Naruto. With a sigh he ran a hand through his messy hair and continued his walk to school at this early hour. It was still roughly six am. At his side the slender boy had an orange bag that looked like it had seen its best days some time ago. It had become tattered and worn. The colour had faded from its once bright nuance to a dull one. The streets were quiet. The teen was appreciative of that. He preferred walking in peace, and on mornings like these when people were scarce, the half hour walk to school felt pleasantly serene. The distance between the orphanage and his school, Konoha Academy, was mostly through a bit of leafy forest. Naruto had one day discovered that lovely footpath during one of his adventures. It took ten minutes longer to reach the school that way but he had always appreciated nature and preferred this serene alternative. And so he treaded the soft earthy trail. Onwards toward another boorish week.

Sasuke knocked on the teacher's office. It was the end of the school day and he was supposed to report something to his homeroom teacher.

"Come in" Kakashi's lazy voice was heard from the other side of the door. Sasuke did just that.

"Did you find a place to volunteer, Sasuke?" He asked the teen while reading in an orange pocket-book. Sasuke smirked.

"Of course I did, I wouldn't be class president if I couldn't now would I?" He replied. He had decided to volunteer somewhere to improve the look of his application for university. Not that it looked bad as it was, he had top grades, was class president and held the prestigious name of Uchiha. Sasuke just needed it to reach perfection. If he kept this up, any university would be dying to have him.

"Good, good" Kakashi said absentmindedly while his one visible eye travelled the pages with delight. Sasuke snorted and rose to leave.

"You shouldn't read porn in school, you know" He said and left his odd teacher. He really looked like a creep of some sort. A mask covered the lower part of his face and he wore an eye patch over his left eye. Did he want to mimic a pirate or something? Sasuke figured it was best not to bother too much with his peculiarities. As Sasuke passed through the school yard his loud friend Kiba called out to him.

"Sasuke! We were planning to hang out at my place after school, care to come?" The cheeky brunet asked with a grin. Sasuke smirked.

"I have plans, sorry. I'll join some other day" By that he waved and entered his car which was driven by his chauffeur.

After roughly ten minutes he arrived at his destination. 'Konoha Haven' he read on the sign. The place looked nice. It wasn't huge or modern, but it looked neat and well-kept. The garden was not too bad either. This was Sasuke's first time visiting the place as the arrangements of him volunteering had been done by phone. He opened the Thick mahogany door and decided that the interior of the house was quite agreeable as well. It did look relaxing and rustic, creating a comforting and homey atmosphere. Very fitting for a facility in Konoha, making use of the area's rich supply of wood. Sasuke walked up to the small reception.

"Hello, I am Uchiha Sasuke, the new volunteer" He stated. The receptionist warmly smiled at him.

"Welcome to Konoha Haven" She said after which she brought him to the rest of the staff to introduce him. In the end, it was somehow arranged for him to help out in the kitchen. Sasuke was happy for that escape because the children running around were starting to annoy him.

"Oh my, you are really good at this" Petunia, one of the workers, praised as Sasuke was cooking.

"I have some experience in cooking" He answer. He smirked inwardly at his modesty. It was more than just some. He had learned a lot from his mother because as an Uchiha was to be perfect... at everything. When the food was ready he helped the ladies serve the many hungry kids. He was interrupted when Dolores, or Dolly as most of the other workers called her, tugged his sleeve. Dolly was a bit younger than the other workers and had only recently turned 20. Sasuke frowned in confusion at her uncomfortable look.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you but... Could you please carry this tray to room thirteen?" The dark blonde asked him as she gestured to a tray of food. Sasuke said that of course he can do it. He knew that it was important to be friendly and approachable to get a good impression at a place like this, full of warm and kind people. He took the tray and walked through the corridors. He briefly wondered of the child in that room was ill or something and therefore unable to eat with the rest of the kids. Shrugging it off he knocked on the wooden door that was marked with the number 13. Shortly after, it opened revealing a messy haired blond with big azure eyes. He was about a head shorter than Sasuke and was wearing an orange tank with black sweat shorts. Sasuke saw the eyes widen at the sight of him. He cleared his throat.

"Your dinner" He said and pushed the tray forward. He felt caught of guard, he hadn't expected that someone close to his own age would open. Teens seemed scarce at this facility. Maybe they were all just cooped up in their rooms? Blue eyes looked down at thetray of food then back up at him again in even greater confusion. Sasuke felt awkward, which rarely happened.

"I'm a new volunteer" He blurted in explanation. The kid was probably confused because he had expected one of the women.. Dolly or someone, not another teen. Sasuke was interrupted from his train of thought when the door suddenly slammed shut, causing some food to spill on his shirt. Sasuke glared at the door. What the heck was that kids problem? How ungrateful to refuse the kindness of an Uchiha. With a sour face he returned to the staff. They gasped at the state of him. Dolly quickly sprang up from her chair quickly and attempted to wipe the stain with a napkin.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have sent you to him... I thought you would be alright as you're a strong boy but.. Oh geez... Anyhow, you can return home early for now to clean up." She rambled with guilt written in her face. Sasuke forced a smile.

"Don't apologize." He assured that he wasn't angry, well at least he wasn't angry at her. "I will see you tomorrow then he said and waved his goodbyes. The staff said their goodbyes in return. Well in his car Sasuk frowned. Sometimes it was mentally taxing trying to be a pleasant person. But it was all for the sake of his future. It was also his duty as an Uchiha. An Uchiha was always flawless. Especially Sasuke's older brother was proof of that. He was probably the perfect human. Sasuke's frown deepened as he glared at the window. Sometimes all he wanted was to defeat him and overcome that great wall. His thoughts wandered back to the brat that had shoved the door on him. He had looked familiar. Sasuke began to feel as if he had seen him at school. Sasuke decided that he would need to meet him and educate him on how to behave toward Uchiha Sasuke. Maybe it was jealosy that had cause the blonde's rudeness? Sasuke pondered. He did after all have anything a person could wish for. Family, friends, looks, intelligence, money. It was certainly not odd that he was jealous. Especially considering that he was an orphan. Sasuke concluded that it really must have been jealousy.

Meanwhile, at the Haven.

"Naruto, you infernal child. Open your door this instant." The strictest of the workers at the orphanage ordered with a cold voice. She was the highest in rank and no one dared to oppose her. Naruto sat on the other side of the door. He still couldn't believe that Sasuke had stood at his door. And he was volunteering? What a joke. As if he was a caring person. Naruto had never talked to him but he had been around once or twice when Kiba decided it would be fun to shove him against the lockers. Naruto shut his eyes and let out a shaky breath. He didn't want anyone from school showing up here. This was his room. His room. Here, he was supposed to be free from the idiots over there. And now the top matron was angry with him. Naruto moved away from the door to escape the loud banging. He sighed tiredly and laid down on his bed. Soon the matron would get the keys anyways. 'Fuck...' he muttered silently and lay down on his bed. he covered his eyes with his arm as tears stung them slightly. Being treated like this still hurt. As if he was... dirt. He clenched his fist in frustration. The fading light of the sunset dully lit up the dreary room. His light bulb broke a while ago... He needed to fix it sometime soon. With a sad smile he listened as the lock clicked open. The floor creaked eerily as the matron entered the room. The noise was suddenly replaced by a chilling silence.

"You actually dared to be rude towards that handsome young man. Have a limit to your insolence!" She bitterly spat before she rapped his legs with a stick. Naruto flinched already at the swishing sound of it. He bit his lip. He didn't want to show his pain. She would just interpret such an action as him saying that she was being unfair. A way of saying that he felt as if he did not deserve the beating. No... It was better to be compliant and let her punish him. He didn't want to egg her on further. He knew that she really hated him. He had seen her eyes once as she swung at him when he was younger. They were colder than ice and pierced his heart. She felt no guilt when she hit him. He could tell that she really felt that he deserved this treatment. And maybe he really did... Naruto just didn't know anymore. Helpless as he bit back the pain.


Authors note...

Well this is the first fanfiction I'm writing... Feel free to butcher me if you want, any criticism is better than nothing. Hope it wasn't too boring? My story will get more exciting, promise ;). I'm starving for reviews by the way!