NPOV

Naruto had never been one to have many friends, or any friends at all. Everyone in the small close nit town knew the story which caused Naruto to be an outcast.

His mother and father were very well known and well loved people in the town of Konoha. Minato his father was in the running to become the towns new Mayor, he was bound to win. His mother Kushina, was the towns greatest doctor, having saved hundreds of lives when the town was struck by tragedy during her first year of residence at the hospital.

They met during the towns annual banquet, and were wed just 8 months later, announcing just 2 months after that, that they were expecting. On the night of their child's birth, Kushina was at their home, alone. Minato was called into the town hall because of a complication in the election marketing scheme.

Kushina went into labour during that time, she called an ambulance for herself as Minato was more than half an hour drive away from their home on the out skirts of town. She was rushed to hospital after the paramedics found her callopsed in the entry way of the house. Minato was informed after she arrived at the hospital, that she had gone into labour, but complications had arisen.

He jumped into his car, rushing of to the hospital. Kushina was on the operation table.

Just as Minato was speeding around a corner, right before the hospital an on coming truck turned around the same corner. Minato, not making the corner because of the speed he was going, hit the truck being killed almost instantly. At that time the doctors at the hospital had just gotten Kushina open and were taking out the baby, just as the heart monitor started its ominous beeping, informing the doctors that she had died.

Naruto had survived. But the town blamed him for his parents death, something he had no control over. Naruto was kept in the hospital until he was nearly one year old, then he was put into custody of Jiyara, the man Minato and Kushina had named as Naruto's godfather and the inspiration for Naruto's name.

Jiraya being a famous author was not able to be committed to a young child, so he opted to seek the help of another family friend, Iruka one of the local high school teachers. He was at first resistant to taking the child, because Minato was a dear friend of his late parents, and he too blamed the child for Minato's death, but after some pleading and stern words from Jiraya, he took the child into his care.

Now nearly 17 years later, Iruka has come to love Naruto as if he were his own son, over looking his initial resentment of the innocent child, realising that he had no control over what happened to his parents.

But from the time of his first day at school, Naruto had never been able to make friends because of the children's parents, brain washing them into rejecting Naruto.

And now, as Kabuto invited Naruto to 'hang out', he thought things had finally changed.

"Hang out?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side. "Me?"

"Yeah, we figured you'd want to come play some video games with us after school?" Kabuto said it so casually like he asked Naruto to 'hang' all the time, it made Naruto feel at ease.

"I'd have to ask Iruka-Sensei" He replied rather timidly, not having an experience with interacting with people his own age.

"Well lets go ask him then" Kabuto started to walk towards the English staff room, where Iruka would be having his lunch, along with the other English teachers.

The walk to the English department was awkward for Naruto, but Kabuto looked as comfortable as the moment he walked over to Naruto. When Naruto walked into the English staff room without even knocking was when Kabuto became slightly surprised.

Naruto spent a lot of time in the department, talking to the teachers, well Iruka mainly the other teachers would become uncomfortable when in a conversation with Naruto.

"Iruka-Sensei?" Iruka was in the corner of the staffroom, conversing with a science teacher, Kakashi.

"Maa, Naruto-kun how are you?" Kakashi-Sensei has always been one who never rejected Naruto because of what happened, he never seemed to care either way.

"Good Sensei" Naruto bowed to show his respect, Kakashi is a very close friend of Irukas, and Naruto liked him. "Iruka, can I please go to Kabuto's house after school?"

The silence that followed Naruto's question was so heavy it would have to be lifted by a crane.

"Wh-What?" Iruka looked at Kabuto with suspicious eyes, not trusting him the slightest. Kakashi, with his mix matched eyes seemed to be slightly wary of Naruto's request as well, analysing Kabuto with eagle like eyes.

"Kabuto invited me to his house today, am I allowed to go?" It was obvious at this point that the entire staffroom was listening to the conversation, interested in how Naruto managed to receive such an invitation.

"I-I guess so Naruto, if that is what you want." Naruto's smile reached from ear to ear, as it often did, but not as genuinly as the one he was now displaying.

"Thank you Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto reached out and hugged Iruka, he accepted the hug easily, while looking over Naruto's shoulder to glare at the silent Kabuto.

The bell began to ring as the boys began to exit the staffroom, signaling that final period had begun and lunch had ended. Naruto had Biology with Kakashi, so he decided to wait for the lazy man.

"Meet me at the front gates afterwards." Naruto nodded egarly, as Kabuto began on his way to his final class.

Naruto was excited, not even for once thinking that the invitation could be anything but genuine.

SPOV

Sasuke Uchiha had always found his life to be easy, even after the separation of his parents, he never once found his life complicated or dramatic. Many people often called him privileged, and he is. His mother gained a large sum of money from his father after their divorce and because Sasuke and his elder brother reside with his mother, she also receive a weekly pay for that.

So he was in no way disadvantaged because of his parents separation. He had never really cared for his father, he was always too cold towards him, but never his mother. So when he found out that she was divorcing him, he was more than overjoyed.

His elder brother was not a joyed as Sasuke was. Itachi will always be their fathers favorite, being intelligent beyond comprehension and with the good looks and charm as well. Itachi works with his father in the local police department, his father being the chief of police, and Itachi his head detective.

Sasuke was expected to follow in their foot steps, but disappointed his father when he told him he would rather be a doctor. After that announcement his father barely spoke 10 words to him. He was not bothered by it.

Sasuke had never found it difficult to find friends, every one wanted to be seen in the company of an Uchiha. So he was constantly surrounded by people that considered themselves Sasuke's friends. He was no inclined to see them as his friends, rather as acquaintances.

He would sit under a large tree in the center of a cemented area with his acquaintances during lunch breaks, the people surrounding him was talk and chatter, always trying to get Sasuke involved, he would participate if he felt the need too.

His entire high school life he had sat under that tree, and all that time just 15 meters away sat the towns outcast. Naruto Uzumaki.

Sasuke had always been fascinated by him, no matter what people say to him, throw at him do to him he had never once seen him shed a tear or say a hurtful word back. Naruto would sit against the wall on the silver seats situated there, he would quietly eat his lunch or maybe read a book. Some days he wouldn't show up at all, and Sasuke suspected his was in the English teachers staffroom, where he'd found him once by accident, when he'd gone to see his English teacher about a class project. He had been happily conversing with his English and science teacher, Iruka-Sensei and Kakashi Sensei.

He knew the story behind Naruto, and he knew that Iruka-Sensei was his carer, but when he saw him so comfortably interacting with Kakashi-Sensei it surprised him, because his mother had told him that Kakashi was Minato, Naruto's Father, student and that they had worked closely together for Minato's campaign to become Mayor.

Sasuke had assumed that because of Kakashi's closer relation to Minato, that he too would hold a grudge against him, but surprisingly his assumption was wrong.

That was during his second year in high school, and it was the very beginning of his fascination with Naruto.

Now in his last year of high school, he had finally gotten the chance to become closer to the blonde, in a sense.

Sasuke had chosen to take Biology as one of his year eleven and twelve classes, one taught by Kakashi-Sensei. And the first class he has with Naruto Uzumaki, the only class where he gets to sit right next to the blonde.

Even though the year was almost over, he'd never actually had an acutual conversation with him, he had the chance to observe him more closely.

He was on his way to his final class of the day, Biology, when Kabuto, one of his peers intercepted him.

"Uchiha" Kabuto nodded his acknowledgement as he pulled Sasuke aside. "Meet Oriochimaru at the rear gates after school, we're having a party at my place."

Oriochimaru was a former student at the high school, several years older than Kabuto and himself, but he'd always been quite closer to Kabuto when he was in school.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow slightly. He was never one to actually attend his peers parties.

"Because, just be there Sasuke, I've gotten Naruto Uzumaki to come, we have quite a surprise for him" Kabuto smirked, and Sasuke now actually interested in attending, wanting to find out this 'suprise' for Naruto.

Sasuke just nodded and continued on his way to class. Arriving late, but before Kakashi and Naruto managed to arrive. Naruto arrived several minutes before Kakashi, but still late.

He took his seat next to Sasuke as usual, taking out his things before beginning to read a book. Sasuke paid close attention to what he was reading before Kakashi walked in, calling the class to attention.

Sasuke idly took down the notes Kakashi-Sensei was putting up for the class, as he still tried to find out what was going to happen after school.