Title: Gakuen Arts (translation, Arts Academy)

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Masashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump. All places and people mentioned in this fanfiction are fictional.

Rating: T for sexual thoughts and crude humor.

Misc: Note that there will be slight age changes (but the older people will always be older, and the younger always younger), and that Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, etc. are all 16. Also note that I will use some references from the manga (Gentle Fist, Itachi killing the family), but that this is an AU set in modern day, and that everything will be explained.

xxx

"You are weak."

Pale, salty, tears gathered in Hinata's eyes and she made no attempt to wipe them away. On a busy bus with people jammed on top of each other, no one cared about others. This was as fair time as any to cry as she remembered her father's words from two months ago.

"Hanabi will make a much greater clan leader than you. You are no daughter of mine. In two months, you shall go to boarding school, which I will pay for, but I will not support you beyond that. Any other necessities you need, you must pay for them with your own money from whatever pathetic job you manage to find on campus. After boarding school, you will have to find your own college and your own real job. Stop sniveling, girl. You have disappointed me in all aspects; be grateful for my generosity."

The bus made a sharp turn, and Hinata was thrown into the teenager beside her.

"Sorry!" She apologized.

He merely stared at her, and turned away from the wretched soul beside him.

Hinata was only too grateful to dissolve into misery again. Father is right; I've always been weak. I've never been able to master the art of Gentle Fist…I'm a disappointment to our powerful taijutsu clan. Even Hanabi hates me for being so weak. And I am sure I will not get along with my new classmates either. After all, I am going to an elite school, Gakuen Arts. People there are expected to be talented in any art, from sculpture to martial arts. And also, I…

Hinata closed her eyes, the next thought sickening her. Being talentless in martial arts was horrible enough as she was going to a school that specialized in it, but she would have to act as a boy…for the next few years. Yes, her father had enrolled her in an all boys' boarding school.

It wasn't that Hinata wasn't used to being a boy. No, her father had entered her in many taijutsu competitions and a fair amount were boys' only. He had no problem in entering her in those, because when she was born, he had bribed the doctors into changing her birth certificate from female to male. After all, she was the first born. She knew her father had always wanted a boy for a first-born to lead the clan. But still, the fact that she was technically female didn't discourage him one bit about raising the perfect clan leader—he trained her hard, and she remembered collapsing more than once. And scarcely a month went by without a competition.

She opened her eyes, they clouded with reminiscence as she remembered those competitions…the last one had been when she was twelve. Her father had given up on her after that competition. Hinata had made it to the semifinals, but she had been knocked out by a tough opponent who specialized in Judo. She had needed to use her chest bindings at that age because her breasts were already blossoming. She remembered struggling as her opponent held her down, the chest bindings hurting her along with his rough hands. She remembered that she didn't stand a chance because even as she used her Hyuuga Gentle Fist, working to press the pressure points that would weaken his muscles and let her get a few destabilizing blows in, he had crouched low and darted around her legs with incredible speed, finally tackling her.

She sighed deeply as she remembered those times…she had been secretly delighted when her father stopped putting her in those competitions, but now she rather wished to be back—at least her father still had hope in her then, and her sister's gaze had not been so mocking.

And as silly as it sounded, she wanted to be back in that time so she wouldn't know about having long hair. Hinata, after stopping going to competitions, had grown her short hair to a long, lush, wave of blue-black. She hadn't been a girlish girl, but she cherished the few feminine aspects of her that she was allowed, namely her long hair. And she had sobbed for a few days after her long hair was cut off in favor of a bishounen style. It hurt to have something you loved taken away from you…when you didn't have much love in your world.

And now, Hinata knew, she would have to keep this bishounen appearance with the short hair, as she was going to an all-boys' boarding school. And she would have to make sure no one knew about her breasts as well. She couldn't help but feel resentment—she would have to go through so much trouble by hiding the pills that reduced estrogen levels and made her breasts go down, and having to wrap up her chest all the same because it was still too big. She would have to hide her tampons. She would never be able to confide in her classmates. She would never be able to be a true girl.

Otou-sama, she thought silently. I have always lived in the shadows up till now. Now you have abandoned me, and at an unfavorable place too. Must you make my life miserable?

Hinata felt slightly shocked that she was thinking this way, but even the gentlest person cannot bottle up so much resentment. She glared at the colorful streets of Tokyo sullenly.

"Next stop: The InoShikaCho Bar." The attendant said dully into the microphone.

Hinata jerked to life. According to her map, that was the closest place to Gakuen Arts, only about half a mile away from the gates. She shouldered her backpack, making sure her lilac folder with all of her necessary documents was inside.

The bus slowly rolled to a stop.

"Sorry—excuse me!" Hinata said apologetically to every person she bumped as she struggled to make her way out.

After getting touched on her butt twice by a few women, she finally snapped and jabbed her fingers into their pressure points. Just because she looked like a bishounen now was no excuse for them to behave like that!

She finally made her way out, gratefully breathing in the "fresh" air (as fresh as a tavern got, anyway). Behind her, the bus's doors closed and it roared off.

She squinted at the map, and found that she didn't know whether to go left or right. Oh no…she thought glumly. She'd always been terrible with directions.

She looked wildly around for help—she was rather uncomfortable into going into the bar—and suddenly she spied the teenager from the bus she had bumped into walking briskly to the right.

"U-um…!" She said, flustered, and then quickly clamped her hand over her mouth. She couldn't sound so girlish! She was a boy now!

"E-excuse me!" She said in her deepest voice (an alto). "Sir!"

The redheaded young man turned around, and Hinata tried to keep her legs from disappearing into jelly as he stared at her. "Yes?" He said coolly.

You mustn't think he looks good, you mustn't think he's handsome, and that his rumpled shirt is…

Hinata tore her eyes off his shirt and gazed into his face. "I-I was hoping y-you could give me directions t-to Gakuen Arts."

"Oh? A freshman?" The redhead said. "You're lucky that I'm not interested in you…others may…take advantage." He said this all in a cold, uncaring tone.

"U-uh…" Hinata didn't know what to say. "S-so, you are—"

"Yes. Sasori, a senior of Gakuen Arts." And he turned around again, walking away briskly.

Hinata gulped, and followed him. Soon, she felt slightly winded—why, his walk was almost the same pace as her run!

Suddenly, he turned around.

"Freshman." He said coldly. "Don't follow me so. Not everyone at this school will approve of your weak-heartedness. You should beware. Or this will happen to you."

Hinata watched, transfixed, as the redhead slowly took out an item.

She clamped another hand over her mouth as she saw it—perfectly stitched, with pearly eyes and a white jacket, a perfect copy of her.

She watched in horror as Sasori took out a few needles and jabbed it into her voodoo body. She could've sworn she felt prickling sensations.

"You have been warned." And with a swish, he was walking away again, leaving her doll body on the floor. Hinata stared at the thing, a wave of repulsion going over her. She wondered vaguely when he had made it, but she was more horrified at the grin that was on her voodoo doll's face.

"Just what is this place?" She murmured, shaking. And she sat down on the nearest bench, staring at the voodoo doll in her arms. Somehow, she had a grotesque sense to save it now, and she gingerly placed it next to her.

"I-I really hope not everyone is like that…" she said out loud, twiddling her thumbs.

"Like what?"

Hinata shrieked in a high-pitched voice, bringing her arms up to defend herself.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" The teenager leaned over her, looking concerned. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that, miss!"

Hinata slowly lowered her arms. In front of her was a spiky-haired blond teenager with sparkling cerulean eyes and a wide grin.

Immediately, she began to relax. "O-oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize, I mean, I…"

"It's okay, miss!" The boy grinned at her. "Are you okay? I mean, you look a bit shocked."

"I-I'm fine..."

"Hey, how would you like some dango as a treat for scaring you?" The boy persisted.

"U-uh…"

"Okay, then!" The boy smiled. "It's part of my moral code to help out people whenever I can, to show them that I'm not—" He quickly cut himself off. "Anyway, my name is Naruto Uzumaki! What's yours?"

"H-Hinata Hyuuga…" she said shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Hinata!"

He steered her to the dango shop. Hinata relaxed. He definitely seemed to be nicer than Sasori, and she couldn't but gaze up at his cheerful eyes…he sure had knack for cheering people up.

"I-If you don't mind, c-could you tell me the directions to Gakuen Arts from here after we're done eating?"

The boy suddenly turned pale.

"Wait, please tell me you're visiting someone?"

Oh dear…Hinata thought. "U-um, I-I don't b-blame you…"

And as she tried to explain, the dango lay forgotten. But Hinata couldn't help the warm feeling in her heart that expanded through her as she talked to the boy, and for the first time since arriving in Tokyo, she felt something besides sadness. Perhaps, here she would have a friend. Perhaps, for the first time, she wouldn't be alone. Even if her companion didn't seem to be top Hyuuga-caliber.

xxx

A/N: Sasori fangirls, remember that Sasori is this way because he's part of the gang Akatsuki. Yes, there will be Akatsuki in this story.

There's no need for you to re-view, or re-read this chapter. But if you can criticize, praise, or feed the flames! For one hundred yen each—

Hinata: Don't do that! Why would they pay to review?

Me: Okay, you don't have to pay. Really. Just insert a review to keep me writing…*Smile*