A/N: Alright, guys. First try at Naruto fanfiction here. It's really strange writing something that's not Glee, haha. But yeah! This takes place where it does because I know the area well. Also, no ninja. I know a lot of people hate that, but I like the idea of pulling the characters into real modern day. It's much more amusing, and you get to be creative!

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy. Thanks to my friend Michelle for the help. Even if she did spoil a huge plot point in the manga for me.

I suck at opening sentences. I mean, I'm expected to come up with some sort of brilliant, but simple, and yet complex line that will draw people into your essay or story or whatever. It's no wonder we all spend so much time procrastinating. I suppose, though, if I would've just sucked it up and got it over with like the rest of them, I probably wouldn't be stuck doing this stupid essay to get my English grade up. I'm supposed to tell you my "life story". Well, my life has been pretty shitty so far, but I guess I'll just start at the beginning.

I don't remember much of my early childhood, and the memories I do have are fading quickly. I know that I was happy, and I remember my parents quite clearly. My dad was the premier of Victoria, and my mother stayed at home with me during the day when he went to work. We would read stories and bake cookies and go to the park. I know I was happy; that our family was happy. I know that they loved me very much, and that I killed them.

Not on purpose, of course. I'm not some sort of crazed murder I promise. I was doing what every parent tells their child not to; I was playing with fire. I don't know how it happened exactly. I just know one moment I was playing with a lighter, and the next I was watch my house burn and yelling for my mother. I don't know how long I stood there wailing. I just know that at one point someone with a scar across his nose came to take me away.

The man's name was Iruka, and he's one of the few people who don't blame me for my parents' deaths. He seemed to be the only person who realized I was only five when it happened, and that I was probably confused. He was there for me when the police wanted to question me, and he comforted me when it finally sunk in my parents were gone. He took me away from the police station and told me he had a friend I could stay with.

That's how I ended up living with Kakashi in Vancouver, and how I ended up in Vancouver Central Secondary. Somehow everyone at the school knew about my parents, and I was isolated immediately after my admission. I suppose you could say that's when things got interesting, though.

"Can't you just home school me, Kakashi?" I complained as I walked downstairs.

"No, I do have to go to work, you know. Plus, home school rates have gone up a lot." He looked up and rolled his eye. "Naruto, how many times have I told you to stop fiddling around with that uniform?"

I looked down at myself. "I just made the coat longer."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "And tied the tie around your head. Seriously, you're in high school now, it's time to start acting more your age."

I snorted and looked away, turning my back to the older man. "Naruto what did you do to the back of that thing?"

I shrugged and smirked as I walked out the door. Personally, I thought the orange swirl gave it personality. Plus, I really didn't want to be like every other person in the school. I had to be original somehow.

Unfortunately, Kakashi lived close to the school so I had to walk every day. Even the days it rained, which was always so great for my hair. Though I did like the ten minute walk for the most part. It gave me time to think without distractions, and I could just zone out more or less.

I found myself thinking a lot about my parents as I walked. There wasn't a day I didn't miss them, a day I didn't wish I hadn't been such a stupid, naïve little boy. I couldn't help but think that life would've been much better if it hadn't happened, because as much as I loved Kakashi, you couldn't just replace your parents.

When I got to school I knew this year would be no different than the past ones. Sure, we were all in our last year of school, and I knew that some people did mature a little bit over the summer, but we were still the same group of people we were a year ago.

People still moved away when I walked passed them in the hallway, and I still heard the word 'murder' whispered by the odd person. I tried to ignore them the best I could. I wanted to avoid getting in trouble this year.

"Hey, Uzumaki!" I turned and saw Kankuro headed my way with Gaara and Temari not far behind him. Gaara looked pissed, as usual, and Temari had a worried expression on her face. Kankuro seemed determined as he marched towards me.

"Leave it, Kankuro," Gaara warned darkly.

"I just want to ask him a question, Gaara." He replied, turning back to me. "I heard there was a huge fire downtown and I thought I'd ask the school psycho if he had anything to do with it."

Before the last word had even left his mouth, I was pushing him against the lockers next to us with my arm across his neck. It only took Gaara and Temari a second to respond before they were pulling us apart, Gaara holding me back by my arms.

"Naruto, stop." He said, "Just let it go. You know he's an idiot."

I shrugged Gaara off and walked away from the three of them, heading towards my locker. They all thought they were so funny making fun of the kid without parents. I hated them all, I swear to god I did.

I can't wait to get out of this damn school. Hell, in a year I'd be getting out of the town; the country even! That is, if I could get into the army. I was hoping they'd look at my PE mark more than my academics.

"Hey, Naruto," I looked to my left and saw Hinata trying to catch up to me. I slowed my pace so she could fall in step with me, and she smiled when she caught up. Hinata was always so shy and quiet. I couldn't say I was fond of it. She was nice, though, and never brought up my parents. I considered her a friend, at least.

"Hey, Hinata. How was your summer?"

"Oh, it was, um, good." She blushed and looked away, "How was yours?"

"Same old, same old," I sighed, "Stuck with Kakashi 24/7."

She giggled and I smiled. "Don't you like Mr. Kakashi, though?"

"Yeah, but he's annoying sometimes. Always so clingy, too."

"Complaining again, Naruto?" I spun around and almost tripped over myself to see Sasuke and Sakura walking down the hall towards us, their hands interlaced between them. I felt a pang of jealousy, but brushed it off quickly.

"Sakura!" I cheered, running over to them. She smiled and waved.

"Sasuke." I nodded in his direction and he simply glared at me. I've never really understood his problem with me, and I've never really cared. Sure, when I heard that his brother had killed his parents and run off I'd sort of hoped we could talk about what is was like a bit… but that want passed as soon as I properly met him and decided he was just a self-centered prick.

I would never understand how he got Sakura. They were complete opposites, really. Not to mention how clingy she was with him. I swear I hadn't seen them separate since he agreed to go out with her just over four months ago.

"Did you have a good summer, Sakura?"

She nodded and linked her arm through mine, pulling Sasuke and I down the hall. "My parents took me to Paris."

"Wow, Paris?" I smiled brightly and gave her a thumbs up, "That's so cool!"

Sakura giggled and nodded, talking excitedly about what she had done in France. I glanced over at Sasuke and saw that he wasn't even listening. In fact, he looked completely bored. You'd think, with her being his girlfriend, he'd at least listen a little bit to what she had to say.

"Ino's family went, too." She concluded, pulling me away from my thoughts, "Ugh. I hate her so much."

I simply nodded. Her dislike of Ino was common knowledge around VCS. They'd both liked Sasuke since their freshman year of high school, and when he chose Sakura over Ino their small rivalry had grown into a full-blown war.

"So, Naruto, what's going on between you and Hinata?"

"Nothing," I responded with a shrug.

"Well she obviously likes you, dummy!" Sakura laughed. I already knew that, of course. It was blaringly obvious to me and the rest of the school. I just couldn't picture myself with anyone so self-conscious and shy.

"You should just give her a chance." Sakura pressed, "She's really great, I promise!"

I really didn't want to ask Hinata out. I only saw her as a friend, no matter how I tried to look at it, but I knew that Sakura wouldn't let up until I at least took her out for lunch. So I told her that I'd ask her in my first block, since it was a class that we shared. Seemingly happy with the result, Sakura unlinked our arms and headed off down the hallway with Sasuke, leaving me outside my first class, English.

I sat down beside Hinata in the first row. I saw her blush and duck her head, obviously confused as to why I'd sat next to her. Everyone knew this was my worst, and least favorite, subject and that I preferred to sit in the back of the classroom.

"Ah, Naruto. You're awfully close today. Not sure if I like it." I looked up and saw my English teacher standing above us.

"Hey, Granny Tsunade." I shot back. She simply rolled her eyes and moved to the whiteboard at the front of the class. She'd grown to accept that I would never stop calling her by the nickname after the tenth time she sent me down to the principal's office.

"So, Hinata," I said, turning back to her, "Would you like to come to DQ with me today at lunch?"

I watched as her eyes widened and her face slowly went red again. "W-What?"

"I just thought it'd be cool to hang out. Y'know, without other people around."

"W-with me?" She asked, "Really?"

"Well who else would I ask?" I nudged her shoulder playfully and she shied away from me.

"O-okay." She nodded her head. "That'd be great, Naruto."

"Naruto!" Granny Tsunade shouted, chucking the piece of chalk she was holding at my head. "Stop distracting Hinata and pay attention!"

I stuck my tongue out at her and sat back, putting my feet up on the desk. She looked like she was planning on yelling at me, but instead she simply shook her head and turned back to the board. I let my head fall back and my eyes drift closed, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Look at that kid."

"I heard he killed his parents."

"No, I heard he killed his whole family!"

The whispers I heard as I walked through the hallway of my new school pierced through me, each one feeling like a stab to the heart. This is why Kakashi had hired a home school teacher for me. He thought by now they'd have forgotten, it's been almost ten years, after all, but apparently he was wrong.

I couldn't understand, though. Why was everyone bringing it up? Why did they all seem so scared, so disgusted, by me? Did they actually believe that a five year old kid had purposely killed his parents?

"What do you think you're doing, Uzumaki?" I turned and saw a boy that looked about a year older than me. He wore a hat on his head that made him look like he had cat ears, and put some sort of weird purple face paint on his face.

"Going to class." I responded quietly.

"Surely they didn't let you into a school." He looked around at his classmates, "How do we know that he's not going to burn down the school with us inside like he did with his parents?"

He, and the rest of my classmates, started to laugh. I felt tears stinging at my eyes, but I refused to let any of them see me cry. So I ran. I ran upstairs, knowing that the building had access to the roof. When I got outside, I closed my eyes and let the wind brush against my cheeks. It felt nice… calming. I took a step forward, closer to the edge.

"Suicide's pathetic." I spun around quickly, taking a step back and not realizing how close to the edge I'd gotten until I felt myself falling backwards.

I shut my eyes tightly, but before I had the chance to panic I felt a hand grabbing my wrist and pull me back onto the roof with enough force to send us both flying to the floor. When I opened my eyes I saw a kid with black hair beside me.

"Are you stupid?" He asked as he struggled to get up. "Do you seriously think killing yourself will solve all your problems?"

"I wasn't…"

"You may think you're special, that you're the only one who's lost someone close to you but you're not." He started heading towards the school, pausing just before he opened the door to look back at me, "You need to get over yourself."

"Naruto!" I jumped at the sound of Tsunade's hands slamming against the table. I lost my balance on the chair and fell backwards, the sounds of the class' laughter echoing as I woke up fully.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"You were sleeping," She threw her hands up; "You're graduating this year, Naruto. You need to stop slacking off!"

"Whatever, Granny." I stood up and walked towards the door, waving at her as I walked out the door and ignored her calling my name.

I had always hated that dream. It was a reminder of how weak and pathetic I was once. Let's just say that after that, anyone who tried to bring up my parents would end up with a bruise, at the very least. Ever since then, the roof has become my escape. No one, aside from Sasuke, ever came up and the teachers had long stopped trying to stop me. Most of them had long given up on me, anyway.

Not that I cared. I hated school and as long as I graduated, the grade didn't matter to me. I didn't plan on going to University, and I knew already that it was unlikely I'd amount to much. It was something that I'd just come to accept over the years.

I wasn't surprised when I found Sasuke on the roof. He usually came up on the first day of school simply to get away from everyone. He was Mr. Popular after all, though why it was so would always beat me. He was just so… depressing to be around. Though no one could really blame him, with the past he had.

"Hey." I said, moving to stand behind him and look over the buildings surrounding our school. He nodded but didn't say anything. I don't know how long passed before either of us said something.

"Did you ask Hinata out?"

I wrinkled my nose, "Yeah. I don't know why Sakura is so determined though. It's not going to work out between us."

He shrugged, "I'm sure she just wants the poor girl to finally get over her crush on you."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"No girl could like you if they actually got to know you." He smiled, "You're an idiot. Girls hate immaturity and you've got it in spades."

"I suppose they like the 'I-hate-my-life-type', then?" I asked, "I don't get it. You're such a bore. How do you do it?"

He shrugged and started heading back to the school. "See you around, Naruto."