AN: Aaaand here...we...go! Hehe, instead of updating my older fics, like I should, I'm starting a new fic. A Naruto romance. And a high school fic at that. D= Don't worry, I promise I won't go cliche. ...I hope. ^.^ And, as is often the case, my naming method is incredibly uninspired...
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Naruto. If I did, the plot would be consistently good, NaruHina would come true, Itachi would've killed Sasuke and would find love with my good friend Alicia, and Madara would be dead and gone and Akatsuki wouldn't be dead. But that's just wishful thinking... I do own the randoms and my OCs, however.
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Chapter 1
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Naruto sighed as he stared out of the window. He should be happy. He was entering his final year at Shinobi High, but despite that, he was in a very sorry state. He looked over to his left, at the driver of the car. His godfather, Jiraiya, one of the higher-ranked 'professors' at the school, and the only way Naruto had ever been able to attend the pretentious boarding school.
He felt a smile tug at his lips as the car pulled up to the wrought-iron gates, upon which were the gold words 'Shinobi High Private School'.
Jiraiya leaned over and buzzed the intercom, a cheery voice saying "Who's there?" through it.
"Hey, babe, it's me," Jiraiya replied, being his usual flirtatious, perverted self. Another smile.
"Okay, Jiraiya, the gates are opening," The secretary said in a slightly giggly voice. The gates opened and the car drove through, into the massive courtyard of the school. It was a massive, grassy place, and, in the dead centre, a statue depicting a kunai, with the six symbols of the school carved into the blade.
The car made it's way to the staff parking lot, and into Jiraiya's usual spot. "Well, Naruto, I suppose this is where we part for now. Try not to destroy the dorms," Jiraiya said with a smile when he and Naruto had got their cases from the car, and began walking their separate ways. Naruto flashed a grin to his godfather as he waved, but as he turned away, his face fell and he sighed.
Normally, he would be running onto the statue, yelling 'It's great to be back!' It should have been great to be back. After all, last year, his friend and long-time crush, Sakura, had finally agreed to go out with him. On the last day, as well! And then, during the holidays, he'd learned that Sasuke was coming back, after three and a half years away.
Sasuke. In the year they'd been classmates, and partnered on projects, they'd become best friends, almost like brothers. And then, Sasuke decided to transfer to the new rival school, Sound Private. Naruto had learned over the holidays that the school had been closed, due to the headteacher's 'actions of a pedophilic nature'. To think, that guy had been friends with Jiraiya and Tsunade-sensei in university. Anyway, due to the school's sudden closure, Sasuke's 'parents'-his real ones had died some years back-had no choice but to send him back to Shinobi.
So why was Naruto so unhappy? Simple. Last week, in the final week of the holidays, Sakura had broken up with him.
What. The. Hell?
She had said 'I'm sorry, but...I just don't think of you in that way. I think we should just stay as friends.' Why the hell had she agreed to go out with him in the first place if she didn't 'think of him in that way'?
So, yeah, that had pretty much ruined Naruto's happy buzz for the new year.
Naruto was now at reception. "Name?" The receptionist, Hotaru, asked, smiling at Naruto. She was twirling a pen around in her brown hair, studying him with equally brown eyes.
"Naruto Uzumaki," He told her, and she flicked through the register.
"U, u, aha, Uzumaki! Room K7. Welcome back, Naruto," Hotaru said, smiling as she handed Naruto a key. Dangling off it was a tag that read 'Naruto Uzumaki, K7' and the strange leaf symbol that Naruto had grown so accustomed to. The sign of Konoha house.
There were six houses at Shinobi: Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kiri, Kumo and Akatsuki. There were some other little groups that called themselves other names, but more or less everyone was a member of one of those six.
Naruto trudged over to the Konoha building, and has he walked in, was surprised to see that he was the first there. So he went up to his assigned room, and dumped his case in there. As he came down, he saw a girl sitting on the sofa, her face buried in a book. Oh, just Hanako, one of the girls in the Sixth Form college. Weird girl, amber eyes, dyed green hair, had a fetish for fans. Apparently, she'd been bumped up a year, and was only 16 herself.
"Hey Hanako. Seen anyone else lately?" Naruto asked, and Hanako looked up from her book.
"Hmmm? Oh, Naruto. No, looks like we're the first people here. Hey, is it true that Chicken-Butt's coming back?" She said, smiling. She'd always mocked Sasuke for some reason, but at least she was lightening the mood.
"Yeah, Sasuke's back," Naruto told her, before sighing. Hanako raised an eyebrow, staring quizzically at Naruto.
"Hey, wha-" She began to ask, when Tenten, another Sixth Form girl walked in. "Never mind. Talk later," Hanako half-mumbled, getting up to speak to her friend, probably talk about rooms, lessons or some weird girl thing.
So there Naruto was, alone in the Konoha lounge, sitting on the sofa. He looked at the magazines in front of him, and started to read one of them. He wasn't even interested in it. It was just an escape.
Time passed. Other people poured into the room, some of them said hi to Naruto, others were shocked to see him reading. Then, he came in.
He hadn't changed much over the past few years, although he was significantly taller and looked much more mature.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto called, waving and smiling. The boy in question looked around for the mysterious caller, then looked at Naruto. He still looked blank, but there was a ghost of a smile on his face. As Sasuke walked over, girls swooned, except for a select few, who were either taken, or not into him.
Sasuke sat next to Naruto on the sofa, looking at him.
"Well, you sure have...changed," Sasuke said. His voice still sounded too old for him. "Isn't there a statue for you to graffiti?"
Naruto laughed a little, simply saying "I've grown up, Sasuke. Wish I could say the same for the girls." Naruto indicated the squealing crowd nearby, all of whom were staring at Sasuke.
"Hmmm. Speaking of girls, have you seen Sakura?"
Naruto winced at her name, before replying "She...hasn't come yet."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but was otherwise indifferent to Naruto's...unexpected reaction.
The two talked, catching up, Naruto learning that the 'girl problem' was no different at Sound. One of Sasuke's classmates had tried multiple times to seduce him. Apparently, it was nowhere near as bad as what the headmaster had done. Naruto almost threw up when he learned of Orochimaru-sama's 'sleepovers'.
Finally, Sasuke looked over at the door, and asked "Hey, is that Neji? And...Hinata?!"
Naruto looked over at the door, seeing Neji, Hinata and Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister who was beginning this year. The three Hyuugas.
"Oh yeah...HEY HINATA!" Naruto called, waving at the violet-haired girl. First, she jumped out of her skin. Then, she looked at Naruto, waved slightly, then blushed madly and ran off to her room.
"I honestly don't know what her problem is," Naruto mumbled, before looking at a very shocked Sasuke. "What?"
"Dobe, Hinata is...How can't you notice her...figure?" Sasuke said, still flatly.
"Figure?" Naruto was confused. "Heh, I suppose being around her this whole time, I never noticed. Plus, I only really had eyes for Sakura..."
Naruto sighed after saying her name, and Sasuke just shrugged, as if to say 'Not going to ask', and went to the kitchen to get a drink.
It was as he was returning that someone walked in the room, saying "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, you guys in here?"
Naruto froze.
It was Sakura.
* * *
Sakura was relieved to see Naruto in the lounge. She was not going to the boys' dorms to look for them. Naruto looked at her, with an expression like a deer caught in headlights. She sighed as she remembered the events of a week before.
When she'd dumped him.
Then, she saw a tall, dark-haired man walk over to Naruto, and ask him in a deep voice "Are you alright, dobe?"
Sakura walked forward, still staring at the man. She felt as though time had stopped. She'd heard he'd come back-deep down, it was why she'd dumped Naruto-but...she'd never expected him to look this...grown up.
"Sasuke-kun?" She asked, staring at him wide-eyed, now right behind him. Slowly, he turned around, and looked at her.
A ghost of a smile formed on his lips. "Sakura...it's been a while. I must say, you are a welcome change to the Sound girls."
Sakura gulped. Naruto was smiling weakly, as though just looking at her took all his effort.
Sakura averted her eyes from him, then smiled and said "A reunion of Group 7. This should be a happy time. God, I was getting sick of Sai!"
In his dorm, Sai sneezed.
Naruto looked over at the clock, and said "Yes, we should have a party. Instead, we need to get into our uniform. The start of year assembly is in 5 minutes, and Tsunade will kill us if we're late."
The other two looked at the clock simultaneously, then said, also simultaneously, "You're right, we need to get ready."
Naruto laughed at their unison, while Sasuke just sighed and rolled his eyes, and Sakura hit Naruto around the head. Apparently dating her hadn't soured their previous relationship.
The three then went their separate ways. Although Naruto and Sasuke had been roommates in their first year, after Sasuke left, Sai had been put in his room, and the school couldn't change the system now.
Which meant Sasuke was alone in a room. Not that he cared. He might've been friends with Naruto, but he could think much easier when he was alone. Think about the mysterious 'death' of his parents. He knew it had been murder, despite what he had been told. And once he found out who the murderer was, he would find and kill them.
Naruto just went along to the room he shared with Sai.
Who was, unsurprisingly, laying in just his underwear on his bed, drawing in his sketchbook.
"Sai, what the hell? We have to be in the hall in about five minutes!" Naruto yelled, Sai looking at him unfazed.
"Oh," was all the other boy said, still drawing.
Naruto just ignored Sai, getting out of his black-and-orange jumpsuit, and into the tailored trousers and shirt-which had the school symbol of a kunai embroidered on the pocket-that was the school unform. He tied his Konoha headband around his forehead, and looked at the clock.
1 minute left. Naruto bolted out the door, leaving Sai to get dressed and draw...at the same time.
He got into the crowded hall just as the bell rang. The teachers were all sitting on the stage, some looking at the students, others at each other, and one or two were staring at the ceiling, as if there was something interesting up there.
Then Tsunade got up, and yelled "Sit!" The students ran into each other, tripped over each other and injured themselves in a scrabble to sit in the chairs. Of course they would follow Tsunade's orders, she was the headmistress. Finally, everyone was sat down, and Tsunade smiled.
"Hello everyone! It's good to see you again. Or nice to meet you, if you guys are new," She began, beaming at all the students.
Sasuke looked at Tsunade oddly. When he'd left, she'd only been in charge of Konoha house, as the 'Hokage'. Had old Sarutobi died when he was gone or something?
"Well, er..." Tsunade began. She was new to this Headmistress gig, and it wasn't as if Sarutobi-sensei had left her instructions on how to start the year. "I hope you are all looking forward to this year. In case any of you are new, or got amnesia over the holidays, I'm Tsunade, your Headmistress. The people surrounding me are the House heads, or the 'Kage', as they're called. Jiraiya, the Hokage, Onoki, the Tsuchikage, Kasumi, the Mizukage, Kenta, the Raikage, Sora, the Kazekage and Madara, the Keimeikage," Tsunade indicated the six Kage around herself. All of them nodded as their name was said.
"Anyway, you will all be getting your timetables from your mentors today. New guys, you will be meeting your mentors shortly, and older guys, your mentors will be in their usual classrooms. Well, that's it for me. Any of you guys got announcements to make?" Tsunade looked at the Kages sat around her. Jiraiya opened his mouth, but Tsunade beat him to speaking. "Jiraiya, none of the students want to buy your Icha Icha books, not even for 100 yen a book."
Kenta announced "Wrestling tryouts will be held on Friday. Anyone interested should go to the Gym. I expect last year's members to be there."
"And that's it. Now, off you guys go!" Tsunade told the students, and the doors were opened. "Oh, wait! I'm taking on medical apprentices. Just come see me in my office. Yep, now you may go."
A steady stream of students exited the hall, going off to their mentor's classrooms, ready to begin the new school year.
Naruto hoped it would be a good year. Desperately hoped.
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AN: Whoa that was a long chapter. And please forgive me if I massacred the lovable Naruto characters. I think I did okay. And if I made Sasuke seem less Sasuke-ish, then that's because I can't write flat, static characters. It's actually difficult.
As for the Kages...Yes, I wanted to make Tsunade Headmistress, because it's my damn fic. Kasumi, Kenta and Sora are randomly chosen names, and they are actually Kages. Kenta is the current Raikage, Kasumi is the fifth Mizukage and Sora is the fourth Kazekage. I used the fourth and Jiraiya as Kages because Gaara can't be Kazekage (he's a student) and I'm not having Danzo in the story.
Keimeikage roughly translates to 'Dawn Shadow'. ...Well I had to have Akatsuki and their leader in there.
Anyway, reviews make me happy, and happy me = better stories and more updates. You can also request pairings and OC appearences. Send me a PM for OCs.
So, now I've got that off my chest, please review, and Raven...OUT!
