Stink Bombs

Yes, yes, this will be abominably OC, or, at least I hope only a little OC. Also, I'm sure I made some fuinjutsu stuff up, sue me.

Set right after the story arc The Land of the Waves, set before the Chuunin exam.

Not going to be a long story, maybe four to five chapters, 8-10k, that way you know what you're committing to. No pairings. Canon level violence.

DISCLAIMER: I totally own Naruto... Ha...hahaha... As if... *sobs*...

Chapter 1

Naruto was tucked behind the couch of the Jounin wreck room, silently sniggering as he suppressed his chakra. He had been practicing for ages, working unbelievably hard to master one of the most simple techniques. Now, the only thing he had left to do was get these chakra triggered stink bombs placed in strategic places throughout the Jounin wreck room and then his prank would be complete.

Naruto couldn't help the ginormous grin that was on his face as he prepared to sneak towards the table placed in the small kitchenette available to the Jounin. He stopped though when he heard the door open and several set of feet come into the room. Naruto hunkered down and focused on maintaining his chakra suppression.

He nearly lost his concentration when the couch springs squeaked slightly as the shinobi sat down, the noise amplified from his position behind the couch.

"How do you manage them, Kakashi? One hour and I'm ready to throw myself off the Hokage cliff."

That was Asuma-sensei. There was a feminine chuckle and the soft 'hnn' of Kakashi.

"It's not that bad, Asuma, I like spending time with my little genin."

Naruto recognized the voice as the sensei of Kiba and Hinata, her name was Kurenee? Or something like that.

"Really though, Kakashi, that Naruto is one of the most horrible students I've ever seen. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't so extraordinarily thick."

Naruto frowned angrily at the man's comment and resisted the urge to jump out and yell at him. He wanted to, but he wasn't sure he wanted to explain what he was doing sneaking around the Jounin wreck room with eight stink bombs.

Kakashi let out a put upon sigh, "Hai, he is very troublesome. But really, I couldn't refuse the Hokage's request."

Naruto frowned as he tried to understand what Kakashi was saying.

"I requested to have a different student, but he didn't trust anyone else keeping the Jinchuuriki in check. Honestly, of all the graduates, Naruto was the one I wanted to get the least."

Naruto cringed where he was hiding, curling into himself as hurt replaced the anger he had been feeling earlier. Kakashi was his sensei because of the monster in him. Asuma agreed somberly, but Kurenai didn't understand.

"He's not that bad," she argued.

Kakashi chuckled, "Naruto is probably the most difficult person I've ever had to work with. I can't convince him to wear anything other than that nauseating orange, and he misunderstands the most simple of things. He yells all the time and manages to aggravate nearly every person he crosses. No one can stand him."

Naruto forgot all about the stink bombs he had stuffed in his pockets. He just wanted to get away, get far away before he heard anything more. A part of him left him frozen, unable to move, the part that wanted to hear the truth.

"But most children are difficult, I mean I can rarely get Hinata to speak up and Kiba is always yelling," Kurenai contended.

"Naruto has no ability, no talent, nothing going for him," Kakashi paused.

Who was Naruto kidding, he didn't want to hear this, even if it was the truth. In a small move he jumped from the room out the window he had entered, being surprisingly discrete for the first time in his life.

Kakashi continued, not knowing that his student had been in the room and had just left it.

"But you're right, despite how difficult the boy is, there is something about him which inspires hope, I find myself constantly surprised by his ingenuity, and his ability to beat all odds. I have high hopes for the ninja he will become and am proud to be his teacher."

Asuma chuckled and Kurenai said nothing.

"You really mean that. Didn't think I'd live to see you be so sentimental."

Kakashi shrugged at Asuma's comment, flipping out his Icha Icha book which caused Kurenai to begin yelling at the perverted ninja.

Naruto somehow ended up back at home, mind spinning and his gut feeling like it was going to turn inside out. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't cry. Naruto threw himself on his bed and through watery eyes looked at the picture of his team on his bedside dresser. It hurt, his chest hurt so much. It hurt more because he knew when he went with his team tomorrow that he was still going to care just as much. That they would still be precious to him, that he would do anything for them, even when he was nothing to them, nothing but a mere obligation, a nuisance. He had hoped- thought- that Kakashi had cared. Instead it seemed that the only people who were kind to him did so only after being forced to by law, the Hokage himself had to intervene.

Naruto curled up on his bed, clutching his pillow to him and sobbing. He had told himself he wouldn't cry about this kind of thing, never again. He had promised he wouldn't shed another tear because there was no one there that cared about or loved him.

At some point he fell asleep.

Kakashi loped along at a leisurely pace as he walked down the bridge. His Icha Icha book was in his hand and he knew that in a few moments his sweet little genin would see him and come to greet him.

"YOU'RE LATE!" The earsplitting screech was possibly heard from miles away.

Even being at least twenty feet away, Kakashi still felt the kunoichi's high pitched voice reverberate in his eardrums, making him wince in pain.

Kakashi came closer and Sakura ran over, rage apparent on her face. Kakashi shrugged sheepishly at his student, mumbling some excuse about getting lost on the road of life. He wondered, idly, how much more successful their missions would be if Sakura was this intimidating to the enemy nin they faced.

He blinked in confusion though when he noticed that Naruto hadn't joined in the usual morning routine of screaming at sensei. Kakashi looked over, spotted Sasuke brooding from where he was leaned up against the bridge railing, and then, Kakashi frowned. Naruto was sitting cross legged, plucking at the grass distractedly with shoulders slumped.

Kakashi decided not to do anything yet, to instead observe his student and see if it was just early morning tiredness or something else.

"Hello my cute little genin, we have a mission today."

Sasuke perked up, just a little bit, and pushed himself from the bridge railing with a soft 'hnn'. Sakura obediently straightened, focus narrowing and gaze looking expectantly at her teacher. Naruto however did not respond how Kakashi anticipated. The blonde stayed where he was sitting on the grass slope to the side of the bridge, a daisy chain being threaded with his small hands.

Sasuke noticed first, turning in annoyance towards his teammate.

"Dobe, we're getting a mission prep and you're making daisy chains, get over here loser."

Sakura turned and frowned. "Daisy chains!? What are you doing wasting time with some stupid thing like that!?"

Kakashi watched the interaction closely. Naruto didn't respond, instead letting the daisy chain drop from his fingers as he stood up. He walked over, head bowed and hands tucked in his pockets. Both Sasuke and Sakura backed off, not used to Naruto leaving the bait on the hook. Kakashi looked keenly at his student, realizing that something was wrong.

"We're going to be gathering herbs in the forest for a Ms. Kurekama," he eye smiled at his students.

Sasuke glared contemptuously back at his sensei for the low ranked mission, Sakura was smiling at Sasuke and Naruto was still staring at the ground. They set off, Naruto not having said a word. In fact, the boy seemed to hang back, walking nearly ten feet behind them. Once they got to the spot the three students spread out while Kakashi situated himself at the base of a comfortable tree.

Naruto wandered out of sight along with Sasuke, but Sakura remained behind. After several minutes, the pinkette approached her sensei, a look of concern on her face.

"Sensei?" She asked hesitantly, clutching the basket in her hands.

Kakashi moved the book down and looked up at his student.

"Hai, Sakura."

Sakura bit her lip, brows dipped in worry and her eyes flickering between the ground and her sensei.

"I think something's wrong with Naruto," she finally said.

Kakashi nodded.

"He's been really quiet, and he didn't even insult Sasuke or ask me out on a date.." Sakura trailed off and looked up at her sensei for guidance.

Kakashi smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry, Sakura, I'm sure that Naruto is just a little tired today."

Sakura nodded, not at all convinced, but of the nature to take her sensei's word as law.

"Hai, sensei," she replied, turning to go.

"But I'm sure being extra nice wouldn't hurt," Kakashi said as she started to walk off.

Sakura nodded and moved off to continue picking herbs. Kakashi agreed with his student, he himself was rather worried over the uncharacteristic behavior of their number one most unpredictable ninja.

"Dobe," Sasuke sneered, staring at his teammate.

Naruto didn't turn around or stop his task from where he was kneeling and picking some mitsuba. Sasuke scoffed, taking a step closer to his friend.

"Pouting over nothing again?" Sasuke taunted, trying to get a rise out of his friend.

He watched Naruto's shoulders stiffen, hands viciously plucking the mitsuba from the ground. A cruel smirk grew on the Uchiha's face, even as frustration and a niggling sense of worry grew silently in him. He was worried about his friend and the only way the twelve year old knew how to deal with it was to taunt the truth out.

"Or are you realizing just how weak you are?"

"Shut up!" Naruto screamed, turning around, the mitsuba he had in his hands now being crushed by his fist.

Sasuke took a step back in surprise at the tears in his friend's eyes and the ferocity in his glare. His hesitancy disappeared in an instant though, and he was smirking once again.

"Don't like hearing the truth?"

"Shut up! Shut, UP! You know nothing about me teme! Nothing! You only care about yourself! You're a selfish brat!"

Sasuke's intent to help discover what was wrong with his friend was gone, anger replacing it.

"What do you know?! You've never had to lose what I had! You've never had to go through what I have! You know nothing about life! If anyone is a selfish brat, it's you!"

Naruto's face drained of blood at the insinuation that he hadn't experienced suffering, that he didn't know anything about how cruel life could be, that he was selfish.

Naruto screamed, rushing toward his friend with a fist raised. Seconds before his fist met with his friend he heard the sharp scream of Sakura and the sickly sound of a kunai tearing through the air.

This is really an utter abuse of angst (among other things). Yet, somehow, fanfiction will go on, despite me scarring it with my stories. The story banks will prosper and some day, all fanfictioners will forgive the heresy which I curse you all with. So, those who are displeased with how characters are portrayed, fear not, your flames and hate will not be in vain. I'll disappear some day. Until then though, follow the fan old aphorism 'if you don't like, don't read'.