The ever-promised multi-chapter has finally come to fanfiction sites near you. I've updated a few things, but nothing major so to those who have already read it, don't worry. It was just a couple of elementary things that I got tripped up by.

I get the feeling that I'm kind of setting myself up for hardship with this one, this being my HSC year and all.

Oh well. Read well, my minions.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke Uchiha froze. He pivoted on one foot to meet the gaze of Suigetsu, halfway across the gym. "What is it?"

Suigetsu reclined on the bench, leaning his head back on the wall of the bleachers. "C'mere."

Sasuke edged closer, until he was about two metres away from the silver-haired guy. Suigetsu let out an impatient huff; Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat down next to his friend.

"What's up with you today, man?" Suigetsu asked, slinging his arm around the Uchiha's shoulders. "Usually you're one of the best on the court, but today you were all over the place."

Sasuke shrugged Suigetsu's arm off, pinning him with a glare. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Whoa-ho, okay," Suigetsu exclaimed. "Cool your jets, bro. But you know, that pissy virgin attitude of yours is getting pretty old."

"My… virgin attitude…?" Sasuke muttered, his left eye twitching.

"Yeah. You need to get laid."

"Suigetsu." Sasuke scooted down the bench and turned to face the other guy. "I'm a seventeen-year-old, scrawny high schooler, I have skin that looks like it hasn't seen the light of day all my life, hair that looks like a duck's ass naturally, and my father is the police captain of this whole city. Who am I gonna find to fuck?"

Suigetsu ticked off the boxes in his head. "Yeah, well, you mean, who're we gonna get to fuck you? I mean, even if you weren't so blatantly gay, your entire demeanour just screams 'uke'. I'm no Doctor Phil, man, but you're so horny you're bouncing out of your seat."

Sasuke looked down, made sure that he was not actually bouncing, looked up again, and retorted, "What the hell would you know?"

"I'm a guy. Guys can tell these things about other guys. I can tell that you had your eyes on Naruto's ass that entire game."

Sasuke coughed and turned away. "I most certainly did not."

"Man, I wouldn't go there if I were you. He's going out with Sakura Haruno, and has been for almost half a year."

Great. So the guy he liked was going out with a girl he hated. Why the fuck did these things happen?

Oh, right. Because life liked to screw Sasuke over.

"I'm not going to do anything, Suigetsu."

Suigetsu snorted. "Whatever. I'm hitting the showers."

"You like water too much, Suigetsu," Sasuke taunted, shoving his friend as the other guy got up from the bench.

Suigetsu shoved him back. "What can I say? It's in my nature."

"Hn." Sasuke stood up as well, picked up his gym bag, and walked towards the door leading out of the gym.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

The brunette froze. He turned slowly, only to spot the object of the last two hours of his perverted focus waving at him from the stands. Suigetsu was gone, presumably into the showers, and Naruto Uzumaki was the only one visible. Oh, and the pink-haired girl hanging off his elbow.

Sakura was an alright girl in most aspects, but her attitude towards pretty much everyone started to grate on your nerves after a while. It was as though she felt that she was superior to everyone else in the year.

Nonetheless, Sasuke ignored the girl and waved back at Naruto, albeit conservatively.

"You coming tonight?" Naruto yelled.

"Maybe," Sasuke shouted back. "My dad might be a little…" he fluttered his hands in a so-so motion.

"Oh yeah. That'd have to be tough, being the son of the chief," Naruto pondered loudly. "Well, if you can swing it with your parents, you should come. It's at Sai's place. You know where it is, right?"

As Sasuke nodded in confirmation, Sakura shrilled, "It'll be fun, Sasuke!"

Sasuke stared at her. Such familiarity from someone he barely knew was slightly disturbing. "We'll see."

When he emerged from the gym and headed towards the parking lot, he caught sight of Itachi's sleek black car. He smiled when his brother gave him a small wave through the tinted windows, and quickly let himself in to sit in the passenger seat, throwing his bag down at his feet on the floor of the car.

"How was practice, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, as he started the car and backed out of the parking space.

"It was fine, I guess," Sasuke answered vaguely.

Itachi picked up on his pathetic attempt at nonchalance immediately.

"Suigetsu busted your balls again, didn't he?"

"What the hell?" Sasuke exclaimed. Was he that transparent?

"Oh, man!" Itachi hollered. "You were perving again!"

"I – I was not perving!"

"You know, you're just lucky none of the other guys are as observant as Sharkboy."

"Just because of that one time he came to a party dressed as a shark does not mean that you have to call Suigetsu that all the time!"

"Aww… are you crushing on him now?"

"Suigetsu? Oh, hell no!"

"Oh yeah?" Itachi taunted, turning onto their street. It was a remarkably short distance from the school, but maybe that was just because Itachi drove faster than Sasuke did.

"Yeah. He's the one that mocks my sexuality, not encourages or takes part in it."

"He could be in denial."

"Sometimes I regret ever telling you," Sasuke snapped, turning away to sulk out the window.

"So… who was it?"

"As if I'm gonna tell you!"

"It was Naruto, right? The blonde with the cheek stripe tattoos? I gotta hand it to you, he's pretty hot."

Sasuke snarled at his older brother.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," Itachi ceded, pulling up in the driveway of their family's mansion. "So I hear there's a party tonight. You gonna go?"

"I don't know."

"Sasuke," Itachi chuckled, "you should enjoy life once in a while. What's the hold up? Finals are two months away, and you're already plenty smart enough. Let loose a bit."

Sasuke shook his head. Everyone seemed to have absolute faith in his school marks, as if he were some sort of genius. He shut his own door as he got out of the car, and together they walked up to the house. Night was already falling, and half of the lights inside had been turned on.

When Sasuke and Itachi emerged inside the house, their mom, Mikoto, bustled out of the kitchen and hugged both of them. Pulling back from her younger son, she gave Sasuke a once-over. Seeing that he didn't have any visible injuries, she smiled.

"How was practice?"

"Apparently it was fine," Itachi snickered. Sasuke shot him a glare, resenting the fact that he couldn't discreetly kick his brother when his mom was right there.

"Yeah, it was good," Sasuke finally answered. "We're going to slaughter the other teams this year."

"I hope you do, dear," Mikoto said. "Now, dinner's almost ready if you boys want to clean up."

Upon an encouraging look from Itachi, Sasuke cleared his throat, stilling his mother on her way back into the kitchen.

"Mom, can I go out tonight?"

Mikoto stared at him for a moment, before asking, "Now?"

Sasuke glanced around, feeling awkward all of a sudden for implying that he would skip out on dinner with his family, including his father, whom he hardly ever saw due to his very taxing job. "Yeah. Just… get changed and go out again. Itachi and Suigetsu seem to be under the impression that I need to blow off some steam, and Naruto's having a party."

"Oh, that Uzumaki boy?" Mikoto seemed somewhat curious.

"Yes… wait, how do you know his last name?"

"His father, Minato, works with your dad as a private investigator. I've met Naruto before at some functions; he seems like a good kid."

"Yeah… he is," Sasuke mused. "So can I go?"

"I suppose," Mikoto answered. "Itachi can drive you there, and he might even pick you up, if he and your father are in the same general area, if you're nice to him."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the notion of being 'nice' to his brother, though he was interested with the last part. He turned to stare at Itachi's retreating figure, dragging himself up the stairs. "You're patrolling with Dad tonight?"

Itachi nodded without turning around. "Practical training, so he says." The older brother continued to trudge up the stairs, disappearing from view rapidly.

"I call shotty on the shower!" Sasuke yelled.

"Too late, little bro!" Itachi shouted back. Sasuke bit back a loud curse and threw himself up the stairs after his brother, leaving his mother to tut and retreat into the kitchen once more.

Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke descended the staircase and walked out the door, on the way to a party which he hoped would cure him of his 'pissy virgin attitude'. He was dressed in a simple white shirt over a blue singlet, black cargo pants and his blue Converse, a casual outfit that would both look cool and be comfortable. It was also a set of clothes that he wasn't worried about getting alcohol on.

He and Itachi got into Itachi's car, but just as Sasuke was about to get into the passenger seat, their father's cruiser pulled up in the driveway.

"Dad!" Sasuke exclaimed, panicking slightly. He had planned to be gone by the time he got home, because he wasn't sure what his father would think about him forgoing dinner to go to a high school party.

"Sasuke, Itachi," his dad greeted as he climbed out of his low-set police car, his black hair swept around his middle-aged, but still strikingly handsome face. "Where are you boys off to?"

"Sasuke's going to Naruto Uzumaki's party at Sai's house," Itachi replied promptly. "Mom told me to drive him there."

Dad regarded Sasuke carefully. "Don't get home too late. Don't steal any cars. Don't get too drunk. Don't do anything you'll regret in the morning. Have a good night."

Sasuke blinked. Then he decided to take his opportunities as they were, and opened the door, climbing into the car on the passenger side. Itachi got in beside him, pulled out of the double driveway, and started off down the road.

Yeah... updates won't be for a while. I have a million assessments (by which I mean four) due in the next two weeks, so I won't have much time. It's all written down, but it's such a pain to type it up.

Love you all

Sharzam