Ha, well this was actually for a creative writing assignment about a year ago for a high school creative writing class, I just found it hidden on my lap top. Decided why not post it? Since I usually only write rated mature stories, I had no idea what to rate this, I just know it was high school appropriate.

I don't own Naruto.

Enjoy this piece of unusually clean writing named 'Rivalry'.

As my family clambered out of the car, I could only stare up at the establishment we were visiting. I held on tightly to my older brother's hand as I was led towards the brightly lit, cozy looking home.

'What is this? What's going on? Who lives here?'

My little legs were slow at climbing the stares heading to the Christmas reef adorned oak door.

My father reached to the doorbell and pushed the button. I wish I could have done it. I was startled out of my envy as thundering noises sounded on the other side of the door. I felt my eyes widen as the door opened to a man with bright blonde hair and laughing blue eyes.

"Come in! Come in my friends!" The tall man, whom I have never seen in my life, playfully shoves my father around. How is that even possible? My father, Fugaku Uchiha, is being playful, this is the fist time I've seen a smile on his face when Itachi isn't the reason.

A pretty, red haired woman rushed to my mother and they both hugged while talking excitedly. I'm so shocked, I don't even notice Itachi letting go of my hand and leaving the room.

A tiny voice asked, "Is he the one?"

I quickly turned around to face a miniature version of the man laughing with my father, but his eyes seemed deeper, they kind of sparkled. He looks my age, but is smaller than me.

I raise a questioning eyebrow.

"You…" he pokes softly at my coat. "…are my new best friend!" I am then blinded by a too bright smile.

"Hn…Idiot." I say slowly as I look at our parents heading out of the room.

His smile wilts, quickly forming into a scowl. "What?"

I gave a smug smirk and poked his head as I repeated, "Idiot."

"Why you-" The blonde didn't even finish his sentence as he pounces onto me, restraining my hands and making sure my legs can't get him. I just look up at him calmly, waiting for him to get off. I am an Uchiha and Uchiha's never loose their cool. His anger melts quickly and is replaced with his former bright smile. "I think we're gonna be the bestest friends since…since um…Spongebob and Patrick!"

My eyes gave a roll.

"Oh! By the way! My name is Naruto!"

I grunt nonchalantly as I wait for the idiot to get off of me. How could I ever be friends with this moron?

The first day of fourth grade was a nightmare come-true! Just because I knew Naruto was an idiot, didn't mean the world knew so as well. This was the day that Naruto had let it be known that he had gotten into the same school as me, Konoha Prep…better known for its gifted prodigies in the hallways than anything. I had figured that with me going to this school, I was special and surrounded by other special people; the blonde ruined my thoughts of competence.

When he had first seen me in the hallways, Naruto ran up to me yelling loudly and waving frantically. One of my closest friends, Neji Hyuuga, visibly tensed and huffed irritably.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! I found you!" the blonde all but shouted in my face.

I grimaced slightly and said nothing.

"Surprised to see me, eh?"

I lifted an eyebrow in question.

"I wanted to go to the same school as you so my parents transferred me from my old school!" he said excitedly. I held in my sigh of frustration.

"Which school did you go to before this?" Neji asked in curiosity.

Oh no, if Neji wanted to know anything about Naruto, it meant he was interested in befriending the boy!

"Well, I went to Jinchuuriki Prep." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

I felt my eyes slightly widen as Neji gave a slight smile. Jinchuuriki Prep was even more prestigious than Konoha Prep. This kid….

"Why in the heck would you skip out on Jinchuuriki to come to this school?" I question incredulously, my voice a bit hard, not too mention loud.

Neji turned a stunned eye to me. I had never acted like this. I was losing my stoic center. Naruto only smiled brightly before answering softly, "I wanna be your friend Sasuke, that's all."

Confusion and anger raced through me. This brat skipped out on one of the best opportunities in Konoha, he really was an idiot, schooling be cursed. "Who ever said I wanted to be your friend, Naruto! You're too loud! You're obnoxious! You're too happy!"

"Well, not everybody can walk around in perpetual brood-mode, Sasuke." Naruto said back with an eerie calm.

I exhaled roughly, it almost sounded like a harsh laugh. "Moron." And that was the word that tipped his scale and began the years of school brawls between him and me. We fought at least once a month all the way up to high school, where the fights only worsened with our gaining knowledge of more insults, testosterone, and girls added to the mix.

It had become so routine, in fact, that if one of us didn't fight back the other knew there was something severely wrong before anyone of our closest friends even digested something wasn't quite right. We learned to understand each other through body language alone. Every time we fought I could feel his hidden glee. Our fighting made his main objective as a child come too close to true.

We knew more about each other than anyone in the world; our desire to blackmail the other is one main key to that. We knew how to be civil towards each other, only choosing to have our bond as a rivalry. This rivalry…made us friends in a sadistic sense. I hated it. Yet, I enjoyed it more than I ever did any of my other friendships. I believe it may be that my other friendships are based on status, even though Naruto had familial status as well.

Naruto's familial status had nothing to do with his appeal to people as friends or admirers. Anyone wanting to befriend him only for his status would shy away at his loud and boisterous nature. Even with our friendship differences, in high school, we developed the same friends and were treated the same…and I liked it. These friends took our fights as the way we expressed our friendship to one another.

Some even joked that we experienced lovers' quarrels. The saints forbid.

But even so, our fights being how we interacted as friends, felt right…no matter how much I hate it…because I do!

Today I leave Konoha for different destinations to further my education; I can't help the heaviness in my throat as I pack up my belongings. I've always been change adverse and this was just fraying my nerves. I gave myself a break and sat on my bed. My mind was going a mile a minute as I went through all the things I would miss while going away to college.

I would miss my family dearly, my friends not as severely. My mind halted there, as if I had just lied to myself. Maybe I would miss a few as dearly as my family. There is no doubt that with how long I had been friends with most of them they were family. Naruto flashed through my mind and I gave a small smile despite myself. I'd miss Naruto and our fights for sure.

Before I stepped too close to the flight terminal, I looked back at the ones seeing me off. There stood my family and Naruto's family, Naruto's family being the more hyperactive in their waving of the two families. My gaze stopped on Naruto for a few seconds before I gave him a slight tilt of my head. I gave him permission with that tilt to do what he'd been itching to do since the group had entered the airport.

Naruto quickly closed the distance between us and flew his arms around my shoulders loosely.

"Stay in touch, Grouch," he said softly as we parted from probably the most awkward hug in both of our lives.

I smirked before saying, "I don't plan on alienating my best friend."

With that, I turned towards the terminal and walked towards the plane without looking back.

I knew I was going to get an earful from him later about steeling away the precious heartfelt moment Naruto had been planning since my first denial of wanting his friendship. All I could do was smile and actually count on that happening. After all just because we were best friends didn't mean we weren't rivals anymore. In fact, we had been best friends all along, but now that it had been said out loud, the rivalry would only intensify, even if we were in different countries as I studied abroad.