Oita
About the relationship they had as kids. (Because I'm too scared of them now that they're older - specifically Sasuke). Oh, they were so cute back then! Before all of the sexual tension and, well, trying to kill eachother!
Nothing special, but I mean it to be simple. Just about the incessant tension between the two. Feedback is appreciated. Did I get the characters right?
Naruto bent fast over the workbench, side pressed into the untreated wood, arm stretched out as far as it could against the wall, fingers nearly scraping the dirty floor behind it. He'd gracelessly dropped a screwdriver behind the table and it was now settled in the dusty chasm between the table and the wall of the storage closet.
He heard a slight scraping of sandals on the smooth floor outside and was momentarily still, fist clenching where it hung behind the table, inches above the lost tool. He didn't make much further effort to silence himself, because besides the fact that sneakiness was obviously one of his short-comings, it simply wasn't his style to go unnoticed. If someone caught him, so be it. They'd scold him and relock the closet, tell Naruto to go home, which he wouldn't do, instead waiting to go back in and finish his self-imposed mission properly.
Over his shoulder, pressed hard to the edge of the table, he noticed he'd left the door open far enough so that an intent someone outside could easily see him. If it was a teacher, he'd give a yell like he'd hurt himself so they would come in to help him, rather than reprimand him; if it was a student, he'd give them his fiercest insults until they either ran away or started a fight with him.
It wasn't a teacher. It was only Sasuke.
The number-one ninja-in-training of his year, the boy who Naruto reasoned had no life outside of studying and inadvertently making his life hell.
Naruto went back to work on retrieving his dropped tool.
Sasuke took a step towards the cupboard, nudging open the door with his foot, hands stuck indifferently in his pockets at his sides. He peered in with his dark eyes, taking in an unsatisfied once-over of the dusty closet.
"What're you doing?" Sasuke asked, his tone flat and uncaring, which in it's cool delivery, incited violent impulses when it reached Naruto's ears.
"Pulling a prank. What do you care?" Naruto replied hotly in return. Straining the muscles of his arm, he finally reached the tool he sought, now grimy with old dust, and pulled it up, getting to his feet with a little cry of triumph.
Sasuke turned his head to look down the hall. "I don't."
Naruto didn't need to ask what the other boy was doing here, at school, after hours. The two of them never hurried home, because there was no one there to hurry to, so they ran into each other after school much more often than either liked.
Standing, hands on hips, a self-proclaimed figure of authority in his dark little storage room, Naruto attempted to look Sasuke in the eyes. His face was shadowed, and, as usual, unreadable.
"You're not going to tell on me, are you?" Naruto asked, a bit of annoyance leaking into his tone. He didn't really want to start a fight right now, with Sasuke, but man, a lot of the time the kid made it as though Naruto had no other choice.
"No."
The boy's voice was rough and the way he turned his head made him seem like he felt he had some sort of power over Naruto, which obviously infuriated the hotheaded prankster. The blonde brat sniffed disapprovingly and turned his back on the Uchiha remnant – until a sudden idea struck. A perfect idea. A perfect way to ruin the perfect little prodigy.
"Then, d'you wanna help me do it?" Naruto asked, quite self-assuredly, as he stepped out of the storage locker and into the bright, sun-lit hall.
Sasuke stepped back and out of the way of the door that his classmate closed with a thud, slightly horrified. "No. Why would I wanna do something as idiotic as –"
Naruto interrupted, leaning close, "you're scared of getting caught, then. Are you scared? Hmm?"
Sasuke squirmed, but then recomposed himself to the graceful, aloof pose befitting of the highest marks in the class. "I would do it in such a way that I'd never get caught. I simply don't want to lower myself to the level of a dead-last."
The little blonde brat tipped up his head, wiggling his little brat's upturned nose in discretion, quite easily ignoring the tagged-on insult in favour of Sasuke's odd declaration. He replied, "what's the point of doing it if you don't get caught? Why do it if no one knows you did it?"
The brunette raised his eyebrows. He pondered the point for a moment, but it was rather illogical in his mind. He knew what it felt like to get scolded, to be treated like he was a complete idiot for doing something wrong, and it wasn't a feeling he welcomed, exactly. Surely that wasn't what Naruto was looking for.
"So, you'll do it, then?" Naruto asked, mischief about his cheeks and ears. He sensed Sasuke's curiosity, finally, with the softening of his expression, as if it opened his consciousness.
"Yeah," Sasuke replied quietly.
They hurried down the hall – or rather, Naruto all but clumsily skipped ahead and Sasuke followed steadily behind – back to their empty classroom. It was open, lit by the fading sunlight, everything in it still messily assembled, awaiting the janitorial crew that came at six – Naruto knew this fact because he'd before opted out of dinner to play tricks on them. They marched in without hesitation and closed the sliding door; Sasuke found Naruto almost immediately perched, cross-legged on the floor next to the teacher's desk chair.
"What're you doing?" Sasuke asked for the second time that afternoon. He peered around the empty room, trying not to focus too much attention on his clumsy classmate. He scoffed inwardly at the marks posted on a sidewall, his sparkling at the top, Naruto's at the very bottom of the list. It was all rather pointless, showiness over grades, Sasuke decided, though some of their classmates seemed to hold it as a judgment of character or something equally important.
All Sasuke wanted to do was to get out of school – to graduate so he could leave the classroom behind and get on to some real training. He wondered briefly if Naruto wanted that, too, and was pretty sure he did – if that absolute moron could ever pass.
"Pretty simple. I was gonna wreck his chair so it falls apart when he goes to sit down," Naruto explained proudly. His fingers searched the underside of the seat for the screws holding it together, negotiated the dimple of one, and lined-up bit with hole.
Sasuke approached and crouched beside his classmate; reached out to test the chair. The wooden frame was sturdy, nearly a design so simple it was boring. He had never cared for these sort of pranks, thought they were a waste of time, but also, often, that he could do a better job. If anything, he wanted to test the so-called professional ninjas who were supposed to be teaching and testing him.
"Why are you playing a prank on that Iruka, anyway? He's always so fair to you – he lets you get away with anything," Sasuke mused, glancing his fellow ninja-in-training out of the corner of his eye. The blonde's tongue was poking out, his eyes were unblinking, fingers taut and white. He couldn't help but think that if the brat put this much concentration into his school work then maybe – well, at least, he could transcend his current position.
"Are you kidding?" The boy replied, not turning away from his task. "He yells at me, like, all the time!"
Sasuke didn't pry any further, didn't expect he'd get an intelligent answer anyway. He didn't really care. In the end, this was just something stupid kids did for fun – there didn't have to be a reason. However, Sasuke, fleetingly, capriciously, wanted to discover Naruto's.
"So, so, I mean, it doesn't matter, whatever I do, nothing will really change," Naruto explained, conversationally, as if on an afterthought, though his tone was suddenly weak, "he'll yell at me, then let me go . . . "
The blonde boy's alignment on a screw slipped and he twitched in surprise as his fingers slid into the base of the chair. He looked briefly at his hand, as if suddenly unable to grasp the concept of the tools he was using.
Sasuke gave a nearly imperceptible groan and reached out, taking the tool from Naruto's pink fingers.
"If you're going to do this, do it right," the Uchiha grumbled, though without malice, and started on the screws on the back of the chair.
The pair set to work on demolishing the chair as gently as possible, taking out every single screw and filling the holes they left with twists of paper. They took turns on the actual work; whenever one's hand got tired, the other would take over. Both were typically unwilling to admit to being tired, so a slow in progress or a stretch of the wrist would be the indicators for one to, often violently, snatch the screwdriver away from his weakened cohort.
In the end, though the procedure was simple in concept, the two boys felt a sense of accomplishment when they carefully stepped back from the chair and examined it. If they didn't touch it, the shape of the chair would hold, aided by the glue and cheap finish sticking the pieces together, but when weight was put on it, it would no doubt fall to pieces under the unlucky person who deigned to sit there.
It mutually understood that neither would tell anyone about their mission, (though Naruto had no one to talk to and Sasuke talked to no one), at least until after the prank went through, so there was no need to discuss a battle plan until later tomorrow, so when Naruto returned from putting the screwdriver away, Sasuke was already gone home.
The next morning was boring and uneventful, though throughout, Naruto, from his seat in the back row, was shaking with anticipation. He could see Sasuke a few rows ahead, stoic as usual, hands folded and with no apparent concern for the day's procedure.
Halfway through the morning Iruka-sensei walked over to the door, papers in hand, greeting a fellow there. A few eyes wandered to the doorway where stood another teacher, older and bigger than Iruka, with a much grimmer look on his face.
"Alright," the far friendlier teacher said with a smile, as the older, harsher fellow entered the classroom after him, "for those of you who don't know, this is Tobiko-sensei, an administrator at our school."
He stood out of the way to let Tobiko walk across him, hands clenched hard at his sides. "Tobiko-sensei will be sitting in on the class for a few hours today. Just be nice to him, everyone."
No one responded. The man was a well-known figure of authority around the school, and thus feared or disliked by most. Tobiko was often about the halls, hollering orders or questioning students until their self-esteem was completely abolished. At least, that's how Naruto saw it.
So as soon as it was evident that Tobiko was approaching Iruka's desk chair, a grave look on his powerful jaw, Naruto had to fight the sudden urge to jump up and give a cry. He was excited, anxious, thinking at once how great this would be, because he hated that guy, and how the punishment would be so much more severe compared to that dealt by his friendly sensei.
As the large man approached the chair, his trap, their trap, Naruto wondered if Sasuke's heart was beating as furiously as his was. The heavy steps seemed to jolt him as they fell, at a painfully slow pace across the distance of the front of the classroom, which Naruto reasoned couldn't have ever been shorter.
Iruka abruptly stopped lecturing as the crash, then thud, sounded across his classroom. The sound of Iruka going so quickly silent was the first that Naruto heard, the noise of the crash somehow utterly blocked from his mind. The look of the destruction was spectacular, pieces of chair scattered across the wooden floor in such a formation that they were no longer recognizable as being part of anything but mere slats of wood. The class gave a gasp, and then broke into laughter at the incredulity of the teacher trying to upright himself.
As the man stood, Naruto saw an anger growing on his face he rarely was exposed to. One true and real, untainted by a hidden resentment of The Demon, or ulterior rages; the kind of anger he really feared. Face slightly red and very much darkened with wrath; Tobiko gripped the edge of the desk with his huge hands and hoisted himself up.
The aura of dark energy the man was apparently radiating was such that Iruka even did not approach Tobiko-sensei to help him up. He merely stood frozen in the face of that powerful madness, worried look in his brown eyes; and as Tobiko rose, the class froze as well, falling absolutely silent.
The big ninja stood, teeth bared. He looked quickly around the room, the worried faces of the students; kicked a piece of wood across the floor so it slid into the far wall and bounced off. "Okay, who did this? Which one of you little brats did this?!"
The room was so very silent, and for a moment Naruto forgot to breathe. No one dared break eye contact with the frightening man, but at the same time, no one could look properly at him. Every student flinched as he slammed a fist down on the desk.
"I said, which one of you little brats did this?!" Tobiko roared, cutting up the shield of silence that stood stiffly in the room.
As Naruto started to stand, he saw Sasuke already on his feet, head bowed in complacency, though at the same time, ever confident and arrogant. He was walking towards the door, and Naruto hurried to walk after him, as a worried Iruka and infuriated Tobiko stepped out the door, the bigger man gesturing widely for the boys to come.
Naruto heard voices all around him muttering how it was all his fault, it must have been, he must've tricked Sasuke – voices around him insistent of the many horribly wicked things he must have done to the Uchiha prodigy. He was used to the unfair blame so he simply held his head high and attempted to hurry ahead so he could walk Sasuke's side.
Sasuke wouldn't let him walk beside him, so Naruto emerged into the cold, bright hall last, and as soon as he did, Tobiko slammed the door behind him and unleashed upon the two students.
"This is unforgiveable! Do you understand me It is absolutely disrespectful, and if it were up to me I'd have the two of you taken out of school, completely!" Tobiko roared, facing the two boys, lined-up solemnly in front of him, eyes averted. Naruto was through wincing, through flinching, he stood perfectly still as the words penetrated his swirling mind, twisting dizzily in his oddly aching head.
"I understand, yes, Tobiko-sensei, and I am truly, truly sorry," came Iruka's gentle, yielding voice this time, standing a little to the larger nin's side.
Tobiko turned and glared hard at the teacher. He huffed and didn't respond, turned back to the two boys before him.
"You, little monster," he said, focusing on Naruto, whose sky blue eyes were lowered to the floor, "I would not only have taken out of school, but have locked away," his firm gaze fell on Sasuke's stable from, "and I'd throw you in with him! What's gotten into you?"
Iruka reasoned again, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "Please, I am sorry, I will punish them. This is unforgivable, sensei-"
"No, you won't!" Tobiko argued back. "You're too soft on them, too fair. And look where it's gotten you. Your students are doing things like this; he's gotten no better-"
Naruto shivered involuntarily, and stopped listening. His blood was throbbing in his ears, making everything fuzzy, anyway. He was quite prepared to accept his punishment for himself, but now Sasuke and Iruka-sensei, too? There were typical comebacks on the tip of his tongue, like about how a proper ninja should be able to sense a trap; but no words leaked from his mouth, his feet glued in place in the middle of the hall.
The blonde broke from his daze to catch the remainders of a dispute, or rather of Iruka-sensei desperately trying to bargain and Tobiko yelling, unrelenting, back at him.
"Please, you can't strike them! They're only-"
"Leave me be! They must be punished properly . . . get through their heads the seriousness–"
Naruto jumped as Tobiko's hand rose in the air, descended fast and fell hard against the side of Sasuke's face with a loud smack. Sasuke took the blow in silence, stepped back slightly, eyes still unchanging.
Iruka-sensei was watching the display gravely, hardly able to take his students being treated in such a way.
Naruto flinched, unable to comprehend briefly what was happening. He'd hit Sasuke! Full on, without letting him fight back!
The blonde winced, ready for his blow, closing his eyes tight. He heard Iruka-sensei yelp one last attempt, and then the deafening smack of Tobiko's big hand against flesh, but, he felt no accompanying pain.
Sasuke stood in front of him, reeled slightly backwards after the impact. Naruto raised his hands to catch him, but as they touched on Sasuke's clothed shoulders, the boy jolted forward as if that touch was the one that burned him.
For a moment, there was another absolute silence. Iruka bit his lip, Tobiko was unable to figure out how to continue. Sasuke was still and silent, as usual, while Naruto watched his back with wide eyes.
"Alright, then," Tobiko said quietly, but soon regained his voice's authoritative loudness, "if you're so intent on taking the blame, you'll be punished exactly like him. Staying after school, with the other brat, for a month!"
Sasuke remained at his position in front of Naruto, eyes focused low, arms at his sides. It was impossible, as usual, to tell what he was thinking, and Naruto thought for a moment that he might like to yell and throttle the boy himself. But he saw the slight redness encroaching on the boy's cheek and ear and those such thoughts instantly left him, and he was astonished and still.
"Everyday after school, you two will stay in your classroom until I come by to give you a job to do. Understood?"
No one responded or moved from their position until Tobiko opened the door to permit them re-enter. Iruka bowed and apologized to the stern teacher, then waited until he turned around to lay a comforting hand on the backs of both boys, Sasuke first, and the Naruto second as they entered the classroom.
As they took their seats, Tobiko electing to stand firmly in the doorway, Naruto saw girls cooing and fawning all over Sasuke's reddening cheek. He threw them off in silent frusteration, though the girls continued to whisper encouragement at him and amongst themselves.
The day ticked by at a solemn, meaningless pace, everyone seemingly disheartened by earlier events, even the ever-positive Iruka-sensei. Naruto kept stealing glances at Sasuke's wounded, pale face, and did so all day until class was over, and the two of them stayed in their seats in sombre silence.
Naruto approached his rival, turned partner-in-crime, at least for the day; standing at the far end of his desk, laying a gently evasive hand on the edge. He stared openly at the side of Sasuke's face, where was growing a solid, painful redness. He wanted to put cold on it, to remedy it somehow because he felt the burning, stinging on his own skin, though he knew he had no reason to. After all, he wasn't hurt at all. And Sasuke would never accept any ice that Naruto gave him.
"I bet that Perfect Student Uchiha Sasuke has never been punished before, eh?" Naruto attempted to break up the tension between them.
"I've been punished before. By my parents," Sasuke replied coldly, in attempt, his first of many, to put space between the two of them.
Naruto recoiled slightly, quite quickly forgetting their previous interaction and thinking only of the intense frustration he felt with that jerk Sasuke. He always acted so mature, and everyone in class thought that pristine sensibility was all there was to him.
"Why did you do that, anyway?" Naruto asked, bright blue eyes now turned into a full glare at the Uchiha prodigy.
"I dunno," Sasuke replied, his eyes facing the front of the class with restrictive obedience now growing narrow.
Naruto glared hard; though he was never expecting much more of an answer than that, it still annoyed him. In his typical fashion, he continued until he pushed too far. "I didn't need you to do that, you know. I've been hit before. Iruka-sensei's hit me before. I mean, what made you-"
"I don't know!" Sasuke replied firmly, tagging on a quieter "idiot". He glared hard at Naruto, hands firm on the desk now in fists. "If you wanna get decked so bad, I'll gladly hit you!"
Naruto swallowed and stepped back, defensive. "That's not what I mean! I just mean-"
"Well you can be sure of this: I'm never doing anything with you, ever again!" Sasuke said finally and resumed his cold stare at the front of the room.
Naruto was taken aback, but his reply came just as quick. "Fine! Me too! You couldn't pay me to work with you again!"
With that, he stomped off to the far corner of the room, took a seat as far away from the other boy as was physically possible, and refused to look at Sasuke's bruised face for the rest of the evening.