A day in the life...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 1: LOUD

LOUD. That was the only way to describe the moron that stood before him, shouting at what Sasuke highly doubted was the top of his lungs. Not just its voice, all its gestures, facial expressions…even its fighting style, there is nothing subtle about it. Wait…why is it attacking me?

"You bastard! You think you can just get away with this…well I won't let you," shrieked the blond, as Sasuke Uchiha dodged a sloppy punch. Subsequently, since the idiot saw fit to let its arm linger after missing its target, Sasuke saw it as an opportunity to end this squabble quickly. He grabbed the arm, flipped the idiot over his shoulder, and kicked it once in the stomach. Feeling like he sufficiently asserted his position, and also realizing that he would soon be late for his first class, Sasuke left the now prone and newly silenced moron on the floor…to think about what it had done. Or tried to do anyway, failure.

*THWACK*

Sasuke could hear the idiot breathing heavily as it stood over him. Memo to me: do not underestimate loud morons…was that…did it just hit me with its head? "I don't know what you keep in that head of yours, but I already knew it wasn't brain cells, so I shouldn't be that surprised," Sasuke said, standing to look a certain loud-mouthed moron in the eye, now that it proved itself as a potential threat.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you think you can just come in here and..." Why are you yelling? I'm standing right in front of you. What time is it…shit I only have 3 minutes! Is it still talking? Wow! Those eyes are really blue. I don't think blue sums it up. More like an azure sapphire…. "…making it harder for all the rest of us, as if girls aren't big enough bitches already!..." Damn it, I think I just missed my chance to know why exactly he wants to fight me. Something about things getting harder…and bitches…?

*BBBRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG*

"Hn, dobe." I don't have time for this idiot.

"Don't just walk away from me you…you…TEME!!!"

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Sasuke ran to class, having a little trouble navigating the halls. Some of the doors had numbers over them, some had letters, others had a mixture of the two, and at no point in time was there any discernible pattern. When Sasuke finally got to his designated classroom, he found it almost empty. Confused, he took a seat. That was the final bell I heard, right? That was almost 10 minutes ago. Where is everyone? He was just about to give up and ditch when another student walked in. Or at least he assumed it was a student, the guy looked like he needed to be locked up in a mental institution. The second he set eyes on Sasuke, he just started glaring. Sheesh, I have only been here about an hour and a half and it already feels like I have managed to piss off every guy here, what the hell went wrong? The red head walked into the room and sat down, never taking his glare away from Sasuke, and not seeming to care that he wasn't being sneaky about it. You know for a guy that has love tattooed on his forehead, you sure don't have a friendly aura.

"Hello, you must be new here, I am Sabaku, Sabaku Gaara." Okay, maybe he wasn't trying to be unfriendly…so then… does his face just stay that way?

"Hn, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Pleasure." Gaara took out a small black disk. Sasuke just assumed it was a strange cell phone, until it was opened, revealing a mirror and some concealer. That was unexpected, he doesn't look like a fruit to me, but I should have known his skin wasn't that white naturally. One had to be an Uchiha to naturally have skin that fair and blemish-less, and this red headed, creepy yet oddly pleasant freak was no Uchiha.

"It is going to be about 15 minutes before any students show up to this class, gives you plenty of time to wash and cover that cut." The jade eyed boy said, offering Sasuke the black disk.

"Cut?"

"The one on your forehead, I am surprised you didn't notice, it is still bleeding." Sasuke took him up on the offered make-up and apprehensively scanned his forehead. It didn't take him to find the cut that leaked into his hair. That asshole.

"I'm going to kill him," mumbled Sasuke to himself.

"Kill who?" Sasuke snapped his head up in surprise. He hadn't intended on vocalizing that last thought. When Gaara finally assumed Sasuke hadn't understood the question, he asked again. "Who is it that you are going to kill?"

Why is he looking at me like that, expecting an answer that matters? Doesn't he know I am kidding? "No one, it is just a figure of speech."

"Oh…" was Gaara's disappointed response. Yep, he's crazy. "Who is it that cut you?"

"Some loud mouthed blond idio..." Next thing Sasuke knew he was pressed against the wall by the throat, no matter how much he struggled, the grip only continued to tighten.

"What did you do to naruto?" Despite the effort it would have taken to pin someone to the wall while being repeatedly kicked by someone who knew what they were doing, Gaara spoke calmly, no louder than he delivered his introduction. All his intensity is in his eyes, and I thought he was glaring at me before, THIS is most definitely his glare.

"N..Noth…ing" His responses came out in hics and gasps. This guy is not playing around, if I don't get out of this I could die. He tried kicking him in all the right places, temple, pulse, clavicle, sternum, but nothing seemed to have any effect.

"Why did he attack you? Naruto doesn't just start fights for no reason. It isn't in his nature. You must have done something vile, something worth punishing. And since he didn't finish the job, I'll just do it for him. What are friends for?" Gaara complemented his last statement with a wink, and wound back his other hand to deliver what would have been quite a nasty punch.

"That's enough!" Immediately Gaara let go, and Sasuke began gasping for air. A silver haired man walked in with a face that was too amused given the current situation, although it was hard to tell since his mouth, nose, and an eye were completely covered. "What is going on here?" Sasuke hadn't noticed the crowed gather, but it seemed most of the class and the teacher had finally arrived. Almost a whole half hour late, what gives?

"Nothing, Sasuke didn't believe me when I said I could punch a hole in the wall, I was holding him as close as possible to the wall so that he wouldn't miss anything."

"Sasuke, you could perhaps avoid detention by giving me a more reliable account."

"Hn."

"Very well, both of you to the principal's office, immediately."

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Sasuke didn't know his way to the principal's office just yet, and he wasn't too stoked about having to find it 2 hours into his first day at his new school. Two fights on the first day, and twice I let my guard down. Well it won't happen again. Sasuke wasn't used to having to keep his guard up. His brother had taught him how to defend himself well. Beside from the rough crowd of older kids his brother Itachi hung out with, Sasuke had never met anyone who stood a chance against him. What is this school full of trained Ninja's or something? Sasuke followed Gaara from a distance. Gaara looked as if he had taken this trek to the principal's office plenty of times, and he didn't seem interested in delaying his arrival by picking up with Sasuke where he had left off. Suddenly Gaara stopped next to a strange mural. It looked like Mt. Rushmore, but instead of presidents, the mountain had faces Sasuke didn't recognize. One of the faces was much brighter than the rest, having obviously been added just recently. Gaara pushed open a door marked "Janitor" and held it open expectantly. "After you," he said, ushering Sasuke inside. Not knowing what to expect, Sasuke peeked inside what was apparently not a janitor's closet, but a lavish office. Sasuke had never seen anything like this. It looked like it was supposed to be a five star hotel lobby, complete with a fountain, priceless art, HD flat screens, and real exotic plants, but was put in this school by mistake. Seated at a desk on the left side of the room was a cute secretary with the strangest paperweight he had ever seen. It was a life-sized pig wearing a vest and a string of pearls.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Sabaku Gaara, Lady Tsunade will be with you in just a mom…" Just then a spikey haired old man barreled out of the office next door as if he had been forcibly thrown.

"How many times have told you to stop flirting with me? Act your age!" The Old man got back to his feet just as the bustiest blonde Sasuke had ever seen came into view.

"Says the 60 year old that looks like she is 26." The old man apparently knew he had crossed a line, he dodged a piece of, is that door frame?, that came flying at him and made a quick exit. The blonde haired mass of boob and muscle, who Sasuke recognized as the newest face on the mural, massaged a vein that threatened to burst from her temple.

"Shizune, order me a new doorframe, boys come inside and sit down." Her voice demanded instant compliance from all parties. Sasuke made his best effort to shut the door after he came in, but gave up and finally took a seat. "Sasuke, I just read your file 20 minutes ago, you have no record of bad behavior so I imagine there is a good explanation for why you are in my office for fighting on your first day here."

Gaara spoke up before Sasuke could say anything. "I apologize lady Tsunade, it was I who started this confrontation."

"Why Gaara? I know you had a rough time when you first arrived here, but you haven't been in a fight for over a year.

"I'm sorry, I heard he was in a fight with him, and I just… lost it." Sasuke didn't understand the look of comprehension that crossed Tsunade's face, and the look of sincerity on Gaara was just disconcerting. He was ready to take my head off ten minutes ago, now he actually looks full of regret. Yep, he's crazy.

"Well, Gaara, you were stopped just in time, but this was very nearly a relapse, one that I cannot afford. In order to continue coming to school I will need you to make an appointment with your therapist. You are suspended until I have a report from Hyuuga saying you are not a danger to the other students, do you understand."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade"

"Good, then leave us. Shizune will have the appropriate paperwork for you." Gaara solemnly got up and left. Sasuke had never heard of an apologetic glare before, but he is almost certain that is what he received from Gaara just before he walked out. "As for you, Uchiha Sasuke, it seems you have been in 2 fights since your arrival at Konoha high. This is your chance at a fresh start, people bent over backwards to get you into a neutral environment so you can be safe and excel, why then are you making enemies on your first day?" Damned if I knew, I get here, eat breakfast, check out my books, then I am confronted outside of the library by this blond idiot, I go to an empty classroom where the students and teacher show up just before I get my face bashed in by a real psychopath.

"Hn."

"I see, you will have detention for the next week, and you will serve that detention after school, off campus. I would suggest that whatever problem you and naruto have, you get it worked out before Gaara is back from suspension. Naruto is more than capable of taking care of himself." Barely, although the kid did recover from my attack and deliver that headbutt pretty quickly, he's got guts if nothing else. "But Naruto means a lot to Gaara, so whatever differences there are between you, please work them out. I believe Konoha has many opportunities for you, I would hate for you to miss out because you and Naruto are fighting over something trivial."

"Whatever, can I go now?"

"Yes, Shizune will have your detention assignment. If you cause trouble in my halls one more time, you will have to do more than just dance." Sasuke was in a hurry to leave, he was tired of this day and it had just barely started. He hadn't even been able to figure out why he was being attacked the first time, let alone the second, and now he has been charged with resolving the issue. All he knew was that his problem was loud, blond, and named Naruto. Wait...did she say something about dancing? He searched frantically for his detention assignment, I just had it, where the hell did I put that thing? He found it just in front of his wallet in his back pocket.

Minato Namikazi's dance studio

monday - friday

5:30-6:45

Oh hell, just what exactly have I gotten into?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The bell announcing lunch rang, inundating the hallway with people. People were not Sasuke's favorite breed of cat. He hated them. People are loud, stupid, and in the way. These people were worse. Sasuke could feel eyes all over him. He could hear whispers, giggling, eeeewwww, why do girls always make that sound. It is the least attractive thing in the world. Girls get together, chatter about like squirrels, and then giggle. It's vomit inducing. Sasuke assumed he was topic of conversation because of his fights. This was higher profile than he was used to. The practice continued the entire way through the lunch line, it seemed everyone was tracing his progress. This is getting ridiculous, eat your food cretins, and let me eat mine in peace.

Just as he had gotten his lunch, square pizza and cinnamon apple crumb cobbler, a humongous arm grabbed his tray and pushed him back into the line. "Thanks Asshole" was all that was said. Sasuke glared at the chubby offender, he looked like an Asian Viking, if there was such a thing, and he wasn't alone, he had friend with a high pony-tail. He didn't look like much, he didn't even seem to be paying attention. Even still, I can't afford to get into another fight….

"Enjoy it, fatass." Said Sasuke as he began to turn to walk away, deciding it wasn't worth it. Two lunch trays dropped to the floor, and a bright red face leered at Sasuke. All the chattering and giggling stopped, even the lunch ladies stopped serving food. Now that's ominous.

"WHAT did you just call me?" Is he serious? Just one, one sane person. I want to have a pleasant encounter with just one of these so called students that isn't completely and utterly insane.

"You walked up and took my food from me, since you aren't a starving orphan, I naturally assumed you are a gluttonous pig, so I called you a fatass, or do you not understand English?

"You'll pay for that, you pretty boy, emo, ass clown!" Chou-ji ran at Sasuke, arms out-stretched, threatening to grapple him. Is he really gonna charge me head on? Sasuke wondered why this keeps happening to him today as he sidestepped and tripped his would be assailant. The oaf stuttered on his feet for a bit, trying to regain his balance before he landed ass first on the ground with a sickening thud. The cafeteria erupted in cacophonous laughter and chou-ji turned an even deeper shade of red. Chou-ji, who was not used to being on this side of physical comedy, got up and ran out of the cafeteria as fast as he could.

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The day is half over. Sasuke consoled himself while he watched the vending machine slide up to pull his drink selection from its row before placing it gently in the retrieval bin. He rounded off his make shift lunch with a bag of skittles. Not wanting to go back through the lunch line with the possibility of it being another spectacle, he decided to eat in the hallway. This is probably healthier than the plastic pizza they tried to feed me anyways. Heh, I shouldn't have been so hard on the poor fat boy, he was doing me a favor really. Just as Sasuke was about to relax he heard that sound again. Giggling…I would rather have that idiot head butt me again before listening to this. Before he could duck around the corner someone pulled at his sleeve.

"Hello, my name is Haruno Sakura, how are you liking your first day?" The girl in front of him had emerald eyes and pink hair, Sasuke wouldn't have minded looking at her, but the way she giggled at the end of every statement and batted her eye-lashes was making him want to vomit in his mouth. That, and there was some annoying stomping and whistling that made it hard to concentrate on the task at hand, i.e. put distance between him and the annoying girl.

"Hn," was the only response he gave her.

"Right…" Sakura said awkwardly, not knowing how to continue, but not ready to end her first opportunity to talk to the new heartthrob on such a lame note. "I saw you take on Chou-ji, you must be really strong, you didn't even flinch as he ran at you." What is that obnoxious whistling I keep hearing? And it sounds like there's a moose trampling through the hallway.

"Whatever, can I help you with something? asked Sasuke. Ask is to nice of a word. Whatever the word is for "demand information whilst shooting venom," that's what Sasuke did.

"Well, since you are now in town and everything, I was wondering, since you don't really know anyone else yet." Spit it out. "…or what kind of fun things there are to do in Konoha, if you sort of wanted to…" Naruto emerged from around the corner with a big grin on his face, only to see Sakura finish asking,"… kind of hang out with me sometime…?" Sasuke that question.

"You BASTARD!, didn't I warn you, stay"…ahh shit, he is yelling at me again, can someone please tell me why every guy in this damn school hates my guts. Are those whiskers? No, they must be scars. Ha, they don't make him look feral at all, he looks kind of…cute? In the same way that foxes are cute, or bunnies, you know what I mean. "Sakura-chan, is he bothering you? Just say the word and I'll take him out"

"Puh-leeze Naruto. Get away from me." Sakura punched him hard in the arm before turning back to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I'll talk to you later." Then she stormed off, joining a giggling group of girls who had all watched the exchange.

"You had better hope I never see you again." And just like that, the lunch bell rang, and Naruto stomped off, hot as a hornet. Figures…he even walks loudly. Okay, what just happened? I am pretty sure I just got asked on a date, but the moron actually saved me from having to answer. What was he yelling about again? Damn it, I really need to pay more attention to his diatribes. How did I piss him off this time? I know he must have tried to yell at me about it. Why don't I remember, what was I looking at? Sasuke tried hard during his next few classes to remember anything he could have said or done throughout the day to piss anyone off, but he drew blanks, and every time he thought of Naruto all he could remember is Azure blue eyes and symmetrical scars on either side of a golden-tan angry face. I know that you stupid brain, but why was he angry, what did he say?

Sasuke made his way to the parking lot, greatful that his day was almost over, just one short detention and then he could finally try and make sense of what was happening. Was there something wrong with the water here? All the guys just wanted to fight with him and all the girls just wanted to flirt with him. It was like each gender was overcharged with their respective hormones. Sakura was just the first girl to ask him on a date. At least 7 more attempts were made, and sometimes the girls would fight with each other, blaming the other for sabotaging their attempt after they were each shot down by Sasuke's frigid shoulder. As if I don't have something better to do than deal with some neurotic bitch that wants to hold my hand and wear my jacket. Why don't girls ever have their own freakin' jackets anyway? Do they just leave them at home on a cold day, expecting their man to hand over theirs, just so they can feel loved and cared for? Who needs that shit?

Sasuke pulled up to the dance studio at 5:30 sharp. There were numerous cars in the lot, so he was not at all surprised to find a room full of kids all paired off, trying to follow the movements of their instructor. He was surprised, however, to see that the instructor was a certain blond dobe. Sasuke walked in and immediately Naruto stopped counting and the grin beaming off of his face moments before vanished. Sasuke's stomach kicked him hard, as if punishing him for being the reason that smile disappeared.

"Are you going to curse and fight with me in front of these kids, or are you going to show me that there is more to you than being a loud mouthed violent idiot?"

"Take a break kids." "YOU," shouted Naruto pointing, "OUTSIDE!" The kids started to murmur among themselves. Sasuke, used to this by now, just waited for the idiot to make his way to the entrance before holding the door open for him and following him outside.

"What the hell are you doing here you cocky bastard?"

"Tsunade sent me here for detention."

"She did WHAT? I am going to kill that evil hag." Said Naruto more to himself, before turning to Sasuke, sounding defeated. "Alright, part of my contract with this place is that I can't refuse someone sent for community service, just don't curse or do anything improper in front of the kids, unless you wanna get us both sued. Other than that, just do as I say. Understand?"

"Hn, let's just get it over with."

Sasuke followed naruto back inside, just as he was about to go wait in the back of the room until the class was done, he was pulled by the wrist to stand in front of about 40 barely teenage eyes.

"Alright," said Naruto, addressing the children. "We are going to demonstrate a dance for you, and then you are going to pair off and do it together. Sasuke, take my hand." Sasuke nearly choked on his breath.

"cough Excuse me…cough"

"Grab my hand with you left, and hold it just above shoulder level." "Yes, like that…no we have to be closer, like this." Sasuke found himself uncomfortably close to the scars that captured his attention just hours earlier. "Great, now, put your other hand on my back."

"No." Sasuke flat refused, he let go of the idiots hand and started to leave

"What do you mean no, this isn't burger king, you can't have it your way. This is detention, now do as I say or I'll report to the hag that you were insubordinate." Sasuke had no desire to share the same fate as Tsunade's doorframe, but he was still reluctant.

"I don't care, make me do something else, you were doing just fine teaching this dance without me, I'll stay after, I don't care, I'm not dancing with you." Sasuke didn't understand why he was so unwilling. He just had a bad feeling, like if he danced with the idiot something embarrassing was going to happen. He didn't understand it, but he knew what he felt in his stomach, dancing with Naruto was a bad idea.

"Look, normally I have to teach the girl part, then the guy part, with your help I can teach it twice as quickly, and since we have already wasted so much time, if I don't get this done, we will be behind, so we don't have a choice. So shut up, hold my hand, and grab my back!"

Sasuke didn't have the heart to say no him. He spoke with so much passion, and even pouted at the end. It was a severe improvement over the yelling with which he had been received thus far. He closed in on Naruto, grabed his hand in his left and placed his right hand right against the curve where Naruto's chest tapered into his waist. Sasuke took a moment to flatten the fabric against naruto's back so that he wouldn't wrinkle the blonde's shirt. Not quite sure what to do next, Sasuke just stood there waiting for further instruction. Embarrassed, he avoided the eyes of azure, preferring to look in the mirror behind them, keeping in check the flush he could feel creeping into his cheeks.

"Er...uh, higher, grab me just under the shoulder blade. *exhales* yeah, like that" Another awkward moment passed. "Music please." And then music started, Sasuke recognized it immediately, Foxtrot. Heh, so, the little kitsune is teaching the foxtrot, how quaint. Without even thinking Sasuke led Naruto into a beautiful rendition of the Foxtrot, full of energy, lifts, kicks, and twirls. He was surprised when Naruto responded gracefully with every move he was prompted into. So, he isn't just a loud mouthed dobe after all. As the music reached its crescendo, Sasuke did what he would normally do, and dipped his partner. Regret, and the resulting closeness, hit him like a hammer. For the first time since the music started, he was very physically aware. Aware of how close he and Naruto were. Aware of how heat radiated from all points of contact and made his stomach flip. Through the fabric of his shirt, Sasuke could feel hard muscles, slick with exertion. Just then he noticed he was holding his breath. He closed his eyes as he inhaled, bringing a smell to the forefront of his senses. A smell unlike anything he had smelled before. Gingerbread? Sasuke opened his eyes, finally finding the courage to stare into the Azure pools. They were so serene now, not full of anger or worry. Sasuke's only thoughts were of sapphires and gingerbread, until he heard his least favorite sound. Giggling…shit! He had almost forgotten he was surrounded by a bunch of kids.

"Alright, um, can you…er…let me up now?"

"Hn." And with that Sasuke stood up, not bothering to be gentle with his cargo.

"You ass…isted me quite well, thank you Mr. Uchiha, kids, say goodbye to Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke was barraged with "thank you"s and "come back soon"s that made the decision final. Seeing no point and feeling no desire to argue, Sasuke turned and left. He checked his watch, he had only been there for 30 minutes. Just as he reached his car, he was interrupted by a shouting voice from the entrance of the studio.

"Hey bastard, am I going to be getting any more surprise visits?"

"Until the end of the week. However, now that you have been previously informed, only an idiot would continue to be surprised, dobe." Sasuke, in no mood to be yelled at, didn't give the moron a chance to respond, and drove away.