Author's note: This is a new idea, and I don't know how often I'll post new chapters. I'm going through a block of some sorts but I managed to write this, so maybe more comes easier than I think :) We'll see. Hope you'll enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not make money out of writing fanfiction.
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The Ice Prince and the Dobe
Chapter 1
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Springtime in Japan meant a new beginning. Among other things, it meant a new school year, and a new school year brought both happiness and displeasure – depending on who you were.
A new school year also sometimes meant new students in your class. When you're sixteen, a new student could bring extreme happiness or displeasure, and at the moment, Uzumaki Naruto, along with his classmates, was drifting between the two possibilities.
It was the first day of school and their homeroom teacher, Umino Iruka, had just announced that a new student would be joining their class. Everyone's eyes got glued on the classroom door, awaiting the newcomer. The girls were wondering if it was going to be a new guy; the guys were hoping for the opposite – no surprise there.
Naruto rested his head in his hand, looking bored, but inwardly wondering how he'd get along with the new classmate. If it's a girl, would she be cuter and prettier than Sakura-chan? Well, that would be almost impossible. Naruto doubted there was anyone cuter or prettier than Sakura-chan.
Then, on the other hand – if it's a guy, would he become as good a friend as Kiba? That was almost impossible as well, since Kiba was his best friend since elementary school.
Naruto watched the door slide open, a pale raven-haired boy entering the classroom. Iruka-sensei gave a friendly smile to the newcomer and putting a hand on the teen's shoulder, he turned to the class.
"Everyone, this is your new classmate."
And everyone stared expectantly.
"Uchiha Sasuke," the boy said in a steady, confident voice. "I'm glad to be here," he added, but without a smile that should usually follow those words.
"Well then, Sasuke-kun, have a seat and we'll begin the class."
Sasuke nodded and walked over to one of the empty seats in the last row, ignoring the way everyone stared at him. Naruto watched him, wondering if he was being so weird because he was new and nervous. As Sasuke sat down just behind Naruto's place, the blond turned over and smiled, offering a hand.
"Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet ya, Sasuke."
The raven looked at him, then at his offered hand. It seemed as if he was contemplating whether to accept it or not. Naruto's wide grin faltered a bit. Sasuke blinked and slowly and reluctantly accepted the hand, squeezed it and nodded, but didn't say a word. Then he turned his focus on opening his bag and digging out a notebook, effectively avoiding the further conversation.
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned back on his seat, meeting gazes with Kiba. The brunet gave a shrug, showing that he didn't really care about the new guy.
So, Naruto could say that this time, the beginning of the new school year didn't bring him happiness. He soon realized that while it didn't bring him happiness, it definitely didn't stay in the neutral zone either – but brought him displeasure as well.
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A month after the school had begun, every girl in the school knew who Uchiha Sasuke was. They talked about him in the mornings before the classes would start, during recesses, during PE; they'd follow him around the school; they'd stare and swoon when he'd pass by them...
Naturally, all the other guys didn't exactly feel neglected. No, that wasn't the right word. They were being completely and totally ignored.
Naruto couldn't understand the situation. Before Sasuke had arrived, Hyuuga Neji, their sempai, was the one who was the main object of lust among the girls, but never to that extent. Naruto and Kiba were one of those who'd get an occasional love letter or a Valentine's Day chocolate... Then, some girls liked their laid-back genius friend, Shikamaru. Some liked the quiet gothic Gaara. Some liked the artistic weirdo Sai. Some liked the cuddly and warm Chouji...
The whole love-interest thing used to be more or less equally distributed, but now? Now it was getting ridiculous. All the girls had gotten completely crazy about Sasuke. And the worst part was – Sasuke was so cool about it. He would sometimes talk to them, answer to some of the questions... But at the same time he seemed untouchable... That made them swoon even more.
Naruto hated it. What was so great about that Uchiha guy? If he thought about it, there was nothing wrong with Sasuke. His grades were excellent, the teachers loved him, he was handsome – Naruto couldn't argue that ... The girls were crazy about him... He was perfect.
It pissed Naruto off.
Okay, so he knew he wasn't being really fair – Sasuke had never done anything to insult him, but still, Naruto felt it in his core that the raven pissed him off. It was enough to look at him and he would get the urge to glare and snarl at the guy.
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One day, sitting in the school cafeteria, Naruto scowled the moment he saw Sasuke coming through the door. Sakura-chan and Ino were tagging along with him, giggling annoyingly.
"You really hate that guy, don't you," Kiba nudged him.
"Just look at them... Giggling and squealing... Stupid," the blond muttered. "Ever since he came here, Sakura-chan won't even talk to me!"
"Dude, she never wanted to talk to you," Kiba sniggered, earning a kick under the table.
"Some friend you are."
"Well it's true," the brunet shrugged, rubbing the sore spot on his shin.
"That may be," Naruto sighed, "but now, I really have no chance..."
"So... Instead of trying harder with Sakura, you're just gonna hate Uchiha's guts?"
"Yeah."
"Great plan," Kiba barked a laugh and soon both of them were howling from laughter, ignoring the weird looks it earned them. Kiba always managed to make his day, no matter what had caused it to be gloomy. Naruto couldn't care less if they were too loud or too weird.
Two warm, friendly hands descended on both of their shoulders. "You two forgot your sanity pills today?"
"Hey Shika," the blond giggled, "we're just laughing at our misery."
"Your misery, Naruto," Kiba corrected.
"Yeah, that totally makes sense," Shikamaru snorted and plopped down on the chair next to Naruto, and opposite of Kiba. "Just move on... Girls are so troublesome..."
"Damn that Sasuke... Stole my chance with Sakura-chan..."
Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. "What chance?" He deadpanned, causing Kiba to almost fall out of chair laughing. Shikamaru chuckled. "So anyway, even if you don't have a chance with Sakura, at least you know she won't end up with Uchiha."
Naruto blinked. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that the guy either deserves an Oscar, or he really doesn't give a shit about any of the girls screaming for him. Besides, he's always alone," Shikamaru added.
"Alone?"
"Yeah. If you don't count the girls and their screaming, I don't think he'd made a single friend since he got here."
"Oh," Naruto frowned. He knew what it felt like to be alone, without anyone to laugh with, to hang out with. He glanced across the cafeteria, seeing Sasuke sitting at one of the tables. Despite Sakura, Ino and several other girls, he really did seem alone. He seemed cool, ignoring the girls for the moment, but the look in his eyes was one that Naruto knew very well.
"Don't think so hard, you'll have a stroke," Kiba teased, nudging the blond's shoulder.
"Oh, ha-ha, very funny."
"Seriously, what were you thinking about?"
"Do you think we should've been friendlier when he came here?"
"Who, Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yeah..."
"Well, he didn't make any effort to try to be friendly with us, either," Kiba mused.
"But he's new..."
"Naruto, you said you hated him not five minutes ago. What's with you all of the sudden?" His best friend stared at him.
"You guys used to avoid me too, and now we're best friends," Naruto said quietly, remembering his past.
"Oh, well..." Kiba felt a slight burn of guilt in his chest. "So you... You don't want him to feel like you felt, huh?"
"Something like that."
Shikamaru smirked, not saying anything. Naruto had surely changed over the years. He used to be an obnoxious little prankster, literally screaming to get any attention. And now Shikamaru watched his blond friend standing up and walking towards Sasuke's table.
After several short sentences between Naruto and Sasuke...
"What do you mean 'dobe', you bastard!"
Well, scratch the screaming part. Shikamaru and Kiba winced as Naruto's voice carried through the cafeteria. The next thing they saw was Naruto yanking at the front of Sasuke's uniform, and Sasuke smirking at him.
"Say that to my face!"
"Dobe."
For a moment, Naruto looked like he was going to hit the other teen. After several seconds of staring at him, Naruto released him and snorted.
"Fine, then be all alone forever, see if I care."
"No one asked you to talk to me, Uzumaki."
"That's one mistake I'll never make again," the blond spat and got back to Kiba and Shikamaru. Now Chouji was at the table as well.
"Uhm... That went well," Chouji gave an awkward smile.
"Stupid prissy moron. I hate him."
"Oh, so we're back to that?" Kiba teased.
"Next time I have an idea like this, feel free to smack me."
"Noted," Shikamaru chuckled. "So, what happened there?"
"I came over there, trying to start a conversation. And he said he had no business talking to a dobe like me!" Naruto threw his hands up in exasperation. "Why is he so mean? Why dobe? I'm not an idiot! No one ever called me that before!"
"Wrong," Shikamaru interrupted. "Last week you wrote the worst math test in the history of math tests... Ibiki-san almost had a conniption. When Iruka-sensei found out about it later, he called you a dobe..."
"And to think no one ever listens to what he says," Naruto grumbled. Only Iruka-sensei had the right to tease him like that. He was like a father... Or an older brother to Naruto, ever since...
"Gaaah, I had enough! I don't care!"
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The failed attempt at getting 'closer' to Sasuke proved to be a success, ironically. Sasuke had started to greet him every day. Naruto wanted to kill someone. Preferably Sasuke.
His days were filled with 'good morning dobe', 'how are you dobe' and 'forgot your homework again, dobe?'.
"Well, you wanted him to talk to you," Kiba shrugged.
"He's making fun of me!"
"Only because you're showing that it bugs you," Shikamaru smirked.
"So, I should just ignore him?"
"Yep."
"Until he gives up?"
"Yep."
"Right... Okay, so I'll do that. How hard can it be, right?"
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Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
"Come again, sensei?"
Iruka sighed. "I said Uchiha and Uzumaki, I'm putting you together for an assignment."
"Why me? Why with him?"
Now Iruka was growing irritated. "Because 'Uzumaki' goes right after 'Uchiha'. I've paired up everyone that way."
"Well, can't you skip me?"
"Yeah, can't you skip him?" Ino asked hopefully.
"No I can't. No arguing, Naruto, Ino. It's gonna be that way and that's that!"
"What's the matter dobe, you're scared that I'll outsmart you?" Sasuke murmured teasingly from his seat behind Naruto.
The blond teen's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He turned and gave Sasuke the dirtiest look he could muster.
"We'll see about that, bastard."
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And so, the extreme displeasure from having a new classmate had officially begun.
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To be continued...