Title: Orchestral Infatuation

Authoress: Ira Vehementi

Warnings: eventual yaoi (I'm sorry, it might take me a couple chapters to get to the yaoiness you all love and cherish), OC who does not hook up with any of the series characters but shows her face from time to time, AU, and some OOCness that I'm apologizing for in advance. And language.

A/N: Gaara's sorta OOC in this fiction, I just realized. Sorry about that, it's the only way this is going to work.

Well, I am glad to see that people liked this story enough to favorite it ( I love you all dearly for it), but I would love reviews! Um, unless they're flames, in which case... no thanks. 3 So if you're reading this: REVIEW! Then I'll be happy and you'll be happy.

So, to my new favorite reviewer marina-uzumaki-potter, here's the next chapter of Orchestral Infatuation!

o0o

In Which Tutors Are Helpful And Naruto Runs Away

"Okay, Naruto, so how do you solve this problem here?"

"I don't know. Go away, school is over."

"Yeah, duh." Kaida rolled her eyes at him. "I tutor you after school, don't I? Iruka's looking for a real tutor, and until then I have to keep you at sophomore level!"

"Go away."

Kaida snorted and picked up a fork. "I'm in the mood for ramen." She said. Naruto just waved her off and went back to brooding.

It had been three long weeks. Naruto had been grounded for two of them, but Iruka could never keep Naruto grounded for that long, so Naruto had been on his computer at the end of the first week, and had ramen and his manga back by the middle of the second week. He had already gone through one very pissed off tutor, and now Kaida was back to tutoring him after school. On the bright side, Gaara and Kankuro had come over and agreed that Kaida was some sort of brain sucking vampiress and had helped Naruto come up with a plan to stick a knife through her heart (mostly Gaara planned that one, while the other two watched him write down his notes in grim horror). Temari had come to visit also, more often than Gaara and Kankuro since she was a senior and could leave school grounds during her free block, and mostly she wanted to know what Naruto was planning to do with himself, which of course, he couldn't answer. He thought he'd be happily playing his Playstation 2, but Iruka refused to give that back to him until Naruto got a new tutor who didn't quit after one and a half weeks.

Kaida came back to the table and set two bowls of ramen down. "So, Naruto," she asked conversationally, "Have you considered going to school in Konoha?" Naruto scowled. The last time Kaida made ramen, she practically destroyed it... Naruto had never seen crispy noodles like that before in his life. He was sort of frightened to eat this bowl in front of him now, but it at least smelled edible...

He glared at her. "No." He said.

She nodded. "I see. You know, Konoha Private, where I go, has a couple openings."

Naruto chose to gape at her rather than say what he felt like saying, which was something along the lines of you mean there's a school for Satan's children?

She smirked at him. "There's an entrance exam," She continued, starting on her bowl of ramen. "So you might not get in."

"You saying I'm stupid?"

"I'm saying it's a hard test."

"You got in. Can't be that tough." Naruto commented, reaching for his ramen, but not before offering a prayer up to the ramen god, just to make sure his food was somewhat safe.

She only giggled, which was a sign that something bad was going to happen to Naruto. "Is that a challenge?"

"No, because I don't want to go to your school. I don't want to be remotely near you."

"Near me?" Kaida snorted. "Trust me, we'll be leagues apart. Can you sing any?" She blew daintily on her noodles and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Sing? What the hell does me singing have to do with anything?"

"Well? Can you?"

"No." Naruto slurped some noodles and noticed that Kaida was looking at him funny. "What?" He sighed, exasperated.

"Your voice sounds like it's a perfect singing voice, but whatever. Don't go fishing for anymore compliments, though." Naruto smirked. "Do you play any instruments?"

"I used to play the violin."

"Used, past tense, or used as in 'I still play it when I have lessons but otherwise, no, I don't play the violin'?"

"There's a difference?"

"Yes! What's the answer?"

"I don't play the violin anymore. I played in elementary school, and halfway through middle school. Gaara played too, but he's better than me."

"Gaara?" Kaida raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one with the red hair?"

"Yes," Naruto scowled. "What are you going to say about him?"

"Just that he looked more like he'd play guitar for Metallica (1)."

"Firstly, what the hell, no he doesn't. And secondly, Gaara hates metal music! He prefers death rock."

"And what a difference that is." Kaida said dryly.

"Shut up."

"Anyway, Naruto, you could brush up on your violin and try out for orchestra. If you're any good, you know, they'll let you in on a scholarship. If you're really good you could end up on the advanced orchestra. Our school's advanced orchestra has been undefeated for five years."

"Undefeated?" Naruto snorted. "You're talking about it like it's some sort of sports team."

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Kaida grinned at him. "Konoha Private Academy is known for musical prowess. You can't just be anyone and get in." She went on to talk about the awards that the school had won, and also about how she had been brought up to the normal ensemble's Head Alto, which was supposed to be something monumental, except that Naruto could care less.

Naruto practically cheered when the doorbell rang, and knocked over his chair in his hurry to get to it. Gaara had promised to visit today, and sure enough, the red head was at the door. "Gaara! You're here!" Naruto chattered, and the pale eyed boy gave Naruto an appraising look.

"Are you going to move so I can go in?" He asked finally, and Naruto nodded and let Gaara through. They went back to the kitchen, where Kaida was finishing her ramen. Gaara nodded at her and she nodded back. Maybe they both knew deep down inside that Gaara was going to kill her one day. At least, Naruto hoped Gaara would kill her one day. He wondered if that was normal for a couple more seconds, but then asked Gaara if he wanted anything to eat, and as expected, the answer was no.

"What happened in school?" Naruto asked, and Gaara shrugged, looking at the work that Naruto was supposed to be doing.

"You're ahead of us." He commented.

"I am?" Naruto looked at the paper. The math problems he was doing were really hard, and he was proud to be ahead of his math class and Gaara's, since Gaara happened to be in honors algebra.

"By two chapters." Gaara acknowledged. Naruto smiled brightly. "…I'm past you, though."

"That's because you're weird and you did the whole textbook already! I bet Kankuro helped you," Naruto pouted, "He's good at math and science. You're good at art and music. Temari's good at languages…"

Gaara shrugged and looked at the papers again.

Kaida turned back to Naruto. "I'll tell Iruka."

"No," Naruto argued. "I don't want to go to your school. I don't want to be in a five mile radius of you."

"Naruto, guess what? The feeling? It's mutual." Kaida snarled at him. "But the point is that I get extra points if I refer you to the school and you get in. Double that if you're good enough to get into the orchestra. And triple that if you get into the accelerated students orchestra. And even more importantly, you get kudos too."

"Whatever." Naruto waved his hand. "I want to go to a school around here. I don't want to go to Konoha."

"Why not?" Kaida complained. "Not that I particularly care or anything, but these schools aren't good enough for you." She looked over at Gaara. "Or you, for that matter."

"What are you saying?" Naruto asked, leaning back in his chair.

Kaida sighed and scowled. "I told you not to go fishing for compliments," She said, but she continued anyway. "You have talent, don't you? You have something that you want to achieve. I'm sure that you can achieve it with the right education, if you can fit that into your pea brain."

"I'm getting the right education here, aren't I? All I need to do is find a school around here. I don't want to go all the way to Konoha. Besides, it's all rich kids there and I'm not rich."

"Neither am I!" Kaida exclaimed, but Naruto gave her a look. Kaida was pretty much the epitome of rich. As far as Naruto knew, anything she wanted, she pretty much got. Kaida grumbled, "This is a chance for you to start anew, don't you see that?"

"No, I don't." Naruto said stubbornly. "I don't want to go to Konoha and start over."

"Why?"

"I just don't want to." Naruto turned to Gaara and was about to ask him if he would bring over his Playstation the next time he visited.

"Are you scared?" Kaida taunted, a devilish smirk rising on her features.

"Scared of what? You?" Naruto scoffed. "Don't kid yourself."

"So? What's the reason?"

Naruto shrugged. "I just don't want to go."

Kaida raised an eyebrow and calmly stated, "Why? Because everything is so great right now, isn't it? Everyone thinks you're a liar, Naruto. A habitual liar." Naruto tried to speak over her, but she brushed him off and continued, "Everyone thinks that you've got problems that you need to work out and that you live with Iruka because your real parents couldn't deal with your issues and they feel for Iruka for even putting up with you. Everyone thinks you're no-good, low-down, piece of shit trash that will get nowhere, do nothing, and have nothing to show at the end of his life." Kaida stood up and collected her things. "And if that's what you want, then stay here. Finish those sheets for tomorrow." She smiled, put her things in her messenger bag, and left.

Naruto glared after her and tore the sheets in half. "I hate Kaida." He muttered.

Gaara looked at Naruto, and then sighed. "She's right, though," He said, when Naruto went to open his mouth. "That's what a lot of people do think."

"What?" Naruto asked his mood dropping.

Gaara shrugged. "They don't like me either," He said calmly, as if he was discussing the weather.

"Why don't they like you? Why don't they like me?" Naruto paused, looking carefully into Gaara's eyes. Gaara revealed nothing, just stared back. "…Is it because of the pipes?" He faltered, waiting for Gaara to continue. There was a pregnant pause.

"They don't all hate you." Gaara concluded, suddenly. "It's just most of them. Most of the adults. The rest of them pity you."

"Pity?"

"Because they think you're insane." Gaara cleared up.

"…" Naruto looked at his cold ramen. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Gaara frowned. "Because you knew."

"Obviously I didn't know! Obviously, because it took Kaida of all people to tell me that I was a piece of shit! I had no idea that"

"But you did know," Gaara interrupted. "And you tried to change that by playing pranks."

Naruto stared at Gaara. "…But…"

Gaara looked at the bowl of ramen and said, "You told me that no one listens to you, even when you have good ideas. You said that Iruka went shopping because somehow every time you went, the groceries were messed up. You said that you didn't like taking tests because the teachers always graded yours extra hard." Gaara paused, then looked at Naruto. "That's because they didn't like you."

Naruto closed his eyes and thought hard. He hadn't realized that everyone hated him. Well… in an odd sort of way, he knew. But… he didn't really know, at least not consciously, that people hated him. It was just a feeling that he had deep inside him that he figured every kid had, when they all thought that the world was out to get them.

Naruto believed in it when he was younger, back when people used to tease him about the scratches on his cheeks. back then he had thought everyone hated him, and he didn't want that. But then Iruka came and changed it all. Naruto thought that maybe it had been Iruka who helped make everyone like him, but beneath the skin... somewhere deep inside him, Naruto knew what the truth was. And he willfully ignored it, because there was no use in exploring a feeling that only made you feel bad, right?

So maybe it was Iruka's fault, because Iruka really loved Naruto and told him that people liked him. Maybe that's why he didn't really believe that feeling... up until now.

The feeling was like a glass ceiling, a barrier that blocked Naruto from a place that he wanted to reach. Other people could reach that place, and all Naruto wanted to be with them and share in their happiness, but that glass ceiling was there, blockading him.

Why hadn't Gaara said anything sooner? Why hadn't Gaara told him that everyone hated him? Why didn't Iruka tell him? Why did Kaida tell him? Did Kankuro like him? Did Temari? Did Gaara like him?

His cheeks were wet. Naruto touched them with his fingers. Was he really crying?

Gaara said nothing. He was an almost comforting presence at the moment, bordering on pure repulsion because Naruto was mad at Gaara for not even mentioning that the whole entire community hated Naruto's guts. But he should have known.

"Naruto." Gaara murmured. "That's why you should start over."

Iruka came home with handfuls of brochures for Konoha Private Academy. "Naruto," He said cheerfully, pulling Naruto out of his TV coma, "You wouldn't believe what Suzuka offered for you!"

Naruto uncurled himself from around one of Iruka's favorite throw pillows and sighed. "Let me guess." Naruto muttered. "Konoha Private has some openings and you want me to take the entrance exam."

Iruka beamed. "Yes," He said happily, and then he noticed Naruto's melancholy look. "What's wrong?"

"…Do you hate me?" Naruto asked, glaring at Iruka, who shook his head. "Then why are you sending me there?"

"Naruto," Iruka sat down next to him and neatly dropped the brochures onto the coffee table, "What is this about? It's not about school, is it? It's something else, isn't it?"

"I don't want to go," Naruto muttered. "I don't want to stay here either. Everyone there will hate me just like everyone here does, and I'd rather just not do anything."

"…What do you mean?" Iruka asked, and Naruto moved away from Iruka and hugged one of the throw pillows again. Iruka looked worried, clenching and unclenching his hands ten times before asking, "Who says everyone hates you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Who cares? It's true, isn't it." Naruto said, looking at Iruka. "Do you know why they hate me? Probably, right? That's why you adopted me isn't it? So you could work out my problems?"

"Naruto"

Naruto spoke over him. "Because I have so many issues to work out, don't I?" he snarled. "I don't even know how much stuff is wrong with me, that's how messed up I am. And it's all publicity for you, isn't it? Because you're the one who's fixing me!"

"Naruto!" Iruka's eyes were wide. "You know that isn't true!"

Naruto stared at Iruka. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Iruka asked, clenching his fists again. Naruto tallied up the numbers in his head. So far Iruka had done that twenty-eight times.

"Why didn't you tell me that everyone hates me? Why did you let me think I was normal when I'm some sort of freak of nature that no one wants?!"

Iruka's eyes were downcast. He stopped clenching his fists and relaxed. His hands folded in his lap. "Naruto." He said, faintly. "I didn't want them to hate you. It's my fault."

Naruto glared at him. "You made them hate me?"

Iruka didn't respond. Naruto got up, tossing the pillow onto the couch, and stalked towards the door. "Where are you going?" Iruka asked, and Naruto looked over his shoulder, where his guardian was rising off the couch quickly, about to stop him.

"Out." Naruto hissed. And he slammed the door behind him as he left.

(1)- haha sorry. I had to put that in. The first time Gaara showed up in Naruto, a friend of mine who knows nothing about Metallica was like, "Doesn't he look like he'd be in Metallica?" I laughed for like five minutes, and she just sat on my couch like, "...what?"