CHAPTER I

Lifrosian Classes

Naruto thought that he could have slowed down eating his ramen because he does not have anything to do with the rest of the day. Their classes have dismissed earlier and he was already done with his experiments for tomorrow's exams. Sighing, he walked back to the large Lifropolis Academy. The Academy does not produce Zagantes alone for there are two other classes graduated from the same academy.

Speaking of other Gemstone classes, he remembered someone who still has a class this afternoon so he hopped all the way towards the building to find that person.

"Concentrate! You will not be able to summon anything if you don't concentrate!"

The voice of an impatient professor was heard inside the hall. Surely, those Professors who teach in this class should learn to be patient. They've been in that stage where they were having a hard time to concentrate before summoning anything. And he should be more observant how the class concentrates rather be distracted from his constant yelling.

"You over there!" He yelled yet again, alerting the apprentice he just pointed, "If you can't put your Chakra in your Tiara then go back to your mother!"

Scared to hear another scolding from his professor, he concentrated even more. This time, the Prof saw the Chakra crawling towards the apprentice's tiara.

"Bah. Do I really have to force you to form a Chakra like that?" He added and walked towards the lady who did not care what the others do and completely ignores her Professor. "Good. Be like her! She ignores everything! She doesn't care if I'm yelling or what the others are doing as long as she's concentrating! This is what I'm teaching, people! Concentrate despite the chaotic surroundings!"

The entire class, except for the lady he mentioned, stopped their concentration and watched how the pink haired lady pours her Chakra to her head towards her Tiara. Not long did they see numerous lights of different bright colors and a yellow smoke that covers a summoned creature. When the smoke faded, the Lady finally summoned a Nymph. Everybody clapped their hands at her success.

"Whew." The lady muttered when she looked at her creation and smiled at it. "Hello, there." She greeted cheerfully as the Nymph bowed, immediately acknowledges that she was its master.

"Very well, Lady Haruno." The Professor proudly proclaimed and tapped her shoulders to acknowledge her achievement. "It is clear now that you'll be able to pass the exams tomorrow. Summoning an above regular monster is quite impressive."

The acknowledged person gave a last smile to her monster and looked at her professor. She took away her own smile and unemotionally looked at him.

"Professor, the others would have summoned the same level of monster if you could just minimize your voice. It takes a lot of time to summon a creature; you know that, so please be considerate to others."

The Professor did not say anything as he watched the pink haired lady dispels her creation.

She could be sweet on the outside, but she's too bitchy inside.

…or maybe he should take her advice before someone fires him.

Naruto arrived at the hall near the huge chamber where the other classes use the area for their training and lecture. He tiptoed towards the huge door and placed his ears on the tall door. Listening closely, he only heard the professor scolding his students.

So it's exercises today huh. If I won't be able to hear her voice then I'll have to see her.

He looked sideways and disappeared from his location. The young lad was seen at the grounds in front of the building, looking up at the window of a certain chamber.

Window it is huh.

He materialized Gemstones in his hands and placed it in on his Bracer. When his Chakra molded, he opened his palms facing his body, then he suddenly levitates!

Now that's more like it.

Without further ado, he forced himself to levitate upwards. When a ledge is upon his reach he immediately grabbed on to it and placed himself beside the wall near the window. Placing himself in a comfortable way to take a peak on his long time crush, he heard the Professor giving positive remarks to the girl he adored.

"Good. Be like her! She ignores everything! She doesn't care if I'm yelling or what the others are doing as long as she's concentrating! This is what I'm teaching, people! Concentrate despite the chaotic surroundings!"

There was a huge sweat dropped at Naruto's head.

What a way to teach his apprentices… how psychotic.

Naruto started looking inside the room and when he found her, he couldn't help but feel his legs going jelly.

There she is… God… isn't she a beauty?

The person whom he had set his eyes on had completed the summoning ritual. All other apprentices clapped their hands at her success while she could only smile at the creature she called. The professor tapped her shoulder but Naruto noticed that she was rather having a serious conversation with him. Her eyes decimated her own smile.

Sometimes I do fear how she managed to destroy her beautiful smile…

After the short conversation with the Professor and dispelling her summoned creature, the pink haired lady walked towards the window to get some fresh air.

Oh god she's coming closer!

It was like a slow motion as the lady he adored walked towards the window where he positioned himself to spy on her. With only his heart beat and her footsteps in his head, he forgot that he needed a little concentration during his levitation.

But he did felt that gravity suddenly pulled him… too late though…

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed, fighting his concentration to focus to his levitation rather than the lady coming closer to him.

On the other side of the window however, the lady with pink hair heard a commotion from the outside. Rushing towards the windowsill, there she saw the blonde haired young man descending dangerously towards the ground.

Her eyes went wide. "OH!" She screamed.

All apprentices stopped their concentration and went to her side together with the Professor dashing towards the windowsill. There they all saw the slow motion fall of the blonde Zagante.

"GYAAAAAHHH!"

Everybody from the training hall went terrified as they watched the poor blonde young lad with his life slowly falls towards the ground. The Professor, whom should be helping the guy outside, went out of the room to call for help.

But before Naruto could trigger his death in an instant, the pink haired lady saw a speeding string dashing and looping around the blonde's ankle. In a matter of seconds, they all saw how the string stopped Naruto's instant death, pulling him in mid-air and hanging him upside down.

"OOOHHH GAAAAAWWWWWWDDD I'M GONNA DIEEEEEEEEE!" Naruto continuously screamed unaware that he was already saved.

With all spectators relieved, their eyes followed the origin of the string.

A spiky black haired young man clad with blue sleeveless top and striking jet black pants was calmly sitting on a tree branch with his right hand extending to the string. The pink haired apprentice in the Summoning Class narrowed her eyes towards the guy.

I think I've seen that guy a thousand times before…

While they are all looking at the situation, the blonde haired Zagante has not stopped crying his heart out thinking he would die in a moment.

"OOOOOHHHHH MAAAAANN I CAN'T DIIIIEEEE HERRRREEE!"

Until, of course, the one who saved his life mocked him.

"You're dead Naruto! And you're in Hell!"

Naruto, whose eyes shut tightly, answered the mocking statement.

"NOOO! I'M NOT IN HELL! I didn't do anything bad! I can't die and go to Hell right now!"

The spectators started laughing their ass out at the comical scenario just right after the breathtaking fall of the poor Naruto.

"OHHHH GOD! THERE WERE REALLY DEVILS AROUND HERE! THEY'RE EVEN LAUGHING!"

"SHIT HEAD! Now you're calling us devils, moron!"

As if on cue, someone threw a book at Naruto's head, causing him to swing left and right and instantaneously opening his eyes.

"Aww!" When he looked at the very first thing he saw, he noticed the green grass and pastel colors of thousands of flowers scattered everywhere.

Hey! There's no grass in Hell is it?

He looked sideways, downward and upward to double check that he is not really in hell.

There's the Lifropolis Academy Summoning Hall, and that tree, and that familiar road! Hey, this isn't hell! Which means—?

Then he put his once dangling hands towards his chest and head to feel that he is not really dead yet.

"I'm alive! I'm alive!" He shouted.

He almost forgot that he was hanging upside down when the one who saved his life pulled him harshly to forcefully notice him.

"Hey watch it!" Naruto exclaimed as he finally found out that he was in fact saved. He would want to say his sorry for not thanking him or her and will thank him or her at the same time but when he set his eyes upon his savior… "SASUKE?"

Said person could only raise a brow at the one he saved.

"What the—Oh GOD this isn't happening! You saved me?"

Sasuke reached his hair with his free hand and said, "Why yes actually." He answered uninterestingly, "So could you get yourself up because I'm tired of holding you in mid-air?"

Naruto's both ears steamed with white smoke as he bent himself to untie the string and landed safely on the ground. He even dusted off imaginary dirt from his jacket and looked at the branch where Sasuke sat.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks." He muttered.

Sasuke smirked at teased him, "I can't here you—" He even put his hands in his ears as if to listen to an echo.

"THANKS!"

Sasuke looked at the ground where Naruto is standing with a tilted head as if mocking; "Now you're yelling at me. Bad manners… really bad. Tsk. Tsk."

Naruto's ears steamed with white smoke again but now there were also steamed smoke coming out of his nostrils. His face turned beet red vividly stating he's mad.

"WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT UCHIHA!"

Again, Sasuke smirked at Naruto. This blockhead doesn't know anything other than Sakura and Ramen. Speaking of which—

He looked back at the window where he was watching the girl in red suit a little earlier. She was looking back at him with narrowed eyes as if trying to remember something out of him.

No… stop looking at me. You don't remember anything, c'mon!

He nervously broke the gaze and looked at the Professor coming inside the hall. All the students inside the room followed their Professor's way towards the window to see if the young man was dead. However, things have changed, the young man was saved, and the Professor took notice of that blonde hair and orange jacket.

"YOU!" He accusingly pointed his finger on Naruto, who on the other hand pointed himself, too. "YES YOU!"

Naruto could only raise a brow at the sudden unknown accusation of the Prof.

"I've seen you a thousand times already! You're always spying in this class! What do you want?"

Then out of nowhere the Professor remembered something, rather someone. He quickly searched the area and laid his eyes on the young lad with spiky black hair who was attempting to escape the scene. The Prof angrily pointed his finger at the boy.

"AND YOU!"

This alarmed Sasuke. He nervously gulped his saliva down his throat and coolly looked back at the window. The Prof's apprentices were watching the scene, except for the pink haired lady, who had long gone from the room. Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned disappointed… until the Prof called him once again.

"EVERYTIME I SEE THAT BLONDE GUY YOU'RE ALWAYS HERE TOO! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN MY CLASS ANYWAY!" The professor shouted which made all his apprentices cringed at his annoying voice.

Sasuke did not want to blow his intentions so he coolly shrugged his shoulders and said, "Just passing by."

Before he receives another scolding, he immediately disappears. With no one to take out his anger, the Professor gets back at Naruto, only to watch him speeding off at the same direction where Sasuke dashed away.

"DAMN IT!"

It was sunset when Sasuke and Naruto sat at both ends of a bench at a park near the Lifrosian Academy. They were both catching their breaths after the long run. Few minutes later, they stopped the loud gasping of air. They inclined their backs at the bench and looked at different directions as though they evaded each other's faces.

Until one of them spoke…

"You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?" Naruto asked randomly.

Sasuke raised a brow at his inquiry but answered in an interrogating manner, "But you're doing what I think you're doing, are you?"

Shocked, Naruto turned to Sasuke's direction and pointed accusingly at the young Uchiha.

"You— YOU'RE— You're—!"

He who did not dare to continue what he was about to say, caught a glimpse of pink at the corner of his eye. When he fully looked at the object of his attention, he turned in complete shock.

Sasuke, who spotted Naruto's unfinished sentences, took this opportunity as his turn.

"Cat got your tongue?" He chuckled for a while and continued, "Being a clumsy Zagante won't do you any good, Naruto. So better patch things up before the final exams."

There was a moment of silence until a feminine voice both rang their ears.

"Being a spy for both Zagante and Zatanku won't do any good either."

Sasuke's eyes turned wide with utmost surprise that he almost jump out of the bench. He knew that voice very well and now he knew why Naruto was not able to continue his statement. The pink haired young lady is here… listening to them!

Being the Uchiha he is, he coughed nervously and turned to the owner of the voice. He had a full view of her front of him unlike the times where he could only see half of her body from the window of her classroom.

"What were you guys pulling up to this point?" She asked with eyes looking back and forth from the blonde to the black haired young lad.

Since Sasuke was not the type of guy who would put up some lie to cover his intentions, he gave the room for Naruto's excessive talent in reasoning, err, lying.

"Well, uhm," Naruto started with much more obvious nervousness hanging on his breath, "I was just testing my levitation gemstone. Then when I went pass your classroom window with your Prof's loud voice I lost my concentration—"

Naruto was not done yet when the pink haired lady looked at the young Uchiha.

"What were you doing on that tree branch in front of the classroom window?"

Sasuke calmly looked at the girl once again and then found the ground interesting, "I was escaping from my fan girls. I took that tree, which coincidentally stands in front of your classroom, as refuge."

After few moments of taking in all their reasons, lies rather, the lady with pink hair sighed jadedly. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, much to the young men's delight, when her breast emphasized even more. Naruto and Sasuke simply blushed and looked at different directions.

"You guys aren't good at lying. Anyway, I personally ask you two to avoid our hall during our class because our Professor had reported to the Faculty regarding the scene earlier." She sighed once again, "If you two are spying on one of our classmates, just wait for her to get out of class. Be a man and talk to her in person. It's such a coward thing to just watch her from afar." She added and started walking away from the two young boys in bench.

Sasuke and Naruto took her last statement as an advice. An advice that boosted their morale to seek at the girl they've been spying all the time. But it was too sudden when they both reacted. One of them who were still thinking of what to do next was outdone by the other who stood away from the bench and dashed towards her stopping in front of his target.

She blinked several times when a certain blonde haired young lad, smiled brightly on her.

"I forgot to introduce myself; I'm Uzumaki Naruto, a graduating apprentice of Zagante class. Pleasure to meet you Lady—"

The pink haired lady smiled back at him and butted in, "Haruno Sakura, graduating apprentice of Zarune class."

Damn you Naruto…

He, who disliked the thought of being outdone or defeated by the blonde Zagante, stood up and walked towards Lady Haruno.

"Ahem." He started with a force cough to get Sakura's attention.

She and Naruto looked at the black haired Uchiha as he introduces himself in front of the girl he and Naruto liked.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke, graduating apprentice of Zatanku class."

Sakura smiled once again and said, "Pleased to meet you, Sasuke and Naruto."

She walked past Naruto that both male apprentices thought she ditched them. She turned around and bowed politely as she speaks.

"Good luck with your finals tomorrow." With one final smile, she walked away from the park, leaving the triumphant Zagante and Zatanku happily watching her leave.

To be continued…


Author's Notes: Check out my DeviantArt page (URL located at my profile page) and look for my doodle for this Chapter, "Blockhead…" is the title of the fanart.

Terms:

NYMPH – a nature friendly monster with white skin and yellow eyes. Their attacks are Vine Whip and Poisonous Pollens. If summoned by High Level Zarune, the Nymph sucked in the enemies' Chakra then creates a shield to its master. They can transfer the Chakra to their master.

JEWELLED TIARA – also called as "Tiara"; similar to Bracer, the Tiara is used to store and mold Zarune's Chakra to summon creatures. The special feature of this equipment is the owner does not need to replace the Jewel in the Tiara. In order for the Zarune to acquire more summoning creatures, he or she must dissipate the Jewel, where a certain creature is sealed, then used a Transmutation Spell therefore the substances are transferred towards the owner's Jewel.

ZARUNE – in other world, they are called the "Summoners"; they have the ability to concentrate an enormous Chakra to be able to summon any creatures. The creatures they summon are selected during the ritual of summoning or concentration. They do not need to pray out loud, what they really need is pure concentration.

ZATANKU – they who are called as "Hybrid Zagantes"; they use Gemstones to materialize weapon of their choice and are able to cast elements of specialization. Most likely, Zatankus came from clans. These people are both good in physical and magical combat.