Chapter 1: Interruptions All the Time
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After Iruka dismissed the class, groups of genin immediately started chattering with each other. Some groups knew each other well, some not so much. Team 7 could probably win the award for the group where no one knew the other at all.
As soon as class was dismissed, Sasuke got up, and ignoring Sakura's imploring voice to do something or another, quietly slipped out of the room for lunch. The less time he spent in the same room with those raving fangirls, the better.
Sitting in the row farthest back, Hinata watched him go. Oh, Sasuke-san is leaving. I'm sure he'll introduce himself later. With one last glance at the Uchiha, she turned to her other teammate. Oh, Naruto-kun is getting up now. Maybe He'll notice me and come and say hello.
Next to Naruto, Sakura was still pissed that she wasn't the one on Sasuke-kun's team. She turned and looked at Hinata, who promptly smiled shyly and looked away. Lucky girl. Oh well, try as she might, Hyuuga Hinata was just too damn nice for her to be jealous at. And with that, Sakura went to talk with Kiba and Shino before Naruto could get in a word. Besides, Sakura thought darkly, she was still better off than Ino. Ino, you pig, let's see you try and boss around that lazy slacker and the fatass.
Ten feet away, Chouji sensed a disturbance in the Force.
Naruto signed. Still no luck with his Sakura-chan. Could this day get any worse? His teammate was Uchiha Sasuke. It just wasn't fair. He just had to be stuck with the one guy that could do everything perfectly. He'd do whatever the teachers wanted him to do and made it look easy to boot. And then the teachers would give him an 'A'. The boys would try to be like him. The girls would look at him with those big, wide eyes and he would just put his hands in his pants and walk away without a word.
And when he tried to be like Sasuke, he'd screw up and everyone would laugh at him.
Damned Sasuke, he thought, with frustration, envy, and jealousy. Oh yeah, I forgot about Hinata.
Hinata looked at Naruto adoringly as Sakura left him. Oh, Naruto-kun, you really like Sakura-san don't you? Don't be sad, I really think once she gets to know you better, she'll like you. Like I do. Do your best, Naruto-kun! Hinata wasn't jealous at Sakura. What makes Naruto-kun happy makes me happy too. And then Naruto looked at her straight in the eye. O-oh, N-Naruto-kun is looking at me. I should smile. O-or maybe wave? She smiled weakly and raised her hand tentatively. Naruto beamed and started marching up the steps towards her while shouting her name. Oh, n-now he's coming closer. I never thought that-I mean, I never really thought-, Hinata's hands shook and her heart was pounding like mad. Naruto was actually going to talk to her!
Naruto looked at the timid girl who was looking away from him. What's the matter with her? Maybe she was looking at something else. I guess I'll just have to get her attention! He bent down until his face was level with her face and shouted, "Hey Hinata! I'm right here!"
Hinata slowly turned her eyes to face Naruto's. "Oh, hello. I-I'm Hyuuga Hinata...I know we've never talked before so l-let's talk and get to know each other".
"Ok!" Naruto was always happy to talk about himself. He jumped up and over the desk and landed straight in the chair next to Hinata. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I've going to be the next Hokage! I like ramen. My favorite ramen is from the Ichimaru Ramen shop. Oh, and I hate Sasuke. Your turn."
"I'm Hyuuga Hinata." Hinata was relieved that she was breathing easier now. She had summoned up all her courage and she was going to do it. She was going to have a conversation! "I want to be stronger and I want my father to proud of me. And I-".
"Huh?" Naruto's eyes suddenly focused on Sakura, who had finished talking to her team and was leaving. "Listen Hinata, it was great talking to you. We'll talk talk again soon, I promise. But right now, I got something else to do, bye!" And with that, Naruto left and ran after Sakura.
Left by herself, Hinata signed. Next time, she told herself. I'm sure there'll be a next time.
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"Listen up," Ino barked at her two teammates. They weren't up to her standards yet, but never fear, she'd break them. "As long as we're in the same group, you two will do as I say."
"Yeah, sure." Shikamaru replied in between bites at his onigiri. I don't want to waste my time arguing with Ino. Between his mother and Ino, he was beginning to think all women were naturally bossy and dominating figures to be put up with. Now why couldn't he and Chouji have been teamed up with that Hyuuga girl?
"Let's all eat barbeque sometimes." Chouji happily stated, eager to make friends with Ino. And food equals friendship, right?
"Oh, geez," Ino moaned. Just look at what she had to work with. It was going to be hard molding these two losers into her soldiers but she would. Oh she would. So you think I got the short end of the stick, eh Sakura? We'll see about that. And when she would show them off in front of Sakura one day, she promised not to laugh out loud when Pink Forehead Girl's face turned red with jealousy.
"Naruto!" Shikamaru exclaimed. The scruffy orange kid was trying to sneak toward the open window that Sasuke was leaning against while he ate. What prank was that troublesome guy planning now? And not with Uchiha Sasuke, Ino would never let him hear the end of it. But oh no, Naruto jumped right on top of Sasuke and grappled him down. The window closed behind them.
"Naruto, you're going to get it if you hurt Sasuke-kun!" Ino promised. Yep, that's basically what I thought. And just as he was about to take his lunch and split before Ino's inevitable meltdown, Sasuke climbed out of the window and jumped away without a scratch on him.
"Sasuke must have won the fight." Shikamaru remarked.
"Of course," Ino answered, ever ready to heap praise on her idol. "Naruto is no match for Sasuke-kun."
"Looks like Team 7 aren't getting along very well." Chouji remarked before mechanically chomping on another onigiri.
Oh no, Chouji. Shikamaru thought to himself. You just had to remind her that she didn't take Hinata's place. Indeed, Ino's face just lit up, and not in the cheerful way either.
"That wouldn't be the case if I was there instead." Ino growled. "I'd break him. I'd break that Naruto." And she just stayed that way for a few seconds, huffing and puffing. Shikamaru didn't say a word, and even Chouji got the hint.
"Oh well," Ino said after she calmed on. "I can't believe it, but I think I envy Hinata." And then she turned her gaze toward the two boys. A smirk appeared. "Also, I have you two to work on."
Oh joy... Shikamaru thought, silently accepting that he was Ino's property. Chouji behind him swallowed without meaning to.
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Hinata walked around the academy, looking for either of her new teammates. She hoped to speak with them both first before their assigned jounin teacher arrived. Who will that be? She wondered idly. Oh, there's Sasuke-san.
Sasuke ran right past her while holding his stomach in pain. He bolted through the boy's bathroom door and slammed it shut. Should I go check if he's all right? She made her way to the bathroom door and knocked, feeling awkward and embarrassed. "Um, Sasuke-san, are you all right?"
Inside the bathroom stall, Naruto froze. Dammit, I don't need this right now. And with that thought in mind, he grit his teeth and squeezed until a big one came out. Finally, the weird stomachache that came out of nowhere went away. I almost got that kiss, dammit! Henge
"Uhh, no I'm not all right." Naruto answered mischievously while masquerading as Sasuke. "You see, Hinata, my body is actually really weak and I get sick like this all the time."
"Really?" Hinata asked. Oh poor Sasuke-san! Being sick all the time! And living alone too!
"Oh yeah!" Now Naruto was really getting into it. Now that he could finally do it, Henge no Jutsu was fun. "I like putting my hands into my pockets because I'm afraid of touching people's germs. And I don't like to smile because just breathing could make me sick." Hehehe. This is fun. And it gives me an idea about what to do with Sakura-chan… "Anyway, could you leave me alone for a while?"
"Okay!" Afraid to touch people? Afraid to breathe? How awful for him. Hinata thought in sympathy. He's my teammate now. I have to do something! And with her heart full of mercy, she ran towards home as fast as possible.
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"So this is Naruto's house." Kakashi said as he looked around.
"Sasuke, the one from the Uchiha clan and Hinata from the Hyuuga clan are also going to be on your team." The Hokage told him. "Good luck."
The milk carton on the dining table caught Kakashi's eye. "This milk is way past its expiration date." He noted after picking up and examining it. "One sip will send him straight to the toilet."
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"God dammit!" Naruto shouted as the stomachache came back again. "What the hell is going on?"
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Sasuke looked down dubiously at Hinata's offering. She had cradled in her arms a basket full of drugs of one kind or another.
"Thanks," He said, not wanting to be rude. Picking through the basket, he found a surgical mask, rubber gloves, and a 'Get Well' card with tiny hand-drawn hearts in red.
What the hell is going on?
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To be continued