A/N: Since the story starts out pretty slow, I'm going to upload the first few chapters in quick successions. Hope this will give you a feeling of where I'm going with this. :)

Also thanks for the following and review! I've never got one so fast, hehe.

Chapter 2: Team

Sakura was elated.

She passed the genin test. She was in the same team as Sasuke-kun. Kakashi-sensei might be creepy, but he was totally cool in his own rather eccentric way. The best part? Kakashi-sensei never passed anyone. They were the very first team. Being tested by the harshest jounin instructor ever and passed was an icing on her three-layer cake.

She went home that evening with bounces in her steps. Her mother asked how her day was and she told her the news. There was much joy and celebration when her dad came in and hugged her tightly, telling her how proud he was.

Her parents demanded the details. Sakura pretty much skipped the part where she fainted from Kakashi's genjutsu and told them mostly about their lunch. With the mention of Naruto, the tension in the room changed. Sakura had noticed this for some time when she complained about Naruto coming after her. She had thought it was her parents' annoyance at her ranting. Sakura did that less and less these days. But this time, she knew it wasn't. She knew it was somehow because of Naruto.

She finished her story and took a sip of the miso soup. The strange atmosphere didn't dissipate.

"Will you still be teaming with Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun, Sakura?" her mother asked. Her voice was strangely strained.

"Yes, Kaa-san. Sensei said the team members were chosen so that we can work on each other's weakness and strength. I'm really looking forward to training with Sasuke-kun!" she answered excitedly.

"Hmm," was her mother's reply as she ate her food. Her father was oddly quiet.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san," she began, "Is there something wrong with Naruto?"

She knew she was onto something when both her parents froze albeit only briefly. "Didn't he annoy you all the time in the Academy, Sakura? He'll probably distract you from your work if he is in the team," said her mother.

"Yeah, he's annoying," Sakura said; "I wish he isn't in the team sometimes, but I think if we have missions, he'll be all right. I mean, when he fought Kakashi-sensei, he was very focused and really giving his all. Kakashi-sensei still won, of course, but Naruto was a good fighter." She didn't tell them, of course, that she barely fought Kakashi-sensei at all. It was embarrassing to know that she was the weakest of the three. That was why she was really puzzled when Kakashi-sensei said Naruto failed the hardest and punished him.

The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that there was something important she wasn't aware of. Like the reason her parents became so tense about her teaming with Naruto, or the reason for Naruto's injury, for instance. But she was perceptive enough to know that they would not tell her not matter what their objection was.

So she played the part of a good, obedient daughter and finished her food.

/***/

Sasuke trudged back into Konoha with rather heavy feet. He stopped for a takeout at a bento shop for dinner and went straight home like always. He shut the door with more force than he should and positively threw the bento on his kitchen table.

Sasuke was frustrated.

He passed the genin test, sure, so were eight others including Sakura who pretty much just fainted all the time. What would a test like that even mean if all it took was to share your lunch with your loser of a teammate. Fighting Kakashi was enlightening, of course. He never fought a jounin before, let alone someone at Kakashi's level. He had researched Kakashi before their meeting and was frankly impressed by the man's track record. Now he had a good sense of what he was supposed to work for. He knew he should start right away.

But he couldn't concentrate and that was the most frustrating thing; he couldn't take his mind off Naruto.

He didn't really know the Dead-last. They just fought each other from time to time since they entered the Academy. Naruto was loud, brash, annoying, frustratingly optimistic. Sasuke had seen him being bullied over and over in the Academy, heard mean and outrageous gossips about the boy among the students and their parents. Still, Naruto remained unperturbed. He put his nose where it didn't belong and got punched or blamed for other people's wrongdoing. Sasuke never understood why he didn't just turn his back on others when they were never considerate to him. Sasuke would have done that many times over.

That was to say he knew Naruto had been through quite a lot, but all those times Sasuke had never known him to be an angry individual, not until today.

The way Naruto fought Kakashi was fueled by pure rage. He had never seen Naruto fight like that, not even when they were positively strangling each other. If anyone was to be fueled by such emotion during a fight, it should be Sasuke, but he had long learnt how to keep his head cool in those situation thanks to a certain idiot.

Then there was his right hand. If Naruto got into a fight epic enough to break a hand, Sasuke would expect Naruto to be talking non-stop about it even if he lost. Naruto said nothing. He was basically out of energy during the briefing, something Sasuke had never thought possible. He trained hard to be able to use his left hand for the test, but Sasuke could always see the strain on Naruto's body as he kept pushing himself further and further. Admirable but also incredibly stupid.

Then there was the message from the Hokage.

Sasuke was sure he wasn't supposed to hear the conversation, but he wasn't quite out of ear shot yet when an ANBU arrived to tell Kakashi and Naruto that the Hokage would like to see them as soon as possible.

They didn't ask what about, but the look on their faces said they shared a knowledge. Naruto nodded and turned to Kakashi, demanding that they go at once. Sasuke was tempted to follow, but this was the Hokage's office for crying out loud. He would be dead if he went around snooping.

So he walked home, trying to get his curiosity under control. It didn't quite work.

Something happened to Naruto, something bad. That was all he could tell. Did one of those people hostile to Naruto beat him up? No, that had already happened, then...

Sasuke's thought stopped at Iruka-sensei. Naruto was known to be fond of the teacher although he was strict to the boy. At least he looked Naruto in the eyes when the boy asked stupid questions, and everyone knew Naruto was an attention whore. He heard that Iruka died just a few days before their briefing. The timeline perfectly coincided with Naruto's injury.

Was Naruto involved in that fight? How? He heard that a forbidden scroll was stolen and essentially the shinobi were in riot to get it back. It might have been a coincidence that Naruto got involved, but Sasuke wasn't a believer in coincidence. One possible scenario was that it was the idiot who stole the scroll, the kind of prank he would definitely pull just to show people that he could. Knowing the Dope, Naruto probably plan to return it to the Hokage in the morning being all smug for bypassing the security. But Iruka found him first. Then-

No, this picture was incomplete. There was something else missing.

/***/

"Mizuki's dead?"

The word that came from Naruto's mouth sounded like pure disbelieve. Hiruzen nodded. "His brain had swollen quite badly. The doctor was unable to ease it even after surgery. We had to let him go," he added.

"Serve the bastard right," was the reply from Naruto. His voice was hoarse and hollowed, layered with anger, and sounded lost.

Hiruzen sighed. "Naruto, do you understand what this means?" he said. His own voice was like that of a tired old man to his ears.

Naruto just looked at him with a blank stare. "That I have avenged Iruka-sensei?" the boy said although he seemed uncertain.

Hiruzen shook his head. "That is true, Naruto. However, Mizuki was a chuunin. Why do you think he wanted a forbidden scroll?"

"To get stronger, of course," Naruto replied with confident. Hiruzen shook his head again.

"He wouldn't even have a chance to learn the jutsu before we found him. What do you think we do to people caught stealing those kind of things?"

Naruto gave him a blank look again. This time Kakashi, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke, "He would have been trialed as a criminal, stripped of his rank, and possibly had his chakra bounded. He wouldn't be a ninja anymore."

Naruto gulped. He looked again at Hiruzen. There was fear in his eyes. "That would not be your fate, Naruto, although I hope you keep that in mind if you ever thought of stealing forbidden scrolls again," he said with a gentler voice. Naruto nodded. "The point is Mizuki's life couldn't have remain the same after he got his hands on the scroll. Mizuki might not be an elite ninja, but he was smart enough to know this. The only reason he would act so brashly is either because he would never be found with the scroll or he would be gone with the scroll. In both cases, he was working for or with somebody. We want to know whom."

Naruto seemed to caught up with them then. "So, if Mizuki's dead, then we don't know who it is," Naruto muttered.

"Precisely," Kakashi said. "You stealing the scroll was the setup by Mizuki, so he could get his hand on the scroll. Mizuki getting the scroll was a way for an outside enemy to obtain Konoha's secret. The underneath of the underneath. If you weren't driven by rage, then Mizuki might have been subdued without threatening his life and we would have learnt the truth - "

"What would you have me do!?" Naruto shouted at Kakashi. He was positively on the verge of tears. "Have you ever watch the person you love got killed? The only family you ever have? I'm not sorry I killed him. Don't guilt trip me!" The last part was shouted to Hiruzen more than Kakashi. The Hokage sighed again and gave a stinky eye to Kakashi. Sometimes the man just had no tact.

"It wasn't my intention," Hiruzen said. "I just want you to understand that there is a bigger picture here. Sometimes an explanation can help ease the pain left behind."

Naruto seemed to have calmed down. He nodded, then asked, "Is there still a way to find out who it is?"

"Perhaps," Hiruzen replied; "They might try again. We have to be ready this time."

Naruto looked at him and nodded. He sniffed loudly and said, "Okay."

Hiruzen walked over and patted the boy's head gently. Watching Naruto being like this broke his heart. If anyone was to be blamed for this boy's suffering, he was sure it was him.

/***/

Kakashi gave them a few days of rest after the test mostly for Naruto's hand to recover from the fight. Naruto might try not to show it, but the pain had come back from overusing. Even Sakura noticed his occasional winces, so Naruto took his order grudgingly but stuck to it. On the fourth day they started a mission because Naruto insisted that his hand was fine again, so Kakashi got them an easy one: a babysitting job. None of them were very appreciative of the choice, but they followed his orders anyway. After all, they knew that Kakashi was serious about punishing them if they stepped out of line.

On the next mission, they helped prepare for a three-day festival in the East part of the village. Sakura had been to this festival before and was talking non-stop, describing the shops she saw. Her attempt to gain Sasuke's attention failed as the Uchiha only focused on building a booth, not that it made her falter.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun would you like to come to the festival with me?" she asked with a wide cheery smile.

His mother taught him that a direct question required a direct answer, so he replied, "No, we have missions." Then he proceeded to put a nail through a plank.

Sasuke looked a little confused. "But the festival goes on at night, too. Maybe we can have dinner and -"

"I don't like festivals," Sasuke said with finality. He put another nail through the same plank and gave it a shake to make sure it was sturdy. "Why don't you ask Naruto? He would be happy to come with you."

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Naruto winced a little. He was sanding the side of the booth that Sasuke had finished. For a moment, he thought the dope hurt his right hand again, but Naruto was only using his left.

Noticing Sasuke's stare, Naruto paused and said, "Don't be an asshole, Sasuke. She asked you, not me. Don't shove me in her face."

"You shove yourself in her face."

"That's different, bastard."

"Could you two please not talk about me like I'm not here?" Sakura interjected as soon as she finished putting up the street decoration nearby. She sighed. "What if all of us come as team seven, with Kakashi-sensei, would that be fine?"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow as he turned back to her. She was really desperate to spend some time out of work with him; he could tell. To his surprise, it was Naruto who said, "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I can't."

Sakura looked surprised. She probably thought Naruto was as desperate for her as she was for Sasuke. "Why not?" she asked.

"I... I have training to do," Naruto said lamely.

"Oh, err, okay," replied Sakura. She sighed again and went back to work.

The street decoration she had to put up took her to another side of the street, a good ten meters away, so Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Why don't you just tell her you don't like festivals?" he asked.

Naruto expression was that of a trapped animal. "What do you mean?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He said, "We'd already be training anyway. Taking an evening off is not a big deal. Your excuse is just lame."

"Shut up, bastard. As if yours were fantastic."

"I was honest," Sasuke said and went back to nail another plank to the wooden frame, the last one on this booth. Naruto didn't say anything as he turned back to sanding the rest of his side.

Sasuke finished his work first since Naruto's had to follow after his and there were plenty of street decoration for Sakura to put up. Because of that Kakashi saw it fit to send him for snacks and sodas from the end of the street. Sasuke sighed and took the shopping bag from the Jounin. Shopping duty was not his things especially when mothers and daughters alike would dote and nag him. He got free stuffs sometimes, but it wasn't worth it.

It took him some time to extract himself from a rather forward civilian girl manning the booth for snacks and sodas for the festival workers. When he came back, Naruto was no where to be seen. "He finished his job, so he said he'd like to leave. Said he wasn't feeling well," Kakashi told him when Sasuke asked. It didn't make sense. Kakashi said they had to stay together until the end of the mission no matter whose job got done first and Sakura was still working.

"Why did you let him?" Sasuke asked. It was against Kakashi's usual code, so it had to be something serious. The Dead-last looked fine all day, so it was clearly not his health. Unless... "Did he hurt his hand-"

"No, Sasuke, but it's touching to see that you care," Kakashi said with a face-crinkling smile as Sasuke blushed in embarrassment. "Sakura is almost done anyway. Why don't you take Naruto's share of snack and soda to him and see how he is doing?"

Sasuke could really tell something was up. He just couldn't figure out what, so he nodded and put Naruto's share in his backpack. He finished his share as Sakura finished up her job and took her portion. They parted way shortly after - Sakura thankfully not nagging him about a date - and Sasuke headed over to Naruto's apartment.

Nobody replied after the first knock, the second, or the third. Running low on his patient, Sasuke stepped back and kicked the door with his foot, "Open up, you dead-last," he shouted, probably startling the neighbors. That the dope's punishment for making him wait.

He heard quick footsteps from behind the door before it flung opened. Within was Naruto, half-naked, clearly bathed, right arm haphazardly put on a sling, with a few ugly cuts and bruises on his torso.

"What the hell, bastard?" Naruto growled; "You're trying to get me evicted or something?"

Sasuke just handed him the snack and soda. "Kakashi told me to give this to you," he said.

Naruto blinked at him, at the objects in his hands, then back at him some more. "Uh, thanks, but you can keep it."

Sasuke's temple throbbed. "You moron, I walked across town to give this to you. This is how you show your appreciation!?"

"What do you want me to do!? Bow down at the mercy of the Great Uchiha Sasuke!? Forget it, bastard!"

Sasuke was about to yell something back when a neighbor poked her head out and shouted at them both to shut up or she'd tell the landlord to evict Naruto. Naruto didn't reply to her. He held his chin up and retreated into his room, leaving the door wide open for Sasuke to follow right in and cringed. Naruto's apartment was ... more of a dumpster than anything. The floor was full of... things, some unnamed and unrecognizable. Sasuke was quite reluctant to take off his shoes.

Naruto must have seen this because he said. "Don't bother, bastard. I'm just gonna explain to you why you can keep my share and you can just leave afterwards. The problem is I can't open the soda bottle or the snack bag like this."

Sasuke looked at Naruto's right hand and felt himself a fool.

"Get it now? Now leave, I have to get back to... erm," Naruto's voice trailed off like he didn't know which word to use.

But Sasuke didn't move from his place by the door. He asked, "When did you last clean the room?"

For a brief moment, Naruto looked like he was in distress, but he schooled it quickly. "It's my apartment. I'm not asking for your-"

"A direct question needs a direct answer, Naruto. When. Did. You. Last. Clean."

Naruto looked at his right hand in the sling and scratched the back of his head.

"Figure," Sasuke said. He stepped into the kitchen, his shoes still on, and dropped his backpack on the table.

Naruto blinked at him in confusion, but as soon as he realized what was going on, he grabbed Sasuke's arm with his left hand and shoved him back slightly. "I don't need your pity, bastard. I can handle this when I'm better."

"You'll probably be kicked out of here before that, moron. No wonder they threatened you with eviction. This place stinks," Sasuke said before he asked, "Where are the garbage bags?"

Naruto blinked again and pointed to a cupboard.

Sasuke got himself past the pile of milk cartons and shoved opened the cupboard full of cleaning supplies. It probably took him a good half an hour to clear out all the garbage in the kitchen with Naruto's help and another two hours scrubbing the surfaces within inches of their lives. He threw out everything that expired in the cupboard, much to Naruto's protest, and cleaned the dishes, by the end of a long three hours, the kitchen was a livable space with a floor clean enough to walk on bare feet.

Naruto made them instant ramen, the only carb he had in the house, and topped it with some jerky that Sasuke checked hadn't expired. They ate in silence for the next fifteen minutes in complete and utter exhaustion.

"Em, thanks," Naruto said as he put his chopsticks down. "Next time don't do that, bastard. I don't like being in debt to people, but...yeah... Thanks again."

It was a lousy, offensive way of showing appreciation, but Sasuke, oddly enough, sort of get it. He hummed an acknowledgement before taking the last slurp of his ramen. Instant ramen was all kind of disgusting, but he was oddly okay with it.

/***/

End of Chapter 2