Lily – Yep, I updated. I'll continue with this story, don't worry =) And thanks for the kind review. Sasuke is bad yet, hopefully that'll change soon, huh?
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Stressful, life simply sucks -
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"Excuse me?"
Sasuke whirled around, heart pondering nervously, to face a chubby nurse who was twiddling uneasily with her white skirt, not looking directly at him. In any other situation he might have found this behaviour weird, yet right now his mind didn't focus on anything but that stupid moron whom he had had to carry as fast as possible into this institution.
"A-are you related to the patient or a friend of his?"
He knitted a thin eyebrow, unintentionally glaring at the woman. "Neither," he snarled. "I was just there when he fell, that's it."
"Oh." The discomfort was written all over the woman's greasy face, though he wasn't quite sure if it was because of him or something else. Not that he cared much.
"Well?" He wasn't the most patient person in this world and it irritated him that this nurse wouldn't tell him by herself. "Is that idiot okay?"
"Y-yes," the poor woman stuttered while backing away, a little, as if frightened by the sharp tone of his voice. "It w-wasn't anything s-serious, he was k-kinda lucky. Just s-some bruises, that's it. O-oh, and he's conscious, so i-if y-you want to see-"
She was cut off when Sasuke turned around, ignoring the confused look of her, and walked away – in the opposite direction than the room in which the blond idiot was. Really, why would he bother to visit the other? Even if he had brought him to the hospital, which had been his first instinct in itself. And he was still mad at that loser for his cheeky mouth.
He should be thankful that I helped him, he thought, hands buried in the pockets of his shorts. There hadn't been any time to change into normals clothes, therefore he had to live with these.
Though, Sasuke didn't like Uzumaki much...okay, he despised that boy, and would pick on him when ever there was a chance, even get violent at times, but he, by any means, never wished the boy serious harm. Hating someone didn't automatically mean to want them injured badly or even dead.
So, it had been a real shock for him when Uzumaki lost his balance and fell down the stairs – he could still see those bright blue eyes widened in horror. For a moment, Sasuke had thought the blond was dead, panic rising inside of him and fear paralysing his whole body. Hatred or not, there was no way he could have lived with the burden of someone's death on him. After all, he was human, wasn't he? Thank God the idiot had whimpered when Sasuke had touched his bleeding forehead, signalising that he was alive. Everything else happened in a rush, that's why he couldn't remember that well, but it didn't matter.
"I knew this day was cursed," he muttered quietly, a hand brushing through his black hair. He even skipped training because of this stress, as he realised just now. Shit.
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xXx.
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With a deep sigh, Naruto kicked a small stone, causing it to fly a few feet away from him. Gaze dropped, he walked through a cramped alley which seemed to be scarier at this night time, though he didn't care much. After all, one got used to this sight if he had to see it day after day.
He had left the hospital without asking for permission or telling anyone half an hour after he had been conscious, but he was sure they wouldn't mind that he was gone – far from it. The hospital staff had been quite uncomfortable around him, he had sensed it. They had forced themselves to treat him, it was obvious from their expressions. Why should he have bothered them more than necessarily? He was okay, nothing serious, therefore it was no problem to leave that early, was it?
I don't know why I even stayed that long.
Well, that wasn't the truth, actually. He had been thinking the whole time. About what? The person that had gone through the trouble to get him to the hospital. From the short description a chubby nurse was willing to give him, Naruto knew immediately that she meant the Uchiha. It made sense, Uchiha had witnessed his fall. And somehow that thought bothered him. At first, joy had been flooding through every fibre of his body, his heart fluttering excitedly. Because somehow the Uchiha had cared, hadn't he? Yet, reality struck him hard and unmercifully.
The bastard didn't help because it was him but the guilt would have been too much to bear – what could have been quite amusing since Naruto was damn sure that refrigerator couldn't feel anything. To have a better conscience Uchiha helped the world's most unwanted person. Selfish reason.
But who was he to complain? There, for sure, were many people who wouldn't even have done this much. He should be glad, shouldn't he? Sadly, his idiotic sensitive side couldn't bring herself to be glad. He sighed again.
Naruto stopped a few minutes later when found himself in front a shabby house, starting to fumble in his pockets for the keys. He grimaced at the thought that his small apartment was on the first floor – and no elevators. Crap, even if he wasn't seriously injured, his knees hurt with each step and now he had to drag himself all those steps upwards. Oh, how he hated his life.
Just as Naruto was about to unlock the main door, it opened on its own, startling the blond boy. Then he remembered that the lock was defect for a while, though the caretaker didn't care enough to get a new one. Thank God, the door of his apartment was okay, yet.
Entering the dark and stuffy corridor, Naruto went for the steps, not turning the lights on. As if there were any lights, anyway. He grit his teeth together, one hand pressed on his left knee which hurt the most, the other holding onto the banister, he dragged himself up. It was amazing that he didn't stumble or hit himself against something – you could hardly see your hand in front of your eyes.
Although, when he reached his door, it was more difficult to adjust to the darkness and open it, but he managed somehow and after some unnerving time.
"Home, sweet home", Naruto heard that voice sing, and shuddered slightly as he walked into his small apartment which was really small. Just a living-room (he was now in) which was connected to a little kitchen; a bathroom and his own room which he was aiming for. Letting his bag drop somewhere on his way, he went straight to his bedroom, falling with his face down onto the bed which was the only furniture in there and it was enough to nearly fill the whole room.
Always the same. Every day he came home there was this bone-crushing sight of murk and emptiness to greet him, making his chest tighten painfully.
Naruto hadn't much money to buy a more comfortable apartment, nor did he bother to. Right now, school took his whole time, the money he got for serving here and there (restaurants or takeaways wouldn't hire him permanently) was spent to buy books, clothes and food.
Though, he wasn't even of age yet, he had to do all this by himself.
After his parents death, Naruto had lived in orphanages, in different orphanages to be correct. They would pass him around since the other children were 'disturbed' by his presence and violent action would take place, mostly against him. Longest he had stayed in one for four years before being send in this town after...an incident. The new orphanage here in which he had lived for a few months...well, the staff had been more than uneasy with him, because they knew some things from his other 'homes'. Therefore, the director bought him this apartment to stay in, but wouldn't pay for the expenses. Naruto doubted if this was legal, but it didn't matter for him.
Life sucks.
"Your life sucks, brat, your life."
Naruto groaned annoyed, he had no nerves nor patience to deal with his own damaged mind – all he wanted was to sleep and forget about everything for the moment being.
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Xxx.
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"You're late."
Sasuke grit his teeth as he slammed the door to his mansion shut behind himself, before walking towards the kitchen where the muffled voice had come from. If there was any God out there, he didn't seem to like him very much, since his day got worse minute for minute.
"How did you come in?" he hissed at the grey-haired man who was sitting on the round dining table, face laying in the palm of his right hand.
Said man raised his only visible eyebrow, eyeing him thoughtfully – at least Sasuke assumed so, he couldn't say for sure because nearly the whole face of the other was covered. "My, my, aren't we touchy today?"
"Oh, shut up, Kakashi!" Sasuke snapped, his patience had reached its limit. Glaring at the elder male, he walked around the table, reaching for the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water. It wasn't like there was anything else in there, anyway. He had to do groceries sometime soon. "How many times do I have to remind you not to enter the house when I'm not there?"
"And how many times do I have to remind you that I have to look after you?"
Sasuke cringed at the harsh tone – Kakashi rarely used it, only if he got really angry. Well, maybe he overreacted a little bit, after all he knew perfectly fine that Kakashi meant him no harm, far from it. Yet, he himself was in a bad mood and had no nerves for small-talk. "Sorry," he grumbled, already on his way out. "Bad day."
"The court hearing will be next month." Sasuke stopped in his tracks, freezing on the spot. His hand around the bottle started the tremble slightly. "He wanted me to inform you."
Next month? He had to wait until next month...fuck. That was way too long. How would he be able to bear the time? To bear the dubiety of what would happen? His grip tightened. Then, he left without a word, Kakashi's concerning look burning in his back.
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xXx.
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I look like shit, was Naruto's first thought as he looked into the cracked mirror that hung above his basin. His normally browner skin was coloured in a sickening pale shade; the front blond strands of his hair dangled into his face and covered the bandage around his forehead; dark circles around his tired eyes caught immediately attention. That much to his sleep last night, which – of course – he didn't get. At least not a peaceful one and long least of all. Though, this remembered him of someone...
Shaking his head almost vehemently, he turned on the water-tap and splashed icy water in his face – not even flinching at the impact.
Another of those monotone days which would start with him going to the hell called school and end with him laying on his bed, mourning about the unfairness in life. Great. He couldn't wait.
Get a hold of yourself, Uzumaki!, Naruto scolded himself, frowning. After all, he wasn't a child any more, therefore he wouldn't complain about anything that happened to him.
Staring at his reflection, Naruto forced the corners of his mouth up, trying to smile. He dropped it in an instant. Urgh, could it get any faker? Though, he had worn worse smiles and no single soul seemed to have noticed. If that was good or not, he hadn't decided, yet. Anyway, stupid smile back on lips, eyes covering with a fake shine, arranging hair to normal – the perfect shell for everyone to see and despise.
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xXx.
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Blinking confusedly, Naruto eyed the book that was laid on the table in front of him. He recognised that dirtied cover...and the book as his history book. Frowning, he lifted his head just to meet a pair of nearly white eyes – emotionless and unreadable. It needed a lot of his will-power to suppress a surprised gasp, he knew the boy. Okay, like everyone knew that bastard Uchiha of course everyone knew his best friend, too. He was no exception. Hyuga was it, as Naruto recalled.
"That's yours, isn't it?" The Hyuga asked, tacking a chocolate brown strand behind his ear.
"Er...y-yes," Naruto stuttered, still a bit dazed. Why was someone like Hyuga speaking to him? And giving him back his book?
"Thought so, your name's written in it," the other explained, before pausing for a moment.
Naruto used the pause to look around the cafeteria – he had been sitting at the farthest corner, away from everyone (not even with launch). As it seemed no one noticed the two of them talking, they were busy with their own chit-chatting. His gaze fixed on a group of students which was one of the loudest, although the Uchiha was part of them. Including said Uchiha who poked half-heartedly in his launch, there were seven other people sitting there – two girls (one blond and the other pink) who were trying to get the Uchiha's attention with talking, winking and 'accidentally' brushing their hand against his thigh (and he tried to ignore them as best as possible), then the three idiots who had caught him at the lockers – Chouji busy with his tray, Shikamaru sleeping with head on the table and Kiba who was conversing heatedly with Lee a guy whose eyebrows were monstrous, really.
"I found it yesterday," Hyuga continued, forcing him to concentrate on the other male. Startled, Naruto backed away a little – Hyuga's eyes watched him intensively as if looking through him. "May I ask you something? If you don't mind, that is."
"Huh? Sure, go ahead." Naruto could manage a small smile on his lips and hoped it wasn't as bad as the one in the morning. Somehow, he just knew Hyuga would notice it was fake.
"This injury," he mentioned to Naruto's forehead, "was it...Sasuke?" Upon his baffled expression the other only shrugged. "I looked for him yesterday, saw him running into the building, but he wasn't anywhere. Though, your book had been laying on the second floor, so I was just wondering."
Unintentionally, Naruto glanced towards the table he had been staring at, a few moments ago, and winced at the glare he received. In that very moment there were two facts Naruto found out and couldn't deny – first, he had a damn staring-problem! And second, the Uchiha had a cursed sixth sense which allowed him to feel Naruto staring at him.
"N-no," he muttered, though Hyuga did hear him, and shook his head in negotiation. "I...well," he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "was a stupid accident. I just fell."
"Hm." Hyuga didn't seem to be convinced, yet didn't question him further, either. Why should he, anyway? It wasn't his business. Therefore, it didn't surprise Naruto when the other turned his back on him and walked over to the table where that Uchiha bastard now glared at his friend. Though, it did surprise him when the other glanced at him over his shoulder. "You should be more careful, Uzumaki."
And this was the moment in which Naruto realised the third fact for the day – Neji Hyuga was quite sympathetic.
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xXx
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"Finished befriending the enemy?" Sasuke hissed as soon as Neji had reached the table, about to sit down besides Lee, causing everyone to stop their talking and eyeing the two of them curiously and worriedly – though, Shikamaru was still sleeping.
"Enemy?" Neji raised one eyebrow, giving him that annoying analytic gaze Sasuke hated so much – at times. "I don't know whom you mean. I was just talking to Uzumaki."
"Don't play the smart-ass!" He had gotten quieter, but they all knew perfectly fine that it meant the situation was becoming dangerous. "I don't understand what's wrong with you."
"Wrong with me?" And the other friends didn't like Neji's calmness, either. "You are one to talk."
"Stop it, alright?" After his encounter with Kakashi last night, his boring Chemistry class and those two bitches trying to flirt with him Sasuke had no nerves for games. And he was mad with Neji for talking with that trash and letting him wait! "What have you been talking about, anyway?"
"Did you cause him that injury?" Neji ignored his question and asked one himself, making Sasuke pause. He, of course, knew what Neji was implying at – the bandage around the idiots forehead couldn't be not noticed. Was this what Uzumaki had told Neji? That it him? If so...
"What if?" the pink-haired girl to his right interrupted, most probably to stop their arising argument. "It's not like it would be the first time. A lot of people get violent with him."
"Oh, and that excuses everything, of course," Neji sneered at her, causing Sakura to blush a deep red.
"I'm just saying that you shouldn't fight with your friend because of him," she defended herself, though didn't look straightly at Neji.
"I'm not fighting, I'm just asking." Wow, if the damn Hyuga was in such a mood no one could argue with him. Sasuke had experience with that.
"No," he finally answered the awaiting Hyuga, all anger gone from his voice. "It wasn't me, at least not directly. He lost his balance and fell down the stairs."
Neji stared at him, searching for something, and seeing his friend's expression Sasuke was sure that he had put the pieces together. In times like this, Sasuke was quite happy to have a long-time friend such as Neji, because he could figure out things about him which Sasuke wouldn't speak out loudly. He wouldn't tell anyone that he had brought the Uzumaki to the hospital, the day before, yet Neji could guess.
"I gave him his book back," Neji answered his earlier question, his mouth twitching to a smile. "Found it yesterday after you skipped training."
Sasuke groaned at the thought. "Was Gai pissed?"
"Nah!" Lee jumped into their conversation after feeling that the tension was gone. "He was impressed by your youthful sprint!"
"He didn't stop praising you for it the whole time," Kiba scoffed – and everyone went back to what they had been doing.
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xXx
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"You seem distracted," Neji observed as they were walking through the empty corridor, no one there to listen to them. "What's wrong?"
Sasuke sighed, he could have thought that Neji would pick that up. "Kakashi was there, yesterday," he admitted smoothly. "The court-hearing will be next month."
"I see," Neji mused while watching him carefully. "You're worried about I-"
"Maybe," Sasuke cut him off a little bit rudely, but he didn't feel like talking about this right now. "Anyway..."
"Stop it!"
Both boys stopped in their tracks, heads snapping forwards. Who was screaming in a school as if they were burning alive?
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A/N: Here goes the 3rd chapter. Hope, ya guys like it ;)
And thank you for reviewing and reading my story – it's really nice to know you like it so far ^-^