A/N: Wow! A new update, haha! To anyone who doesn't like Sasuke and FemNaruto there is always a 'back' button. For the rest of us, READ ON!!!! Whoo Hooo!

Disclaimer: Nope, Naruto isn't mine...too bad though...*thinks about all the things I could do with him* sigh....

Fourteen year old Naruto ran through the entry way of the school knowing that she was late to her first class on her first day of high school. She bemoaned the fact that Iruka had insisted that she eat breakfast before leaving which had only cause her to be more late when she argued with him and telling him that she wanted to loose some weight. He had argued back with the fact that she was already under weight and could stand to use some extra pounds. She'd glared before slamming the door on her way out. He just didn't understand!

So here she was panic slicing through her as she looked at her schedule and around the empty corridor.

"Come on, dobe," a voice said from behind her, grabbing her arm and pulling her down the hallway. "I knew you were going to be late and I was right."

"Teme," Naruto muttered but allowed Sasuke to guide her down the corridor grateful that he knew her so well.

Their first class was with a woman by the name of Anko Mitarashi and she glared at them as they entered. She was an intimidating woman with blue black hair that was pulled back onto a upside down pony tail that spiked straight into the defying gravity.

"I hope that this isn't going to be a common occurrence," the woman stated lifting her chin for a more authoritative look.

"Um, no, ma'am," Naruto muttered lying through her teeth as she followed Sasuke to a seat near the back.

Kiba grinned at her while the rest of the group waved from behind Anko's back while she began a lecture on school etiquette and what she expected out of them in her class. When the bell rang, Naruto had never been so glad to leave a class.

"That woman is nuts!" she exclaimed with a small shudder thinking of the point when Anko had leaned over Naruto from behind and threatening to cut out her tongue if she disrupted the class again. Naruto had tried to point out that Kiba had made a face behind her back which had caused Naruto to laugh but did the woman have a sense of fairness. No. She had taken a dislike for Naruto and told her that 'if you don't quite disrupting the class, I'm going to take my trusty little dagger that I keep in my desk and give you a nice little Mexican necktie to go with your cute little outfit'. She'd been referring to the school uniform of short sleeved, white, button up top and the gray pleated skirt that just reached her knees.

"I suggest that next time you ignore Kiba," Sasuke said then pulled his tote a little higher. "I have Physics next; I'll meet you outside your fourth class for lunch." Naruto nodded then watched a bit forlornly as he made his way through the throng of students that had crowded the hallway, and then turned to Ino who had the same art class with her.

She had to admit that she felt a bit lost without Sasuke; this was the first time that they didn't have classes together. Even during Junior High they had the same classes, though Sasuke'd had to help her through the harder ones. But this year they had decided to take different classes.

愛愛愛愛

The bell rang to signal the end of fourth hour and Naruto leaped to her feet eager to meet up with Sasuke for lunch. She hauled her tote onto her shoulder and was out the door before anyone else only to come to an abrupt halt when she barreled into a more solid figure. Her books went flying as she stumbled back into the door; her back connecting with the door knob.

"Hey, bitch, watch where you're going!" a harsh high voice exclaimed.

Naruto looked up into the face of one to the upper classmen and cold, black eyes that looked back at her with disdain. His gray hair was slicked back and his thin face reflecting his dislike for her. Around his neck was a pendant of a triangle surrounded by a circle and even that seemed to make Naruto's heart thump in fear.

"I'm s-sorry," she stuttered in apology as she quickly bent down to gather up her belongings ignoring the throbbing in her lower back. She stuffed them back into her bag hurriedly without really thinking about what she was doing and the contents ended up in haphazard disorder. She couldn't find her pencil and glanced around before spying it in between the senior's feet and she reached for it.

A cruel hand fisted in her hair and pulled. She yelped in pain and grabbed his hand to stop him from pulling her hair more. The sudden attack and stinging pain caused her to freeze where she was for a moment.

"Karin," he asked the red head who was standing next to him, "isn't this the bitch that hangs around the youngest Uchiha?"

"Why, yes, Hidan, it is," the girl purred peering down at Naruto through thick horn rim glasses. "Why don't we do him a favor?"

"That's just what I was thinking," he grinned back before looking down at his captive.

"Let go," Naruto growled getting angry as she tried to pry his fingers loose from around her hair. She didn't like feeling helpless and the stinging in her scalp helped to fuel the rage that was surfacing. If it wasn't for the fact that Iruka had taught her that violence didn't solve anything then she probably would have acted by know.

And she didn't know her opponent's strength; she rationalized silently sizing the guy holding her up. He didn't seem very strong, in fact it seemed like he used intimidation more that physical violence to get what he wanted.

"Maybe if you kiss my dick, I will," he laughed pulling her closer to the object.

"I'd rather kiss a snake, at least they're cleaner," Naruto hissed hands clenching at her sides.

Hidan obviously didn't find that funny because the grin was wiped from his face and he leaned down.

"Listen, bitch…"

"I'd let her go, if I were you," Sasuke's said anger suffusing his speech.

"Sasuke-kun!' Karin exclaimed. Sasuke didn't even spare her a glance.

"Uchiha," Hidan said straightening but he kept his grip on Naruto's hair. "What are you going to do about it if I don't" he taunted.

"I'm not going to do a thing, but Naruto will tear you into shreds if you don't let her hair go." Sasuke explained calmly.

Hidan giggle uproariously at that. But Naruto had enough and her fist punched into the nearest soft spot of the guy holding her. Hidan howled as he released her. Naruto ducked a swat he sent her way before her other fist swung upward to connect with his nose as he collapsed to the ground cupping the injuries. She didn't stop there though and grabbed his hair in both hand and shook him.

"Don't…ever…touch…me…again," she ground out with each shake then thrust him backwards and let go.

"Goddamned demon, no wonder your parents abandoned you," Hidan cried as he fell to his knees hands tucked between his legs and his head falling to the floor.

Naruto froze for the space of three seconds before backing away from the guy and her lips curving into a smile.

"Heh, I would keep that in mind the next time you want to grab someone and force oral sex on them," she muttered then backed up another step before turning and storming down the hallway. The anger etched on her face caused people to move out of her way even while they craned their necks to see what had happened.

Sasuke finally caught up to her rapid steps as she passed through the doorway and into the courtyard. Sakura saw them, stood and waved to make sure that they knew where the rest of the group was.

As the two approached, she noticed the ruffled appearance of Naruto not to mention the anger that was radiating off of her.

"What happened?" she asked when Naruto took a seat next to her with Sasuke sitting on the other side of the blond.

"A senior deciding to humiliate a lower classman," Naruto replied briefly.

"Why do I have the feeling that there is more to the story?" Sakura said as she studied the pair.

"Because you are smart and perceptive," Lee said from her elbow. Sakura threw him a grin at the compliment.

"I bumped into this Hidan guy and as I was picking up the stuff that I dropped he grabbed my hair and told me to kiss his dick while I was at it," Naruto growled. "Sasuke showed up, I got mad, and hit him where it hurts the most. He called me a demon and said that it wasn't any wonder that my parents left me."

There were several gasps heard from the females of the group.

"Then what did you do?" Ino asked outraged that someone had spoken so to her friend.

"What could I do that wouldn't cause more trouble? I walked away," Naruto mumbled as Sasuke handed her a bottle of juice. She popped the seal and gulped some down.

"Well at least you got in a good shot," Kiba said as he turned to watch a couple of girls walk by, the wind edging the hems of their skirts up.

Naruto rolled her eyes but caught the look that Hinata had in her eyes as she watched Kiba gazing at the curvy, older women. Hinata'd had a crush on Kiba for the past two years but the boy remained oblivious to the shy girl who turned red at the drop of a hat or a look from Kiba. With an inward sigh, Naruto decided to help Hinata or at least try to divert Kiba's attention from outside influences.

"Kiba, for heaven's sake, could you please keep your eyes in your head for once!" Naruto shouted as she tossed the empty plastic bottle at him. She felt extremely satisfied when the bottle thunked against his forehead drawing his attention away from the girls.

"Hey!" he shouted as he rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"

"Mainly, because you're an idiot."

"Look who's talking."

Laughing at the disconcerted look of the feral boy's face, Naruto picked up the turkey sandwich that Sasuke had laid out for her and continued eating feeling better now that she was with her friends and distracted.

愛愛愛愛

Since it was Monday and Iruka wouldn't be home until much later, Sasuke lead Naruto through his front door. The house hadn't changed much in the last four years. The lower portion still looked like a sterile museum with the white walls and antique vases and furniture. The walked through the house quietly and reaching the kitchen, Naruto slid onto a stool and up to the island as Sasuke opened the freezer and pulled out a carton of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Why didn't you interfere with that guy?" Naruto frowned, brow furrowing. It had been on her mind throughout the day. Sasuke had always rescued her from various situations and today he had stood back and let her take care of herself.

"After fighting with you for four years, I knew you could handle yourself." He dished up the frozen treat into two bowls without looking up.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Naruto relapsed into silence as she thought about what he had said. It was quite true that they had been in any number of scuffles, usually started by her. Alright, always started by her. When they argued about something she would get angry and jump on him, very seldom was it that she had ended up the victor though.

"Hey, Naru," a voice said from the doorway.

Itachi stepped into the kitchen and took up a stool on the other side of the girl.

"Mm, Cherry Garcia, my favorite. Do you mind if I have a bite?" Without waiting for a word he took her hand which had just scooped up a bite and brought it to his mouth licking the spoon before devouring the ice cream.

Naruto blinked at the older Uchiha then turned a bright shade of red.

"Will you knock that off?" Sasuke said glaring at his brother.

"What? Naruto looks even cuter when she imitates a tomato," Itachi said grinning at Naruto.

"Hi, Itachi," Naruto finally greeted as she pulled the bowl closer to her and dropped the spoon onto the counter before taking up another that Sasuke handed her.

"So, how was school today?" he asked standing and getting his own bowl of ice cream.

Naruto watched the older boy as he moved about the kitchen. She didn't know why but every time he was in the room with her she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. It was kind of like the way a mouse would watch a snake.

"School was fine," Sasuke commented finishing his treat. He noticed Naruto watching Itachi and frowned.

He felt the familiar jealousy eating away at him but he had long ago learned not to act upon it. He clenched he teeth and tried to think of something that would get the two away from each other but until Naruto finished her own bowl he was stuck and she had quit eating.

"Are you done?" he leaned closer to ask drawing Naruto's attention away from Itachi.

"Oh, yeah, I guess so." She seemed a little dazed and Sasuke took advantage of it and pulled her off the stool and up to his room where he closed the door firmly. He'd heard Itachi's chuckles as they had left the kitchen and knew that he had done it on purpose to get Sasuke riled. Having succeeded, Itachi would back off for a while which relieved Sasuke's mind but only a little because the older they got the bolder Itachi got.

"Naruto, have you ever asked Iruka where your parents went?" Sasuke asked as he started up the games system that his parents had gotten him for Christmas last year. He handed a paddle to Naruto.

"Yeah, but every time I ask he tells me the same thing as always," she said waiting for the game to load.

"What's that?"

"'When you're older and more mature,'" she said in a nearly perfect imitation of Iruka's voice.

Sasuke snickered at how close she had come to sounding just like the man. He selected his gaming avatar and the battle gear that it would wear then waited for Naruto to do the same.

"I'm going to kick your butt!" Naruto boasted as the fight sequence started and they began the duel.

Sasuke lost interest in the conversation for the next hour and concentrated on winning against Naruto. Since he had taught her how to play the game Naruto had become a very strategic opponent and it took most of his skills to win against her and if he lost focus for even a second she gained a huge lead. It seemed like her thumbs would blur as she manipulated the buttons to get the most out of the character she selected.

"Crap!" Naruto shouted as she lost another round. Grinning evilly, she grabbed a pillow off the bed and smacked Sasuke in the face with it. She snickered at the look on his face when the pillow bounced off.

Sasuke blinked at the sudden and unexpected attack but recovered quickly grabbing the other pillow. Naruto was on her feet and backing away only to hit the wall as Sasuke advanced with his weapon.

"A surprise attack on your host!" He swung only to miss as Naruto ducked away giggling. As she ran she swung her own pillow around and caught him in the stomach and the fight was on.

They dodged attacks, jumping and leaping about the room in a semi-serious pillow fight. Naruto's loud shouts filling the room and upper floor of the house with Sasuke's more moderate tones filling the gaps.

Downstairs Mikoto blinked at the loud thumps and muffled voices before smiling in contentment. It was so good to hear her son playing, something that had happened more and more since Naruto entered their lives. He had been such a solemn child but had opened up to Kushina's daughter and in turn to them. Even her husband hadn't remained unaffected by the girl because, she had seen him smile over something that Naruto had said or done. The household was more relaxed when Naruto was around offering up sunny smiles and warmth.

Fugaku stuck his head out of his study and frowned at the ceiling before looking at Mikoto.

"Is Naruto here?" he asked.

"Yes," Mikoto replied as she approached her husband. She placed a hand on his chest petting him before glancing in concern at a particularly loud thump and shout.

"Hmph, I'm not going to get anymore work done with that racket so I might as well clean up and then we can go out to dinner," he leaned forward and gave his wife a peck on the cheek.

Another bonus to Naruto's presence in their lives, Fugaku had began to take her out to dinner more and more often, just like when they were in college and he was dating her. She giggled and went to change into a better outfit, one with a flared skirt and a low cut blouse, maybe even some high heels that would show off her legs more.

Sasuke landed on the floor with Naruto on top, straddling his hips and batting him with the pillow as feathers rained down around them. He froze in mid swing allowing her to land another blow before she noticed that he wasn't hitting back. She looked down at him seeing the dazed expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" she asked in concern drawing his attention back from where ever it had been.

"Yes…" he said slowly dropping the pillow and watching her to see if she noticed their positions.

Naruto cocked her head to the side and raised one eyebrow.

"Um, Sasuke, why are you looking at me that way?"

"What way?"

"I don't know, you just have a funny look on your face."

"Hn."

Naruto shifted until she was sitting next to him. He sighed feeling the loss of her warmth and trying to calm himself. His movements slow and deliberate so that he didn't draw her attention to the part of his anatomy that had reacted to her presence. He didn't want to scare her nor did he want their relationship to change, as it was he had been trying to treat her normally for the last year and as it was there were days when his temper was shorter than normal and he snapped out at her only to see the confusion in her eyes. Those days were the worst because he knew that she didn't understand. He had watched the couples in their group getting close and he had seen that Naruto wasn't blind to them but for some reason he wasn't on her radar.

Sighing he sat up pulling the pillow into his lap to cover the evidence.

"Why don't we go outside and throw the ball around," he suggested. That should be a nice simple activity that would keep them apart.

"Okay."

Gathering up the gloves and the ball, they tromped down the stairs only to stop when Sasuke caught sight of his mom dressed up to go out.

"Oh, hello, Sasuke, Naruto. Sasuke, your dad and I are going out to dinner. I left some money on the counter so that you can order a pizza or some take out when you get hungry. Itachi, I think, went over to Deidara's and shouldn't be back until late," Mikoto explained.

"Thanks, Mom," Sasuke said.

"Wow, Mrs. Uchiha, you look really nice," Naruto commented as Fugaku entered.

"Yes, she does," Sasuke's father said looking at his wife in approval and kissing her softly on the cheek before taking her arm and leading her out.

Sasuke shook his head in bemusement. He gathered himself then led Naruto out the door and into the back yard.

愛愛愛愛

Naruto watched TV as she waited for Iruka to get home. Kakashi was in the kitchen making dinner, a white ruffled apron tied around his waist as he stirred the bowl of marinade. He kept glancing in on her knowing that trouble was brewing just by the minute frown that was gracing Naruto's lips. She had something on her mind and if Kakashi didn't know better it was probably about her parents again which meant that Iruka would be in a poor mood later and that meant that Kakashi was going to need to take a cold shower.

He sighed as he went to pour the marinade over the pork roast he had been preparing.

Keys jingled at the door as it was opened to reveal the slender form of Iruka and his tired sigh. He closed the door behind him and set the briefcase he was carrying on the small table that was next to the door. He yawned widely before glancing around to see that Naruto's eyes were trained on him. The look of expectation caused a cold shiver to run down his spine and he shivered despite the heat of the evening.

"Naruto," Iruka said in greeting eyeing the doorway to the kitchen, thinking that if he was quick he could get to the other side of the living room in just a few steps.

"Hi," Naruto said simply, "Um, can I talk to you?"

Iruka's shoulders fell as he sighed and sat down next to Naruto trying to prepare himself for the talk. "You can talk to me anytime, you know that."

"I know," she began to fidget on the sofa her hands twisting about as she looked every where but at him.

"Is this about your parents?" he asked thinking that he needed to just get this over with.

"No." She looked at him then back at the kitchen hoping that Kakashi didn't poke his head in.

"Then maybe you should just blurt it out," Iruka suggested getting even antsier as Naruto delayed. He began to think the worst, Naruto wanted to talk to him about sex or something along those lines. He'd had a hard enough time when she was thirteen explaining about her period and having babies; he didn't think that he could survive another one of those talks.

"Sasuke has been acting weird."

Iruka blinked and nearly laughed but suppressed it at the last minute. "Oh?" he said biting back the 'is that all'.

"Yeah, we were playing video games at his house and win he won the last game we got into a pillow fight then he just stopped. I thought that I had done something wrong but he acted like everything was normal, and then we went outside to play ball but he wouldn't come near me," Naruto blurted in a rush of words which Iruka just barely caught.

"Ah."

"What do you mean 'ah'! I did do something wrong, didn't I? I'll have to tell him I'm sorry…but…I don't know what I'm apologizing over. If I don't know and he won't tell me then how am I supposed to not do it again?!" Naruto jumped to her feet and began to pace in her agitation.

"Naruto!" Iruka interrupted the triad before she got even more worked up. "Sit down and quit jumping to conclusions." He waited until Naruto had sat back down; thinking that it was too soon and he didn't want to deal with this. "You haven't done anything to hurt Sasuke, this I am sure of. But you are going to have to wait for Sasuke to tell you what is wrong on his own."

"Why?"

Iruka sighed. "Because it's for him to do."

"Well, what if he never does tell me?"

"Then that's up to him but you can't push him. Do you understand?"

"No, but I won't push him, okay?"

"Okay," Iruka sighed and stood up, going to the kitchen.

"I heard that," Kakashi said coming up to him and hugging him close. "Our little Naruto is growing up, even though she still doesn't understand her relationship with Sasuke."

"I don't know if I can deal with this, Kakashi," Iruka muttered into his lovers shoulder. "We've done the whole birds and bees talk, but…"

"You're going to have to trust that she'll make the right decisions. You've raised her to be a very independent person and you've raised her right, as good as her own parents could have."

"And that's another thing; pretty soon she's going to be asking about them again. I don't think I can put it off any longer and I don't think that I should. It's been hard enough on her already, but to know the real reason that they left…I don't know what she'll do."

"We'll deal with that when the time comes, okay?"

"Okay…"

Kakashi ducked his head and captured Iruka's lips gently with his own, smiling when he heard the muffled moan as hand traveled up his back to clutch at his shoulders.

Later that night, Naruto lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened.

Kakashi had kept the conversation casual as he asked about school. Naruto related that she had been late to which Iruka had frowned in disapproval but had expressed outrage when Naruto told him about Hidan. He'd been about to storm out of the apartment to hunt down the guy or his parents and demand an apology but Naruto had forbidden him to do so. She wasn't going to be embarrassed further by her over protective guardian. But to her surprise Kakashi had agreed with Iruka stating that the boy shouldn't be allowed to get away with sexual harassment and he would take her to school tomorrow and talk to the principal. Naruto had to forbid him which was a first in her life. She'd gotten them to back down when she told them that she had fought dirty getting in a cheap shot which seemed to calm them down a little so that she could talk them out of going to the school. Lord knows that she didn't want to be a social outcast for having to have her parents solve her problems for her.

She moved on to Sasuke's strange behavior.

She remembered the first time he had behaved strangely toward her.

It'd been at Ino's pool party during the summer a year ago and Naruto had been excited to show off her new swimsuit. It'd been a red bikini. She'd gone shopping with Iruka and talked him into it telling him that Sakura, Ino and Tenten had bikinis though he had still been against the idea but Naruto refused to get a one piece. She'd said that if she couldn't have the bikini then she'd just go to the party naked. Iruka had eventually caved though she thought it was more to avoid a bigger scene than Naruto had already given.

She'd shimmied out of her shorts and was getting ready to do a cannonball into the pool when Sasuke had grabbed her arm and asked her what she'd thought she was doing. Confused she'd told him that she was going swimming. He'd gotten even angrier at her and she still didn't know why he'd said what he had. She shuddered to recall it.

"If you want to look like a slut then you shouldn't do it at your friends' party."

She'd stuttered that she didn't look like a slut but the damage had been done and she'd redressed and spent the rest of the night avoiding Sasuke and hiding in the shadows. It'd taken a couple of weeks but Sasuke had eventually apologized but not before Naruto had thrown the bikini away. She'd refused to go to the beach when Kakashi suggested it or anywhere else where swimsuits were required.

She tossed and turned the whole night which caused her to wake up late, and then she got to school late which made Anko glare at her some more and just plain made the rest of the day miserable.

Naruto waited for Sasuke to tell her what was wrong, but he never did and she eventually grew used to the behavior though it didn't happen too often.

A/N Well there it is, I hope you enjoyed it. I worked really hard on it but ended up deleting a lot and rewriting. Please, please, please leave a review and I will respond.

THANKS EVERYONE

ZEN