I don't own Naruto or the cover image.

Shisui had made it his personal mission to stalk Naruto when he didn't have ninja duties.

No matter how many times the blonde told him to stuff it, fuck off, or drop dead, he just wouldn't go away. He also didn't seem to know the meaning of the phrase "personal space". For example, that Thursday afternoon, on training field 7, (also a rare day the blonde wasn't serving, and/or skipping out on detention after school) Shisui peered into Naruto's irritated blue eyes, his own obsidian searching deeply, as if he could find the meaning of life within her eyes' depths.

"What?" The blonde finally snapped, having it up to her chin with the moron ruining her lazy time.

"Do you want me to teach you my family sword style?"

"What?" Naruto shot to her feet, eyes wide as Shisui followed at a more sedated pace.

"I said-"

"Let me rephrase that, moron." Naruto flatlined, ignoring Shisui's amused smile. "Why?"

"Why what?" He baited cheekily.

"Don't be an ass, Shisui."

Suddenly, Shisui's face flooded crimson, and he stared at his self proclaimed blonde 'bestie' with wide, black eyes. For some inexplicable reason, Naruto found her face flooding red too, and she slapped her palm against Shisui's too close face, shoving him away roughly.

"What the fuck are you going all red for you idiot?" Naruto huffed, clenching her fist to keep her hands away from her cheeks to pat them bashfully.

"Why are you red?" Shisui shot back.

"I asked you first stupid!"

"I can tell you'd be able to negotiate for a comrade's life successfully in the future Naruto." Shisui said in a rare tone of blandness.

"Oh shut up! Just answer the question and stop trying to change the subject!" Naruto growled.

Shisui surprised, and (dare she say it…) worried her when he moved further away from her.

'Oh shit, is the moron okay? Usually he's crowding me and practically in my goddamn lap.' The blonde inwardly fretted, and then balked. 'Wait… why the shit should I care if this idiot is sick or something? It's not like I actually care or anything… in fact, if he died off, I'd probably dance on his fresh grave.'

Yeah, keep telling yourself that. A familiar voice murmured.

'Stuff it.' Naruto sneered.

Shisui looked up at the blonde through his ridiculously long lashes, apparently having told her what was wrong already.

"A-ano… nani? Come again?" The blonde asked, noticeably embarrassed.

"You heard me! Don't make me say something so girly again Naruto!"

'I-is he… pouting?' She wondered, horrified.

"No dickhead, actually, I didn't hear you, so stop acting like a pussy and just tell me already!" Naruto exploded.

"I said that I noticed that was the first time you said my real name okay! Happy? THERE! I SAID IT!"

'Y-yeah...' Naruto cringed. 'He's pouting.'

"Calm down moron, no need to get your panties in a wad." Which translated from Naruto speak to: Don't get embarrassed, I won't make fun of you.

"So, do you want me to teach you?" Shisui asked, apparently feeling energetic again.

Naruto decided to ignore the moron's mood swings. She'd drive herself crazy trying to figure out if he was sane or not.

"Isnt that like, against clan rules or something?" Naruto stalled.

Honestly, she didn't know what to say. Naturally, she wanted to become a better fighter, but then again, she would be asking for it. She would be asking for help. And as stupid as it was, that made her feel weak.

It's okay to feel weak sometimes though, right?

She ignored the voice.

Shisui's dark eyes took on a mischievous gleam, and his lips stretched into a smirk, looking the true part of a villain, oblivious to the blonde's internal conflict.

"Heh, what they don't know won't hurt them~" The raven purred.

Naruto openly gaped at what had to be, the most un-Uchiha like Uchiha she'd ever met.

"So it is against the rules?!" She hissed.

"Well, it's not in written ink, so technically, I wouldn't be doing anything wrong."

"You crook!" Naruto blurted, wincing inwardly at how devastatingly hypocritical that statement was coming from her. "I dont want to be thrown back in juvie by your arrogant brethren for, 'stealing clan secrets'. 'Cause I know it'll somehow be seen as my fault if we get caught."

"Then we won't get caught." Shisui shrugged.

"SHISUI!" Naruto yelped, distressed.

"Relax, Naruto." Shisui placated, smiling winningly to convince her. "I won't let anything happen to you." He promised.

Face now boiling red at the Uchiha's charming smile, Naruto yanked his hitai-ate down mercilessly over his eyes, and huffed. The blonde turned away abruptly as the dork yelped and tried to fix his head gear.

"I don't need some girly pansy like you to protect me." Naruto proclaimed haughtily. "I've been fine all by myself up until now and I'll be fine in the future. Besides, who said I agreed to let you teach me anyways?"

"Well, if you let me teach you, you really won't need protecting." Shisui reasoned. "You could only benefit from it. And besides, if you get good now, me and you could… well… maybe we could fight side by side together in the future."

Naruto's shoulders tensed. Honestly, she didn't know what to say. No one had ever left her because she'd never had anyone to begin with. So to have him… Shisui, this almost stranger with her, and not-so-indirectly saying he planned to stay in her life… She didn't know how to deal with it. Did he really honestly and innocently want to be around her or… did he pity her like the old man?

You're weak. The voice murmured.

'What the...? No I'm no-'

You're weak. The voice said resolutely. You're weak, but Shisui wants to help you get strong. What's wrong with that?

'W-well… I...'

And so what if the Hokage might pity you a bit? What decent person wouldn't? Your life so far has been pitiful. You know that's not all there is. That old man cares about you. And Shisui wants to too. So let him.

'Why're you so talkative and loud all of a sudden?' Naruto asked indignantly.

She didn't get a reply.

"Naruto?" Shisui called, probably realizing she wasn't going to re-start the conversation.

The delinquent blonde whirled around, practically shoving her finger up Shisui's nose as she rudely pointed at him. The boy went comically crossed eyed as he stared at the tip of Naruto's orange painted fingernail.

"Listen up girly-boy, 'cause Naruto Uzumaki's got something to tell you." She declared, displaying a bravado she most certainly wasn't feeling, yet, gaining the Uchiha's undivided attention nonetheless. The moron even snapped to attention.

Naruto unknowingly allowed her eyes to lighten up their glare.

'This… this guy is really something.' She thought, something hard in her chest softening slightly.

"I'll let you teach me, girly-boy, but-" Naruto continued, trying to ignore the urge to laugh as Shisui's ecstatic expression deflated, albeit, not by much. "-But, you better not forget I'm doing this for my own benefit! It's entirely selfish and I hate you and I'm only going to tolerate you so I can selfishly leech off of you."

Both kids pretended not to notice how Naruto's voice wavered slightly, and that what she said actually made sense, and wasn't just some defense mechanism that was full of holes.

"Okay!" Shisui chirped. "Then consider class in session!"

"W-wha?!" Naruto floundered. "But I just got out of school! I don't want to start again. And this is entirely unexpected you prick!" The blonde whined.

"'A ninja must always expect the unexpected'." Shisui quoted cheekily.

"Yeah?" Naruto griped. "Do your ninja rules say anything about removing my foot from your ass?"

"I can tell this isn't gonna be easy." Shisui observed flatly.

"You better believe it, pansy-boy."

And so it began.