A/N-I know some of what you read won't be right, but since this is fanfiction and I can do what ever I want…….I will do what ever I want. Here is the next chapter! Good thing I finished typing it today because I'm leaving tomorrow. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

As Sasuke fell into step beside the indignant Naruto, he tried to master his frustration and take some pleasure from the way he held his own in the hall and then in the courtyard.

He had been right to react to Kakashi's remark about patty fingers as he had. A real squire would have been angry at the fellow's impertinence.

Naruto had been flustered when he'd taken his hand, too, try as he might to hide it, just as Naruto tried to deny that he was upset with Sakura's obvious interest in him.

If Lord Naruto cared enough to be jealous, he might be a little weak where he was concerned. He could use that weakness to his advantage.

He had to admit he enjoyed being with Naruto, even when they quarreled….maybe especially when they quarreled. He liked seeing the fierce, bold sparkle of his blue eyes, the little thrust of his proud chin.

He wondered what Naruto would do if he ever tried to kiss him.

Lord Naruto glanced back over his shoulder. "Don't dawdle. The others are coming."

Distracted by the notion of kissing him, he obediently quickened his pace. "Where are we going?"

"The river meadow," he replied bluntly, obviously in no mood to talk with him anymore.

Well, so be it. He should pay attention to his surrounding anyway, in case he had to flee.

They passed through the gatehouse and went on through the small village that clustered about the protective walls of Konoha, on the other side of the ditch that served as a dry moat. Some alleys led off to the main road. Down one, he could make out what must be a smithy from the sound of hammers banging on anvils. Nearby was a larger two-story building, with a low wall around it that looked like a stable. It was probably an inn.

They came to the village green, a more open space where the market was. A tall oak shaded one part of it, and there were a few stalls with food and household items for sale.

There were not as many stalls as he would have expected, and the people buying looked poor, too. Konoha was obviously not very prosperous.

There was one good thing about that: Orochimaru and the others wouldn't come here again, for the pickings would be too slim to make it worth their while.

After they walked a bit more, he saw a broad open expanse nearly two acres across, mostly flat, and without high grass. The sheep grazing there explained that. At the far end was a row of willows, telling him that was probably the riverbank.

Naruto came to a halt and gestured as her big frog, who sat beside her.

"What do you intend to do first?" he asked Sasuke.

As he looked back at the men and youths coming behind them, he started to sweat. He had never taught anybody anything let alone while he was pretending to be something he was not. "What do you think I should do?"

"I have no idea."

"But you must have some!"

"No. I've never trained men—only Gamakichi."

"You did a fine job with him. How did you start?"

"I watched him being born."

In his desperation, Sasuke forgot Naruto was a lord and rolled his eyes. "That's not going to help me."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I'm not! They'll know…" He fell silent.

"No they won't. Unless you do something utterly stupid, you should be alright."

Not the most encouraging of remarks, but his words made him feel somewhat better nonetheless. Then Naruto turned back toward the castle.

"Are you leaving?" he demanded feeling as if he'd been cut adrift to be lost at sea.

"It wouldn't be right for me to stay." He gave Sasuke an unexpected friendly smile. "I know how hard it is to pretend you're not afraid when you really are."

"I'm not afraid!" he protested, although he couldn't help wondering if this was how you felt when you're neck was about to be put in the noose.

Naruto's eyes sparkled with warmth, and what looked suspiciously like triumph. "Besides, you've already let them know you are not to be trifled with, haven't you?"

With that, he walked away, his frog at his heels.

Well, he didn't need Naruto's help, Sasuke told himself. It wasn't as if he hadn't been in tricky situations before.

The men and boys he was supposed to train gathered about him in a semicircle, waiting expectantly. If he had seen suspicion in their faces of the sort Kisame had displayed, he would have turned and fled like a condemned outlaw.

He didn't see suspicion or mistrust. Every man and youth there regarded him with what appeared to be respectful anticipation.

They believed the lie, and seeing that, Sasuke's confidence returned.

"Now that I've met you, I'll do my best to remember your names," he declared, straightening his shoulders, "and teach you all I can. I think we'll start with…" He realized not a one of them was armed, and he only had the knife hidden in his breeches. "Don't any of you have any weapons?"

The men and boys glanced at one another uneasily.

"I've got my bow," Kiba declared, fairly leaping forward and unslinging it from around his chest. "And arrows, too." He patted the quiver hanging from his belt.

"Anybody else?"

"We don't own any," said a middle-aged man who looked every inch a farmer in his mended woolens. "His lordship keeps'em in the armory."

"It's Kotetsu, isn't it?"

"Aye, sir," the man answered with a smile. "The swords and spears and things, they'd be in the armory back at the castle."

"Of course. I should have asked Lord Naruto about weapons. Well, no matter. You should know how to fight without weapons, too. In a real fight—battle," he amended, remembering he was supposed to be a squire and not a tavern brawler, "they can get knocked from your hands."

The men nodded approvingly. Encouraged, Sasuke removed his tunic and shirt, then folded them and set them carefully on the grass.

They were staring at him. "I am going to teach you fighting, not dancing, and I don't want to ruin the fine clothes your lord gave me because mine were stolen. You men can leave yours on if you like. It will give me more to grab to throw you down, though," he warned. "Now, I'll try you one at a time. Who's first?"

The men and youths exchanged wary glances.

"Have no fear. I won't complain if you best me, or give me a few bruises. I've had plenty in my time."

"I will try!" Kakashi eagerly stepped forward and tore off his tunic. Half naked, he was pale and skinny as a plucked chicken.

"Very well." Making fists and holding them up in front of his chin, Sasuke crouched low and started to sway. Kakashi imitated him, although it was clear the fellow really had no idea what he was doing, or why.

"You want to guard your face, Kakashi, and a moving target is harder to hit," he explained.

He looked just to the right of Kakashi, as if there was something in the grass. He kept his gaze on that spot even as Kakashi started to sidle closer. Finally, Kakashi glanced down to see what was so fascinating. In that instant, Sasuke rushed him to the ground. As Kakashi looked up, stunned and surprised, Sasuke placed his foot on his throat.

"And that, I fear, would be the end of you," he said as he removed his foot and held out his hand to help Kakashi up.

"God's blood," Kakashi muttered as he got to his feet, rubbing his throat. Then he grinned widely. "I thought there must be a snake or something at my feet."

"That's the idea," Sasuke replied, pleased that there were no hard feelings. These people didn't have to like him, but he didn't want them to hate him, either.

He scanned the gathering, secretly delighted to see respect and awe in the faces of the men, both young and old. "Who's next?"

The energetic Kiba fairly leaped forward. "Me! I won't fall for that trick. But remember I'm an archer, not a bloody wrestler, so have a care of my fingers."

"Then knock me down," Sasuke genially suggested.

Kiba didn't fall for the snake-in-the-grass trick, but he had no idea how to protect his face with his fists, or block a blow, so one swift punch to his chin quickly had him flat on his back.

Again, Sasuke held out his hand to his fallen foe. "You've got to keep your hands up until you strike," he said as Kiba scrambled to his feet.

"I'm an archer, I am," the defeated youth muttered, as he gathered up his bow and quiver of arrows, "not a bloody foot soldier!"

With that, he stomped off toward the riverbank, where he threw down his bow and arrows, then sat and stared out at the water flowing between the trees.

"A sulky one, our Kiba," Kotetsu offered with a smile. "He'll come 'round by the time we eat." His smile grew. "So, Sir Sasuke, you've tried a couple of boys. How 'bout a man now, eh?"

The men of Konoha quickly learned that neither age nor size mattered much to Sasuke. One by one they fell to the ground, at Sasuke's mercy, then joined the ranks of the defeated who watched and cheered. Eventually, even Kiba stopped sulking and came to watch his fellows.

As far as their fighting abilities, Sasuke saw much to be pleased about. With a little training and a few tricks, they should all be able to hold their own.

Finally, panting, sweating, bent over with his hands on his knees, Sasuke raised his head to survey the men and boys laughing and shouting, consoling encouragement to their latest companion to fall, a rather thin shepherd who rolled over and stood up, wiping the trickle of blood from his nose where Sasuke had punched him. Thank God he was the last, Sasuke thought wearily.

At least here, though, he felt comfortable and confident. In the hall, it was as if he was in a foreign land where he didn't know the customs or the language. But fighting and protecting himself—that he knew.

"I'm not too late, I hope!"

Sasuke looked up the road leading to the village and wanted to groan aloud. Lee, the blacksmith's son, lumbered toward them as if the village were on fire.

"I had t'stay and shoe a horse, but I came as soon as I could," he said by way of explanation as he halted and started to peel off his leather apron.

"Not to late, am I? I like a bit o'fighten'" His white teeth gleamed nearly as bright as his eyes, he regarded Sasuke eagerly.

Sasuke straightened, ready to tell them it was too late in the day, to say nothing of how tired he was, when he saw Lord Naruto approaching, Iruka beside him.

Had he come to see if he survived, or at least managed to keep up the ruse?

Angered by the thought, his pride wounded, he gave Lee a nod of agreement and began to circle the smith's son. "Right, then. Let's go"

Unfortunately, he quickly discovered that Lee was as quick as a dancer on a feast day, and hadn't been joking when he said he liked a good fight. Not even breaking a sweat, he didn't stop smiling as Sasuke tried every trick, every feint, every move he new to knock his opponent down, all to no avail.

Around them the other men stood in a circle, watching and whispering. He heard enough to know that wagers were being made, and that he was expected to lose, which didn't help matters. Lord Naruto and Iruka were there somewhere, too, but he didn't dare look for them as he wondered when Lee was going to strike.

Before he could even blink, Lee's arm shot out like a serpent, hitting him right in the nose, just as he'd hit the shepherd. He found himself looking up at the sky, his nose throbbing with excruciating pain, and he could taste his blood on his lips.

Lord Naruto came into view, looking down at him, Naruto's face full of concern. "Are you hurt?"

Sasuke felt his nose, wincing at the pain and trying not to. He wiped the blood from under it with the back of his hand. "It's not broken, is it?" he asked.

Naruto squatted down beside him and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "I think not."

"I barely touched 'im," Lee said as he loomed over him, blocking out the sky. "Just a tap, it were."

"I know," Lord Naruto said with more sympathy for the smith that he had shown when he'd spoken to Sasuke.

On the other hand, Naruto wasn't brushing Lee's hair from his forehead.

"If that was your idea of a tap. Remind me never to make you angry," Sasuke said as he splayed his hands on the grass behind him and eased himself to a sitting position.

"Lee's the bare-knuckle fighting champion of three shires," Lord Naruto calmly remarked.

"Fine time to find out," Sasuke muttered as he got to his feet.

Suddenly mindful of his bare chest, he reached down for his shirt. A stab of pain between his eyes caused them to water and his nose throbbed, but he made no sound at all. He wouldn't, not while he was the center of attention.

He drew on his shirt and glared at the men. "Somebody might have told me about him."

"You didn't ask if any o' us could fight," Kotetsu said, "Or I would 'ave told ya about Lee. He's the pride and joy o'Konoha, he is, savin' his lordship 'ere."

Deciding it wouldn't do any good to be angry at them, Sasuke put on the tunic, careful that there was no blood left on his face to ruin it as he pulled it over his head. "We're finished for today," he announced. "We'll meet here again after the noon tomorrow."

With smiles and farewells, the men began to leave the field. All except Kakashi, who lingered by the road with Iruka.

"So. How did they do?" Lord Naruto asked quietly.

"Well enough," Sasuke growled, "but if there's anybody else who's the bare-knuckle champion of three shires, or two or one, I wish you'd tell me now."

"No, just Lee." Lord Naruto didn't meet his angry gaze. "And you're right. I should have told you that, too."

"You should also tell me what weapons you have, and anything else I should know if I am to be Sir Sasuke training your men. You should be helping me, not enjoying my shame as if I were some sort of jester meant to amuse you."

"I wasn't enjoying your shame."

"You certainly didn't seem to upset to see me flat on my back with a bloody nose."

Naruto flushed. "What did you want me to do? Clean your face for you?"

Determined to tip the balance in his favor, Sasuke resorted to Naruto's apparent attraction to him. "You did before, didn't you? And combed my hair."

Naruto raised his chin defiantly. "Yes, I washed your face. It was filthy. I also combed you hair—and a hard time I had. It was like a rat's nest."

So much for tipping the balance in his favor. His face felt hot, and he guessed he was blushing.

Kakashi left Iruka and approached them. Running his hand through his hair until it stuck up even more, he said, "I want to apologize, my lord. I spoke out of turn there in the hall. I hope you're not angry."

"No I'm not Kakashi."

He grinned with relief. "That's good." He turned to Sasuke. "And I won't be saying nothing like that again, my lord."

"See that you don't."

"Good day, Kakashi." Lord Naruto began to walk toward the castle, then turned and looked at Sasuke, obviously expecting him to hop along after him just as Gamakichi was doing. Subduing a scowl, he did, while Kakashi and Iruka followed a short distance behind.

"I suppose I should warn you about Kiba. He sulks," Naruto remarked.

Sasuke was in no mood to mince words. "I found that out myself."

"Oh." He slid Sasuke a sidelong glance. "He's really very good with a bow. He took a prize at the fair last May Day."

"If you say so." Sasuke changed the subject to something more important. "The men don't have any weapons, except Kiba, with his bow. They said they would be in the armory."

"Yes, that's true. I can take you there now, if you like. I haven't had to sell any of the weapons yet."

If he liked? What had anything here to do with what he liked?