Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Naruto series/franchise. All the rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto and his partners. I am making absolutely NO PROFIT on this. Please consider this writing a fan-made project, written ONLY for fun and writing critique. Please support the official release of Naruto.

INTRODUCTION: I am never promising anything on a deadline basis again. I totally screwed my friend over with a promise to do a drawing in a certain amount of time, and now I'm paying the price for it ten-fold. I've cheated all of you guys, too, when I said I would do shit on time and then didn't. T-T So I'm just gonna let things continue to be a surprise. Nonetheless, this is not a time for sadness! Well, it kinda is, considering what RHF is, but … whatever. Stuff happens! People get uncomfortable! But they'll get over it.

Love you all~. Thanks so much for your support.

(RHF HAS MORE THAN 6,000 VIEWS OVERALL! YEEEEEAH! THANK YOU EVERYBODY! I'd promise a 6k celebration present but … you know. The whole promises thing. That I just told you about.)

(XXX)

"Sasuke-temeeee, I thought you said the student council would be bustling."

Just ignore him. The festival's expense report isn't gonna write itself.

"Sasukeeeeee."

The cooking club wants a hundred dollars(1) to buy the ingredients for teriyaki. The baseball team needs money for lumber. And the debate team—

I jump, feeling the familiar weight of an idiot on my shoulder.

"Naruto," I seethe, "how many times have I told you to get off me?"

What I'd hoped would be an unbearably icy stare has no effect on him at all. He ignores me, frowning as he leans on me even more. "Why are you doing paperwork? Shit's boring."

"Yeah, but it's necessary," I shake him off. "Besides, it's the only thing around here to do right now."

The end of the year is approaching, and with it the Konoha school festival. All the other high schools in the area have their festival as soon as spring comes, but we always have ours late. The principal wants us to stand out, and since all the other schools have already had their festivals, we get kids from other schools nearby who come visit, and more people attend the Konoha festival annually as a result. This way, kids who have friends in other schools don't have to feel bad about not being able to attend a friend's festival.

Usually the student council room is bustling this time of year. I was elected vice president this year, but I haven't really been pulling my weight. Between therapy, this dipshit over my shoulder, and all the questions people have been asking me about my clothes and my life, if I haven't had the time to show my face, I've tried to avoid it. But last year when the president asked me to help out with the festival, this room was packed to the brim with people asking for money, assistance, or just hanging out to see if anything needed to be done. Naruto has been constantly complaining recently that he's bored and we should go somewhere fun. I told him to go bother somebody else, but he won't leave me alone. Sometimes I even punch him, and we get into big fights like we did at the park, but he still doesn't take a hint. So I figured if I took him here, if I was lucky, he'd get swept off in a crowd of people and spend all day out of my hair.

No such luck. The school's like a ghost town today. Where is everybody when I need them?

"Come on, Sasuke," Naruto pleaded. He finally got off of me, jumping up to sit on a clear space on the table. "You can't be having fun. And I'm not, either."

I put down my pen and glare up at him. "I honestly don't give a shit how you feel."

His face twists into a deep scowl, and I feel a moment of triumph.

Then he gets off the table and dives for my feet. I have to hold onto the table to keep my chair from toppling over.

"Hey, what the hell are you—?!"

He brandishes my shoes with a smile. "I think you need to kick off your high-heels, sister!"

My face contorts in horror. "Usuratonkachi!"

He runs to the doorway before I can grab him, dangling his hostages to taunt me. "Now you'll have a chance at catching me!" He dashed out into the hallway, laughing.

"Get back here, you asshole!" I run out after him, seeing him already almost halfway down the hall. "I could catch you even in high-heels! You're dead!"

I chase him down within a few seconds, tackling him to the ground. If only he would give up that easily, but I have to wrestle with him, rolling on the floor while I try to get the shoes out of his hands.

"Hand them over."

"No!"

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"They smell like feet!"

"Don't smell them, you idiot!"

This is so irritating. He's not even taking me seriously. He's dissolving into a fit of laughter, snagging the shoes out of my hands just when I get a grip.

"Come on, Sasuke-teme," he says, eyes glittering bright blue. "Live a little."

I finally manage to rip my shoes from his grasp. "I'll do that on my own time." Then I turn, walking quickly down the hallway, back towards the student council room.

"That's not how it woooorks, Sasukeeeee!"

I feel something slam into my back, and somebody's legs encircling my waist, and two broad arms around my neck.

"Gimme those shoes!"

Is he …?

"Can I borrow them sometime?"

Is he seriously …?

I hear another voice approaching from down the hall. I turn to look and all the color drains from my face.

It's the student council president.

"Ah, Uchiha … just the person I was looking—"

He stops, staring blankly at me. I stare back. Naruto turns to look at him down the hall.

"Ara? He your friend, Sasuke?"

I give Naruto a suplex he'll never forget.

(XXX)

"I wasn't aware you could be so friendly with people, Uchiha."

The Student Council President, Hyuuga Neji, sat across a table from Sasuke in the council room, humorlessly assessing both the vice president and the blonde stranger still rubbing his head and glaring at the raven-haired boy beside him.

"I wouldn't be if I didn't have to," Sasuke sighed. When Neji peered at him questioningly, he simply said, "Let's not talk about him right now. What do you need from me?"

"The literature club put in a last-minute request for funds to build their own booth."

"What? Didn't we offer them money already?" The literature club at Konoha High was very quiet. Unlike most of the high-schoolers who felt arrogance with even a little knowledge of classical poetry and novels, the literature club members didn't interact with many others outside their circle, and were known for being humble. Since every once in a while they helped tutor other students, some of the other clubs had chipped in some money to give to the literature club so they could set up a booth at the festival.

"We offered three times, but they staunchly refused," Neji said, eyes darkening in annoyance. "Then, just yesterday, I received word from their captain that they would like their money after all."

"We've already spent their money, though," Sasuke said.

"I know. We couldn't hold onto it any longer after they refused so many times. But it's strange—they seem to urgently need the money, because after I clarified there was no money left for them, they sicced the health teacher on us."

"The health teacher—you mean Yakushi-sensei? Since when do they have influence with him?"

"Since when do they have influence with anybody?" Neji sighed, crossing his arms, fingers tapping on his forearm. "They don't even associate with the literature teachers."

"What did Yakushi-sensei say to you?"

"He was very passive-aggressive. He said that we shouldn't deny the literature club their funds the way we denied the science club's, especially when we'd made such a big deal out of offering them money in the first place."

Sasuke frowned. "We didn't give the science club their money?"

The president shook his head. "The request came in on a day you were not available. Eitarou, your stand-in, denied them money on the grounds that they had not yet spent the money we gave them for their regular day-to-day activities last month, and therefore could already pay for themselves."

"The science club, you said?" Naruto chimed in all of a sudden. "They weren't denied."

He received a narrowed stare. "Excuse me?"

"When I was in here earlier and Sasuke was writing up these papers, I took a peek over his shoulder. Take a look." Naruto shuffled through some of Sasuke's papers and picked one out, handing it to Neji. "See? Somebody approved a request to give the science club a hundred-and-fifty dollars just a couple weeks ago. And you can tell it wasn't Sasuke because the hand-writing is different."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto in amazement. That usuratonkachi was actually paying attention? Wasn't he just wandering around the room bored? Even Neji seemed shocked as he eyed the expense report.

"That means that they either spent their regular funds already, or were given an exception," Naruto said, eyes flicking over to Sasuke for confirmation.

"Either way, it means Eitarou lied," Neji said darkly. "But I'm not sure why he would be foolish enough to write down the evidence of his lying. This smells of fraud, but for all we know, someone's just trying to lead us around the bush. I'd like to investigate this, but this was timed really well—we're too close to the festival to stir up trouble."

"Don't tell me …" Sasuke groaned.

"Approve their request," Neji said, sounding equally dissatisfied. "For now, we'll see how the situation progresses. But …" A malicious glint appeared in his eye like the quiet smirk of a predator—the look of cold steel that had earned Neji the presidency. "The minute the booths come down, I intend to focus all effort on a witch-hunt."

He stood, which Sasuke knew was a signal of departure. But as he reached the doorway, the president stopped with his hand on the frame and turned back, staring straight at Naruto's still-serious, -piqued face.

"Tell me your name."

With a smile, he took a few long strides and met Neji purposefully at the door with an outstretched hand. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you."

Neji's stare bore a hole through Naruto's hand. "… I'm Student Council President Hyuuga Neji." That piercing lavender gaze rose to examine Naruto's face. "… You're Uchiha's friend?"

Naruto glanced back at Sasuke. "I guess you could say that."

"Well then, Uzumaki," Neji addressed him sharply, "I've been very courteous in excusing Uchiha for his long absences, but I have no obligation to cater to you. There's nothing left to do here today, so leave. You'll only distract Uchiha if you stay." He shot a meaningful glare at Sasuke too, since Naruto's presence was partially his fault. Then the president left without another word.

Huffing, Naruto said, "Not even a 'thank you?' Geez." He walked back over to Sasuke, who had gone back to puzzling over the expense reports feverishly after Naruto pointed out the science club's expenditures. "That guy has his head screwed on way too tight."

"He can't help it—he's the president. There's probably a lot of pressure on him this time of year. And he has a right to order you around anyway—you were wasting space until just a moment ago."

They heard someone come in and looked up in panic, thinking that Neji had heard them. But then Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw who it was that hobbled in on crutches with a goofy smile.

"Lee!" he nearly shouted as he jumped from his seat.

"Sasuke-kun! I just saw Neji outside, so I hoped you might be in here." Lee's eyebrows arched thickly in a smile. His face was as bright as ever, but his leg wasn't looking so good. He leaned on the table to take the weight off of it, eyeing Sasuke's feet. "Those are some very lovely shoes. Are they new?"

Sasuke looked away awkwardly. Lee was embarrassingly sincere. Even though he and Sasuke didn't know each other well, the upperclassman had always been kind and supportive to Sasuke, and was genuinely polite. Where Neji was a stone-cold systematic president, Lee was a dedicated but warm boy who Sasuke sometimes got into arguments with, but for the most part, was tolerable.

Lee's bright almond eyes shifted to the blonde at Sasuke's side, whose mouth was wide open in shock. "Oh? And our slack-jawed friend would be …?"

"Ah—"

Before Sasuke could take his next breath, Naruto was nearly nose-to-nose with Lee, gasping in admiration.

"Look at those eyebrows! Fuck!" Awe-inspired, Naruto pressed his thumbs against the two bushels of hair resting above Lee's eyes. "This is awesome! How do they clip on? Where did you get them?!"

Sasuke gave him a swift foot to the ass, launching the whiskered boy to the side like a short-lived rocket.

"Oi!" Naruto screeched, rubbing his backside gingerly. "Th'fuck was that for, Sasuke-teme?"

"Please excuse this moron. Unfortunately, he's under my command today, so I'll take responsibility."

"Whose command am I under?" Naruto protested, shielding his side from another kick.

Discomfort rippled across Lee's face. Sasuke just barely caught a slight twitch in his senpai's eye before it was covered up with a warm smile. "Do not crush his enthusiasm, Sasuke-kun." Lee turned to the fallen boy, setting aside one crutch and leaning carefully on the other as he extended an arm. "Here—on your feet, now."

Naruto had the sense to look guilty, and stood on his own, handing the other crutch back. "No, it's fine, you shouldn't have to help me when you're like this …"

Lee smiled widely and his voice raised a decibel, his words puffing out like the ghost of throaty laughter. "So humble! Yet where was your grace when you had your hands on me? There is a time for outburst and a time for restraint—ah, this is how a man should be …!"

"You give people way too much credit at first meetings," Sasuke warned, but he had to smirk at Naruto's confusion. "What's with this misplaced excitement?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I have just been longing to see new faces!" A frown formed sternly on Lee's tanning face. "Even when I come by to visit the Student Council, why are there not more volunteers hanging around, when there's so much work to be done?"

"Volunteer work, huh? Is that why you came by today? You've already put in your community service, senpai—give yourself a break."

Lee laughed at the notion, holding his hand out to Naruto again. "I am second-year student Rock Lee! I am captain and widely-regarded MVP of the Konoha High soccer team! How about you join the team?"

Naruto shook his hand and smiled. "I am free-loader Uzumaki Naruto! I am home-schooled and proficient in unskilled labor! And thanks for the offer, but soccer is for Europeans!" He looked at Sasuke, face glowing with excitement. "This is your senpai? He seems pretty cool! He's a lot nicer than you." He grinned at Lee again. "Can I call you 'Fuzzy-Brows?'"

A simple shrug was all the confirmation Naruto needed to start rolling the nickname around on his tongue under his breath. Lee left him to bask in his strange joy to drop himself gratefully into a chair Sasuke pulled out for him.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Lee said, stretching his back and arms. "You still have not told me about those new shoes!"

"Forget the shoes," Sasuke sighed. They both fell to silence for a moment beneath the mumblings of Naruto to the side. He gestured to Lee's legs. "You gonna tell me what happened?"

Lee gave Naruto and Sasuke a quick rundown of the incident on the soccer field. Both watched him, concerned, and secretly exchanged uneasy glances from time to time. When Lee mentioned dropping the charges, Sasuke intercepted, saying, "Why are you pardoning him? Look at yourself—the whole left half of your body is screwed up."

"As for my reasons …" Lee shrugged, avoiding Sasuke's eyes in an uncharacteristic show of discomfort. "It includes a long story I will share when I know you better. I just don't want him to be punished."

Even though this comment was duly noted by Sasuke's stern face, he let it go for the moment. "Well, it's a criminal matter, right? He can still be charged, if someone wants to pursue the case."

"In this case, not so much. Apparently, my attacker's family is of high social standing, so pulling some strings in the courtroom is not a problem … in fact, I have been in contact with them, and when another prosecutor tried to take up the case, his efforts were all but ignored, and it took no time at all for the judge to declare my attacker not-guilty by reason of an insanity which was previously stated by family."

"So what, they just gave this asshole a free pass?" Sasuke seethed.

"Well, no. He is required to go to a court-appointed therapist. And speaking of that …" Lee looked beseechingly up at his kouhai. "Your therapist is still taking new patients, right?" Sasuke shot him a wary glance. "Well … after talking with my attacker's family, I have learned that they are struggling greatly with legal intricacies regarding the issue that … for some reason, they keep having to switch him to new therapists, and some of them have refused to take him, even at the risk of losing their jobs."

"Oh, so you want to ask Kakashi-sensei to take up the slack," Naruto chimed in cheerily, gaze still flickering periodically to the novelty of Lee's eyebrows.

"Yes. I was hoping since Sasuke-kun's therapist is working out, I could have this boy's family contact him."

"Hey, if therapists are risking going up against the court to avoid this kid," Sasuke bit, "why would I want him in the same program as me? Why would I risk exposing him to another person in the first place?"

"Don't be like that, Sasuke-teme," Naruto growled with startling authority. "If Fuzzy-Brows has faith in him, let's have faith too. Here, Fuzzy, let me give you the number you need to call …" He grabbed for the nearest piece of paper and was starting to write on it when Sasuke snatched the page out of his hands.

"Naruto," he warned.

The man in question planted his hands firmly on the table, meeting Sasuke dead-on with a rivaling glare. His posture dared Sasuke to argue with him. "What now, teme?"

Sasuke kept a level stare with him for a few moments, not saying a word. Then, he withdrew the paper, saying, "You were about to mark on my expense reports, idiot." He brought a clean sheet and handed it over. Face brightening, Naruto threw the sheet onto the table and began scribbling down Kakashi's number. Sasuke watched, crossing his arms in dissatisfaction, foreboding shivers running down his spine with every pen-stroke.

(XXX)

The mall had been bustling, and this particular store especially, since it was a brand-name fashion store. Sasuke had been dragged here against his will by Naruto, for no reason that was specifically stated. But since they were in a clothing store and Naruto had disappeared off into a changing room the minute they stepped inside, Sasuke guessed he wanted fashion advice. The notion made Sasuke bristle. A lot of girls at school assumed that because he wore a skirt, he was gay, and that gay guys were always the best with fashion. Sasuke was none of those things. The stereotype irritated him, and he never would have thought Naruto had enough contact with normal society to already grasp its stereotypes.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme, I want your opinion on something!"

But when he heard Naruto approach, and turned to respond, he could only stare on with a dropped jaw.

The blonde was standing there, shamelessly twirling back and forth in a plaid blue skirt. Sasuke gaped for a full six seconds before he found his voice again.

"Usuratonkachi … what the hell are you …?"

"I figured you'd be the go-to guy for skirts. You usually pick good-looking stuff." Naruto presented his friend with his backside. "What do you think? How does my ass look?"

The sound of giggles from girls shopping reached Sasuke's ears, and he turned to fight them off with a glare, face flushed. He looked back at Naruto, who wasn't comprehending the exasperated expression on the raven's face. "You definitely look like an ass."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Another man pushed past on his way out of the changing rooms, giving the two boys an ugly look. Sasuke flushed even further and grabbed Naruto by the arm, dragging him roughly back into the changing rooms and threw him back into the stall where the blonde's pants were hanging up. He slammed the door and leaned on it to prevent Naruto's escape.

Sure enough, that annoyance was beating on the door within a few moments. "Sasuke-teme, open up!"

"Not until you get your pants back on!" Sasuke growled, feeling an angry fire still raging over his cheeks.

"Why? What's wrong with the skirt?" Naruto shouted indignantly.

"Shut up, stupid!" Sasuke snarled. "You've already embarrassed me enough!"

A harsh silence fell over the dressing room, Sasuke's loud breathing the only sound between them.

"… Sasuke?"

Naruto's voice was barely a whisper behind the door, whipped and injured. Sasuke had never heard this tone in Naruto's voice before, and it startled him.

He felt the door handle jiggle behind him again, and he leaned back firmly against it in defense.

"Sasuke, open up." Naruto was pleading now.

"No. I already told you, first you have to—"

"There's something wrong. Open up."

Sasuke found himself fighting the door desperately, pressing his shoulder and hands against it until his bones began to complain. "There's nothing wrong except you being a huge embarrassment!"

"Why? What's wrong with the skirt?"

"Didn't you see the way those people were looking at you? Everyone was laughing at you like a circus freak! Guys don't wear skirts, you moron! Of course you'd look embarrassing!"

"But you wear them!"

"I hate it!" Sasuke shouted at the door furiously, panting even more with frustration. "Don't you?! You can't tell me you didn't hate being laughed and stared at, or didn't you notice?"

The door stopped resisting Sasuke's attempts to keep it closed. "Of course I noticed," Naruto said, a little less loudly. "I'm not stupid. I could tell they were laughing at me. But Sasuke, I don't care. If I cared I wouldn't hang out with you."

"You should start caring."

"Why? I thought you didn't care either! I mean, you wear a skirt but you look like a man, talk like a man, and you don't try to be something you're not."

"That doesn't stop people from thinking I'm stupid."

"I think it's great!" Naruto said desperately. "I mean … it's cool. How you look so confident, even when everyone else is judging you. I thought maybe if I got a skirt, I'd … you know … maybe learn how to be like that too."

For a moment, Sasuke said nothing. He didn't feel like he was particularly confident. "Naruto, confidence doesn't come from clothing. You have to like who you are to be confident."

"But I really like this skirt, and I think I'd like myself a lot more if I bought it." Naruto's tone told Sasuke he was pouting.

Sasuke sighed. "Look, Naruto, if you're really going to insist on buying new clothes, you have to pick something that suits you. Your legs are too thick for you to wear something that comes up above the knees."

"Then help me pick out something," Naruto said. "It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's teme-approved."

Though Sasuke really didn't enjoy clothes-shopping, especially not for this dumbass blonde, the thought that his opinion came first turned over and over in the back of his mind.

"Alright, wait here," Sasuke conceded. "But if you come out of that dressing room I swear I'll—"

"Whatever, teme, just go!" Naruto interrupted excitedly.

With a sigh, Sasuke returned to the store, ignoring the stares of others and rifling through the racks of pants. Eventually he found a pair of black rocker pants with straps and silver buckles on the legs, and brought it back to Naruto. Naruto traded the skirt for it, and began changing while Sasuke returned the article to its proper place. By the time he hung it back up, Naruto was calling him over again from the entryway to the dressing room.

When Naruto gave him the full view again, spinning in a slow circle, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the fabric was very intimate with the blonde's legs and waistline.

"How does it fit?" Sasuke asked.

"Like a second skin," Naruto said. Then he presented his friend with his backside once more. "And my ass?"

"Much better."

Naruto gave him a wide, satisfied smile.

(XXX)

When Naruto arrived home with his new pants and a new muscle-shirt and jacket Sasuke had helped him pick out to complete his ensemble, he found Iruka in the living room, fidgeting with his cell phone.

"Hey there, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said cheerily. "Sorry I was out so late. Sasuke and I got into it a little."

"You got into a fight?" Iruka said sharply. Ever since Naruto and Sasuke beat each other up, Iruka had been very wary whenever Naruto mentioned getting into an argument.

"No fists," Naruto laughed, then put up his arms as if preparing for a round of fisticuffs. "He better hope he never sees these babies in action ever again."

This made Iruka smirk a little, bringing a relieved smile to Naruto's face. "You look kind of antsy. What's going on?"

The tension came back in Iruka's expression. "Just trying to get in touch with Kakashi."

"You can't contact him?"

"No, it's not that. There's just something he asked me to do today, and I need to ask him a few questions. And that reminds me—can you study by yourself today?"

"Sure," Naruto said. "I understand that he needs your help. He's kind of helpless without you. It's a wonder he can get across the street on his own without getting hit by a car."

The older man smiled again, then approached Naruto and wrapped him in a warm, tight embrace.

"What's this for?" Naruto said, caught off-guard.

"Nothing," Iruka hummed. "I just love you."

The shock of Iruka's words froze Naruto in place for a few moments, but when he regained the ability to move, he returned the hug, squeezing Iruka and pressing his face to the taller man's shoulders to try and suppress his tears.

"I love you too, Iruka-sensei."

When they parted, Iruka patted his shoulder with the brightest, most calming and loving smile Naruto had ever seen. "Go upstairs now, and get started on your studies. Kakashi will be home in an hour—he's going to need to have the living room to himself, so try to stay upstairs and not disturb him."

Usually Kakashi was a very laidback worker, who let Naruto come and go through his work space, where they would talk and laugh about Kakashi's current tasks. "Is he working on something important?"

Iruka nodded solemnly. "He shouldn't be working for long though, so I'll come and get you when he's done."

"Alright. I'll have to go to work soon, so if he's not done by then, I'll sneak out the window."

Iruka looked horrified. "You'll break your legs!"

"Trust me, Iruka-sensei, I'll be fine. I climbed out of third-story windows in my food-snatching days."

Naruto quickly left Iruka to worry, scuttling up the stairs before the subject could be argued any further, and opened up his books to study. He got halfway through his World History studies for the day before he realized he left some of his reference books downstairs. He hadn't been studying for long, so he figured it'd be fine to run downstairs and grab his books.

When he descended the stairs, he saw a foreign person alone in the living room, sitting on the couch. He was a young man with sandstone-colored skin, wild, blood-red hair and dark-rimmed eyes. He noticed Naruto the minute he started down the steps, teal eyes trailing him icily to the bottom of the stairwell.

"Hey," Naruto greeted, not really sure what to say. He got no response, so he tried again. "You here for Kakashi-sensei?"

The boy didn't nod, but a light of recognition in his eyes was all Naruto needed. A smile broke out over his whiskered face and he walked over, holding out his hand to be shaken. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto." When the boy looked at his hand uncomprehendingly, he added, "You've probably met Iruka-sensei by now too, right? I'm his son."

The boy didn't shake his hand, but after a long pause eyed him and said, "I thought his last name was Umino."

"It is. He adopted me."

This stranger felt very unapproachable, the look in his eyes hungry and foreboding, like he was sizing Naruto up. But at least he was talking, so he couldn't be completely unapproachable.

Seeing that this boy wasn't going to bother with a handshake, Naruto made himself at home on the coffee table across from his guest. "What's your name?"

Another long pause. "Gaara," the boy said eventually.

"Nice to meet you, Gaara." His gaze flickered up to Gaara's forehead and found a lack of hair where there should've been eyebrows. He put his fingers to his own eyebrows, smoothing them down, and asked, "Were you born without these, or was it a lifestyle choice?"

Naruto got a blank look in return that solidified his impression that Gaara was not a talkative person.

"Uh …" he said, searching for something else to say, since Gaara wasn't answering him. "You must be pretty bored, sitting around waiting for Kakashi-sensei. Do you like manga? Video games? 'Cause I can hook you up."

Gaara's eyes widened at those last few words, an expression full of panic and hostility overtaking those features that seemed carved in marble. Naruto was about to ask what was wrong when Kakashi and Iruka came walking in the front door.

"Oh, Naruto. I see you've met Gaara." Kakashi said, looking back and forth between the two boys, as if gauging the mood. If his tone was any indication, he didn't like what he saw.

"Yeah, I just came down to get my books and I saw him down here all by himself. I figured he must be bored, so I introduced myself." Naruto took the time to gather his books, which were also on the coffee table, trying to indicate he would soon leave them alone. "You starting work with him, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes. Gaara will be having one-on-one sessions with me from now on."

Naruto was standing up when he heard that, and he froze in mid-ascent. "Huh? By himself? Why not with the group?"

He looked over Kakashi's shoulder and saw Iruka, whose stiff body language was screaming for Naruto to shut his mouth.

"His condition is very severe," Kakashi explained. "He needs more individual focus."

Naruto's nose crinkled in disbelief. "To hell with that. Just let him hang out." He turned to Gaara, who still looked on edge. "Talking about feelings is just unnecessarily difficult, right? How about you, me, Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei have some tea, sit around, and shoot the shit?"

He felt Kakashi's hand firmly on his shoulder, and when he looked into those mismatched eyes, he saw there was no room for negotiation. "He can't play right now. Go up to your room and study."

"… Well," Naruto said to Gaara, after having a short staring match with his housemate, "if he gives you a break, I'll bring down some manga." He gave another smile to the nervous visitor and then jogged back upstairs, his mind a whirling dervish of irritation. Even after he went back to studying, he could hardly concentrate. He didn't understand why Kakashi insisted Gaara was different from the other patients. Even if his condition was serious, Naruto had a pretty bad incident with the Kyuubi when he first started living with Iruka. But ever since hanging out with his new friends and taking his meds, he hardly ever heard from that fox anymore.

He kind of wanted to argue with Kakashi a little more, so after about an hour of failed attempts to study, he snuck downstairs again, only to find no one in the living room. He crept to the kitchen to see if they'd moved there, but he only saw Iruka washing some dishes. His foster-father caught sight of him and asked, "You looking for Gaara?"

"Maybe," Naruto said sheepishly.

Iruka sighed. "You're going to get into trouble with Kakashi if you don't leave that boy alone."

Ignoring his warning, Naruto asked, "Where are they?"

"They've moved their session to a different venue." He motioned for Naruto to step closer and handed him some dishes to be dried.

"But didn't Kakashi-sensei choose Iruka-sensei's house as office for a reason? I know I came on a little strong, but if it drove them away …"

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that Gaara's case is very special. He doesn't interact well with others."

"Maybe," Naruto said, frowning, "but can you imagine how lonely that would be? Being a 'special case' set apart from all the other freak shows."

"Naruto, I know you only meant well by wishing for Gaara to be in your group sessions. And maybe someday he will be. But he has to be handled gently …"

Naruto's scowl deepened. "He's not some piece of pottery."

A faint smile appeared on Iruka's face, out of Naruto's line of sight. "Have some faith in Kakashi. Everything will be fine."

Even though Iruka's words were comforting and Naruto trusted both him and Kakashi, he still couldn't get rid of the uneasiness curling and coiling in his stomach like a snake lying in wait.

(XXX)

- $100 is roughly 9,330 yen.

NOTES: I am Jesse. I live in Saitama. I've already made this joke before. Perhaps I am also but a component of the Rejecting Classroom …?

This took forever to write, and ended up hella long, with two extra scenes than what I intended. So I've broken up this piece into two chapters—rejoice! I'm trying to be more punctual about updating, but this story is hard to write. I have to fill up notecards nowadays with info and sort out in my head what I want to do. Then comes actually writing it and revising it. Sorry about the long wait—thanks for all your support despite my sluggishness. I love each and every one of you.

Please give me feedback! I want to hear words from those pretty little fingers. Favorite if you like the story.

ALSO, LET ME BUMP MY BUDDIES!

My dear friends OlivesOranges and DooplissShinigami on deviantart are fellow manga enthusiasts and draw their own series and fanart.

OlivesOranges has written and published her first novel in her Twisted Fates series. It's only about 15 bucks, so please support her! She's an amazing author, friend, and artist! She is also drawing a Twisted Fates comic called Rose for Shurinai, as well as creating a Twisted Fates RPG. The links are below.

TwistedFates: For Better or Worse (Novel): .

Rose for Shurinai: /

Phantom Plague (RPG):

DeviantArt:

And as for Doopliss, she's not only a great artist, but an incredible cosplayer. Please check out her DeviantArt here for top-notch costumes: