*note* I'm using the word "teme" because in Japan it's not really considered a swear word, although it is considered rather derogatory. There's a reason I'm not translating it. I don't like the English translation, as it can be considered profanity.

Ch 4 (21)

"But it looks…creepy," Sasuke muttered as he looked at the picture topping his friend's ninja registration sheet. Because of his later registration, Naruto had been the last one to come in and have it approved. Even though Sasuke had already come, they both decided to come at the same time (Naruto probably couldn't have stopped Sasuke…he'd considered trying). All the profile said was, "Dedicated to getting the job done." Sasuke had thought it just meant information about the ninja, so he'd put his favorite food and hobby (playing pranks) in that space. The picture had him looking at the camera with a glare that…well…made him look evil or something.

Naruto looked over at the blue-eyed boy with a blank face. He seemed awfully subdued compared to when he'd broken the news of him actually passing (YOU DID! YATTA!!!!! LET'S GET RAMEN TO CELEBRATE!). Afterwards, he'd been taken to Ichiraku's for the second time that day, when he'd barely been able to stomach the first trip. It hadn't been a pleasant memory.

He almost wanted to ask what was wrong…almost. Knowing the teme, he'd probably tell him whenever he felt like it.

"Hey, Naruto…" speak of the devil. Sasuke lowered the sheet onto his lap, already forgotten.

"Hm," the blond grunted in response.

"After we get on separate teams, do you think we'll still be friends?" Naruto continued to stare ahead at the floorboards of the school. He didn't quite know how to respond to that. He hadn't particularly wanted to be Sasuke's friend to begin with…but for some reason, he didn't want to tell the blond that.

Thankfully, before he could answer, he was called into the room by the chuunin who had been assigned to help the Hokage with the registration sheets.

"Good luck, Naruto!" Sasuke stood up and flashed him a cheesy, fox-like grin and a thumb's up. Naruto shook his head as he entered the room. Sometimes he swore the other kid had two personalities.

xXx

"Hmm," Sasuke muttered to himself as he waited for Naruto to come back out. He'd only been gone for a few seconds, but still… "I know! I'll go get some Ramen for us when he gets out!" With that, he grinned and set off down the hall. He didn't notice the small shadow that approached the door almost as soon as the brunette turned the corner.

xXx

"Approved," the Sandaime smiled with a grin as he looked over the sheet. Naruto had done a good job with the application. The old man doubted they'd have to change much more than the picture as he got older.

Naruto stood up, his face emotionless, and bowed. "Arigato, Sandaime-san," he said politely.

Then, everyone's attention turned to the door. A very young presence could easily be sensed just outside it.

Not two seconds later, the door burst open, and a 9-year-old child with a long blue scarf tied around his neck came rushing through the door. "Fight me!" he yelled, aiming for the Hokage, who hadn't moved. "The title of Fifth Hokage belongs to me! Kona-" he got cut off as he immediately ran into an outstretched arm that appeared very suddenly in front of him.

Everyone in the room looked, surprised, to the owner of that arm.

"Naruto…" Sandaime said softly. Standing above the fallen boy as if he didn't have a care in the world, Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around, heading back for the seat he'd only just left. He stopped when he heard a shriek from the door.

A man wearing black and sunglasses under his Konoha bandana stood in the doorframe, looking something between horrified, shocked and angry.

"Y-you! You hurt the third Hokage's Grandson!"

At that, Naruto stopped. He didn't turn around. Konahamaru, cradling his aching nose, got onto his knees, a smile crossing his face. 'He stopped, just like Ebisu and everyone else.'

"So what?" the blond shrugged, and continued his trek back to his seat. "I'd do it again, if he tries to hurt the Hokage."

Konohamaru's mouth dropped open as he stared at the boy from behind. Ebisu came over and picked him up off of the ground, dusting him off while sending the now seated graduate scathing glances. "You shouldn't get involved with someone like that. You're the Hokage's grandson, you know." Konohamaru didn't respond, choosing instead to look down to the side. "I, the elite teacher Ebisu, am never wrong. You wish to become Fifth Hokage, right? If you…" he continued to prattle on, obviously full of himself. Naruto watched with a bored expression for a few moments before he turned and left. His eyebrow raised a few centimeters when he noticed that Kohonamaru had decided to follow him…while his teacher apparently hadn't even noticed. Naruto could STILL hear him half-way down the hall. He'd been gone for a full 12 seconds before the guy even noticed.

Naruto snorted softly. Best way to become Hokage is to learn from him, huh? Yeah, in the guys dreams.

He glanced around, noticing that Sasuke hadn't waited for him, and frowned. That wasn't like the normal Uchiha, unless…

"Oh man," he muttered. Knowing Sasuke, he'd gone out for more celebration food. That meant more Ramen. That also meant, if Naruto knew what was good for him, he'd better get out of there.

He hurried out of the school, but only at a normal person's pace. He wasn't in any hurry to get back to his apartment, as that would be the first place Sasuke would look for him.

Besides, that brat from before was still trailing him…and rather obviously too.

He glanced over his shoulder, only to see the boy throw a blanket over himself. While it matched the pavement and dirt on the road, the fact that Naruto could see his sandals, and the fact that it was pretty obvious it hadn't been there before really made it stand out. Sighing in frustration, he turned around and continued to walk away.

After a few more seconds of the boy following him, he stopped. "What are you doing?" he asked. "And why are you following—" he cut off when he turned around, realizing that the boy had used Sasuke's chakra blanket trick…except he channeled the chakra the wrong way, making the supposed wooden planks run horizontal instead of vertical…

"You're really obvious, you know," Naruto muttered, ignoring the pulsing vein in his head.

Konohamaru lowered the blanket, a sly smile crossing his chubby face. "You noticed. Something I should expect from the guy I've heard rumors about."

Naruto immediately went on guard. "What kind of rumors…" he asked cautiously.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Only that other people are scared of you."

"Scared?" Naruto asked slowly.

Konohamaru ignored his implied question and walked up to him. "But I don't mind being your follower."

It was official. He'd found someone even more annoying than Sasuke. The realization sent a shock of fear through his body. "In return," Konohamaru continued, completely unaware of (or just outright ignoring) Naruto's sudden unease. "I hear you actually were able to get past the Hokage Geezer! Teach me that technique!"

Naruto was not a boy of emotions. He preferred to keep a rather calm and cool exterior, rarely letting anything pierce it. However, he could not stop his face from contorting into absolute and complete horror at the younger boy's words.

"No way in—"

"Naruto!" Well, his life just got worse. He'd have to go home and hide under his little blanket for the next 10 years to get over this. Sasuke came bounding up to them, Ramen in hand. Sometimes, Naruto hated being right.

xXx

Sarutabi couldn't keep a grin off of his face. He'd watched Naruto take down his Grandson, and had been thankful that the graduate would take Konohamaru down a few notches, but what had really gotten to him was what he'd said afterwards.

"I'd do it again if you try to hurt the Hokage."

Another memory came to him.

"Well, what about me?" Sarutobi finally responded. Naruto paused and looked back at him. "Do you care about me?"

"Yeah."

"So," Sandeime smiled down, "why don't you become a ninja to protect yourself, and me."

Naruto nodded and then went back to his little toy.

"I guess he hasn't forgotten after all," Sarutobi grinned. For some reason, that brightened up his whole day, and even while going through the mountain of paperwork on his desk, he couldn't help but grin widely, scaring just about everyone who came into the office.

xXx

"So this kid wants to learn that, huh?" Sasuke laughed and slurped through his noodles.

"Hai, hai!" Konohamaru grinned up at him through his own food (that had originally been intended for Naruto. At least the boy was good for something).

Naruto just grunted.

"Alright," Sasuke stood up, raising his chop sticks above his head in a triumphant pose. "I'll teach it to you!"

"Kill me now," Naruto muttered.

Konohamaru looked up at him for a moment before turning away in a pout. "No!" he said.

Sasuke, looking all too surprised, turned to face the younger boy's back. "Why?"

Without skipping a beat, the child turned his nose in the air. "Because I want boss to teach me!" With that, he pointed at Naruto, who backed away, his eye twitching. Why did he feel so sick?

"B-boss?" he managed to stutter out.

"Hai! Boss! Boss! Boss!" he yelled.

"Lke that's going to help," Naruto muttered.

"Please!" the boy actually dropped to his knees before Naruto. Both of the other boys stared in mix of disbelief and shock. No one ever did that to Naruto…

Finally, Naruto (glancing up at Sasuke desperately for help, although he'd never admit it) leaned forward to pat the kid on the head and tell him "no" nicely.

"Hey!" Sasuke butted in, bending down and throwing an arm around the kid's shoulders. "How about this. I'll show you, and Naruto here'll supervise. How about that?"

Konohamaru pursed his lips, thinking for a second.

"Alright," he said. "I work for you," he pointed to Sasuke, "and you work for the Boss."

Naruto blinked, somewhat surprised when he realized he kind of liked the sound of this arrangement.

"I what?!" Sasuke shrieked.

xXx

"To do any technique well, you need two things," Sasuke spoke, trying to sound as sage-like as possible, one finger in the air to supposedly emphasize the point. In Naruto's opinion, he just looked like an idiot. Of course, no one else on the fairly crowded street would agree with him that the amazing Uchiha (to anyone who didn't know him or had been the brunt of one of his pranks) had any problems at all whatsoever, but--

"Two things?" Konohomaru asked, interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

"Hard work and guts."

Naruto hid his snort (although Sasuke ignored it anyway). "Knowledge doesn't hurt either," he muttered. "And clan secrets."

"Really?" Konahomaru clenched his fists, determination setting over his face.

"That's right," Sasuke nodded with a grin. "I'll train you hard, so prepare yourself!"

"Teme," Naruto muttered. Sasuke turned and shot a glare at him, but again (amazingly) ignored him.

"Roger, lieutenant boss!" the young Sandaime yelled out.

Sasuke's eye started to twitch. "Lieutenant…" After a few seconds, he sighed. "Let's see you transform now, then."

"Huh?"

"I have to see how good your ninja techniques are," Sasuke explained. It took everything in Naruto's power to not laugh outright at that. The kid was a disgrace if all of his other ninja skills matched his tracking skills (or lack thereof).

Konohomaru looked to be at a slight loss. A few bystanders smiled at them as he contemplated this. "What should I transform into?" he asked.

Sasuke looked around, biting on his lip as he looked for something for his new 'student'. Finally, he saw a woman standing by a vendor, looking through his vegetable selection.

"Tranform into her," he said confidently.

"It's my pleasure," Konahomaru said in his usual determined tone.

"This should be interesting," Naruto muttered sarcastically, wondering if he could sneak off without them noticing.

The younger boy put his hands together and, while still looking at the girl, said the name of the jutsu. "Henge!" A cloud of smoke appeared around him, signaling that it had indeed worked. As soon as it began to clear, Naruto fell off of his perch on a fence, face-planting.

"So, do I look like her?" Konohamaru asked in a deep voice. Instead of a slender, shapely female figure, the woman that stood before them had large rolls of fat practically bursting out from anythere imaginable. She looked horribly distorted, and like she had constipation.

"Well…" Sasuke gulped, "the clothes are perfect."

"Sasuke!" The ninja heard Naruto call to him, and turned around. Behind him, stood the woman he'd tried to get the young Sarutobi to henge into…and she did not look happy. "Uh-oh," he gulped and shrank back.

"What's so similar?!" she hissed, glowering at him. Next thing Sasuke knew, he was on the ground with a rather painful bump on his head. Naruto balked. Apparently even Uchihas couldn't insult a woman and not get away with it.

Meanwhile, the woman walked up to Konohamaru. "Please try to be a little cuter when you attempt to transform into me, okay?" she grinned, and walked away, her blue kimono and dark hair swaying with every step.

"She's scary…" Konohomaru whispered, apparently frozen and shaking.

"Why did I have to get hit?" Sasuke asked from the ground.

Naruto found himself awfully glad that no one was looking at him at that moment, because he couldn't help but grin goofily at the scene. He managed to turn the smile into a scoff. "You opened your mouth," he commented. Konohamaru burst out laughing, and Sasuke turned around to glare at him. Fortunately by that time, he'd been able to hide the smile.

xXx

"You're gonna get in trouble," Naruto pointed out from his position leaning against a patched-up wall to one of the stores near one of the smaller bookstores in Konoha.

"We have to do pheromone research," Sasuke snuffed, his nose in the air as he walked up to the sliding door.

Konohamaru followed. "Yeah, boss," he agreed.

"Isn't he supposed to be listening to me?" Naruto muttered as he watched the two disappear inside. Naruto figured he'd have to stick around for this one. Silently, he reached into his pocked and pulled out the camera.

Four minutes later, both boys came running and screaming out of the door, dodging whips from the store-owner as he swung his horsewhip at them.

While nothing too particular happened other than that, Naruto did get a few good blackmail pictures.

xXx

"This is our last stop!" Sasuke said as they stood in front of one particular building.

"Roger, Lieutenant Boss!"

Naruto couldn't help but stare in shock. The familiar eye-twitch had come back too. "You two aren't actually going IN there, are you?" he asked.

"Let's put our heart and soul into it!" Sasuke and, putting his hands together in the seal.

"Hai!" Konohamaru yelled, following the older boy's example. One puff of smoke later, the same distorted girl (Except with uglier hair) stood in Konohamaru's clothing, and a dark-haired beauty stood in an orange and yellow kimono.

Naruto had thought he knew Sasuke very well…but now he was seeing him in a whole new light. This kid was devious, and strange, and willing to sink to just about any level necessary to accomplish his goal.

As Naruto watched them go in, his eyes widened in realization. How he'd described the Sasuke just now resembled how he'd describe a true shinobi...minus the using stupid jutsu. With more than a little curiosity, he watched the doors of the bath house, wondering when they'd come back--

His newly found respect for Naruto vanished immediately when several screams came from inside the building.

"You again, Sasuke?!" someone hollered.

"He could at least have picked a place they didn't know him," Naruto muttered. So Sasuke'd been here before. The blond wasn't sure if he felt impressed or disgusted by that.

xXx

Of course, it if had been Naruto going in there, he'd have gotten pounded. Since it was the Uchiha, he got away with a slap on the wrist in comparison. Still, he probably wouldn't be able to sit down very well for a few days until the bruises healed.

"I told you you'd get in trouble," the dark-eyed boy muttered, for the hundredth time wondering why he was still there.

"Shut up," Sasuke muttered, rubbing his sore behind.

"Gomen."

Both boys turned to look at the shortest member of the trio. "It's because I'm the grandson of the Hokage."

Sasuke looked the youngest boy over for a moment in confusion before shrugging it off. "Whatever."

"Huh?" Konohamaru looked up in surprise.

"Your preparation is now complete!" Sasuke ignored the boy's questioning look completely. "Now all you need to do is practice!"

Naruto sighed. "How is all of this supposed to help him?"

"Right, Lieutenant Boss!"

"Huh?!"

"Alright," Sasuke grinned. "Go for it!"

"Henge!" Konohamaru hollered, and a cloud of smoke formed around him.

"You freaks are two of a kind," Naruto muttered and walked over to a tree to take a nap. He most certainly didn't want to look at the results of their 'training', whether they succeeded or (he suppressed a shudder) not.

By the time they took a break, he'd long-since fallen asleep.

xXx

"Where is he?" Ebisu asked himself, more than a little worried for his student. He stood on top of one of many outposts, searching the town for the two boys. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why the Hokage wasn't worried. Well then, he'd have to do enough worrying for both of them.

"Anyone who does anything to my student, they will be eliminated!" he threatened to thin air, and then vanished.

xXx

"So," Sasuke handed Konohamaru a soda from a nearby machine, "why are you so fixated on Hokage-sama anyway?"

The young brunette looked up at him for a moment, before turning back to his soda, frowning. "Grandpa gave me this name," he said as he dragged his feet through the sparse grass of the training area they'd come to. "Konohamaru. He got it from the name of the village." Sasuke nodded, following him so far, but wondering what on Earth that had to do with anything. "Everyone knows it. I know they do. But no one calls me that. They only call me 'the Hokage's Grandson'." His expression darkened. "No one sees me as a person, and I hate that. That's why I want to be the Hokage now."

For some reason, that seemed to strike a chord with Sasuke. It wasn't like he knew what that was like, everyone always called him Sasuke. But he also knew that they only knew him because of his family. Maybe when they looked at him, they only saw his murdered clan…or Itachi. That's why he played so many pranks and trained so hard....

"Idiot," he said finally. Konohamaru blinked in surprise and looked over at the dark-haired graduate. "Who's going to recognize someone like you?"

"Huh?"

Sasuke sighed. "The title of Hokage isn't a title a child like you can carry around so easily," he said, not realizing he'd slipped back into using more proper language, remnants from growing up in a prestegious clan.

"What?!" Konohamaru stood up, shaking a fist and more than ready for a fight.

Sasuke looked over at him. With no smile on his face, he looked more than a little serious, and extremely threatening, but Konohamaru didn't back down. "I said, it's not easy. You keep saying 'Hokage, Hokage'. If you want that title so badly…" he trailed off.

"Then what?" the younger boy asked through his gritted teeth.

"Then," Sasuke turned, a smile finally returning to his face, and his eyes red with Sharingan. "You'll have to defeat me."

Konohamaru blinked in surprise. Sasuke wanted to be Hokage too? But the way he looked at Konohamaru…he really saw him, just like Naruto had…

"I've found you!"

Both boys turned around on the log they'd taken a seat on to see Ebisu on one of the trees. "Where is he?"

"Where is who?" Another voice from behind them. This time everyone turned to see Naruto standing like he didn't have a care in the world just outside of the shadow of the tree he'd been taking a nap under. "If you couldn't sense me, then you're even more pathetic of a ninja than I thought."

Ebisu ground his teeth together before turning to Sasuke. "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san," he said, "But I'm going to take Young Master home."

"NO!" Konohamaru yelled. "I'm going to go and defeat the Hokage and get that title for myself right now! Don't bother me!" He stamped his foot.

Ebisu began to walk forward. "The title of Hokage is something you receive after you understand the principles of morality, knowledge, loyalty, family unity, and can use more than 1000 techniques," he scoffed.

Konohamaru wouldn't hear anymore. With that old look of determination, he slapped his hands together in a seal. "Henge!" he yelled. A cloud of smoke appeared around him. Naruto turned his eyes away, not wanting to see the result. "How's my sexy no jutsu?" he heard a young woman's voice ask.

Ebisu looked more than a little horrified. Naruto wasn't sure if it showed that the 'technique' had worked or not.

"It didn't work?" Konohamaru asked, sounding a little worried.

"What a horribly indecent technique!" he yelped. "I'm a gentleman! I'll never fall for something so pathetic as that!" Then he turned and pointed to Naruto. "You taught him this, didn't you?!"

Naruto glared up at him for a moment. "So what if I did?"

"Naruto," Sasuke said from off to the side.

"Young master, you're only going to get dumber and dumber if you hang around him!" the teacher scolded as he tugged at the blue scarf.

Sasuke felt his fists tighten. "Take that back," he said.

"Huh?" the man looked up at the Uchiha.

"I said, take that back," the dark-haired boy looked up, and Ebisu gasped.

"He really has awoken his Sharingan…" he whispered, then shook his head. "Why do you defend that brat?!"

"Because he's my friend," Sasuke growled.

Naruto, off to the side, made a seal himself. "Hey, teme," he said. Sasuke blinked and looked over at him. "If you ever tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."

While Sasuke looked rather confused and taken aback, Ebisu looked even more aghast than he had before, if possible. "How dare you threaten—"

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu," he said. A good forty or so bushins appeared around him.

"Kage Bushin?" Sasuke asked.

"Just use your Bushin," Naruto growled. "Make as many as you can."

Sasuke blinked but nodded. "Bushin no Jutsu," he said. Six clones appeared beside him.

"Now follow my lead," Naruto grinned.

Konohamaru's eyes widened. "Wow, that's amazing, Boss!"

Ebisu scoffed openly. "I am an elite teacher, even if I don't look like one," he said. "I am not Mizuki." With that, he dropped into an offensive crouch, ready to attack.

"Let's see how much of a gentleman you really are," Naruto rolled his eyes. Then, he seemed to realize something and gulped. "Please let no one else see," he whispered before he yelled out "Henge, Sexy no Jutsu!"

If Sasuke had been confused before, he was nothing short of absolutely flabbergasted now. Since when did Naruto--

"Sasuke! Now!" he heard Naruto yell through the cloud of smoke that had appeared all around him.

"H-hai!" Sasuke said, and brought his hands together. "Sexy no Jutsu!"

"HUH?!" Ebisu looked more than a little shocked, and backed away a few steps. Naruto almost felt sorry for the guy with the utterly helpless face he gave. Almost.

Then, all of his clones rushed forward, Sasuke's own intangible ones right behind. "Ebisu-sama!" they called out as they latched onto him. Apparently, he couldn't take anymore. In a blood spout that had yet to be rivaled by anyone else (including the Hokage), he practically blew himself away, ending up in a dazed crouch on the forest floor.

In a puff of smoke, the clones all cleared away, leaving only Naruto and Sasuke standing behind, the latter staring in shock at the former.

"B-but, how…"

"Idiot," Naruto muttered, "I've always been decent with a henge."

"Boss!" Konohamaru ran up to them, "Leiutenant Boss! That was incredible!" Then he turned around, his face falling. "Grrr! I couldn't even defeat four-eyes teacher! I want the title that will make everyone recognize me, so why?!"

Sasuke sighed again. "I told you it's not that easy."

"What?" Konohamaruo turned to face him.

"You want the title of the man that everyone knows and recognizes, but he's also the man that everyone looks to for protection," he turned and looked up at the trees in contemplation. "There will be a lot of trials and hardships."

"You know," Naruto said as he shoved his hands back into his pockets, "it takes a lot to escape a name that's been made for you. You have to work hard to change that."

Sasuke grinned over at his friend before turning back to Konohamaru. "So you're going to have to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?"

Sasuke smiled and turned to walk away. "Prepared for the title that everyone will recognize and look up to." The evening wind began to blow around them, causing leaves to dance in the air and rustling the trees, making it a little bit more difficult for Konohamaru to hear, so he strained. He had to hear this. "And you have to be prepared for the fact," Sasuke looked over his shoulder with a grin, "that there's no shortcut."

The look on the older boy's face reminded Konohamaru of Sasuke telling him he'd have to beat him. With a chuckle, he grinned.

"Hm," he said. "You two, lecturing me like you're all that," he turned his own back on the two. "I quit being your follower. From today on, you're both my rivals." He imitated Sasuke, looking over his shoulder with a toothless grin.

"Che," Naruto shrugged and began walking away. Sasuke smiled down at Konohamaru.

"Staring tomorrow," Sasuke commented, "I'm going to be a ninja. But someday," he pointed at Konohamaru, "I'm going to battle you for the title of Hokage. Until then, look forward to it, K?" With that, he turned and began to jog to catch up with Naruto. As he did, he put his hand in the air, bidding his 'former student' a farewell.

Konohamaru watched the two boys who were actually able to see him walk away, and in final tribute, clicked his heals together and gave them a salute.

"Hai," he whispered, knowing that only he could hear it, but also knowing that only he needed to.

Thanks again to everyone reading this! *hug* I really appreciate it.

A bright, cheerful, happy, and downright scary Sasuke: obi-quiet .deviantart .com /art /Scariest -Sasuke -Ever -103913561 (Without the spaces). Seriously, that's how he looks in this.