The Start of Something

Even though Kakashi had lectured him just that morning, Sasuke skipped lunch and went straight to the sparring halls after morning classes. His fellow first-years were already trickling in, and he took his usual place at the far end of the mat. He saw Gaara and Neji walk in, and they joined him. Sasuke acknowledged them but didn't speak, eyes scanning the students for a familiar mop of spiky blonde hair.

Naruto entered a few minutes later, and his eyes immediately found Sasuke. That obnoxious grin of his popped out, and he strolled across the floor like he owned it. He stopped in front of the raven Coordinator.

"Ne, Sasuke," he drawled like always. It was seriously annoying. "Partner with me."

Not a request today. Neji took half a step as if ready to tell the guy off, but Sasuke straightened from his slouch with a glare and all but stomped toward the mat. "Let's get it over with," he muttered.

His bad attitude didn't seem to bother Naruto in the slightest as he followed. A pair quickly came to challenge them, and Sasuke threw Naruto one more venomous glare before accepting the hands the other extended. He twisted to put his back to Naruto's chest, going down to one knee and holding himself open.

With rather astonishing speed, the fastest Sasuke had yet experienced, Naruto transformed. His form was also surprising. He'd been expecting something huge and obnoxious, just like the blonde's personality. However, a long black katana sword now rested in his hands. The blade was double-edged and gleamed brightly. The third shock was the well of chakra Sasuke could sense. This guy's limits pushed even Sasuke's.

Raw power didn't indicate any skill, as Sasuke well knew. And there was something strange about this guy's chakra. Most people had a pale color, but this stuff was dark, angry red. It felt . . . spiky. He couldn't describe it any better, and he didn't care for it one bit. It didn't slide easily and naturally along Sasuke's own.

But a promise was a promise, no matter how it was extracted. Sasuke tapped one foot against the mat before lunging at their opponent, the sword flashing a glittering arc in his hands.

Naruto responded at once, gathering chakra to power the blade. It began to glow, and Sasuke grimaced. As he'd rather suspected, this idiot's control was terrible. He drew way too much way too fast. It felt like a leech the size of a building was hungrily sucking on Sasuke's chakra channels. And Naruto indiscriminately drew on both of them.

"Damn, you're fucking impressive as hell!" Naruto said abruptly. "Lemme show you one of my two secret attacks. Put a little distance between us and that asshole."

Sasuke's lips twitched, and he obediently sprang back. The katana glowed even brighter. At Naruto's direction, he slashed it toward their opponent, and curved blades of pure chakra went flying toward the other Coordinator. She threw herself to the mat to avoid it, and probably two dozen students also had to leap out of the way. The blades struck the far wall and took an enormous chunk out of it.

In spite of himself, Sasuke felt a tiny pulse of amusement. "That was a terrible attack, dobe. We're sparring, not fighting a war."

"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto said good-naturedly. "I'm still working on that. C'mon, let's get 'em while they're down!"

Shaking his head, already knowing how this would end, Sasuke once more took the offensive. His opponent's Controller had the form of a great double-headed axe, and the Coordinator threw it up in a sweeping arc to deflect the blow. Sasuke relaxed his arms to fade away from her blow and pivoted on the balls of his feet to swing around and slash toward her back. She barely managed to get the axe up in time to block, but because Naruto had powered his blade with ridiculous amounts of chakra, the force knocked her clean off her feet.

"Easy win!" Naruto crowed. "Finish them off, Sasuke!"

Sasuke kept up the offensive until the force of his blows knocked the axe from her hands, and their bond unraveled. Lowering the tip of the sword, Sasuke watched the pair get to their feet. Not surprising, Naruto was a strictly offensive Controller.

He doesn't suit me at all. Just like I knew he wouldn't. He prepared to unravel the bond.

"Wait!" Naruto squawked. "What are you doing? We're just getting started!"

"I believe I promised you one round," Sasuke replied crisply.

"Uh, like hell you did. All I said was you're partnering with me today. I never said one round!"

Grinding his teeth in annoyance, Sasuke flicked the sword up and looked around. "Who's next?" he demanded.

Another pair took him up on that, and he grimaced at the form. This Controller was a large bow, and the arrows were pure chakra. Not a good opponent for an idiot who couldn't even form a chakra shield. Still, Sasuke gamely took the offensive.

His opponent immediately formed three arrows and loosed them. Sasuke had to perform a series of quick slashes to deflect them, forcing him into a defensive position. No sooner had he regained his balance than three more flew toward him. As fast as he could take care of them more came.

Really not liking having to wield a weapon and attack and defend at the same time, Sasuke grit his teeth and filled his lungs with chakra. When he breathed out, half a dozen small fireballs burst out, destroying the chakra arrows, but more came right on their heels.

"Do something, idiot!" Sasuke demanded, the blade singing through the air as he yet again deflected arrows.

"Okay!" Naruto said brightly. "Back up a little, I'll show you something sweet!"

Sasuke obeyed, putting a little distance between himself and their opponent. Naruto began drawing huge amounts of chakra, and suddenly he transformed.

This form, Sasuke thought, suited him. He was now holding the biggest fucking gun he'd ever seen in his entire life. The triple barrel was probably a meter long, and the butt end had a guard that extended all the way up over Sasuke's shoulder. It was covered in little needle-sharp spikes.

Sasuke knew what would happen a split second before it did, but before he could begin to form a protest Naruto had already gathered chakra into glowing spheres at the business end of all three barrels and fired. The sheer power of the attack burned the mat away, causing the spongy material to melt and warp. Every student in the line of fire had to fling themselves out of the way to avoid pulverization, and plaster exploded out from the wall where they struck.

Sasuke hardly saw. The attack all but drained him, and he went down to hands and knees, vision swimming alarmingly. The bond didn't so much as unravel as shatter, and black spots danced in Sasuke's vision. He could dimly hear students clamoring and exclaiming as his senses wandered for several moments. He felt warm (and large) hands grip his shoulders.

"Sasuke . . . ?"

"Idiot!" Sasuke snarled, hitting Naruto's hands away from him. "You're the worst Controller I've ever paired with! If that's the best you can do, we're never partnering again. Usuratonkachi!" If words alone could kill, the venom in the word loser would have left Naruto massacred on the floor.

"I know, I know," Naruto said, "I still need to work on that. I'll do better next time."

"Next time?" Sasuke repeated, straightening to blast Naruto with the full force of his frozen glare. "There isn't gonna be a next time, dobe. You're like a five-year-old, flailing around without a clue how to marshal your limbs."

The second the words left his mouth, he knew Naruto was going to say -

"Give me a chance. I'd hate to have to tell someone your secret."

- that. Grinding his teeth so hard his jaw ached, Sasuke glared at him in helpless fury for a good ten seconds while the noise in the sparring hall jangled in the air around him. "Fine," he spat, "but not here. After classes, meet me in the private sparring rooms."

Levering himself to his feet took a bit of effort, and to his massive annoyance Naruto hopped up with no problem. As Sasuke stepped down off the mat, Neji intercepted him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, giving Naruto an openly hostile look.

"Fine," Sasuke said shortly, not wanting to get into a conversation about this with anyone. Not even his closest friends. He brushed past Neji and made his way out of the sparring arena. Naruto didn't follow him, and that was good. He would seriously punch the idiot right in the throat.

~o0o~

Afternoon classes went by way too fast, and Sasuke found he could hardly pay attention. All he could think about was the upcoming "training" with Naruto. He's like a damn kid in a sandbox, he thought spitefully. No finesse what-so-fucking-ever.

Despite his dread, Sasuke didn't fool around after classes. He stopped by his room long enough to dump off his books, and fortunately Gaara wasn't there. His roommate would probably ask him questions Sasuke didn't want to answer. Not just yet. He wasn't ready to admit this stupid fucking mess was his own goddamn fault. Far easier to blame Naruto.

And really, it was Naruto's fault. If only the blonde weren't such a persistent fucking moron!

In the east wings dedicated to sparring, past the big open halls, there were individual rooms where pairs could train. They were mostly designed for students already bonded, but for this they suited Sasuke's needs perfectly. Naruto was already waiting for him, no surprise, wearing his stupid grin. It stretched across the entire lower half of his face, making his eyes squint closed. He looked like the world's dumbest fox.

Acknowledging him only with a fierce scowl, Sasuke headed for an open room. Once inside, he slammed and locked the door before rounding on the blonde.

"If you can't even handle the basics of chakra control," he said, jabbing a finger into Naruto's chest, "we're never sparring again."

Naruto gave him a stupidly pouty look. "It's not my best area." Then he grinned. "But admit it. You've never partnered with anyone more powerful!"

"Your power means jack shit," Sasuke dismissed him, the unusually crude (for him) language slipping easily off his tongue. "We couldn't even maintain a bond for five minutes. If we were in an actual battle back there, we'd both be dead. Skill always wins over incompetent brawn. Every moron with half a brain knows that!"

The heat of his fury cowed Naruto, and that actually managed to appease Sasuke a little. Only a little. He'd had hours to work himself up into quite a fit of pique.

"I know," Naruto said, voice no longer airy. "But I can do better, I know it. I just need someone to practice with me. Whaddaya say, Sasuke?" His grin came back, but it was a bit more subdued.

Heaving a put-upon sigh, Sasuke dropped cross-legged onto the mat. "Sit. We're gonna do the basic chakra exercises for beginners. I assume you know how to link without transforming." Sharp and snide.

"Of course," Naruto muttered, sitting opposite him and taking his hands.

Chakra sprang up around them both, cobalt blue and fiery red. Sasuke grimaced internally at the feel of that chakra. It just felt weird and raw and hungry, all too eager to get at Sasuke's insides. He tried to ignore it.

"Chakra control is my weakest area too," Sasuke admitted grudgingly—though it was likely Naruto already knew that. His scores were all posted in his public student records, which other students could access from The Academy's Student Net. It was too much of a stretch to admit he and Naruto might be able to help each other. "So channel chakra into a ball between us. Only use yours."

"Okay," Naruto said, his voice finally all serious. He closed his eyes.

Less than a second later, Sasuke bowed forward with a hiss as Naruto drew strongly and rapidly on chakra from them both. His head snapped up and he glared at the blonde.

"I said yours, idiot! Fuck, you don't have any skill."

Naruto gave him a faint glare. "God, you're an asshole. It's not my fault, all right? I didn't learn the same things most other kids training to be Shinobi did."

Sasuke blinked. That was . . . Sighing again, Sasuke squeezed Naruto's hands. Hard. "Listen. I hate repeating myself, so pay attention. Think of channeling chakra as like filling a container with water. You only need to put in as much water as will fill the container. Any more, and the container will overflow. The same principle is true of channeling chakra. If your blade was an empty container, how much water would it take to fill it? Not very much, right? Well, the same is true of any ninjutsu."

For a moment Naruto was silent, eyes narrowed a little. "Huh," he said, looking almost bemused. "None of my teachers ever put it like that."

In spite of himself, Sasuke's lips twitched in a grin. "So intelligently?"

"So easy to understand," Naruto replied. "Okay, let me try again. I think I got it."

Five tries later, Sasuke was beginning to wonder if this idiot was capable of getting anything. He felt a bit light-headed and slightly dizzy, creeping ever closer to being completely drained. He dug his short, blunt nails into Naruto's palms.

"Are you even trying, dobe?"

Naruto winced but didn't try to shake Sasuke off. "It's harder than you think, yanno."

Sasuke actually felt his teeth curl away from his lip in a feral snarl. "I know exactly how hard it is. Idiot! It's why I still struggle with it. But I'm not like a three-year-old in a bathtub, splashing around and spilling water all over the fucking house!"

"Geez, you're really mean," Naruto grumbled. "I just have to find a way that works for me. I'm getting there, so stop being an ass."

"You're weren't the one dragged here against his will," Sasuke snapped. "Stop fucking around and try. This doesn't exactly feel good."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. This time for sure."

Once more, he drew on both their chakras. Beyond irritated, Sasuke yanked his hands away. Their bond broke, making Naruto yelp.

"I said yours, moron!" Sasuke growled, every cell in his body straining with the desire to belt this idiot right in the throat. "Don't just indiscriminately grab at whatever you want. Your chakra feels distinctly different from mine. Pay attention to the difference and channel yours. When a pair bond, the Coordinator is the one who has to maintain it. The Controller should always draw on his or her own first so the pair can stay bonded as long as possible. Got it?"

Looking more and more disgruntled, Naruto nodded. He said nothing as he held up his hands. With great reluctance, Sasuke took them and initiated their bond again. He could feel Naruto preparing to channel again. Then the blonde shocked the hell out of him by finally getting it right. He drew only on his own chakra.

"So you can learn," Sasuke grunted. "Good. You know by now the most effective forms of ninjutsu and genjutsu are performed when Coordinator and Controller combine and merge their chakra. Right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "That's the first thing we're taught."

"And it's why most Controllers channel both theirs and their Coordinator's," Sasuke said. "This is the best way anyway. But at least I know you can do it now. So let's try the most basic control exercise. Maybe now that you can differentiate between our energies, your control will improve. Channel chakra in a constant, steady stream, but make it as fine as you can."

As expected by now, Naruto did no such thing. He channeled in a great big fucking wave. Sasuke grit his teeth again, giving Naruto a vicious glare. The blonde grinned sheepishly and stopped.

"Sorry. Okay, lemme try again."

Three tries later and Sasuke was afraid he'd pass out. This time, their bond unraveled on its own. Raking fingers through his damp hair, Sasuke gave Naruto another glare. It was half-hearted from sheer exhaustion.

"You're not improving even a little," he said, voice not as waspish as he wanted. "Are you trying at all?"

For the first time, the cheerfulness had vanished from Naruto's countenance. He looked frustrated as he copied Sasuke's gesture and dug his fingers into his hair.

"I don't get it. I tell myself to do something, but it's like my body has a will of its own. I know what I have to do, but I just can't do it!"

Relenting somewhat, Sasuke shook his hands and arms to wake them up. "I can show you," he offered. "Would that help?"

Some of the good humor returned to sky-blue eyes. "Yeah! That'd be awesome."

Sasuke held up his hands, and Naruto's larger ones curled around them. Slowly and carefully, he began to channel chakra into as fine and narrow a line as he could. His control wasn't perfect, so this kind of thing was basically impossible for him in the heat of sparring. But in this kind of environment, when he could take his time, his skills were more than adequate.

"Channeling," he said absently, "is precision work. When you're learning the basics, there's no need to rush. Accomplishing your goal quickly with perfect control is something that comes with practice. So it's important to learn how to do it well slowly, then build up speed." He stopped. "Now you try."

"Wow, okay!" Naruto said, shifting on his butt a little. "That seems pretty easy!"

No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than he channeled a huge fucking wave. Sasuke instantly yanked his hands free, breaking their bond.

"Slowly, moron!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Naruto said, definitely not sounding contrite enough to appease Sasuke. And his stupid grin returned as he held up his hands. "Lemme try again. I'll get it."

I really doubt that, Sasuke thought, glaring as he linked hands and reestablished the bond. Naruto frowned and closed his eyes, concentration visibly covering his face. Then he began channeling their chakra again. Like before it started out too much, but before Sasuke could protest the volume of the wave shrank to less than half, then continued narrowing. Huh. Imagine that. I guess he can learn. Maybe not such an idiot after all.

"Heh, heh, heh!" Naruto chuckled. "I am a genius!"

His control slipped, and the flow expanded right back into an enormous wave.

And nope. Still an idiot. Sasuke once more cut him off, resisting yet another urge to punch the blonde in the face. He settled for digging his nails into the guy's hands again.

"Pay attention!" he snapped. "If you don't maintain focus, that's what happens. You can't push pause on channeling, it requires constant concentration. Do it again. And if you lose focus one more time, I'm gonna kick you in the balls so hard you barf them up!"

Looking a little queasy, Naruto swallowed and settled down. "All right. This time for sure."

~o0o~

Two hours later, Sasuke was completely drained. The channels in his body along which chakra flowed felt raw and burned, and his body was numb with exhaustion. He didn't like admitting it (and would never do so aloud), but Naruto had actually improved quite a bit. His control was by no means excellent, but the guy had an impressive facility for learning quickly.

"Today was awesome!" the blonde Controller exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

And a seemingly endless supply of stamina. Sasuke could barely move. "It was many things," he said primly, "but awesome was not one of them."

"Hmph," Naruto grumped. "You're a real ass. But, I don't mind! We're awesome together!"

Sasuke kept his sigh internal. That statement wasn't true. They were terrible together. They didn't complement each other, their personalities clashed, and Naruto had the attention span of a gnat. He had a feeling it would take a lot of repetitions for Naruto to be able to perform the basic chakra exercises without concentrating.

In essence, Naruto was the worst possible Controller for Sasuke. He needed someone level-headed, even-keeled, and highly skilled. He didn't say any of this. Simply, he didn't have the energy.

Naruto held out a hand to him, and his grin this time was different. A bit more mellow. Sasuke didn't even think about it, he just took it and let the blonde haul him to his feet. His legs wobbled alarmingly, and a strong arm around his waist steadied him. Naruto chuckled quietly.

"We worked hard, didn't we?" he murmured, slinging Sasuke's arm around his neck.

They walked like this all the way back to the dorms. A distant voice whined at Sasuke he shouldn't give Naruto his room number, but it was too far off to warn him in time. When they finally reached his door, Sasuke managed to straighten and shook Naruto off.

The blonde's obnoxious grin had returned. "Tomorrow? Same time?"

Sasuke suspected if he punched Naruto, he wouldn't be able to stop his momentum and he'd fall on his face. "Fine," he forced out between clenched teeth. He put his palm on the hand scanner, and the door unlocked. He stormed inside and slammed it in Naruto's face.

He barely made it to the bed before collapsing. Immediately darkness crept in, sleep eagerly waiting to swallow him up. It would have been nice to get out of his uniform, but he seriously did not have the strength.

His last conscious thought was one of distant amazement,

Huh. I didn't think of Itachi once today.