JunAegileus777: Hi, guys! Here to tell ya not much has changed about this first chpt. A few details have been changed, though, so things will get changed around if you don't pay attention (unless this is your first time reading this). I think it's better now that there's a bit more movement. I'm having moments of Naru-derp—specifically SasuNeji, atm. Well, here we go again. Hope you enjoy this version, too!
How the Irons of Love Bond
First Fetters, Third Encounter
The first day of classes was about to start for Ninja Academy, there in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The students were getting anxious as school officials began to call for their attention and obedience. The future shinobi converged into the center of the Academy's "gymnasium," sitting themselves down and giving the officials their undivided attention.
"All right, you kids, listen up!" one of the main officials stepped forward to address the incoming schoolchildren. His voice was loud enough for the whole gym to hear.
The Third Hokage was present for the opening ceremony, so every student made sure they were on their best behavior.
Perhaps not for Naruto, though—Naruto Uzumaki, that is.
The commencement ceremony had started, and Naruto was late. He bolted through the streets toward the school like a rabid animal was chasing him. Luckily, the building's wooden fence was in his line of sight. "Aw, man! I'm late, I'm late!" he cried, ripping around the corner. He made it past the school perimeter, but didn't see anybody in the courtyard. "Crap, crap!" the twelve-year-old cried again. "Crap—!" He had tripped over an unseen rock and skidded on his face.
And Sasuke Uchiha saw it. "Humph," he huffed, looking away. "Watch where you're going, loser," he said nonchalantly.
Naruto, being the temperamental blond that he was, instantly got up and reprimanded the other boy. "And why don't you stop stalking around like a creeper, you…creeper!"
"What I do is none of your business…Naruto." He tagged on the spiky blond's name at the end, giving him his usual glare.
But Naruto ignored it, crossing his arms. "Anyway, shouldn't you be in there, too? It's started, you know; you're late, I'm late, we're both late! Now, get off your butt and let's get in there!"
"The doors are locked, Naruto," Sasuke warned in a slightly raised, irritated voice. "It's no use. So, I'm just chillin' out here because one, I can't get in, and two, it's something better to do."
Naruto's eyes bulged. "'Something better to do'? You mean, you'd rather sleep than become a ninja?" Naruto pouted, "You're crazy…." while crossing his arms again.
"Just go. I have no time to argue with you about it."
Naruto became internally furious. Veins in his head popped, and his hands gripped into fists. "Fine, then!" he cried irritably. "I'll just go knock on the door and politely excuse myself…and then, I'll become an honorary student with my mad ninja skills! Unlike you…!"
"I could honestly care less," Sasuke murmured, scoffing off Naruto's last comment, a sweat drop falling. "Loser."
"Why you—!" Naruto's cheek bubbled.
Time had passed, and Naruto and Sasuke hadn't talked the entire time. While Naruto sat in a tree swing, Sasuke remained reclined under that same sturdy tree. Its shade gave Sasuke a cool calm atmosphere, while tenderly blocking the bright spring sunshine from Naruto's eyes. Naruto blinked before looking over at Sasuke, who appeared to be dozing off.
"Hey, Sasuke…?"
Sasuke peeped one of his eyes open and blinked, looking over at Naruto. "What do you want?"
"Looks like we missed the opening ceremony. You going to class later?"
Naruto was obviously curious.
Sasuke seemed more aloof about it, though, than excited. So, he shut his eye, pondering for a moment. A sigh. "Yeah, I guess I should attend class." Sasuke looked up at the sky for a moment. He frowned pensively. 'I'll need more education, after all.'
Classes began one hour after the commencement ceremony. Ninja Academy students were packing their bags and heading off to their new learning environment, finding and making new friends—and rivals—along the way.
Like Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka: They were racing, literally face-to-face, toward the Hidden Leaf's Ninja Academy. Both girls were eager to see who was in their class—most eager to see Sasuke, who was apparently one of the best in said class.
"He wants to see me, Ino-Pig!"
"Not in a million years, Billboard Brow!"
The two rivaling girls were bickering to high heavens about Sasuke. Again. They both realized that Sasuke would be in their class through anonymous sources (and girls' intuition) around the same time, so they were obviously excited—but also bothersome to everyone else around them. The other kids stared disturbingly at the seriousness of their squabbling, and the poor classmates that were in their path got bowled over. No one dared to stop them.
Except for Suzume, one of the kunoichi instructors on staff. Her patience for new students was plentiful, but the girls' arguing was getting annoying. She decided to be the one to break it up as she stepped down from her post near the school's entrance.
"Ladies," Suzume warned, slightly peeved, but approached the two girls calmly.
Sakura and Ino instantly stopped and saw that their superior was glaring at them. They flinched, startled.
"Here at Ninja Academy, we expect you to act like proper students, and like ladies.So, stop your bickering right now!" She seemed waspish in her tone, and her eyeglasses gleamed sternly.
Sakura and Ino blinked nervously and stiffly bowed with deep regret. "We're sorry, sensei," the girls apologized.
Suzume sighed, mostly out of embarrassment for the two girls.
Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame stood some distance away from the resolved fray. Kiba's puppy, Akamaru, peeped his head out to take a peek outside of Kiba's hood. He barked happily.
"Yeah, I'm excited too, boy," Kiba commented, agreeing with Akamaru. "This year's gonna be totally intense!" He pumped a determined fist.
"Hmm." Shino nodded his head. He looked over and saw that Hinata Hyūga was curled up next to the tree he and Kiba were standing by, shy and reclusive as usual. Behind dark, circular shades were concerned eyes.
Naruto made his way into the schoolyard with a prideful march, his messenger bag swinging back and forth. "Ha ha! I'm not late this time around!" he announced, grinning. "I'm gonna work my hardest so I can become Hokage someday, the greatest one who ever lived!" He plopped his bag on the ground and threw a thumbs up. "Believe it!"
"Nobody here cares, idiot."
Sasuke Uchiha had silently walked up from behind him and was standing next to him now. Naruto yelped, throwing his arms into the air. But Sasuke only went on to pass him by and through the schoolyard. A nerve in Naruto's brain sparked angrily. He grappled an angry fist and started screaming: "Sasuke, you jerk! You've got some nerve calling me an idiot! You're the idiot who skipped the opening ceremony! 'Something better to do,' my butt! And wear some noisier shoes, ya creeper!…"
While Naruto raged Sasuke was walking away, completely ignoring him. Minding his own business, just as other students eyed him strolling through: Female students began to cutely gossip with one another; male students gave him hidden, questioning looks.
He ignored them as he heard them; the air around him refused to change.
The Third Hokage resided within the head chamber of his stronghold, addressing issues inside and outside of his Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was in the middle of writing something when one of his pages knocked on the door; the Hokage allowed him in.
In the page's hands was a scroll. Reciting it to the Hokage, the page announced the roster for the newest class entering Ninja Academy. The Hokage listened as the page read through the roster, recalling a face to each name.
"…Uchiha Sasuke…"
The Third Hokage stopped writing. He had instantly recalled the student's face, and oddly remembered the history linked to him. "Another one, eh?" the village elder spoke, smoothing out his stark white goatee. He made a pensive face. "Well. This should be an interesting year."
Within the school walls were classrooms, and inside one of them Iruka Umino was introducing himself to the class. He seemed to be a fairly laidback teacher. As far as Naruto was concerned, he was "the coolest teacher ever."
Sasuke cruised through the hallways of the Academy. He didn't seem to be paying attention to where he was going, but he stopped. He gazed out the window across from him for a moment, before reaching for the sliding door and opening it calmly. He entered Iruka's classroom and sighed.
"Well, you're fairly late, uhh…?" Iruka had to check his student roster. "Sasuke Uchiha. For what reason are you tardy?"
Sasuke replied with a nearly undetectable scoff, "I got a bit lost, sensei," as he wandered over to a seat. The seating was arranged in rows on a terraced foundation, so Sasuke found a place near a large-paned window and took a seat there. He paid no attention to the stares from the other students and the teacher.
Iruka blinked as he watched Sasuke sit down. He made a face and a comment: "Well, I'm glad you found, and decided to, join us, Sasuke." Iruka cleared his throat. "Anyway, moving on…."
As Iruka went on with his introductory lecture Sasuke stared out the window, not paying any attention at all.
It hadn't been three days before Sasuke decided to gyp classes. The roof seemed to be the best option for that time of day. The sky was clear and beautiful while clouds brimmed the horizon, forming a sash of fluffy brightness in the sky and seemingly embracing the village.
But none of it seemed to strike a particular interest in Sasuke.
He shifted in the place he was sitting in, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. He managed to start dozing shortly before, so his eyes remained closed as he moved in his sleep.
Suddenly, the opening of the rooftop access was heard.
Sasuke's coal-black eyes shot open at the sound, but his body was calm as he straightened his posture and looked over to see who had come out. Something seemed to sparkle keenly in Sasuke's dark eyes.
He smirked as he saw Neji Hyūga standing there.
The other student shut the door, closely eyeing Sasuke as he was sharply roused from his light sleep. Neji blinked, furrowing his brows ever so slightly.
"Forgive my intrusion." Neji seemed to be speaking formally to Sasuke.
Sasuke watched as Neji lightly strode to the opposite side of where he was. Neji paid him no mind as he crouched low.
The two of them stayed in silence as time passed by, neither risking speech to jeopardize the noiselessness. Neji was quietly rummaging around the rooftop for something. He peeked around, almost aimlessly according to what Sasuke saw. Sasuke could tell the other boy was avoiding eye contact.
So, after the awkward silence came the awkward comment, "Are you looking for something?"
Neji stopped and looked over his shoulder, his blank face and pale eyes staring directly at the Uchiha.
Sasuke was indeed the one who broke the silence between them, but his voice was still soft. He knew that asking now would've been really awkward, so he didn't look up; he didn't even open his eyes. He just sat there, pensively, and yet in a relaxed sort of manner that was almost nonchalant.
Neji looked away, averting his eyes from Sasuke's general direction, and looked around again.
"Well, are you?" Sasuke decided to push.
As Neji stopped again, a hidden sparkle gleaming in his eyes. He closed them suddenly; then he let out a bothered sigh and got up from his place on the floor. "Yes, I am…but it's clear that I'm being a bother to you," Neji said to Sasuke in a slightly annoyed tone. He was heading for the door when he added, "Sorry for disturbing you."
"You're not disturbing me."
Neji stopped in front of the door. He swiftly spun around and immediately found Sasuke in front of him. He was naturally startled, cringing away slightly from the other student's close proximity. His pale eyes flared wider.
Sasuke smirked slyly, pressing a palm against the door. "Actually, I think I've found what you're looking for."
Neji blinked a little, not paying that much attention to the arm that barred him from the door. Then, an equally sly smirk snuck across his face. "Really? Then what is it?"
Sasuke only chuckled. He leaned in closer to Neji's ear and whispered, "You won't mind if I keep it, will you?"
His voice seemed suave and mysterious, even though he was hinting something at him, as Neji could observe. But Neji held his ground, furrowing his brows and glaring at Sasuke.
Sasuke only snickered, removing his hand from the door. "I'll take that as a yes from you, then." He pulled his other hand from his pocket. He calmly drew his face closer to Neji's, his alluring coals gazing into Neji's suspicious pearls. He raised his hand to toy with some of the Hyūga's hair, as well as unfurl a little white bandage.
Neji, being spooked by the sudden advance, wanted to motion for the bandage and take it back from the wayward student. But uncertainty clouded his instinct, so he remained still; however, he kept a close eye on Sasuke's movements.
"What's the matter?" Sasuke was curious as to why Neji hadn't taken back the bandage. He waved it in his face a little. "You want it, don't you?"
Something clicked in Neji's mind. He tried to snatch the bandage out of Sasuke's grip, but Sasuke pulled back. Neji growled lowly and decided to switch the subject. "You seem…familiar to me. Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked, still trying to get the bandage back.
Sasuke evaded all of the Hyūga's grabs, teasing with the bandage between his fingers. He could see the desperation in the other boy's snatches, as well as the grace in his snatching. Then he made an interesting face. "Hmph. You might…?" He leapt away from Neji. He smirked a little more before tossing it back.
Neji caught it, blinking.
Walking back to the door again, he motioned Neji aside. "May I get through?"
Umber brows flicked, briefly creasing again. He noticed that he was in front of the rooftop access again somehow and reflexively stepped aside.
Sasuke grasped the doorknob with his hand, keeping his wily smirk. "If you want to find out more about me…"—He opened the door, but he did not step through.—"you'll just have to find me after school tomorrow."
Neji blinked again, his face still showing a blank yet confused look.
But the smirk never left Sasuke's face. "And you can thank me when you do…" In fact, it grew as he said, "Hyūga."
Neji had lowered his gaze to his hand, wondering what Sasuke was possibly intending to do, until he heard his name. He wanted to see why the Uchiha had said his name so elegantly and flawlessly. Before he could lock eyes with him again, the mysterious Uchiha was gone.
This left Neji Hyūga clasping onto the new black string, bewildered. And blushing.
How the Irons of Curiosity Bond…