* * *  * * *  * * *  * * *3a

Naruto opened his eyes.

He was persuaded someone had knocked on the door. His fox ears had caught that sound.

He was tired. He didn't feel like getting up while he didn't have class.

So he closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.

Before he could, a shadow loomed over him.

He instantly jumped out of the cover sheets.

"What is it?!!" He said a little exasperated.

Gaara gazed at him for some seconds. Naruto frowned.

"Someone is calling you outside..."

"Oh...hum..."

At that very moment, the visitor started to bang at the door.

"Naruto!! Get up here!" the stranger's voice shouted.

Naruto froze.

"Go hide quick!" he said, pushing Gaara out of his room.

"What?"

"It's Iruka-sensei! If he ever see you, I'll be damned. And you too." he indicated the bathroom.

"Hide in there and lock the door."

As soon as he was certain the boy had disappeared, he inhaled deeply and walked towards the door.

"Naru--!!"

"Hello, Iruka-sensei..." he grinned.

"You were a long time." the man scolded.

"Hehehe...sorry."

He felt a hand ruffled his hair.

He sighed soundlessly.

"How are you doing?"

Iruka-sensei was looking at him with a strange concerned look.

"I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?"

Why was he insisting? Had something happened since yesterday's classes?

"Yeah..."

"Hum..."

Naruto felt like biting his lip. Something was wrong.

Could it be that he KNEW?

"Well...Is something wrong?" he asked, uncertain.

"You should be the one answering that question, Uzumaki."

The boy gasped slightly.

Iruka-sensei calling him by his last name....something was definitely wrong.

"Huh...Why? I've got nothing to say..."

"Hun. Really?"

"Yeah..."

Iruka-sensei looked up. Then down at Naruto.

"You liar!"

"Wh-what?" he managed to mumble.

"You thought I wouldn't know?"

"Ah..." he made a goofy face "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hide this, but..."

"But what?! I work at your school Naruto, I always get echoes of things like that."

"Echoes?"

"Yes echoes! Kakashi told me you skipped classes 3 times this week!"

"Classes?Ah...classes...classes..."

"Yes, three days! I thought you were serious about becoming a Ninja!" he yelled.

"I am!!"

"Then go to school!"

"But it's boring! I preferred the times we had missions..." he pouted.

"Naruto..."

"What?"

"You can't keep on acting like such a child. There are things you sometimes HAVE TO do. Whether you like it or not."

"I know about that." he pouted more. "It's just that I'm sometimes tired of being so serious about those things I don't like..."

"I can understand that...but you have to attend classes..." he said firmly "Okay?"

"Alright...I won't skip that much..."

"Naruto..."

"Okay! I'll go every day!!" he said raising arms in peace.

The man lowered his face to the boy's level.

"You still haven't eaten. Have you?"

"No..."

"Get dressed, I'll pay you some breakfast..."

"Oh..." Naruto beamed at him. "You're the best Iruka-sensei!!"

"Tsk..Naruto..." he smiled good-heartedly.

"Wait here. I'll take a quick bath then we~~~"

How could he have forgotten about him?

"What are you waiting for?"

"Huh...I...I can't go."

"Why?"

"Well, there is that thing I have to do..."

"What thing?"

"Huh...I can't tell."

"Hmm..."

He saw Iruka-sensei's eyes narrow with malice.

"Does it have anything to do with Miss Haruno?" the man said, smirking.

"Erhm...Yeah...A secret...can't tell..."

Iruka-sensei laughed at this.

"I was wrong, you're now pretty grown up Naruto."

The boy answered him with a puzzled look.

"Never mind...I'll see you later then."

"Yeah..."

Iruka-sensei had turned to take a quick glance at the living room.

"What is with all this sand?"

Gaara quietly closed the door behind him and locked it.

He heard Naruto warmly great the newcomer, then decided to ignore their conversation.

It wasn't his business. It didn't even concern him.

He was a complete stranger. And this wasn't his place.

He leaned on the wooden door.

But he wanted to stay.

He knew he was being selfish again. He knew by staying he'd bring the gennin serious trouble.

He knew that if he were to be discovered, some ninjas out here would eat the guy alive.

That he didn't want to happen. But at the same time, he couldn't leave.

He felt he had a debt to the blond ninja.

A debt he was determined to pay. At any cost.

Putting down his gourd, he was surprised to find it light.

It was empty.

That was strange. Considering that when he had taken it some minutes ago, all the sand was in.

How come it had gone?

He sat down quietly, waiting for his host to call him back.

It was no good. He was certain Gaara had taken his bloody sand with him in the bathroom.

If Iruka-sensei was to find, he was...

He blinked twice.

"Huh... Oh, the sand..."

"Yes... the sand, what is it doing here?"

"I..."

"Naruto...what are you trying to do?"

"I'm...well..."

"What?"

"I'm..." he sighed "Well, you got me. I was trying to mould a small bust for Sakura..."

He was seriously hoping Iruka-sensei would fall for that.

Where was his brain when he needed it?

"Oh...I see. I was thinking..."

"Thinking?" he asked, somehow relieved it had worked.

"...Well, when I was young, around your age, I tried something that was...absolutely forbidden..."

Naruto's eyes widened unconsciously.

"...I tried to master Jutsu from Mist Village." he paused. "Of course I got caught. I had a very hard time with my sensei and almost failed the exams." he turned to Naruto "When I saw this sand I thought you were trying to do the same. But I'm being stupid. You wouldn't do that...even if you're quite a punk, you know what is forbidden." he threw the boy a gentle smile.

"Aa..." the boy swallowed hardly.

"I'll see you later..." he walked toward the door "and...Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"To mould a bust, you use clay, not sand."

"Aa..." he grinned foolishly.

Damn that Gaara.