Chapter Two

Uzumaki Naruto was a Sophomore, like his best friend, only because of sheer luck as it seemed. Over the years he had developed ingenius ways of cheating, and while many suspected it due to his lazy behavior when students studied in class, none could catch him and prove it. In that manner, he was smarter than anyone.

In the morning, a small, square, silver alarm clock with green flashing numbers showed '7:15', which was the prefered time his guardian had set it on. The numbers flickered and a booming buzz sounded from it, dsiturbing him. Naruto tightly shut his eyes and groaned, rolling over his body to the side of his dresser. With a powerful hand like he was swatting a fly he slammed on the timepiece, which immediantly halted its loud blare.

"Just . . . just shut up," he moaned in a barely audible voice. He pulled his hand-me-down, raggidy navy colored covers over his head and dove his head into the pillow, trying to at least get a few more minutes in when he heard another, more consistent ring. This time opening his large blue eyes, he sat up and picked up the item on his dresser next to his annoying alarm clock.

"Hello?" muttered Naruto in a groggy voice, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes at the same time. A deep, seemingly fully awake tone came through the receiver of the phone.

"It's almost time for school," it said, and Naruto imagined that his friend was checking the watch he often wore on his wrist at the same time out of habit. Sasuke obviously had his cell phone with him. "Get dressed and I'll meet you outside of your house."

"Right, right." He hung up the phone without saying any farewells and pulled his covers off, wishing for a moment that he could drag them around when there was a sudden loss of warmth. He suddenly felt an energy run through him as he quickly grabbed old unwashed clothes from a smelly stack in the corner and threw them on. There was a question he wanted to ask Sasuke, and rather badly too.

Dressed in dark lime colored parachute pants and a loose, slightly stained and worn white t-shirt, Naruto dashed out of his room and slid down the already wobbling pole that was down the stairs; even if his guardian wanted it to impress people and make the house look fancy, he did not. What good was one fancy thing when you couldn't afford another?

The ground on the first floor wasn't very large, and while two rooms were seperated with a wall and a tiny opening that was door-free, it couldn't hide the diminuative size. There was a kitchen in front of him now, an island with a small brown bag on it surrounded by dark chocolate tinted cabinets and a sink with a bent faucet. Then next room was their living room, with two comfortable couches and a television that often refused to show the right channels.

Naruto took the paper bag on the island, and since the door to outside was right there he left instead of waiting to open the bag and see what was inside. Standing at the bottom stair and turning to look at him when he came out was of course, Sasuke.

"Thanks for waking me up," said Naruto with a yawn as he hopped down the steps two by two till he was next to Sasuke. "I would've fallen asleep again, or something."

"Iruka?" his friend asked, and Naruto waved it off. He instantly understood that his guardian was working earlier than his usual hours were supposed to be; lately, this premature leave in the morning was becoming more customary. Suddenly Sasuke smelled an awful stench and clamped his nose, covering his mouth as well. Then he said angrily, "Are you wearing unwashed clothes again!"

Naruto laughed like he had almost done it on purpose just to annoy Sasuke, then he patted his shoulder like he was sorry. "I've gotta save up money for a new skateboard I saw; wearing old clothes is nothing!"

"I beg to differ," he replied, disgusted. Sasuke had on him his backpack for school and reached for it, taking out of one of the smaller pouches a tiny spray bottle. He thrust it onto Naruto's chest, looking away to try and take away the smell as best he could.

Naruto took it while Sasuke shifted through his bag for something else, reading the label and chuckling. "Strawberry . . ." he giggled girlishly, ringing his offguard friend around the neck and yelling excitedly, "Oh my God, I can smell like the sexy Sasuke now! Yeay!"

"Shut up!"

"Puh-lease," he kidded as Sasuke next handed him a comb. The two began to walk towards their school, which was an easy distance, just a little bit out of the neighborhood. Naruto looked around at the same time, running the comb through his short but interweaved, oily hair. He snorted. "Damn, that girl isn't around. I guess she was being driven."

He instantly noticed his friend becoming tense for a moment, then walking along coolly like he always did. He smirked evily, ready to take oppurtunity and relish the moment. "Oh, yeah Sasuke; I'm talking about that hot chick you were walking with yesterday when you were going home."

"How do you know about that?" Sasuke suddenly said, turning to him. He noticed that his face was tinted with a little embarrassment, and he grinned.

'He hates it when I find out his secrets,' Naruto thought, suddenly giggling. He whistled and started to take long strides with his hands behind his back, acting as if he didn't want to talk about it anymore in a sarcastic sort of way. He could tell he was infuriating the black haired sophomore even more, which for him in particular was easy to do.

"Come on," Sasuke said in an almost begging type voice, his eyes shifting away towards the street as he talked. He spoke in a low whisper, as if he were losing his pride by asking the question and didn't want others to hear. "How did you learn about that?"

"I saw her yesterday," Naruto replied plainly. "She's my new neighbor, and she said she was walking with a 'really cute guy'." He embellished on the description, annoying his best friend further.

"And?"

He chuckled again. "I said, 'Yeah, he is cute, isn't he? I tell him that every time we make out.'"

"You bastard!"

"Just kidding! I told her that I hope we could become friends," he said, patting Sasuke's back reassuringly. "How was I supposed to know the guy was you anyway?"

"I guess. . ."

Their school, Konoha as it was named, was actually quite decent despite the neighborhood right next to it. It was small, only holding about five hudred high schoolers, but because of that they had the money for real expenses, and teachers could spend more quality time with their students, getting to know them. Things like respect and teamwork were mottos there, as well as friendhsip; learning of course was important too, but the atmosphere of learning was what made this place different from the others.

Because it was so dissimilar, it was seperated from the other schools and no one new really went there. Everyone knew each other, no matter what the grade, and they were all family.

Strange how sometimes the closest family members have different tastes.

As soon as Sasuke and Naruto walked in together, heads turned. They were both quite popular in different ways; Sasuke for his pretty face and amazing athletics, and Naruto for his kiddish and loving behavior. Also in particular, both were orphans, so they were given special treatment, even if it wasn't needed.

"Hi Naruto!" A girl said through the hall, shouting it over top the sound of smashing locker doors. He waved back, grinning cheerfully. He noticed the girl had her shy friend with her, a dark haired girl with straight bangs like a bowl cut and even amounts of hair framing her face at the front. When she saw him, her face instantly turned a dark red and she turned around to face her locker, fiddling for the combination to open it.

"Hey Hinata!" Naruto shouted to the girl as he went by to get to his own locker, "I think you're really cute!"

What he said made her even further embarrassed, and giggles from all the girls around followed as they crowded around the shy girl to ask what her secret was. He smiled, satisfied, then he felt a nudge on his shoulder. When he turned, Sasuke was still next to him. "What?"

"Don't you think that was a bit rude?" he asked. They had finally reached their lockers near the very end of the hallway, both right next to each other since they could choose which ones they wanted at the beginning of the year. Naruto looked at him curiously, wondering what in the world he was talking about as he spun the dial to open his small, thin and tall storeroom. He shrugged.

"It's all in good fun," he replied when he finally got it open. "They know I'm playing, but I guess I'll talk to Hinata later anyway." He flashed a grin. "She really is cute!"

Sasuke didn't reply, still not feeling comfortable with it. Naruto knew he had always been far more sensitive than he let others believe, and only he among a few others were allowed to see more sides of him. Even something as little as being jokingly affectionate bothered him sometimes. He was used to this mood from him by now though.

"Hey, it's you!"

Both turned their head to the locker next to them, the empty one at the very end that obivously wasn't going to be so empty for long. A little surprised because of another chance meeting with the first person she met there was the new girl both Naruto and Sasuke spoke to before; Haruno Sakura.

X x x x x

Another edited chapter. XD Yes!