Hello, again. I was so glad to see that people actually did like the fic. So, yeah, it took a while, but I'm updating now. Hope everybody likes it. (P.S. rating might go up for language later in the story) Please read and review.

Iruka anxiously paced the floor of his way-too-small room of his way-too-small apartment. Why wasn't Naruto home yet? He looked outside. Dark. The sun had gone down a few hours ago.

Sure, Iruka had known that Naruto hadn't wanted to move….who would? Especially in the middle of the school year? Not him….that's for sure.

However, because all those times the small blonde had been suspended (he was a notorious prankster) Iruka had decided to start off "fresh". New town, new school, new people. No more whispers on the street as the brunette walked from place to place with his young adopted son. No more unwanted glares from people Iruka had tried to make friends with for all those years….no more….

So, with this in mind, of course it had been a good idea to move! Perhaps even the blonde could see that….Naruto had been the target of bullies and pranks even worse than those he had pulled himself. Naruto should be thanking Iruka!

But, if that was the case, wouldn't he be home by now? Iruka shook his head. No, not even Naruto would do that. Surely he wouldn't run away, he barely knew where he was in the world as it was….he wouldn't want to become any more unsure…

Ring ring

Iruka was brought out of his thoughts by the phone's stubborn ringing. Hurriedly, he scrambled to answer it.

"H-hello?" He stuttered. There was silence at the other end of the phone, and at first Iruka thought that the other person had hung up…or left. But, since their was no dial tone yet, he repeated weakly, "Hello? Anybody there?"

"Um…hi, Iruka." The voice sounded forced, and not to mention laced with anger. However, Iruka ignored that as he happily recognized the voice of Naruto.

"Naruto! Where are you? Where the hell have you been?"

"Yeah, uh….about that. I don't know where I am. Could you come get me?"

"What do you mean you don't know where you are? How am I supposed to get you if I don't know how to find you?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry! There's a lamp post right there, and a weird neon sign over there and-"

"A little more specific, please."

"Fine!" Definite rage in the blonde's tone, Iruka noted. Finally, the blonde was able to tell Iruka the names of the streets of the intersection he was at.

"Kay, Naruto, I'm on my way!" Iruka shouted into the phone as he grabbed his keys from the nearest nightstand and sprinted to his car.

Naruto couldn't believe it.

First, he had gone to school, on the wrong day! Then he had run into some creepy pervert. And then he had somehow, in his rush to escape, had run into another brick wall, causing him to pass out for awhile. (for some reason, he kept hitting his head in the same place…hard.) Finally, he had admitted he was lost, caved, and called Iruka. The brunette had not sounded happy over the phone. Not at all. But there was nothing left to do but sit down on the curb and wait for his wrath.

Damn that pervert! Naruto thought, thinking back to the run in with the pale boy, It's all his fault! If it weren't for him and his…his…stupid perverted-ness, I wouldn't have gotten lost! (and would have avoided another self-inflicted injury)

What made it even worse, though, was the fact that Naruto had to admit, the pervert had been handsome. Not like "buff" handsome, but a delicate sort of handsome. Kind of like a girl, but….more guy-ish. And that is what pissed Naruto off the most. That, and the fact that he found himself somewhat flattered for having been the target of said pervert.

Shit! He's messing with my head! And at this point, the blonde grabbed his hair and began to pull at it in frustration. Had there been anybody passing by at this time and neighborhood, the would be staring at the spiky haired boy like he belonged in the loony bin. As it were, there weren't and Naruto found himself grateful for that.

Finally, he decided that he had inflicted enough damage to his skull that day, and sighed. Well, I'm lost in a neighborhood I know nothing about and there are perverts everywhere. As Naruto thought this, he sent a wary glance at a small table a few feet away, where there was a weird guy in a trench coat staring at the blonde through thick, pitch black sunglasses. Naruto couldn't see the guys face, hair, or anything, but when he realized the the guy had been staring at him for the past half hour, he started to freak out.

Iruka better get here soon.

Just when he thought that his situation couldn't get any worse, it started raining. Raining!

"Ah ha!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, trying to remain remotely optimistic. Hadn't he heard in that movie, that if you said something enough times, it'll come to you? Well, he had nothing better to do, so in his mind, he kept saying over and over, Iruka Iruka Iruka

The weird guy at the table stood up….

Iruka! Iruka!

…and started walking in his direction.

IRUKA! IRUKA! IRUKAAAAAA!

But the guy (Naruto couldn't tell how old he was) just passed by Naruto. Finally, he was able to relax….but wait! The guy turned around, so that his sunglasses touched the tip of his nose, just allowing Naruto to see his eyes.

Black eyes. Naruto thought. But, somehow, he knew they didn't belong to that pervert he had met up with before. No, this was a different pervert. And with that, the guy gave Naruto a wink. And possibly a grin; Naruto couldn't tell with the scarf around the guy's neck blocking his face, too.

Naruto took a step back as the guy turned and began walking away. He sighed again, but this time it was in relief. And then he started nervously laughing. He couldn't help it, it just came pouring out of him…and so the rain water poured into his open mouth.

"Ugh! Gaaah!" He coughed, nearly choking on the rainwater on its way down. Well, at least it stopped the laughter. What was up with that anyways? Perhaps it was the shock of all the events that had happened, who knew? Naruto definitely did not know. Just clarifying.

"Calm down, Naruto." He said to himself. "Just calm, just…just….damn it! I said calm down!" He yelled as he felt even more laughter bubbling up inside him.

"Ghe, heh….heheheheheh!" Naruto couldn't hold it in much longer. "Ha! Hahahah!" Maybe it wasn't the shock, maybe he was just going crazy; it was much easier to believe.

Luckily (for those having to listen to him, not for Naruto) a boy about his age punched Naruto in the back of the head, silencing him.

"Itai, bastard!" He shouted at the other boy, who had short, almost maroon colored hair and jade eyes. Also sporting heavy eyeliner and a tattoo over his eye the guy just stared.

The blonde almost wished this guy had sunglasses, just so he wouldn't have to be glared at so openly by him. "Actually, thanks!" The punch had gotten the laughing to stop completely! Yay!

"…" The red haired boy only frowned.

"Uh….so….yeah." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, half because it hurt, and half because the silence was so awkward he had to do something.

"…" The silence carried on, until…

"Naruto!" The blonde turned his head towards the car coming down the street, a brown ponytail sticking out the window. He knew that voice! The red haired boy just stared past Naruto, not in the direction of the car, just….at the building behind the annoying boy he was "talking" to. Then, he proceeded to walk forward without another…er….word.

However, the blonde took no notice (it's not like he wasn't relieved that their "conversation" was interrupted, that guy was strange! But, at least he wasn't a pervert. What a relief.)

"Iruka!" He shouted louder than ever, and ran to the side of the car.

"Would you mind telling me what you're doing so far away from home?"

"Uh, yeah, I would mind, actually. Thanks for asking."

"Naruto!"

"It's nothing to worry about, Iruka." I wish

Iruka just grumbled and ushered Naruto into the car. They didn't talk at all on the drive back.

Itachi glanced at his little brother from his chair in the center of the room and chuckled.

"Shut up." Sasuke grumbled. Poking at the small band-aid that now rested on the side of his face.

"What? Did you get mauled by fangirls or something?" Itachi smirked.

"I wish." He actually did, too. Anything would be better than what had really happened. Punched in the face by some kid he knew nothing about. A boy who had, in fact, called one of the Uchiha clan a "pervert".

Complete humiliation.

Well, at least no one had been around to see….or hear. Especially his older brother, Itachi Uchiha, the prodigy. Now that would've sucked.

Hopefully, he would just never see that boy again. Or, at least, that's what the younger Uchiha wanted to think. He actually wouldn't mind running into that boy again, but, of course, he was in denial. (the first stage to acceptance.)

Sasuke looked out the large window next to him. That kid probably got lost.

The idiot that he probably was. (one could only assume)

Oh well, that's what he gets for punching and embarrassing the youngest Uchiha. But….would he really be alright?

Uh….yeah….that's it….on to the next chapter! (yes, I promise that Naruto will actually go to school in the next chap. Kay?) I just didn't want to keep it strictly to just high school….ya. Hmm…should I make the chapters longer? I think I will….