1
Heh, heh, sorry about not updating for a while...I was busy. Yah know, family, hospitals, trauma, the like, but I lucked out because I got an extra review for waiting! That brings the count for the previous chapter up to...three! Um, wow, let's...not do that again, ok?
EXTRA AT THE BOTTOM! YOU ALL BETTER LOVE ME FOR THIS!
Animelvr4evr: I...don't allow anonymous reviews? When did that happen? Trickster computer...Well, don't I feel stupid, I thought that it automatically allowed them unless I said not too...get I got that one backwards. Anyway, thankies, 1st reviewer for chapter five!
Crazy Mishka: Wah! You do rate the Orochimaru laugh! A belated Oro-laugh for you! Kukukukkuku! Because, I can't tell you the specifics of why the adults (and their kids in most cases) hate Naruto, I will tell you that it's not his fault. Like the anime/manga. Ahh, yes, panty flashed with Sakura are gross, aren't they. I didn't really want to put that, but I couldn't think of anything else. And, at the risk of sounding...well, like the dumb preps at my school, omg! We have something in common! I love my gay friends too!
The New Shinigami Hikari: Fwee! I'm cool! Ye-ah! I'm updating especially for you, because today I planned on updating anyway!
Disclaimer- All standard disclaimers apply. Rights to Naruto do not belong to me. (Ha, I bet you were hoping for one of my super hI-larious disclaimers, but I didn't give you one! Ha! Shit on your face, suckers! flips you the bird Gahaha!)
Chapter 6- Chapter Without Meaning
Friiii-Day! TGIF! And...Sleepover Day for the NarutoSasukeShikamaru Trio!
Wait, you wouldn't know about that, would you?
Of course you wouldn't.
-
Naruto yawned and stretched. And stretched and yawned some more. And– someone was staring at him. (Actually, several people were, and his stretching abdomen. But...Naruto didn't look.)
Who was it? Who was it this time. Naruto slyly looked around–like a fox. Who? Was it...no, not him, he was asleep, but the glare was definitely coming from that area. No? Maybe? Naruto sorted the surrounding students, one by one, examining and discarding them, until he came upon a match.
Now, he couldn't be sure, all he had to go upon was a flashing pair of green eyes and a sweep of pink hair being flung to the side as his eyes sought to meet his near-tormentor, but not sure was good enough for him.
Bitch. Bitch.
Rip her hair out. Her prettily hideous pink hair.
And her eyes. Those envious green eyes, just gauge them out, like–
What would they feel like? Like peeled grapes? Would they pop and squish? Would they...bleed in pretty red rivulets?
I wanna feel it , I wanna I wanna I wanna!
"Umino-------san." The teacher's voice resounded through the room, his bizarre pronunciation and all. U-mino and san, with a kind of final formality, to it. "Did you finish your work, Umino—san?"
"Yes, sen-sei." Naruto patronized. Sen----sei. He could be final, too.
"Very well, then." Well, well, well. Even here the teachers targeted him. Or maybe, the whole arm-raising thing had attracted his attention. The teacher talked like a foreigner, so the odds that the large man didn't know anything about those little stories circulating about him.
Good god it's like cotton candy maybe I can eat it–
Oopsie. Naruto actually hadn't finished his work. Shitfuck. Still leaning back in his chair a bit, Naruto picked up his pencil and craftily set to work. Craftily, mind you, so the teacher wouldn't see. Which, he needn't have bothered with, as the teacher practically had sweat pouring down his face as he tried to grade papers written in his second language.
With his head tilted back, Naruto stared at the completed math worksheet. It had hurt like hell writing with his wrist bent like that, and for his pain he had received shaky almost-images of letters and symbols. Ah, well...he really should do it more respect. Math was one of the only constant things in his life, always the same, like Iruka-nii. Maybe, when he grew up and moved away, he could become an artist using geometric figures. Or random orange splotches...maybe. Just maybe.
Unh. Friday. He had to turn in those two essays and sketches of Uchiha and Nara. Uchiha Sasuke has an immortal stick up his ass. It will always be there, and will never go away. That is what the stick is, because there is no other explanation for Sasuke always brooding around when everyone loves him soooooo much. Whenever he walks into a room, all the girls coo like a candy store with their favorite flavors just opened or there's a sale in a posh store with fashionable clothes that fit just right. I guess he's just the type that doesn't like attention. His sketch...he had drawn an ass with a stick up it. Just kidding...he wished he had, though. That was the kind of annoying thing Naruto would do. But, this place, and these people...Jiraya-sensei didn't seem to care about anyone, really. He just sat down at his desk and drew perverted pictures and wrote perverted stories in front of everyone. (Naruto knew, because he had walked up to ask where the shading tortillions were kept at one point. Top left cabinet, just where he couldn't reach.) It was strange, though, the people Naruto had befriended, if one could call it that, seemed hard to get to know by reputation.
Neji too arrogant, Hinata too shy, Shikamaru too lazy, Chouji too fat. Ino was far too aggressive in her pursuit of Sasuke to really make good friends with any of the other girls.
They all...seem to spend a lot of time alone. Naruto felt his eyes flickering from side to side as the classroom came to life as the pupils finished their work.
"Ah, Ah, you may talk quietly with a friend if you are finished your work," the teacher enunciated in broken Japanese.
Shikamaru stood and made his way over to Naruto's desk. Naruto noticed Sasuke glaring in his direction out of the corner of his eye. Shikamaru felt the heat of Sakura and her group, which had clustered itself around one desk, periodically glare in Naruto's direction before continuing with whatever girly conversations they had.
"Heya, Shikamaru!" Naruto's voice was a lot more energetic than he looked. "Ya lookin forward to the sleepover tonight?"
"Don't say it like that Naruto, you make us sound like girls." Shikamaru sighed. And, you already look pretty enough to be one. And, Naruto did, as usual. At present, he appeared bored, and more than a little stoned with his usually vibrant blue eyes dull and half lidded.
"I don't..." Naruto paused. "I just" What? What would he say to that? What was there to say? Why did these moments, moments when all thought escaped him, come at such times? What could he say to make Shikamaru understand what he was thinking?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
No one, except maybe Iruka, sometimes in 'situations', got to know what went on in Naruto's head.
-
By now, surely one must want to know just how this sleepover came about, before it actually does. (Come about, I mean)
"Anou sa, anou sa, you two!" despite Naruto's loudly entreating voice, neither of his partners heard him. "Yoo-hoo!" It was lunch time, and Sasuke was desperately searching for a refuge from his own hell, one full of navy skirts and cooing extols; Shikamaru, was, for once, hurrying to get somewhere. Where or what, exactly, eluded Naruto. "HEY!"
Eventually, Shikamaru and Sasuke heeded his calls. The two halted and began to turn around, stopping when they realized they had been walking near each other to exchange a round of glares. When their eyes turned towards the blonde gaki, Sasuke's eyes retained their hardness while the Nara's softened into an exasperated expression through reflex.
"What is it Naruto?" It doesn't really matter which of the pair asked; if it had been Sasuke, it would have been monotoned, Shikamaru, mildly nettled. Apparently, the latter had been on a mission of a sort.
"We need to do something! I wrote my paragraphs about you two, and they really blow! So we need to hang out or something and get to know each other 'cos I'm not gonna do badly just because you two are so boring I have to wait a week for each of you to do somethin' worth writing down!" Naruto's lightly tanned face was red from the exertion of his rant.
"Well what do you suggest we do, Concerned-for-his-grade-san?" Sasuke mimicked a voice he had heard from a girl in a catfight with another (over him, incidentally.)
"This is troublesome. I'm busy tonight, anyway." Shikamaru stated blandly.
"Eh? Well what about Friday night? Are you guys doing anything?" Naruto squinted in case either was lying.
"No, but it's Friday night..." Shikamaru began reluctantly. Sasuke just stood, but he wasn't looking forward to a Friday night with the Nara either.
"So what if it's a Friday night?" Clueless as ever, Naruto. At least the other two thought.
"Well, Fridays are when I sleep a lot..."
"Aww, come on, Shikamaru! Hey, I know! Heehee, we can have a sleepover!" Naruto gave a shit-eating grin.
"Anou– where, exactly, would this sleepover be, exactly?" Shikamaru toed the subject cautiously. Sasuke just waited for the aftermath on the sidelines.
"Urk...well...we could have more than one...at each of our homes...but for the first..." Naruto and Shikamaru turned to Sasuke expectantly.
"No."
"Come on, Sasu-"
"NO"
"Sasu-sasu!"
"I said no, dobe."
"Pur-leeze. You're the most anti-social, you know. Just get it out of the way!"
"He's right, Sasuke. You talk less than me. And you're mean, too."
"..." Sasuke decided to ponder the matter. "No."
"Argh! Sasuke! Do you want to fail this project!" That gave Sasuke a reason for consideration. There were...a couple of people he wanted to be proud of him...
"Fine."
"Sasu, don't be like tha- what?" Naruto was speechless on the outside. But, that shit-eating grin was still there, on the inside. It's the insides that count, too.
"Fine. Bring your stuff to school Friday. I'll have a ride waiting for us." According to Sasuke, the plans could not be debated.
"Well then, if that's settled..." Shikamaru sprinted away. Probably for the first, and last time in his life. His thighs would be hurting like hell later.
"Saaa-ssuuuu-keeeee-kuuuuuuun!"
"Oh, shit." Now, don't be mislead; Sasuke would never say such a thing out loud. But his expression said it clearly enough that it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
"Sasuke-san, watch you're language in the halls." a passing teacher reprimanded.
Sasuke ended up eating with Naruto. The weirdos wouldn't follow him there. Though, it may have had some detrimental effects. Sasuke didn't think the hole drilled in his forehead from Neji's glare would ever completely go away.
-
"AAARRGGhh" Naruto stretched, again. He was feeling kind of stiff today. Another class come and gone, though, so maybe he could stretch out his aching shoulders and legs during lunch break. (1)
When he could stretch no more without attracting too much untoward attention, Naruto drooped, by crossing one leg on the seat of the chair and hunching his shoulders. One...more class to go until lunch...good god, he was hungry...what time was it?
Oh, yeah, super boring art class.
"Okay, bratlies, hand in your work so I can fail you all." Jiraya breezed into the class. Naruto hoped his threat was empty. In fact, Naruto hoped he was one of those teachers who didn't really grade papers at all, that he would just pass them for being turned in.
Uh-oh, I don't know how he'll take to that ass stick thing...
Or, my repetitive Shikamaru-is-lazy theme...
Shizzat. Double shizzat.
"Aww, come on, pass them to the front and towards my desk so I don't have to move, you bakas!" Jiraya whined. Naruto decided that he wouldn't have to worry. "Go put your sketches in your folders. I'll grade them later." Totally not likely.
"Ohm..." Still in his hunched position, Naruto pretended that he knew how to meditate. Maybe Iruka-kun and I could do something like that...
"Naruto." It was Shikamaru-kun. "You want me to take up those pictures for you?" What was this? Nara Shikamaru, extending an offer to expend more physical effort than necessary?
Guess it is.
"Naw, I'll take it up." Naruto leaped up, (quite a feat, considering his previous position), and spiraled his arms like a windmill. "I'll do it," he reiterated.
Naruto bent over and retrieved the two sketches from his portfolio, which he had brought with him on this fine day so he could work on next week's portion at Sasuke's, just in case he got inspired. Naruto was sure he would; he could smell it, and he had dreamt it.
Your instincts are heightened, aren't they? From it. IT.
Why yes, yes they are.
Why are you talking about yourself like that? That'so weird. Weirdweirdweird.
Fuh-reak. Freak.
Shikamaru peered over the sheets of paper to see what Naruto's sketch of him had been; Naruto whipped it away so that Shikamaru couldn't see the stick figure, composed of elegant strokes made with a mechanical pencil. From a distance, or at first glance, it appeared as something a skilled five year old would draw; if one were to look at it, really look, examine it, they would see the deliberation that went into each and every graphite line.
It kind of fit Shikamaru's personality, Naruto thought. That someone his age would draw a stick figure, would give off the impression that the artist was horribly dreadful or lazy. Naruto wasn't so sure about the former, but the latter was a definite characteristic of The Lazy Nara's personality.
Besides, if Jiraya-sensei was paying attention, he would see that the carelessness that was apparent at first glance was on purpose, especially if he looked at Naruto's drawing of Sasuke.
Sasuke's picture...wasn't quite up to par with what Naruto usually drew (he didn't draw portraits, unless Iruka-kun wanted him to, to show off), but it was decent. (Y'all get a description of Shikamaru's pic and Sasuke's paragraph. Switch-off. Heh)
Naruto walked stiffly to the back cupboards, where folders for in-school work was kept, and painstakingly put his work into the folded cardboard. Kiba looked on from the corner of his eye, but didn't pay him much mind. "Hey, Kiba," Naruto grinned, before waving a little bit and returning to his desk to converse with his partners.
Conversely, Kiba stood with his papers in hand and stared after the other boy. He...smiled at me. Kiba thought, before shaking his head in a disgruntled way and putting his stuff away. He should get back to his group, too...
-
Hyuuga Neji was quite excited. Not a common occurrence, to one who knows anything about the solemn boy. He sat quietly by Aburame Shino, another sober boy, who was also in his class. The silence was only dispelled by the Inuzuka, a loud student to offset the other two indifferent pupils. It was rumored that the Hyuuga's white eyes saw all, throughout Konoha. It was whispered, behind doors, behind hands, that the handsome, sad cousin of the Hyuuga heiress had inherited a gift stronger than she. That it was quite and insult, as he wasn't direct in line to run the company by blood, even though he undoubtedly would; Hinata-sama simply didn't have the personality to run a company, to sell out so called allies and to know when the company was being sold out.
Neji's excited self sat in his chair, and absently pretended to be listening to Kiba; he was watching Naruto, watching the room. Neji's creamy white eyes watched the way the Inuzuka boy pointedly looked anywhere but where Naruto was sitting, the way Shino was positioned to watch Naruto out of the corner of his eyes and be unseen behind his shaded glasses. He watched Naruto emphatically yell at Sasuke for being so quiet and unopinioned.
Why was Neji excited? It wasn't because Naruto would be sleeping overnight with two potential rivals; no it wasn't. It wasn't because he had stumbled upon two more who had taken a liking to the blonde (one was in denial still, and one was far to shy to make a move). It was, because despite all the disadvantages Neji seemed to have, from the sheer population of Naruto's fans, that next period was lunch break, and he would eat with Naruto, and hear him speak, even if it wasn't only to him.
-
"Wheee!" Naruto raised his arms over his head for what felt like the billionth time, and ran towards the door towards the autumn chill. When his shirt came untucked and the cold air hit his belly, he hunched over from the stomach cramp it gave him. "Ooohh"
Sasuke wrinkled his nose and followed him out, with both of their lunches. "You forgot it, dobe."
"Huh? What? Oh, my lunch! Thank you, Sasu!" Naruto grinned up at Sasuke, still bent over.
Sasuke wanted to smile back, to blush, to laugh, maybe apologize for saying it so rudely. But he couldn't, no no no he couldn't do it. Instead he twitched a bit around the eyes and looked away. He had to restrain his impulses, and looking at Naruto while he was bent over like that– no. Now, Sasuke wasn't being perverted, no he wasn't. He was just...happy, that Naruto would reveal the back of his neck to him like that, be so vulnerable. To Sasuke, who had seen the dead bodies of all of his family minus one, presenting your back to a person was a sign of friendship, of trust. Did Naruto trust him? Did Naruto want to be his friend? Or maybe he just didn't expect to be attacked in school. But Sasuke didn't know about Naruto's experiences with that.
"Ne, ne Sasu, let's go sit," Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him over to his usual spot, where Ino and Hinata were already waiting.
Sasuke suffered to be led to Naruto's place like a dog. Because Sasuke was grateful to Naruto; without Naruto, Sasuke would be surrounded by all those girls. Weird, weird girls. He had heard rumors, that some were writing stories about him and posting them on the internet. Sasuke had very nearly snorted when he heard this; what a bunch of losers.
"Hello, Naruto-kun!" Hinata said brightly. Sasuke scowled. "H-hello, Sasuke-san..." Apparently, Hinata had stopped stuttering from being familiar with Naruto. So soon? It's only been a few days! Sasuke knew he had to get a move on if he wanted a chance with the pretty blonde boy. Hinata, that Nara and half the class he had caught staring at Sasuke's territory.
"Sasu, why are you angry?" When Naruto inquired so inquisitively, Sasuke just had to stop and let go. Well, within reason.
"I'm not. Just lost my train of thought, is all." Sasuke responded with a trademarked smirk.
He's lying he's lying he's lying
DON'T BELIEVE HIM YOU MORON
"Whatever you say, Sa-su-chan" Naruto sing-songed. Sing-song, sing-song.
We'll sing and see and song and sail–
All by ourself, koi-kun, ourself ourself ourself ourself
AISHITERU KOI-KUN DO YOU LOVE MEEEEEE?
"Naruto, don't accuse me of spacing and then do it yourself."
"Eh, eh?" Naruto wrinkled his nose adorably, like a baby. "What's that, Sasu?"
"I said" "Oooh! Iruka packed me ramen!" An interrupted Sasuke sat back a bit and allowed his disgruntled expression to show. "Ramen ramen ramen, I love ramen."
"I, for one, think there is way to much singing going on here," Ino contributed. Sasuke silently agreed with her, but switched his glare to her nevertheless.
"Ooof, hwai Neesshi!"
"Hello, Naruto," Neji nodded and sat down near Naruto. Sasuke decided to have a glaring contest with him.
-
"I wonder...what kind of pajamas Naruto-kun wears..." Shikamaru thought to himself. Nope. He most definitely did not say that out loud. I bet...they're really cute...
Buh-RING. The bell rang. For the last time that week. Because, it was the last period of the last day of the week. (AN: I know, in Japan they have a half day on Saturday or something. But, this isn't Japan. This is KONOHA, a weird place that only conforms to some Japanese customs. What?)
"SHIKA-KUN!" Oww. That was a real loud yell that had been yelled into Shika-kun's ear. Oops. I meant...my ear. Not talking about myself in third person, no I'm not.
"Naruto, don't be so loud right next to me. It hurts." Shikamaru said. But...Naruto had a different opinion.
"Anou sa, anou sa, Shika-kun, did you just whine?" Shikamaru decided that Naruto looked entirely too entertained.
"No."
"Yes, yes you did! No, more than that, you mewled! You're so funny, Shikamaru!" Naruto gave off a high-pitched giggle.
"Quit making fun of me."
"No way, Shika-shika!"
"But it's troublesome!"
"That's a really pathetic excuse! I'm too wily to fall for that!"
"Pfft. Yeah, right."
"Hey!"
"HEY!" Sasuke hollered. Yeah, hollering was definitely the style nowadays.
The other two boys stopped in their banter and stared, so Sasuke swallowed.
"Umm, you're really...um, hnn." He cleared his throat and looked away.
"Oh, yeah, we're supposed to go to where Sasu lives!" Naruto cheered. "Let's go, let's go!"
"Whatever. Troublesome" Shikamaru picked up his knapsack, which he had kept conveniently beside his desk to avoid the trouble of moving too much to pick it up.
"I'll go get my stuff! I'll be right back!" Naruto rushed to his locker (it was shaped more like a cubby, square, but it had a door) and fumbled with the door. "Arrgh!" and the bag came out.
Bring enough stuff?
"Umm..." Shikamaru and Sasuke stared at Naruto. "You really came prepared, didn't you?"
Naruto was packing his briefcase for school (suspiciously light, it was), as well as a knapsack similar to Shikamaru's for his clothing and a portfolio with paper and supplies to complete next weeks artwork. "I only want to finish it early!" he protested.
Shikamaru and Sasuke only stared, shook their heads, and headed out to the subway station and ultimately, the apartment shared by Sasuke and Kakashi.
"Wow, you have to do this every day, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, vaguely impressed.
"Do what?" Sasuke had honestly no idea what Naruto was talking about.
"You know, take the subway everyday," Shikamaru answered, like it was oh-so-obvious.
"Yeah, yeah! It takes so long! You probably have to get up really early!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Well, I don't get up that ear-"
"I mean, it takes almost half an hour! And you have to make sure you don't miss your stop! I mean, I drive with Iruka-kun and it takes about fifteen minutes with traffic and all, and I can sleep if I'm tired cause he'll wake me up!" Sasuke reeled from the sheer amount of words Naruto was sending out of his mouth. His pretty, pink mouth. How could such a pretty pink mouth talk so much?
"Naruto, we should not talk so Uchiha can invite us in," Shikamaru interrupted Naruto's spiel.
"Eh? Oh, right," Naruto opted to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "So, Sasuke..."
"...Come on." Sasuke wasn't sure if he could bear a whole night of this. For Naruto... Damn that Shikamaru! Thrice! THRICE!
-
"I don't think Kakashi's home yet, so if you want, we can get some snacks, and order out later." Sasuke murmured, barely loud enough to hear. "But if he doesn't get home by five, we can order out on our own."
"Ok, Sasuke," Naruto replied, subdued. But from what?
"Naruto, what's wrong with you?" Shikamaru wanted to growl. What had made him act so–?
"Huh? Well Sasu's acting depressed, so I didn't want to make him sadder!"
"I'm not acting depressed, Naruto."
"Well, then why were you mumbling!"
"...some people like to cut down on the noise once in a while, dobe." Sasuke was visibly drooping by now. Hours and hours and hours...good god. Why couldn't he have chosen someone quieter to like?
Oh well. Too late to change it now, he was stuck lusting after blondie until they got married. Or, screwed. Close enough, right?
"Sorry. Iruka-kun says I get too loud every once in a while." Naruto scratched the back of his head apologetically and sheepishly, like he was ashamed of doing something so childish.
Are you really?
Are you really sorry, Koi-kun?
'Cause, I don't think you are.
I think you're lying lying lying about it all, all of it.
Because you're not loud around Iruka-kun at all, are you?
"So, you mentioned snacks?" A swift change of subject was always beneficial, Naruto thought.
"Yeah, you did mention snacks, Uchiha."
"Pah, you just want snacks cause you know that means you'll get to sit down, Nara." Sasuke retorted snidely.
"Pah yourself, Uchiha," Shikamaru returned just as snidely.
Grrrrroooooowwwwll. The room shook slightly.
"Hate to break up the tension, but..." Naruto grinned. Inside he thought of cartoons he had seen when he was little, where the fog was so thick that the main character could cut it with a knife, in the shape of a doughnut, and eat it. But emotional tension was not fog, and it could not be eaten. Besides, it would taste bad, bitter.
"Yeah. Tea?" Sasuke stood up straight and led the way to the kitchen.
"Sure!"
"Whatever."
"'kay then."
About twenty minutes later, the tea was done and each of the three was either sipping from their cup or nibbling at their pocky, which Naruto insisted they have once he found Kakashi's secret stash. (Beforehand, Sasuke had been slightly worried that the cartons were old and uneatable, but when Naruto pointed out the expiration date, he concluded that his guardian had added something new to the grocery list that week. How wrong he was, he would never find out.)
-
"We should...do something." The boys had been sitting at the table for some time now. They had finished their tea and pocky at least ten minutes ago, maybe fifteen.
"No shit, Sherlock." Shikamaru jibed at Sasuke.
Naruto sighed. Long, long night this would be. "..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"?. !" Naruto was rapidly becoming alarmed. "Stop glaring at each other!"
"...But I was winning, Naruto!" Sasuke cried.
"Hah! I was sooooo kicking your ass, Uchiha!" Shikamaru scoffed.
"No you weren't! Fuck you!"
"GyaaH! Stop stop stop!" Naruto had stood, and with each 'stop' he slammed his palms onto the tabletop.
"You guys are going to stop gl-aring at each other or I'll kill you!" Naruto pointed, his left hand and pointer finger wavering from one classmate to the other. "Sasuke!"
Said boy jumped. "Wha-what?"
"What is there to do around here!"
He gulped. "Well, stores, we could go to the movies or-or watch one here, we have homework, I guess. No-nothing different from anywhere else." That's right. Everything's ordinary.
"Ok..." Naruto considered their options. "We'll watch TV for now. We'll get started on our homework later." He paused again, in thought. "Sasuke, where will we be sleeping?"
"Dunno. I guess out there. In the living room. I'll get some sleeping bags from somewhere..." Finally, he was regaining some of his manly courageousness.
"Then we'll put our bags somewhere out of the way," Naruto declared, and marched out of the kitchen to do just that. He certainly knows how to make himself at home, Sasuke and Shikamaru thought in unison. Then they looked at each other, knew that they had thought the same thing, (they are geniuses, after all), and banged their heads on the table in disgust.
"I said STOP THAT!" Naruto screamed from the living room. "GET OUT HERE!" Naruto had a very ugly temper. Quite the opposite of his face.
-
By the time Kakashi arrived home (six o'clock) with an abnormally cheery "Heya, Sasuke!", the boys were watching reruns of old sitcoms.
Naruto's first impression of him was that Hatake Kakashi was the spitting image of the working husband from old TV shows. Ducking through the doorway with a briefcase in a suit and tie, holding a newspaper from earlier that day over his head in a sort of wave. Well, spitting image minus the creepy mask and eye patch.
"These your friends, Sasuke?" Still way too cheerful, Sasuke grumbled to himself. Besides, what an embarrassing question. Kakashi knew that he didn't have friends...and here he was, making that painfully obvious in front of Naruto.
"Yep! Well, Shikamaru and Sasu are kind of fighting right now, dunno why, though..." Naruto forgot to introduce himself. It's cause that bastard ruined my confession, Shikamaru growled internally. I wanna...kill him so bad. But I'm not athletic, I wouldn't stand a chance...
"Well, if you say so..." Kakashi trailed off, noticing Sasuke's blush. Because...Naruto is his friend. "I'll drop in when the food gets here! Money's on the counter! Feel free to leave me alone!" The silver-haired man ran to his room, and Sasuke cringed when he heard the creaking of springs from Kakashi's jumping onto the bed. Probably to read some more of his perverted books...he looked like he was hiding his briefcase...
"Well then," Naruto said, clapping his hands together, "Howsabout that dinner?"
-
After dinner (they had ordered Chinese...mmmm) Naruto cast a mandate. Said mandate dictated that the group had to work on their art project, since that was what they were spending so much time together for. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind, that once the project was over and done with, he would never see Shikamaru or Sasuke outside of school, or socialize with them within. Truthfully, he didn't mind. In fact, Naruto wanted it that way; it was how he lived his life, with only two constants, his mind and Iruka-kun.
Shikamaru lounged against the couch, which was conveniently (or inconveniently) positioned in front of the television. Sasuke, who found the furniture arrangement of his living room to be inconvenient, was squatting, squished up next to the TV, and attempting to sketch Shikamaru, who was busy with the writing segment of the project.
Naruto himself was laying adjacent to Sasuke. Neither of his partners had questioned him on who he was working on, and what part of the assignment he was completing. Naruto supposed they were still slightly afraid of him from earlier. Naruto shifted, and his arm brushed against the blank paper before him, producing a slight scuffling sound.
Sasuke looked in Naruto's direction, his attention diverted, and Naruto saw his final composition.
HIS EYES
THEY FLASHED
RED REFLECTION LIKE AN ANIMAL'S
They had, they had. When Sasuke had looked up, the lamplight from on the table beside the couch had reflected, right off of Sasuke's eyes, like a dog's would. Like a sequin, or a metal disk were placed right behind the dome of the eye, and reflected back so you couldn't see the iris or pupil, just one color that shouldn't be there. It was perfect, defined Sasuke's wary bestial personality.
Naruto couldn't break his gaze for several moments, even though Sasuke had already moved on. Not wanting to be caught staring, he dragged his eyes from Sasuke's profile and feverishly began to put to paper what he had already committed to memory.
"Hey Naruto, what are you doing?" Shikamaru leaned over to peer at Naruto's paper.
"Dammit, Shikamaru! Don't move!" Sasuke half-yelled.
"No, you can't look!" Naruto flung himself over the sheets of crisp white paper.
"Let me see!"
"NO!"
"What, did you draw something dirty?"
"P-pervert!"
Nope. Naruto definitely did not want to hang around these two once the project was over.
Afterwards, it was late. Rrreaaaalllly late. So, they went to bed. Shikamaru drooled a little bit when no one was looking, cuz Naruto wears really cute Pjs. Sasuke graciously laid out Naruto's blankets and other stuff, but rudely dumped Shikamaru's on the floor. Shikamaru cussed Sasuke out, because he had to bend over the pick them up and do a number of troublesome things. Then Shikamaru blanched, because he thought he would get in trouble it Kakashi heard him say that to his adoptive son. Kakashi only laughed from in his room where no one could hear, and continued to read his perverted books. The book store had gotten a new shipment, he had barely been able to fit all the books into his briefcase. Eventually, everyone went to sleep. Naruto snored, Shikamaru breathed loudly for a bit, and Sasuke didn't make much noise except to turn over once in a while. Kakashi...well, he didn't sleep. He had too much reading to do.
That weekend, Sakura decided to investigate the little anomaly that was Umino Naruto. That boy that had removed her beloved Sasuke-kun from within her sphere of influence. She giggled in a sinister way, her face aglow from the light of the computer screen before her. She clicked a button on the mouse. It was time to find out what the adults all found so detestable about blondie, one way or another.
more creepy Sakura giggling.
TO BE CONTINUED...EVENTUALLY.
You're all so lucky. I included the showdown of the century, between Sasuke and Neji. Actually, it's just elaborating on that little glaring contest they had at lunch. Whose life sucks more? I don't know.
If you can't figure out who's who by the end of this, you're either really stupid or haven't seen much of the Naruto manga or anime. Or read my fanfic, apparently. Loser.
Keep in mind that not all of this is true. Some was just made up to be funny, and other stuff is true, and from that you can probably figure stuff out. Just...whatever.
Glaring Contest
"I hate my family!"
"I hate my family more!"
"My parents ignored me!"
"My parents died!"
"So did mine!"
"My Uncle branded me! BRANDED!"
"Oh yeah, well my father called me a freak for having a crush on my brother!"
"I'm Cursed!"
"I'm stuck living with a pervert!"
"I'm a slave, dammit!"
"He's lazy and doesn't pick up after himself!"
"Slave! A slave! Just cause my dad was born second! And now he wants me to marry my COUSIN. EEEEEEWWWW!"(no offense to cousin-marriers if any are reading this)
"My brother hasn't come after me in years! He wouldn't play with me when we were younger! He doesn't love me!"
"...I think you're a little too hung up on your brother."
"..."
"But since you can't have him and Naruto, Naruto's mine now! Haha, bleargh!"
Picture Neji pulling his cheeks apart and sticking his tongue out. Then picture Sasuke caught between shame, embarrassment, and righteous anger that HIS Naruto is being taken away.
Well, only some of you deserved this longer chapter with the extra. But to those of you who do deserve it, thank you! I will do anything for you! Those of you who don't deserve this...
(Deserving-ness is defined by your reviewing at least once. Or more times. More times is better.)
...BURN IN HELL! ROT AND THEN BUUUUUUURN. I HOPE YOUR ASHES GET INCINERATED
In a few weeks or so, this fic will have a on hiatus sign stuck on the summary. Because, this fic is going on hiatus until I feel like writing for you bastards again! Wait, my computer says I spelled bastard wrong...huh, I guess bastard doesn't get to be pluralized.