In which Temari plucks up her courage and Sasuke gets mad.
O-O-O-O-O
As they leaped through the forest canopy, Temari glanced at Gaara from the corner of her eye. As always, he was quiet and reserved as he hung back, separate from the group.
Lost in thought, Temari bit her lip.
The last mission had turned her world upside down and nothing made sense anymore. Puppies were cute. Kittens were cute. Kankuro could, at times, be slightly cute.
But Gaara? Gaara was never cute. Gaara was a demon. Possessed. Vengeful. Angry. Dangerous.
Yet, she had no other word to describe what she had seen on their mission other than 'cute.' Had Gaara always been fascinated with plants? Did he always hesitate before saying thank you with a small frown on his face? Did he always look down at his feet when handing out a present?
The more they traveled through the forest, the more Temari wanted to stop and ask. He was her brother. They lived in the same house. They had trained as a team for years now.
Yet, she knew almost nothing about him. His likes and dislikes. His hobbies. What he did when he was alone.
As long as she could remember, her father had warned her and Kankuro to stay away from Gaara. She had grown up believing that their youngest sibling was dangerous, crazed, and possessed. Watching his behavior and the various incidents in the village only solidified that belief. Gaara was dangerous. Gaara was crazed. Gaara was possessed.
Or maybe Gaara is more than what our father says.
With all the thoughts running around her mind, Temari almost didn't notice when Baki called for a break.
They stopped at a forest clearing, the sun only beginning to set over the horizon. Temari looked around the area. Based on the familiar topography, they were likely close to the desert, only a day's journey back to Suna.
Back on the ground, Kankuro grumbled, complaining about being tired and hungry. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Gaara, as always, stood alone, the gourd strapped to his back making him look unbelievably small.
"We will break here for the night," Baki ordered. "We will wake before dawn and head straight to Sunagakure. Starting tomorrow, we'll travel at night and make camp in the desert during the day. Any questions?"
Temari and Kankuro shook their heads, too tired to talk. Satisfied, they broke out into their normal tasks. Baki started a fire as Temari searched for firewood and Kankuro prepared dinner. Gaara, as usual, went to sit by himself under the shade of a tree.
As she collected firewood, Temari couldn't stop looking at Gaara from the corner of her eye.
He was leaning against the trunk of a tree, staring up at the canopy, an indifferent expression on his face. Yet, after Temari had seen him in Shisen, it was impossible to view that expression as 'normal' anymore. Was she imagining the look of loneliness in his eyes?
He's my little brother but I never treat him like it.
Before she lost her nerve, she dropped the firewood next to Baki and walked toward her youngest brother. With no plan for what to say, Temari stood in front of him, staring down at him, stiff, awkward, and silent.
"What is it, Temari?" Unlike at Shisen, Gaara's voice was as cold and serious as she was used to. He blinked up at her with emotionless eyes.
He trusts me less than some stranger we escorted across the desert. The realization made her feel sadder than she had expected.
Temari considered running away from the little boy in front of her. But she wasn't a complete coward so she bit her lip and swallowed instead. "I-I liked the flower vase you made for Yuda-san."
The tension broke and Gaara looked up at her, eyes widening slightly. Temari met his eyes, forcing herself not to flinch away, wanting Gaara to see the truth in her statement.
He must have realized she was being honest because a small frown appeared on his face and he looked away. "Thank you."
"I-it was very beautiful," she continued. She found that after the first sentence, it was easier to keep going. "D-did you make it with the sand?"
Gaara hesitated for a second before nodding. He began to fidget with the hem of his travel cloak. To her relief, the large gourd next to him sat still, the sand under control.
"I compacted it to make a vase first," he said in a low voice, still keeping his eyes facing away from her. "Then I added the decorations later. I wanted it to look like a landscape from the desert."
"Did you have a particular landscape in mind?" Realizing she was towering over him, she squatted down to see him eye to eye.
However, instead of reassuring Gaara, it seemed to have the opposite effect. His frown deepened and he stared into the distance, almost looking intimidated. He swallowed, still refusing to meet her eyes.
"I carved different species on the side of the vase," he answered. "Some of the ones we talked about on the journey."
"I didn't know you liked art so much," Temari continued. "You're really good at it."
Gaara seemed, if anything, more lost than before. He gave a noncommittal shrug, still faced away from her. Despite his clear discomfort, the sand remained calm and obedient in its container.
"Thank you," he finally managed to say.
"So are you two over here talking about art?"
Right as Temari had run out of things to say, Kankuro appeared. His face was nonchalant as he collapsed on the grass next to her. He lounged back with a sigh before turning his attention toward his siblings.
"Huh? What? What are you two staring at me so weird for?" Kankuro grumbled. He raised an eyebrow as if friendly conversations between the three of them were in any way normal.
Temari shook her head, amazed at both of her brothers' abilities to mess with her perceptions of reality. "What would you know about art anyway, Kankuro?" she asked, allowing a hint of impatience to enter her voice.
Kankuro rolled his eyes. "I make puppets." As if that explained everything.
Temari pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Puppets aren't art."
"Yes, they are!"
"No, they're not!"
"Yes, they are!"
"No. They're. Not!"
"Yeah-huh"
"Nuh-uh"
"Yeah-huh" Kankuro crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at her stubbornly.
It was Temari's turn to roll her eyes. She looked back at Gaara, who was staring at their brief argument with a confused frown on his face.
"Hey, Gaara," she began.
"What is it?" His face became calm and serious, staring at her expressionlessly once more.
Temari bit her lip as she hesitated thinking about how to ask her next question. She wanted to know more about the boy in front of her. Not as a weapon of the village, but as a person. As my brother.
"Do you want to help me gather firewood?"
Gaara's expression, which had been so carefully controlled since leaving Shisen, transformed into something she had never seen before. His face glowed red and his eyes began to shimmer as he looked down at the ground. He bit his lip, the small frown on his face changing into a pained grimace. The sand inside the gourd swished back and forth, but for the first time that Temari could remember, it didn't sound quite so angry.
After what felt like hours, Gaara nodded. "Sure."
An invitation to do chores shouldn't have made Temari feel so guilty.
O-O-O-O-O
Gaara was starting to wonder if he was stuck in a dream.
His team had left Shisen at the crack of dawn to maximize their travel time back to Suna. Despite the hour, Yuda and his family had risen early, yawning as they said goodbye. Still unsure how to react to their open kindness, Gaara had handed over the flower vase he had made, unable to meet their eyes.
The family had accepted the present with awe, gushing about the desert landscape engraved on the sides. With a final respectful bow, their team had left with only a glance back.
As they climbed out of the canyon, Gaara had considered turning around and begging Yuda and his family to stay with them. He refrained. The Kazekage would simply hunt him down, possibly destroying the village and killing Yuda's family in his search.
As much as he wanted to leave Sunagakure, Gaara would have to wait. He could never come back to Shisen, at least, not for many many more years after his father was dead.
Resigned to his fate, Gaara had expected his life as a monster and a weapon to resume. But instead, his life had only gotten stranger.
Temari and Kankuro had started talking to him. Not because they had to but because, apparently, they wanted to. It was the most perplexing thing that had ever happened in Gaara's young life. Even talking to eight other people in his mind paled in comparison.
For the first time in his life, he was asked to help collect firewood or set the shelters or cook the food. It was the kind of grunt work he had never been asked or expected to do before.
Yet, Gaara couldn't help but admit that after getting over the initial awkwardness, it was kind of nice. It made the two-day journey back to Sunagakure pass faster than he had expected. Even Shukaku was quieter, his voice easier to ignore with the pleasant buzzing in his stomach.
He should have known that the village and his father would find a way to ruin it eventually.
Despite traveling as quickly as possible, they arrived over half a day later than planned. Exhausted, they passed through the gates shortly after sunrise.
At his sides, Temari and Kankuro were yawning after traveling with so few breaks. Even Baki looked more tired than usual, bags visible under his one eye.
Gaara could feel the exhaustion building inside of him as well. While he couldn't sleep, meditating and resting always helped replenish his energy. He also wanted to join the Room, if only for a full break from Shukaku. If he got lucky, perhaps he would talk with Killer B, Yugito, or Utakata. They tended to spend time together in the morning while the others were busy with their day to day lives.
"We have to make our report to the Kazekage first," Baki said, suppressing a yawn. "Especially after arriving later than planned."
Kankuro and Temari groaned in annoyance. Gaara allowed a sigh to escape his lips, the only show of exasperation. Together, they ran to the main office, eager to finish their mission and return home as quickly as possible.
As always, Gaara steadied himself with a deep breath and clenched his fists before walking into the Kazekage's office. Standing in front of that man with his composure intact was impossible otherwise. Steady, he walked inside behind Temari and Kankuro.
Despite the early hour, the Kazekage was wide awake and alert. His cold eyes scanned over his team, deeming them safe and unharmed. Gaara bit his tongue to keep his face as neutral as possible. No matter how many reports he had made in the man's room, he could never get rid of the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed, hoping the man wouldn't notice.
Without waiting any longer, Baki began the mission debriefing. Gaara half-listened along. In the end, it had been unremarkable. The client had gotten to his destination in one piece and there had been no calamities along the way. They had been paid the agreed-upon amount and arrived at Shisen on schedule. Other than returning later than planned, it had been a perfect mission.
With their tale told, Gaara's team stood silent, waiting for permission to go home.
To his relief, the Kazekage nodded at the end of Baki's recollection. "You are dismissed." Without preamble, they turned around to leave. "Except you, Gaara. You need to stay."
Gaara's eyes widened and he saw Kankuro and Temari glance back, a questioning look on their faces.
"I need to speak to you about something," the Kazekage continued, waving for Baki and the others to leave. "Regarding your mission and future responsibilities."
Gaara hesitated for a second, wondering if he should try to leave anyway. But he couldn't do anything; in front of that man, he had no power. Reluctantly, he turned around and walked forward, the desk the only separation between them.
His team closed the door behind them and they were alone in the office. In the back of his mind, Gaara wondered what his team's faces looked like as they left the office. Were they worried about him?
Gaara's heart was beating faster in his chest, but he forced the familiar mask of tranquility to settle over his features. He stared at the man in front of him, waiting.
"Gaara."
"Rasa."
The Kazekage frowned but didn't correct him. Gaara felt a small and petty twinge of victory.
Being referred to by his given name by his own son must have annoyed him. But it was the only name Gaara could stomach using for the man sitting in front of him. Calling him 'Kazekage-sama' made him nauseous and calling him 'father' might actually make him vomit.
"You have obtained control over your sand," the man said. It wasn't a question.
Gaara said nothing and nodded instead. He never talked in the Kazekage's presence unless he had to.
"You didn't kill the client."
He still refused to react.
"The mission was completed successfully without any casualties."
Gaara met the Kazekage's eyes unflinchingly. Despite trying to remain collected, the man's cold glare made him feel naked and vulnerable.
"You finally managed to pass one of my tests."
Gaara tilted his head to the side. "Test?" He clenched a hand into a fist. He was tired of the man's tests.
'You should kill him,' Shukaku whispered in his subconscious.
For once, Gaara agreed with the beast. He forced himself not to nod in agreement.
"The escort mission was a test to see if you could control your urges," the Kazekage explained with the same angry and disappointed tone he used for everything. "I wanted to see if you could control your impulse to kill others. I'm glad to see that you can."
"What if I hadn't been able to?" His heart began beating faster and he forced the sand in the gourd not to react.
The Kazekage shrugged. "It wouldn't have been a big loss," he stated. "The man you escorted was a nobody. His death would have meant nothing. Even the destruction of his village would have meant nothing."
Nothing? The sand inside the gourd swished back and forth in fury. Inside his mind, Shukaku cackled, happy to absorb some of Gaara's negative emotions.
Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and bit his tongue to suppress as much of his emotions as he could. Yet, it was obvious the Kazekage could read his expression perfectly. Still, the man didn't comment on it.
"Now that I know you can control your impulses, I think it's time to hone more of your skills," he continued.
"What skills?" Gaara felt his body shake and he heard the sand crash against the walls of the gourd. He swallowed, his composure increasingly difficult to maintain.
"You need more training."
"I already train a lot," Gaara lied. In truth, Baki trained almost exclusively with Temari and Kankuro. With him, they only practiced the occasional team drill.
The Kazekage nodded before turning to look down at him once more. "Yes, I know. But there is something you need to learn."
"What's that?"
"How to control the Ichibi."
A wave of nausea hit Gaara. Despite all the practice controlling his emotions, he shuddered. "Control the Ichibi?"
The Kazekage nodded. "Yes, and I will be the one to train you on how."
Gaara wasn't sure how he managed not to vomit at that announcement.
O-O-O-O-O
Iruka kept a close eye on Sasuke for the first week back, looking for any signs of distress.
After hearing about the Uchiha Massacre, Iruka had been unsure how Sasuke would act in class upon returning to school. Weeping? Fury? Disassociation? He was ready for any of those. What he had gotten instead was Sasuke befriending Naruto and Hinata.
His friendship with Naruto boggled the imagination. They were almost complete opposites in everything. Other than during their sparring matches, they never exchanged as much as a single word to each other. If anything, Iruka had gotten the impression that they hated each other.
His relationship with Hinata at least made some sense. She was the heiress to a clan of doujutsu users and a promising kunoichi despite her shyness. She also never followed Sasuke around like most of the other girls in the class.
Yet, Iruka got the impression that Naruto was considered the closer friend. They tended to talk more to each other and Sasuke actually seemed calmer and happier when in his presence.
Apart from the unusual friendship, however, Sasuke had yet to show any signs of unraveling. He was quieter and more sullen than before, but not to the extent Iruka had expected.
Iruka assumed that someone had been put in charge of the boy's mental health following the massacre. Perhaps someone from the Yamanaka clan. That was the only thing that made sense.
Despite everyone's confusion over the unlikely friendship, Iruka tried to teach as usual. He lectured, gave detention, and assigned homework. By Friday, their relationship was almost an afterthought in the classroom's dynamics and Sasuke had yet to break down.
Still, Iruka needed to make sure the boy knew that he could ask for help if necessary. They needed to talk.
"Sasuke, can you stay behind, please? I wish to speak to you."
As Sasuke was headed out the door, Naruto and Hinata at his sides, he paused and glanced back. He wore a confused frown, echoed on the faces of his two companions.
"What is it, Iruka?" The boy turned around, hands in pockets.
"Iruka-sensei," Naruto muttered, shoving an elbow into Sasuke's ribcage.
"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke corrected himself. Somehow, the use of an honorific sounded more offensive than just using his name.
Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, annoyed, while Hinata smiled in amusement. Iruka shook his head. Have they really become friends?
"I just wanted to talk to you about something," Iruka said. "It won't take long. Maybe a few minutes."
Sasuke groaned before turning to his companions. "I'll meet you two at the gate," he ordered.
The two other children nodded, glancing up at Iruka curiously, before walking out and gently sliding the door closed behind them. Alone with Iruka, Sasuke walked towards his desk, hands in pockets, full of impatience.
For a few seconds, they stared at each other in silence.
Not wanting to beat around the bush or waste the boy's time, Iruka began. "I know about what happened with your family, Sasuke."
"Hn." As expected, Sasuke tensed. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and looked away, glaring at the wall with a grimace. He turned his body away from Iruka, on the cusp of running away.
Despite the boy's clear reluctance, Iruka continued. "I just want you to know that I know what it's like to lose your parents. My mother and father died in the Kyuubi attack. It took me a long time to make sense of the world after their deaths."
To Iruka's relief, the tension in Sasuke's shoulders relaxed marginally. Still, he did not speak and he refused to meet Iruka's eyes.
"If you need help, I'll be here for you, Sasuke. So don't be afraid to ask for it."
"Help?" Sasuke's grimace deepened.
Iruka nodded. "Yes. Whatever you might need. You can trust me."
Finally, Sasuke turned from glaring at the wall to glaring at Iruka instead. "Why should I trust you?" he asked.
Iruka blinked. "W-why?" He swallowed and scratched his nose. "I mean, I guess I'm just trying to make sure you can live on your own. I know how hard it is from experience."
"Did you ever make Naruto the same offer?" The boy's glower only deepened further. His jaw was clenched and his body began to shake in anger.
"N-Naruto? What does Naruto have to do with anything? I know he's your friend now but-"
Sasuke shook his head vehemently. "Naruto has never had parents and he's always lived alone but you never asked him if he needs help!"
Before Iruka had a chance to reply, Sasuke ran out, slamming the door shut behind him. For a few seconds, the only thing Iruka could do was gape at the closed door. He gripped the edge of his desk before collapsing onto his chair.
Iruka sat at his desk, guilt twisting his stomach into knots. He buried his head into his hands, looking down at his lap. He tried to think of a reason, a real reason, why he had never offered Naruto any help. His mind drew a blank.
Did Naruto live alone? And how long had he lived alone? How old was he, anyway?
Hands clenched into fists, Iruka lifted his gaze up to stare at the pile of homework on top of his desk. Despite being a rookie teacher, he had considered himself a good one, if only for treating all his students as equally as possible.
But equal wasn't always fair.
Ashamed and looking for something to do, he opened the first notebook and began to grade.
O-O-O-O-O
After Sasuke's talk with Iruka, Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke went to their usual grounds to train. Yet, they could not practice because of Sasuke's mood.
For some reason, Sasuke was furious for the entire session. He missed opportunities to strike and he got hit by easily avoidable attacks. Whenever Naruto and Hinata asked, however, he refused to reveal anything.
"What's wrong, jerk?" Naruto asked after the other boy failed to dodge an obvious punch to the face. "Are you giving up just like that?"
"Shut up, loser," Sasuke hissed, wincing as he wiped a bead of blood off his lip. "I'm just annoyed. Let's go again. I'll defeat you next round."
Despite his words, Sasuke lost the next match and the one after that. Even when they switched from sparring to kunai practice, his aim was inaccurate and his throws weak.
Yet, no matter how much Naruto and Hinata asked, Sasuke refused to reveal anything about what Iruka had talked about. With Sasuke unfocused, their training session ended much earlier than usual. Hinata headed home, wishing them a good weekend with an uncertain smile before walking away.
With Hinata gone, Sasuke groaned before walking around the training area to gather his kunai collection. Naruto followed his lead, making sure not to leave any of his weapons behind. Alone with Sasuke, he tried once more to get him to open up.
"So what did Iruka-sensei tell you, anyway?" Naruto asked, inspecting a kunai for dents and damages. To his annoyance, it was slightly bent. He placed it into his weapons pouch, making a mental note to sharpen it later.
"Nothing important," Sasuke muttered. He picked up a kunai and placed it into his own weapons pouch without even looking at it.
"You don't have to lie to me," Naruto mumbled. "You can just say you don't wanna tell me, ya know."
Sasuke tensed but said nothing. An awkward silence settled over the two of them as they searched for any other weapons. When they completed the task, they left the training area, walking aimlessly in the same direction, still silent
"Fine, I don't want to tell you," Sasuke finally admitted. He refused to meet Naruto's eyes as he stared straight into the distance. "But it made me angry and it's not important and I don't want you to worry about it."
Naruto rolled his eyes, relieved. He punched Sasuke on the shoulder, earning an annoyed scowl from the other boy.
"Fine." He grinned. "It's not like I tell you everything about my life either, ya know."
"Hn."
Despite the annoyed grunt, Naruto saw a hint of a smile on Sasuke's lips. His own grin widened and he snorted, happy.
"Anyway, are we still gonna watch 'The Steel Samurai' tomorrow morning?" he asked to change the topic.
Sasuke nodded. "Sure. Do you want to get something to eat later? We haven't had dinner together since we went back to school."
Naruto's eyes brightened as he rambled about the merits of eating at Ichiraku. He was almost at the point of convincing the other boy when they reached the end of the road. With a promise to make a dinner decision later, they separated and headed toward their own respective apartments.
Back home, Naruto dropped off his weapons pouch next to the door- a reminder to sharpen the kunai later. He headed to his bedroom and started to prepare his bag for the night.
Naruto shoved some pajamas into his backpack. He scrounged through his closet, pulling out clothes for the day after. Going down his mental checklist, he headed to the bathroom in search of his toothbrush and comb.
As he began to put his toiletries away, he was interrupted by a polite knock on the door. Sasuke? What's he doing here? I thought I was going to his place.
Confused, Naruto headed to the entrance.
"What is it, jerk?" he asked as he opened the door. "I thought I was-"
Before Naruto had a chance to finish his question, he was stopped dead in his tracks. He gaped up at the man standing at the door, eyes open wide in shock.
"Good afternoon, Naruto," Iruka said, a tentative smile on his face.
Lost for words, Naruto could only stare up at his teacher, trying to think of a good and compelling reason why he was there. He had never visited Naruto at home or asked about his life before. Disoriented, he blurted out the first thing he could think of.
"I didn't do it!" he shouted, despite not being accused of anything.
Iruka crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't do what?"
Naruto swallowed and he gaped up at the man, unsure of how to respond. "I don't know! But I didn't do it, ya know!"
Iruka sighed as he uncrossed his arms, trying to look more relaxed. "I didn't come here to accuse you of anything, Naruto," he said, scratching his nose. "I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. May I come in?"
Naruto blinked and tilted his head to the side. Iruka-sensei is being weird.
Tentatively, he nodded and took a step back, giving Iruka access to his apartment. Grateful, his teacher took his shoes off at the door before entering, glancing around the main room.
Naruto shifted, uncomfortable. The only other people who had ever been in his home were Sasuke and the Hokage. However, Sasuke was Sasuke and the old man only came to drop off his allowance and ask a few questions. He wondered what Iruka thought of his home. Does he think it's ugly?
They stood in silence, Iruka looking around while Naruto fidgeted.
"Your apartment is a lot neater than I expected," Iruka finally said, sounding impressed. "I remember mine was a mess when I was first living alone. Actually, it's still mostly a mess." He chuckled to himself.
Neater? Naruto looked around his apartment. Other than a few dirty dishes in the sink and a window that needed a good scrubbing, he supposed it was well-kept.
After all, cleaning his apartment was much better than practicing kanji with Utakata. The last time he had refused to sweep the floor, Utakata had forced him to write the character for 'rose' a hundred times over. With thirty-two strokes, it had taken him almost the entire night to finish. He never wanted a repeat of that experience in his life.
"I... uh... I try, Iruka-sensei," Naruto mumbled. He looked down at his feet.
"Oh, you have some pictures." Iruka walked toward the wall connecting the main living area to his bedroom.
Naruto joined Iruka's side. He had framed some of the pictures Sasuke's mother had gifted him long ago. He also had a few he and Sasuke had taken, though those were of much lower quality. It turned out using a camera was more difficult than either of them had expected.
Naruto grunted in assent, unsure of how else to respond.
"Who's the woman in the picture?"
Naruto looked up to meet his teacher's gaze. Iruka was pointing at one of the photos with Sasuke's mother. In it, she was smiling as she carefully cut his birthday cake into equal slices.
"That's Auntie," Naruto answered, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "Sasuke's mom."
"Sasuke's mother?" Iruka's eyes widened as he stared down at Naruto. "You knew Sasuke's mother?"
Naruto nodded again. "Yeah, she threw me a party for my birthday last year, ya know." He scratched the back of his neck, abashed. The experience still brought back positive memories, despite the woman's death.
"B-birthday party?" He stared down at Naruto, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "She threw you a birthday party?"
Naruto frowned, getting annoyed. "Yeah, what's the problem?"
Iruka cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry, no, there's no problem," he muttered, scratching the tip of his nose. "I was just... surprised. The Uchiha clan doesn't- didn't talk much to people outside of their compound."
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. She and Uchiha-san were very nice to me, though."
"Uchiha-san?"
"Sasuke's dad."
A memory of the man's face after Sasuke had shown off the Great Fireball Jutsu burst into his mind. He placed a hand over his heart. Sasuke's father might have been strict and serious, but he had never sensed anything evil about him. If anything, he kind of reminded Naruto of Yugito.
An awkward silence settled over the two of them once more as Iruka turned his attention back to the rest of the pictures on the wall. Naruto shifted in place again, his impatience growing. I should be going to Sasuke's apartment now, ya know!
"So what did you want to talk to me about, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked after a few minutes to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Oh, yes, well, I... uh..." Iruka scratched the tip of his nose. He cleared his throat again before gesturing to the table. "Want to sit down, Naruto?"
"Sure?" He shrugged.
They headed toward the dining table, sitting at chairs opposite each other.
Iruka cleared his throat again. "I wanted to talk to you about the exams you missed," he began.
"Oh." Naruto felt the blood leave his face.
After the summer vacation and their return to school, he had forgotten about the exams he had skipped out on. He stared down at his lap, his hands clenched into tight fists under the table's surface.
"We never really talked about it in detail," Iruka continued.
Naruto winced and bit his lip, waiting for the inevitable reprimand.
"And I think I haven't been as fair or as helpful to you as I'd like. So for that, I'm sorry."
Naruto blinked. He looked up from his lap. Iruka had bowed his head down slightly in apology, hands on his knees.
"Huh?"
"I should have seen how you were struggling and tried to help you," his teacher continued, his head still bowed. "I had the opportunity to do so during the summer and during the first week back, but I didn't. Even before that, I should have made sure you were doing well living on your own."
"Oh, uh, thank you?" Naruto shifted in his seat, unsure of how else to respond.
To his relief, Iruka lifted his head and stared down at Naruto. "I want to give you a chance to make up for the exams you missed, Naruto."
"Chance to make up?" Naruto's heart began beating faster in his chest.
Iruka nodded. "Yes, I can't let you take them now," he said. "But I can give you a chance for extra credit. I want you to stay after class for the next week. If you can finish some extra assignments, I'll give you an extra boost. It won't replace your missing grades, but it will be enough to continue to the next year as long as you pass all the other exams."
Naruto stood up and slammed his hands on top of the table. "Wait, really, Iruka-sensei?" He felt himself start to vibrate with excitement. "Just gotta do some assignments for extra credit?" It seemed almost too good to be true.
Iruka nodded again. "They have to be done correctly, though. No rushing through it."
"Yes, sensei!" Naruto chuckled, bowing his head down in thanks. "I'll do it right, ya know!"
Iruka returned his gesture with a kind smile that actually reached his eyes. "I'm glad you agree."
Naruto grinned, thankful. With their agreement made, Iruka hummed to himself before standing up from the table. "Well, I think I'll leave now. You had plans with Sasuke, right?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, to get dinner later."
Iruka walked toward the entrance and began to put his shoes back on. "In that case, I'll see you on Monday, Naruto."
Naruto opened the door for him. "See you on Monday, Iruka-sensei." He grinned again.
Iruka began to exit before stopping at the door and clearing his throat. "Oh, and Naruto?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. "If you ever need anything, even if it's not about school, don't be afraid to ask me for help, okay?"
Naruto felt his face heat up. Other than Sasuke's parents, no one other than the jinchuuriki had ever explicitly offered to help him. "Oh, uh, sure, sensei," he mumbled. "Thank you."
Iruka hummed to himself, waving goodbye before leaving. Naruto stared at the closed door, wondering why his teacher had decided to check in on him out of nowhere. Does it have something to do with why Sasuke was so mad today?
He shook his head to break the trance. He still had to finish packing and he needed to say goodbye to his mother. He ran back to his bedroom, not wanting to make Sasuke wait longer than he already had.
O-O-O-O-O
"Took you long enough, loser." Upon hearing Naruto's characteristic pounding on the door, Sasuke opened it to let the other boy in.
Panting heavily, Naruto entered, throwing his backpack down on the floor. "Sorry, jerk. Something happened!"
"Something?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Together, they headed toward the sofa and collapsed there, side by side, as Naruto got his breath under control.
"Iruka-sensei came to my apartment, ya know."
Sasuke tensed and his annoyance from earlier returned. "What did he want?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as cool and collected as usual. He could tell he failed, however, because Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"He wanted to talk to me about the exams from before the summer break. Since I didn't take any of them."
"Wait, what?" Sasuke spun toward him, a grimace on his face. "What do you mean you didn't take any of them? Didn't you tell me you did fine on the last one?"
Naruto blanched and he turned his face away. "Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I?" He swallowed and started to rub the back of his neck. "I didn't wanna make you worry, jerk. I was gonna get a good score on the finals to make up for it, ya know."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "As if you could get a good enough score to make up for three missing exams."
Naruto punched him on the arm. "Anyway, Iruka-sensei said he's gonna give me assignments to make up for it after school. So I won't be able to train with you and Hinata-chan next week."
Sasuke punched him back. "As if we need you."
Naruto huffed. "Did you talk to Iruka-sensei about me or something? Cause he just showed up at my door, ya know."
Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his face away. "So what if I did?" He glared at the kitchen wall. His heart was beating faster in his chest in a combination of anger and mild embarrassment.
Silence fell over both of them as they tried to get their thoughts in order. Finally, Naruto spoke.
"Thank you, Sasuke."
Sasuke turned to look back at Naruto. His sky-blue eyes met his unflinchingly, a smile on his face.
"You're welcome, loser," he mumbled.
Naruto sighed before standing up, stretching his arms over his head. "Wanna eat at Ichiraku?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Why not?"
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Kankuro is right. Puppets ARE art.
Also! I got some fanart! Yay! One is a commission of Kasumi and one is of Mama Roshi.
Unfortunately, FFN hates hyperlinks and links to external websites, so if you wanna see it, I HIGHLY recommend going to my account on Archive of Our Own. I also interact much more often on Archive of Our Own and am much, much more likely to reply to your comments there.
I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites and on Discord.
Thank you so much to Morket for helping me beta this chapter! Your help is always super helpful.
Next chapter: a fight.
(Just a fair warning that it might take a while. The next chapter is currently kicking my ass.)