CHAPTER 3 (redone)

Such a Mess

It was agony.

It was just an unfair agony that the wondrous being that is one Naruto Uzumaki had to have such a weirdo as a partner. And not just for one project during their science lab class but for the whole month. Orochimaru wouldn't even let him switch partners as the long haired man had made it clear no one was to . Naruto was pretty sure their teacher took some sick-sick pleasure out of denying and torturing his students. He believed it even more so when another student dropped their beaker onto their foot and all Orochimaru said was not to wear open-toed shoes to class next time. The guy was a real bastard and his model face and those damn bright honey colored eyes were just down right misleading to any who didn't know the man.

"Alright everyone." Spoke the man sternly with a natural whisper like hiss to his tone. "Upon your desk is the project you are to have completed by the end of the week with your assigned partner. If I find out that only one out of the pair did the work you will get a revocation of lunch and some after school quality time with me and a few volatile components." Here the long haired man put forth an unnerving smile that did not lighten the guy's choice of words. "Are we clear?"

It was obvious the resounding answer was one of approval.

Naruto groaned at the sudden poking nudge to his shoulder. He planted his face upon the black desk, promptly ignoring his annoying lab partner and whatever they were saying to him. He of course wasn't allowed his peace though as the teacher tossed a test tube at his head. The item clinking to his desktop and rolling toward the opposite edge yet pausing before it could tilt over the side.

"If you're tired, Uzumaki, do rethink your sense of time and your sleep schedule."

A snicker came from the right of the blonde. Naruto flipped the dog-lover off, mindful to glance at Orochimaru before doing so. The poke to his shoulder happened again making him inwardly growl and mentally count to ten. "What?" the now irritated blonde asked as he finally turned to look at the other boy who shared his table. "And stop poking me, would you."

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't so blonde." replied the boy with a slight huff to their voice that kinda reminded Naruto of Sakura when she was sick with one of those mucus-ee colds. The kind that made her soft voice have that odd roughness to it. Only that this guy's voice was a bit more rough but still just as soft; an odd mixture of sounds for sure.

Naruto was pretty sure the guy had insulted him but at this point his brain wasn't up for a verbal argument. Besides, he was a blonde.

With a tired sigh he lifted his head off the table and sat up slightly straighter on the swivel stool placed before the desk. Each table had two. Like they had to have pairs in everything, students included. Naruto eyed the other boy taking in their very short black hair, porcelain colored flesh and onyx colored eyes. They had rather soft features but their jaw structure and the form of their eyes were very much of the male gender. However their choice in clothing is what really caught the blonde's attention. They had on a plain black zip-up hoodie with these matching skinny jeans that made Naruto shift in his seat in discomfort just from seeing the tightness of them.

He couldn't help but ask; "Dude, how the hell does your crotch fit in there?"

"Are you asking to see my dick?" the other replied simply.

The two stared at each other for a while.

Naruto mentally questioned if the guy had just said what he thought he did and the black haired boy for a lack of knowledge on how to keep a flow of conversation going. It took a few more seconds for the blonde to finally just shove the weird reply into the mental trash bin in his head. He wasn't even going to bother trying to understand the other boy's reasoning for that response.

"There is something wrong with you, man."

The boy continued to stare back without replying. Their facial features were blank but Naruto was able to see the faint twitch of their dark brows hinting at a glimpse of the guy's confusion thanks to how close their seats were placed. Waiting to actually get a verbal response back though took too long and Naruto just waved the guy off while flipping open his textbook to find what one of the names on their assigned project even meant.

Science obviously really wasn't his calling.

The unlikely pair started their work silently for a good chunk of the class. Naruto only had to swipe away the other boy's pointing pen when it took the blonde a bit too much time then he'd like to admit at finding some of the scientific words and their definition. By the end of the lab Naruto's textbook had random wiggled lines of blue ink upon the pages here and there. And the other boy was now supporting a very dim hue of pink around their pale wrist in the vague shape of Naruto's hand. The blonde doubted anyone was more happier than him to hear the bell go off.

"My name is Sai." stated the dark haired weird boy out of nowhere.

Naruto paused mid shove of packing his bag to look up at the guy. The guy's face was just as impassive as before even if there was this lip-sealed smile upon it this time. "Naruto…" He eyed the weird smile for a second. "And your smile gives me the creeps by the way."

"Damn buddy! Aren't you just the international peace maker." Entered Kiba's voice as the brunette made his way up to the blonde's shared table. "Don't mind blondie here. He's just grumpy that he had no ladies keeping him up all night…" The brunette leant back a bit and looked around the emptying classroom quickly before leaning in a bit closer to Naruto's lab partner until his mouth was a few inches away from the other's ear. "...just his right hand." Kiba pulled back, his brows wiggling in amusement to match his sudden wolfish grin.

Sai blinked slowly, not quite following as quickly as the newly appeared boy probably expected. Once he did though it took him a bit to decide on the correct response. "So he's dickless?" asked Sai in a blunt wording whilst moving his dark eyes off the brunette to Naruto's now reddening face.

Kiba barked out a laugh, startling Sai a bit, before slinging an arm over the guy's shoulders and thumping them on the chest with the whole palm of his hand. "I like him, Naruto. Let's keep him around."

Naruto shot his friend a glare followed by giving a reply in the most sarcastic tone of voice he could muster while feeling as irritated as he did. "Sure dear, whatever you want. I'll even put Akamaru up for adoption since you're only allowed one." With that said he walked past the two to enter the filling hallways for the next class he had; Home Economics.

The two boys looked after the blonde til the back of Naruto's black and orange checkered backpack dipped around the framing of the open door. Kiba whistled low, shaking his right hand while doing so and gaining Sai's attention once more. "See I told you, only has his right hand."

Sai couldn't help the upward tilt of his lips. The muscle response surprised him but Kiba didn't seem to notice as the brunette guided the other boy out of the room while asking what class they had next among other questions.

"How the hell do they have Home-Ec right before lunch but won't even let you gorge on the food you make?" shouted Naruto as he shot his arms up above his head in physical exclaim before entwining his fingers together behind his head so he could lean his head back comfortably as he walked down the street.

"Naruto." sounded Sakura's calm soft voice from the annoyed blonde's left. "You should be happy that your burnt rice was marked as passable."

"Wait wait!" Yelled Kiba as he held his hands out as if trying to freeze time for a moment. "You're telling me Naruto burned rice? One of the easiest things to make?"

The amusement was thick in the dog-lover's voice and no one could deny it. Not even Sai who was dragged to join the trio group by an amused brunette. Naruto blew air up into his bangs not even bothering to answer while Sakura turned her head away to hide the smile trying to take over her mouth. Kiba of course had no such issue letting the blonde know just how much he found their lack of cooking skills funny.

"Your mom can cook. Your dad can cook." Kiba marked off on his hand by popping up his thumb then his index finger followed with some delay by his middle finger. "And you, you can only make ramen. The 3 minute kind I might add."

Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto grumbled. "Laugh it up now, sure, but see if I ever invite you guys to dinner when my mom cooks ever again."

"That's fine, dude. You're normally at Sakura's anyways so it's kinda whatever." Replied Kiba as he pocketed his hands while walking a little ways behind the blonde with Sai on his right.

Here Sai opened his mouth to ask who Sakura was when the group reached the infamous dinner. Its style was vintage with chrome on the sides, glossy red painted walls with checkered stripes outlining the windows and was very much remensant to the diners back in the day; mainly the malt shops. They crossed the street and made their way up the built in ramp, slowing down by the entrance of the door when the inside showed to be a bit crowded.

"Well shit. How are we supposed to get a table?" Asked Kiba as he lifted himself onto his toes to see over the mini crowd of people; the majority of which attended his school.

"And that's why you call ahead, boys."

The three boys looked to the only girl of their group; two with surprised but then very pleased expressions upons their faces and one boy bluntly stoic. Sakura rolled her green eyes at them before squeezing behind the little cluster of people by the waiting area to one of the two booths with a reserved sign on it. Once she found her name in typewriter font upon a folded simple piece of paper she took up the window seat before either of the boys did. It was kinda amusing to watch both Kiba and Naruto swiftly enter a quickie game of rock-paper-scissors to see who'd get the other window seat when it got claimed without their notice by someone else.

She coughed lightly.

"Oh that's right, um...we don't know each other." Sakura started lamely as she addressed the boy Kiba had pulled down the front steps of their school by the back of their hoodie without the dark haired teen's permission. She idly wondered why he hadn't told her friend to let go or something though. "I'm Sakura, Sakura Haruno." She then motioned to the still oblivious pair. "Long time friend of those two idiots."

Sai simply laid his gaze onto her in silence for a good long moment before glancing to the two mentioned. "I see."

Having seen the pink haired girl do a hand gesture in his direction; Kiba ditched Naruto mid conversation to slip into the spot beside Sakura. He gave a taunting head nod to Naruto before picking up the tacky plastic menu and using a corner of it to point at Sai. "This is Sai by the way." He paused, waiting a second as Naruto took up the only remaining free seat in the booth beside the very one they were talking about. " He's apparently as gay as a drag queen. Only just lacks the ownership of a dress and the other get-up stuff."

Naruto choked suddenly on his own spit at that description. Sakura shot the blonde a look before offering a welcoming smile. "Welcome to the group, Sai. No offense to you but I really hope another girl joins our group soon."

Once getting over the unexpected clog in his throat, Naruto picked up his own menu and used it to smack the top of Kiba's head followed by looking at Sakura with a somewhat confused expression. "Why's that? You're like one of the guys anyways."

"I'm still trying to forget the fact you asked me if I was a girl back when we were 10, Uzumaki." Sakura snapped back.

"Oh oh, I remember that!" Kiba butted in verbally while "He was so confused on why you had ditched him. Dude came to me to ask and well..." He broke off into a light chuckle. " Good times, good times."

"How long have you known each other? '' asked Sai; a mild strain of interest in his voice.

"Too long." answered Naruto.

"I've thought of vetoing this group; it's been that long." mumbled Sakura.

"Since Naruto and I crossed swords!" stated Kiba as he stretched out his arms over the backrest of the booth seats; flicking a strand of pink hair off Sakura's shoulder that was nearest to the window.

Sai had no idea on how to respond to the over layered replies.

"Ew! Oh my god, Kiba!" squealed Sakura while jerking her head to make a face at the brunette before redirecting the look at Naruto right after. "Please tell me you're joking. That's just disgusting and not something I needed to know."

"Nope, it's true."

"What'd I just say?"

Kiba raised a brow, looking down at Sakura who now had her hands planted over her ears. He looked at the two seated across from him and head-motioned to her as if saying 'isn't she a weird one'?

Surprisingly enough it was Sai who gave the reply. "You did ask, didn't you?"

"I'll tell you!"

"Naruto!" pleaded the sole female in the booth to the one boy in the group who didn't seem to be putting any input into the current conversation.

"Don't look at me, you know he's gonna tell the story anyways." Naruto shrugged, his eyes not once lifting away from the menu as he flicked his blue gaze from the picture of cheese fries with a cheese burger combo to another image of hot-wings with chili topped with melted cheese. Damn did this place know how to take pictures of their food and make it look good.

"Damn right." Kiba started the retelling of the event as they waited for a waiter. "It was the second day of school, I missed the first cause of a dog bite from this grumpy german shepherd, and I met Naruto here in the bathroom." He nudged Sakura's shoulder when the girl looked like she wanted to be anywhere else then sitting with them listening to the tale. "For some reason most of the urinals weren't usable. One was out of order and two others were stuffed with white paper towels that weren't so white anymore if you know what I-"

"Just get on with it, Inuzuka, we get what you mean." muttered Sakura much to Naruto and Kiba's amusement.

Before the dog-lover of a boy could continue the gross storytelling, their assigned waiter showed up with iced water, and left their glossy plastic booth with their orders. "So anyways it was during I think our fourth period that I had to piss. Stupidity at our middle school we had this lame time limit or you get no recess rule. You also need a pass to go to the bathrooms which my bimbo of a teacher forgot to give me so I betted Naruto his."

Sai's arms moved from their slack position to cross over one another and lift upward to rest upon the table in a show of interest toward the story. His eyes took a glance at the blonde who just took a deep sip of their water before looking around the rather colorful eating place. "You betted Naruto to cross piss streams with you?" It was odd for Sai to say Naruto's name having just met the blonde just round two hours ago.

Kiba nodded. "Yeah, I thought he looked like a pushover with those big baby-blues, chubby kiddie cheeks and seriously innocent face that it should've been illegal back then."

Naruto snorted as did Sakura for a different reason; one in denial of that description and the other in agreement.

"What was the purpose of the pass then?" Asked Sai, head tilting faintly.

"If he didn't do it or just chickened out I'd get his hall pass and he'd miss recess that day."

The rest of how Kiba and Naruto met were deemed too graphic for lunch within a public dinner; at least to Sakura. They instead talked about their classes this far. Naruto complained about Orochimaru, Sakura gushed about home economics and the teacher Kurina who taught it, to which Kiba felt inclined to make a lewd comment about and Sai told them a bit about himself when nudged verbally to do so.

Once their food arrived conversation lessened but the air hovering around the group was relaxing. It was a good lunch out for the group until a passing by waiter accidentally knocked the remains of a Pepsi drink onto the front of Naruto's shirt as he was stepping out of the booth. Kiba burst out laughing as Sai silently passed some napkins to the blonde while Sakura reassured the worried waiter it was okay. Naruto made sure to plant his foot into Kiba's back when they stepping down the stairs of the entrance as payback.

"Do you have a change of shirt?" Sakura asked with some concern as she took in the displeased face of her best friend. "That's a pretty big stain."

"Thank you, Sakura." Naruto grunted sarcastically while billowing his shirt to get it to dry faster. "I only got my gym clothes back in my locker."

"You can use my hoodie." Kiba offered.

"Does it smell like your dog?"

"You got any other options, blondie?"

By the time Naruto got Kiba's locker combo spun in correctly and the hoodie he was offered to borrow slipped on he was more than five minutes late for class. He rushed down the hall making sure to keep checking the numbers for his class. He let out a sigh once he spotted the one he was looking for and slowed down to a walk as if he hadn't just booked it. Peeking in, he noted that the teacher was already in the process of teaching which wasn't unexpected.

The blonde didn't see much point in lingering outside in the hall any longer and pushed the door open; almost instantly gaining a few fellow students' attention but it was the teacher he mouthed an apology to once they saw him. Thankfully the light brown haired teacher with this rather noticeable scar over the bridge their nose just motioned for him to take a seat at the only unused desk available which was between Sai and a very hardcore tom girl.

"A gender confused girl on my left and a defective flamer on the right." Muttered the already irritated blonde as he sat down, dropping his bag on the floor without care. He wasn't genuinely upset about the seating placement, just the remaining irritation from the diner incident hadn't left yet. It just had to be me that someone's leftover pepsi had to spill on. Naruto guessed he was thankful that Kiba let him borrow his dark gray zip-up hoodie even if the lingering scent of the guy's dog was kind of annoying. A sharp prod to the blonde's left drew Naruto's attention away from his inner thoughts to the one seated on that side of him. He blinked at the narrowed gaze set on him. "Yes?"

"What was it that you just said?" came the semi deep snow related voice.

The person who was seated at the desk to Naruto's left was most definitely not a girl then. Guess that means they're not gender confused, was the distant thought to spark within the blonde's mind before he recalled their question. Narurto raised a brow while tilting his head to prop it up upon his upturned right hand; elbow pressing down on the desk's smooth surface. "I said, yes."

"No moron, before that."

"I said-" There was a sudden pause as Naruto actually recalled what he had said before. "Oh...that."

"Yes, that." The owner of the voice didn't let up their tense stare even though there was nothing really to it besides a chill. They continued on though, their winter cold voice taking on a faint note of annoyance that Naruto himself had last used upon sitting down. "I can see that you are a rather slow one so that might explain how you could confuse me for a girl but I still fail to see how you even got there."

"Uh." was the intelligent response from the blonde before he took a quick look at Sai who was actually just drawing on the margins of his notebook. Not having gotten any excuse to ditch the conversation via Sai, Naruto faced back to the now visibly annoyed boy. "Well, dude to be honest here, "He paused as he racked his brain for the best way to say it without having this awkward conversation get any deeper in the red. "You got a chick's face."

There was a moment of silence as the other took that in.

"I look that much like a girl to you?"

"Isn't that pretty much what I said?"

The guy's dark ebony eyes looked at Naruto as if he was a dirt covered worm that dared to wiggle over their shoe. Those eyes flickered to the one seated on the other side of the blonde briefly before resetting on him; just lacking the mild expression from a second ago. "So I take it you think he's a defective flamer, as you so elegantly put it?"

"Sai?" Naruto lifted his other hand up to lazily point at the mentioned teen through the badly shaped triangle space his arm made when he propped his chin upon his hand. "He's def a homosexual, alright. Like to the point that if you took him to a butcher shop and told him to go feel a sausage he'd probably stick his hand down some guy's pants."

The other boy now had an actual full expression on their flawless pale face. And it wasn't anything negative either. Well, if you didn't count disbelief as something negative anyways.

"What? I'm just saying and you did bring it up first, man." Naruto commented as the look on the guy's face was exchanged for one that showed a mild amount of how weird they thought Naruto to be from that lengthy sentence.

"I did not need to know that."

Naruto shrugged, deflecting the vibe the other was giving him. "Shouldn't have brought it up then."

"Hey you two in the back row." The teacher's voice was now aimed at them rather than at the whole class.. "Eyes up front and pay attention. This is history class, not a time to catch up with old friends."

At the word 'friends' both boys bodily leaned away from one another. The two looked forward and the dark haired boy gave a simple sound in response. Although Naruto had a feeling their wordless reply was more directed at him rather than at the teacher.

Prick.