I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Kishimoto-san does. If he gave me the Naruto franchise, THEN I'D OWN NARUTO!

Don't sue meh. ( ̄▽ ̄)ノ


The Alphabet with NaruHina!

N is for Nefarious

Today felt off.

For one, it was raining rather than snowing, and two; Iruka-sensei was quiet as the class filed in that morning. Naruto's gaze travels towards Hinata's empty desk, his bruised cheek aching from the thought of what happened to her. After tossing her off of him she had hit her head very hard. There was blood and that was enough to make the boys run for the hills. Sasuke told him to keep quiet and act like they went home. Naruto trusted his best friend, he knew he wouldn't snitch on him.

"Class. I have an announcement to make." Iruka stood from his desk in the corner, pacing the space between his podium and the chalkboard. Naruto felt his temperature skyrocket.

"You may have yet noticed but Hinata-san is not here with us today. In fact, she will be leaving us for the remainder of the school year." A few students gasp, gossiping as to what happened. Naruto sunk deeper into his seat.

I killed her! I frickin' killed her didn't I?!

"Baka." Sasuke whispered. "Keep it together." Naruto stood straighter in his seat. Iruka hadn't said anything that pointed towards Hinata being dead, he may have been out of the woods after all.

"As you all know, bullying is not tolerated in this classroom; in the entirety of the Leaf Academy. It has come to mine and Hatake-sama's attention that one, if not a few, of my students have participated in these nefarious acts against Hinata-san."

Bullying?

Naruto nearly let out a laugh. Now he knew he wouldn't be the one guilty. He wasn't a bully, no he just played pranks and messed with people. But bullying? No, never. The only bullies Naruto knew were adults like Kakashi-senpai and his parents, particularly his mother. He knew he was for sure out of the woods now. Iruka eyed the class, a scowl adorning his usual upturned cheeks.

"I just want to remind you all that I know who is behind this but I will allow you to come clean as to save yourself some trouble." The class looked around, wondering just who the culprit was. Naruto shrugs, his guess being Kiba considering Mitsuko left the school because of him.

"Fine. Uzumaki Naruto, to the front of the class." Iruka demands, silencing the class entirely. A chill shot up Naruto's spine. All eyes were on him. He suddenly felt sweaty, completely at a loss for words.

"M-me? But I..I never bullied anybody!" He retorts. "You can ask anybody Sensei! I never ever ever-"

Iruka suddenly slams his a clenched fist against his podium. "Shut your lying mouth!" He shouts. "To the front of the class."

"B-but-" Naruto was a stuttering mess, not able to comprehend much as Iruka had yelled at him so vicious for the first time ever.

"Now!" He scrambles from his seat, standing next to the podium in front of the entire room. His legs waver and quake as Iruka addressed the students once more. Naruto looked in Sasuke's direction, his eyes pleading for help. Sasuke merely looked away, bored even. Naruto felt his fist clench at his side. He wasn't the only one messing with Hinata. Why should he only be the one to go down for it? Sasuke was supposed to be his friend and have his back!

"I..I wasn't the only one messing with Hinata. Sasuke did it too." Naruto heard himself say.

"What! I never bothered that frea-girl before! Why are you lying Naruto!" Sasuke shot back, defending himself.

"Y-yeah..! Sasuke-kun would never do that! Only you, Naruto." Sakura adds.

"W-what?! You were the one spreading those rumors about her!" Naruto shot back, his voice cracking as he did so. "You and Ino both gossiped about her! A-and Kiba, you used to bother Mitsuko! You're the reason why she left in the first place!"

Kiba's face flushed crimson. He stood from his desk, his fist drawn as he barked, "Shut the hell up!"

"That is enough!" Iruka's voice boomed over the pandemonium. The kids quiet down, their glares at one another speaking enough for them. Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering low under his breath. "Alright. Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kiba. Out of your seats."

The children protest but one look from their teacher was enough keep them silent as they rose from their seats. "Is there anybody else who would like to come clean?" Iruka asks.

A terse moment goes by. A timid hand goes up in the air. "Yes, Tenten?"

"I..what if you knew about what was happening but were too scared to say anything?" She asks. Iruka sighs, a somber look ghosting over his face.

"If anybody has known but hadn't said anything, then you are also at as much fault as the aggressors. You always speak up for your fellow classmate. We have failed Hinata by not doing so. I have failed for not noticing soon enough." Tenten sunk into her seat tears brimming from her eyes. "But,"

Iruka squats to be at her level, wiping the tears from her eyes. "By apologizing and wishing her well elsewhere, we can make up for those mistakes."

Iruka instructs then rest of the class to begin apology letters for Hinata. He turns towards the other group of students, a look of shame causing Naruto to shiver.

"The rest of you, to the principal's office."

••••

Naruto cringed to himself as he heard the cries of Ino and Sakura echo in the halls. They were all separated, placed in empty rooms and not allowed to speak to one another either. It was only when Kiba passed by his room did Naruto attempt to talk to him. "Psst! Kiba!" He whispers.

Kiba looks up from his seat across from the door. His eyes were wet, probably from crying. Kiba glares and moves one seat over so that Naruto wasn't able to talk to him anymore. A secretary comes by to let Naruto know that the principal was ready for him. Naruto slowly moved out of his room, passing by Kiba, and even Sasuke whose eyes were hard like steel. The secretary knocks, bowing, and pushed Naruto through the door.

Kakashi's back was to him, his gaze looking out over the horizon. You could see a multitude of offices and houses from the window that overlooked not just the school, but the entire East side of Konoha. "Take a seat, Naruto." Kakashi commands.

He sits, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. Naruto heard Kakashi sigh, his chair creeking as he turned around. Kakashi had his hands clasped together in front of his face where the impression of his mouth would be. Naruto flicks his gaze at him and elsewhere, unnerved at the unnecessary silence. "The last time you were in my office I warned you to leave Oshiro-san alone. Within that same month, she leaves the academy completely, with no warning. And now, it appears the same thing is happening to Hyūga-san."

Naruto gulps down a gust of air. He felt his leg quaking. He didn't do anything wrong though. He only messed with her, just a little bit. He could admit that he accidentally hurt her head, but that was only because she was beating him up first! There was no way Naruto would ever admit guilt to something he wasn't guilty about.

"Explain to me, Naruto, how it is that both of these girls from class seven are leaving so suddenly."

"B-because..I don't know. Maybe they just don't like it here." He stutters.

Kakashi inhales, rising from his seat. He stood against his desk directly in front of Naruto, towering over the little boy with a hard look. "Enough with the lies." He hissed. "What did you do."

"N-nothing Sensei! I swear. I..I only messed with her a little."

"Messed with her?" Kakashi echoes. "You gave her a low grade concussion and from what I have been told; this isn't your first incident with Hyūga-san!"

"I only pushed her because she was hitting me first!" Naruto shot back.

"No, what happened was that you, Sasuke, and Kiba were actively bullying Hinata and because of it, she is leaving the school and having to find education elsewhere!"

"I'm not a bully!" Naruto shouts, his frustration boiling over. Tears sting the corner of his eyes as his chest huffed and puffed. Kakashi just didn't get it. Hinata was a weirdo, so what if he called her out on it a few times. It wasn't like anybody cared. Sasuke found it funny, Kiba realized his mistake by befriending her, and the rest of his friends just followed along with him. It was then that Naruto began to feel bad, an ache settling in his chest. He had told on his friends. Granted, he was going to be solely blamed for something he didn't do by himself. His chest heaves and he noticed the room had gone quiet.

Kakashi walks back over into his seat, settling his chin into his folded hands. "I have called your mother. You will be sent home today and suspended until I can figure out a punishment fitting enough for you and the hurt you have caused this girl."

Naruto bobbed his mouth open and closed. Suspended?

He had never been suspended for anything a day in his life. He wanted to protest, to explain his side, but it was clear Kakashi didn't wish to hear it. That, and his mother was sure to arrive soon. Naruto kept his head down as the feeling of tears swelled in his eyes.

Why was he always blamed for things like this?

"I had high hopes for you, Naruto." Kakashi starts, the melancholic tone in his voice hitting him to the core. "I understand that home can sometimes be upsetting, but that does not allow you to come to school and hurt others just because they may seem or act differently than what you expect."

"I am deeply disappointed in you."

It wouldn't be another ten minutes till his mother arrived and spoke with Kakashi. She stopped at the chair Naruto sat in, silent as ever. It terrified the little boy to the death. Uzumaki Kushina was never silent. She walked off and he took it as a sign to follow. They were driving, but not in the direction of home. Naruto glanced at his mother but her eyes stayed glued to the rode. He wanted her to say something, anything.

"Gomenasai.." He heard himself whisper.

"Sorry?" His mother sighs. "Sorry doesn't excuse your behavior Naruto. I can't believe you've been bullying someone; the Hyūga heiress at that!"

Naruto put his head down, waiting for her to say she was disappointed in him too. "I thought I raised you better than this. And to hear that she wasn't the only one..!" His mother inhaled and exhaled quickly to calm her nerve.

"Why?"

Why? There was no reason, at least none that Naruto knew the right answer to. Hinata was a weirdo and Mitsuko was no better and decided to be friends with her. Messing with them had no reason behind it. He did it just because. Nobody tried to stop him and nobody cared enough to say anything, so why not? He found it humorous to see their reactions to his pranks. He meant it when he called them freaks. It was the truth and there was no need to hide it from their fellow peers. Naruto briefly remembers a moment when he was always called out for being different.

"I don't know.." He murmurs aimlessly in thought.

Kushina beat her fist on the sterring wheel, her eyes glaring into the backside via her rearview mirror. "You better give me a better answer than that." She hissed through clenched teeth, her face nearly going as red as her hair.

"You terrorized these girls and I know there is a reason behind it!"

Naruto lifted his shoulders. He didn't know what to say. He felt the car jerk to a stop. They had parked in front of a big house protected by a black, wrought iron fence lining the entire perimeter of the complex.

"I'm going to give you some time to think. And when your father gets home, I suggest you have a better response than that." Kushina slammed the car door shut. She walked over to the gate and pressed a button on an intercom. It took a moment, but someone came to the gate.

A man with clear eyes much like Hinata's sneered down at his mother, his face set in a deep scowl. Naruto couldn't hear from inside the car but he could tell his mother was apologizing a lot. He set his gaze somewhere else as an inkling of guilt nipped at him. His eyes widen. He could see Hinata being pushed on a swing behind the man who looked like her. The person pushing her was a tall older boy with opaque eyes much like her own. Someone suddenly ran by and yanked on his hair. It was Mitsuko!

She looked happy, happier than he had ever seen her. They laughed and played with one another, not giving a care about anything else. Naruto imagined Hinata's laugh. High, screechy giggles echo in his mind. Kushina slams the door shut, snapping him out of his trance. The car drove off but again, not in the direction of home. He wanted to ask where but kept his tongue tied. The car pulls up to another housing complex. Kushina tells him to stay put and that she'd be back in a few minutes.

It felt like forever Naruto sat in that car, waiting for his mother. He hears a gate creak open and snatched his gaze upward to catch whoever it was. It was his mother and another woman. The woman was quite tall, sporting lengthy dark hair that stopped right after her knees. Her eyes were lilac and she had the faintest sign of a mark right above her left eyebrow. She must've felt Naruto's stare for she looked right at the car. He ducks, waiting a few seconds to make sure she wasn't looking. Kushina bows one last time before bidding the strange woman goodbye.

"Let's go home."


His parents were arguing again, as they did almost every night. Naruto hated when it was about him though. He was a burden to his family, he knew this. The lack of attention his parents gave him only fueled his rambunctious acts. They were always so busy, too busy, for him but never busy enough for the town or dad's campaign or those detectives who always come over to discuss things in private. Naruto didn't care about any of that stuff. He just wanted to play catch with his father again, to come home to his mother's fresh cakes sitting on the counter like he did when he was younger.

"My fault?! Had you actually been there for your son then he wouldn't have been bullying these girls!" His mother shouts.

"Kushina, you know how busy I am with Konoha and everything else going on. I'm sorry I haven't been there but that just means you have to step up."

"That isn't fair Minato. I'm tired. You're supposed to be taking care of us and I feel as though I'm the one holding this family together. Naruto needs-we need you."

"It's only for another few weeks and I promise, I swear to you 'Shina it will get better." His father often made promises he never kept, and his mother ate them up one after another.

The sound of scratching caught Naruto's attention. He opens his window to let in his ginger-haired cat. "Hey Kurama." Naruto rubbed under his chin.

His parents didn't know he had a cat but his neighbor said that the last tenants owned him and abandoned the poor guy. He felt that way too sometimes.

Abandoned.

Tears prick at his eyes. After what happened today, he deserved a good cry in peace.


wooooo! this was a beefy chapter and one of my most edited. my beta and i went back and forth so many times but here it is; the final perfect draft. naruto's antics have finally caught up to him and the rest of his friend group. we shall see the aftermath in two chapters!

thanks for reading, and thanks for all the reviews. i read them so happy and i hope each update answers a question. 4k reads is literally around the corner, so please R&R and tell me what you all think! flames are welcomed.

background facts;

we get a lot of character interaction this chapter and the main important one was definitely kakashi suspending naruto. kakashi is obviously used to seeing naruto in and out for actual pranks. but to hear he was bullying someone? it was a big unexpected leap. kakashi knows minato very well and knows about the rumors. he tries to shield naruto from it despite naruto wanting to be mischievous all the time. another huge interaction was also naruto flipping on his friends. there are consequences for everything and sasuke will never let anything he deems disrespectful go.

much love,,