Chapter 17

Naruto dreaded his return to school. He knew they would all stare at him with the same pitying look on their faces. Like they were better than him, like they had any right to feel sorry for him. He was sure he would be able to buy most of them with the money in his bank account. If they knew who his mother and father were, who his best friend was, they wouldn't dare look at him with those eyes. They would worship him.

It went exactly as he had expected. Their sad faces mocked him as they watched him walk down the halls, sit in their classes. They pretended to not stare, except they sucked at it. He didn't mind those who blatantly stared at him as if he was some rare treasure, he respected their boldness. The others looked away when he passed them, then whispered behind his back. They were all so self-righteous. If only he could just disappear, live alone on his own planet. With all the money he had, why couldn't he?

Naruto threw his bag down on the bench and yanked open his gym locker. He threw his blazer inside, groaning when the simple action shot pain through his side. His fingers softly caressed his bandaged ribs, the memory of Kiba's shoe slamming into body over and over again filling his mind. He sighed as he leaned his head against the cold metal. That son of a bitch. How could he?

"You're back."

Fear rushed through Naruto the second he heard the voice. He pulled away from his locker, quickly reaching for his backpack and backing away from Kiba as he pulled out a taser.

"You stay the fuck away from me." Another step back. "I swear you touch me, I'll fucking - I'll - I'll fucking hurt you! Don't fucking come near me." He was afraid, his hand trembling with the taser inside.

"I'm sorry." Kiba took a step forward, his eyes pleading. "Please, let me explain."

"Get the fuck away from me!" Naruto took another step back. "I swear if you get any closer, I'll tase you."

Kiba fell down to his knees. He bowed his head, his hands clenched over his thighs. Naruto kept his distance. He was confused, shocked, unsure. Was this a trick? Some sick twisted way for Kiba to lure him like before? Like when Kiba and him had first met and he had pretended to be nice, friendly, different from the rest. Enough for Naruto to think he was in love, like the first night they had spent together. It had felt so surreal, like nothing at all Naruto had imagined it would be like. Only for Kiba to beat him until he was barely conscious the next day. He had two days in the hospital, a week out of school, and now for him to just come begging for forgiveness? Who the hell did Kiba think he was?

Who the hell did he think Naruto was?

"Please, let me explain," Kiba said softly.

"Explain?" Naruto laughed at him. "You're a fucking lunatic. You're lucky you're not in jail right now."

"You went too far," Kiba said softly. "I told you I wasn't ready. I told you, but you didn't listen. I had to do it. I had to, Naruto."

"Had to?" Naruto thought repeating it to himself would make it more believable what he was hearing. He still couldn't fathom it. Did Kiba truly believe that? If he did, he was more twisted than Naruto thought. "Leave me alone." He slowly backed away. "You don't ever come near me again or I'll call the fucking police."

Naruto saw Kiba stand up. He tried to run and almost made it. He was grabbed by the shoulders and spun around. He tried to use the taser and felt it knocked out of his hand. He felt Kiba's rough hands hold him and bring him into a hug. It felt more like a cage, Kiba's strong arms keeping him trapped to his body. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move.

"I'm sorry," Kiba whispered, holding Naruto tighter in his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"Ow, you're hurting me." Naruto tried to pry Kiba's hands off him, the stronger teen formidable against his trembling hands. He groaned when Kiba shoved him into the lockers, still hugging him, still holding him against his will, still suffocating him.

"Kiba, let go off me." Naruto felt helpless, weak. "I can't breathe."

"Don't leave me," Kiba cried.

"Stop."

"You're all I have."

"Just stop."

Naruto stopped fighting. He let Kiba have him, allowed Kiba to hold him, felt his tears soak his shirt. He felt Kiba's body tremble against him as he cried, as he pleaded. He began to cry too, his silent tears rushing down his face. He gave up, gave up on himself. He held Kiba, held him as he cried.

"I'm here." Naruto consoled him. "I'll stay."

"I'll stay."

"I'll stay."

"Kid."

Naruto's eyes flew open to a new scenery. He's back in the car with Tsukasa standing beside him, watching him with concern. "I fell asleep?"

"Yeah." Tsukasa stepped back and helped Naruto out of the car, handed him his crutches. "Are you okay?"

Naruto sighed, breathing in the fresh air. "Yeah, bad dream." He looked at the crutches pushed in front of him. "I told you, I don't need those."

"The nurse said you may experience some dizziness. Just use it. If you fall and hit your head that's a concussion or worse."

Naruto snatched the crutches from him, situated them underneath his arms. The visit at the hospital was done in all about half an hour. It hadn't taken much time for Naruto to be called in and seen. His worst injuries centered mainly around his abdomen, an elastic bandage wrapped securely around to mend the bruised ribs. Afterwards, the cuts on his face were thoroughly cleaned, an eye patch placed over his swollen eye to heal on its own. He looked less disoriented than before. Yet, the memory remained just as painful.

Naruto looked up and took in the view of the massive hotel complex. He saw Tsukasa hand the keys to the valet as they walked up to the entrance. Inside the hotel was unreal. He's heard of it before, the Zeitaku Palace. It was where all the A-listers stayed at, the wealthy. His father had told him about the time he had stayed at the palace, how magnificent it had been. Ever since then, Naruto always wanted to book a night at the luxurious hotel for himself, just for a day. To stand inside of it now felt like a dream. He never thought it would be so soon, in this circumstance.

Naruto followed Tsukasa into the elevator. They were going all the way to the top floor, to the penthouse where Sasuke and his team resided. When they arrived, Naruto was too dazed, hooked on too many painkillers to really express his amazement. It was like something out of those fancy catalogs. He wanted to run around the place like a kid in a candy store and tour the whole space. But right now, he would settle for a chair and a bottle of whiskey.

"Charlie!" Tsukasa carefully helped Naruto into the nearest couch, leaned up his crutches beside him. His brown eyes searched the space for the burly man. "Charlie!"

Charlie casually strolled in from the dining room where he had been previously eating. His cheerful expression instantly fell once he caught sight of the battered teen sat over the couch. "Shit, what the hell happened?"

"Kid don't know how to keep himself out of trouble." Tsukasa shrugged Naruto's backpack off his shoulder and threw it into the empty chair not too far away.

"Was it the same bastard that took Ana?"

Tsukasa began pulling out this and that from the small plastic bag in his hand. "No, it wasn't him. Some kid from his school."

Charlie had a knowing look on his face as he turned to Tsukasa. "Wait, hold on, is it that same kid from the other day?" He doesn't get a response. Charlie looked down at Naruto who had his head down in his hands. "Holy shit kid, he sure did a number on you."

Tsukasa ran his fingers through his dark hair. He eyed the contents on the small table, making sure he got everything he needed. "Where's Sasuke?"

"He went to pick up Suigetsu at the airport. He called not too long ago, said they were on their way back." Charlie scratched the side of his head as he looked skeptically over the bandages, ice packs and painkillers spread over the table. "He's going to be fucking pissed. What are you going to do?"

Tsukasa crumpled the empty plastic bag in his hands. "Don't know." He did a once over on Naruto, sighing deeply to himself. "Get him a glass of water, will you?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Charlie walked to the kitchen, a sullen expression on his face as he approached the duo sat at the dining table eating their breakfast. "We got a problem" he said, turning on the faucet.

"What's going on?" Jackson licked over his lips, the tangy taste of the orange lingering over his tastebuds. "Charlie?" He could feel the anxiety oozing off his twin brother.

Naruto groaned softly, moving a hand to his bandaged eye. He felt the area throb under his finger, his face contorted in pain. "Ow…" he muttered, suddenly feeling sick.

"What's wrong?" Tsukasa asked. "Is the painkillers not strong enough?"

"Can I get some water, please?"

"Charlie, where's the fucking water?" Tsukasa exhaled tiredly. He bent down and prompted himself on one knee in front of Naruto. "It's like you're intentionally trying to get me fired, kid."

Naruto tried his best to muster a smile. "I have a headache."

"Yeah?" Tsukasa scoffed. "So do I." He stopped his hand midway to Naruto's face, waited for permission, before he slowly reached out and turned Naruto's head to inspect his injuries. "Shit… kid, I should've been there."

"It's not your fault," Naruto said softly, "It's mine. I knew this would happen. I know how he gets."

"Why did you let him do this to you?"

"Because he wasn't going to stay away. Sasuke was going to hurt him."

"What do you think he's going to do now?" Tsukasa sighed. "You didn't think this through, did you?"

Naruto held Tsukasa's hand. "Please, Tsukasa, please don't tell Sasuke."

"Kid…"

A gentle voice sounded through the room. "Tsukasa, I heard you were back."

Naruto and Tsukasa both turned their head to the intruding voice. Analeina stood by the entrance of the living room with Charlie and Jackson by her side. They looked like royal guards standing beside a queen.

Naruto stared at her, taking in the little he could see of her through his hindered vision. She was tall and thin with long legs peeking out of the silk robe she wore. Naruto lowered his gaze when she began walking towards him. He knew exactly who she was, and for some reason, it caused him to feel strange, a weird sensation he can't explain. It's a feeling that's similar to how he felt when Kiba would intentionally check out girls in front of him. He's not necessarily jealous, neither was he angry. Yet, his stomach coiled like a snake, causing a tightness in his chest that's uncomfortable.

"Here." Charlie held out the glass of water to Tsukasa who snatched it from him.

"Took you long enough." Tsukasa watched Naruto drink the water, encouraged him to drink some more. He reached out his hand again, feeling Naruto's warm forehead under his touch. "You should eat something. What would you like to eat?"

"Can I have a drink, instead?"

"More water?"

"Maybe something a little stronger." Naruto dropped the grin on his face when Tsukasa gave him a look resembling one his father used to reprimand him with. "Some soup would be nice."

"Okay, I'll get right on it."

"Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa peered up through his lashes at Analeina who came to stand directly beside him, a small smile on her face. "What is it?"

"You stay by his side. I can make the soup." She had a kind tone of voice, one that expressed her compassion. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Go right ahead." Tsukasa smiled at her. "Take it easy. You're still healing yourself."

Analeina kneeled down beside Naruto. She offered him a smile when she received an odd look from him. "Would it be okay if I was to help you, instead? I wouldn't trust these boys to boil a pot of water." Her Japanese flowed out smoothly, speaking the language fluently as though she was a native.

Naruto looked dubious, causing her smile to slowly fade. It was as if he was trying to read her. A minute went by and he continued to scrutinize her. She made no fuss about it, understanding she was a stranger to him, and that he wouldn't warm up to her so easily, especially in his current state.

"If you prefer Tsukasa, I completely understand. "

"No, it's okay." Naruto finally softened his gaze. He looked her in the eyes and right away, he was engulfed with their warmth. "Thanks."

In their close proximity, he took the chance to fully take in her features. Her skin was flawless, a fair complexion with a single mole tucked beneath her right eye. She had big, round eyes that resembled the American barbie dolls he remembered seeing on TV when he was younger. She was beautiful, like those foreign models he would see on those fancy magazines"Your Japanese is not bad."

Analeina smiled hearing the unexpected compliment. "Thank you. I have an amazing teacher." Her hazel eyes were focused as she also took in Naruto's appearance. She frowned, saddened by the bruises littering his face. She tried her best to hide her concern. "I'm Analeina but you can just call me Ana."

"Or angel." He's satisfied when his blatant remark worked to catch Analeina off guard. "Naruto," he simply said as an introduction.

Naruto couldn't take his eyes off her. She was mesmerizing. Whether that was due to her foreign features or her overall aura, he wasn't entirely sure. Oddly, her mannerisms reminded him a lot of Sasuke's mother, especially in their tone of voice.

"Sasuke's told me a lot about you, Naruto." Analeina slowly pulled herself to stand up. "I'm glad I finally get to meet you. I'll get started on that soup."

"Can I join you in the kitchen, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all."

Naruto sat down at the chair inside the kitchen. He watched Analeina impassively as she cooked, simply observing her. From the slight twitch in her eyebrow every time she would slice the tomato, to the way her eyes would seem to get slightly bigger when she would be focused on not adding too much salt. He observed every detail of her face.

"I can't help but feel jealous, Naruto. A boy shouldn't be prettier than girls." She chuckled. "How's that fair to us?"

The comment struck Naruto odd. "What do you mean?"

Analeina covered her mouth. She shook her head as she waved her hand dismissively. "I must sound so silly. I just blurted that out without thinking. I hope I didn't cause any offense."

Naruto looked at the pot boiling on the stove. He doesn't allow Analeina's comment to get to him. It's not the first time he's been called pretty and it definitely wouldn't be the last. He licked over his lips as his eyes trailed over her figure. He found himself stirred curious when his eyes fell over her bandaged wrist.

"What happened to your wrist?"

Analeina's body grew stiff as her grip on the wooden spoon tightened. She breathed in deeply, startled by the sudden inquiry. She did her best to not show her discomfort as she stirred the soup. She was still yet to fully recover from the frightening experience and she was doing all she could to put on a brave face. For her sake as well as Sasuke's.

"I am the worst klutz in the world. I accidentally cut myself while cooking. Shocking, isn't it?" She laughed it off nonchalantly.

Naruto noted that her sarcasm needed some work. He also noticed that her voice was similar to Hinata's but different in the way where Hinata chose not to raise her voice while with Analeina, Naruto could hear the confidence in her tone and it seemed she just had a natural gentle way of speaking.

"First time, I'm hearing of someone cutting their wrist while cooking." Naruto decided to play along, even though he saw right through her lie.

"Like I said, I'm absolutely the worst. But, I won't bore you with the details. Once I start, you can't get me to shut up." She poured the soup into a bowl.

Naruto could tell that it wasn't in her nature to lie, judging from how bad she was at it. Out of respect for the fact that she hadn't hassle him on the cause of his injuries, he decided not to pry any further into the topic. She didn't owe him an explanation. Especially, to a stranger she had only just met.

"Okay, this is a family recipe. I hope you like it." Analeina placed the hot bowl of soup in front of Naruto. "Go on, have a taste." She leaned closer to examine Naruto's face when he took a small sip. "Well?" She laughed when Naruto became startled by her closeness and reactively pulled away. "Sorry, didn't mean to get all up in your grill."

Naruto stared at her, not understanding the phrase spoken in English. He wondered if she had intentionally switched languages to keep insult him. The amused chuckles that sounded from the twins didn't help to sway his skepticism.

Analeina noticed the change in Naruto's demeanor and she immediately felt horrible. "It's a popular saying that we use in America. It basically means getting too close to someone without permission. I'm not really sure how you would say it in Japanese."

Naruto didn't feel the need to entertain the issue and simply chose not to respond. Instead, he turned to the two burly men sat across from him. Their muscles were bursting through the tight V-necks they wore, one in black and the other in white.

"Do they speak Japanese?" he asked.

Analeina turned to the twins. She could hear the nervousness in Naruto's voice. "Don't let them scare you. They may appear all big and bad, but they're really big softies."

"You have a habit of dodging questions." He took another small sip from the soup. Naruto had to admit, it was pretty good, the taste of it familiar to his own cooking.

"If you speak it slow enough they'll understand," she explained. "But, they have trouble speaking the language itself." Analeina looked over her shoulders to the twins who gave her an amused look. "Mind your manners and introduce yourselves, boys."

"Shouldn't he introduce himself first?" Jackson leaned back, scratching the side of his head. "After all, he is our guest."

"Besides, our Japanese sucks." Charlie co-signed his brother, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "You're trying to embarrass us, aren't you?"

"Introduce yourselves, idiots." Tsukasa gave them a stern look, almost like a big brother disciplining his mischievous younger siblings. After all, when Sasuke wasn't around, he was the one in charge. Though at times, he found himself participating in the twins playfulness in which case, Suigetsu would have to step in and reprimand all three of them.

The twins proceeded to do as their told. Charlie was the first to introduce himself and Naruto was able to understand the short introduction he's given. Naruto's impressed by the correct phrasing, though his pronunciation needed some work. Jackson, on the other hand, had close to perfect pronunciation but had issues formulating his words in the proper sequence which made his sentence harder to understand.

Naruto simply gave them his name as his greeting, which he was aware they already knew. The twins stared at him and said nothing in response. Naruto observed the discreet look the twins shared before they returned their gaze back to Analeina. They wouldn't tear their eyes off her, just as Tsukasa hadn't torn his stern gaze off him since their arrival. It was quite an easy guess for Naruto to make that the twins were her assigned guards. It made sense, and Sasuke had made it clear that Shisui meant to come after everyone he held dear.

He imagined Ana would be the top target.

The ringtone of Charlie's phone sharply sounded through the room, urgently pulling Naruto out of his thoughts. He watched as the man quietly excused himself to answer the call. Suddenly, the mention of Sasuke's name had Naruto swallowing the lump in his throat. The color drained from his face as he imagined Sasuke walking in now to see him looking the way he did.

"They're not so bad, are they?" Analeina placed the cup of cold water down beside the bowl of soup. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"You mind if I take a shower?"

"Finish your food first," Tsukasa replied.

"Can I?" Naruto directed the question to Analeina, intentionally ignoring the burning gaze he's given from Tsukasa.

"Of course." Analeina offered her hand and helped him to his feet. "Jackson, see if you can find something for Naruto to change into from Sasuke's clothes."

"Anything for you, Ana."

Analeina placed the folded pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt she received from Jackson over the marble counter within the tiled bathroom. She bent down and grabbed some of the clean white towels from the shelf. Her steps were graceful as she walked over to the bathtub and hung the towel over the rail just beside the tub.

"Alright, I think this is everything. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

Naruto was taken aback by her welcoming personality. She seemed to have a natural trait to nurture, a tenderness Naruto hasn't experienced since the lost of his mother. For some reason, as much as he wanted to dislike her for reasons he was still yet to fully accept, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Okay, I'll give you some privacy."

"Thank you… for everything," Naruto said awkwardly.

"You don't have to thank me." She smiled sweetly. "I'll be just outside if you need anything." Gently, she closed the large door behind her.

Naruto released the suffocating breath he had been holding. He crumbled to the floor, all his bottled up emotions spilling out as his body convulsed from his heavy sobs. He felt as if he was on fire. He could barely take in a breath without his body screaming in pain. He held his torso that ached horribly, his tears falling down on the tiled floor like silent raindrops.

Slowly, he pulled himself up to his feet, his hands weakly unbuttoning his shirt as images from the violent attack replayed in his mind. It's not the shock and disappointment, the anger and betrayal of what Kiba had done to him that made him cry harder. It was the pain in Kiba's voice as he begged over and over for him to stay. Kiba's fear of losing the one person he was willing to give up everything to be with.

Naruto carefully shrugged the shirt off his body, revealing the bruised and battered skin covering his body. Each movement he made, made it harder for him to breathe. He closed his eyes, took a second to catch his breath.

The door to the bathroom burst open, violently slamming against the wall and alarming the teen inside. Naruto's eyes flew open, unable to turn and meet the person he knew was standing behind him.

Sasuke stood at the door with his hands buried inside his pockets. His face was inscrutable as he stared at Naruto's battered body. He doesn't say a word, doesn't make a single move and simply stood there in absolute, chilling silence.

Naruto mustered the courage to face Sasuke as he slowly turned around and met his gaze. He took a step forward. "It's over," he said softly. "I won't see him again."

"No, you won't."

Another careful step forward. "Um, have you eaten? We could go for lunch." He needed to say something, anything to distract Sasuke, anything at all. "Some ramen would be nice." Naruto watched with caution as Sasuke's eyes seemed to burn a hole through him.

"I warned him." Sasuke looked down for a brief moment as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "And I warned you."

"I know, Sasuke, and I'm sorry." Naruto pleaded.

"I'm not a monster, Naruto." Sasuke finally looked up at Naruto, a terrifying look in his eyes. "But I will be respected."

Naruto felt the dread before it was quickly replaced with panic. It was almost as if time itself had slowed down as he watched despairingly as Sasuke walked way. He tried his damnedest to run but found the action nearly impossible.

"Charlie, get up." Sasuke commanded, swiping his car keys and phone off the table. His men watched him apprehensively as he searched around the area. "Tsukasa, I'll deal with you when I get back."

"Oh shit." Charlie, who had been present when Tsukasa explained to Sasuke what had happened to Naruto, was more than excited to get in some action. After all, it wasn't too often that Sasuke took it upon himself to handle these sort of situations on his own. Usually, he'd just send one of them to handle it for him.

When Sasuke personally got involved, well it was a sight to behold, and Charlie was beyond ecstatic to witness the confrontation.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto's breathless when he finally reached the living room, the pain searing from the stress he was putting on his body. He watched helplessly from the side as Sasuke moved around grabbing objects he couldn't make out.

"Sasuke, please, I won't see him again. Just stop already!" Naruto felt utterly deflated when his pleas and shouts were completely ignored. When Sasuke returned to the living room, tugging on black leather gloves, Naruto felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. "Ana, please do something!"

Analeina looked over to Sasuke. She's only seen Sasuke like this a couple of times, and during those times, nothing she said or did could stop him. She was well aware of what Sasuke was capable of. And although at times she did her best to prevent Sasuke from going too far, at the moment, she knew there was nothing she could say or do to calm him down. Frankly, she's not even sure if she wanted to get involved. With Naruto's shirt now fully open, she saw the full extent of his injuries, and for the life of her, she couldn't fathom why Naruto would want to protect someone who was capable of hurting him so badly.

Naruto was in complete hysteria as he tried to run over to Sasuke. Maybe if he hugged Sasuke, held him, then he would calm down and listen to him. If he could just calm him down, then a life would be spared. Just a little closer, if he could just reach him.

"Tsukasa."

The man sprung up and rushed over to restrain Naruto. He held him tight in his arms, doing well to not apply too much pressure on Naruto's wounds. It's a simple task that's made difficult by Naruto who refused to be held back.

"Naruto, you need to calm down." For the first time, he called him by his name.

"Sasuke, please… don't do this to me."

Tsukasa wrapped his leg around Naruto's foot and gently brought them both to the ground. Naruto cried out, begging and reaching. His tears rushed down his face as he felt his heart breaking into two.

"Sasuke, don't do this to me... please don't..."

By the door, Suigetsu placed a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Take a moment to breathe," he urged him calmly.

"Don't get in my way."

Suigetsu searched Sasuke's eyes for a moment before he hesitantly willed himself to step aside. "Go on then, I won't stop you." He closed his eyes when Sasuke rushed past him.

"Naruto, please, you need to calm yourself." Analeina soothed him softly.

"You should've done something. How could you just stand there and do nothing!" Naruto thrashed in a futile attempt to set himself free. "Get the fuck off me, Tsukasa!" He continued to thrash around, ignoring the pain that came with the pressure applied on his bruises.

Suigetsu slowly walked over to Naruto, looked past Naruto's angry glare. "If that boy's life means something to you, find a way to save him." With a simple gesture of his hand, he watched Tsukasa carefully aid Naruto up to his feet. "You want him to live, take control."

Naruto doesn't say anything as he limped over to his backpack. He hurriedly scrambled through and pulled out his cellphone, quickly scrolling through the contacts on the screen.

Tsukasa went to intervene but stopped when Suigetsu raised his hand.

"Sasuke, won't be happy about this."

"You let me deal with, Sasuke."

As the impending danger of his call being unanswered proceeded, Naruto's heartbeat raced, his fingers drumming impatiently against his thigh. He's relieved when the familiar voice sounded through the phone.

"Yugito."

—

The piercing screech of the whistle cut through the wide open field with the velocity of the coach's depleting patience. The players came to a stop, looking over to their coach. Some of the players were hunched over trying to catch their breaths. Others decided on a water break while the rest of the team outwardly expressed their frustration towards the two players sprawled on the field.

"What the hell is going on?" Guy shouted, a deep scowl on his face as he made his way to the field.

Kiba was once again targeted while he was handling the ball and brought down with excessive force that was unorthodox. It's not so much of him being blatantly singled out that was seriously beginning to piss him off, but the fact that the unnecessary roughness that was being used to bring him down could seriously injure him and cause him to miss the next series of games which by now, he believed was the agenda of the asshole fucking with him in the first place.

Kiba quickly scrambled up to his feet. Right away, he could feel the soreness in his ankle that was dealt with a nasty kick. He kept himself calm, his mouth in a snarl when the player who had collided into him stood up.

"You tryna pick a fight with me?" He balled his hands into fists, his adrenaline numbing him to his aching knuckles.

Kankuro was one of the seniors on the soccer team. He was popular in school for being friendly with everyone he came across. He was also known for throwing the wildest parties. He was that kid in school who was friends with everyone. No one ever had anything bad to say about him, even the teachers.

Kankuro dusted himself off. Without a word, he moved to run over to the rest of the players. He's quickly blocked by Kiba who got in his face, their foreheads almost touching.

"What's your problem?" Kiba almost sneered.

Kankuro smirked, amused by the tough act. "You, obviously." He pushed his head forward, knocking Kiba's head out of his face. He spat on the ground beside Kiba's feet, his nose turning up as he brushed past Kiba's shoulder and began walking over to his teammates.

Kiba swiveled on his feet just in time to deliver a hard shove to Kankuro's back. "You got something you wanna say, fucking say it."

Kiba again got up in his face.

Kankuro's hands twitched anxiously as he tried his hardest to remain calm. Acting like this was out of character for him, he wasn't the confrontational type. He usually laughed off aggravating situations, an overall chill guy. He didn't take it upon himself to get into other people's business. But, for some reason, Kankuro couldn't seem to shake off the anger from seeing how badly beaten Naruto had been. When word got around that it was Kiba who had done it, he couldn't bring himself to pretend everything was cool. Especially, since the incident was now occurring for the second time.

"You know people talk about you when you're not around."

"Yeah?" Kiba egged him on.

Kankuro pressed his forehead against Kiba's, mocking him with a grin. "Yeah, they call you a bitch. They say you nothing without that little posse of yours and see, I believe them. Cause' not only are you a bitch, you're a fucking pussy."

"Call me a bitch again, I dare you." Kiba stepped forward but Kankuro wasn't backing down either. "I fucking dare you."

"Guys, knock it off." A player shouted from the field.

"You ever go near that kid again, I'll make sure you'll be picking your teeth off the floor. Bitch!" Kankuro shoved Kiba out of his face. To keep his cool, he decided to walk away, not wanting to risk suspension and ruin the clean reputation he had built for himself.

But Kiba could give two fucks, and he wouldn't just stand aside and let anyone fucking disrespect him.

"You wanna protect that bitch so bad, do something." Kiba shoved Kankuro with incredible force that nearly sent him to the ground. He wanted Kankuro to make a move, but he simply walked away.

Kankuro's words were beginning to eat at him. He began to wonder if people secretly did talk behind his back. Paranoia got the best of him as he began to wonder if they also whispered about his relationship with Naruto, if it had been obvious all along.

Kiba's anger overwhelmed him, and suddenly there's a fire that's set ablaze as he ran and tackled Kankuro to the ground, quickly getting on top of him and viciously throwing down punches. Blinded by his rage, he didn't realize how severely he was damaging his hands, the skin beginning to tear off.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Lee was the first one to start running as he and some of the players rushed over to separate the two. The other players attend to Kankuro while Lee and Neji struggled to restrain Kiba who thrashed to be released.

"You need to relax man!" Lee had to use all his strength to hold Kiba back.

Neji moved in front of Kiba to get his eyes focused on him. "Kiba, you need to chill the fuck out."

"Get out of my way, Neji!" Kiba wrenched himself free and shoved past Neji, again trying to go after Kankuro. He growled in frustration when he's stopped by Neji's strong arms circling around him and tossing him towards the opposite side of the field.

"You need to calm the fuck down, Kiba. Don't make me have to physically stop you."

"What the fuck are you gonna do, huh?"

Neji forced himself not to retaliate when Kiba pushed him. He readied himself in a stance, preparing again to stop Kiba who refused to tear his eyes off Kankuro. He was like a wild wolf fixed on having his kill of the day.

"Kankuro, hit the showers." Guy walked past the other players to help restrain a wild Kiba who was giving Lee and Neji a run for their money. "Now Kankuro! Don't make me repeat myself."

"Look at him, Coach. He's a fucking nut case." Kankuro laughed, clapping his hands as he encouraged Kiba to come after him.

Being a big guy himself, standing tall with defined muscles, Kankuro was confident he could take on Kiba. Someone had to give Kiba a taste of his own medicine, and he was more than willing to be the one to put Kiba in his place.

"A cheap shot, really? That's all you got?"

Neji cursed when Kiba's elbow caught him in his jaw. He couldn't hold on anymore and just decided to let him go. He watched sadly as Kiba tried to run after Kankuro but was caught by the coach and brought down to the ground on his stomach, his arms pulled back and his head pressed against the soft grass.

"Calm the fuck down, Kiba. I don't care if you are my star player, I will kick you off this team. You're already in enough shit as it is. Do you want to make it worse for yourself? I thought you wanted to make your dad proud at the season finals."

What the hell did Kankuro say to set him off like this?

Guy had personally witnessed Kiba and Kankuro being cordial to each other. On the court, he saw them praise each other's skills, seemingly good friends. He can't fathom why Kiba was acting out all of a sudden. The past months had been good for him. He was focused on the game and was doing his best to keep out of trouble. A coach was supposed to love and motivate his players equally. But when it came to Kiba, Guy saw him as more than just his star player. The kid had a rough childhood. And although Kiba wasn't exactly a role model, Guy always believed he could have turned out a lot worse if he hadn't found soccer to fill the void in his life.

This side of Kiba was something new for everyone. It was a known fact that Kiba had a temper, but he usually kept his behavior in check during practice. Seeing him randomly act out like this had everybody on edge and concerned.

"Coach, what do we do?" Neji was the appointed captain of the team. When it came to matters concerning his teammates, he was a complete different person, serious and composed.

"What's all the commotion about, Guy?"

Both Neji and Guy looked up to find the principal walking on the field with two police officers by his side. Neji grew tense as he looked over their polished uniforms, the gun discreetly tucked away in the belt around their waist.

Guy stood up and helped a now calm Kiba to his feet. "What can I do for you, officers?"

"Kiba Inuzuka?" Yugito looked accusingly towards him, her fingers gripping tighter around the silver cuffs.

"Yeah," Kiba answered softly.

"Officers, you mind telling me what's going on?" Guy inquired.

"Do me a favor and stand back." Yugito stepped forward with the cuffs raised in her hands. Swiftly, she turned Kiba around and placed the cuffs tight around his wrists. "Kiba Inuzuka, you're under arrest on charges of assault and battery of Naruto Uzumaki. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be used against you in the court of law." Yugito nudged Kiba forward, walking him off the field.

"What the fuck? He didn't do anything." Neji moved to go after Kiba, stopping when Yugito's male partner stepped in front of him.

"Try anything stupid and you'll be joining your friend in a cell."

Neji forced himself to stand back. He watched helplessly as the two officers dragged his best friend away.

"Lee, Hyuuga, to my office. Now." The principal doesn't wait for a response as he began walking off the field.

Lee exhaled tiredly as he sank to his knees. He raked his hand through his dark hair. He couldn't care less about getting suspended. He was far more concerned for his friend. Lee wanted to run after the officers and plead Kiba's case, beg if he had to for his friend's release. Kiba was like a brother and he felt as if he was abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself. Kiba had gone out of his way on more than one occasion to defend him and here he was unable to do anything to return the favor.

—

The black car screeched to a stop in front of the large school building. Sasuke watched through the windshield as police officers walked out the building with his target in their custody. He watched as the teen was pushed into the backseat of the police vehicle and driven away.

"He's not making it easy for you, is he?" Charlie threw his head back, rubbing his temples. "So, what do we do now? Do you want the police to handle it? It would be faster and less messy if Suigetsu was to take care of it." He turned and looked at an emotionless Sasuke.

Sasuke's tight grip on the steering wheel only tightened as he revved the car back to life. He swerved the car around in a U-turn and sped down the street. It was a school zone and he could be in a lot of trouble with the law if he was caught driving so recklessly, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He continued to speed down the vacant streets. He couldn't think logically. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't think at all. All he felt was an overwhelming sensation of anger.

Charlie hurriedly tugged on his seat belt, frightened by the dangerous speed Sasuke was driving. He discreetly looked over to Sasuke. Sasuke appeared calm and composed. He leaned his chin against his hand, eyes focused on the road. Charlie watched him diligently. He opened his mouth to say something when he's interrupted by the sound of Sasuke's ringtone. He looked down at the cellphone, then up to Sasuke who made no movement to answer the call.

"Answer it."

Charlie reached out his finger and pressed a button, instantly silencing the ringing as Tsukasa's soft voice filled the car.

"Sasuke, Naruto's been summoned to the police precinct for questioning. What do you want me to do?"

"How did this happen?"

There was hesitation before Tsukasa spoke up. "Suigetsu."

After a long pause, he asked again in a soft voice. "What do you want me to do, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shifted his hand from underneath his chin, inside his soft hair. "Take him there."

"Understood."

"Call me when it's done."

Charlie noticed how Sasuke's demeanor had changed. He watched Sasuke, suddenly becoming aware of something he hadn't noticed before. The necklace around Sasuke's neck was a carbon copy to the one he had seen on Naruto. What made the situation even more interesting was the fact that the only other time Sasuke had reacted this violent, now seemed to somehow be connected to Naruto. The corners of Charlie's lips turned up into a smirk as he leaned against the leather seat with his arms resting behind his head.

"Looks like Ana's got some competition."

Sasuke said nothing.

—

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