I know there were a few questions about this in the comments that I forgot to mention before but this story is not Yaoi. Please review and comment! I hope you enjoy!

A Single Act of Kindness

Kunai

Having a friend didn't really change anything.

It had been a few weeks since they had met each other out in the forest. At first, Naruto was excited to finally have someone to acknowledge him, to see him as a person.

Naruto didn't know why he expected more from the quiet boy in class.

He was expecting a friendship like the classmates he had saw around them, but, it had turned out that Sasuke was not that kind of friend.

They never spoke, they never made plans to meet up after class, they didn't even eat lunch together.

All they did was nod at each other at the beginning of the day.

Naruto frowned to himself in the middle of class. He knew he shouldn't be picky but he couldn't help himself. The way their seating arrangements were, Naruto was sitting right behind Sasuke, both at the edge of their row that looked out into the training field.

The top student was always staring out the window, as if he was lost in thought.

It was starting to annoy him; how could he be so bored in class yet be so great at everything he did? True, history did bore him, which is what Iruka-sensei was talking about in class right now, but, every time sensei would ask Sasuke a question, he would answer it flawlessly.

He knew he shouldn't be jealous of his "friend."

Naruto had to study and he did it every day, and even then he still didn't understand some of the things they taught at the Academy. He was more of a doer and not a thinker! He knew he would be a great Shinobi one day, that was a given, but...

... Failing another test or preforming horribly in front of his classmates, he just couldn't do it again.

The class was going to go to the training ground after lunch today to practice throwing kunai, and he had to practice.

He had to be as good as Sasuke.

"Naruto."

Hearing his name, he withdrew his eyes from the back of Sasuke's head and looked up towards Iruka-sensei, "Y-Yes, sensei?"

"What are the names of the Five Great Nations?"

He felt everyone's eyes on him, even Sasuke's, and he couldn't help but to feel nervous around them. He hated answering questions in class, "Well, there is the Land of Fire..."

"Name all of them Naruto," Iruka-sensei had an impatience about him that made the blonde even more nervous.

"At least he got one right," Naruto heard a snicker from behind him, followed by giggles from the rest of the class.

Naruto turned his head towards the voice; it was Kiba sitting directly behind him. Balling his fists he leaned forward, "Of course I know the Land of the Fire, I am going to be Hokage someday, ya know!"

The class exploded in a fit of laughter around him.

"Yeah right," Kiba said between breathes, his pup barking as if he was agreeing with him, "Like someone like you could ever become Hokage."

"I am going to be the greatest Shinobi of all time!" Naruto shouted between the laughter of the class, slamming his hands against Kiba's desk, "Just you wait and see, Naruto Uzumaki is going to be the greatest Hokage of all time! The greatest! That's going to be me!"

The laughs around him only grew louder. He was a doer and not a thinker, and he was going to do it, there was no thinking about it. He would become Hokage!

"How are you going to be Hokage if you can't even answer a simple question."

The laughter stopped.

The room felt like ice.

Everyone turned towards Iruka-sensei, arms crossed as his stared up Naruto with a look that he had seen countless times. He felt those eyes on him as they reached into his very bones, chilling him with an emotion he didn't understand.

Hate.

Why did they all hate him?

It was one thing to have those eyes on him in the streets; he was use to that, but to have those eyes stare at him inside his own class, in front of all his classmates...

It was contagious.

Children often fell the same things their elders do.

There had been times when he was able to play with other children, where they would laugh at his jokes, slide down the slide with him, swing on the swing set with him. He'd image that he was just a normal kid doing normal things and forget that he was different.

Then, their parents would show up.

And he would realize how different he really was.

Children would avoid him after they talked to their parents, and then they would look at him with those eyes and not play with him again.

He felt like a germ.

Naruto felt his cheeks go red as he turned away from his sensei and took his seat.

"Let's ask another student," there was a pause, "Sasuke, name the other Great Nations."

Naruto continued to look down at his desk ask he felt Sasuke's eyes on him. He didn't have to look up to see who it was. He didn't want to look back at him, he knew Sasuke didn't stare at him in the same way as everyone else did. He knew that. Yet, there was a fear that if he looked over at Sasuke and saw the look of hate in his eyes like the way everyone else looked at him...

He'd lose his only connection.

He just wanted to be accepted. Why was that so hard?

What was he doing wrong?

He felt Sasuke look away from him.

"Land of Water, Land of Lighting, Land of Earth, and Land of Wind."

"Yes, that is correct, thank you Sasuke. Now who can name of the Shinobi Villages of each—"

The girls in the class talked amongst themselves through whispers.

"Sasuke-kun is so cool!"

"He knows everything!"

"I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend…"

What was so great about him anyway? Naruto didn't get it.

He heard their voices and felt the mood in the classroom shift as the lesson moved on.

Crossing his arms onto his desk, he lowered his head into his arms. He just wanted to disappear.

It wasn't like anyone would care if he disappeared anyway…

"Damnit," the blonde mumbled, throwing a pebble and missing the target, again.

Naruto knew movement was important when it came to practicing his aim. Shinobi never stood still when in battle, they had to move and throw at the same time.

Today wasn't his day.

Naruto knew that throwing kunai was different then throwing pebbles. Kunai were much heavier, sharper, and were faster when thrown in the air. Yet, to get kunai he had to become a Genin. Then, he would be issued a set and he could practice with.

He couldn't buy his own kunai; he didn't have that kind of money.

The pebbles would hit against the bark of the tree, the ground right below the target, or zip past the target and land on the ground behind it. He just couldn't aim today.

"Damnit!" Naruto stopped in front of the target, throwing the hand full of pebbles into the target, "This is so stupid. Stupid, Stupid, STUPID!"

Folding his arms and sitting on the ground, Naruto gripped onto his body tightly.

His mind was elsewhere. There was no way he was going to get any training done when he couldn't focus.

It was stupid to think that Sasuke would be his friend.

It was stupid.

He really was an idiot.

It was still bothering him.

Ever since that day they meet in the forest.

Sasuke didn't know how to put it into words, but it was a feeling that he had felt the day Uzumaki said his name when he was taking a walk in the forest. When he had taken him to that campsite, saw his garden and prepared him dinner.

Sasuke wasn't good with feelings and he wasn't good at talking to other people. In fact, he would do just fine if he never had to say a single word to anyone in the village again.

Yet, Uzumaki had stayed on his mind and lingered in his feelings for weeks now.

He had been watching the blonde in class, during their lunch hour, and had seen him around the village from time to time. He wasn't sure if the kid had noticed, he was quite dense as it was, but something felt off, and he wanted to just observe Uzumaki.

He didn't know why.

Situations like the one in class today happened with the adults around the village when it came to the blonde. He had a feeling it happened a lot. He had witnessed it recently in fact.

Uzumaki had vandalized a shop a few days ago. Paint covered all over his clothing, screaming at the top of his lungs that he was Naruto Uzumaki, and making faces at the adults as they called over the Shinobi and forced him to clean it up.

It was annoying; Uzumaki was annoying. So he understood the shop owner's anger at the blonde for ruining the front side of his building, he understood the Shinobi distaste for having to put up with it.

Yet, he didn't understand the rest of them.

He heard villagers pass by and call Uzumaki a pest, a dog, a rat, a monster, a demon. He saw the adults pointing at him, sneering at him, steering their children away from Uzumaki as his back was turned to them. He figured the blonde could hear them, as his body would tense up, fist balling at his sides, his body shaking slightly.

Finally, after two women had made the comment that he was a good for nothing vermin, better off as dead. The blonde had screamed out his name at them before running off in the distance.

It had shocked him. It pissed him off.

Uzumaki was just a kid, wasn't he?

What the hell was wrong with everyone?

The next day when Uzumaki came to class, they had done their automatic greeting to one another, and the boy just acted like the day before had never happened.

Sasuke wasn't one to talk about feelings, he wasn't the kind of person who could comfort or console someone. Quite frankly, he had his own problems that it was impossible for him to carry the burden of another's.

And that was another thing…

He knew he needed the blonde, and that annoyed him to no end.

"Alright class," sensei called out to the class, "Gather around now, its time we began."

"Sasuke-kun," the pink haired girl ran up to him, "I was wondering, if you could…" her cheeks turned red and she looked away from him.

Sakura was her name, wasn't it? He didn't really care what her name was, she was annoying him. If he wanted the trouble he would just walk away now, but he knew that would be more bothersome to hear her cry. He didn't know why the girls cried when he walked away from them.

"… IjustthinkyouarereallygreatandIjustwantedtoaskifyoucouldhelpmepraticethrowingmykunai? There, I said it, and I hope you say yes!" The girl bowed her head in front of him.

She was talking so fast he couldn't make out what she had said. Knowing that it was something that had either a yes or no answer, he automatically replied, "No."

He turned his back to her and walked away. He had a feeling that she would start to cry but the more bothersome thing would to agree to whatever she had asked him to do to begin with.

He liked Sakura. She was the smartest girl in class. She had the most beautiful pink hair. Her green eyes reminded him of grass and her smile reminded him of flowers. Ino made fun of her forehead and how big it was, but he knew that she must be super-duper smart to have a big forehead and he didn't mind that about her. She is strong, she was kind (well, she wasn't kind to him but he knew one day she would be), she was bright, and she was just Sakura and that is what he liked the most about her.

It pissed him off that Sakura liked Sasuke when all he did was make her feel bad and made her cry.

It was just more proof that he would just have to be the greatest Shinobi ever. Maybe then she would notice him, and be kind to him, and then she would like him. Maybe they'd even get married and have a family together. He always thought about having at least two kids, hopefully boys, and they would be best friends together and never have to be alone. If he had a girl he guess he would be okay with that as long as that girl turned out to be like Sakura, then he would totally be okay with have a girl.

If he could throw this kunai and throw it better then Sasuke then maybe she would start to like like him!

He could do it!

"Alright class, who wants to go-"

"I DO!" Naruto screamed out, waving his hand in the air, "I want to go first, Iruka-sensei!"

"Alright Naruto," Iruka-sensei pulled out three kunai from his back pocket as Naruto made his way to the front of the class. He heard his classmates whisper amongst each other but he blocked out their words as he made his way to the front of the class.

Passing by Sasuke, he made sure to lock eyes with him. He wanted him to see this.

He wanted to see the look on Sasuke's face when he out did him.

Sasuke looked back at him, and although the kid normally had the same expression most of the time, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes this time.

Why would Sasuke be surprised?

Weren't they always doing this sort of thing?

There wasn't really a word for the way they acted towards each other.

It was like a fight, but wasn't a fight.

It was like an argument, but it wasn't an argument.

It was like a game, but it wasn't a game.

It was a like a friendship, but it wasn't a friendship.

"I got this no problem, no sweat!" Naruto reached for the kunais from Iruka-sensei and squared his body off towards the target, "I am going to be the best at throwing these kunai, better then anyone else, ya know!"

The first kunai throw was laughable.

Uzumaki's body was all over the place; his legs were shoulder length apart, his toes pointing straight ahead at the target. His elbow pointing down, his left hand balled into a fist. Sasuke had no idea if he was even looking at the target as his right wrist bent forward and down, the kunai flying into the dirt two feet away from the target.

The class laughed, their sensei shook his head, writing something down on his notebook, he assumed a negative mark next to Uzumaki's name. The blonde turned around to face the class.

"That was just a warm up, ya know!"

He turned his back towards the target. This time his stance getting slightly better, he noticed that Uzumaki was right handed, but for some reason when he got into his stance his left leg was behind him, his body leaning way too forward, and he had no idea why his elbow was pointing sideways and up. His wrist bending down against as he threw, as if the kunai was too long and heavy for him to throw. The kunai got closer to its intended target but it was too far too the right to hit the intended target.

What the hell was he doing?

The class continued to laugh at him. Their teacher continued to shake his head.

"You're doing it wrong."

The class turned towards him, he felt all their eyes on him but he ignored them as he walked towards Uzumaki.

Uzumaki glared at him, balling his fist and taking a step forward towards him, "No I'm not! I'm going to hit it!"

"Not like that you're not."

Sasuke reached out and grabbed onto Uzumaki's right shoulder, pushing it slightly back, "Your right handed right?"

The blonde looked at him, wide eyed, feeling this body tense up from under his grip, the kid took a moment before nodding his head.

"Then your need to put your right leg behind you," Sasuke used his foot to push the blonde's foot back and his toes pointing towards the right, "And your toes need to be pointed to the right."

Uzumaki followed his instructions without comment.

Sasuke lifted Uzumaki's left arm in front of him, "Use your left arm to help guide you to your intended target, aim your fingers towards the center of it."

He followed Sasuke's orders wordlessly.

"Take a deep breath, focus on your target. Don't move around so much and just stay still."

He felt Uzumaki's eyes on him, he choose not to look at him and instead looked at the target ahead of him as he got himself into his own stance.

"When you are ready to throw it, don't be too forceful or reckless. You want to throw it lightly. Your elbow needs to be up and pointing towards the target. Put your pressure on your left leg and lift your right heel up, like this," Sasuke mimicked his instructions, holding his body still, allowing the blonde to study his position, "When you throw it you want your wrist to stay straight. You want to guide it to the target, not force it. Now, do it like I just showed you."

"Al-alright," Uzumaki's voice was soft, almost timid.

It was strange to hear.

When he knew Uzumaki wasn't looking at him and towards the target, he turned back towards him and watched as his classmate positioned himself exactly as he taught him, took a deep breath, and in one clean motion threw his kunai towards the target.

It hit the target. He didn't hit the center, but he had at least hit the board.

"Wow," Uzumaki breathed, before turning towards Sasuke, "I did it. I DID IT!"

Uzumaki jumped into the air, cheering at this small achievement.

Sasuke took another glance towards the last kunai. He didn't even hit the center of target; Sasuke didn't know why he was so excited.

"Hey Sasuke."

Sasuke turned back towards Uzumaki.

There was a small glisten within his blue eyes.

Was he going to cry?

The blonde used his arm to rub his eyes.

Sasuke wanted to turn away, feeling awkward and uncomfortable at the blonde's sudden emotions at throwing a kunai.

When Uzumaki did clear his eyes and looked back towards him, he looked over at him with such a smile that it left Sasuke feeling out of place and breathless all at once.

That smile.

It could have rivaled the sun.

"Thank you."

"Awwwww, that's not fair!" Sakura whined, "Why are you wasting your time on him, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah!" Ino shouted, "He didn't even listen to you, he didn't even hit the center! Your instructions were so prefect, Sasuke-kun. Maybe you could give me a private lesson after class?"

The girls whined and laughed and did whatever girls did that reminded Sasuke that they were in the middle of class.

"Yes Sasuke, great job," sensei wrote something down on his notebook before looking back up at Sasuke, "You're next."

By the time Sasuke turned back to where Uzumaki was standing, the blonde had walked off towards the thrown kunais and started picking them up. He watched as Uzumaki took a moment longer reaching for his last kunai, before pulling it out of the target. He walked back towards Sasuke, but there wasn't any more glisten in his eyes or a smile this time. Uzumaki's head was down as he walked towards him.

Uzumaki wordlessly handed him the kunai. He didn't even look up towards Sasuke as he walked towards the back of the group.

Sasuke hit his target all three times, perfectly.

"I didn't teach you how to throw your kunai for free."

It was the end of the school day as all the children exited the compound of the the Academy. As children left with their parents or friends, Sasuke had decided to find Uzumaki at the end of class. Sasuke knew he would catch him near the single swing towards the entrance of the Academy. He leaned against the tree, waiting as he watched Uzumaki walking out of the Academy and towards the exit.

Uzumaki almost walked passed him, but stopped and turned to face him when Sasuke spoke, "What, do I owe you money now or something?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, "I don't need your money."

"Yeah, I know." Uzumaki said with a tone of annoyance in his voice, as he took a seat on the swing, "So what do you want?"

Sasuke pushed himself off the tree and walked over to face Uzumaki, arms crossed, he felt his fingertips digging into his skin. He didn't want to do this, but it had been bothering him since that day they met in the forest and, in truth, he couldn't get it out of his mind.

It was annoying him that Uzumaki knew how to do something he couldn't.

"I'll teach you how to improve your aim if you teach me how to cook."