Chapter 9

Neji couldn't deny it. Actually, he had no need, nor desire, to deny it. Naruto was a beauty: a blond haired, blue eyed, hyper active sugary sweet beauty.

"Dammit! This hurts!"

Okay, maybe not sugary sweet. But he was still a very beautiful beauty. Hah, imagine that.

There was no way anyone else could ever compare with Naruto, nor any part of him. Nope, his hair was the sunniest, his eyes the bluest, his whiskers the cutest... yeah, basically he was the champion in all of the categories imaginable.

He sure was a unique, refreshing kid; like a puff of clean air after visiting Los Angeles. No offense to the people living there.

In fact, Neji was practically jumping in his pants (Not literally. Duh.) in anticipation of the upcoming party at his house. He would make sure he left a very good impression on Naruto.

Now, for his party...he'll need food. Pizza, obviously, and some other junk foods (which he, himself, will never eat), soft drinks, lemonade and...other stuff. Oh yeah, and party decorations, a movie, some good music, a nice outfit...

"Neji?"

Neji looked up at Naruto, whose nose was mere inches away from his own.

"Ah..." He held down the urge to jump him right there. He had his gentlemanly appearance to keep up, after all. "Yes?"

He had totally forgotten. He was still in the infirmary, it was still school, and it was still not Saturday. Naruto flopped back down onto his sickbed, having finished examining if Neji had stopped breathing or something.

"I asked if you're okay, but you just drooled a bit at me. It was disturbing."

Neji hastily wiped his mouth, shocked at his mental state. Was he that out of it? What has Naruto done to him?

Naruto laughed at the expression on Neji's face; it was too comical!

"Hahahaha, just kidding, Neji. You'd never do that, even if someone electrified your brain to toast."

Wow, Naruto already knew him so well. And...brain...toast? He sure had some wild imagination.

Even knowing it was a joke, Neji scowled at Naruto, though a bit touched by the way they were conversing like lifelong buddies already. Naruto sure was a friendly, lively kid, wasn't he?

...and so cute and uke like...

...waiting until Saturday for the party seems too long...maybe he ought to invite him over today, or tomorrow at least. He will not let this guy go; he was too much of a prize catch. And who knows, someone else might take interest in him and then he'll have to deal with competition...like Uchiha Sasuke, whom he had the impression that he had...felt Naruto up...

Neji mentally flinched at the mere thought of it.

Personally, he considered the Uchiha as his mortal enemy...or something like that. Greatest competition, biggest rival, blah blah. And it was so obvious Uchiha thought so too, especially after the glare he received when passing by the infirmary. Jeez, that guy was so cold, it was a wonder why Neji didn't freeze, or something dramatic and highly impossible like that. But then again, Naruto was there so his sunny aura must have lessened the blow.

Haha, so manga-y, thought Neji, musing to himself.

Wait a second...Naruto was there...so maybe Uchiha glared because Neji was with him...oh boy, so will Uchiha, whom everyone thought to be completely straight, really be a rival for Naruto's heart?

Wait, when has this ever been about Naruto's heart? He was sure he was only thinking about getting into his pants...unless he was actually feeling...feelings...for Naruto? Was it possible? He has never actually had a real relationship before; it was mostly a shag here and there, maybe a few times with one repeating partner, but that was it. None of the dating, innocently kissing, snuggling crap. But, he doesn't think he's ever been this obsessed with one person before either, especially after only knowing him for one day.

Oh wow, if he really did feel feelings for Naruto, which he'll try to find out at the party this Saturday, then this battle with the Uchiha would be bloody. Oh well, he will just really have to get to Naruto first, regardless into his pants or his heart. Both will work.

Neji observed Naruto for a few more seconds; he was endlessly talking and waving his arms around, going on about birds...and lollipops...and a moose...and ramen...or something or other. Psh, hyper kid.

Deciding, Neji rehearsed his question in his head.

Naruto, do you want to come over to my house today instead, just to know where it is so on Saturday it'll be easier on you?

Okay, that subtle sounding enough. He won't find any ulterior meaning to the invitation. "Naruto, do you want to—"

"SHIZUNE!"

The doors banged open, the ceiling above shaking and releasing a dust cloud that veiled the intruder from view.

Naruto visibly jumped at the sudden commotion in the otherwise quiet sick room. Neji coughed as the dust spread out and thinned, revealing a busty, blond haired woman in a long, flowing green robe who was currently, and very obviously, drunk.

Not again...Neji sweat dropped, looking at the swaying woman.

"Not again, Tsunade-Sama! Today's a school day too!" Shizune exclaimed exasperatedly. She rubbed her temples to emphasize her exasperation.

"So? I have the right to...to do whatever I want!" Tsunade-Sama proclaimed, flinging her arms wide open, her speech surprisingly intact.

Neji watched her boobs bounce around as she flung open her arms. It was without any sexual meaning, of course, since he was one hundred percent gay, and proud of it. Yeah, gay pride!

Naruto, though, couldn't help but stare at the giant things. They were so...big! They probably have their own gravitational force, which explains why his eyes are practically glued to them. He was being sucked by their gravity! Really!

"Don't you have duties or something important you're supposed to do?" Shizune practically pleaded as she led Tsunade onto another sick bed that was conveniently between Lee's and Naruto's.

Tsunade, however, ignored her and instead turned to Naruto.

"Hey, pervert-staring-at-my-breasts, you new here?" She hiccupped. "Never seen you around."

"Tsunade-Sama! You should know your own students! And you should listen while people talk to you!" Shizune scolded, pushing Tsunade onto the bed.

"Well, kid?" Tsunade completely ignored Shizune again.

Finally willing himself to tear his gaze away, Naruto looked at the blond woman. "Ah, uh, um, ah, yes, um, I'm new. Transferred yesterday," he stuttered. The woman was intimidating, really.

"Oh, so you're the transfer from the prestigious Sand High. Not very bright, I see," she said in her state of drunkenness.

Naruto's pride flared. How dare some complete stranger call him dumb!

"Not very bright? Apparently I'm smarter than you since I don't kill my body with alcohol, Miss My-boobs-are-too-big-even-though-I'm-an-old-hag!" Naruto retorted back, his stance defensive.

Tsunade glared at the kid and made to get up and pound his head in, but Shizune held her back, her eyes wide.

"Hey kid! I'll teach you to talk back to your superiors!" Tsunade yelled, swinging a fist and nearly hitting Shizune.

"Naruto, you do know who you're talking to, right?" Neji asked, amusement in his eyes. No one had ever yelled at Tsunade before.

"Who? Some stupid teacher someone in the god damn school, I presume? So what, I don't have her, she can't do anything," Naruto huffed, still glaring at the woman.

"Uh...no. She's the principal," Neji told him.

Naruto froze, but quickly got over the shocking news.

"Tch, an old hag like her, the principal?"

Tsunade snarled and darted out of Shizune's grasp, pinning a startled Naruto to the wall.

Shizune and Neji felt slightly alarmed at the violent nature of their principal. Lee was also staring at the happenings with even wider eyes (if that was possible). Neji tried to get as close as possible so that if something happens to Naruto, he could save him if needed.

"Kid, you're getting on the wrong side of me. I could fail you just for saying something slightly insulting," Tsunade hissed, her breath reeking of alcohol.

"What's with you, hag? No good principal does that, or insults a new student on their first meeting!"

"If I fail you, you'd have no education, and you'll never get a job, and your life will SUCK, KID! DON'T MAKE ME!" Tsunade blindly threatened, her alcohol enriched anger spewing out to cover over her recent tragedy.

"I DON'T CARE! EVEN IF I FAIL, I'LL STILL BEAT ANYONE WHO GETS IN MY WAY! I'LL BE THE BEST HAPPIEST FUCKING PERSON IN THE WORLD, AND FUCK THOSE WHO TRY TO PREVENT IT!" Naruto yelled, the principal egging on his already pent up feelings.

At this outburst, Tsunade calmed down a bit, the words sinking in. Slowly, she let go of Naruto and backed up, her head in her hands.

"No...No...No..." she mumbled, her shoulders trembling. It was happening again. Another one like them had come...and then he'll be gone soon too...no...No...No...

Tsunade backed up until she reached her bed and plopped down, her grief once again overtaking her drunken state. Tears leaked out and she shut off everything around her and hid her head in her hands, her shoulders shuddering with each silent sob.

Naruto was confused. One minute, the woman was about to fail him, or worse, kill him, and the next she was bawling her eyes out...

...was she PMSing?

Shizune ushered Naruto, Neji, and even Lee out, closing the door behind her. She looked to Naruto first and apologized.

"Naruto, I'm real sorry for the way Tsunade-Sama acted. She's been going through some rough times lately and has taken up alcoholics and gambling since. She didn't really mean anything she said, okay?" her eyes were pleading.

Naruto just nodded, still a bit dazed at his encounter with their principal. She seemed like an unstable woman, and most likely very troubled...

Having said that, Shizune went back into the Infirmary to comfort Tsunade, leaving the three boys outside in the hallway.

The guys just stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes, staring at the closed Infirmary door, before the bushy eye browed kid spoke up.

"Naruto-san, was it? Pleased to meet you. I'm Rock Lee, a second year," he extended his hand enthusiastically, a beaming smile on his face.

Naruto grinned too and shook hands with him, forgetting all that had just happened. Heh, he really was a carefree kid.

"Hi, I'm Naruto, first year. Nice to meet you too, Bushy Eyebrows."

Lee flinched at the nickname, but smiled back nonetheless. Neji was caught off guard and scoffed a bit, trying to hide most of his laughter. It wasn't his style to...what was it again? Roll on the floor, laughing his ass off. Yeah.

The bell rung then, signalling the end of classes, and also the end of school.

Finally.

Glancing back, Neji saw that the hallways were still empty, but that would only last for a few moments. Seizing his last chance to ask Naruto to go to his house, Neji spun around and blurted out, "Naruto, can you—"

But the blond was already racing down the hallway towards the gym, where his backpack and stuff was. He had work today and seriously needed to hurry, especially since he had no means of transportation.

And his work place was about one and a half miles away from the school. Great.

Neji inaudibly sighed, giving up. Guess he'll just have to wait until Saturday, seeing as fate was against him getting Naruto there any earlier.

...

Still the original workings of xXCabbageXx.

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