Chapter 20

"Hey. Naruto." The intruder extended a hand in greeting, but Naruto was pulled away before their fingers could touch.

"Pssst Naruto!" Kiba hissed into Naruto's ears frantically, "I thought he didn't go to this school?"

"That's what I thought too. Now excuse me as I go find out why he's here! Sheesh!" Naruto rolled his eyes and pried Kiba's hand off his shoulder as the intruder walked over smiling.

"Naruto."

"Sai."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Naruto chuckled and slapped Sai on the back with gusto. "Good to see you, man! What's up?"

Sai shrugged indifferently. "Nothing really. I enrolled into this school."

Naruto's eyes brightened up considerably as his jaw dropped in surprise. Well, this was unexpected! "REALLY? Why? I thought you hated socializing!"

"Yeah, but I hate home even more. I fired my home tutor." Sai informed with a smile, making Naruto twitch in annoyance.

"I don't get you Sai...but okay. Welcome to Konoha High!" Naruto took Sai's hand into his and heartily pumped them up and down in welcome, an ear-splitting grin threatening to actually split his ears. "Want a tour?"

"Later, maybe, but not now. I have to go meet with the principal." Sai shrugged again casually.

Naruto grinned and nodded, "Okay! That'll do. I'm in class 2-7, so come find me any time."

Just as Sai was about to continue on to the principal's office, the doors of the cafeteria opened and, since Naruto had failed to move away in his excitement, they hit him right in the back, sending him sprawling forward onto Sai with a squeak.

Kiba rushed forward, Naruto and Sai seemingly falling down in slow-mo, their surprised faces comically exaggerated. He stretched out his arms, intending to catch them midair, but he was too late.

The only thing going through Naruto's mind right now was, is it just me, or am I falling down a lot lately?

"Oomph!" He ended up right on top of Sai, who had fallen over backwards, his arms instinctively wrapping around Naruto's. The sight, to say the least, was very...compromising.

To say the least.

"OH MY GOD NARUTO WHO'S THAT AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ino screamed, her hands flying to her cheeks in shock. It wasn't every day you saw two guys on top of each other. And if it was everyday…then man you must be in heaven!

Damn, Naruto cussed, rolling off of Sai, who still had a dazed look on his face. Naruto couldn't go far though, because Sai's arms were still around him.

"Uh…"

Kiba couldn't take it anymore. Finally, he took action, grabbing Naruto's arms and pulling him forcibly out of Sai's. With a humph and a glare, and without answering any of the questioning stares of Ino and her gang, and dragging a protesting Naruto behind him, Kiba stormed down the hallway and to their next class.

Ino giggled. Sakura smiled. Hinata blushed.

And Sai… well he got up, dusted himself off, and went straight to the principal's office, the entire time with a huge, lopsided grin plastered all over his face.

"You know what?"

Kiba put his head in his arms and sighed loudly, but Naruto ploughed right on.

"I've been falling down a lot lately."

"Oh really?" Kiba snorted.

"Mmmhmm. I usually don't…." At the look Kiba gave him, Naruto bristled indignantly. "I really usually don't! This is a first for me! Ever since I moved here to Konoha it's been fall after fall. I think I left my center of balance back in Suna!"

"Sure…"

It was after school and Naruto had begged Kiba to go with him to sign up for the competition events posted on the cafeteria door, which he had failed to accomplish after lunch due to the whole unexpected Sai situation. With much pleading and whimpering, Kiba caved and agreed to accompany the blonde there. He even offered him a ride to work. Oh what a good friend he was! Now if only Naruto would just HURRY UP so he could go home and take some Tylenol for the huge headache he was wincing down.

Unsuspecting Naruto was currently chewing on his pencil though, staring at the signup sheet with a concentrated look. He could see Neji's name up there. And Lee's. And of course, that bastard Sasuke's. There were a few unrecognized ones, but Naruto didn't dwell much over them, as he marvelled at the amount of seconds Neji and Sasuke's nominations received. Lucky pretty bastards, all of them… although Neji was a cool lucky pretty bastard whereas Sasuke just sucked balls.

Feeling intimidated, Naruto shakily penned his name in an available blank for each of the separate sign-up sheets for basketball, tennis, soccer, three-legged racing, and water polo. He paused, trying to think of a good reason why he would be a worthy addition to each team. There was so much awesome in him, he decided that he couldn't fit it all in the space provided. Thus, his confidence returning along with his dazzling grin, he just wrote HE'S SO MACHO in all the reason spaces. There. That ought to convince them!

When Kiba, feeling more than seeing Naruto's gleeful mood, saw what he wrote, he burst out laughing. Macho his ass! But he would let Naruto continue to be deliriously mistaken, if not for entertainment purposes, then for the peace that would surely be broken by Naruto's loud ego if Kiba stated otherwise.

"Come on kid let's go."

"Sure thing dog-breath."

They grinned and walked to the parking lot, a comfortable silence blanketing their friendship.

Maybe things will return to its less-headache-causing ways, Kiba hoped.

No.

Such.

Luck.

Kiba sighed.

It was Wednesday. Four days after Neji's party's disaster. Two day after the Sakura incident. And one day after Kiba met that Kyuubi dude and also one day after Sai had transferred into Konoha High.

Already, things were not looking good for the continuing dull ache in the back of Kiba's head.

Maybe he had a tumour? He should go get himself checked out. Surely all the stupid heated waves he's had to shield Naruto from this past week had made his cells go phase crazy.

Of course, Naruto was oblivious throughout the whole damn thing, thinking everyone was his friend. Guh, what Kiba wouldn't like better than to smack him across the head! But seeing as how Naruto was still covered in his fair share of bandages from the whole Sakura gang thing, he decided to go easy on the poor naïve kid. It wasn't his fault he was slow and stupid.

"Kiba?"

Kiba raised his head tiredly and looked at Naruto's inquisitive face. Despite his better judgment, he noticed why all the gays went after him. He sure was something to look at; huge blue eyes framed by long blonde eyelashes that swept his cheeks every time he blinked, full rosy lips that glistened with his worried gnawing, and of course, his nice, tight bo—

WOAH THERE. Kiba backtracked, going a bit insane. Adjusting to all this gayness was making him gay too! And checking his best friend out? That was sick! Shaking his head slightly, Kiba realized that he had just been staring at Naruto, not answering his concerned probes or his questioning eyes.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"You okay?" Naruto whined. He had noticed that Kiba had been down these two days, although he couldn't figure out why. Whatever happened to the energetic mutt he knew? It was driving him crazy!

Kiba nodded, absentminded again. Naruto sighed and turned around, finally focusing his eyes on the board where Kakashi was sort of teaching. Although he stared intently at the lesson notes, his mind wandered from Kiba's worrying change, to other more…embarrassing things he hasn't been able to clear from his mind for the past four or so days. Naruto blushed, Kiba's problem now receding to a low hum in the back of his mind as Naruto remembered Saturday. When everything happened.

Had he really kissed Neji? It all seemed such a blur. The game, his forgiveness towards Gaara, the kiss. It was entirely unreal.

Did he actually feel the interest Neji had in him? Was…was Neji as interested in him as he was in Neji? That concept seemed almost too unlikely to grasp. How would that even happen? Neji was a junior, almost a senior after two months and the summer break. What about him could attract someone as…flawless as Neji? Naruto shook his head disbelievingly. There wasn't a single person, male or female, that he knew that could outshine Neji's hair, out smooth Neji's skin, or out perfect Neji's being. But maybe that was just his infatuation talking…

It still made no sense whatsoever to the confused blond.

The bell rang, only registering in Naruto's brain when the sounds of feet shuffling stirred him from his musings. He silently crept out of the room after Kiba, both of them lost in their thoughts, not paying attention to the pair of black, charcoal eyes that followed them out.

It was gym class once again. This time though, Naruto was so completely out of it, he didn't see it coming at all. The basketball game hadn't even begun. It was without forewarning, or even a conscious decision to walk that way, that Naruto bumped quite rigidly into Sasuke's side, sending them both teetering a bit to the right.

"Watch it," Sasuke warned. Naruto looked up, startled to be so close to the ice prince himself. He faintly noticed the lesser amount of venom in Sasuke's sneer. Huh. Okay that wasn't expected, but whatever.

Naruto mumbled a quick sorry and backed off, going back to his ponderings. He just couldn't decide on a ride path to take. Sure Neji was constantly on his mind these two days, but he also knew something stupid like this wouldn't do him any good at his age. He'd learned his mistake of trusting someone completely, letting his heart envelope them in his generous love. He would be more careful this time, and perhaps retrieve his heart from his sleeve as well. He chuckled darkly to himself, letting a wave of grief momentarily flood over his features.

It didn't go unnoticed by the unnaturally observant Uchiha, who before had made it a point to ignore everything blonde related. He had been studying Naruto this whole day, and the blatant black cloud of depression that hung over him and perhaps his dog friend too was confusing him. What could've caused such a drastic temperament change in the typically lively pair? It wasn't really concern, mind you, more like a slight tingling of curiosity deep within his conscious.

"Heads up," Sasuke cautioned chivalrously as someone passed the basketball to Naruto, who was so out of it that even Sasuke's warning did no good. The ball hit him right in the head, knocking him down in his surprise.

Sasuke sighed, and being the one closest to the dumb blonde, he felt obligated, for once in his life, to help those who were less unfortunate.

Naruto groaned, blinking the dizzy spell away from his eyes as he peered up into a pale, defined face. He blushed, thinking of another person with a pale face framed by black hair, but he was rational enough to realize it was the Uchiha's hand that extended out awkwardly to help him up. Taking it just as awkwardly, still not understanding just when Sasuke's previous hostility towards him evaporated into this…almost friendliness, Naruto pulled himself up with a dazed look on his face.

"Thanks," Naruto muttered, sheepishly scratching the back of his head in his all too familiar nervous habit. He didn't know how to act towards this new Uchiha bastard. But he was pretty sure deep down, he was still a bastard.

Sasuke shot him a quizzical look, but nodded to the soft thanks. Deciding not to stay in the game while he was so obviously not concentrating, Naruto excused himself to the nurse so that the throbbing in his head and his heart could perhaps fade away. Kiba watched him leave with anxiety welling up in the pit of his stomach.

Sasuke though, had noticed something. It was small and faint, but it was there. That blush that spread gently across the span of Naruto's pixie nose had caught him by surprise. His eyes had automatically zeroed in on the pink tint on Naruto's tan skin, and he couldn't help but wonder what it meant. It couldn't possibly be…?

A million misconceptions ran through his head the rest of the class, his mind wheeling in what seemed a hazy fervour, beginning thoughts but not quite ending them.

Naruto slept on in the infirmary after a nice cup of cold water from Shizune, oblivious, once again, to the mix-up that he left in his wake.

...

This is the final written chapter of xXCabbageXx. The next one shall be where I begin where xXCabbageXx left off!

Review please!