Disclaimer : Naruto and other characters are not mine.

Warning : SasuNaru. Shonen-ai. Some other pairings later on.

"bla bla" spoken

/bla bla/ thoughts

Sunshine After the Rain

By Misaki Sakura

Chapter 3 : The Worst Day in His Live

The first thing that caught his eyes was a Christmas tree near the fireplace. The presents, wrapped nicely, were put beneath it. The little boy whose age was about four or five years old looked at the presents longingly and reached out his hands to touch it. Suddenly, a tall young man picked him up and said, "No, honey. You cannot open the presents now."

"But, tousan …" the little boy whined. His cerulean eyes looked up at his otousan pleadingly. He chuckled.

"See, your friends are here."

The blonde boy turned his head to find a tall young man with dark hair smiling at him. Besides him was his wife, a beautiful but with the same dark features young woman. Behind them were who his father called his friends, but he never felt that way. The older one was nice, but the younger one was … weird.

The boy hid his face in his father's shirt who patted her head. He put him down. "Go play with them. I'll call you when the dinner is ready."

Both boys looked at their father who nodded and soon they started playing. He liked playing with them if only the younger one would be a little nice to him. He always scowled and for the cheery boy, the atmosphere around him was … suffocating. But he looked so sad. His otousan always played with him and gave him candy when he's sad. He didn't have any candy but he could ask him to play.

"Come on … let's play …"

The boy shot him a glare that made him took a step in fear. His eyes started to water but he held his ground and steeled himself to ask him once more. He ignored him. Her patience was growing thin, so he started whining.

"Stop it!"

"Play with me!"

The older brother shook his head. "It's okay. I'll play with you."

"But I want to play with him toooooo!"

"I don't want to! Usuratonkachi!"

"Teme!" the boy didn't know what it meant that time, but he heard the people in the TV said that when they're angry, so just like other kids who liked to try new things, he tried it.

The two brothers were stunned. Then they both laughed. "What are you laughing at!" the blonde boy's face was red and his tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Okay, okay. I'll play with you, dobe." The boy wiped the tears that had streaked his face.

He didn't know what dobe meant, but it didn't matter as long as he played with him. Then he wouldn't be so sad anymore.

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"Do.."

"Dobe …"

"Usuratonkachi!"

"Wake up!"

Naruto tilted his head to the direction of the voice.

"Naruto!"

Then …

SPLASH!

"What the ..!" Naruto jumped up and wiped his face furiously.

"Finally. It took you really long to wake up." said a smirking Sasuke with a bucket in his hand. A bucket that suspiciously consisted the remains of the water that was spilled on Naruto's face.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "What did you say, Sasuke-teme!"

"What did I say?" Sasuke dropped the bucket then he looked at Naruto as if challenging him. The fact that he's taller than Naruto, much to Naruto's dismay, had given him the advantage.

"You- ARGH!" Naruto took his bag and made his way to the front door, grumbling along the way. Sasuke laughed so hard that his eyes began to water. Naruto closed his ears with his hands and ran. Fast.

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"Are you okay? What happened? You're all wet!"

Naruto slid his bag from his shoulder, shaking his head. "I fell, Iruka-tousan."

"Change your clothes. I'll make you something hot." Iruka ran to the kitchen, nearly bumping into Gaara in the process. His eyes turned wide at the sight of Naruto and his state of clothes.

"What-"

"I fell." He answered quickly, not wanting Gaara to be suspicious.

Gaara frowned at his answer, but said nothing. Naruto ran into his room and locked the door behind him.

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The next morning, Sasuke woke up in a very happy feeling. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stop smiling. His mood perked up suddenly. Even his brother stared at him strangely when he entered the dining room. Uchiha Sasuke never wanted to eat with his brother before but that morning he did.

He arrived at school earlier, much earlier than usual. He watched as the students started to fill the classroom. The stares they were giving him were predictable. After all, besides being his annoying fansclub, those girls were the no.1 gossipers in Konoha. Of course everyone had heard the previous day's event.

Uzumaki Naruto was interesting. He had said so himself. What he liked the most was the expression he had on his face when he was angry, and who could make him angry better than the almighty Uchiha Sasuke. Yes, he had claimed Naruto as his. And he'd make sure the dobe knew that.

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Unlike Sasuke, the first thing Naruto felt when he entered the front gate of Konoha High was fear. He shivered and later, frowned because he didn't have any clue what had made him shiver in the first place. This sure changed, though, when one of the girls shouted, "That's him!"

And soon, all the girls in sight were chasing him. When Naruto, like any other boys, like to be chased by girls, he hadn't meant it THAT way. He ran as fast as he could but the girls were everywhere. He didn't know how long he had run. He's exhausted. If he couldn't find any place to hide …

Suddenly he felt someone pulled his hand, and before he could scream, a hand flew to his mouth, covering it.

"I'm so- sorry, Naruto-kun."

Naruto lifted his eyes to the shy girl in front of him. He hadn't seen her before … oh wait! He remembered seeing her behind Sakura sometimes, but he couldn't see her as someone like, you know, Sakura and Ino.

"It's not the time to stand here. They'll find us." Said the person whose hands were still covering Naruto's mouth.

"Hai, Neji-niisan."

Once again Naruto felt his hands being pulled by both Hyuuga.

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"YOU!" He couldn't believe he was brought to Sasuke! Sasuke of all PEOPLE!

"Hi, dobe." Smirk.

"WHY YOU TEMEEEEE!" Naruto's face was flushed with anger. Before he could do anything, Hinata tugged his sleeve, signaling him to sit down. He glared at Sasuke once more before sitting down, turning away from the smirking raven haired boy.

The room couldn't be said a small one. In fact, Naruto estimated the size to be the same as their classroom, only that room looked more like a lounge than a classroom. It even had a flat screen TV! What kind of school was that!

While Naruto was looking around him in an unhidden interest, Sasuke turned his head to Neji. "Thank you, Neji."

Shikamaru opened his eyes with a snap and every head turned to Sasuke's and Neji's direction. The two didn't seem to notice their look though Neji was a bit surprised to hear Sasuke thanking him.

"You're welcome, Uchiha, but for your information, I did it because of Hinata-sama's request." That's true though. After Hinata had learned about the previous day's event, she knew by the time Naruto arrived, the whole school would know about it, and Sasuke's fangirls, commanded by Sakura and Ino would make sure Naruto wouldn't get out of there alive. So she asked for Neji's help, who was reluctant at first, but he couldn't refuse Hinata's request, so there he was. Trapped in the middle.

"It has the same result, so I wouldn't complain." Sasuke smiled, not a smirk, a smile that made Naruto stared at him wide eyed. It also happened to cause him forget the reason he was there, until …

"Hey, does anyone know why the girls suddenly attack me?"

"Naruto-san, I- I think it's because of yesterday …"

"What happened yesterday! Nothing happened!"

Shikamaru closed his eyes once more. "Sasuke said something."

"What did YOU say!" now he glared at Sasuke again.

He shrugged. "I only told them that you're mine to torment. It seems that they got the wrong meaning."

Shikamaru muttered something that suspiciously sounded like, "You didn't say the 'torment' part." Sasuke pretended he didn't hear it.

Naruto was fuming. His hand had reached the door handle when he heard Sasuke's voice. "The second you open that door, dobe, you'll get mauled by those crazy girls. You know that?"

"It's better than being in the same room with you!"

"Okay. If you think so, then open it."

Naruto looked at the door. His hands trembled a little. He could feel Sasuke's gaze on his back, waiting. /Damn him! He knows I won't do that!"

So without looking at Sasuke, he turned to his previous seat next to Hinata, ignoring the triumphant look Sasuke had shot at him.

"What do you want actually, teme!"

"I'm helping you."

"You're the one who started this in the first place, bastard!"

Sasuke smirked. "Well, since you help me get rid of those girls, I guessed I should help you. You should be grateful. Many people want to be here and you don't show any gratitude at all."

Naruto looked at Hinata unconsciously. Sasuke followed his gaze. "That's Hyuuga Hinata, Neji's sister."

"Hyuuga! You mean THAT Hyuuga!"

Naruto looked once more at the blushing girl beside him. Who didn't know about the Hyuuga family? The Hyuugas were very rich and successful, one of the richest clan in Japan, not to mention oldest. They're said to excel in the medical field. He had heard all members of the Hyuuga family knew very well about medical science as it's passed down in the family.

"How do you plan to get him to class?"

"Eh?" all heads turned to Shikamaru who still closed his eyes. They had thought he had fallen asleep. Naruto had heard that Nara Shikamaru didn't come from a well-known family like Sasuke or Neji but he managed to be on peace term with Sasuke because Sasuke always acknowledge smart people, people with power, and no one would doubt Shikamaru's unbelievably high IQ if it's not for his laziness.

"Class?" Naruto asked, then his eyes widened. "Class! I'm late!"

"You don't have to go to class."

Naruto glared at the raven haired boy. "Unlike you, I happen to be serious in my studies. I need to go to the class fast!"

"You're too late for that anyway. It's 10 o'clock already. The class started an hour ago." Sasuke looked at Naruto in an amused way that made him wanted to punch him in the face.

"It's all your fault!" Naruto's fed up with this whole ordeal with Sasuke. Why couldn't he leave him alone!

"I like your logic, usuratonkachi."

"IT IS YOUR FAULT!"

At that time, Naruto's cell phone rang. A message from Lee asking him where he was. Naruto glared at Sasuke again before answering. It seemed like the girls in their class were out for his blood to so Lee said it'd be best to stay hidden. He'd help him out of the school ground after the second lesson was over. Naruto frowned and for the first time since he entered Konoha, he doubted his decision to enroll the there.

"It's Lee, isn't it?"

"None of your business, teme!"

"I bet he had told you about those girls."

"How do you- You planned this!" Naruto clenched his fists in anger.

"No, but that's predictable since Sakura's in your class."

He slapped his forehead. "I forgot about that!" of course he couldn't go to his class now, not with Sakura there.

"You don't have any choice but to stay, dobe."

Shikamaru opened his eyes and stretched. "I'll go to class then."

"Me too." Neji said. "Let's go Hinata-sama."

"Wa- wait! Where do you think you're going?"

Hinata gave an apologizing look at Naruto who started to panic. The tug she felt on her sleeves that Neji gave had signaled her to leave. She wondered if it'd be wise to leave Naruto alone with Sasuke. After all, Sasuke was the one who bullied him, but Neji had pulled her away that she didn't have any time to think about helping Naruto. Yes, she could help Naruto from Ino and Sakura but if there's anyone from who she couldn't help Naruto, that person would be Sasuke.

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Naruto glared at Sasuke while Sasuke seemed to be amused by the condition. The smirk was on. Again. He loved the way that dobe reacted to him. Like he had said, no one had ever stood against him. No one had ever denied him. Which was why the dobe had attracted him. When he said that Naruto was his, what he meant was he had decided that he's the only one who could make fun of the blond.

He knew the next day, the news would spread to the whole school. He also knew that would stop the boys from bullying him and left it to Sasuke and of course he knew it would outrage the girls. Sakura and Ino were so predictable. Anyway, Naruto would fight if his offenders were boys but girls? Sasuke could see that he's not the type to hit girls, even when the girls were … THEM. He'd be vulnerable to them. And, the most important part, he'd be in Sasuke's mercy. If Sasuke didn't help him, who'd know what would happen to him. The girls wouldn't attack him when he's with Sasuke and he's sure Naruto knew that to.

Sasuke took another look at Naruto who was still glaring at him. Like he had said, Naruto was his to torment, to bully, to be taken advantage of … but now, seeing how cute he looked with the flush that appeared due to his anger and the unruly blond hair not to mention his blue eyes … Sasuke started to doubt if those were the true reasons …

TBC

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