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 4 : It's Not Only About Him

Iruka glanced at his watch once more and sighed. The usual thing. One of the reason why he had come an hour later than the appointed time but still, he was too early when it came to a meeting with the masked man.

"Hi."

Startled, Iruka almost jumped in his seat. "H- Hi."

Hatake Kakashi sat in front of Iruka. "I'm sorry I'm late. There's a girl who-"

"Liar! Can't you come up with a good excuse for once?"

"Why, aren't you cranky today." Kakashi leaned in so that his face was so close to Iruka's.

Iruka blushed at the closeness. "Sh- don't you have any class today?"

"Nope. He asked me to give you something. For the boy." Kakashi passed Iruka the brown envelope in his hands. Iruka stared at it for a moment before nodding.

"It's that all?"

Kakashi looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face. Iruka started to fidget in his seat. "Don't you like meeting me, Iruka-san?"

"What are you talking about? It's not about me."

"You haven't forgotten about it, have you?" Kakashi sighed.

"It doesn't matter anymore." For the first time since their meeting, Kakashi mentioned about their past. How could he forget? But Kakashi was his representative so he had to meet him frequently for some reasons … for Naruto's sakes.

"It's only about Naruto, then."

"He and Gaara are my only concern right now. I don't have time for anything else." Iruka added to himself/Especially for an unfaithful ex-boyfriend./

"So … do you know that right now Naruto has a relationship?"

"WHAT?" Iruka stood up in shock. There's no way Naruto didn't mention this to him. Did Gaara know?

"And do you know it's Uchiha Sasuke?"

That did it. He fainted.

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Neji never thought it would happen to him but it did. Since the first day he was brought into the Hyuuga family, he had asked himself why they treated Hinata as an outcast even though she's the heiress to the Hyuuga fortune. The answer made him mad. Yes, he realized how traditional the family was, but to treat their own child that way because she's a girl was unforgivable. Hinata always felt rejected by her own family which caused her to be so shy and unconfident. That's why Neji had sworn to protect her, even from her family. And he had lived up to his promise, and felt content with his role as the older brother … until Naruto came.

If it wasn't for that blond boy, there's no way Neji would let his self-control almost crumbled. He didn't hate the boy, he had told himself so many times. But that didn't stop him from brooding, even when he's in the middle of the class.

No, he never thought it would come a time for him to admit it. He was jealous. Hinata's attention for Naruto was totally not what he had expected. But he couldn't refuse Hinata's request and helped him. And the girl didn't realize it. Yes, Neji was waiting, waiting when Hinata would say the dreadful things, that she didn't need him anymore, that she had someone who would protect her … but until then, he would protect the girl … with his life.

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Gaara shook his head and decided it's pointless to argue with Kiba. The dog lover always pestered him to know about Naruto's new school and asked him, of all people. He thought Kiba didn't like him, or afraid of him. He was wrong. What could he tell him anyway when he didn't know the school anymore than Kiba knew him, which was almost nothing?

He had noticed the concerned look on Iruka's face ever since Naruto entered Konoha. And those phone calls he had received at some intervals from a guy named Kakashi. Were they lovers? No, that he could tell, because Iruka's face turned sad every time he received those phone calls. Once, after he talked to Kakashi, he came to Gaara's room and almost cried. Naruto wasn't at home at that time, so probably he sought for comfort from him. Gaara let Iruka hug him and cry on his shoulders that night.

He cared about Iruka, even though he didn't show it. Iruka's someone who's close enough to resemble a father for him. The thing was, he also knew that the cause of those phone calls was Naruto. There's something about Naruto's past that Iruka, and that person, Kakashi, knew.

Past was past. Back to Kiba's question. Naruto's new school. He needed information that he didn't think Naruto would happily provide. He had to resort to another means. Then he recalled one name that he hoped would help him in that matter. Rock Lee.

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"Where do you think you're going, dobe?"

Naruto didn't bother to look at Sasuke when he said, "Out. The hallway is empty."

"Hn. See for yourself then."

Just as Naruto stepped his left foot out, he heard a yell from somewhere. "DIE, UZUMAKI!" and a … troop of fangirls ran at him. He shrieked and retreated into the room before they reached him. From behind the door, he could hear them muttering something … not a good thing.

Sasuke's laugh made him looked at his so-called enemy once again. "So, how's the empty hallway for you?"

"Jerk."

Naruto returned to his seat. No windows to escape from with only one door leading to the hallway. He's trapped. With Sasuke. Why did the bastard stay with him anyway?

"Ne, Sasuke-teme. Don't you want to get out of here?"

"First of all, it's Sasuke-sama to you. Second of all, no, there's no point in going to class when I know everything they teach."

"Arrogant bastard."

"Hn, dobe."

He had known it's not use for trying to strike up a conversation with Uchiha, but he couldn't bear the silence anymore. Especially when he needed his help to get out of there alive. Yeah, he'd known that Sasuke's the only person who could help him but asking for Sasuke's help …

Come to think of it, that's the first time he's in Sasuke's presence that long. Not that he wanted to, especially with the girls looming around the stoic Uchiha. But now he had the time to see why the girls always made a fuss when Sasuke's anywhere in sight. He's gorgeous. Even Naruto had to admit that despite the anger he often felt for the raven-haired boy.

"No wonder they like him." He said more to himself, unaware that the Uchiha heard that too. He decided to watch the unknowing Naruto who continued to mutter under his breath.

"You look cute, you know?"

That question made Naruto jumped. "What- What are you talking about!"

"Didn't you hear me? I think you're cute."

Naruto looked at Sasuke with fear in his eyes. Sasuke's smiling to him. He closed his eyes. Rabid fangirls or not, this was a lot scarier. So he ran out of the room with Sasuke laughing behind him. He didn't even look back when he heard Lee calling him. He should though because the next thing he knew, he got run over by Sasuke's fangirls.

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"Stupid dobe."

That was what Naruto heard when he came to and he decided he didn't like it. "Where am I?"

"In the infirmary. Lucky for you, they didn't kill you. You should thank me."

"Thank you! THANK YOU! YOU are my problem in the first place! If it wasn't for you I'd have a normal life as a student but you ruin everything! I HATE YOU!" Naruto almost felt tears in his eyes, especially when he saw that Sasuke was least affected by that.

"Hn." Was all he said.

"Where's Lee?"

"I told him to wait outside."

"Get out."

"No."

"GET OUT!"

"You're in no place to order me around, Naruto."

Naruto realized that for the first time, Sasuke had called him by his name, without adding any insults behind it.

"I have a deal for you and I suggest you to take it for your own good." Sasuke's tone was so serious that Naruto thought he had a different personality or something. He changed so fast!

"What deal?"

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Shikamaru could hear Naruto's voice from his science which was located at the other wing of the school.

"NO WAY IN HELL, TEMEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Mendokuse na."

TBC

I know this chapter is too short. I'll make it longer next time. About Kakashi and Iruka, I'll tell about them more in the next chapter. Please review.