Odd Situations
By: Shozetsku
Disclaimer/Warnings/Authoress' Notes:

I'm so sorry for the major OOC-ness of Sasuke, but really haven't you always wanted to see him act uke-ish? But he will not break character that much again... or at least I hope I won't do that again... tell me if I do. Sorry for leaving this one for soo long but I kinda forgot it. –ish sheepish- Oops.

Warnings... hmm... cursing, shonen-ai, and things unfit for the kiddies. So if you haven't hit puberty yet hit that back button like right now.

I do not own Naruto. Please don't sue me. I need every cent I got to pay for college.

Chapter 2: Competition Heats Up

Sasuke was first as usual to the bridge to await their sensei and his teammates. Leaning casually against the railing he watched the sky transition from grey to purple to red, then gold and finally fading into tints of blue. Yes, he had gotten up before dawn; he had been having trouble sleeping. His dreams would not allow for peaceful sleep. He dreamt of Naruto, Naruto happy, Naruto sad, Naruto in love with him, Naruto in love with another. Naruto.

Sasuke mentally started banging his head against the bridge railing with reckless abandon. He needed sleep! He sulked until Sakura showed up at around her usual time but Naruto was late, even by Naruto's standards. Silently he began to worry about the blonde. And he had good reason to.

Naruto woke at his leisure because his alarm clock's batteries died during the night before. When he awoke it was to the sun gently warming his face and the faint sounds of the streets coming alive. He rose from bed and stretched lazily, he felt so good. He had never felt so refreshed in his life. He looked at his alarm clock for the time, it showed no numbers on the digital screen. He frowned, he checked his wall clock, his eyes widened in shock and he scrambled to get dressed, eat, wash up and get the hell out of the house. Because by the look of things even if he ran as fast as he could he'd still be there after Kakashi-sensei.

Unbeknownst to anyone at the time a giggling girl was walking down the street holding a little bottle in her cupped hands. She was going to show everyone that she could get a boyfriend, but of course she was going to cheat with the contents of that bottle. But she wouldn't be the first.

She could never have known that there was a frantically running shinobi running straight for her trying not to be late. They crashed into each other spectacularly, but Naruto caught himself just in time to save the girl from getting hurt.

"Oh, no! My bottle!" the girl cried. Naruto made to catch it, but the tiny bottle reflected the sun into his eyes and it smashed on his head, contents spilling all over him.

The girl was horrorstruck. She couldn't help but to stare at the blonde shinobi, who was apparently Naruto the village klutz and troublemaker. She could tell by his obvious whisker markings and gaudy orange outfit. But she had to admit that it was really brave and sweet of him to try and catch her bottle for her, even if it had shattered all over his head. He was so kind... She gave herself a little shake of the head, Oh no! she thought, the potion has already started working!

Scared for her sanity she turned tail and ran. Maybe she would visit her friend in rock country; for like a month. She nodded resolutely to herself; she would start packing as soon as possible.

Naruto just shrugged the girl's behavior off as fear or revulsion, it wasn't an all too unusual response for some people to turn around when he walked by. He didn't care, but his head sure hurt; he wished she had stayed to at least apologize. He didn't dwell on it for more then a few seconds though, he was so late it was not funny. He continued running.

Kakashi balanced on the railing of the bridge on only the balls of his feet so well that Sasuke had the strong urge to throw a rock at his head to make him fall in the river. He might just give in to that urge if the man did not stop sighing like that!

Kakashi sighed again. He was so bored! For once in his life he was too hung over to read Icha Icha and Naruto was so dead late he was actually counting the number of stitches on the back of his forehead protector with his sharingan. That meant he was pretty damn bored.

Naruto (finally!) came running up to the bridge. Sakura pushed herself off of the railing, which she had been sitting on top of and strode up to him to lecture him on being late and how it inconveniences others. But before she got a word out Naruto was on the floor, panting and clutching a stitch in his chest. Something shiny fell out of Naruto's hair, and even from his relative distance Kakashi could tell they were shards of glass.

"Ran here... Batteries died ... clock... Sun woke me... Crashed ... some girl. Sorry, late." Naruto managed between labored breathes.

Sakura looked at Naruto, He really tried his hardest to get here. It's not his fault his alarm clock batteries died. I'll forgive him. She didn't even realize what she was thinking.

Before any other words were said, Gai and his team showed up.

"Kakashi!" Gai shouted in his loud over articulating voice. "I challenge you! It's been too long since we've had one of our battles."

"Go Gai-sensei! You can do it!" Came the enthusiastic call from Gai's personal one man cheer squad, Lee.

Neji shook his head in what was unmistakably shame and walked over to the bridge and out of the way, Ten-ten, being his own technicolor, talking shadow, followed. Neji held out a hand to help Naruto to his feet. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, ever since that chat early yesterday morning he was seeing all the people around him in a new light. He would not make any attempt on Neji's life for helping Naruto to stand. But if he made any more physical contact then the brief yet painful clasping of hands he and his kunai collection would have something to say about it.

"Naruto, you have glass in your hair." Neji said pointing into Naruto's golden locks at the glistening shards.

Naruto leaned forward and made quick swipes at his hair, "Yeah, your right. Must've been that bottle that girl was carrying."

"Was she carrying some kind of perfume?" Neji asked, Naruto shook his head, "I have no idea, she ran off without even apologizing, why do you ask?"

"Because we can smell whatever it is Dobe." Sasuke said, speaking out loud at last. Ten-ten looked confused, "I have as stuffy nose so I can't smell a thing, plus I'm allergic to most perfumes."

Naruto blanched, "Wait a minute! Do I smell girly?"

Neji, Sakura, and Sasuke all smelled Naruto's hair, Neji found the right words first. "It's not... girly; but it does smell really nice." The other two agreed. Behind them and seemingly a world away Lee was causing a racket, apparently the challenge was over.

Kakashi walked over to the group by the bridge, "Tie score again." He knew they hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention. And he guessed it had something to do with that faint smell on the air. He couldn't really smell it through his mask but he didn't think he really wanted to. It smelt too nice to be true.

Kiba looked up from his training exercise. This was not smart because they were practicing catching enemy shuriken and kunai, with bunt wooden versions. And one hit him square on the temple. Hinata gasped and muttered soft stuttered apologies. Kurenai sensei looked up, "What's the matter Kiba?" Kiba sniffed the air, Akamaru did the same. "I dunno, but it smells terrific. Even better then that time mom cooked up that five course meat buffet. What IS that?"

Kiba took off without really thinking. "K-K-Kiba-kun! Come ba-back!" Hinata shouted tentatively after him. Shino just watched him go "You should go after him." He said softly, and she did. Kurenai walked up to Shino questioningly, "Why aren't you going after Kiba?"

Shino said nothing and Kurenai could not tell if he was looking at her or not. "Whatever Kiba smells my insects can also smell, and it's not something I want to smell myself, that's why Hinata better catch him before he gets there. Or things will get very weird." Kurenai just looked at him. Then she shook her head, it wasn't worth it to ask.

Apparently Kakashi was mistaken in thinking the challenge was over. Gai was not about to let him off the hook so easily. As time passed challenge after challenge even Lee lost some of his gusto as his constant cheering was causing him to lose his voice, that and he had gotten Ten-ten's cold. But beyond that, Naruto was slightly uncomfortable. The other three genin kept sneaking looks at him when they thought he wasn't looking.

Sakura would start up conversations about absolutely nothing and giggle at odd moments. Neji wasn't even looking at Naruto but his eyes didn't need to be on Naruto to be watching him. Naruto shivered, talk about undressing someone with your eyes. Sasuke was acting the weirdest of all, usually disinterested in the blonde and anything he did Naruto swore that Sasuke did not stop watching him, not even to blink. Unless it was to glare at Neji or Sakura when they spoke.

The situation worsened when he saw Kiba and Hinata approach. Kiba inhaled deeply the air around Naruto, and Sasuke looked ready to neuter him on the spot. Akamaru had shoved his face into Kiba's undershirt, trying to block out the over-powering smell. They kept saying that they had training and needed to leave soon but they would not go away. Hinata took a few tentative sniffs too, whatever Naruto was wearing really suited him, Hinata thought.

Naruto wanted to know what the hell was going on. The whole situation was downright weird. He was being paid attention to, no, this was beyond attention. This was borderline parallel universe freaky, this was stalker observation. Naruto wanted desperately to get out of there but every time he tied he got cornered, and he couldn't think of a good enough excuse for getting away.

Noon time approached and Naruto began to get hungry, telling Kakashi he was going for ramen at Ichiraku's he started towards the restaurant, with an unexpected entourage.

Kiba insisted that he was hungry too, Hinata asked if she could tag along, Sakura told him she'd buy him a bowl and Sasuke and Neji just followed without offering an excuse. Ten-ten and Lee decided to go home and get over their colds.

Lunch was a tense affair. Naruto didn't feel comfortable being one of the few eating ramen, and when he told the others this the ones who hadn't ordered a bowl yet ordered one.

Naruto pulled out his frog purse to pay for his seven bowls of ramen, in truth he had eaten more but Sakura had paid for one, Hinata another, Neji bought him one, and even Sasuke bought him one with the feeble side comment that Naruto probably didn't bring enough money to cover all the ramen he'd eaten. It was such a very Sasuke-ish thing to say, but there was no arrogance behind it so it sounded strange anyways. Kiba kept saying he would have but then he wouldn't have enough to cover his own bill. He had eaten three bowls of ramen.

But when Naruto went to pay Ayame, the girl that worked there raised a hand and said sweetly, "It's on the house today Naruto."

Naruto looked at her, but she just smiled more, "Don't worry, the owner's out sick with the cold that's going around. The ramen's on the house."

Naruto took Ayame's hand and cried tears of joy as he kissed it playfully, "You are my new favorite person."

To this completely innocent statement that was only meant as a joke and meant nothing as far as the speaker was concerned, almighty weirdness followed. Ayame blushed crimson red and muttered for Naruto to come again soon. Hinata looked as though she was slapped in the face, or that she was ready to slap Ayame in the face. Sakura looked ready to kill, and a similar expression adorned the serious features of Neji. Kiba was letting loose a carnal growl and Sasuke looked winded.

Naruto decided that it was wise to haul ass out of there. But he couldn't shake his escort, Naruto was seriously getting agitated. He finally threw subtlety to the winds and shouted childishly at them, "What the hell, you guys! Stop following me around or I'm never going to speak to any of you ever again!"

Naruto blushed as soon as the words were out of his mouth, that was so immature! He was going to be laughed at for such a stupid threat! But to his great surprise everyone scattered without another word. Naruto sighed and headed for his apartment.

"SA-Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted, "What are you doing here?"

"You said to stop following you around so I went ahead of you." Sasuke said calmly as he sat beside Naruto's door. "I knew you were going to come home eventually." Naruto blushed a hard red and fumbled with the keys to his apartment. Sasuke stood up, and gently taking Naruto's shaking hands helped him open the door.

"Calm down. You're so wired right now." Sasuke said in a soft voice, the usual hard edge gone, and in it's place his voice sounded much like a soft wind though a forest.

"Let go of my hands." Naruto gritted through his teeth. Sasuke did so, as Naruto stormed into his apartment. "Wired." He seethed. "I'm wired? Anyone would be wired and jittery after a day like this!" Naruto threw his keys at the wall. "And why are you just standing there!" he shouted after he'd turned to see Sasuke hovering in his doorway.

"I'm waiting for you to invite me in." Sasuke said firmly. Naruto fisted his hands in his hair and let loose a frustrated growl. "What are you a VAMPIRE?! Just come in!" Sasuke did so, closing the door behind him and taking off his shoes. "Why the hell has everyone gone completely NUTS?!" Naruto all but screamed to the ceiling.

"It might be that the way you smell today has something to do with it." Sasuke said nonchalantly, "If I weren't used to the feeling already I would have been thrown off guard."

"What... what are you talking about, Teme?" Naruto asked, quieting considerably as Sasuke's tone of voice, it wasn't one he sued when he would patronize the blonde, and that meant he was being serious. "What feeling?"

Sasuke let out a short laugh, "Honestly? You won't believe me when I tell you but..."

Naruto took two slow steps towards Sasuke before speaking again, "But what?"

Sasuke looked Naruto straight in the eye fixing him with an intense stare that even Naruto would realize his seriousness, "The urge to jump you."

Naruto took five steps back in the blink of an eye, "WHAT!?"

"To jump you," Sasuke repeated, only serving to cause all the blood in Naruto's face to drain away, "in the context in which I'm using the term, to suddenly engage in intimate acts that would usually be practiced by lovers." Naruto looked on the point of fainting, but Sasuke was not done. "Such as, to embrace you, kiss you, court you, and at some point hopefully, to make love."

Naruto was barely registering what Sasuke was saying anymore, but Sasuke's sudden close quarters snapped him back to reality and he jumped away quickly, "Have you lost your MIND?!"

"While I have your full attention I would like to point something out to you." Sasuke said, ignoring the question because he himself didn't know the answer. "I said that the way you smell today spurred that feeling in me too." Naruto's eyes widened drastically, "That's right, everyone who caught a whiff of you today now has those feelings too. You just went from getting turned down by Sakura every time to the most sought after person our age. If I were you I'd take a bath, and use a lot of soap and shampoo."

Naruto was just beginning to register all of this in his mind when Sasuke suddenly had him pinned to the wall, literally cornered. "Remember this Naruto. Even before this I loved you first, I felt this way first, and confessed to you first. I don't take kindly to opposition, and I don't like being denied. I'll get you to return my feelings or I'll eliminate my competition. Either way, I've decided that you are my choice. All you need to do is choose for yourself."

And with that Sasuke gave Naruto one quick kiss, and was gone before Naruto could voice a protest.

End Chapter 2

This took forever. Sorry about that, by the way. But I like where it's going. TO BE BETAED, I didn't want to leave this any longer then I've already left it. Sorry Kyuu-chan, who is my beta sent from above.