Chapter 2
"I heard you beat the Uchiha up at lunch."
The words were spoken softly and coldly and Naruto couldn't help but grin up at his friend and fellow football player Neji Hyuuga. The boy was soft and almost feminine looking with his long brunette hair and wide pale eyes. His lips were coloured a dusky pink and looked thoroughly kissable and his body was a mixture of gentle curves and lithe muscles. He was a speedy player and was extremely useful on the team. He could also be cold and completely anti social at times.
"Yeah I did," Naruto nodded and gave the Hyuuga a lecherous look, his blue eyes filled with pure lust. "The nerd had it coming to him though. He got me into trouble in Pre-calc and now I have three weeks detention with Iruka-sensei cleaning out his classroom." His gaze travelled the length of Neji's body and he licked his lips. "Means I have less time to fuck you baby."
Neji snorted, placing his bag on his desk before gliding gracefully into his seat. "I'd like to see you try Uzumaki."
The blond laughed good-naturedly.
It was known throughout the school that the pretty Hyuuga belonged to Gaara no Sabuka, the anti social red head that was popular despite his hatred of people in general. Neji had often protested the fact that he was not something to be owned but nobody had listened. People preferred to watch Neji lustfully from afar than have their fingers broken by his lithe but incredibly strong boyfriend.
Gaara tolerated the blond's presence around Neji but he was incredibly protective of the brunette. He may have liked the blond as much as Gaara could like anybody but he was not the type to put up with someone else hitting on what was his. It was the way he worked.
Naruto knew this all too well and it had become a joke of his to flirt with Neji outrageously when Gaara wasn't around. But he would never try and endanger their relationship. Neji had been hurt too many times in the past to be treated like shit and Gaara needed somebody to love. They deserved each other and were happy.
"So how was Gaara? I haven't seen him all day and I was too busy lunch time to come see you guys."
Naruto watched as Neji flushed; a dusting of red spreading over his cheeks and mumbled something under breath. The blond chuckled and waggled his eyebrows at the blushing boy.
"That good huh?"
Neji coughed discreetly into his fist. "Shut up Uzumaki."
Neji was always so fun to tease when he was embarrassed and Naruto would usually exploit the chance to its full potential but at that moment Shikamaru and his girlfriend Temari plopped into their seats, catching Naruto's attention.
"Hey Shika, Temari!" He greeted enthusiastically. "What's up?"
Shikamaru Nara, who was as lazy as he was smart, settled back into his chair and muttered the word troublesome under his breath as was his custom. Temari on the other hand leaned forward in her seat eagerly.
"Is it true that you beat the Uchiha into a pulp at lunch? It's what everybody's talking about." She leaned forward again so that her face was centimetres away from her friends'. "So, is it true?"
Leaning back in his seat, Naruto ignored the blush that was trying to blaze forward and colour his cheeks a bright red and gave the blond girl a small smirk. It amused him greatly that everybody wished to hear of the raven haired boy's suffering. It made the three weeks detention he had received from Iruka-sensei worth while.
"Yeah it's true," His smirk widened when she gave a delighted gasp and turned to give Shikamaru- who had fallen asleep yet again- a shove. He blinked open sleepy brown eyes and gave Temari a reproachful glare.
"You women are so troublesome," he murmured, stretching before turning his bored gaze to Temari. "What is so important that you had to wake me up? The lesson hasn't even started yet."
The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "Yes I know that Shika but Naruto just admitted that he was the one who beat Sasuke Uchiha to a pulp."
"Well, I was there when he was being beaten," Naruto said, running a hand through his blond bangs and grinning widely when Neji shot him a dirty look.
Temari shrugged. "Same thing really. The little prick got just what he deserved in my opinion."
Neji, who had been quiet thus far, glared at them all. His eyebrow twitched in agitation. "What do you people get from beating the Uchiha to a pulp? What's he ever done to you?"
Naruto, Shikamaru and Temari all exchanged looks at the brunette boy's out burst. Neji was one of the few people who didn't see what was wrong with Sasuke Uchiha and he often came to the other boy's defence. The two seemed to have connected in a way nobody understood and it annoyed Naruto and his friends to no end that one of their own would willingly talk to such a low life.
"He's a nerd Neji!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his arms in the air dramatically. When Neji's expression remained one of annoyance, Naruto decided on a different tact. "Listen Neji he doesn't belong with other people. He's an outcast and should be treated like one. People have tried to befriend him and he only rebuffs their attempts to get close. Plus he isn't exactly anything to look at, is he?"
Neji's mouth thinned. "And that gives you and everybody else in this entire school the right to hurt him, does it? Have you ever seen what he's like after you guys are through with him?" He glare became icy when he received no answer. "Have you?"
"No," Naruto murmured, his eyes flashing steel. It was obvious that he wasn't about to change his opinion of the Uchiha, no matter what anybody said. "I haven't. But he deserves everything that he gets and that's all I have to say on the matter. He's a rich little know it all that thinks he can get away with treating everyone like shit." His usually bright and cheerful face darkened. "I'm just putting him in his place that's all."
Before Neji could protest Kakashi Hatake, their English teacher, walked into the classroom late as usual with his porn book in hand.
"Good afternoon everyone," Kakashi said cheerfully, his mask covered face wrinkling as he smiled. His porn was still clutched firmly in his hand. "Sorry I'm so late but I was chasing a little brown kitten that was lost and…"
Groans and laughter filled the air at their teacher's lame excuse. Neji and Naruto, who were glaring at each other heatedly, both gave strained smiles. They would continue their discussion after class.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"You've been a bad boy Sasuke."
"I-I-I'm s-sorry T-Tachi," Sasuke whimpered, drawing away from the harsh blows his brother was dealing to his body with tears of pain and fear trailing down his pale, bruised cheeks. "I-I t-tried t-to s-stop t-them p-promise."
Itachi's eyes flashed with anger. "I do not care whether you tried or not Sasuke. I told you that I was never to be bothered in work and you disobeyed my rules." He drew back his hand and dealt another ruthless punch to his younger brother's abdomen, a slight smirk twitching the corners of his mouth when Sasuke cried out and tried to curl into himself. "Now you must deal with the consequences, foolish younger brother."
Sasuke could barely breathe with the pain flowing through his body, his vision was blurring and dizziness washed over him in waves. He had hoped that Itachi would leave him to rest and recover from his injuries before inflicting new ones but his hopes had been dashed as soon as they were inside their mansion.
As soon as the door had closed, Itachi had began his onslaught, never once giving his younger brother a chance to protect himself. Not that Sasuke had tried to protect himself. He only came out of the beatings much worse that he might have been for trying to deflect his brother's blows.
His brother's voice was silken and dangerous when he next spoke and it caused Sasuke's breath to hitch in his throat.
"Now go upstairs Sasuke. I want you to wash that disgusting gunk out of your hair and put on that beautiful little outfit Orichimaru bought you for your last birthday." Itachi licked his lips and his eyes were alight with a mixture of anger and lust. "You know how much I love you in that outfit, my pretty slut."
Sasuke bowed his head, grateful that the blows had stopped raining down onto his fragile body but he also felt sick with the knowledge of what he was going to be forced to do. He shuddered and staggered to his feet, tears still running freely from behind his glasses.
"Yes Master."
Itachi laughed a cruel bark of a laugh that made the young raven want to hide away and never set eyes on his malicious brother ever again. But he knew there was no escape. He had no where to go.
"Good boy Sasuke. You know how delicious I find you when you're obedient." Itachi purred. "Now go upstairs and do as instructed. I will be in my study. Do not keep me waiting."
The youngest Uchiha watched his brother sweep down the hall towards his study, the sick feeling inside his stomach increasing with every minute that ticked by. As soon as Itachi disappeared round the corner, Sasuke started making his way up the grand staircase that dominated the grand entrance hall towards his bedroom.
His body shuddered with sobs as he stumbled into his room. He threw the huge, ugly glasses he wore across the room. It was time for him to transform from the ugly duckling into the beautiful swan that he was.
There was a reason why he hid behind the façade of a disgusting, unattractive nerd. It was so no-one ever did what his brother did to him.
There was no escape.
He had no where to go.
He was alone.
.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"What did you mean by 'Putting him in his place', Naruto? Sasuke is not an animal, no matter what you think."
Naruto growled low in his throat, his face marred by the same ugly scowl he always wore when somebody tried to tell him that he was wrong about Sasuke Uchiha. He knew what he said was right.
Ever since Naruto had first met the Uchiha he had disliked the quiet, studious raven. There was something about the other boy that had Naruto ready to tear into him at a moments notice. Perhaps it was the way he seemed to think that he was better than everyone else by refusing their friendship, how smug he was when he got top scores in any test and how he rubbed the fact that he had a real family in Naruto's face.
He had someone to love him, to care for him and protect him from any hurt he might be feeling. And although Naruto had all of that with Iruka, it wasn't the same as having his real family. So Sasuke deserved everything that Naruto dealt to him- for having everything that Naruto didn't.
"I meant exactly what I said Neji," Naruto snarled, turning to the brunette sharply, his tone icy and biting. "Sasuke Uchiha thinks that he is so much better than everybody else just because he has money and a proper family and perfect grades. I'm just putting him in his place that's all."
Neji's lips thinned in displeasure although his pale eyes were wide and filled with surprise. He had never known Naruto to be so blatantly cruel to anybody. The blond was usually a ray of sunshine and could easily befriend anybody that he met. There was something in Naruto that drew people to him like a moth to flame. But this thing with the Uchiha… it was unlike anything Neji had ever seen from his friend.
"Have you ever taken the time to speak to Sasuke? He's different yes, he's a nerd yes but if you got to know him then you would know that he isn't all that bad." Neji reached over to slip his hand into Naruto's and gave him an imploring look. "He's not all that bad."
Naruto resisted the urge to snap back that Sasuke was all that bad and so much more besides, but instead he squeezed the slender hand gently. The ugly scowl melted away into a small smile.
"I don't understand what you see in him, Neji" Naruto murmured, drawing the pale eyed boy into a hug. He nuzzled into the soft chestnut locks of Neji's hair and blew out a sigh. "And I don't think I ever will."
The Hyuuga chuckled. "You don't need to. Just promise me you'll give Sasuke a chance. He deserves one after everything that you put him through."
The blast of a car horn had the two breaking apart. They turned to see Iruka in his small battered car, smiling and gesturing for Naruto to get in.
"Well see you tomorrow Neji," Naruto said, tucking a strand of Neji's long hair behind his ear and bending to press a light kiss to the corner of soft, pink lips. His trademark grin was firmly back in place as he swung his back pack over his shoulder and jogged to Iruka's car. Neji watched as the blond yanked open the passenger door of the car, a smile tilting the corners of his mouth before he remembered what they had been talking about before Iruka interrupted.
"Naruto!" The blond looked up, already half way into the car. "Promise me."
"I promise."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"So what was that all about?"
Naruto shrugged and continued to stare out of the car window. He could still see the delight and hope that had filled Neji's eyes when he had promised to give Sasuke a chance. He let his head thump against the glass with a sigh. What had he been thinking?
There was no way that he and Sasuke could be anything more than enemies after all that they had been through. It was easy for Neji to say that Sasuke wasn't that bad and if he got to know him then he would find out the raven was actually a nice guy. The Hyuuga had always gotten along with the stoic teen.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Iruka asked, glancing at his adopted son with concern. "You seem pretty down about something."
Naruto merely shrugged again, the worry in Iruka's voice making him feel guilty. He hated making the man worry about him. "Nothing's the matter Iruka. I just had an argument with Neji that's all."
The brunette frowned. "But you seemed to be alright when I came to pick you up. You were hugging."
Naruto huffed and sat up straight, running a hand through his shaggy blond strands before giving Iruka a small smile to placate the man's 'motherly' urges. "Yeah we worked things out before you arrived. It was a stupid argument now that I think about it."
"It must have been pretty serious if it's gotten you this upset."
Sometimes Naruto really wished that Iruka wasn't so damned persistent and motherly, especially when it came to things that he wanted to keep to himself. It really made him want to scream at times.
"Alright it was pretty bad, but we sorted it ok?"
Iruka nodded. This was one of those things Naruto really didn't want to talk about and Iruka respected that. He had to wonder though, if he was Naruto's biological parent then would the blond have felt more comfortable talking to him about whatever was bothering him?
"Ok Naruto. Just know that I'm here for you if you ever want to talk."
Naruto nodded and lightly nudged Iruka's elbow in a way of saying thanks. "So how was your day then?"
"Oh the same as usual, except that bloody Kakashi keeps following me like a puppy." Iruka flushed and mumbled "He said he wants to go on a date with me."
Naruto laughed, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "Believe it Iruka. He really likes you." Iruka hmphed and Naruto laughed again. For now he would just enjoy his evening. He'd think about what he was going to do about his promise tomorrow. Perhaps by then Neji would have completely forgotten about it.
.