I could safely say that I hated gym. Despite popular belief, it wasn't because of the exercise or the sweat, but due to sharing the same breathing space with dozens of other sweaty people. Don't get me started on the uncomfortable shorts. Anything that are above the knees are unacceptable.

The coach himself was a pain. He showed absolutely no professionalism and segregated the students according to his liking. Worst of all, nothing could sway his uncalled for opinion. He could claim a student was lazy and didn't run as fast as the others, and when they prove him wrong, he'd just find something else to poke.

"Naruto, quit being a nuisance!"

Gym was the only class all three sections shared at the same time. This was ideal in a way, as I had more people I could blend in with, but there was no short of weary stares from my history classmates, or whispered rumors of completely false happenings in said class, so I couldn't feel a certain way about it.

"Everybody, laps around the school!"

Laps. The oh so cliché exercise where fellow protagonists chat while the rest of the world disappears off the face of the earth until needed to move the plot along. I wish it were true, only difference I'd like to add-on is the disappearance of everybody but myself, and I'd make certain people appear for fun's sake.

A kid behind me sneezed and I cringed irritably, quickening my pace to put some distance. These people are giving me a reason to shower in bleach later on.

Did I mention I had a rare, insufferable disease called chronic germaphobia?

That's what I assume it is, as I clean and organize everything, down to the last nock and cranny, and absolutely loathe unsanitary environments, but I don't really care about viruses and communicable diseases unless I actually catch it. Does that make me a germaphobe? Half-blooded?

"You're running pretty fast today."

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around, finding myself amongst some of the fastest runners who were leading the already panting group. I must have sped up way too much, as I was completely out in the open, prey to all eyes.

"Got carried away," I responded, about to slow my pace a bit to fall back with the sea of students and leave Sasuke with his smirks, when Neji Hyuga ran closer to where we were.

"Let her go Uchiha, if she can't keep up."

I flushed with suppressed rage, wanting nothing more than to pull out my every stocking stamina and speed down the track, before cackling in his dumb face, when I recoiled. That was nothing like me. I would genuinely ignore what I don't like to hear, blaming everything as incompetence and ignorance, but oddly enough, my usual response was not satisfying my rage. It wasn't.

"Lay off her Hyuga," Sasuke snapped with narrowed eyes, challenging him to step up further. He grunted and raced forward, leaving me alone.

"Don't do that again," I frowned at him, before slowing down to fall back with the other students, feeling a little overwhelmed by their intentful stares.

He caught my wrist.

I heard some strangled gasps behind, which further quelled me to pull away, but a look he sent me, one that suspiciously looked like disappointment, caused me to release his hold on me and keep up.

Despite what he assumed, I didn't miss his small smile.

"A thank you would be nice."

"So would a good shower and chocolate ice cream, but it looks like none of us are getting that anytime soon."

I dodged Naruto and Kiba trying to outrun each other, and met Sasuke at the very front of the running class once again.

"How many more laps are left?" I ask, peering over to my left where he ran, before looking away when he turned as well.

"Beats me."

Two laps pass by in silence, and by the third, half the students retire by the evergreen field without question until Ebisu-sensei reluctantly calls off the rest. I see Hinata by the bleachers and jog towards her, ignoring the whispers of a few uncaringly.

"Rough today?"

She looks up with flushed cheeks, for an entirely different reason as I notice her pearly eyes linger to a certain blonde, but I don't question it. Girls and their crushes.

I plop down next to her just as Ebisu-sensei makes his way to Naruto, ready to lecture him again about defacing school property (he had done something to the fountain by the courtyard), and he in turn denies ever doing so, even baring the Uchiha as a 'witness' and barreling him forward to speak.

"K-kushina?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like Sasuke-san?"

"Not really."

And the conversation ended like that.

I grunt irritably as I haul my thick biology text book into my locker after receiving it from Gai-sensei, who had finally got around to passing everyone said textbooks, but just like everyone, I wasn't too thrilled lugging it around, especially after he assigned homework and I'd have to take it with me. For now, it could chill in my locker as I made my way to-

Crap.

I fast walk towards my assigned class, trying my best not to start sprinting like a mad woman in fear of being even a little late, and as soon as I reach it, I release a tense breath as I notice that I have in fact reached in record time, but nobody else had come yet.

Madara(-sensei) was rolling some ancient maps in the back of the room, and he only glanced at me once before returning to his task at hand. I wrenched my foot off the ground in attempt to start moving and clean the board before he was done and sat down, because in all his classes I ever had the displeasure of attending, he had never done anything besides teach the class and make test papers. He didn't clean the board, or hand out stuff, or roll up maps for that matter, so I didn't quite understand his inclination to do so now.

Wasn't that my job?

Does he make me do his work when he sees me?!

I finish the board and subdue my urge to jump towards my desk in glee, instead walk avoiding his gaze, and only after I take my seat does he take his as well.

"What was the last assignment?"

I swallowed as I lifted my head, releasing a sigh as I found him reading a book and not staring me down with his stone dead eyes.

"Finished chapter six, pre-read the next chapter and questions about the Heian Period."

He nodded solemnly, flipping the page of his book and paying me no more attention. I chewed on my tongue after my daily report, remembering about the questions thing after that and deciding to revise that particular spread once again. Maybe the only benefit I would ever admit is that keeping tabs on what we do and reciting it to him the next day boosted my History grade exceptionally.

Conversation fell short and soon only the flaps of turned pages echoed between us, until a few students began to file in, all tight-lipped and breathing raggedly. As soon as the seats were filled, Madara stood up, a marker in hand.

Soon we fell into a familiar rhythm, up until the door slammed open and in strutted Noriko Tanaka.

And by that strangled cough that came from the back, I wasn't the only one who assumed she had dug her own grave.

I watched as she walked in and slammed the door shut, her heels clicking with each step, before she turned around and faced Madara-sensei with her hand on her hip, her purse hanging from her elbow.

"Is this C-1 History?" she screeched, and as I mentally saluted her as she oh so courageously stared death in his onyx eyes, a hypothetical tear escaped when she smacked her gum.

He regarded her for a moment, his expression contorting to disgust as she blew a bubble before popping it, before he turned away from her. "Uzumaki."

I snapped out of my daze and faced him.

"Who is she?"

I swallowed quickly. "Noriko Tanaka," I responded casually, pretty used to him shutting off the students and making me act as a sole representative.

Aforementioned girl sneered when he ignored her completely. "I'm right here! Don't ask others about me!"

"Is she new?"

"Yeah, she's been here for three days," I affirmed, a little put off by his act to spite her further.

It worked like a charm, judging by the fluster in her cheeks. She directed her scoff towards me, and I tilted my head to the side, regarding her.

"Don't answer him!" she ordered ruefully, her eyes glinting with malice before she turned back towards him, dismissing me. Hinata sent me a saddened look, and I carefully smiled in her direction.

She's an idiot.

"Uzumaki, hand her a slip."

I snapped my attention back ahead, pulling out a green slip pre-signed by him from a pad after quickly jotting down her name and the date. I tore it out and handed it to her, and when she glared at me as she took it, I gave her no reaction at all as I re-took my seat.

"What do I get detention for?" she whined, about to screech something else, when Madara-sensei finally hit her with one of his burning glares, silencing her successfully.

"Did you say something?" he asked in a chilling voice, one that made goose bumps erupt in the span of my arms. She visibly stiffened, too scared to respond, her fingers snaking to clutch her bag in attempt to feel secure. "If not, take your seat and keep your mouth shut."

She nodded meekly and sprinted towards a free seat, one that was two spaces behind mine, and after the last of her clicking heels' sound died, the class reformed to its usual structure.

A note dropped onto my desk, and I instantly looked up from my book to see Madara-sensei scribbling on the board. I kept my eyes on his back as I quietly unfolded the note, assuming it was from Hinata to my left, knowing I only needed to glance down once to drink in all the words.

I paused like an idiot.

You better watch your back, 'Uzumaki'.

My left eye twitched as I shoved the threatening note into my textbook and resumed writing after him, a little bothered by her threat as she literally sat behind me. I didn't really know what she was capable of, so I had to be smart approaching it and heed her warning.

As the relieving bell rung for lunch, not a soul sprung up to leave the classroom, as it was not something the Uchiha would take kindly, so everyone patiently waited until he dismissed them, and even then did they file out in an orderly line.

"Stay where you are."

I looked back, hoping that Noriko Tanaka was behind me and he was referring to her, but sadly, I met eyes with him and reluctantly fell back, watching the last of the students pour out.

"Come."

I bit my tongue to keep it in check, but couldn't do so completely as my hands balled at my sides. I stopped at approximately an arm and a half's length from him.

He drank in my form for a while, his eyes trailing down every flinch, until he lifted his hand.

"Give me the note."

I sucked in a breath as I pulled it out my textbook and held it out, my eyes downcast as I flinched a little when he unfolded it completely and read it aloud. And then he did something out of character.

He chuckled.

It was a very dark chuckle, might I add, one that was both pleasant and unpleasant to hear.

"Don't mind her," he boomed with mirth, his only visible, slanted eye widening in accordance to his full blown grin, that caused me to blush a little at how boyish he looked. "She seems like the barking type."

"….alright…."

He waved his hand in dismissal, just as his smile dropped and was quickly replaced by his hardened expression, and I wasted no time in gawking at the sudden change as I fast walked out of his classroom and into the hallway.

The shield I had carefully molded in accordance to Noriko Tanaka's threat shattered defiantly, and I couldn't help but feel like I needed his weird pep talk to lift me out of it.

But what was that all about?