Okay! so it's like really short... I mean REALLY short! i'm sorry! I'll try to make the next one longer! Really! I promise!

disclaimer: I don't own... seriously people... shouldn't we have set this in stone by now?

"So how was your first day at school?" Iruka asked, looking up from the book before him. Naruto, having been trying to sneak passed his guardian, flinched. He slowly turned to face Iruka, the bruise on his jaw taking on a purplish hue. The man blinked and quirked a brow in silent question.

"Don't ask, old man..." Naruto grumbled in return, trudging up the stairs. Iruka frowned and followed him up to his room.

"Naruto..." he started in that tone. The blond sighed and hung his head.

"Let's just say I opened my mouth and talked to the wrong person..." He replied, flinching at the memory. With an agonized sigh, Naruto plunged into the story.

((Earlier that day))

"What was that punk!?" Naruto flinched as his back collided with the wall once more. The teen pressing him into the wall had a good grip on his shirt collar and didn't seem to be thinking of backing down.

"I didn't say anything!" Naruto croaked out, already feeling light headed.

"Don't give me that shit!"

"Hey Kisame!" the teen holding Naruto pinned frowned and looked over to the side at the new voice. Naruto looked over as well and found the red head from his first class standing a few feet away with a bored look on his face.

"What do you want, Panda bear? Can't ya see I'm a little busy?" Kisame growled, clearly annoyed from the tone in his voice. Gaara shrugged.

"Oh well then... I guess you didn't want to know that Sasuke's standing on the other side of you..." Kisame blinked and spun around to face... nothing. Naruto watched as Gaara hurried over, taking advantage of the other's blind spot, and landed a square hit between Kisame's shoulder blades, sending him flying forward. Kisame's grip on Naruto's neck loosened and the blond dropped to the ground, holding his neck and coughing. The sickening sound of a bone snapping sounded some where over to his side and soon he could hear footsteps as some one scurried away. A hand appeared in his line of vision, open and waiting to help him up. He accepted it, allowing himself to be pulled up from the ground only to meet jade eyes.

"You should learn who to stay away from around here... might save you some more of those bruises..." the taller stated. Naruto blinked and nodded dumbly.

"Uh... yeah... I'll work on that. Thanks, by the way..." He added, offering a sheepish grin. The other just shrugged.

"I couldn't let one of my sheep get hurt, now could I?" he replied. Naruto blinked but let it go.

"oh! The name's Naruto!" The blond stated, his grin growing. The red head blinked before nodding.

"Gaara..."

((Back in Naruto's room))

"So... you talked to one of the jocks in school and wound u getting beaten up for it?" Iruka stated, trying to get the facts straight. "Yep... sounds like my high school years." he added, nodding with a small smile. Naruto twitched.

"WHAT!?" Iruka looked over to the screaming blond and smiled.

"Sounds like my years in high school. This is part of the reason I wanted you to stay in the private school. But I guess everyone's gotta learn at some point in life. Better now than later." Naruto frowned, glaring at his guardian slightly.

"You're nuts, old man..."

...

"So, Gaara... seems you've taken quite the interest in that little blond..." Sasuke grinned, his voice sounding almost haughty over the phone line. Gaara rolled his eyes, his fingers busy typing.

"What's it to you, Uchiha?" the other chuckled, annoying the red head further.

"Nothing, nothing... so... got that history paper done yet?"

"working on it right now... don't know why I bother... Anko's just gonna fail me anyway." he muttered flatly. Sasuke continued to chuckle, typing coming from his end of the line as well. A sigh sounded from a third person.

"Oh would you two grow up? Gaara, you know Anko is only hard on you because she-"

"hates you." Sasuke finished. The third voice sighed again. Gaara rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for the support, Haku, but I think Sasuke's got this one hit on the head." the red head mumbled. Sasuke snorted and Haku groaned.

"Nice to know you see things my way..." Sasuke purred. 'But seriously Subaku... what you gonna do about the blond... Naruto was it?" the line fell silent for a moment before Gaara smirked.

"Why not welcome him as a member of the group? It'd give Haku some one to socialize with when we have business to take care of..."