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Naruto's loud voice could probably be heard from miles. That's what Chouji thought anyway, he covered his head with his pillow attempting to fall back asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Naruto's voice rang out louder as if he knew when Chouji's eyes closed.
"He must be exited about something." Chouji grumbled.
He stood up and slowly made his way through the apartment. All the lights were turned off, leaving the living room nothing but outlined shadows of familiar objects. Yellow light peeked in underneath the kitchen door. He swung the door open, his eyes shut upon reflex, eventually he managed to open his eyes to a squint. He yawned and recognized Neji and Shikamaru sitting on bar stools at the counter.
He smacked his lips together "Hey guys. Is Naruto back? I thought I heard him yelling."
Despite his sleepy state he quickly recognized a tense atmosphere. "What's going on? Where's Naruto?"
"He's in the shower" Neji's stated calmly. He looked at his palms as if someone had told him devasting news.
"Okay" Chouji said unsure of rather to ask anymore questions. He didn't care anyway "Did Naruto talk to Sasuke?"
Chouji looked at Shikamaru, whose face didn't give away any emotion. Chouji sat next to them, joining them in their frustration, his brow furrowed, then as if suddenly coming to a conclusion he stood.
"He's not going through with it? Is he?" Chouji smiled "I told you Naruto was a good guy and I told you he probably fell for Sasuke!" He let out a laugh, officially waking himself up. He made his way over to the fridge, he figured since he was awake he might as well have a celebratory-midnight snack.
Shikamaru was the one who laughed now. "That's not it. That's not it at all; Naruto was just here." He stood up and stretched, "he told us that we will be going through with it."
Chouji froze mid-step and turned around moving mechanically. "What?!"
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"Bus leaves in fifteen minutes!" Kakashi called.
Naruto stared out into the cloudy day, his head resting on the seat in front of him. They had been waiting for the bus to leave for an entire hour.
"It's cloudy."
"How did I end up by you?"
"Shut up, you know you like it!" Naruto turned and grinned.
"Yeah I really like being next to the loudest person on earth." Sasuke crossed his arms and added "for four hours."
"Exactly." Naruto smirked.
"Hmph" Sasuke dove into his book while the bus was still not moving.
"Whatever." Naruto said through a yawn and continued to gaze at the mesh of clouds "Do you think it will rain?"
"It never rains here." Sasuke answered not looking up from his book.
Naruto scrunched his eyebrows and brought his face close to Sasuke's. "What book are you always reading…it's always in a weird wrapping?"
Sasuke jerked the book away. "It's called a book cover and it's none of your business what I read."
Naruto shrugged and looked at the window again.
"What the-" Naruto stood up from his seat, knocking Sasuke's book out his hands; he squeezed past Sasuke, making his way off the bus.
He called to the bus behind theirs. "Yamato! What the hell!?"
A dark haired man stopped midway up the steps and turned toward the blonde. He slightly grinned and stepped off the charter bus. "So you saw me?"
"Uh…Yeah! What are you doing here?"
Yamato shook his head "You really didn't read the packet, did you?" He crossed his arms and smiled wickedly.
"Please tell me you're not coming along?" Naruto reached his guardian and fell to the ground.
"Well, if you would have read the packet, you would have known that they need chaperones and since I'm my own boss, I figured I'd come." He smiled again and stuffed his hands in his long overcoat jacket.
"It's cold out here I'm going in." he walked slowly to his own bus and climbed the first step he turned around "You should get on your bus too."
"Aaaghhh." The blonde moped and moaned all the way back to his seat, throwing himself down next to the Uchiha, who had taken his seat.
Someone tapped his shoulder. "Naruto." He looked up to see a too-close-Sakura looming over his face from the seat behind.
He didn't bother to remove the miserable look on his face "huh?"
"Who was that?"
"My guardian, Yamato."
"Guardian?" Sakura's eyes widened. 'He looks so young and cool."
"Cool?" Naruto said disgustedly. "And don't let his appearance fool you, he's an old fart."
Sakura giggled and sat back down.
Sasuke who had been silent this whole time spoke up. "It's not that bad."
"Oh yeah imagine if your father came and chaperoned."
Sasuke shuttered "Don't even kid about that,"
"Ah well." Naruto sat up straighter. "At least he's on a separate bus." He stood up and searched through the baggage compartment, digging out his backpack. He sat himself down and rummaged through his orange pack.
"Here you go." He handed Sasuke a Kit Kat bar.
"Candy. That was your big idea?" He shoved it back at him "I hate sweets."
"Fine if you don't want my candy I don't wanna give it to you." He tossed it back into his backpack. "And look what else I brought!" He pulled out several magazines and an ipod.
"I'll take that." Sasuke took the ipod and turned it on, scrolling through his music. On the side of his eye Sasuke saw Naruto pull out a very small guitar.
Sasuke grinned and clicked on the ipod scanning through the lists of songs, he played a random song by an artist he didn't even know.
Kakashi stood up and announced something to the entire class, Sasuke couldn't hear him but he saw Kakashi move his arms around the, way he always did when he talked. He looked past the blonde into the gray sky. Naruto looked at him and said something, he supposed he should have taken off his earphones, but he liked watching his mouth move and not hearing any sound, then it turned into that same big smile. Naruto began strumming his banjo his lips moved slowly. Sasuke watched him for awhile till his eyes suddenly felt very heavy and before he knew it, he was asleep.
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Naruto slightly adjusted his shoulder, trying not to move it too much. Sasuke had fallen asleep and had used Naruto's shoulder as a pillow. He'd steal glances at the sleeping Sasuke, somehow he looked so innocent.
Sasuke eyelashes were long and Naruto had to stop himself from stroking the long hairs, at one point his finger had touched the tiny hairs. He couldn't help but think of a china doll Hinata had shown him this one time on the set. She said her dad had bought it from one of his many expeditions. The doll had been glossy pale, blush tinting her cheeks. She wore a blue dress and had dark black almost-blue hair. Red ribbon had flowed down her back. Sasuke's cheeks weren't flushed but he had to admit he reminded him of the china doll. He looked away and slightly rested his own head on Sasuke's. Sasuke hair was soft. Naruto giggled to himself by imagining Sasuke picking out certain shampoos and being picky about them. He almost drifted off to sleep himself but he knew Kiba would have a field day if he did.
In fact he ignored Kiba, who every once in a while would look back and smile like the devil. Apparently he was still holding a grudge over his dog complex.
When Sasuke finally stirred Naruto took off his earplugs and smiled at him.
Sasuke blearily opened his eyes, looking around confused for a second, then as if remembering where he was. He opened his eyes all the way and "Hmphed" resting his head on the headrest.
"Morning."
Through a yawn Sasuke asked the time.
"It's about" Naruto looked at his watch "noon. Not a morning person are ya?"
"Not really but it's not really morning is it?"
"Whatever bastard."
"What have you been doing?" Sasuke asked groggily
"Well Kiba wouldn't let me play his psp, so I've been kicking his seat." Naruto's leg shot out and kicked the seat in front of him. Kiba's tan hand appeared above his chair, his fist stayed still for a second till his middle finger shot up.
"See? What a mean-o."
Sasuke scoffed and closed his eyes again feigning sleep.
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"Okay everyone as soon as you get off the bus check in with an adult at your designated cabin." Kakashi stood up as the bus came to a halt.
The students followed his example and began gathering their belongings.
"Do not leave your cabin till your given instructions by your chaperone. If anybody didn't get a cabin number by now come see me or any adult. The underground compartment will be opened so don't forget to grab the rest of your belongings." Kakashi bellowed over the jumble of students.
"Finally." Naruto groaned "I couldn't take another minute."
"I never knew you were one to get carsick." Sasuke grabbed his pack from overhead compartment, he grabbed Naruto's orange pack and flung it at him.
Naruto groaned too sick to retort. "Move out the way." He pushed Sasuke aside and was the first person out of the bus.
Before he knew it, Sasuke saw the blonde jumping up and down outside, yelling something about skiing.He breathed in
Sasuke slowly made his way out of the bus. "What are you yelling about now Dobe?"
"Where the hell is all the snow?"
"Didn't you read the packet it said it probably wouldn't snow till next week?"
Naruto stood dumbfound. "Eh?'
Sasuke rolled his eyes and made his way toward his cabin.
Kiba came off of the bus. "Man my eyes hurt form all the psp."
"Kiba" Naruto said frantically "Where's all the snow? What about all my plans?"
"They make fake snow, for skiing and inner tubing at snow summit and Big Bear Mountain. Everyone knows it doesn't start snowing till late December…idiot."
"Fake snow! What a ripoff!"
"Stop yelling Naruto." Anko came with a clipboard "You're in cabin thirteen with Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba and your chaperone will be…Iruka."
"Finally one thing right, I thought Yamato would be there."
"And what would be wrong with that?"
Before he knew it an arm was around his shoulders. Naruto looked up guiltily at his guardian.
His guardian smiled back at him.
"Nothing… I was just saying what a shame it is that we're not in the same cabin." Naruto scratched his head and laughed nervously.
"Oh?" Yamato raised his eyebrows. "Then perhaps I should ask Anko if I could switch cabins?" He turned to find Anko.
"Wait. Wait." Naruto grabbed him by the sleeve "The cabins are all figured out, you know? Why bother changing?" he gave out an exaggerated laugh.
"Sure Naruto" He ruffled the blondes head and gave him a final smile before making his way toward his own cabin.
Naruto let out a long sigh, and slowly made his way toward cabin thirteen. Grumbling and muttering about fake snow.
When he entered, a small quaint room welcomed him. Complete with two oak bunk beds and a cozy fireplace in the corner, there was a small table and chairs with an equally small 'kitchen'. Which was just a sink and a dingy two-top stove. A door stood ajar revealing a small clean bathroom. Naruto looked around dazedly.
"What is this?"
Kiba turned around from the top bunk he had claimed on his own "Whaddya mean?"
"Didn't it say cabin?"
"That's what you're in idiot."
"This is tiny!" He went to the fireplace and squatted next to it "And they call this a fireplace" he stuck his head in "I can't even fit in this."
Sasuke came in from the back door "Well sorry if this doesn't fit your standards and it doesn't matter if you couldn't fit in a fireplace, that's not the purpose."
"Well I'm not complaining" He pouted and sulked to the other bunk bed and climbed on top burying his face in the pillow.
Sasuke stood on the lower bed bringing his head up to the top bunk. "What do you think you're doing?"
Naruto looked confused for a second.
"This is my bunk, see" Sasuke pointed to his back pack that was lying at the foot of the bed.
"Oh" Naruto sat up and threw Sasuke's pact on the lower bed. "There you go."
"What the fuck. I'm on top, I called it."
Naruto laughed for a second, but quickly sobered and brought his face really close to Sasuke's. "I'm always on top."
Sasuke turned a shade of red and sat on the lower bunk "Immature idiot."
Naruto grinned at himself and happily lay on the bed proud of his feat.
Kiba gave them a suspicious glance and was about to comment when Iruka came in.
"Hello, I'm glad to see I've seen all of you in the classroom. I will be your chaperone this week and I expect all of you including you Naruto to be on your best behavior."
"Why me?" Naruto sat up "What about Sasuke?"
"First things first; check in." Iruka looked at his clipboard and then looked at the three of them. "Okay all here."
"Now what?" Naruto said climbing off the bunk.
"Now we unpack."
Iruka sat on the lower bunk bed and began unpacking. Kiba shrugged and started unpacking his things into a tiny dresser that was at the foot of their bunk bed. Sasuke shoved his suitcase under his bed he figured it wasn't necessary to completely unpack for just a week's stay. He laid down staring up at the wood that supported Naruto's bed.
The blonde jumped off his bed and made his way to the back door; he opened it and stood in the doorway.
"So it's not gonna snow?"
"Don't count on it." Iruka looked at the clipboard again.
"Can I go outside please." He held his palms together and pleaded.
"Yeah go ahead, just stay in the area where all the cabins are, we've rented the place for the week so behave and don't ruin anything."
"Honestly Iruka" Naruto said as he ran "How old do you think I am?"
Iruka looked as if he was thinking but before he could change his mind Naruto was out of sight.
Naruto ran toward the edge of the compound. Their cabins were halfway up a large mountain so it overlooked most of the small town. The big lake was the main feature, small boats lazily made there way across the lake. Proud mountains loomed behind the lake. On all sides of the lake there laid shops and houses but far off to the east laid the main part of town. There was a main street that led to everywhere and beyond. On the mountain the cabins were on he noticed there were white slopes far off in the distance.
"Snow" He said.
"That's snow summit."
Naruto turned around. "Aw Sasuke you scared me.
How many times have you been here Sasuke?" Naruto turned around and leaned against a wooden fence.
Sasuke shook his head. "I've never been here, I just planned the trip remember?"
"Oh yeah." Naruto smiled "So does that mean you've never skied before?"
Sasuke shrugged "No and I don't intend to."
Naruto laughed "I should have figured you'd say that, Sasuke-bastard. But don't worry you'll ski before the week is up." Naruto grinned and slowly made his way back to the cabin.
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"This town is so small, it's like from a movie only it's real and everywhere we go is in walking distance."
Naruto peered out the window again, looking past the pizza sign and into the streets. It was twilight and the people outside looked as if they were simply taking a stroll. Down a street there were small quaint shops
"Well at least we have a week."
"Hmm?" Naruto turned halfway toward Sasuke "A week for what?"
"Man o man when is the pizza coming?" Kiba craned his had to look towards the kitchen.
The majority of the class had decided pizza was the best choice for dinner. The restaurant was filled with a bunch of rowdy hungry teenagers.
"What do you guys wanna do tomorrow?" Iruka asked.
"Snowboarding or skiing whatever." Naruto was the first to say.
Sasuke sat back and crossed his arms "I'm fine with that, I'm not gonna ski anyway."
"Sounds good to me." Kiba looked at the kitchen again too distracted to care.
"All right skiing it is. We'll go rent skis later."
Finally the waitress came and placed a large pizza in front of them. It took all Kiba had not to drool. He was the first to gobble down a piece and quickly tackled another.
On the way to the cabin they stopped at a shop, where they were each measured for skis. They lugged the skis to their cabin. Iruka had made Sasuke rent some, just in case he changed his mind.
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To stop turn your legs in!
Sasuke turned his legs in expecting to stop, but when he continued down the hill. He panicked maybe for the first time. There a hundred feet from him stood a small girl, she clumsily stood on her skis not even realizing Sasuke was speeding right toward her. He turned his legs in again ignoring the pain in his knees as he bent his legs. When he didn't stop again his brains shut off and ten feet from the girl, he threw his whole body to the side.
His face hit the snow, a weird sense of numbness and pain spread across his face.
"Are you alright?" He heard someone ask. He saw people gather around him but for some reason he couldn't sit up.
Before he new it, he was being laid on a red stretcher.
Oh no! Not this!
Sasuke had seen the paramedics earlier in the day. They had had taken the poor helpless fools who had fallen on the bunny slopes (1), down the hill on an embarrassing red stretcher. Now he was a poor helpless fool who was being taken down the hill in an embarrassing red stretcher. He couldn't really object; his leg was hurting and he felt dazed. As the paramedic skied him down the hill he covered his face with his arms. His hands outlined a tiny cut on his temple; he must have received from the ice. He remembered how he fell; the right side of his face had scraped the snow.
He could feel everyone's eyes on him. Several girls had looked on worriedly. They talked about him as though he couldn't hear them "Oh my god that's the emperor isn't it?"
"Gosh is he okay?"
Sasuke closed his eyes as they moved him from the stretcher to an ambulance.
On the short ride over they kept asking him questions about his head. When they were sure he was fine they checked on his leg.
Sasuke pictured different ways to get back at Naruto, should he trick him into going into the fireplace? Or should he put his bunk bed on the roof?
"We're almost there, you hanging in there?" A blonde man looked back at him and smiled.
Sasuke grit his teeth and nodded.
Naruto was the one to tell him skiing would be easy. Naruto was the one that made him take the lift to the top of the hill, and he was the one that said had said he wouldn't fall going down the hill. He was the one who had abandoned him at the top of the hill to help that wretched Kiba put on his skis, which left Sasuke helpless. Who had started rolling down the hill and toward his embarrassing fall. And Naruto was the one to convince him in to ski in the first place. Sasuke clenched his fists in frustration; he closed his eyes, picturing sweet revenge.
Finally at the hospital after long tedious X-rays. A doctor had informed him, that the leg was not broken, his ankle was slightly sprained and he would have to get around for the rest of the week, by wearing crutches. So there he sat in the hospital bed.
"Sasuke!" Iruka walked in "Sasuke thank god when Naruto told me you were taken to the hospital..." He closed his eyes worriedly "never mind, you're okay?"
Sasuke nodded.
The blonde stood in back of Iruka not meeting Sasuke's eyes.
"I have to make calls." Iruka walked out into the hallway.
Naruto stood by his bedside.
"Sasuke" Naruto looked down at him his face was unnaturally serious "Sasuke I'm so sorry, I should have never made you go down the hill I honestly thought you could turn or stop."
"Whatever I'm just tired and they haven't even given me pain killers." Sasuke was too tired to make the blonde feel bad.
"If there is ANYTHING I can do I'll do it. I mean it Sasuke bastard, I'll make it up to you."
Sasuke smirked "Anything idiot?" He opened his eyes and looked at the vulnerable blonde.
The door burst open and Kiba came in "Sasuke that was an awesome way to land yourself in the hospital you should have seen it, it was classic" He sat himself in the chair and began pulling cotton balls out of a jar. "Let me see your leg." He lifted the sheet off his right foot.
"Augh, oh god." He threw the sheet over the foot and spun away "Sick."
Naruto grimaced but tried no to show it.
Sasuke uncovered his foot it was way slightly larger than normal, and a purple bruise marred the skin.
"So what's you shoe size now, like size 26." Kiba laughed "at least you'll be popular with the ladies." Kiba laughed at himself.
"Sasuke, are you all right?" Sakura came in with fifty other people. They all gathered around him, already they had found flower shops and his room was filled with the scent of various flowers. Before everyone even made it in the door a nurse came in and chased everyone out, so Sasuke was left with Iruka.
"We've informed your dad of this already." Iruka came in and sat next to him. "Do you wanna stay or do you wanna leave?"
In all honesty Sasuke wanted out.
"Don't go Sasuke" Naruto said from the corner of the room.
"Weren't you chased out?" Sasuke asked.
"I hid" Naruto said without guilt. "Sasuke don't go you can still have fun, there's snowboa- well there's always..." Naruto stopped and got lost deep in thought. "Oh well stay Sasuke."
"You make a good argument." Sasuke said bitterly "but I'll stay anyway" Sasuke said nonchalantly "I wanna make you suffer."
"Yay" Naruto jumped on Sasuke's bed.
"Ow!" Sasuke grabbed his leg.
"Sasuke I'm so sorry." Naruto sprinted off the bed.
Sasuke's wince turned into a smirk "you're too easy idiot."
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Sasuke slowly made his way back to the cabin Naruto slinging him along. Kiba followed behind carrying all their rented equipment "You could help you know, Naruto?"
"I'm helping Sasuke" Naruto complained
Kiba scoffed and ran ahead of them.
"Naruto about what we talked about…" Sasuke stopped in his tracks.
Naruto turned around "Huh?"
Sasuke glowered "Do I have to spell it out for you." He went as fast as he could on crutches and made his way toward the cabin.
"What?" Naruto ran up matching his pace. "What is it?
"Does it mean that you're actually…?" Sasuke stopped suddenly at the sight before him.
"What is it?" He frowned at the look on Sasuke's face and then looked at the cause of his confusion.
There sitting in front of the cabin was a black sleek limo. Naruto frowned. It was surrounded by a few students who had decided to return early.
The door opened and a tall dark-haired girl emerged. She wore simple clothing considering who she was. A beige puffy jacket over a long dark brown ruffly skirt. Her face was naturally pale, but it appeared paler than usual from the cold
She stepped out of the car and looked as if she was about to cry. "Naruto" she said "Naruto I've missed you."
Hinata Hyuuga ran toward Naruto and flung her arms around him.
"Hinata" was all Naruto could say "what are you doing here?"
"It's all your fault" came a muffled response.
'You never called me after you went back to school and then I heard you came here."
Hinata led him back to the limo and Naruto followed without hesitation and only when he got in the car did he look back at Sasuke, who stood slumped against his crutches.
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Sasuke fidgeted in his bed, facing the wall but straining his ears for the door to open. He didn't know how long he waited but when the door opened his body turned around.
Kiba came rushing in followed by Iruka and a breathless Naruto.
"What's going on?"
"The press came out of nowhere." Kiba said sitting on the chair. "I guess they found out Naruto was here and now that Hinata's here it gives them even more incentive."
Naruto came in and sat on the chair trying his hardest not to look at the Uchiha.
"Don't worry Naruto they can't come in the area's surrounding the cabins, you'll be safe for tonight." Iruka told him assuredly "As for the rest of the week, I'm gonna contact the other's right now and see what we can do."
Naruto nodded back guiltily.
"Don't worry about it." Iruka patted his shoulder and made his way back out into the night.
"Sorry guys, I didn't think they'd find me here." Naruto beamed at no one in particular.
"I don't mind" Kiba said who was now undressing for a shower "It was pretty fun. But what about that Hinata girl, will she be all right?"
Kiba grabbed a towel from the closet and put it around his neck, lingering outside the bathroom for an answer.
"Hinata." Naruto said surprised "Don't worry she'll be fine she doesn't look tough but she can take care of herself, she's used to this sort of stuff." Naruto unzipped his jacket and fiddled with the zipper.
"So…" Kiba leaned against the wall awkwardly. "Are you dating her?"
A thunk was heard from the side of the room, when they looked they saw Sasuke laying on the floor, his arms and legs sprawled out.
"You all right over there?" Kiba asked although it sounded as if he could care less.
Naruto ran towards him. "Is it your leg?"
Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and began doing sit ups. "I'm doing my nightly routine don't mind me 1 2 3..." He sat up in repetitive sit-ups.
"I'm going to bed I'm tired." Naruto jumped on his bed and kicked off his shoes. He grabbed his iPod, put on the earphones and closed his eyes.
Kiba lingered a bit longer but when the blonde didn't get up again, Kiba rolled his eyes and continued to a steaming shower.
When Sasuke heard the door shut he stopped and clumsily stood up, he peeked at the blonde. When he saw his eyes closed he lay in his own bed and debated whether he should kick Naruto out of his fake slumber. In the end he decided he'd have all week to question him about this Hinata, till then he fell asleep to the muffled sound of running water and Kiba's rendition of "I will survive."
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(1) Bunny slopes are the small hills where beginner skiers ski. Just in case someone didn't know.