A/N: Sweet ass-cheeks! I've finally uploaded. Ugh, school's been a little rough as I have a whole lot more tests now since school's almost over. But hey, when its summer I'll be free to write all the fucking time. I can't wait.
So, as I promised the two destined lovers meet. Though, I can't promise you it's love at first sight. LOL, when either opens his mouth...yah, disaster strikes. But hey, as they say: there's a very faint line between love and hate. -squeals- I can't wait til I can get into the mushy part.
Also, I've been dying to write another story, but I know with the school year still left and this story, I'd never get both done. So for now [at least until summer comes] I'm just sticking to this story. I want to finish it, goddammit!
Now, I know most of you don't read this note at all, since I know I fucking wouldn't, I'm going to let you off. Go read.
And don't forget to rain me with comments. I love to read them, though I don't do R&R since most people skip over them anyways. Maybe when I get more reviewers...well, we'll see. Just keep reviewing in the meantime. I do read them, I really do! ^.^
Full Summery:
The Four Aristocrats, known rulers of Konoha Elite – school for the bright and rich. The band made up of Sasuke Uchiha – son of profound Fugaku Uchiha and heir to the Uchiha Corporation; Neji Hyuuga – nephew of Hiashi Hyuuga and in line for the head of the Hyuuga INC; Gaara Sabaku – already head of the Sabaku Enterprise; and Shikamaru Nara – only successor to the Nara Association.
Naruto Uzumaki, young at the age of 16, but already a senior in high school enters the school of his dreams along with his foster-sister Ino. The adorable, cute, hilarious blond is without a doubt a great attraction to all of the men in Konoha Elite. Yet, upon catching the eyes of the three largest beneficiaries will definitely cause a few problems. Who will win the heart of the blond? And will Naru-chan be able to ward off the evils of fame and prices it comes with?
Contains Yaoi and pairings: SasuNaru, NejiGaara, ItaDei, ShikaIno, and KakaIru
Happy Reading! ^.^
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto no matter how many stars I wish upon. Nor does it matter how many birthday candles I blow. I don't own goddamn fucking Naruto. Sweetheart, I think I get it by now. Though blowing candles never hurts anyone.
Chapter Thirteen
Sasuke was at his nerves end waiting. The little patience he usually maintained had all but run dry. After all, Uchihas was not known for their patience. If fact, if anything, they were known for their prestigious ambitions and ability to get whatever they wanted. And Sasuke wanted to leave.
He was definitely not hungry by all means; the school's crazy shit-ass fan girls had ruined that since the moment he arrived. But, he was sick of being in that cramped up little space of a school room for far too long. He needed that breath of fresh air his lungs demanded from him. And he wanted to get away from all the noise. Which was exactly why he had reserved him and his friends a spot at one of the quietest booths he could find.
Shikamaru was sleeping, giving Sasuke the comfort of silence he strongly wanted. But even simply being stuck outside the putrid building was not helping the raven's mood at all.
If Neji and Gaara aren't here in ten seconds, he was going to ditch their sorry asses.
Luckily, the said people—dragging along a reluctant third made their way out of the doors right after Sasuke started counting. He hadn't even reached 5. Good, finally something turning in the right direction.
Narrowing his dark eyes the slightest bit, Sasuke realized the third addition was blond. In fact, the precise blond that had coveted his mind the entire day yesterday. Naru-chan…or whatever the bloody hell his name was.
In all the blonde's glory, he very much tempted the raven. But picturing his father's strict face made all thoughts fly out the window. Now, it was time to act.
Eyes briefly scanning over the ruffled appearance of the blond, the raven coughed for attention as the three stopped in front of him.
Neji raised a usual hand, the pale skin glowing absentmindedly in the sunlight. His hair looked glossier than usual as the glistening strands flowed like honey over his shoulder. His uniform was straight and proper, as was his tie perfectly placed.
"Ano Sasuke, we got a little held up." He motioned to the blond who was not breathing heavy the slightest, though his hair was much disheveled as he raised his head up. His azure eyes widened as he saw Sasuke, before narrowing a bit. Gaara, as usual, said nothing.
Shikamaru, who had woken up with the commotion of the men hastily readying themselves, merely ran a finger through his mussed ponytail before slinking against the red cover of his car once more. His hands grazed his pockets as he yawned.
"Geez, bout time you guys showed up." He blinked once at the new addition before giving a chuckle, "Ah, I see you've brought the new kid. How troublesome." Shikamaru's doe eyes turned to the sky, tightening at the corners as he looked towards the sun.
Sasuke's eyes were trained on the blond who was looking at him with just the same amount of inspection. Finally, the blue eyes looked away. Sasuke inwardly cheered, though outwardly, he just smirked.
"And who exactlyare you?" He looked expectantly at the blond whose eyes suddenly held a whole lot more fire.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto! And you better believe it! I can kick your ass!" Naruto glared at the raven, instinctively not liking the man. He could just feel it. This man was a bastard. A teme. He spoke as if Naruto wasn't even worth his time. Like he was a piece of shit attached to the sole of his shoe. Not worthy at all. Arrogant bastard. It made his Kyuubi instincts go overdrive.
Sasuke merely raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow as he combed his bangs to one side.
"Hm, really? Is that a challenge? As if we are even on the same level?" He spoke quietly, his voice seething as the owner turned to the other members, "And why is he joining us today, Neji, Gaara?" He asked the said people, both whom were trying to hide their expression at the blonde's outburst.
This time it was Gaara who spoke, cutting evenly over the other's starting voice. His eyes laughed at Neji who looked utterly taken aback, before turning back to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, we merely picked up Naruto on our way to lunch. Wouldn't it be so pleasant of us to take him along? I'm sure you wouldn't mind." His green eyes glinted in mirth as he watched in satisfaction at the pure hate on the raven's face. As much as they all were friends, you can't blame them at all for having some satisfactory from torturous activities such as this. Losing face was something a Uchiha, or any of the major corporations would never willingly undergo.
Sasuke's face was ice as he replied evenly, eyes not even returning to the blond whose eyes were equally narrowed. He ignored the burning eyes, not daring to look in case he got lost in them again. Now was not the time to lose face. Especially not in front of a smug Hyuuga and haughty Sabaku.
"Fine, he may join. Shall we go then? Shikamaru?"
"Yah, yah. Hold on."
The ponytailed man lazily pressed the remote as all the locks sprang open. Neji walked to the other side, effectively pulling Naruto along with him as Gaara and Sasuke got into the seats.
Pushing Naruto into the middle, he and Gaara buckled their seatbelts on either side of him. Shikamaru started the engine up in front as Sasuke glanced at them through the review mirror from shot-gun.
When the red Austin Martin was pulled smoothly onto the road, did conversation spark up once more. Naruto was sulking a little in the car, thinking of all the homework he could have been doing at this point. He had most definitely not wanted to dine with the Stuck-up Four—something a whole herd of fan girls probably would die for. Hell, he wanted to die now just being stuck in such a fancy car as an fucking Austin Martin. But hey, being smashed on the highway by a car because he jumped out of an Austin Martin did not seem like such a hot idea to the blond. He'd have to re-think that a bit.
Gaara shifted in his leather seat, his arm accidently rubbing against the blonde's. Naruto yelped a little before leaning towards the other side; face pink. However, he ended up pushing up against Neji, who smiled almost perversely. Gaara in turn, glared over the blond head at the long-haired bastard who smiled innocently at him. Naruto remained oblivious.
Sasuke saw all this through Shikamaru's review mirror, wondering why he felt a blistering spark shoot up his body whenever he saw Neji brush against Naruto. Forcing his eyes away from the mirror, he turned to Shikamaru who had seamlessly driven his car in silence—not at all unlike himself. Though lazy, the slothful man always drove at a moderate speed and was very careful in his car.
"Sasuke, I must ask, where are we eating at today?" Neji leaned over Shikamaru's back seat as strands of brown hair shimmied at the movement.
"Delizia Cuisine," Sasuke said briefly, his face still as impassive as the face of the moon. "The Italian restaurant we went to last year for your cousin's birthday." His eye twitched the slightest in memory.
Gaara rested his elbow on the armrest on the door as he chuckled scathingly.
"Hanabi's party? Oh, I remember, that was such a riot. Sasuke got his perfect eyebrows literally shaved off by the barbecue grill, as I recall?"
Shikamaru snickered from his spot as he riveted his eyes to catch Sasuke's glare at the redhead.
"I do. That was hilarious, though the party was pretty much silent the rest of the time—scared silly from the shock of Sasuke's unusual outburst."
"That's quite enough. Will you quit reminiscing the past now?"
Neji laughed smoothly.
"At least those little hairs grew back, right? Only after that did you forgive Hinata for turning on the grill." Only then did his pale eyes seem to darken as the air in the car seemed to frost. Seeing the look on Neji's face, Shikamaru quickly cut in.
Naruto's eyes widened, as the conversation continued without his notice. Hinata? No way, they had to be talking about someone else. But with all the convincing, he had to make sure otherwise. Without realizing, he swiftly cut off Sasuke as he spoke.
"Uh Neji-san, when you said Hinata, who was she exactly?"
Neji's face was like marble. It gave nothing away, though there was the slightest tautness in his back.
"Hinata—she's my cousin. Well, my other one. Hanabi's sister. Why?"
Naruto turned away, looking down at his fingers.
"Nothing—it's nothing, really."
The lavender eyes lingered a bit longer, its gaze seeming to weigh upon the boy.
Gaara decided to speak, clearing his voice before it.
"Hinata had some family issues. She left the Hyuugas almost half a year ago. If you've seen her at all…" The redhead drifted off, waiting for Naruto to fill in.
Naruto shook his head quickly, his hands seeming to tighten their hold more. It couldn't be…no matter what. Hinata—well, she was…it was impossible! No way she could be anyway related to Neji or even Hyuugas for that matter. Though, as he thought on it more, she had never actually revealed her past nor her last name. Or even her reason for joining…could it be she had really once been a Hyuuga? No, it seemed much too absurd, no matter how much her eyes seemed to match theirs. She had always been gentle and sweet and kind, not at all like the pompous Hyuugas he had now come know.
Now, he would never find out. Hinata was gone…for the better. Wherever she was, he was glad she wasn't here anymore. For now, that thought would have to do.
Shikamaru cut the engine after he parked smoothly at the delicate Italian restaurant. It was small, but cozy with lighting around the curved edges of the roof. However, it was still very light out so the lights were turned off. Bushes of green were lined around the building as the red and pink flowers stood out like neon signs against the dark green hue.
Sasuke stepped out first, his hand raised as if to block out the radiant sunlight as protection against his pale skin. Or possibly because the glare was very harsh.
All the boys were sweltering in their jackets and ties, but Naruto was the only possible one that showed it. He was much more into the laid back dress code of his old school back in Suna, and did not dig the new uniforms required at Konoha Elite. The back of his neck felt sticky with sweat when he reached to stretch it. Eugh, gross. He would need another shower when he got home.
Gaara was probably the most accustomed to such heat, as his past home in Suna was located in the heaviest scorched desert region. Heat didn't bother him as much as cold did. Or rain. The redhead hated rain.
Shikamaru just yawned—per usual, as he got out of the car. Being as sluggishly slow as he was, the ponytailed man turned out to be the last one out of the car. Paying no matter, he locked the doors with his keys as the others opened the door of the restaurant, welcoming the cool breeze of air-conditioning.
As if by summon, a waiter graciously appeared and ushered them to their spots, not even asking for their names. Uchihas, or should I say, all members of the party—minus the blond; was very well-known around the world. This most definitely included the very region they lived on: Konoha.
Being escorted into a lavishly decorated private room was not unknown to the four proper members, but the blond was very amazed; his eyes trained on everything as if to memorize. Lacy green satin draped elegantly over the opening which consisted of no door. Inside everything was matched accordingly. Green and white were present as well as pops of purple and silver. A tablecloth of clean ivory rested against a neatly set table, chairs of pristine white propped up with gold-trimmed cushions. The utensils were wrapped in green cloth, each indicating an open spot for a person to sit in. A sparkling chandelier hung dramatically over the whole table, pulling such a majestic room together perfectly.
Sasuke sat down first at the head of the rectangular table, indicating with his hand for the others to do so as well. When everyone had sat, the waiter smiled endearingly as he handed out the laminated menus. His eyes seemed to glue onto the jackets his customers were, especially glancing over the logo of Konoha Elite.
Neji placed a hand over his menu immediately, not even opening it. Instead, he waved the waiter over with a flick of his finger and began to order his lunch. His seemingly photographic memory served well as he remembered what he had ordered about the same time over a year ago. The others were not as lucky as they began to read over the different varieties and choices.
Naruto sifted through the menu, pouting slightly as he found no ramen listed on it. His eyes widened when he noticed the large sums of money next to the meals. How could a potato and cheese cost this much? He was not inclined to buy much since he was relatively low on money, so he just ordered a quick appetizer. The other four looked curiously at him when he did so.
Gaara took a quiet sip of his green tea before tilting his eyes in the blonde's direction.
"Why are you just ordering an appetizer, Naruto? Did we not ask you to dine with us? You should order a proper meal at least."
Naruto blushed as he was put on the spot. The other men looked at him with their strange, unblinking eyes waiting for him to answer.
"Well, I-I don't have enough money to buy most of the dishes so I…"
Neji laughed, slamming his hand against the table. The noise made the others wince.
"Naru-chan! Gaara and I didn't invite you here so you would buy your meal. We wanted to talk to you! I'll buy your meal…I planned to from the beginning anyways."
The blond put his hands up in automatic denial.
"No way, I can't do that! Its fine I can buy my own food. I'm not hungry anyway, so an appetizer will suit me perfectly."
Neji gave Naruto a you-ain't-fooling-me-one-fucking-bit look before handing him an unused menu from the waiter.
"You are looking through that and finding something you want." He ordered sternly as Naruto meekly shook his head some more. His lavender eyes melted as he sighed, "Hey, it's the least I can do for you, dragging you out here like that."
Naruto thought for a moment before accepting the menu, "Well, if you put it like that…" Neji gave him a calm smile before turning away. The blond happily ordered some sauce covered noodles with creamy cheese and mashed potatoes.
Sasuke, after ordering his own meal decided to speak.
"So, Neji, what was your intention of asking the blond idiot to join us for lunch?" Straight to the point with an included insult: per usual of Sasuke.
Naruto's face went from pleasant to downright hostile.
"HEY! I'M NOT AN IDIOT, YOU DAMN TEME!"
"Dobe then, perhaps?" Sasuke's expression was amused, though bitterly so.
"THAT MEANS LITERALLY THE SAME THING! AND THERE IS NO WAY I'M A DOBE. THAT'S JUST INSULTING TO MY ABILITY!"
"What ability? All I see is stupid blond whose fucking mind capacity matches the ideal of his hair. It reflects off."
"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU DAMN…YOU DAMN TEME!"
"And now you're using recycled insults. Is your mind slowing from information overload?"
Sasuke smirked smugly as Naruto went bright red, but made no comment.
However, surprising pretty much everyone in the room, the blonde's expression simmered just as quickly. A serene look passed over as Naruto took in a quiet breath before replying in an even tone.
"I'm not about to sink as low as you, damn bastard. Keep putting yourself on a fucking pedestal and when you fall, I'll be laughing at you from the ladder I built myself."
Neji smirked at this, though his hand covered up the lower half of his face. Sasuke looked positively seething, though his usual grip on his poker face gave nothing away. The long-haired man had an odd pleasure of seeing the usually composed man so ruffled. Only Itachi was able to anger Sasuke so, but it now happened that this blond could do just as much—or did he dare say, even more.
"I am higher than you. I'm an Uchiha after all. Everyone knows who I am. And what are you? Oh…an Uzumaki, too small to be seen or heard. There is quite a large gap, if you see what I mean."
Naruto tapped his chin mockingly.
"Oh, so now you're using your family name as a defense. Shall I define it for you? Uchiha: a bastard who puts himself in such a high esteem that to others he is emotionally unbalanced as well as lacking in face expressions. I'd say that Webster-material right there, would you not?"
This time it was Gaara's turn to stifle a grin on his usually passive face. Not once, but three times had Naruto managed to insult the raven in one go. This blond was definitely amusing to watch.
If Sasuke was seething before, he was raging now. His grip on his mask had never been harder to hold onto. His hands were clenched tight as the twitch of his eye became much more noticeable. He was just about to cut in when the waiter arrived with a cart filled with warm dishes.
Naruto smiled widely, having won the battle of words by having the last say. Sasuke merely fumed in his rage, unable to lose face yet again in front of such a business owner.
Shikamaru, who had kept quiet during the row, snorted as he received his dish. Amusing as it was, he was quite glad the dispute had finished. He didn't want to deal with any unkempt paparazzi whom would most definitely suck onto such news as their beloved Sasuke blowing a fuse at a low insect such as the blond. Not that he saw Naruto as an insect, but that would be what most people would view it as. People such as…Fugaku, per say.
Yes, he finally decided. Fugaku would not hear about Naruto under any circumstances. Things would get troublesome fast. Shikamaru could feel that.
Note: And so they meet. And [surprise, surprise] they don't like each other. Though, Sasuke does feel some sort of attraction though he's confused as to why as of now. ^.~ TEEHEE. Until next time, folks. Don't forget to review!