AN: Apologies for the late update – things got a bit hectic last week because we're still moving around and whatnot plus it's my birthday this week so no free weekend to fool around with fics unfortunately.

Thanks to everyone that has read, reviewed or generally enjoyed this story so far!


3: Feint

The administrators of the school are obviously slightly more adept this year, pushing P.E to the end of the 6th form schedule probably so students can let off some steam.

I certainly need to let off some steam.

All I could think about through Biology was Orochimaru and what he had told me. Even Naruto's constant ribbing couldn't get me out of my funk and he was eventually forced to give up to find some other poor sap to irritate. The words just kept swimming through my head, overlapping with what Jiraiya was telling us about the schedule for this year and drowning his information out completely.

I have information that I know you will be interested in.

I'm not sure what I should be feeling, excited? Full of the invigorating vengeful spirit? Afraid? No…not afraid, anything but afraid. I don't want to show fear in front of him or anyone else ever again. I never again want to be rendered so helpless.

I wonder if he's in town, close. Will he seek me out? Should I be trying to think of places I can escape to so I don't allow any harm to come to Kakashi? No…I don't think my brother would hurt Kakashi, like me, he's not particularly interested in those he deems insignificant. Though Kakashi was Obito's friend and thus loosely linked with our family in the beginning, Obito was always something of a black sheep and no-one particularly cared what sort of people he chose to associate with.

The locker room is packed by the time I trudge in and start stripping off, slipping my bag down next to a scruffy looking satchel with a fox key ring hanging down from the zip at the top. I blink at it disdainfully.

Foxes are irritating creatures, far too furry and innocent looking for the amount of trouble they cause.

Carefully, I fold up my school shirt and place it next to my bag, reaching into my P.E kit to pull out my usual sports shirt, a thin grey vest that fits over my slim torso like a second skin. Briefly, I glance at my arms, examining the growing muscle, wondering when I will be considered at optimum fitness.

"Oi, are you stalking me bastard?"

I groan inwardly.

After everything that's happened today, I was finally starting to feel calm, the ball of erratic rage in my stomach after hearing Orochimaru's triumphant speech just starting to lose its jagged edge but Naruto's voice cuts into me like a knife wound and I turn to fix him with the deadliest look I can manage.

"Surely," I say, in a voice that sounds murderous, even to my ears. "You are the one that is 'stalking' me. You've been the one to try and initiate contact all day."

My eyebrows stay firmly fixed where they are as I properly regard him standing proudly before me in nothing but a pair of garish orange boxers. I refuse to admit that he may have surprised me with being so completely un-modest but then this is Naruto we're talking about. Naruto who has the social awareness of a flea.

He gives me an odd look as he stalks forward, his legs slightly shorter than mine so his pacing seems off to me. My eyes slip down to his chest which is slightly broader than mine and his stomach which is lined with careful toning. Frowning, I compare his physique to my own, assessing what I can deduce of his physical fitness and the way his body appears to be developing as he grows. Naruto was a runty specimen back in year 8 before he left and he definitely still looks a little undernourished, his ribs sticking out slightly under tight skin as he moves at a certain angle but if anything, it's sort of given him this survivor look.

The expression on my face deepens into a warning as he pauses in front of me, just shy of my personal bubble. The tempestuous sea in his eyes is back though the smirk slowly growing on his face alerts me to the fact that it's not motivated by irrational anger this time. If anything, he looks victorious.

I resist the urge to wipe that look off of his face with a well placed elbow to the gut.

Bet he wouldn't see that coming, the idiot.

"I think you'll find that you put your stupid bag down next to mine asshole," Naruto says, picking up the rough satchel with the fox key ring. "Aw, was the whole hour at lunch without me too much to handle for you?"

Fury licks through my system like an electric pulse and before I know it, I'm snarling, crouching into a battle ready stance as though Naruto's verbal attacks are physical. Normally, a low brow taunt like this wouldn't get me so riled but I can't help it today, I'm still far too on edge.

"If I'd known it was yours I obviously would have avoided it at all costs dead last," I grind out as Naruto naturally reacts to my open display of aggression, dropping down himself into a defensive posture that surprises me.

It's a good posture and one that's obviously been well practiced.

Really, what has he been doing for the last 3 years?

No, I don't care.

The two of us stare each other down, making mental calculations (though it may just be me considering who I'm up against) about how to proceed. The only indication I have that Naruto is about to move is a slight change in facial expression and then he's darting forward.

I let a small smile tug at my lips as I assess his openings.

This has been building up all day.

Finally, I'm going to put this moron in his place.

Fortifying myself, I let my hand jab out to his side, curling my fingers inward tightly so only the first knuckle joints are exposed. Over the summer, my self defence teacher taught me that using these knuckles to form a fist instead of forming your average fist was far more effective when it came to causing damage and I've been itching to test this theory but at the last moment, someone grabs Naruto around the middle and my knuckles brush air where his stomach was only a few seconds earlier.

I can feel the lingering warmth of his skin near my hand and stumble as my attack misfires.

By the time I've righted myself, a small gathering of the guys in the locker room has formed around Naruto who is struggling in the grasp of none other than Jugo.

As if on cue, just as Naruto is starting to yell out some seriously creative profanities in my general direction, our P.E teacher bursts through the door.

"What is all this ruckus?"

All eyes turn to our P.E teacher, the overly flamboyant weirdo Maito Gai. Usually his dynamic face is set into an overly energetic expression but at the moment, his ridiculously large eyebrows are furrowed and he has a spark of genuine irritation in his eye.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Maito's star student steps forward determinedly.

"Naruto and Sasuke were about to have a fight," Lee informs him smartly, his odd shaped eyes gleaming as he watches his favourite teacher evaluate the scene.

I'm no fool in these situations and I have no desire to stay behind after school hours when I have a hard enough time making it through the regular school day. Relaxing my stance instantly and re-arranging my features back into their usual indifference, I throw a withering look at Naruto who only seems to get more heated.

"Sasuke you slimy-

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Mr Maito's voice slices through Naruto's insult, echoing through the silent locker room.

"Back for only a single day and already causing trouble?"

Mr Maito's eyes are suddenly full of malignant intent and despite my preferred stoic demeanour, I wince, remembering a prank that Naruto pulled in his last year on Mr Maito when he was given a particularly unpleasant detention. The story goes that Naruto had finished his detention and was on the way to inform Mr Maito who was using the shower in the boy's locker room after practice with the Athletics Squad. Upon finding his teacher indisposed in the shower, Naruto thought it might be a good idea to steal the one piece work out suit that Mr Maito prefers to wear and make a flag to wave over the field at the cheerleader's practice which went on until later in the evening. The result of this prank was an enraged Mr Maito in rather tight white briefs chasing Naruto around the netball pitch while the cheerleaders looked on shrieking about their virgin eyes.

And Naruto wonders why he has a reputation for being the biggest dunce in the school.

It's all so completely moronic.

"Tch, dead last," I mutter out of the corner of my mouth as the others start to file out into the gym to await instruction, provoking another string of unintelligible cursing from Naruto and another violent bucking fit in Jugo's unbreakable hold.

"Uchiha, you stay," Mr Maito barks angrily, his eyes boring into mine.

I give him a condescending look, pausing in the doorway as Suigetsu approaches me from behind, his expression painful.

"Sir, Sasuke was provoked. Naruto was the one that initiated every-

"I'm well aware of their patterns Suigetsu," Mr Maito insists, waving him away. Suigetsu gives me an apologetic look as he jogs outside to join the others. As the door to the locker room opens, I can already hear the outrage as word gets around about what happened. This is not going to look good for Naruto.

Not that I care in the slightest.

"Care to explain what happened?" Mr Maito asks stiffly as Jugo releases a limp Naruto and lumbers out to join the others. Though he's in the year above, he sometimes comes down to help out the P.E guys when we're doing martial arts if he has a free period. I'm glad we're not going to be doing something team sport based today. After everything that's happened, I'm not feeling particularly co-operative, I'd much prefer to beat the shit out of something.

Considering that it was me that turned this into something serious, I'm a little surprised when Naruto refuses to rat me out, his dark blue eyes firmly fixed on the fox dangling from his satchel as he presses his lips firmly together. As imperceptibly as I can, I angle my head, trying to read his expression.

What does he think he'll have over me if he protects me?

I refuse to owe him anything.

After Mr Maito is met with the wall of silence for a good 5 minutes, he sighs rather melodramatically and runs a smooth thumb over his obnoxiously large eyebrows.

"Listen boys, I understand that a little rough housing is all a part of being affected by the throes of youth-

Whatever they are.

"But I must insist that you do not engage in fighting on school property."

"Ne, Mr Maito, aren't we doing martial arts today? Isn't that fighting?" Naruto asks.

If it had been anyone else, I would have said that was a purposefully sarcastic question and Mr Maito seems to think so too for a fraction of a second, his expression darkening but when he see the obviously stupid expression of curiosity on the idiot's face, he seems somewhat drained.

"Controlled fighting with no malice and with the supervision of a teacher is different Uzumaki. There is no intent to cause injury. Now, for this altercation, I'm going to be forced to give you both a deten-

"I've already got one for today," Naruto interrupts him grumpily, crossing his hands over his bare chest and shifting his weight onto one foot. In the light coming in through the high set windows, the bruises under his eyes look a lot darker. He almost looks like the damn pyscho everyone seems to treat him as.

Mr Maito smoothes his thumb over his eyebrows once more.

"Fine, then you can stay behind with me tomorrow, both of you can. For now, just get out there and warm up. Jugo will tell you what to do."

Both Naruto and I nod before Naruto turns back to his P.E kit to finish getting dressed. I eye him briefly, wondering if I could practice my revenge on this idiot before facing Itachi, if Orochimaru ever actually deems it fit to impart his wisdom, before gliding forward, pushing the door to and making my way to the gym.

When I saunter through the double doors, Jugo has already got everyone doing warm up stretches and some of the girls, Ino and Sakura included, abandon what they were doing to come and check me over.

"Oh Sasuke, did he hurt you?" Sakura asks and I throw her the dirtiest look in my arsenal, making her cringe instinctively.

As if the moron could ever lay a hand on me.

Ino seems to pick up this grievous error in judgement, adding to my defined aggravation by throwing her own look of ire at her friend.

"Naruto couldn't hurt Sasuke!" she assures Sakura bluntly and for one mad instant, I consider putting Ino on the 'people I can tolerate for more than a few minutes' list but then she spoils it by adding:

"Sasuke's much too cool to let Naruto punch him, ne Sasuke?"

Call me sexist if you will, but I have never met a girl who is not a simpering retard. This is not including the principle of our school, Head Mistress Tsunade but then she's a force entirely unto herself.

"Shut up," I comment by the way of a verbal response to this situation and leave to stand with Suigetsu before Ino can properly register what I just said.

Suigetsu grins out a greeting as I stand beside him, copying his pose by throwing one arm up over my head and stretching.

"Still the ladies man I see."

"It's infuriating," I tell him, not missing the envious looks being thrown at me from some of the other boys in the class. Believe me, if I could deflect their attention elsewhere I would.

A few minutes later, Naruto appears in a plain black shirt and loose fitting trousers, still looking somewhat miffed as he joins the others. Those nearest to him take a few very obvious steps away, throwing disgusted looks at him that he hardly seems to notice.

When Maito Gai appears, we still, watching as Jugo moves to stand beside him.

"Alright boys and girls," Mr Maito begins. "In the spirit of the start of a brand new school year and in the spirit of enjoying your youth, I think we would all benefit from learning some self defence moves today. Self defence is, after all, designed to help you understand your opponents as much as it is designed to defend your body from attack and I believe we could all stand to get to know each other a little better."

He looks pointedly at both Naruto and I who have naturally gravitated to opposite ends of the hall.

"I'd like to start by finding out what you're all capable of," Mr Maito goes on, his usual energetic face back in place after getting so irritated with our little scuffle in the locker rooms.

"I'd like you to split into pairs according to the register so-

I don't hear much more, my stomach sinking into my shoes.

Okay, I'll admit it, it feels like someone is out to get me today. I have been caught up, like so many before me, in the transient present. This day is no longer irrelevant.

Being Uchiha Sasuke, my name is next to Naruto's in the register.

Is this an oversight on Mr Maito's part?

Or, as I suspect, is this some sort of personal vendetta to get us to communicate?

Naruto and I are never exactly going to be bosom buddies.

When he reads out our names, I can feel Suigetsu's probing eyes on my back and try to keep the usual mask in place, admittedly more difficult than usual given the way things are playing out.

"Oh this is going to be interesting," he says, his eyes full of glee at the thought of getting a show.

I grunt at him hostilely. Even he is getting on my nerves today.

"You can't be serious!" Naruto is shouting over the sounds of students starting to practice their high kicks and punches with the padded garments that ensure impressive thud noises when the attacks themselves are pretty pathetic. Gai is looking completely unsympathetic as Naruto whines.

"I will not tolerate complaints," his voice booms out over the gym and, as the others pause, glaring daggers at Naruto, the blonde retard finally relents, understanding that he shouldn't cause any more trouble for himself today.

Still, he makes a show of his disapproval as he stomps up to face me, inclining his head to the back of the room and biting out:

"Come on pansy," before leading the way.

I huff under my breath, making a mental note not to hold back when we get going. I owe him for the 'pansy' comment as much as I owe him for the locker room.

Eventually, we stand facing each other, aware of Gai's eyes trained on us more than anyone else in the room. There are a set of pads beside us on the ground and I let my lip quirk up in a spurious smile.

"Don't you want some protection idiot?" I ask tauntingly, lowering my centre of gravity and waiting.

"Like I'd need protection from the likes of you bastard," he retorts, dropping down into the stance that he showed me in the locker rooms.

For a long time afterwards, we do nothing but stare at each other. I take in the set of his stance, noticing that it's tighter now he's had time to pre-meditate. His body is taut and beneath the black shirt I can see the strain of his lithe muscles as they prepare for movement. His eyes are sharp; betraying a view to intelligence that just isn't there, his lip is set in a thin line of concentration.

I frown as I watch his facial muscles twitch slightly and his eyes flash.

Is he…is he honestly thinking about this?

If it was anyone else, I could believe that they were strategising about how to proceed but Naruto is the kind of guy to fly by the seat of his pants.

Or am I basing my assumptions too much on how he was in year 8?

I don't get any more time to think about it. With a tiny flick of the lips into a half smile, Naruto launches forward, stepping purposefully out to the left to throw off my body angle as I follow him before ploughing forward with an upper cut to my stomach. At the last possible moment, I angle my body away from him, dropping onto my outstretched right hand and kicking back, aiming to sweep his legs out from under him.

I make a victorious noise.

This is over.

Except…

At the last second, Naruto springs up, avoiding the sweeping kick entirely and landing sturdily back where he was a second ago, ready to attack again. I make a point of pushing myself up off of the floor and angling my head back as a rounded punch comes flying towards me, grazing my bangs which fly out haphazardly before me.

There's a gasp from someone close by and I realise the people in the class have stopped to watch us putting on a show.

My heart beats a little faster, I hate drawing unwanted attention but Naruto is throwing out a jab to my side and I have to pull back, using the momentum to change tactics and meet Naruto head on, pushing him back with the broad side of my lower arm. There's a thrill of contact as the skin of my arm meets the rough fabric of his shirt and I am surprised to feel the resistance coming from Naruto's body.

He's strong.

Using the momentum as I push him back the same way I did a moment ago, he angles himself forward and performs one of the most graceless moves I've ever seen.

I am loathe to admit that it is quite effective.

In some sort of bizarre show of insanely good luck, Naruto manages to grab one of my shoulders and pull me forward so our heads connect in an undignified head butt. Pain erupts through my forehead and pulses down into my eyes, forcing me to close them shut tight for a few seconds, pulling away and lifting my hands up automatically to examine the damage.

"Ow, what the hell did you do that for?" I yell out, outraged that he managed to damage me in any way after I was so adamant that he wouldn't be able to.

"This is a fight isn't it?" Naruto retaliates, answering a question with a question like the ultimate moron he is.

My eyes are streaming with involuntary tears as I struggle to open them, peering at my opponent who is in pretty much the same situation as me, blue eyes hidden as he struggles to regain himself.

I shake my head violently, partially trying to rid myself of the ringing in my ears and partially disbelieving that Naruto would pull a move that damages himself as much as his opponent.

"You really are completely and utterly useless," I comment angrily, recoiling as Naruto's fist parts the air once more where my head had been not seconds before.

"Take that back asshole," Naruto hisses dangerously and a thrill of invigoration runs through me as I catch a glimpse of the fire in his eyes.

This fight is far from over.

I smirk at him, absolutely superior.

No need for him to know that this is the best fight I've had in a long time. At the self defence club I frequent, everyone uses the same precise style, the same movements. Naruto's movements are new, messy and brasher than I'm used to but powerful.

As his foot comes up to connect with my exposed stomach, I realise I haven't felt this…alive in a long time…I haven't felt…anything …in a long time…

I drop into a standard x block so his foot collides with the broad side of my arms instead, only slightly pushing me back. When he realises that his attack has failed, Naruto breaks the grapple and stands, inviting me to try something with a taunting look on his face.

No need for the taunt.

I prepare myself for a full power attack, readying my hand by moulding it into just the right shape, the first knuckles jutting forward as they were in the locker room. As I steady my breath, I concentrate on putting all the frustrations of the day into this punch, the irritation of finding out Naruto is to accompany me to every lesson this year, the outright trauma associated with what Orochimaru told me after Chemistry today, the anger at the clash I had with Naruto in the locker rooms.

Naruto prepares his defence as I charge forward letting out a battle cry that is entirely unlike me, packing everything into this attack.

And then I see it.

A change in his expression so profound that I'm forced to abandon my current attack altogether.

The determination so prominent in those defined features simply drops out of his face, leaving behind nothing but a blank. The eyes alight with wild fire only seconds before, dull. His arms that had been moving to set up something akin to my x block fall limply to his side and as I skid to a halt with my fist literally inches away from his tanned nose, he crumples, falling forward heavily, his eyes closing as he goes.

Automatically, I let go of the punch, the condensed ball of pitted emotions dispersing and instead, I lean forward to catch him, my arms slipping securely under his arm pits, his face hitting my collar bone with a soft thud.

My vision is awash with bright blonde tresses.

I've been blinded by the sun once more.

"Naruto?"

My voice sounds thin and soft, completely unlike the usual sure tenor I use when speaking to people but I've never seen anything like this before. No one has ever just suddenly dropped out on me like this, without explanation.

For one wild, panicked moment, I wonder if he's having a fit of some sort but though I'm not an expert, I'm pretty sure there would be other problems apparent if he was. Maybe he passed out from low blood sugar or something.

His breath tickles my ear as I shift slightly; trying to see through the blinding locks to catch Mr Maito's attention. It's low and steady, regular, unlike my heart beat.

He's warm.

"Uchiha Sasuke, what have you done?" Mr Maito's voice asks from somewhere above me and I blow a strand of Naruto's hair out of my face as his weight is taken from me, watching with wide eyes as they lay him out in the recovery position.

"I didn't do anything," I say and my voice is hollow but sure once more. "I moved to punch him but he collapsed before it could connect."

Gai gives me an appraising look, obviously judging whether or not I'm lying to avoid trouble but what he sees in my face obviously placates him. He turns his attention fully on Naruto, checking his vitals and whatnot whilst the rest of the class looks on in an awkward hush.

However much the student body dislikes Naruto, I don't think they'd ever wish true debilitation on him.

After checking that his airways are clear and the steady rhythm of his breathing, Gai leans forward, pressing an ear to his chest, checking the timed beats of his heart. After what seems like an eternity, he sits back on his hunches, a relieved look on his face.

I glare at him expectantly.

If I have Naruto's blood on my hands, even though whatever just happened was not instigated by me at all, then there will be all hell to pay, probably by Naruto, whenever the hell he wakes up.

"Looks like he just passed out," Mr Maito says, confirming my suspicions. "Probably over-exertion on his first day back."

Tch, I could have told him that.

Gai glances up at Jugo who is standing behind him with a vaguely worried frown in place. Jugo doesn't particularly enjoy watching others suffer.

"Jugo, can you take him to the medical room to recover? And can you inform me the moment he wakes up?"

Jugo fixes Gai with a slow gaze, his hazel eyes full of regret.

"I have to go to my night classes this evening so I need to be out of here quite fast," he says, his eyes flicking back to Naruto's blank face.

"I'll stay with him."

I blink as the words leave my mouth. Where the hell did that come from? Is it too late to take them back?

Gai glances at me suspiciously, his lips turned down at the corners.

"If this is a bid to get out of trouble Uchiha-

"It's not," I say, cutting him off because it's not a bid to get out of trouble, I honestly couldn't say what it is.

"Hm…"

Gai glances round at the others who are gradually getting back to what they're doing now that it's been confirmed that Naruto's life isn't in danger. He knows as well as I do that he won't get any other volunteers.

"Alright Uchiha, inform me the moment he awakens, understand?"

"Yes sir," I say as Jugo scoops him up. He looks impossibly small in Jugo's large arms and I'm forced to wonder how much of Naruto's perceived stature is just his boisterous personality. As I leave the gym, walking calmly towards the exit, I catch sight of Suigetsu's grin out of my peripheral vision.

"Ne, Sasuke, why on Earth did you catch him?" he asks, chuckling openly at the thought of Naruto face planting in the middle of our fight.

I shrug indifferently, throwing my reply over my shoulder as we leave.

"I don't know, my body just moved on its own."


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This chapter has received the 'whole chapter in one scene' award. First time ever peeps XD