December 16th, 2011

edit on May 30th, 2015

Disclaimer: I do not own NARUTO; it belongs it Kishimoto Masashi. No money was made by writing this.

Warnings: Do not read if you do not like homoerotica. Will be eventual SasuNaru and KakaIru yaoi. Kind of AU-ish. Academy graduates are older than manga/anime, around age 15-16 yrs rather than 12-13 yrs. Strong, ANBU!Naruto... Not super!Naruto, though. Rated M to be safe.

Summary: Sasuke often fought with Naruto and called him moron based on how he acted on classroom - goofing off and playing pranks. Yet Sasuke was totally smitten with him. Then came the day of Academy Graduation Test. Naruto shocked everyone by revealing his true self. On team assembly day Sasuke and Naruto were placed onto same team, however Sasuke pretended not to care, like he always did. He had always hidden his true feelings he felt for the blond and so he continued to do so even now. But his problem was that Naruto wasn't as stupid as he had pretended to be. So, it was now only matter of time before his crush for his blond teammate would be discovered...

Keys for reading: "Normal Speech", 'Thoughts'
"Jutsu name [english translation]!", "Transmitter/mic/headset"

― ◦◦◦ ◦◦◦ ―

Stillnight Presents

Surprises

― ◦◦◦ ◦◦◦ ―

― Chapter Four: Missions and Training ―

Sasuke followed with his gaze their team's blond member. He took notice of his appearance, Naruto had taken his baggy orange jacket off and wore only mesh shirt now.

Day was hot and humid, and training made them sweat increasingly. Naruto's well toned arms and torso glistened with sweat and golden bangs were partially glued with sweat to his face. Hitai-ate kept mostly his hair out of his face. He wore his normal orange cargo pants, black shinobi sandals and mesh shirt. Mystery about Naruto's tan had been solved, it was natural.

Sasuke swallowed hard as he followed with his eyes as Naruto and Kakashi sparred. It was only a 'light' spar as Naruto called it, but it was truthfully saying rough yet graceful Elite Jōnin spar. Nothing in that spar resembled to Jōnin-sensei and Genin-student spar.

They had been team now officially about nearly three weeks, and they hadn't yet done any missions, only concentrating to training. It had been at first disappointment, but Naruto had made it very clear that they weren't going to do any missions until he personally deemed them ready enough to go in first mission.

Team 7 in itself was rather dysfunctional, Naruto hated Sakura and her behaviour very blatantly and he didn't have any qualms of showing it clearly. Naruto still seemed to dislike Kakashi but recently he had come to liking their silver-haired sensei more and didn't show his dislike anymore so blatantly. That in itself was already miraculous to them. It seemed that Naruto tolerated Sasuke somewhat without problems, if he didn't do anything stupid.

Sakura still gushed and swooned over Sasuke, and raven-haired boy showed in every possible turn how much he disliked Sakura and fangirls in general by glaring and speaking increasingly rudely to her and them. Sasuke had silently thought that if every girl he met were like that, then he gladly would be gay if it meant that he didn't have to deal with girls, their screeching, squealing and swooning over and chasing after him.

And that was completely another matter altogether. He had tried to imagine himself to like other boys he knew, like that Inuzuka runt, lazy Nara boy or even that creepy Aburame bug-boy. He didn't even consider Akimichi, because he knew it was impossible, despite the fact that Chōji was nice guy in general. He went completely into goosebumps and even his hair back of his neck stood up. After that fact he had gotten into conclusion.

He wasn't straight, gay, bi or even asexual. Then what he was? Naruto-sexual was the answer. He snickered silently by himself thinking about that. Reviving his clan? Forget it. Or Itachi could do it by himself. And also avenging his clan could wait for quite while until he was much older and stronger. He wanted spend his time more with Naruto than seeking revenge for his clan. He knew that his parents would disapprove with him, or at least his father would. He didn't know so much about his mother.

Kakashi had asked Sasuke spar with Sakura, to push girl into her limits to get her stronger, while he himself paired up with Naruto. Of course Sasuke had been greatly disappointed, but also a bit relieved that he didn't have to spar against the blond. Naruto was just way too strong and rough opponent for them until they could get stronger.

Sakura had collapsed into ground into all her fours, panting harshly and sweating profusely, sporting some new bruises and scrathes. They stopped to rest for a while and watched Naruto and Kakashi spar. Sasuke would lie to himself if he said that if he didn't envy how strong and skilled Naruto truly was.

Naruto dodged every strike and kick lithely. He delivered strong, swift kick in Kakashi's midsection faster than Kakashi's eye could follow, and so he couldn't dodge or block it. Kick connected to Kakashi and silver-haired man flew across the training ground nearby tree, and they could hear painful crack from connect. Kakashi dropped to ground with pained grunt and panting harshly through his mask.

Naruto landed on ground lithely and walked up to Kakashi. "I think that your training has ended for today, and especially you, sensei. I bet that your body hurts insanely at this point. I would suggest you to go hospital get checked over. I might have broken some of your ribs again", he said helping grunting silver-haired man to stand up. "Or I could do quick check up."

Naruto swept sweat from his face and took his hitai-ate off, and poured contents of his water bottle on his head, not caring if his cloths got wet, and shook his head then fiercely and brushed his hair back with his hands.

Sasuke was totally mesmerized by Naruto's appearance. Water was dripping from blond's hair and his skin glistened with water and sweat droplets. "Why it is so damn hot?" Naruto asked particularly from no-one, and shadowed his eyes with his hand from bright sun, and gentle gust of wind fluttered his golden, spiky unruly hair. To Sasuke, Naruto was most mesmerizing and beautiful person ever. No girl could ever compete with Naruto's beauty.

Sakura watched Sasuke as usual, swooning over him, but she quickly noticed same expression in raven's face as she herself or other girls had when they watched and spoke with Sasuke. She noticed that Sasuke was staring something rather dazedly and dreamily. Sakura frowned, was it about the person Sasuke said he liked? She followed Sasuke's eyes where he was looking, and noticed that she was staring straight at Naruto and his half-naked body. Then she looked back to Sasuke and and then again Naruto and again back to Sasuke.

Suddenly something clicked inside her mind. Sasuke always said that he wasn't interested about girls at all, and especially fangirls. So, was it actually possible that Sasuke liked Naruto, and not some random girl? Her eyebrows furrowed together and she tried to imagine blond and raven together. Sudden memory of their accidental kiss back in class room team assembly day came in her mind.

"GYYYYYYAAAAAAAARRRRRHHHHH!"

And then she fainted her face completely red.

All three males of team 7 turned to look Sakura. Sasuke looked rather confused, and saw her flat-out cold on ground red-faced and completely out of it. "Okay... What the hell is wrong with her now?" he asked out loud, sounding exasperated and perplexed. "Sensei... She's acting all weird again."

Kakashi grimaced painfully as pain stung in his ribs. "Just wake her up. Ignore her weirdness. Was she ever normal even begin with?" he asked calmly. "We still have some taijutsu kata to do." He turned to look Naruto. "Naruto-kun, do you have your shift today again?"

During a nearly three weeks they had been an official team, Naruto had reluctantly told them about him being ANBU Operative and training with ANBU. But he stressed that it was only because his kyōfu had requested that, and nothing more. He didn't want his team members start whining about how he got better training than they did, or something similar.

Naruto turned to look Kakasi with amusement. "Yes, I have. Once again, try not to follow me sensei, okay? I know every time you follow me, because your stealth skills still seriously sucks rather big time. Are you sure that you are former ANBU Captain? Because if you are, then you really have let your skills get really rusty", he smirked.

Kakashi let out pained chuckled. "It's you who is too good for your own good. You have way too sharp senses to let anything escape from you", he said. "My skills are still as keen as ever."

Naruto had gotten somewhat used to being teamed with those idiots and have this perverted man with his chronical tardiness as his sensei. He smirked amusedly. "If you aren't really careful I might be soon stronger than you are."

Kakashi smacked his forehead. "Damned brat..." he grumbled under his breath. He had managed to get closer to Naruto on emotional level, but it hadn't been easy, and they were still in rather wary ground. But least Naruto called him honestly sensei and was more open with them, and he had taken some sort of minor sensei role to teach Sasuke and Sakura some things that Kakashi hadn't thought yet.

Kakashi had to admit that Sasuke had been right about Naruto. He took his own time the get around the idea and accept their team.

"Sensei... don't you think that Naruto's last comment about becoming soon stronger that you is bragging?", Sakura asked now that she had awake again.

Kakashi looked to Naruto who was already doing his taijutsu kata movements and then looked to Sakura. "Unfortunately for me, it's very true. He is par with me, and due with the time, he will be stronger than me. There is no doubt about it."

― ◦◦◦ ◦◦◦ ―

Next day they all were finally standing in mission room receiving their first D-rank mission as a team. Iruka was sitting behind the mission desk and handing out mission scrolls and taking reports. When scarred man saw Naruto, he was honestly happy to see him.

"Naruto-kun, I'm glad to see that you have finally deemed your team strong enough to take them in their first mission", Iruka said happily.

Naruto gave hug to tanned man and laughed. "Iruka-sensei, you should say that to Kakashi-sensei, and not to me. You make it sound like I'm the sensei of team 7 and not Kakashi", he grinned.

Kakashi snorted softly. It was very true. "Naruto-kun, it's you who really decided when your team takes missions and when not. You also teach them things that I don't and you beat them to do harsher training than I do. I wonder why I'm even your sensei to begin with", he grumbled, although very amusedly and jokingly.

"Oi oi, sensei, don't forget that you asked me to be in your team before you knew how strong I was or that I'm ANBU Operative", Naruto said his eyes glittering with hidden mirth. "Iruka-sensei, would you like to catch some ramen or dango after our mission and your duty ends?" he asked from Iruka.

"Sure, that sounds nice. It's been while we were eating out", Iruka agreed readily. "Is your team coming too, or is it just you and me?" he asked looking Naruto's team. "It has been a while, hasn't it, Hatake-san?"

Kakashi looked down to desk where behind it tanned, brunet Chūnin was checking at the same time reports and handing out missions as he spoke to team 7. "It truly has been quite some time, Umino-san, that we spoke like this. I would be glad to come with you. We don't spend much time as a team and Naruto's duties as ANBU are eating away the time we could spend together", he said. "And Naruto has yet to fully come around that we are now his Genin team and that I'm his 'sensei'."

Understanding flickered in Iruka's eyes. "Ah, yes. I heard about that from Sandaime-sama. Naruto is rather stubborn and hard-headed", he said and scrathed shyly the long, thin scar that spread across his nose bridge. "Even I had some difficulties at the beginning and hard time with him, be he just somehow just grew onto me with time."

Naruto gave laugh at that as he remembered their not so peaceful and friendly start. "Yeah, I still remember that too, and it was mostly my fault for being to thick-skulled", he grinned sheepishly. "So, Iruka-sensei, what kind of missions you have to offer for us this time?" he asked changing the topic back to original one.

Iruka trifled through D-rank section and took some scrolls placing them into desk. "Cleaning out Inuzuka dog kennels. Help paint fences of nearby farm. Help fix the broken roof of Shiranui Genma's house." Naruto snorted amusedly and said something resembling: What the hell that idiot this time did? "Help catch run away roosters from farm. Babysit the kids of Tachibana Meguri-san, and... Find Tora."

Kakashi's hair at back of his neck stood up from last two words. Naruto on the other hand just hummed thoughtfully and then suddenly smirked, and took one of the scrolls. "I think that it's time to introduce the newbies to Tora-tama", he said with devious smirk. "That is truly a challenging mission even most experienced shinobi. Tora-tama, that is. Although it so challenging mission I don't understand why it is classified as D-rank, because it's more of C-rank material than D-rank, just saying", he said and opened the scroll and reading mission description shortly before chucking it into his pockets.

Iruka grinned just as deviously as Naruto. "Very good choice, Naruto-kun. Very good choice indeed."

Sasuke and Sakura blinked owlishly, and looked then their sensei for answers. "What... finding the Tora-tama? Isn't it just a cat? How hard it can be?" Sasuke asked confusedly.

"Oh, no no no... Sure Tora-tama is a cat but it's far from normal cat", Naruto answered instead of Kakashi and Genins attention was drawed to him.

Kakashi paled notably behind his mask. "Na - Naruto-kun... Are you certain that you really want to introduce them to Tora-tama so soon? We have been team barely three weeks! Isn't it bit too soon and rushed?" As ridiculous as it sounded, Kakashi was nearly terrified about that cat. And as impossible it seemed too, he had done that mission as a Genin, that that was nearly two decades ago! "I swear to Kami that, that little demon is ninja cat!"

"What are you talking about, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked, still as confused as before.

Naruto gave small devious smirk. "It's decided then. Our mission is to find and catch fire daimyo's wife's, Lady Shijimi's pet cat, Tora-tama, and return it to her. And I might add some warnings, it's not as simple as it sounds. Tora-tama is devious, fast and smart for a cat. She is most likely a ninja cat, though it has never been confirmed. She is ferocious little demon and very skilled at evading shinobi. And she bites - hard."

That might have sounded like nothing and rather normal even, but later on Sakura and Sasuke truly found out how hard it was catch that cat. Tora-tama was far more ferocious than they had anticipated, and she did bite - and she did it hard and often. Not forgetting that she scrathed the hell out of the Genins.

Only one that survived without notable bites and scratches and his cloths competely intact was Naruto for some reason.

Sakura's arms and face had several scratch marks, her left hand was bitten several times and bleeding. Her dress severely torn from several places and even her hair had suffered some damage and had been cut.

Sasuke was in no better condition, as Tora had scratched the hell out of normally pale and perfect porcelain skin. His arms were full of scrath and bite marks. His clothes had suffered some serious damage. His shorts had been torn from three different places and his shirt looked like it had gone through shredder. It was nothing sort of miracle that it was still in hanging barely in one piece and it seriously looked like it was going to fall of at any moment now. His normally perfect duck-butt hairdo was now sticking everywhere.

Even Kakashi hadn't been spared from damage. He had very few scratches in hands and his face. His mask had gotten one deep tear mark right under his right eye.

"Naruto, how the hell you managed to get out of this with out any scrathes or bites, not to mention without any harm at all?" Sakura asked totally curious as Naruto now carried perfectly happy and purring Tora-tama in his arms and petting her back.

"Ehh... This wasn't first time I have done this mission. She seems to like me quite much for unfathomable reasons", Naruto explained smiling and stroked Tora's ears. "I did warn you, didn't I?"

Sasuke grimaced. This mission had been totally something else he had never been experiencing anything like that before. "You certainly did. I didn't expect that finding and catching a cat would be this difficult and... Well, dangerous", he admitted. "This is going to cause severe problems when we enter back into village itself if the fangirls sees me like this", he grimace from just mere thought and shuddered violently.

Naruto nodded, Sasuke was right about it. "Just wait a minute", he said and shifted Tora in his arms and took his jacket off and threw it to raven. "Wear it. It might be bright colored but it's warm and comfortable, and most importantly in one piece", he said with amused smirk. "It should keep fangirls away from you hopefully."

Sasuke took the jacket, took his shredded shirt off and pulled jacket on with small, nearly unnoticiable blush. It smelled like Naruto, Sasuke noticed as he pulled the zipper completely up. He inhaled Naruto's natural gentle scent. He smelled also something else... Was it sen cha and jasmine?

When they finally returned to mission room, Naruto's upper body covered only with mesh shirt and carrying cat and Sasuke wearing Naruto's favourite orange jacked and holding in his hands shredded shirt, Iruka could easily see what had happened. He took easily note of team 7's ragged appearance. "Welcome back Team 7. I see that you have succesfully completed you first team mission", he said with smile and took Tora from Naruto's arms. "You seem relatively unharmed compared to some other Genin teams that had done this same mission before you."

Sasuke's face blanched. "Oh great... That makes is all the better", he cringed. "My favourite shirt... Completely shredded..." he mumbled ruefully.

"There there, Sasuke... Don't cry, okay?" Naruto said jokingly and rubbed Sasuke's back consolingly.

Iruka couldn't help but sweat-drop at the scene before him. "Anyway, good job for completing your first mission as a Team 7."

― ◦◦◦ ◦◦◦ ―

After they had completed their first mission as a team and had their dinner with Iruka, they went do some training. After that mission they continued training rigorously under Naruto's watchful eyes and days passed on calmly and quickly. They occasionally completed some missions that Naruto selected for them and ended up catching the Tora-tama three more times.

Sasuke and Sakura at first complained about missions more often than not that how they only did menial tasks. Naruto could understand why it felt to them frustrating and pointless, but after Naruto explained the missions what they were for. Babysitting the children was preparation for real bodyguarding mission, catching Tora was like tracking enemy nin, etc. Needless to say, after that they didn't complain not even once.

Naruto pressured their training as far as he safely could. He had decided that if he had really to stay in that team, they needed to become strong, and fast. He couldn't afford weak team and them being weak would get them get soon killed.

Although when two and half months had finally gone slowly by, Naruto had finally gotten adjusted to his Genin team and accepting them. But their problems were still far from being solved and he lashed at them - often - rather venomously and icy glares and comments especially to Sakura who still after being Genin two and half month fawned over Sasuke. Kakashi still continued to be chronically tardy no matter how many times Naruto beat him to ground for it.

Reluctantly Naruto had finally settled in sort of a routine of slashing out rude, cold, dry and sarcastic remarks and beating them into training.

― ◦◦◦ ◦◦◦ ―

Three months had passed slowly by and Team 7 got stronger as they trained and did missions, but were still far too behind for Naruto's liking, and he was getting frusterated for not getting onto better and higher ranking missions. He had lately been getting into rather bad moods from sheer boredom and frustration.

He was currently on his way to his favourite ramen stand to meet Iruka in name of dinner. Iruka was already there when Naruto finally appeared there.

"Hi and sorry that I'm late. Coming straight from team training session", Naruto said as he sat down to bar stool. "Kakashi versus me, again."

Iruka snorted softly to Naruto tone he had spoken. "I take it that you beat him yet again, no?" he asked turning his attention shortly to ramenstand's owner. "One pork ramen, please, Teuchi-san."

"Miso ramen, please", Naruto added right after Iruka and they continued their conversation. "So yeah... I cracked his ribs, again. I think it was third time in two weeks", he said, shaking his head. "How is your extended break from academy? Enjoying your free time and peace from little hellions?"

Iruka sighed. "Naruto-kun, you should stop cracking his ribs", he said disapproval clear in his voice. "And the break from academy, well... I do really enjoy my peace, thank you very much. You class was on of the most devilish classes I have so far taught. Especially you", he added accusingly.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed back of his head. "Sorry Iruka-sensei. I had to act like that to stay on safe side until I was shinobi. If I acted like my real self as an academy student, it would have raised suspicions and they would have started to think that Kyuubi has taken control of me. Villagers hates me enough as it is", he explained even though Iruka already knew it.

"Alright, here. Dig in, boys", Teuchi said placing ramen bowls in front of Iruka and Naruto.

"Thanks, ossan", Naruto said and took chopsticks and snapped then apart and started to eat.

Teuchi knew Naruto and Iruka enough not to butt in their conversation, and he left two brother like guys alone.

"Sadly enough, I know that, Naruto-kun", Iruka said sighing deeply. "But now you can finally show your strenght and personality without putting yourself in danger", he said.

Naruto nodded and inhaled his noodles. "This is so goooood ~!" he said with moan.

Iruka couldn't help but sweat-drop at Naruto. "... So, how are things with your team going on in general, Naruto-kun?" he asked while they both ate.

Naruto stopped to drink water. "Well... We are slowly getting by. I'm tolerating them and their idiocies, most of the time, anyway. Sakura is still constantly swooning over the bastard - erm, Sasuke I mean. Bast... erm, Sasuke himself is acting super weird, giving me all those odd looks when he thinks I don't see him doing it. Kakashi is... well, Kakashi", he said and drank ramen broth. "Still being chronically tardy no matter what I say or do to him. And he still reads Icha Icha in public as usual. I'm not saying that there is anything bad about those books, but they tend to get a bit boring after a while reading them so many times."

Iruka sweat-dropped again. That was something you didn't expect to hear from 15-year-old one's mouth. Oh, he know that Naruto read those books too, because blond helped the author with them by proof-reading them before publishing. And Naruto had given him a whole series including special editions and deluxe versions and posters and what-not else had came with those saying rather decidedly: "If I'm going to suffer these books, you are going to suffer with me, sensei!" And so he had been forced into reading whole series of porn novels of Icha Icha Paradise. And he had been hooked ever since.

"Are your teammates getting stronger, Naruto-kun?" he asked after a while of his thoughts of Icha Icha. "I really hope that they are."

"Slowly, Iruka-sensei, slowly. They would progress faster if they would stop complaining constantly and start act like real shinobi instead of the bunch of an idiots", Naruto sighed rather resignedly. "If I'm going to stay in that team I need them strong. If they are weak they are going to get seriously in danger and injured some day, even maybe die if they don't start take this seriously soon."

"Well, keep pressuring your teammates and don't take any higher missions until they get strong enough for them", Iruka said. "Or if that doesn't help, put them under genjutsu and show them what can and will happen if they do not start act like shinobi and drop their antics, Sakura especially. That is one of the most commonly used method to get Genins to shape up."

Naruto gave some serious thoughts for it. "That is actually good idea. I will use it. Thanks for the tip, sensei", he said and his frown smoothed a bit.

"Another bowl please, ossan", Naruto and Iruka said in unison.

Teuchi gave them amused look and get into the work. Soon in front of Naruto and Iruka was steaming bowls of ramen. Duo ate in peace, paid their meals and then left to walk together towards Mission assembly Hall while talking.

"You have mission desk duty today?" Naruto asked as they finally entered in building.

Iruka nodded. "Yeah. With Genma and Raidō", he said and looked around in hall. "And looks of it, it's going to be going at snails pace and boring, too", he said sighing.

"I would really like to get away for awhile from my team. About a week or so. Something challenging, rather solo mission. B- or A-rank would do nicely", Naruto said scratching his head, sighing. "I'm going nuts with them soon. Ever since I got stuck with that team I haven't done anything but those lowly, insanely boring D-ranks, not even single C-ranked one."

Genma and Raidō were in hall already and greeted Naruto and Iruka. Iruka rummaged through A-ranked section and finally found nice and simple mission. He tossed it to Naruto who caught it with ease and opened it. "High A-ranked?"

"Getting rid of group of bandits and three rogue low ranked Jōnins from Kusa who are terrorizing nearby village here? Mentions that Jōnins have bounties in their heads... Sound nice and easy", Naruto said. "I'll take it. And I suppose that I'll get the bounties as well when I bring their heads as a proof?"

"Yeah. Do that and you will get the bounties, Naruto", Genma said. "I'll mark in the notes that you have taken that mission. When you will leave?"

"Tonight, in two hours", Naruto said and put the scroll on his pocket. "Ne ne, Iruka-sensei... How about you come with me? We haven't gone in mission together... what, in a year?"

Iruka nodded. "It's have been busy year with your class being graduating class and you causing mischief with your pranks around the village while checking the security", he said humming. "And I do really need some money for new cloths and for new bed. Current one is killing my back", he admitted.

Naruto lifted his fist questioningly and Iruka finally bumped it with his own fist. Genma coughed and asked. "So will I add in here that Iruka is your partner for this mission?"

"Yes. It's settled then", Naruto said with confident smile. "We are the team of two in this mission. Let's meet in Eastern Gate in two hours."

― TBC ―

This is getting ridiculous. Still, I want to put it up there. Two more to go... Cheers.