"I've said already, my name is Naruto," the blonde boy said in a monotone.

'He's hiding something. Something about his last name, or parents or clan or... dammit he's hiding everything about himself! I only know his name!' Sasuke thought in frustration. Naruto smirked at Sasuke's expression. Messing with people can be so much fun, he thought to himself. He faintly heard the Kyuubi chuckle in the back of his mind.

"That doesn't tell me anything!!" exploded the Uchiha. He was tired of all the mind games and word tricks! He wanted answers!

"How come I've never seen you before? Why are you in the noble's district? Who gave you permission to come here? Why are you in this village?"demanded the Uchiha. Naruto thought for a minute while Sasuke was trying to regain his cool.

"You've never seen me before because I arrived in the village today. I am in the noble's district 'coz this is where I now live. The Hokage gave me permission to be here. And I'm in this village because kaa-san wants me to be a ninja, so I'm here to take the gennin exams tomorrow," answered Naruto counting each question of his fingers. "Is that enough of the Spanish Inquisition today? I'm hungry and I want to go home. You're parents are probably wondering where you are." Added Naruto.

'wrong thing to say," he thought instantly as a dark look came across Sasuke's face.

"I... don't have parents, so I can keep you here as long as I want," covering his moment of weakness with that one arrogant statement.

'So he's kinda like me," thought Naruto. Instead he said, "Well you know all about me now so tell me about you. Name, family, likes, dislikes and stuff like that. So far all I know is that them girls called you Sasuke-kun" finishing his sentence in a mock girl tone.

Sasuke looked at him for a moment, his face blank of all emotion.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, last of the Uchiha clan, holders of the doujutsu Sharingan. I don't like many things and dislike everything else."

Naruto whistled lowly. "You're an Uchiha, huh?" ' he will be a powerful ninja when he gets his head out of his ass' thought Naruto. Of course he had heard of the Uchiha massacre. That was before he had even left the village. One of their own slaughtered everyone within the Uchiha compound leaving only one alive, the cold-eyed jerk in front of him now apparently.

"Got a problem with that?!" demanded Sasuke.

"No, no. Just wondering why the great and all-mighty Uchiha is bothered with little old me?" wondered Naruto out loud. Sasuke frowned at his disrespect to his clan, but was wondering that himself. Lots of people came into the village every day, but for some reason he felt drawn to this one strange boy. There was something about him that intrigued Sasuke and made him wary of him as well. Was it the way he carried himself? Like an animal constantly on guard, stalking its prey. Or the way his eyes held that spark of mischief that in one moment turn from amusing to deadly? Either way there was something about this boy that made Sasuke connect with, as much as he hated creating bonds with other people.

"..uke. Sasuke. SASUKE!" yelled the blonde trying to bring the onyx-eyed boy out of his thoughts. He looked up and around him, noticing that it had gotten dark during their conversation. The fox had its head resting in Naruto's lap and was dozing while the boy the fox was using as a pillow was staring at him with a hint of concern.

"You ok there? You fully spaced out for a while." Stated Naruto, unknown to Sasuke he was checking his vital signs.

"Sorry just lost in my thoughts," said Sasuke. Wait. Did he just apologize? Him? The great Sasuke Uchiha?! He never apologized! He was always right and the other person always wrong! This was seriously messed up. He started to feel dizzy and got up too fast. He swayed on his feet before feeling something support him. Looking down he saw the fox leaning against his thigh, staring up at him with those blood-red eyes.

"You sure you're ok? You might have caught something sitting here for hours," asked Naruto. "Will you be able to make it back to your compound alright? It's pretty far from here and if you don't know where 'here' is then you're pretty screwed," Naruto said, frowning slightly. He was torn between helping someone and keeping people out of his home. He didn't want to make too many roots here in case it made it harder for him to leave. Sasuke snorted.

"I'm fine idiot. I have the exam tomorrow so I won't get sick and I know my way around here like the back of my hand." He claimed, putting on a front to once again cover for his weakness. The cocky attitude settled it for Naruto.

"That's it, you're staying at my place tonight." He said flatly, leaving no room for argument. It didn't stop Sasuke from trying anyway. But before a sound even came out of his mouth Naruto spoke over him with his fingers held up.

"One: you don't know where you are so you would just get lost trying to find your way back home. Two: You are obviously tired from today and are feeling weaker than normal, so I doubt you could even make it home. Three: I need someone to show me to the academy tomorrow morning as I am taking the exam too." Counting off each point as he said it. Sasuke glared at him. Then frowned more.

'You're taking the exam tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, I said my kaa-san wanted me to be a ninja"

"But you haven't been through the academy! How are you going to get let into the exam?!"

"Personal recommendation from kaa-san and the Hokage, they say I have enough experience and power to pass the exam so I am allowed to take it" Naruto answered smiling, remembering how he convinced the Hokage to let him take the exam. 'Bet that the old man hasn't had a scare like that in a while,' he thought with satisfaction.

Sasuke was once again speechless at this boy who just walked into his life.

"Personal recommendation from the Hokage?!" he asked in disbelief.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, him and kaa-san," he confirmed.

"Wait, who's you're kaa-san?!" 'I don't even know his last name!' He thought to himself.

"She'd rather I didn't tell people about her yet. Rather I prove myself with my own skills than brag with her name," Naruto answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Sasuke stored this bit of information in the back of his head. Frowning, he was torn between accepting the boy's offer (Using his own stupidity at not being able to find the academy by himself of course) or saving his dignity and attempt to walk back to his house.

His Uchiha pride won over and he stated with as much arrogance as he could muster,

"I have no need to take residence in your house tonight, I am perfectly capable of finding my own way home. If you have need of my help, then meet me out front of my compound tomorrow morning at 6, and you can follow me to the academy,"

Naruto smirked at his self-righteous attitude and decided it slide.

"Thank-you for your most, gracious and humbling offer, oh great Sasuke. I fear my presence taints you so I shall remove myself. Until tomorrow then," Naruto finished with an exaggerated bow, grinning the whole time, before getting up and walking back to his new house, Kyuubi on his heels.

"Idiot," thought Sasuke as he made his way back home. "At least it's going to be interesting tomorrow,"