Author's Note: I'm back my beloved readers. I know it's been a couple of months, and I probably pissed off quite the number of people, so this chapter is a little longer to make up for it.

Chapter 5

Naruto pouted and kicked the rock across the courtyard. He scowled as he remembered the incident in the lunchroom. Sighing, he reaching into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the letter Iruka-sensei gave to him. How the hell was he going to give this to the Uchiha now? He didn't want to see his face. Every time he thought of the raven or heard something remotely close to his name, he would remember what happened. The blonde blushed.

He let out a yell of frustration. "UGH! That bastard!" The blonde began pacing back and forth. "Iruka-sensei entrusted me with this letter so I can't just give it to someone. After what he did though, why should he get his letter? I could just throw it away." Naruto stopped. He looked at the slightly wrinkled white envelope. "I can't do it." The blonde ran a hand thorough his unruly hair. "He may be an asshole, but I still can't do that."

"That's a smart decision, Naruto"

The blonde whipped around and saw Iruka-sensei walking towards him. Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "You heard me."

"Yes. I'm appalled you even came up with the thought of ridding the letter."

Naruto let out a long breath. "I'm sorry."

Iruka led Naruto over to the seating by the courtyard pond and they sat down. "Tell me all of what happened."

So Naruto told him, from when they finished cleaning the incense temple till everything leading up to the kiss. When he finished, Iruka chuckled. Naruto turned red,

"Iruka-sensei! How could you laugh at my pain!"

Iruka laughed and wiped his eyes. "Gomen, gomen." He gave the blonde a strange look. "Naruto, you're turning seventeen this year, aren't you?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…why? And what does that have to do with anything?"

"You've been raised here all your life. Homeschooled by me and along with a couple of other temple monks. We haven't had a visitor staying with us for such a long time. It's been three years since Gaara so I understand if you can't adapt to living with someone who's so different." Iruka looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye. "But there's a difference between can't and not trying." He turned and faced Naruto. "I know the boy I raised won't hold grudges. I also happen to know that a very hopeful woman handed me this letter to pass on to her son. If he were to not receive it, you can imagine the disappointment she would feel, right?"

Naruto pouted. "But you're here now. You can give it to Sasuke."

"Maybe with this letter you two can become friends."

"After what he's done to me?!"

"Perhaps that is the way he makes friends." Iruka tried to reason.

"By molesting them with his eyes then stealing their first kiss?!" Naruto said exasperatedly.

Iruka smiled. "Run along. And get a good night's sleep. Welcome the guests at the southern entrance with vigor tomorrow."

"Iruka-senseiii," Naruto whined.

Iruka ruffled his hair. "Bye, Naruto." He called over his shoulder.

Naruto looked down at the envelope in his hand and glared at it. "What a trouble maker you are."

---

Shikamaru yawned. How useless this was. He opened one eye and peered at the others. Shrugging, he put his head back into his arms. He wouldn't be needed until there was violence, which he doubt there would be.

Kiba slammed his foot on the chair. Rest his elbow on his knee he stared down at Sasuke. "We can make it easy, or we can make it hard Uchiha."

The raven cocked a delicate eyebrow. "What are you trying to play, Inuzuka?" He smirked. "Bad cop doesn't suit you."

Chouji frowned and crossed his arms. "And I thought you were finally turning around."

Lee jumped up from his chair. "Sasuke-kun! Everyone in the springtime of their youth should express their feelings to their loved one, but when the other does not accept it, you cannot force it upon them!"

Sasuke scoffed. "What? You think I like the dobe?"

Kiba hammered a hand onto the table, quieting all of them. He glared at the raven. "Why'd you kiss him then! Confess now and we can avoid the consequences."

Sasuke laughed and stood up. Opening his mouth to speak, the other three leaned in. He closed it and smirked.

"I felt like it." Nodding, he left the dining hall, leaving the other two to comfort Kiba's failed attempt at interrogation.

---

Sasuke looked up. Before he had realized it, his feet had brought him to the courtyard. He sat down by the sakura tree and slightly shivered when he remembered a girl who had the same name. Before he came here, that pink haired girl stalked him every single day, she would save things like the tissue he sneezed in, the fork he used for lunch. God, she was a menace. Smoothing out his shirt, he leaned against the tree, interlocking his hands behind his head. Why did he kiss the blonde? It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? The dobe had challenged him, and Sasuke had accepted it and won. It was simple. But Sasuke's emotions weren't. And the blonde's certainly weren't. How the heck was he supposed to know it was his first kiss? It's not like he had a radar. Sasuke looked up as some pink petals gently floated down.

What was this feeling? Guilt? In all his eighteen years, Sasuke never once felt guilty. After all, he was always right in what he did. Never making a mistake, it was like he was almost perfect. No, he was perfect wasn't he? Perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect family background. Why was he sent here? Was perfection a flaw? A petal landed on his knee. It stood out against the blue fabric of his jeans. Blowing it off his pants, he leaned back once again. He could feel it slipping, his mask of perfection. The one he spent eighteen years molding, so he could stand the shining brilliance of his father and brother. He sighed. Of all times, just before he was going to get the acceptance letter to one of the most prestigious colleges in Japan.

Brushing off his jeans, he stood up and started the walk back to his room.

---

Naruto fidgeted in the chair, anxiously waiting for Sasuke to return. Well, we share a room so he's got to come back here. He almost fell off when he heard the door sliding open. He took a deep breath and stood up, walking to the door. He cleared his throat. Sasuke almost jumped. He thought he was alone. The raven turned and saw the blonde, holding an envelope out to him.

Naruto looked away. I can give it to him without speaking to him.

"What's this?"

Is everything against me now? The blonde pushed the letter into his chest and ran back to his side of the room. He slammed the sliding door closed.

"It's from your mom." He said from the other side. Naruto put his ear against the door. He could hear Sasuke rip the envelope open. Everything was silent other than Sasuke's quick breaths as he read the letter. Naruto heard a thump and he slid the door open a crack to peek outside. His eyes widened when he saw Sasuke on the floor stunned.

"Oi," Naruto said softly. "You okay?"

Sasuke's face quickly turned into rage and he shredded the letter into pieces and threw them across the room. The blonde watched at the little pieces of paper slowly fell down onto the tatami mats.

Naruto knelt beside the Uchiha and bit his lip. This was the first time he'd seen Sasuke like this. Though he didn't know him well, or for a long time, he knew that this was not how he usually was.

"Teme, are you alright?"

Sasuke buried his face into his hand and rubbed his temples. "Go away, dobe."

"I was trying to help, you know!"

Sasuke looked up momentarily, "I don't need your help. Yours or others."

"What? Are you going to get through life alone?"

"As expected of me."

The blonde leaned back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Society has standards, Naruto. And those standards, for an Uchiha, are set higher than anyone else's."

"Why should you care what society thinks? Aren't you the mighty Sasuke?" Naruto grinned.

Sasuke turned away; he could feel his face heating up. "Shut up," he mumbled.

Naruto laughed, "Are you blushing, bastard?"

Sasuke smirked and looked at the blonde. "I know I've made you blush more than you could ever to me."

The blonde backed up, "Yeah, well," He paused, looking for the right thing to say, "I'm not a pervert like you!"

"Oh?" Sasuke put his hands on the blonde's chest and pushed him down onto the floor. He straddled him and held his hands tightly above his head. He leaned in and his face was merely centimeters away. Naruto clenched his eyes shut, blushing.

Sasuke chuckled and got up. "Look who's the pervert now. What'd you think I was going to do?"

Naruto opened his eyes and glared at the Uchiha. "You're still a bastard."

"And you're still a dobe." Sasuke held out his hand. Surprised, but pleased, Naruto took his hand and Sasuke pulled him up to his feet.

"Why weren't you this nice when we first met?"

Sasuke rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry." He walked out the room and into the courtyard. He looked back at the blonde. "Are you coming, or are you going to keep me waiting?"

Naruto followed him and closed the door. "Do you like ignoring peoples' questions?"

---

The blonde checked over his attire again. His sandals were clean and his robe was smoothed out. He touched his hair. "It's always you isn't it?" Sighing and accepting a lifetime of unruly hair, Naruto glanced at the sun. He was a little early, but Iruka-sensei said being early was better than being late. Finally, around 7:30 or so, Naruto heard the knock on the door. He slid out the wooden log and unlocked the door.

"Welcome," The blonde smiled. His smile faltered when he saw the weak girl barely able to stand. She had to lean against someone and it looked like she was about to fall any moment.

The guy holding her stepped forward, guiding her into the temple. "I'm Neji Hyuuga, and this is Hinata Hyuuga. She's sick and we tried all of the best doctors in Japan and some foreign ones as well, but no avail." The man's pale eyes looked at Naruto's face, "This is our last hope."

Naruto looked at the girl. Her breathing was shallow and irregular. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. He took her other arm and put it around his shoulder. "I'll bring you the west wing. It's the closest to the onsen."

When they got to the west wing, Naruto brought them inside a room. He gently took Hinata's arm off his shoulder and laid out a futon for her. Carefully, Neji and Naruto helped Hinata into the futon. The two of them stepped out of the room and quietly closed the sliding door.

Naruto let out a sigh. He looked at Neji. "What's her illness?"

The Hyuuga ran a hand through his long hair. "That's just it. No one can diagnose it. The symptoms are very similar to other illnesses, but the treatments don't work. In fact, they've weakened her body even more."

He must really care about her. Wait…Neji Hyuuga, Hinata Hyuuga. Holy crap! They're married! No wonder he sounds so concerned. Poor thing. "Well, after some food, let's bring her to the onsen." Neji looked skeptical, but he nodded. "You look tired. How about some breakfast? Then I'll show you around a little and by then Hinata-san should be all rested up. We'll give her some food and she'll take a nice long bath in the hot spring."
Neji inwardly sighed. This was their last hope. What choice did he have? Dejectedly, he followed the energetic blonde on the way to the eating hall.

---

Sasuke tapped is fingers impatiently on the table. Where the hell was that dobe? When he woke up, the blonde was already gone. He glanced at the others. Shikamaru was dozing over his oatmeal, Chouji was stuffing his mouth with multiple foods, Kiba was snickering and reading some book under the table, and Lee was naming his dumplings. Great way to start the morning, spending it with these freaks. Sasuke glanced at the entrance and sat up when he saw the familiar bobbing of yellow hair. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a long haired guy following him.

"Hey guys!" Naruto greeted them with a grin. He pushed forward the new guy. "This is Neji Hyuuga! He's a guest in the temple, just like Sasuke-teme! There's another one too, but she's resting in the west wing."

The others temporarily stopped what they were doing and said hi. Lee jumped up from his seat and greeted the new guest enthusiastically. "Welcome, Neji-kun!" Neji forced a smile and pulled his hand away.

"Just Neji, is alright."

Sasuke scratched his cheek. Neji…Neji Hyuuga. Where had he heard that name before? "Hyuuga Corporations."

Neji looked at Sasuke. He smirked. "An Uchiha. What an honor." Naruto blinked at the sudden change of attitude.

Sasuke returned the smirk. "What is the company going to do without you?"

"Well, unlike the Uchiha Corporations, I can step away for a while without the whole business falling apart."

The raven glared at him. Naruto stepped right in between them and grinned, oblivious to the tension. "Let's eat, shall we?"

Me: This chapter was such a bad one. There wasn't really any development of plot, but I had to get some things out of the way first so there wasn't really any SasukexNaruto moments in here, but I'll be trying to update this week so meanwhile, you can read my other fics, which I will also be updating.