Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ None the Wiser ❯ And Second Chances ( Chapter 4 )

Title: None the Wiser

Author: The Uke Reformation

Genre: Naruto

Subgenre: Romance/Drama

Summary: There are some things not meant to be said. There are some pasts that you cannot escape. Some people that will always hunt you down. And every once in a while, there are special students that reward you for all your teaching...SasuNaru, yaoi

Rated: R for harsh language, as well as sexual and mature content.

Author's Note: The city Naruto lives in is modeled after San Francisco (if we're not already assuming that it is San Francisco). However, all businesses among other things featured in this story are entirely fictional and for to be used for entertainment purposes only.

Mary of Oranges was the ruler of England (along with her husband William) after the Glorious Revolution.

Note: Boy love, because it's good like that.

Disclaimer: Copyright The Uke Reformation, 2005. All rights reserved.

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None the Wiser

by The Uke Reformation

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Chapter 4

" Apples, empathy,

and second chances. “

The Mary of Oranges Grocery wasn't necessarily the best run of businesses, but it was popular enough and in a good spot off of Market Street that got just the right amount of business. It was small, but that seemed to localize it in a way that people liked. It sold everything and anything - to the point where it was more a convenience store than a grocery - but food was its main merchandising, so no one threw any fits about it.

There obviously wasn't too much money in it because it's structure hadn't been refined since it had opened in the 80's, but that made it cute instead of dingy, and attractive to a crowd of pleasant Muni passengers that stopped in everyday around five o'clock PM. And then, of course, there was the fact that it was maintained as a family business, with the same workers staying on for such long periods of time that they were easily recognized by name.

It was crowded-looking, with huge bins of fruits that were appealing to most anyone that laid eyes on them, both in quality of texture and taste as well as cost. It wasn't so much that the establishment looked nice so much as it had an excellent reputation that was easily upheld, simply because it was the owner's own apathy and loose-regulation that made it so alluring.

Naruto wound his way through crowds, crossing the street to pass in front of a clothing store and a few of the city's homeless, making his way for the grocery, and spotting a few of the people he was looking for almost immediately.

Two small boys were just outside the narrow doorway, one taller than the other in a long scarf and weirdly shaped beanie with holes, and the shorter wearing a bucket hat and blue overalls. Both had heads of dark chocolate-colored hair that hardly matched their mother's at all, and seemed to bursting with energy at the very seams of their bodies. They seemed to be talking quite animatedly, and Naruto - experienced as he was with the two brothers - immediately knew them to be having an argument. He picked snippets of it out of the chattering individuals around him as he neared the store, unheeded.

“Knock it off!”

The taller boy laughed and prodded the other in the ribs, hard. The shorter one yelled and punched him just as hard in the arm.

“Knock it off I said!”

“Don't you hit me!”

“I'll hit you if I wanna hit you!”

The shorter one made to sock him in the arm again but missed badly and knocked over a small pile of oranges which clattered about in their bin. He yelled again, holding his knuckles and the taller one took the oppuritunity to reach forward and grab a fistful of his hair and pull it.

“Ow! Knock it off, Konohamaru!” The shorter one kicked said boy in the stomach and the scuffle went downwards so that the two tangled on the ground, pummeling the living daylights out of one another.

Before Naruto could get there to stop it they had split apart again because Konohamaru had punched his brother in the jaw. The younger one immediately burst into angry tears and came at him, just in time to nearly knock over his main care provider.

“Oh!” She caught herself half through a stumble, barely keeping her balance and spilling the apples she was holding in her apron.

She was of miniature height, probably only around five and a half feet tall, with platinum blonde hair that was highlighted with bronze streaks and wide curves that seemed more condensed because of her short stature. Her eyes were a similar shade of amber and there were three thin black strokes curled across each of her cheeks. She was wearing a white shirt with the and green smock that matched her form-fitting jeans. She seemed genuinely surprised as she pulled the two boys apart, slightly angry that they were arguing but more upset that they were hurting one another.

She pulled the shorter one to one side of her and the taller to the other side of her, maternal instincts splayed across her face in a chastising expression.

“You two! Stop fighting!”

“Yeah, you two. Give your mom a break, won'tcha?”

The woman looked up and smiled delightedly as her blonde cousin walked over, hand in his pockets and understanding smirk cast across his mouth lazily.

“Naruto!”

He smiled back at her, widely, and reached down to pat her children on the heads, ruffling their hair. “How are you Yohko?”

“Wonderful,” she said, hugging them to her gently. “I just wish they'd keep their temper for a little more than a second or two.” She cast a look of mock-anger at Konohamaru and he sniffed, folding his arms and looking off with a scowl. The other looked bitter, staring at the ground. She laughed daintily, patting his head as well.

“Konohamaru, apologize to your brother.”

“I don' wanna…!” he whined, but Yohko's look said it all. He sighed rolling his eyes. “Sorry, Inari.”

Inari scowled. Yohko laughed and pet him again. “Oh, buck up. You'll survive.” She began to gather up her apples again, stopping to offer one to both of the boys. Konohamaru took his immediately and popped it in his mouth. Inari pouted and held it, folding his arms.

Yohko ushered them both back into the store and watched them scamper off before turning back to Naruto who she immediately leaned up and enveloped in a one-armed hug, keeping the rest of the apples in the fold of her apron. He hugged her back with a smile and helped her put the apples in their respective bins afterwards.

“Has it been like that all day?” he said, grinning at the two boys through the window, where he could see them sword fighting.

Yohko sighed, chuckling lightly. “They're growing boys. I've no doubt they'd much rather be hanging out with children their own age than cooped in the store all say with me.”

“They'll go to school next year, won't they?”

Yohko smiled. “I'll manage it somehow.”

Naruto nodded and corrected her with a soft smile. “We'll manage it somehow.”

She laughed. “Of course.”

A co-worker called to her from inside. “Yohko, they're getting into the water pistols again!”

“I'm coming!” Yohko called back immediately, looking distressed and hurrying inside. Naruto chuckled, following her, and helped her shoo the boys away from the plastic guns with which they were so enamored.

Inari and Konohamaru scampered down an alternate aisle and Yohko sighed, heavily, putting her hands on her hips. “Something wrong?” Naruto said, looking over at her with a coy smile. She shook her head in a tired, half-mind-boggled fashion.

“I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever manage to keep up with them. If it's not one thing, it's another.”

Naruto shrugged and piled the pistols in a way that was more pleasing to his eye. “They're boys. It's what they do. Besides, you keep `em in better line than you think.”

Yohko sighed and moved forward to remove a pistol from his hand and set about making the display more appealing to her. “You're a wonderful person to say so.”

He laughed. “You don't believe me?”

“I most certainly do not.” She smiled at him and plucked another one from his grasp. “Keep an eye on them until my shift ends.”

He scoffed, mocking offense. “Are you asking me to baby sit your children?”

"I didn't ask," she said, dismissively, waving it off and looking over the display again for errors, and - in finding none - proceeding to wipe her hands on her apron.

"And should I refuse?"

"You won't."

"And if I did?"

“I'll be done in an hour and a half.” She watched him with a half-smirk, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“I should think so!” he said, folding his hands over his chest and looking indignant.

She giggled and scooted off.

“I charge!” he yelled after her.

She laughed back at him and disappeared into the back room.

-----

 

“Remind me again why we need to stop at the copy place…?”

Naruto had pretty easily diverted the two young boy's attention to a nearby rack of stickers and Halmark cards upon their entry of the shop around two minutes ago. Yohko had left the apron at her place of employment in exchange for a plain, conservative-looking black jacket with a hood that was cut just above her waist. For most people it would've been a tacky look, but the occupants of Kinko's seemed to think it fit her quite nicely. The way she was leaning over the copier probably didn't help things, but Naruto didn't mind it too much. Yohko would be Yohko, after all. (In all honesty, she probably didn't even notice.)

What he did mind was the fact that she was displaying her `I'm-going-to-play-dumb'-ness to him quite blatantly. He tapped his foot impatiently, hating the knowledge that she was up to something when he was unaware of what it was.

She shrugged, putting the lid down and punching something in on the keypad. “It's on my way home from work. I need to get this copied.” She gestured loosely to the copier. Naruto scowled, knowing that wasn't only reason.

“And I know the look you get when you need to talk to me about something.”

Naruto blinked and she smiled at him widely. He shook the shock off after a second. She was the weirdest relative he had, by far. Not that he had any others, but hell, if he'd had any others…

But then, he figured he ought to be used to it by now.

“Yeah…what does going to a copy place have to do with that?”

Yohko shrugged. “I figured that after leaving the boys with you for an hour or so you'd be going into one of your `hey-look-a-distraction' kind of modes, so it'd be easier to stall them and coax out of you whatever you're wanting to talk about.”

Naruto stared, having been so effectively set up it was dumb-founding. Yohko flashed him an innocent smile, which didn't help in making him feel any less belittled.

Ah, well. Complaints could wait.

He checked that the boys were still fiddling with the card rack and then turned back to her.

“Okay,” he said, breathing deeply and looking at her squarely in an attempt to officially begin the situation. She'd known him long enough and nodded, acknowledging this fact.

“You know that student I was telling you about, right?”

“The `stick-up-his-ass' one?” He nodded and so did she. “Yes, I remember. Last time he was giving you a lot of trouble, wasn't he?”

“Then and now,” Naruto said with frustration, bringing his briefcase up off of the ground and setting it on one of the provided countertops. “I told you I was giving a test today, didn't I?” She nodded as he fished around in the pocket of his coat. “Alright, good. With that in mind, I'm going to tell you what you don't know, which is this: I just came from a meeting with Kakashi after giving Uchiha a detention.”

Yohko didn't pry, knowing he was taking this somewhere that probably wouldn't entail the means for giving Uchiha the detention, but figured she might atleast ask one of the many questions that was biting at her. “Why would that be Kakashi's concern…?”

“Well, I figured it was because Uchiha was on the football team, at first, but that's not why.” He found what he was looking for in his pocket and looked satisfied, pulling it out with his own sort of flourish. Yohko blinked.

“Kakashi helped me assign those detentions, so I'm not sure why I would assume he would ask me to recant some of them into lesser things just because it was only football players receiving them. I was so mad I probably didn't notice, which was kinda thoughtless on my part…” He uncrumpled the folded paper, rubbing out the crinkles by moving it back and forth across the counter's edge. “But he gave me this of all things. Told me they'd been passing it around the locker room.”

Naruto unfolded it completely and handed it to her, immediately diving for the briefcase and flicking the clips open. He already knew her reaction before he glanced at her, and it was exactly what his had been. She was staring at it as a devout Roman Catholic priest stares at a Satanist; as if it might jump up and rip chunks of her flesh from their rightful places.

She spoke quietly after a while. “How did they get ahold of this…?”

“I don't have the foggiest idea.” He rifled through the papers, eyes hard. “But that's not what shocked me so much. I've had cheaters before, and I've always caught them in the end, but…” He finally drew out the one that caught his eyes, silently bidding it spontaneously combust.

“But…?” Yohko prompted him, looking up from the one she was holding.

“Well, I always have the kids hand their papers in alphabetically, you know, so that it'll be easier to correct later. I don't always grade `em that way but I like to play with their heads. Anyway, I collected first period's tests, and Uchiha's name is last, so I got a good look at it before I put them away…take a look.” He offered it to her and she took it, eyes doubling in size.

Naruto watched her, putting his hands in his pockets.

She stared.

“Naruto, this is impossible.”

“I thought so too.”

“No, Naruto…impossible…these…these look exactly the same.” She stared at it. Not even just the words, but even the style of the handwriting. “Naruto, it's even written in exactly the same way…”

“I know.” Naruto nodded, looking grim.

“But…” Yohko looked at the original piece of paper she had received, looking almost mind-boggled. She could only distinguish it from the other one because of it's wrinkles from being in Naruto's pocket, and it was almost scary. They were exact copies of one another. “…Naruto…this isn't Uchiha's handwriting though, is it…?” She gestured to the folded test in order to indicate which one she was talking about.

Naruto nodded, taking it from her. “I know. That was the creepiest part.”

Yohko looked over the flawless page now in her hands. “Then this…isn't his handwriting either, is it?”

Naruto shook his head. “He writes like a type writer. Obviously it doesn't resemble this—” he gestured to the text on the paper “—at all. Which is the weirdest thing. I can understand remembering all of the answers maybe but making it look exactly the same as the cheat sheet? It's inconceivable.”

Yohko nodded. "Is it possible he got someone to write it for him...?" Her voice was unbelieving, as if she had been ready to withdraw the statement as soon as she'd said it.

Naruto shook his head. "You know I keep a closer eye on them than that. Besides, it'd have to be the same person who wrote this one," he held up the cheatsheet, "and even then it'd look somewhat different, even if it was the same person."

Yohko looked it over, her eyes deep and analyzing. “It's a really long test, too…it's almost as if…”

Her voice died suddenly as she seemed to realize something unconventional. Her eyes went wide again and Naruto watched her. “What?” he asked, blinking.

Yohko kept her eyes on the paper, her voice halting as if she was thinking very hard about something. “Naruto…tell me if I'm wrong…but…do I recall correctly…you saying something about this boy sounding just like a dictionary in one of his responses during an assignment…? To the point where you could find - did find - the same words written in the dictionary?”

Naruto blinked. “Yeah…”

Yohko nodded slowly. “And he writes like a type writer…?”

Naruto nodded. “Almost exactly…but why—”

“Because if what I'm thinking is true, this may not be as far-fetched as it seems.”

Naruto blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…well, doesn't this look like a photocopy of what the cheat sheet looked like?”

Naruto nodded again, uncertainty and curiosity filling him.

“But we know this was hand-written by Uchiha, even though the cheat sheet wasn't, don't we? I mean, I know how much attention you pay when you give tests.” Yohko looked up at him for confirmation that he was listening and he nodded for her to continue.

“Well, Naruto…putting two and two together…I just wonder…”

“Wonder what?” The impatience jumped out of his mouth before he could prevent it. He was dying to know what was going on in Yohko's head. The thing that tugged at the back of his throat was childish and desperate. `C'mon!' it screamed. `Tell me! Tell me!'

“What if Uchiha-san has an eidetic memory?”

Naruto stared at her.

“A…a what?”

“An eidetic…” she paused, substituting the psychological term for street words. “A photographic memory, I mean.”

He stared. “An eidetic memory…?”

Yohko nodded. “Think about it. What if his writing isn't just similar to a type writer's print…? What if the dictionary definition wasn't just a coincidence…? What if…it actually is type writer printing? And the definition is one he remembers from having read it somewhere? It wouldn't have to be more than that one time…if he saw it once it would be enough, wouldn't it?

“So, what if he caught more than a glimpse of that sheet in the locker room during practice this morning? What if, with his eidetic memory, all he had to do was stare at it for a few moments and then it was implanted in his brain forever? Then, all he'd have to do in order to pass your test was copy it down exactly the way he saw it—”

“Other person's handwriting and all.”

Naruto and Yohko shared a long, long look and the teacher comprehended. Sometimes, all it took was a little contortionism by another person to make a thought that had - until that point - been so elusive that it was unfathomable…sometimes all it took was another view to make them make perfect sense. But now that he looked at in the way Yohko had, it was gloriously clear.

Uchiha Sasuke had an eidetic memory.

It made perfect sense now.

Yohko nodded and he nodded too, the silence between them acknowledgement enough.

`My God, you're right,' it said. `You're so, so right.'

The sound of a page printing out of the copy machine brought Naruto back into life and he hurried onward.

“I don't understand though. The dictionary phrases looked like his handwriting…” Comparing the two, he hadn't picked up on this immediately because it didn't look traced. Sasuke's handwriting on that line had looked the same as on any other, and was only similar to the dictionary's font. So… “Why wouldn't he have written this in his own handwriting too?”

Actually, he realized as the words formed on Yohko's lips, he knew the answer. He knew it very well, and it was the reason he harbored such dislike for the Uchiha in the first place.

“Well…I can't be sure of course, but from all that you've told me…he doesn't really care for your class all that much, am I right?”

Naruto nodded, stomach sinking. It was true then.

“Then maybe he just doesn't care enough to even try to make it look like his own handwriting. He simply assumes you'll buy it enough to pass him so…so he doesn't even have to try.”

The truth stung like a bitch.

Naruto scowled, folding his arms. “I'll just make sure he doesn't then. For all intents and purposes, I was going to fail him already, the minute I saw this.”

But the not-even-trying part just pisses me off.

Yohko immediately shook her head, fiercely, taking his clenched hand with a chastising expression. “Don't you go being childish, Naruto. Now don't tense up like that. Relax and listen to me. That's what you wanted, right? My advice?”

Naruto simmered, still brooding, but did as she said, loosening himself. “Alright. Go on.”

“Now listen. All this proves is the fact that you have got to stop playing these games at his level! He's a fourteen-year-old, Naruto. You're ten years older! Act like it!”

Naruto frowned and looked off. The sun was setting early tonight, it seemed, and the orange light flashed in his eyes, making him squint for a second. He could feel Yohko's eyes on him as his lips tightened.

“He doesn't respect me at all, does he?”

Yohko looked at him in an almost piteous fashion, wringing her hands together in a want, a need to help him with his problems. Her voice was quiet, sincere, when she spoke.

“Well, then, you've got to start thinking about reasons for that. Whether he likes you or not, you've got to earn his respect somehow. And playing his games aren't going to cut it. And do you know why that is? It's because playing the games he sets up for you makes him the one in charge, and it's just what he wants you to do.”

“So!” Naruto's frustration flared unpleasantly. “What am I supposed to do!”

Yohko was on him quicker than lightning. “Don't you get petulant with me. This is exactly what I'm talking about. He's picking you apart Naruto. He's figured out what annoys you and he's pushing your buttons. He's trying to manipulate you into playing his games so he can prove that you don't deserve his respect.”

“So what do I do?”

“I'll tell you what you do. You go ahead and play his games. But you start playing like a teacher rather than playing like a high-schooler.”

-----

 

“…So, looking at these primary sources, we can determine what about the purposes of the Virginia-bound passengers of 1634, versus the New England-bound passengers of 1634?” Naruto looked out into the waving hands and gestured. “Chouji?”

“That the New English guys were older?”

Naruto raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and other than the fact that I question `New English' existing as a label, what did that mean in comparison?”

Chouji faltered. “Um…”

Another waving hand caught Naruto's eye. “Kiba?”

“That the Virginians didn't like children?”

“Well, I don't think that was a factor in their not bringing any.” He looked around, almost desperately. “Oh, c'mon guys! Just answer me this question and then you can go!”

Haku's hand was steady in the air where it was towards the back. Naruto spoke the boy's name and gestured. C'mon, c'mon, help me out, Haku…

The boy looked slightly unsure, but spoke clearly. “Well, wouldn't it suggest that the passengers bound for Virginia were more interested in building a colony, rather than traveling to one that already existed, as the data suggests for the New Englanders?”

“Yes!” Naruto yelled, bringing his class to attention. “That it is exactly right. Props to you Haku.” He gave his student a wide smile and a thumbs up. “Does everyone understand that, now? Who can explain Haku's reasoning for that belief?”

Akamaru's palm was like a billboard, and her enthusiasm was lifting her out of her chair.

“Akamaru!” he said, practically shouting, grin so wide it hurt.

“Because you needed strong young people to build a colony, and just lots of people in general to maintain one!”

“And there you are! Pack up!”

He glanced at the clock as the shuffle and scraping began. Two minutes until the bell. He yawned openly and stretched the muscles of his shoulders. He readied himself, looking at the clock again, reaching into the back of his mind and reeling out all that Yohko had advised him as well as anything else he might think he could use to prepare himself for this.

Nothing graced him with its presence. He gave up the cause without much fight.

Somehow, something in him was nervous. But he was Uzumaki Naruto and that wasn't something he was even close to acknowledging, or even close to really considering as a threat to his hardly maintained composure. He was a teacher, and, dammit, the world was going to know it.

And that world unfortunately contained Uchiha Sasuke. So, dammit, he was going to have to know too.

The bell went off and somehow, Naruto's brain cued up his mouth at last, above the straining squeaks of chairs being scooted out from under desks and backsides and the like.

"Uchiha Sasuke! Stick by after class, I want to talk to you."

A few of the students gawked, sending him hesitant looks as they were buffeted along by their own ignorant classmates. They blinked, unbelieving, at him. He ignored them and they were eventually swept out with the tide, like driftwood, into the hall.

The Uchiha God himself stopped midway down the row of desks, his bookbag on his shoulder, to stare at their blonde benefactor coldly. Naruto smiled back at him in a meaninglessly innocent fashion as the room emptied.

Sasuke walked forward, the muscles in his face seeming more taut than usual, as if he was straining to keep his distaste in line with his stoic mannerisms.

"I'll be late for second period," he said simply, as if it was the only thing required of him to state before he could go.

Naruto's meaningless smile broadened. "I'll write you a pass. This won't take long, anyway."

You're not worming your way out of this, Uchiha.

Said boy's eyes hardened slightly in what Naruto could pick - quite easily - out of a crowd as one of the most severe of contempts. It was there, and Naruto knew the student was going to engage. He knew already that this was a game that he was going to win.

It made him smile in a cruel, sadistic sort of way.

He drew his own chair out from under the oak wood of his desk and sat down in it, gesturing to hard backed one sitting to the side of the room. Sasuke took the hint and dragged it over in front of his teacher. Naruto nodded to him, folding his arms and crossing one leg over the other simultaneously.

"Sit, won't you?"

Sasuke did so, remaining as expressionless as he seemed to be able to muster. There was a small piece of harldy-comfortable silence between them. Naruto felt like a vampire. For some reason, that concept didn't entirely bother him as much as he later felt it should have.

It didn't occur to him for a long while that he was playing a game of predator versus prey.

The Uchiha interrupted the silence at long last. "If you'll excuse my saying so, sensei..." Naruto noticed the pause in his voice before he added the honorific. "...I'll be serving detention later today. Can this wait?"

"If I thought it could Uchiha-san," Naruto said, cold smile flashing brightly as he spoke Uchiha's title with the same air, "I certainly would have waited until then." And you'll be serving detention for a whole lot longer than just one day; don't you dare think otherwise.

The Uchiha's lips tightened. Naruto smirked and reached for his briefcase, chuckling in a way only he could hear as he withdrew from it a paper that he had - over the course of yesterday and today - become very familiar with. He lifted it with two fingers to set it on the desk between the two of them, looking into Sasuke's dark eyes.

"I'm sure you recognize this, don't you?"

Sasuke looked ready to strangle something. His voice was a very forced calm.

"I do, sensei."

Naruto smiled at him coolly and rested on finger on top of the mark that was circled at the top, in red.

"And I'm also sure you understand what this percentage means, don't you?"

Sasuke stared at it, as if willing it to spontaneously combust with all of his being.

0%. F.

He nodded curtly after a while. "I understand what it means, sensei."

Naruto smiled and leaned closer to him to more closely survey his behavior. "And do you understand why you got it?"

Sasuke looked back at up at him, exterior icy, as if daring him to any further invade his personal space.

"Not at all."

Good.

It took all of Naruto's good will towards men to keep from speaking his mind. He recalled Yohko's warnings to not completely abandon his empathetic abilities, even with people he had judged (as he so rarely judged anyone) as an utter and complete asshole that he wanted to hurt in any way he could.

"It's one of your old attention-grabbing tactics springing to life, is all. Just keep your cool, Naruto."

He sighed quietly to himself, recalling the words and the hug she'd given him along with a parting kiss on the cheek. He had to focus. He had to keep his cool and he had to make sure he didn't let his instincts take complete hold of him now or ever again with this boy.

It was never good when he let his instincts take control of how he dealt with people.

"Well," he said, arms still crossed over his chest. "Allow me to explain to you, then, why you've failed that test. It's pretty simple."

Sasuke looked as if he'd rather rip his own heart from his ribs and devour it than be spoken to in this fashion. Naruto ignored him.

"I don't appreciate cheaters. That's why."

Sasuke blinked and Naruto smiled, knowing he'd finally caught the boy off his guard. He fished in his pocket and brought out the folded cheatsheet he so abhored.

"I spoke to Kakashi after school yesterday. He said he found a few morons bouncing around with this in the locker room after morning practice." He dangled it to the side of his face. Sasuke was glaring daggers. "It's funny, you know." He smiled. "I don't recall telling anyone that there was going to be a test in this class. You didn't even know, until you got ahold of this, did you? And behold..." Naruto peered over Sasuke's test another time before again adjoining their eyes. "...not a single incorrect problem on your part. That's amazing, don't you agree?

"Not a single problem in your handwriting, either."

Sasuke seemed even more offgaurd with this one but recovered more quickly. Naruto smiled at him.

"It's funny. I wouldn't have had anything more than suspicion to go off of if Kakashin hadn't caught you guys." It was a cruel statement. Mocking.

You should've been more careful going through the metal detector, my good Sir Bin Ladin.

Sasuke's mouth was tight. There was recognition in the eyes of both males. Acknowledgement.

You know, then.

Yes, I do.

This might have the ability to make my life very unpleasant, then.

Yes, I suppose it might.

The boy nodded, finally. "I understand, sensei."

"You understand the reason you failed, Uchiha-san." You hardly understand all that I have to tell you.

The Uchiha nodded again quietly, knowing from the tone of Naruto's voice that he was hardly allowed to go. "I do," he said again, awaiting whatever misfortune this could possibly hold.

Naruto nodded as well, smiling at him. "Good. There is something I'm afraid you don't understand, however. Two things, as it were."

He pointed to the circled pinnacle of failure on the Uchiha's paper.

"One thing is the fact that this test is twenty-five percent of your coming semester grade in my class."

Sasuke stared, as close to gaping as Naruto knew he could get.

"There is a reason I do not reveal to students when my tests are going to be, Uchiha-san. They are few and far between, which, for one thing, makes it so that anyone in my class should be paying apt attention at all times. For another thing, it makes them much more weighted, so it always makes it near impossible to recover from screwing up on one of them.

"It gives me a way of semi-vicious revenge on anybody who decides to goof off in my class."

Sasuke stared at him and Naruto's smirk widened.

"It's very true that I dislike grading, of course," he said, "so that may factor in as well. But, as I'm sure you've figured out now, smart as you are, Uchiha-san,

"I hate being disrespected more than anything in the world."

There was a small silence between them. Sasuke looked to be in a state of alter-personality shock and anger.

"Also, smart as you are, I'm sure you can figure out that with over twenty-five percent deducted from your grade in this class, the best you can hope to get is a C."

Sasuke's muscles seemed to tense in revulsion. Naruto leaned forward, eyes dead serious.

"And from what I guess about you, Sasuke," he said, voice dead-quiet and all honorifics abandoned as to make a greater impression on his 'victim', "that would hardly be acceptible, wouldn't it?"

The boy shivered, disgusted with his circumstances. Naruto pulled back.

"The second thing I think you should understand is what I'm going to force you to do to make certain that that does not happen."

Sasuke looked up. His eyes were dark. Cold. Brooding. Naruto didn't flinch in the least.

Instead, he flashed a smile of similar properties.

"I know you don't like me, Uchiha-san. And I notice that you don't try at all to make me the least bit unsure of that fact. You don't put any effort into this class."

His eyes curled upwards in happy crecents.

"Unfortunately, that might get you through every other academic course for the rest of your life, but it will not get you through mine. I, as of now, have no real qualms about failing you."

Sasuke's eyes burned, dagger-like, speaking for him.

Why don't you then?

Naruto continued to beam at him. "I'm a strong believer in second chances, though, as it were. So here's what I'm going to do."

Listen closely. This is your last chance to appease me.

"Every day of the detentions you have been allotted, you will come straight here after school for every day that you attend. For every day that you do not attend, you'll be staying with me another day longer. Three hours you're going to spend with me, every day. Under my supervision, you're going to do every assignment I give you to the best of your ability. You're going to turn it in. You're going to get an A on it. If you do not get an A on it you're going to do it over. You're going to participate actively in class. You're going to pretend to respect me.

"And if you do that for an entire month, I'll omit the test score from your grade."

Sasuke stared at him.

"After-school tutoring. Is that what you're proposing?"

"I'm more than proposing, Uchiha-san. But yes, I suppose you could call it that."

The boy nodded slowly, eyes fiery beneath a subtle exterior.

"Understood, sensei."

Naruto nodded and handed him the pass, pre-written and signed. "Wonderful."

Sasuke stood and made for the door. Hatred practically radiated off of him as he went out into the hallway and the door shut hard behind him. Naruto watched it for a long time before sighing heavily, and raising from his chair, folding his arms behind his head.

His stomach hurt. That couldn't have made him...nervous...?

...No. He shook his head, sighing again. He was just delirious, that was all.

And somehow, the thought of being partially stark raving mad was more comforting than being nervous about talking to Uchiha Sasuke would have been.

He had to deal with the boy twice a day now, by his own rules.

Jesus, this year was going to be a very, very long one.

-----

End Chapter 04

This chapter took a large amount of time to write, and the one-on-one stuff was odd and mildly frustrating because I kept picturing Naruto as Tsuzuki when he's possessed by Sagatanasu, which was pretty upsetting. But whatever - assume it's a trait he's developed because of his past…because it is.

--Lady Lamb