Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Title: Hot Shot!**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. The Taiwanese drama lan qiu huo isn't mine either.**

**~o0o~**

**Chapter 1**

**Why can't I?**

Sound multipurpose hall was as lively as ever at the end of the year when the inter-school basketball tournament was in full swing. The ground shook from the loud cheering from rabid fans. The echoes can be heard from outside. However, it was the 'whoosh' and the 'pam-pam' of the ball being manipulated beautifully on court that had all eyes and ears focused on the action going on there and not anywhere else.

It was the final match of the season; Konoha Versus Sound. The two teams were evenly matched, scoring one after the other alternately, as were expected as they were both the best teams from their region. The score was now 46-44. However Konoha had yet to play their trump card. From the loud, echoing sounds of the cheering, the most prominent words that could be heard were; Uchiha Sasuke. The name belonged to the most talented player ever to appear in the history of basketball. Raven hair that was styled in the most peculiar duck-butt fashion with long bangs framing his angular and mature face. Cold and dark onyx eyes that pierce their opponents, rendering them immobile to do anything to stop his play in a game and fair skin that glittered with sweat were all note worthy features. He was sure to get points in a flash for his team. However, Sasuke was currently benched and he sat with his arms on his knees with a towel on his head, hiding him from view. The scrutiny from his fans were becoming too much for him to take.

All were confused as Hell when the announcer didn't say the raven's name as the starting five and when he went straight to the long bench to sit, it got even weirder. Neither his coach nor his teammates talked to him, it was as though he was invisible under his towel. Sasuke couldn't have wanted it any other way. He was sick and tired of his teammates and coaches attitudes towards him anyway. Sometimes being a prodigy sucked.

"Oooh it looks like Sound is picking up their game and Konoha is having a hard time matching their tempo. Kabuto has the ball and he's dribbling pass his opponents with ease! He looks like he's about to shoot –no he does a fake and did a beautiful layup with the opening given to him!" the commentator relayed the situation as he saw it and his partner added his two cents.

"Yes and the score now is 48-44. It seems Konoha is getting tired and therefore allowing room for mistakes. I think they need to get over whatever feud they have and let the Uchiha play. He hasn't played since the beginning of the match. He should be thriving with energy!" his comment was followed by unanimous agreement by the audience; mostly the girls. The loud chants of "Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!" seemed to shake the building with its intensity.

The Konoha side gave no reaction to follow up on the advice. They simply took no notice of the raven.

"Whoa, nice intercept by Kidoumaru from Sound! He's headed to the goal at a fast pace. Can Konoha get back the ball? They look dead on their feet." the commentator loved to fuel the fire it seems.

"Get the ball back!" the Konoha coach was in frenzy. His fingers were buried into his hair tugging every now and then. He stomped his feet and shouted at his players, calling them 'weak' and 'useless-good-for-nothings'. He turned his bloodshot eyes to the scoreboard. The score was now 51-44 after Kidoumaru successfully scored a three-pointer. He looked towards the court at his players' inability to get the ball back in their possession due to their tiredness. _'I can't let it end like this!' _with this resolution in mind, he turned to his most difficult player on the team.

"Uchiha...I want you to sub Chouji. That guy's defense is weak as Hell." The raven gave no inclination to obey his coach's orders. The coach stared at him a little longer, a frown marring his face.

He said again, "Uchiha I want you to sub Chouji," he waited awhile longer before asking, "Did you hear me?" It seems Sasuke suddenly went deaf. The coach was in fury now. His bloodshot eyes were intensely glued to the defiant raven sitting in front of him, choosing to ignore all the eyes watching the scene in interest. He _hated _being humiliated.

However, his win was at stake here. He would rather he humiliate himself for a win then humiliate himself for a loss. He got down on his knees in front of the stoic raven.

The commentators' sharp eyes caught the action.

"Oh my God! Is the Konoha coach going to beg the Uchiha to get on court?" even more eyes turn to the scene.

Ignoring all the piercing eyes the coach said, "Uchiha Sasuke. I take back all my scathing remarks and all my wrongs that I ever said and done to you. I swear on my life to respect you like I would any other person and not just as a tool for winning. I swear to treat you like the rest of your teammates and not to judge you unfairly. But please help us now. We need the win. I swear to never ask anymore from you again. Win this match for us. You are the only one who can."

The commentator's partner said, "Oh my God he did beg. People this is definitely going into your history textbooks. _The _Uchiha Sasuke, has made his coach go on his knees to _beg_ him to play! Seriously badass!" that earned him a whack on his head.

Sasuke had looked up when he heard his prideful coach asking him for forgiveness. He had listened to him and couldn't help but scoff in his head. The man wasn't sincere. One look into his eyes confirmed it. He would do whatever he said he wouldn't, even at the cost of his life, again. He was so tempted to hang his head again and pretend his coach wasn't there but he looked at the scoreboard instead. They were lagging behind, 55-44. He scowled. He wasn't about to let his useless teammates tarnish his reputation of never losing. He was playing for himself and no one else. He stood and the towel on his head floated down like a cape revealing the hero. New cheers erupted from the stands this time threatening to burst eardrums.

He walked to the umpires' table and told them he was subbing. They nodded and he walked into the court while Chouji walked out with a sad expression on his face. He took his position as power guard.

When the game resumed, Sasuke was quick to intercept the ball easily and made a fastbreak since the court in front of him was empty. The Sound team members were behind him thinking they could score easier if they were near the hoop. With no one left to defend him, he scored swiftly, gracefully and so damn easily. Wilder cheers of "Sasuke I love you!" could be heard by the fangirls on the stands as they were enraptured by the smooth play made by the raven. He simply smirked and went to retrieve the ball from the umpire.

Similar plays were made by Sasuke and him alone since his 'teammates' were dead tired to help. He didn't mind. He was more of a soloist anyway and thought his teammates were a hindrance. The only reason he played basketball was because his great grandfather saw the talent he had to excel in the team game and he trained him from the moment he could walk.

Thanks to Sasuke the score was now 57-56. Konoha was quickly gaining back their losses. Only one more point and they would have won. The clock ticked, counting down to the end of the game in two minutes. _'Hn, not much time left.' _Not that the raven was shaking in his boots but he was currently surrounded by Sound members, refusing to let up on their defence and he had no opening. The crowd watched with bated breath. They knew that no matter how talented the raven was, he could not break away from that angle and score in two minutes. The commentators fell silent, choosing to see the end of the match instead of comment. In their hearts they too knew that this would be the first break Konoha would have from winning. They were about to be proven wrong.

The raven faked to the right but his opponents saw through it. _'I have no choice but to use that move.'_ And with that he threw the ball to the back board and while the others were confused with his actions he ran past the slackened defenders and jumped into the air to catch the rebounding ball to finally dunk it into the hoop.

The bell signalled the end of the game. 57-58, it was Konoha's victory. The silent crowd who were supporting them erupted into cheers after they realised that their team won. This time someone's eardrums really did vibrate. Sasuke covered his ear with his towel to filter out the noise. He grabbed his bag to prepare to exit.

'_This will be my last game. The team can go fuck themselves for all I care. I won't be used anymore.'_ Sasuke took a look around the multipurpose hall for the last time and made his silent departure, never once looking back.

"What a way to end the game! Uchiha sure has style eh Raidou!" the first commentator said.

"He sure does Genma," the other commentator smiled and discreetly wiped his eyes dry. The nerve wracking moment has ended and his favourite team won. Phew! With this victory, Konoha has won four times in a row. They were still the undefeated champion. In the ensuing chaos, no one realised the lack of a raven.

**~o0o~**

"Naruto nii-chan, can you just shoot already? We've been waiting for ages!" the complaint left Konohamaru in a high pitched whine. The young brunette was currently on the outside of the run down court with the rest of his friends, watching the lone blond haired, blue eyed boy they called their 'older brother', trying to take his first shot.

"Alright already, I'll shoot! Yeesh patience is a virtue, guys. Heard of that before?" said Naruto, with impatience and anxiety lacing his words. He bounced the ball awkwardly in front of him while looking at the hoop. He glanced to his right, no one. He glanced to his left, no one again, except for Konohamaru and the other kids. He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head to look back. Thankfully there wasn't anybody there with a shoe to whack his head with –or more accurately a vicious, red headed woman he called mother. He turned forwards again. Just as he was about to lift his arms to shoot, a loud shout echoed to him.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO! HOW _DARE_ YOU PLAY BASKETBALL WHEN I _FORBID_ YOU TO!" before Naruto could even react, a wooden slipper collided with the back of his head, dead on and he released the ball to fall forwards on his face with a "GAH!" and a thud. He heard the dreaded footsteps, one silent while the other wooden, as he stood up to run. Just as the person reached him, he was running away, already halfway out of the court.

He didn't stop running even as he heard the person order him to stop. He ran over hills, under bridges, into alleyways, between shops to finally come to a narrow lane that would take him all the way to his secret hide out. _'She'll never find me there.' _He sat down behind the wall just in front of a rundown hut no one used anymore. He had made this his secret hide out. Of course because of a mother's intuition, he could be found even if his hide out was a secret.

He panted, with his eyes closed and wished for water. A cup of cool water magically appeared in front of him when he opened his eyes and he drank it down greedily. When he looked up to thank the person for it he spat out all the water he drank and said in anguish, "Mom!"

His mother gave him a creepy, scary smile and pulled his ear all the way home, "that's for making me chase after you, brat! You'll get your punishment for disobeying me when we return home."

Naruto was doomed, he knew it.

**~o0o~**

A resounding 'whack' could be heard a mile away as a wooden cane came down on the blond's ass, hard. Even though he knew his ass was decorated with red welts and raw, he refused to utter a sound of pain every time the accursed cane came in contact with it because he knew he did no wrong. _'All I wanted to do was play basketball, but you never let me.'_ Naruto complained in his mind. He grinded his teeth to stop himself from voicing out his thoughts.

"You think you were clever, waiting for me to fall asleep before sneaking out of the house to play. I know you well Naruto. All your tricks don't work on me," every sentence was punctuated with a 'whack' from the cane, each time getting louder and harder. Naruto bit his lip to stop himself from crying out...but that didn't stop him from thinking, _'It's just basketball! All my friends play it so why can't I?'_ he refused to shed a tear even though the sting behind his eyes were getting unbearable for him.

"I forbade you from playing basketball Naruto, and yet you disobeyed me to go ahead and play. What would your father say if he were here?" and that woke Naruto up. He stood up in a flurry of movements and screams. His hands whirled around like windmills, trying to get the cane and his deranged-at-the-moment mother as far away from him as possible. He screamed curses and bloody murder at no one in particular –he didn't have the heart to direct them at his mother –to stop all movement his mother may make. And then he stopped and stared with teary eyes at his mother.

"Why don't you want me to play, huh? Dad would have let me play if he were alive and not forbid me like you did! He would have sided with me and not you!" Naruto knew that was a low blow but he didn't care. He was angry, hurt and confused. Why didn't his mother want him to play basketball? If only she would explain to him he could have understood but every time he mentioned the B-word his mother would glare at him and tell him to keep his mouth shut and just listen for his own good.

His mother apparently thought he had gone too far, "Oh so you think my own husband would forsake me and side with you huh? Well there was a reason we fell in love and that was because we were similar and could connect! He would understand why I didn't want you to play and stopped your silly dreams of wanting to become a pro basketballer. Now you made me mad," she raised her arm to swing the cane down on his son's leg but before she could raise it high enough, she started having a coughing fit. She clutched her chest as breathing became difficult.

Naruto's eyes widened and he rushed to his sickly mother's side. He let her hold his shoulder and lean on him as he rubbed her back, trying to aid her to breathe. He said words of comfort in her ears while moving her to the couch to sit down while he got the phone to call an ambulance as her coughing refused to subside. He dialled the emergency hotline and cursed as the ringing seemed to go on forever before someone on the other side picked up. He explained hurriedly but calmly while he watched her mother grip the sides of the couch in a death grip and put her hand to her mouth. He saw red dribbling between her fingers and he gasped. With reassurance that the ambulance would be there in ten minutes tops, Naruto slammed the phone into its receiver and rushed back to his mother. He didn't know what else to do so he stayed by his mother's side, rubbing her back and giving out words of encouragement and consolation. Soon she blacked out from lack of oxygen in her body. Naruto started to panic but true to their word, the ambulance came blaring to the front of their house with minutes to spare and he gave a sigh of relief.

He helped the medics load her unconscious mother onto the ambulance and got in after to follow them to the hospital. _'I'm so sorry I said those things. I won't say them again. Just please be alright.' _He kept his gaze on his mother the whole way ignoring everything else around him.

**~o0o~**

**AN: So as you can see I've decided to re-do hot shot all over again because I felt the old one was going nowhere and it kinda sucked in my opinion. I'm sorry if any of you who liked it feel betrayed or angry or sad or hurt. You can pm me with your complaints if you want. I'll read them and understand because you have every right to complain or curse or blame me for not warning you first and getting your opinion. But that doesn't mean I'll change my already made up mind. However I feel I should tell you that this new one isn't so far off from the old one. There's just a few tweaks here and there to make it more interesting;) Hope you will come to like it3 ...don't be too hard on me ya...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Hot Shot!**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: Characters and Lan qiu huo are not mine.**

**~o0o~**

**Chapter 2**

**I won't disappoint**

The silence was deafening. Never before has the hyper active, blond haired, blue eyed boy been so quiet in his entire life. He would always be the first to speak or hum or sing to break a long silence just because he was bored. However, now he sat deathly still by the white hospital bed, head hanging low and breathing the only noise he made that signified he was still alive. _'It's my entire fault. I knew she was really sick and yet I made her fucking stressed up over me. Why am I so fucking stubborn?' _His mental berating went on forever until a slight movement from the bed made him snap his head up to attention. He grabbed the nearest hand and gripped it tight, not wanting to let go.

"Mom? Are you awake?" he said in a voice so small and soft his mother had trouble believing it was her energetically loud son speaking.

"Yes Naruto I am." She replied, her voice cracked and hoarse from excessive coughing. With her free hand she brushed back the bangs that covered her son's beautiful blue eyes and saw how red and squinted they were with strain. She smiled. Even in his times of distress he refused to show any signs of weakness in front of her. Being his mother though, she knew. She chose not to comment on it though. Instead, she said her last words.

"Naruto, I know you have always loved the game...and I'm sorry I always kept you from playing it," she gave a small smile of apology before continuing, "You were so much like your father, Minato. He loved the game just as much as you. I always see him in you, did you know that? I didn't want to lose another one of my precious boys. I love you, Naruto, with all my heart. I refused to let the game take away another who was rightfully mine."

Naruto bit his lip and looked down at his shoes to try and stave off the onslaught of tears he could feel burning behind his eyes.

"You will get better right? You won't leave me alone right, mom? You will get better and then we can go home later. I promise not to make you mad anymore. I'll be good. I promise," he said all that to his shoes which just couldn't care less of what he was saying.

Kushina nodded slowly then said, "Naruto, you said you wanted to be the best basketball player ever right? Hahah, don't forget your dream and go all out to achieve it. Have no regrets. I won't stop you anymore," she closed her tired eyes and then continued; "I don't think the doctor will be releasing me today, Naruto. You're on your own for now. You're a big boy so I know you can take of yourself. There are still some donuts in the fridge if you get hungry later. Your ramen's in the cupboard like always." Her voice was getting softer and softer that Naruto was leaning right into her face just to make out her words. The hand in his was getting colder but he gripped it and rubbed it to make it warm.

"Mom, why are you so cold?" he didn't get an answer. He continued to rub the hand he was holding but no matter how much he tried to warm it, it didn't get any warmer. It was ice cold now.

Uzumaki Kushina simply smiled a small smile and said, "Be a good boy Naruto. I love you. And remember...no...regrets..."

And then silence.

Her hand in his went slack and fell from his hold to land on the soft sheets.

Naruto stared wide eyed, the tears he had been fighting to hold back flowed freely now down his cheeks, to his chin and then dripped onto his shoes. He stayed hovering beside the bed, hands frozen in place where he had held hers.

Then he stood to gently shake her shoulders.

"Mom? Wake up. I'll tell the doctor to see you and tell him you're better and can go home. Wake up please," his mother's eyes stayed closed, her small smile frozen on her face. She was a lot paler now than before.

"Mom, wake up! Wake up, please!" he was on the verge of screaming and shaking his mother violently awake.

"Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up! Mom! Open your eyes!" he was crying without a care of who saw him, his eyes red and puffy, his nose red and sniffling. The tears kept coming, refusing to stop.

"WAKE UP, DAMMIT!" he finally fell limp on the chair, defeated and resigned, as he buried his face and fingers in the white bed sheets by his mother's shoulder.

"...don't leave me," the quiet, muffled prayer was followed by repeated sniffling and sobbing.

The distressed blond cried till the nurse came to check on her patient a little while later. But by that time, it was too late.

She was already long gone, leaving behind a broken blond.

**~o0o~**

"Repeat what you said. I'm afraid I'm becoming hard of hearing." Uchiha Fugaku knew he wasn't. He just could not believe his son would say anything so ridiculous.

"I said, I quit," Uchiha Sasuke said that with a straight face, apparently unafraid of his silently raging father.

Fugaku clenched and unclenched his fist to calm himself before addressing his youngest son again. His eldest son stood at the door, just watching the scene.

"What makes you think you can quit as and when you like. You will continue your schooling and attending your practises. End of discussion." He was fed up with his youngest son's rebelliousness. Just because his great grandfather was away on business he felt he could slacken in his training and fight back. He was still his father and he will listen.

His son apparently had other opinions. Sasuke stood up and faced his father with a glare. He refused to be anyone's puppet any longer. He felt his older brother should do the same.

"I'm not playing basketball anymore. My _team_," the word was spat out of his mouth like something foul, "can go fuck themselves for all I care." He could see his older brother, Itachi, holding back his laughter. He internally smirked. At least someone agrees with him.

Before Fugaku can reprimand his son sternly for his language and talking back to him, Itachi's phone rang, cutting off whatever he wanted to say. The tensed silence was only interrupted once Itachi hung up and said, "Father, your plane is leaving in twenty minutes. I'm afraid you don't have time for a rebellious teenager."

Fugaku glared menacingly at his youngest son before saying they will continue this conversation when he gets back. With that he left his two sons in the Uchiha residence's living room alone. Sasuke sat down after the front door slammed shut and Itachi went to the nearest couch from where he stood to sit down. They sat in companionable silence.

It was broken by Sasuke saying, "Help me get a transfer to Konoha Junior college." Itachi simply stared but he was internally figuring out his brother's motives.

Sasuke was now schooling at Konoha private junior college, the best school in Konoha. Everything in there was top notched. However in every city there would also be the worst. That would be Konoha junior college. While the school building itself wasn't bad, the students were the problem. All the students in there either failed their major exam to get into a good junior college hence were just thrown in there by the government, or they simply don't care about studying in general. Plus the school had the worst sports reputation so going there would not encourage him to play basketball even more. Sasuke thought going there would be good for him.

"Are you that rebellious to go to the extent of ruining your reputation?" his brother said incredulously though Sasuke knew it was just a front. His brother was amused by his attitude to no end. He often encouraged his rotten behaviour.

"Hn, I won't be ruining mine. I'll just be brightening theirs," Itachi chuckled. His younger brother was always weirdly optimistic.

"Fine. I know the principal anyway so it should be easier."

"How do you know the principal?" Sasuke didn't think his brother was the sociable type, especially with principals.

"I studied there for a year and played in their well-known basketball team," Sasuke's eyebrows shot to his hair line. He didn't know his brother studied in such a school before. He didn't know Itachi played basketball either. His brother was more of the theatrical arts type. Sports were more Sasuke's forte. It didn't mean his brother couldn't play though. He was good but he loathed perspiring.

"It wasn't always such a bad school Sasuke. It used to be one of the best, five years ago, when I was seventeen," Itachi flicked his younger brother's forehead, leaving a red mark on it. He smirked at Sasuke's hiss and glare as he rubbed the bruised spot.

"How could I have known? Five years ago was ancient," this time it was his turn to smirk as his older brother glared at the implication.

"I'm not old," he pretended to be hurt as he clutched at his heart.

Sasuke simply scoffed at his brother's dramatics.

**~o0o~**

The clock ticking was the only thing heard in the deathly silent farmhouse. There was no sign that there was anyone home. However if one were to look in the kitchen, they would see a blond head of hair, resting listlessly on the wooden table, that is attached to a slumped body, heavy with defeat. No movement whatsoever was made by the boy. One would think he was dead.

And then his stomach grumbled, betraying him. Naruto sighed and lifted his head up to place his chin on the table. _'Mom would be cooking lunch right about now...Damn, it's only been like, what, a few hours and I'm already missing her...I'm so pathetic.'_ Naruto sighed, his exhalation making his fringe fly up. He needed a haircut.

After the funeral Naruto had trudged back home. His mother's body was incinerated and the ashes were scattered behind their home around his mother's beloved garden.

He then sat unmoving at the kitchen table, letting his mind bombard him with unending memories of times they shared together; the good...and the bad. He let his mind wonder until lunch where his stomach refused to be empty any longer.

He finally got up and walked with a hunched back to the cupboard to get his cup noodles. _'Stupid stomach, refusing to let me mourn in peace.'_ When he opened the door and reached in to take one cup, his fingers brushed against paper and not plastic. He furrowed his brows in confusion and he looked up to see. He had counted on instinct to get him what he wanted and hence didn't see what he was doing. He pulled out an orange envelope with his name written at the front in his mother's hand writing. His eyes widened and, cup noodles momentarily forgotten, he opened the envelope to find a bronze key in it. He scrunched his eyes in confusion. He read the letter in it for an answer.

_My dearest Naruto, _

_This key opens the chest under my bed that I have hidden from you your entire life._

_Use it._

_Your mother, _

_Kushina _

As quick as lightning, Naruto was running up the stairs, sprinting down the corridor, slamming open the door to his mother's bedroom, crouching beside her bed, shoving things that were under there away and finally finding the somewhat big bronze chest his mother was talking about. He slid it out from under the bed and simply stared at it for awhile. He knew he should be angry at his mother for hiding things from him but he just couldn't muster up enough anger at the moment. It was just too tiring. He had just a tiring day.

He slid the key in the lock and heard the 'click' as the lid of the chest opened. He lifted it up and froze.

Inside contained frames and frames of photographs, newspaper clippings, a set of basketball jerseys and a basketball with his mother's name on it. He was stunned. He took out one photo frame and stared at the picture in it. It was a picture of his parents. A younger version to be exact. His father looked exactly like him; blond hair, blue eyes except he didn't have the scars Naruto had on his cheeks he had gotten from a fox's scratch. He had found the fox behind their home in the forest and had wanted to play with it but being young and not knowing the proper way to handle a fox, he grabbed its tail and was rewarded with six scratches across his cheeks. His father was behind his mother, his arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on her head. He had the goofiest grin painted on his face. Naruto knew where he got his stupidly big smiles from now. Then he dropped his gaze to his mother's face. She smiled shyly, a blush painted across her cheeks. In her hands she was holding the ball currently in the chest in front of him. She was wearing the jersey he saw in the chest too. They looked happy and good together. He caressed their faces through the glass and gave a watery smile. He was fighting back tears again. He placed it on the floor and looked into the chest for something else.

Then he saw it. Another orange envelope addressed to him in his mother's handwriting. He opened it.

_My dearest Naruto,_

_Forgive me for keeping this secret from you. Yes, your mother was a good basketball player and your father was a good coach. Now you know why you love the game so much. We loved it too. I know it didn't feel like it since I kept you from the game all your life. And for that I am truly sorry. You must be really angry now right? Since we were so good at it, why didn't I include you? I'm afraid this answer has to follow me to my grave. _

_Promise me not to dwell on this incident anymore. We are finally together now. We are watching over you too. We are at peace. _

_Now that I can no longer hold you back, go and play. Learn it and be the best basketball player in basketball history. Surpass me. The basketball was from when I was young and was just starting to play. It's my oldest friend. Take good care of it for me. _

_Go all out Naruto. Make us proud and have no regrets._

_We love you._

_Your beloved mother,_

_Uzumaki Kushina_

_PS. Find a man named Hatake Kakashi. He lives in urban Konoha. He would take care of you in our place. Be a good boy and don't make trouble for him and his housemate._

Some parts of the letter were smudged from the blond's tears. He held the letter so tight it threatened to tear but he didn't care. He sobbed into his folded hands and let all the information sink in.

This has really been a tiring day.

**~o0o~**

"So you said you played basketball in Konoha junior college (KJC). Were they really good that sparked your interest to play with them?" Sasuke was still doubtful. They were currently in Itachi's care with his older brother driving them to KJC. He would be meeting their principal and maybe get a place in that school.

In answer to the question, Itachi held out his phone to his younger brother while still looking at the road. Sasuke took the phone and read what looked to be a newspaper article.

The article revealed that KJC had the best basketball team in basketball history five years ago. The team was named "The five Gods". Sasuke could just make out his pale brother's form in the faded photo on the phone's screen, wearing a white and black jersey.

"The five Gods" were the first and the last team to ever bring KJC all the way to champion five years ago with their fast but smooth plays. Quick yet effective, no team could match their synchronised rhythm. They were unbeatable hence their name, "The five Gods".

Sasuke read the article again and again to let the information sink in properly. He had never heard of "The five Gods" before. He never believed his brother had more sides to show either. He was stunned to silence.

"What happened to them?" maybe not complete silence.

"They disbanded after I transferred schools. There were not enough players to play after I left and they had no reserves. No one good enough came along either and so they fell to ruins," Itachi had on a solemn look on his face. He still harboured a strong guilt in his heart. If he had stayed on, would the school be a lot better than it was now? He always wondered.

He looked over at his younger brother from the corner of his eye. Now that Sasuke was attending that school, maybe there would be good changes made. This had to be fate's doing.

**~o0o~**

"Bye! Don't miss me!" Naruto chuckled light heartedly as he hoped into the bus that would take him to Konoha city. He lived in the rural areas of Konoha. He loved the relaxing pace of living in a small village so adjusting to busy and bustling cities while living with this Kakashi fellow would be difficult.

"Who...sob sob...miss an...sob IDIOT...like sob...YOU!" Konohamaru just couldn't help but crying. He was going to miss his big brother while he lived with a man he knew had a suspicious character. Although Naruto had promised to visit often, he has to go to school too so he would only be able to visit during the school holidays. Holidays always take so long to come but then disappear in a blink of an eye. It's torturous.

Naruto smiled sadly as his favourite younger brother cried as he waved from the window of the moving bus. He saw as Konohamaru looked up and waved and chased after the bus all the way to the end of the village where he stopped and screamed that he would kill him if he dared to forget him and the rest. He would never forget them while in the city. It was his home after all. He would come whenever he had free time too. He had promised. And he would keep his promise, all of them.

'_Mom. I promise to learn and play my best in basketball and surpass you. I won't disappoint you anymore. You have Uzumaki Naruto as a son after all, dattebayo!' _His journey of becoming the best basketballer begins.

**AN: So another chapter done C: I think this version of hot shot is a lot more mysterious than the other one don't you agree? Hahahah or maybe it's just me C: Hope you enjoyed it~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Hot Shot!**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: Characters and Lan qiu huo are not mine. **

**AN: Thank you all so much for the wonderfully encouraging reviews C: It's because of them I actually came home early from a Christmas party to write this XD Yes I know I need a life, don't have to tell me. Hope you like this chapter~**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE3**

**~o0o~**

**Chapter 3**

**And so we meet**

"Ouch!" Uzumaki Naruto was rudely woken when his lolling head hit hard against the bus's window when its wheels caught in a pot hole in the road. He massaged the place where head met glass, hoping to ease the bump he could already feel forming. He stuck his ear piece which had fallen out in his sleep back into his ears and continued listening. He looked out the window at the scenery. They were becoming denser with high rise buildings and less from large trees. _'I'm reaching urban Konoha soon.'_ The thought made him feel mixed emotions.

On one hand, he felt excited because he hardly travelled out from his small and cosy village that this felt like some sort of adventure to him. Plus he was travelling by himself so that gave a thrilling edge that one feels when they were independent. On the other hand though, he was sad because he was leaving his home, alone. It wouldn't have been this way if his mother was still around. But life goes on and it was better to move forwards than backwards or not moving at all.

During the journey he thought back to the letter he had kept back home. He contemplated the guy he was supposed to meet and live with from now on and then how he would feel now that he was allowed to play basketball. It was all really overwhelming. Things just went by so fast he had trouble adapting to it all. He opened the windows to feel a little less suffocative and hoped he won't start hyperventilating.

'_Since both mom and dad were really good at basketball, will I be just as good?' _just as he thought that, he pulled out the old basketball that used to belong to his mother. He looked at it, felt along its seams, and lightly bounced it around using his fingertips. It felt really foreign. _'Oh well. I guess it's just a matter of practice. Don't worry mom. I won't let you down. I'll become the best basketball player ever.' _

Then the bus jerked violently to a stop and the ball fell out the open window. He stared for about three seconds in pure shock and horror before unhesitatingly jumping out the window and off the bus to give chase to the rapidly bouncing ball. It bounced from one hood of a car to another, shocking the drivers into stopping. That was good for the blond because then he wouldn't have to worry about getting rolled over. He followed the path of the basketball, jumping over hoods and boots of cars as he went.

He had almost caught the ball when he was met with a motorcycle that had weaved its way in between cars to move. The bike rider, upon seeing the blond, cursed colourfully and jerked to a stop. Naruto had been running at full speed to catch the ball he refused to lose because it belonged to his mother. Due to that he was unable to stop unless he wanted a literal head on collision with the bike which would undoubtedly crack his head open. So he did the next best thing, he jumped over the bike and its rider. He used the front of the bike as a spring board and soared over many of the immobile cars and the motorbike, stretching his arms outwards to catch the ball before it landed and bounced away again.

He caught it deftly between his fingers and landed heavily on the boot of an expensive BMW. The boot dented from his weight and force. Naruto stood unmoving, letting the initial adrenaline wash away from his body. All the drivers in the vicinity stared stunned at him.

When he finally did move, he slipped and fell face forwards into the windscreen of the BMW. He met face to face, with glass in between, with a scowling raven haired, pale skinned boy he figured was about his age. He smiled sheepishly and turned to the driver who looked like an older version of the previous boy. With a smile he bowed his head in apology, thinking they couldn't hear him through the glass. Then he slowly and carefully slid from the hood and onto the gravelled road.

As he passed by other drivers he nodded an apology and bowed as well. He hadn't wanted to cause such a traffic jam but then he couldn't let his mother's prized possession get lost in such an unlikely way. He really felt guilty though. He made his way quietly back to the bus with heated gazes from all the drivers he had undoubtedly but unintentionally offended tickling the back of his neck.

'_Ok. I'm not putting this ball near open windows again.' _He got an earful when he finally reached the bus from the driver and many of the passengers. He got awe-filled praises from little children who saw him run too, said he was like superman or something. The bus continued its journey smoothly again after some difficulty moving due to the heavy congestion.

**~o0o~**

Hyuuga Neji had been on his way to meet his friend, driving leisurely on his motorbike when suddenly he was faced with a rapidly bouncing ball and a mad blond running full speed in the middle of the highway. On instinct he had jam-braked his bike to stop from running the blond teen over with his bike when the awkwardly bouncing basketball had bounced passed him. He noticed the ball did not bounce like a normal basketball. This ball bounced erratically so it was difficult to predict the ball's pathway. He should know. He played basketball on a regular basis and trained really hard to surpass his rival. He had expected the teen to do the same. He was wrong.

The unpredictable teen had continued running straight towards him, even using the front of his bike as a sort of trampoline to give him an extra boost to allow him to jump higher in the direction the ball had bounced. He looked up, trying his best to keep the interesting teen in his sights. He watched, transfixed as the teen finally caught the ball in the air and landed rather heavily on the BMW directly behind him. He saw the hood dent form his weight.

'_What an interesting kid. He has good reflexes.'_

Without waiting to see what became of the teen, he sped off, determined to find his friend and bring him to a nearby basketball court to train together. The kid just ignited his passion for basketball and his obsession to beat his rival.

**~o0o~**

"What the fuck?" Uchiha Sasuke had trouble minding his language in front of his older brother after having their car damaged and their time wasted due to unmoving cars.

Itachi let that comment go for now. He was having trouble believing the situation himself as well. They were driving peacefully and smoothly to Konoha junior college when they had to stop due to a traffic jam. Sasuke had started tapping his fingers on his lap due to annoyance and impatience from waiting so long for the cars to bloody move. Then they saw a silhouette in the sky, trying to catch what they thought was a ball. It soared up and up to catch it and then down and down onto the front of their car, heavily denting the hood. Sasuke had scowled in irritation and indignation while Itachi had just looked like getting his hood dented by a mad, jumping idiot was an everyday thing.

They simply stared, one emotionlessly whilst the other scowling, at the blond haired, blue eyed boy when he apologised and went away. Soon traffic was moving again and they said nothing else about the situation, choosing to ignore such a weird occurrence.

How lucky that they would be reminded again of it later when they reach their destination.

**~o0o~**

Night had fallen over urban Konoha by the time Naruto arrived. He had apologised again to the driver when he got off for the earlier occurrence and then went on his way to find "Mimosa parkway condominium" which was the place he would find the guy named Kakashi and his housemate. That's right he would be living in luxury from now on.

He had gotten the man's address from one of his mother's address books. Since they seemed to trust this Kakashi fellow to look after him, he figured they must be pretty close. Sure enough, he found the man's name in the 'H' section. It was the first one with a star for favourite. Naruto didn't know what to make of him since they hadn't met before and the name doesn't ring any bells. He decided the guy must be nice and respectful if his mother bothered to put a star next to his name.

He was about to be proven terribly wrong.

"Whoa..." after explaining to the security guard that he was looking for a man who lives here in unit 3-33 block 3, Naruto turned speechless after seeing the condo. It was high and modern looking, with glass and metal covering almost every inch of the buildings. Lights were placed along the lift's panels, illuminating them. The lifts weren't hidden like many other condos or high rise flats. It was built in such a way it was on the outside for the people inside them to see the scenery as they went up. All the blocks were connected by a sky bridge that was a long way up the building. Naruto tried counting the number of floors each building had. He stopped counting after thirty because he couldn't see the floors that were further up from where he was standing. He walked into building three, which was facing the huge pool, to take the lift that would bring him to the level Kakashi lives at. Kakashi apparently had a real money tree with actual money growing out of it if he could afford to live like a king.

As the lift went up, he looked down at the pool and the neighbouring blocks. He looked to the right and saw the highway. He looked to the left and saw nothing. However as he went up, the view that was obscured by the other towering blocks gave way to the entire view of urban Konoha. Streetlamps illuminated the roads, high rise buildings showed off their colourful lightings to attract people, trees and greenery filled in the spaces between each property and in the far horizon, Naruto saw the sea. It wasn't perfect but it made Naruto feel like he was floating. _'Oh my God I'm actually going to live here now.'_

The lift came to a stop at level 33. He came out and saw that the sky bridge was on this level to his left. To his right the long corridor would take him to the individual units. Kakashi stayed in unit three. He walked to the third door and knocked on it. He waited. He waited some more. He tried to knock again but before he could, the door opened and a man with silver, gravity defying hair stood there half dressed with a forced smile on his face. His right eye was smoky grey while the other was hidden behind an eye patch. Naruto was stunned. His first thought was this guy was weird.

"If you aren't going to say anything, I would like to punch you for disturbing my alone time," he said all that with the force smile still on his face. He was definitely weird.

"Err hi. My name's Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina's son. I'm looking for Mister Hatake Kakashi. Is he around?" Naruto didn't know if he was talking to the man or the housemate so he didn't want to assume.

"Minato and Kushina?" the man asked with a confused frown. Naruto simply nodded.

"Are you Mister Hatake Kakashi?" he asked hopefully.

The other man nodded and then asked, "So you said you're Minato's and Kushina's son. How can you prove that?"

Naruto scrunched his eyebrows at the weird question but decided on a way to answer it. A light bulb went off in his head and he pulled out the basketball in his bag. He showed it to the older man the name that was printed on it. Uzumaki Kushina, it read.

"This is my mom's basketball. See her name's printed on it," he pointed to the words with a smile on his face. The other man looked at it and recognised the same basketball the red head would always have with her when she was still actively playing. He took it and scrutinised it.

While the older man was busy inspecting the ball, Naruto had invited himself in. He entered an entryway where he took off his shoes and placed them in the shoe rack along with the others. He walked through a short walkway, turn right and down the short flight of five stairs and came into the large living room. It was filled with glass, leather and metallic furniture. The flat screen television was placed against the opposite wall from the stairs. The black leather couches were placed surrounding it with a glass coffee table with silver metallic legs in the middle. The wall on Naruto's right had a large display cabinet that occupied the whole width of it and within it held various glass figurines and other expensive looking ornaments. He walked away from it, scared he might have the urge to take one for a better look and then accidentally drop it. He walked further into the house.

The living room was connected to a balcony. When the blond slid open the glass sliding door to get onto it, he was met with a view of the whole of the condo area plus the pool below. He walked back in, walking all the way straight towards a dining room that was half the size of the living room. The dining room was on a raised platform so he had to take the flight of five stairs up to stand in it. Again the room was filled with metallic and glass furniture. The dining table itself was like the coffee table; glass table top with silver metal legs. The chairs had silver metal frames with black leather seats. There was a cabinet which held various kinds of plates and bowls on his left. He guessed that was where they stored their utensils too.

Then he was met with a cross road. If he went straight, he would enter another walkway that would take him to maybe the kitchen and washroom. If he turned right, he would find two doors that would undoubtedly lead him to the bedrooms.

He was unable to decide because a creak of a door opening had him spinning on his heels to face the direction the sound came from. He witnessed a door he didn't see that was hidden in the shadows of an alcove connected to the living room that he had missed. Another man came out of it half dressed as well. This man had brown hair that was tied in a high ponytail at the back of his head. He also had a long scar across his nose. His warm chocolate brown eyes made him look approachable hence the reason why Naruto didn't start spewing nonsense of why he was touring the house on his own without permission first. The warm eyes turn to look at him.

"Who are you?"

"His name's Naruto. He's Minato's and Kushina's son," a voice from the walkway that led to the front door made Naruto jump. He had totally forgotten about Kakashi.

He went on to the introductions, "Naruto this is Iruka. He's my housemate." Naruto grinned and waved in greeting. The man known as Iruka smiled and waved back.

"Naruto why aren't you home with your mom?" Kakashi immediately felt bad for asking that question so bluntly because Naruto's face shadowed in sadness.

"...Mom died yesterday...In her letter she told me to find you. Said you will take care of me from now on," Naruto looked up with teary eyes. He suppressed the urge to start crying again. He was sick of crying all the time. He didn't want his guardian-to-be to think of him as a cry baby either.

Kakashi's face was one of pure shock. His one visible eye was wide.

"She passed away..." he said to himself and then he nodded resignedly before tossing the ball back to Naruto to hold. He walked towards the blond then turned to the right where the two doors were. He walked to the left one and opened it.

"This will be your room," Naruto walked towards it and looked inside.

His bedroom was fairly large, about the same size as the dining room. There was another door on the same wall the main door of the room was that probably led to the bathroom. On the wall opposite him, a large floor to ceiling window that showed the view of the whole of urban Konoha with the sea in the horizon. If he were to look out the window and look to his right, he would see the sky bridge. It was now alight in various coloured lights. His room contained an inbuilt cupboard that filled the whole of the wall on his left. The wall on his right stood a desk and a shelf. The desk was very much like the coffee table and dining table. The desk top was made of glass with silver metal legs. Its drawers were thankfully not glass or metal but acrylic made to look like glass. It was currently empty except for a desk lamp. He placed his bag on it before turning to examine the shelf. It was black and wooden with five levels. He figured he could put his school books in it when he bought them.

Kakashi stood by the door looking at his new charge. He was undoubtedly their son. He looked exactly like his father. He had the same big grin. His curiosity and many other mannerisms were his mother's. He became nostalgic as he remembered his time spent with them. Over the years he visited them less and less and eventually stopped altogether because he lacked time and he was always with Iruka. That was the reason the blond didn't remember him or he didn't recognise the blond immediately because the last time he actually saw him was when he was about three years old. Now he regretted not seeing them as much as he used to because he won't get the chance anymore. Kushina has passed away and her son was staying with him now. It was sad really that tragic things kept happening to them. First Minato, then Kushina and Naruto might be next.

Putting aside the foreboding feeling in him, he asked the blond, "How old are you Naruto?" the blond looked at him before replying rather proudly that he was seventeen. The silver haired man nodded, his gravity defying hair bounced from the action.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" he asked all smiles. At least the blond thought he was smiling because his eyes were an upside down "u". He couldn't really tell because he was sputtering so much in embarrassment. The older man simply laughed.

"Ok then boyfriend?" Naruto's face was the colour of a tomato by then. He was still sputtering incoherently. Kakashi laughed even more before his housemate came over and whacked him on the head.

"Don't tease him so much Kakashi. He just had a long journey," Iruka knew about the blond and his family and where they lived from the older man but haven't actually met them. He saddened at the thought that he can't see them anymore except in pictures. But it just wasn't the same.

"Oh I was just wondering if I should prepare for anything unexpected again," the man gave what Naruto suspected was a cheeky smile. The brunette simply shook his head muttering that the blond was more than likely to stumble upon something he was better off not seeing. He turned to the young blond with a smile.

"Are you hungry? I can cook some late dinner for you." The blond's stomach growled at the mention of food and he blushed when the adults laugh. He had been travelling for most of the day and hadn't stopped anywhere to eat anything.

The adults led him to the kitchen where Iruka made him a welcome feast. Naruto liked this place already.

**~o0o~**

Sasuke was silently fuming in his room that night after filling his stomach with food. Their plan of meeting the principal was dashed when they were an hour late for the end of school. By the time they reached the school, the principal had already returned home. So the Uchiha brothers had decided to eat out before returning home and setting out early tomorrow morning to KJC again. What a waste of precious time.

"It's all that idiot blond's fault. If he hadn't stopped traffic we would have at least made it on time," Sasuke knew the blond was just a small part to blame. They lived in the far southern end of urban Konoha while the school was in the far north. It would take a long time to get to school every day even by car because urban Konoha was a really busy city. He was not looking forward to staying in the dorms in school. However his older brother did mention that if the dorms were not to his liking, he could buy his own apartment near school. It's not like they don't have the money. They do, billions in fact.

"I'll just give it a shot."

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity little brother," Sasuke jumped minutely on his bed when he heard his brother's voice from his now open doorway.

"Don't you ever knock? I told you to knock before you come in," Sasuke scowled at his brother. He was really annoying sometimes.

"And miss you going insane? Never," scratch that. He was annoying _all _the time.

Sasuke was about to throw his pillow at his brother's face but Itachi was already slamming the door shut and running to his own room. _'And he's the older brother. How childish.'_ Sasuke knew he wouldn't have his brother any other way.

His brother had always stuck by him through anything. He was grateful for it. Without him, he might have actually gone crazy. When his great grandfather kept forcing basketball on him, Itachi was the one who actually made training fun. He always kept throwing balls in his way to distract him or make weird noises by the sidelines that grated on his nerves whenever he was about to shoot. It was done without great grandfather knowing of course. Being young and energetic, Sasuke would give chase to his brother before actually getting caught by strong hands and whirled into the air. His brother would then train with him even if he hated perspiring. He could admit to himself that he loved his older brother. He wondered where he got his personality from anyway.

His father was always away for business and was really stern. His face was always set in a frown. The number of wrinkles on his forehead increased every day. Not that Sasuke actually bothered to count. He rarely comes home for him to keep track anyway. Sasuke remembered when he was younger that his father would pay more attention to him because great grandfather said he was special. He could see pride in his eyes whenever he gazed into them. Now it was just disappointment. Sasuke thought it might have something to do with his rebellious attitude. He didn't care though.

His mother was the silent type. She was always at home but she never shows herself. She was always in her room and never leaves it. She would always ask one of their many butlers or maids to fetch anything she required. Sasuke remembered a time when she was all smiles and energetic. Maybe her husband's many business meetings overseas had finally weighed her down with loneliness until she finally gave up. She never talked to him anymore. He hated to admit that he missed her. Her cooking was always a treat. It was way better than the food the maids or butlers cooked hands down.

Then there was great grandfather. He had always been obsessed with basketball and finding the perfect player for as long as Sasuke could remember. So when Sasuke came along, he didn't hesitate to make his obsession a reality. Great grandfather saw his talent for the sport and made him train and perfect his techniques and skills to achieve his goal. He had even confessed to the raven during their last training together that he would one day be part of the perfect basketball team. Sasuke always knew his great grandfather was crazy. He was ruthless too. Sasuke still had nightmares from his great grandfather's hellish training. It was a relief that he was not here at the moment. He won't be for quite some time. Before he left, he had announced that he would be searching for the perfect players to form his perfect team. Maybe he won't be coming back at all because no one is perfect. Sasuke wouldn't mind.

All in all Sasuke thought his family was fucked up. He didn't care though. He never felt any strong family ties with them from the beginning anyway except his brother. Deciding to forget it, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. Tomorrow would be another fucked up day. He could feel it.

**~o0o~**

**AN: So~ how do you like it so far? Tell me, tell me! *Hint hint* hahahah C:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Hot Shot!**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: Characters and Lan qiu huo are not mine.**

**AN: Once again thank you so much for the reviews C: I feel so motivated to keep writing this. So there are a few things that I think I need to clear up.**

**Kushina is NOT abusive. That was for disciplinary purposes. Sorry if you guys saw it that way. She just didn't want Naruto to play. As for WHY, you'll have to continue reading ;) This is a mystery story after all.**

**Hahahah I can't straight out tell you why Naruto can't play. It'll spoil the story. Keep reading to find out ;)**

**Itachi studied at KJC when he was 17. I thought it was in the story. He plays basketball but only when he feels like it. He likes art remember. **

"**The five Gods" will return later on in the story so don't ask who they are. You will find out ;)**

**Minato's dead because of certain reasons. Again you'll have to read the story.**

**Of course Iruka and Kakashi are together! Like what?**

**SO ON WITH THE STORY~**

**~o0o~**

**Chapter 4**

**OMG it's you again**

Konoha Junior College was just like any other college. It was a big campus painted blue, red and white. The Konoha logo, a leaf symbol, was proudly displayed on the sign at the school gates along with their school name and one extra big one drilled into the schools roof. Sasuke felt nothing for it.

He got out of the car after his brother and followed him to the large open space foyer. The tiles were reflecting the sun so much it hurt his eyes so he had to squint to take in his surroundings. The general office was situated to his left once he stood in the school's foyer facing the inside of the school. Itachi had gone in there to settle some administrative stuff that he was not bothered about. His brother can handle them. He wanted to explore.

He walked further into the school. Just after the foyer was a big pond surrounded with trees and bushes of various kinds and colours. The pond was quite deep and filled with many koi fishes of various sizes eating algae and fish food. At the shallow end there were tadpoles swimming. There were many benches along the front of the pond where students could sit and just watched the fish. He glanced up and saw the canteen. It was empty now because the students were still having class. The vendors were chatting with each other to pass the time. The canteen was filled with long tables and many smaller square tables he guessed were for teachers. Potted plants were placed along the corridor which made the canteen's perimeter. A television that relayed announcements to the student population was flashing from one slide to another. How can anyone read the announcements if they kept flashing like that? He decided not to try. We walked on and stood at the basketball court that was behind the canteen. It wasn't that bad but it looked like no one has used it for quite some time. The basketball poles were rusty and paint was peeling off. The nets were missing. The outlines of the court were faded. He felt somewhat sorry for it.

"I knew you would be here," Sasuke turned around to face his brother.

"Come on. The principal will see you now," the two brothers walked in silence to the principal's office.

The office was inside the general office that they saw earlier. Itachi pushed open the glass door and walked in, closely followed by Sasuke. The interior was painted white with a bouquet of fake orchids placed in various places of the room. There was one vase on the receptionist table, the tiger orchids making it hard for the younger raven to look the receptionist in the eye. Behind her were two doors. One was labelled Principal the other one read Vice-principal. She led them to the first one.

The door opened to reveal a white, shaggy haired man reading a book. Sasuke guessed the book wasn't appropriate because he was giggling quite perversely. The receptionist left after showing them their seats. The two brothers looked at each other; one resigned whilst the other disbelief. Itachi cleared his throat after awhile and looked at the principal who was still reading.

"Mr Jiraiya?" he asked for his attention. The addressed person looked up from the book, revealing his face. He had red streaks running down his eyes like tear treks. His eyes were glinted in mischief and he had a wide smile on his face.

"Oh Itachi! Long time no see! How've you been all these years?" he said jovially, the book still in his hands. He seemed reluctant to put it down as though afraid he might lose the page and have to find it all over again. He turned to the other occupant.

"I'm fine Mr Jiraiya. This is my younger brother Sasuke and he was hoping to get a place in this school," Itachi explained after the principal's gaze landed on Sasuke. Sasuke gave no greeting. He didn't like this principal.

"Ah yes I heard from my receptionist earlier. Yes we do have a few spots left. I'm sure the school won't mind having him here. He could be a role model to all the other students," apparently Jiraiya was aware of his school's bad reputation. He let one hand go from his precious book and dug in to his drawer for a file. He gave it to Itachi and told him to fill it up and hand it over to the receptionist. They took their leave and left the principal to his book.

After filling up the forms and giving it back to the receptionist, she offered a tour of the school and the dorms. They followed. Sasuke hadn't finished exploring yet anyway.

**~o0o~**

"Whoa..." Naruto was getting used to getting speechless here in urban Konoha. Everything was just so different and grand compared to the rural areas. He was currently standing in KJC's foyer. Apparently Kakashi was the vice-principal of the school and Iruka was one of the teachers. Naruto decided to enrol there since he could get easy transport to school. He looked around, amazed. He especially liked the pond. It reminded him of his home. It just screamed rural. He sat down on one of the benches, took a stick and swirled the water. He was waiting for Kakashi to finish the paper work. Then he could get the okay to venture the school himself. Iruka was in class teaching and Kakashi was busy enough as the VP so they couldn't show him around. Kakashi said the receptionist has mysteriously disappeared as well. He didn't mind though. That means he could go anywhere he wanted.

"Naruto, I finished the paperwork. You can go explore now. We'll meet back here at lunch time," Kakashi popped his head out the door of the general office and waved. Naruto bounced off the chair and decided to see the canteen and maybe get some food. He was hungry. Breakfast was hours ago!

While eating his raspberry bun, Naruto walked at a leisurely pace around the classroom block. He saw Iruka teaching his students in one of the classrooms but didn't want to disturb them. He continued walking. It was getting boring. All the classrooms look the same and the corridors were really long. He decided to take the stairs at the end of the corridor back down. He heard from Kakashi that the canteen had wi-fi. Maybe he could busy himself with his iPhone for awhile to pass the time. Lunchtime wasn't very far. When he reached the first floor he saw someone else getting a tour of the school. He saw two raven boys and one brunette lady. The lady seemed to know her way around the school very well. She must have worked here for quite some time. Naruto decided to follow them at a distance. He could have missed some parts of the school just now.

True enough he did. Naruto stared slack jawed. It was a basketball court! The school had a basketball court! He could play basketball now! Without any regard for anyone else, Naruto sped pass the three in front of him and accidentally hit one of the ravens. He said a quick sorry and ran down the stairs that lead to the court. He stood on it and let the feeling of euphoria wash over him. It was sad that he left his mother's basketball at home. Just then the bell rang and the students ran down from the classroom blocks to the canteen like ghosts were after them. It was lunchtime. He turned to go meet his guardians.

Before he could leave he was grabbed from behind and a voice said, "You didn't apologise properly dobe." He turned around and met face to face with the scowling raven from just now. A sense of déjà vu washed over him.

**~o0o~**

Sasuke was beyond pissed. He was already bored with the tour the lady was giving them but couldn't tell her because Itachi was giving him "the look" that told him to behave. He would rather have toured the school himself. Then a blond idiot from nowhere decided to roll him over and didn't even look back to say sorry or help him up! He stood up with a glare and brushed away the concern from his brother or the woman. He chased after the idiot.

He didn't have to chase long. The idiot came to a sudden halt in front of the basketball court and simply looked at it in wonder. He was about to turn him forcefully around and demand an apology when the school bell rang. Students flooded the corridors and stampeded down the stairs to the canteen, eager to start their break and eat lunch. The blond in front of him realised that as well and he started to turn to walk away. Sasuke grabbed his shoulders

"You didn't apologise properly dobe," ok...what happened to being forceful?

The blond turned around and looked up at him with an expression of both shock and recognition. Sasuke's eyes widened. He was the blond that dented their car yesterday! He glared and gripped the other's shoulder harder.

"_You!_ You're the dobe that dented our car and made it impossible for me to see the principal earlier because you caused a traffic jam with your stunt!" the raven was furious. Naruto didn't take too kindly to being called a stupid idiot either. He narrowed his eyes in anger, the blue darkening to a purple.

"Teme! I have a name and it's not dobe you bastard! I'm Naruto and don't you forget it!" he shoved his index finger in the others face, onyx eyes crossing briefly before they ignored the finger altogether to look directly into raging indigo eyes. He could imagine that his eyes had become a shade darker as well. He didn't like being called a bastard.

"What did you call me?" Sasuke's voice became dangerously quiet. Naruto apparently didn't hear the threat. He was saved from answering and further angering the raven when three boys about their age came on court with a basketball. They stopped upon seeing the two.

"Are you using it? If not then could we?" the brunette with upside down fang marks on each of his cheeks asked rather gruffly. His fangs were rather large for a human. They flashed whenever he spoke, demanding people's attention. The raven and blond contemplated if he was a vampire in disguise. The brunette's friends watched them with expressionless faces. They were waiting for their answer.

Then Naruto put on his best grin and said, "Sure you can use it. We were about to leave anyway," with that he dragged the other unwilling raven towards the canteen. They stopped by the drink store where Naruto bought milk tea and then faced the impatient raven.

"Look teme –"

"_Sasuke._"

"Ok Sasuke then. Sigh, I'm sorry about your car. I'll borrow money from my guardian to pay for the repairs. And about the traffic jam," Naruto at least had the decency to blush, "I'm sorry about that too. I couldn't let my mom's basketball bounce away! She'll kill me, if she could, if she knew I lost it."

Sasuke simply listened quietly. He didn't feel like making the argument any bigger. He was tired from the tour and he was hungry too. He let the dobe explain all he needed to. He didn't realise the other was having similar thoughts.

Naruto was glad the raven was polite enough to let him explain all he wanted. He was grateful the other didn't blow this argument out of proportion. He was tired and hungry and he needed to meet Kakashi and Iruka for lunch. They should already be at the foyer.

"Err I need to go now so see ya," with that Naruto left at a jog without another backwards glance.

Sasuke let him go. He wanted to eat something right now. The young raven pulled out his phone and dialled his brother's number. While waiting he walked in the direction of the car. He would start school next week considering tomorrow was a Saturday. He could use the weekend to find an apartment close to school. The school dorms were horrible. He didn't know why he even thought to look at it at first. The building was old and it needed repainting. The interior walls were dusty and cracked. It was stifling because of a lack of fans and ventilation because the windows were all closed. He didn't feel safe enough to actually try sitting on the bed when the receptionist had told him to. He knew the old bed frame couldn't take his weight. He wasn't that heavy either. The room was barren and old. All in all he thought the dorm was more like a haunted house. He wouldn't be surprised if the students actually made up stories about this place being infested by ghosts at midnight. It would be believable.

His stomach growled and he hastened his pace to the car. If only his stupid brother would pick up his phone then they could get out of school and find a place to eat, maybe go apartment hunting if they were up to it.

**~o0o~**

"Oooh that was awesome!" Naruto got on his feet and tried the stunt he just saw on tv. It was night time now in urban Konoha and the hyper active blond was watching a basketball game on the huge ass television. He had just witnessed one of the basketball players doing a slam dunk and he was eager to learn it. Unfortunately his sense of balance was way off and he almost toppled into the display cabinet, which would undoubtedly crush many of the expensive glass figurines. Iruka came in then luckily.

"Naruto can you not do silly stunts right in front of the display cabinet. The glass figurines are really expensive," Iruka had on a worried wide eyed look. Whether he was worried about the blond or the display cabinet no one knows.

"Oh don't worry Iruka. I won't touch the display cabinet. I'm afraid I'll damage it too," and still he was hopping around trying to do an imaginary dunk. He looked more like an unfortunate ballerina. He let out sound effects like cheering or clapping when he thought he did an "excellent" dunk. He was even commentating.

"Uzumaki Naruto with the ball and he is sprinting down the court! The defenders are taking up their positions but he seemed to pay them no mind! He soared high into the air, what does he think he's doing? Oh is that what I think it is? Yes it is! Naruto soared above the stunned defenders and he dunks the ball perfectly into the hoop! The crowd goes wild, look at them cheering," here he whooped and cheered and pretended to bow to an imaginary audience, "It's the other team's turn to start –"

Iruka didn't know whether to laugh or check if the blond had a temperature. His lover/housemate helped make his decision by laughing loudly at his ward's silliness and causing the excited blond to jump and stumble in surprise. His head ended up under the coffee table with his limbs splayed out around him haphazardly. Iruka laughed then. The blond was just so silly and funny. How he wished he had a camera.

Naruto looked up at his guardians and glared without malice. He knew he would have made a funny picture. His cheeks reddened when they were still laughing uncontrollably though. He pouted. He was winning the game too! They should be proud of him instead of making fun of him. They needed assistance on learning how to be supportive from his fans.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto," Iruka teased while shaking his head; "You really know how to brighten up the night." Kakashi was still laughing, clutching his stomach.

"Soaring...above the...defenders' heads...hahahah...I'd like to see that ACTUALLY happening...hahahahahahah," Kakashi really had trouble stopping. A kick in the shin from Naruto had him cursing and hopping around the living room immediately. At least he stopped laughing.

"Stop making fun of me. I was winning it too," Naruto pouted even more. Iruka came up behind him and ruffled his already messy hair, making it look like a birds nest.

"Yes, yes we know you did great in your last dunk and we're proud. Your commentating needs more work though," Iruka teased with a small smile on his face, his chocolate eyes shining in mirth. Naruto returned the smile with a grin of his own.

"Alright let's all calm down and have dinner. I'm sure the neighbours don't appreciate the noise," Kakashi said after awhile.

Naruto gave a mischievous grin.

"Heehee~ I'm sure they prefer this noise compared to _other _noises you guys make late in the night," he ducked when a plate was about to collide with his head. Iruka was brandishing his plate like a sword trying to hit the hysterically laughing blond. His face was redder than a cherry tomato. Kakashi was barely holding his lover back. His cheeks were red too. How the blond found out about them they didn't know. They had purposely given him the room furthest from theirs but unfortunately they were louder than they thought.

The blond was really enjoying this turn of events. Previously he was the joke now it's their turn. Iruka looked really hilarious with a red face and a plate as his sword. Kakashi looked like a cross between offended and sheepish.

He loved his new home.

He hoped he would come to like his school life in KJC just as fierce.

**~o0o~**

**AN: Hmmm I think I made the characters a little OOC, don't you think so? Well tell me in a review C: Thanks for reading~**


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