Demon fox

Rivals.

The shuriken arched as it rushed to the bull's eye, cutting the air, whistling, only for a kunai to hit it at the last moment.

The class clapped, the kunai was embedded in the bull's eye, the shuriken hung by it as it had passed through its hole.

Sasuke smirked, happy that he could pull it off even without much efforts. In the three years that had been Naruto's absence and his nightmare of self loathing and pain, Sasuke had trained. When Naruto had been alive, he had been Sasuke's rival, in a way Sasuke had pushed himself not to be outdone by the loudmouthed idiot. Now he was far beyond such pitiful jealousy.

He looked behind him, smiling as he saw Hinata smile back. The cheers of the class dulled under the radience that was the heiresss of Hyuga. Sasuke shook his head. Get a grip, Sasuke. You know she's better than you.

Sasuke knew unless he let go of all his shame and used his mangekyou, beating Hyuga Hinata was impossible. She was dangerous, dangerously beautiful.

Her taijutsu far outclassed his and her strength was even greater, she was delicate looking girl for god sake and she could punch like a monster. Her ninjutsu was majestiic, being taught by Jiraiya of the Sannin, she was awsome in all ways. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde who sat beside her however. Anger making him irate. Sasuke understood that he was in denial, that Naruto could never have done anything that could have saved his clan. What happened was too far and beyond the knowledge and understanding of Naruto. He also understood that he himself was in no position to do anything. He had trained because of that. Trained to get stronger then ever, and he had. But Itachi was still far beyond hisself, he knew.

All in good time, Itachi, Hinata.

"Show off." Naruto grumbled as Sasuke pulled his shuriken and kunai out. Ignoring the cheers and lovesick gazes of everyone. He gagged as he saw the black haired Uchiha smirk his way.

Sakura looked at him, "You are just jealous." She admonished, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Sasuke kun is a genius."

It was a recess class and the students were in the ground.

Kiba shook his head as Akamaru whined to the side. Whatever the Inuzuka was fighting over with his dog, Shino sat with Shikamaru a bit father as the shogi board laid flat between them.

Naruto ignored the boys as he looked over at the girl. "Shouldn't you be fawning all over Sasuke? Some girl might steal his first smooch. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Shakura frowned but made no effort to stand from where she sat. A book rested in her lap which she had been reading. Hinata was beside her, her fingers trailing over what looked like detailed outline of a barrier seal

"If you change this this symbol here, the barrier foundation becomes stronger, adding a discharge port here, what's your chakra affinity?" Naruto hummed.

"I have water as primary and wind as secondary." Hinata smiled. "I don't understand seals Naruto kun, what's a discharge port?"

Naruto shrugged. "It's a smaller seal, that lets you store an outburst of element in a seal, a booby trap that explodes when someone tempers with a barrier. " Naruto frowmed. "I thought Jiraiya would have taught you seals"

"He would be around for a week or two  every three or four month. There was only so much I could learn from him." Hinata murmured. "May be you could teach me?"

"Some of us didn't even get to be trained by a sannin, you don't hear us complaining." Ino sat down as she smiled at Naruto. "Anyway. Why don't you show off what you can do?" She suggested.

Naruto shool his head. "The anbu nearly chewed my head after what I pulled yesterday. A clone is a Ninjutsu. So is transformation. Balh blah blah. Yada yada yada." He hissed as he looked at the anbu who hid behind the roof. He grimaced remembering how the dog had told him in the morning that he would not get a freebee again. Kidnaoping a heiress, using barrier  ninjutsu, cloning, transformation, shunshin... yada yada... atleast he could train in his own personal dimention. He was afraid one of these days he would spot the dog inside his own world..