Don't Stare at the Sun or You'll Go Blind

Chapter 1

The first time he saw her was in the Academy.

He'd been staring out the window, completely ignoring everyone around him. Most of the girls were giggling and whispering (pretty loudly) about him. (How did any of them expect to be ninjas if they couldn't even be discreet?) Some of the boys were glaring at him while others ignored him just as easily as he ignored them. 

Sometimes he didn't know why he bothered coming to the Academy. Due to the early start he'd gotten while still a toddler, he was already miles ahead of the other children intellectually and in ability. None of his lessons ever provided enough of a challenge for him. The teachers were more than aware that he was a genius so they usually left him to his own devices during class, especially since he never disturbed their lessons.

He had been intent on continuing to stare out the window, contemplating Itachi's schedule and trying to determine whether or not his big brother would be too busy for him this afternoon. But Iruka-sensei had loudly cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone in the room. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Sasuke had turned to face the front of the room. He had only intended to give Iruka a few seconds of his attention to placate the man, but Sasuke's attention was immediately captured by small, blonde girl standing next to Iruka.

For an eight-year-old, she was shorter than average with the longest, brightest hair that he'd ever seen. He was sure that if she had taken it down from the messy pigtails she had on her head, it would have been long enough to touch her waist. She was grinning widely at everyone in the room, her white teeth on full display and her bright blue eyes sparkling. The orange hoodie with red swirl on the front and white shorts seemed the magnify the bright aura she had around her. Everything about her screamed bright, warm, and gentle.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruko, dattebayo!" she shouted obnoxiously loud, her voice filling every corner of the room.

So, maybe two out of three wasn't bad.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Naruko?" Iruka suggested with a sheepish smile in place. His class was a spirited bunch, but it was easy to tell that this girl held more energy and enthusiasm than all of them combined. There was nothing like an enthusiastic student to raise a teacher's hopes.

"Sure! I like ramen, especially when my mom makes it. My favorite flavor of ramen is miso chashu pork. And I'm gonna be the first and greatest female Hokage!" Naruko declared proudly. Sasuke subtly raised a brow. This girl was just full of surprises. 

"Well, why don't you take a seat, Naruko? You can sit anywhere you like," Iruka said and gestured to the class.

Sasuke felt his spine straighten subconsciously. The seat next to him was open, his bag holding the space to prevent anyone from sitting next to him. Frequently, he would arrive in class to see almost every girl in class sitting with the seat next to them open as they tried to get his attention and offered him the open seat. This usually meant that he had to claim an open seat next to a male classmate, an empty bench, or the sit next to Hinata. The small Hyuuga was the only girl in the class who was somewhat tolerable. She was so quiet that she never spoke to him and thankfully had no intention of asking him out.

Now, he tried to feign nonchalance as he silently observed Naruko scanning the room. For a second, he was sure that they had made eye contact just before she had smiled brightly. His expression remained neutral as he glanced at the bag resting innocently next to him. He would have to move it for her. Wait, why was he moving it? The last thing he wanted was some loud, obnoxious girl sitting next to him and trying to ask him out and beg for his-

"Can I sit next to you?" Naruko asked as she stopped at the bench in front of his. He paused as he watched the girl he'd been watching talk to Hinata. Hinata nodded her head shyly while scooting over to make room for the blonde girl. Once Naruko was seated, Iruka-sensei went about writing notes for the lesson on the chalkboard.