Konoha High School: Junior Year (A Naruto Fan Fiction)

Part V

Part V

~Naruto~

It's rare that I don't spend my afternoons with Hinata. Her parents are so busy being nobles and all so they're not around normally until later in the evening, sometimes not until the young hours of the next day. Her younger sister, Hanabi, is always busy with either dance practice, piano practice, violin practice, judo practice, or everything else she does. With Hinata alone so often and me alone all the time, we tend to spend time together pretty much every day. This Friday, however, there's some sort of noble family thing she has to go to now that she's the age of sixteen. She explained to me what it is, but I was more distracted with looking at her. All I really pulled from the conversation was that I have this Friday afternoon to myself.

It's weird having the afternoon to myself. Without her, I'm utterly bored. I've been spending so many days with her, it's strange to not have someone to talk to. I sit on my couch and glance around the empty apartment. I could watch TV. Nah, I've never been a fan of television shows. I could tend to my plants. No, I think I already watered them this morning. I don't want to kill them. I could read a book. Ha ha, no. Jeez, what could I do?

My eyes glance outside, seeing the clear fall sky and the afternoon sun lazing about. Perhaps I'll go on a walk.

Slinging my jacket over my shoulders, enter the crisp November air. The brisk air is abrasive against my lungs at first, but then becomes refreshing. I don't have a designated destination, so I just take which ever path I feel.

I can't overstate how much I love spending time with Hinata, but sometimes some alone time is nice too. After all, it's how I spent most of my childhood. Being alone feels natural to me.

It is a nice day for a walk, really. I look up to the clear November sky as I walk, not looking where I'm going. Not paying attention, I slam right into someone.

"Tch, watch where you're going!" I hear as both the person and I fall to the ground.

"I'm so sor-" I look up. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke looks up at me as he picks himself off the ground. "Oh, it's you Naruto."

"What are you doing out here alone?" I ask him as I stand up.

"I could ask you the same question," he brushes me off coldly. Something's clearly up with him.

"Well Hinata's busy so I have some alone time this afternoon," I explain. "What about you? Where's Sakura?"

He looks as if he's about to say something, then stops. "I wanted some alone time this afternoon too, I guess," he mumbles.

"What's the matter?" I ask him straight up. There's no way he'd want alone time like this for no reason. He's basically head over heels for Sakura.

"Nothing, I just want some alone time!" He snaps with annoyance, beginning to walk away.

"Want some company?" I walk with him. There's no way I'm letting him get away when something is so clearly wrong.

He stops walking and looks at me with nothing more than exasperation. "Idiot," he sighs. "What did I just say about alone time?"

"Sasuke, I know you, and I know you're a lot like me, and that you've spent enough time alone to last a lifetime. You don't have to protect me or anything, I'm just as much of a hotheaded asshole as you are." I look at him. He wants to talk about something, I know he does.

He sighs again, then chuckles lightly. "Don't call me an asshole, idiot."

I grin. "What ever you say. Now tell me what's on your mind." What ever it is that is bothering him must be pretty big. He confides in me plenty, but it's nothing in comparison to the way he trusts Sakura. How she got him to open up so much to her is still a mystery to the rest of us, but if he doesn't want her to be around, it could only mean he's protecting her from something.