Nerdy

Fifteen

(Name) had topped her grade in the mid-terms. Uchiha Sasuke came in second. Yes, second. Since, (Name) and Sasuke were both first years, this was basically their first exam in Konoha, excluding the entrance exam which Sasuke had topped amazingly. (Name) had beaten Sasuke with a whole of 10 marks. That was actually pretty less, considering that Neji in the third place was 48 marks behind. Sasuke sat pulling his hair out with nobody else but Naruto beside him trying to make him calm down. Sasuke had always topped every exam he gave and he believed this would continue on, and then came (Name), only to spoil his wonderful dreams. There was no way she could be smarter than him.

"Sasuke... Second place is also amazing." said Naruto, already hopeless. He himself had barely passed, and here was Sasuke crying over second place.

"You don't see the problem here, Naruto. I came second to (Name). (Name)." said Sasuke, and hid his face in his hands and started muttering some curses towards (Name).

Naruto just watched him. There was nothing he could do after all. Sasuke's mind was already full of (Name); he was just too stupid to realize that. Nothing in the world could make him realize that, unless he accepts it himself. Naruto locked his hands behind his head and looked around himself. Sasuke sat on a bench just outside the main school building, and Naruto stood beside him. Results had just been put up on the board outside the staff room, and students were leaving the building either crying, or grinning madly. Amidst them, Naruto spotted someone who would help him annoy Sasuke and make him snap out of it.

"(Name) !!" he called out, cheerfulness in his voice. (Name) was walking quickly, trying to blend in the crowd and get out of school quickly. Hearing Naruto's voice, once again, she unwillingly froze in her place, and her plans of pretending to not hear him were destroyed. She turned around with a sigh.

"What ?" she snapped, making the sour face she usually made when it came to Naruto.

"Woah." said Naruto, taking a step back defensively. To him, (Name) always seemed to be in a bad mood. "Congratulations." he said, and gave her his signature grin.

"Thanks." muttered (Name). As she turned to leave, her eyes fell on Sasuke sitting on the bench beside Naruto. He was looking up from his hands - no, glaring - at Naruto's back with the word 'traitor' written all over his face. He almost seemed to have this dark aura around him. Naruto felt a grave danger looming over his dear life and subconsciously took a step away from Sasuke. (Name) almost chuckled. Then, (Name) remembered that she had actually beaten Sasuke.

"Oh, if it isn't the loser who came in second. I could tutor you for the next exams. That is, if you come crawling to me and beg on your knees." she said, smirking deviously. Sasuke glared at her. His anger intensified as each word rolled off her tongue.

"Why, you.." Sasuke stood you, ready to lunge at (Name)'s throat.

"Oi, calm down." said Naruto, stopping Sasuke.

(Name) looked at Sasuke with an eyebrow raised. She didn't back away because she knew Naruto would stop Sasuke. Sasuke glared at her. She was clearly enjoying it. Sasuke knew that. She snickered one last time as she waved and left. Sasuke glared at her back. If only looks could kill.

"You should learn to control that temper of yours. It would've created quite a scene if you had done something to her." said Naruto, obviously worrying for his dear friend.

Sasuke clicked his tongue and slapped Naruto's hands off him. If only he knew how patient he had been all this time. If only he knew. Besides, it was his fault for calling (Name). It was like adding oil to fire.

"I'm leaving." said Sasuke harshly, and jogged off, leaving Naruto behind.

But in Naruto's twisted mind, it looked as if a tsundere Sasuke who was in love with (Name) was leaving so as to not suffer anymore embarrassment. He looked at Sasuke with a creepy smile on his face and rubbed his palms together.. Sasuke, who was already quite far, suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. He brushed it off and increased his pace.

Naruto just wanted Sasuke and (Name) to end up together. He believed they made the perfect couple. But he just didn't know how to make things work between them. He strongly believed Sasuke loved (Name), but he wasn't sure about (Name)'s feelings. Naruto sat back down on the bench and began thinking of a strategy.

"How rare to find you thinking so hard."

Naruto turned towards the vaguely familiar voice and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"I-Itachi ?!"

Itachi turned towards him and smiled. No, it wasn't a sincere smile. It was the creepy smile of a strategist with ulterior motives. Subconsciously, Naruto shifted a little away from him. Something about Itachi just scared him off.

"W-w-what are you doing here ?" asked Naruto.

"Me ? I just had some business with Lady Tsunade." said Itachi. Lady ? Because besides being the principal of the school, she was also from clan which used to control the area. Naturally, Itachi, from another great clan, showed respect, even though their ancestors never got along. "Oh, and I also spied a little on my dear brother." said Itachi, smiling as if what he had done was no big deal. As if spying on your younger brother is common practice.

Naruto suddenly became very meek. He sat on the farther edge of the bench, almost falling out, even though the rest of the bench was empty. He knew he couldn't just get up and go, because that would be rude.

"I know what you're thinking." said Itachi out of the blue. He took a seat beside Naruto, all serious  all of a sudden. To Naruto, there was no other place he could shift to, so he just sat. Itachi took his silence as a signal for him to continue. All the students had already left, except for those who had club activities.

"Mother was also thinking the same thing." said Itachi, and got up. "I'm sorry, I wasted your time," he smiled, "Shall I give you a ride home ?"

Naruto politely declined saying he still had some business left to do at school. Itachi smiled again and waved him good-bye. Naruto saw him speed off in his car. He thought over Itachi's words. What did he mean by, 'Mother was also thinking the same thing' ? Why did his mother know about (Name) ? Or, even better, why did Sasuke's mother know about (Name) ? And what was she thinking about ? Something didn't feel right.

Is there something Sasuke and (Name) are hiding from me ?