The Challenge

Chapter Two: “Science Tutor”

At six o’clock his alarm clock went off shocking him out of a disturbing dream of fire and screams and cold hands. He jerked awake to turn off the clock but another hand beat him to it. Itachi was crouched down next to his bed with a hand on his chest. Sweat was pouring down the back of his neck and down his forehead into his eyes. “You were having a nightmare.” Itachi spoke soothingly and helped him sit up handing him a glass of water. “Take a deep breath and drink slowly.”

Taking the glass from his brother he took small sips then a deep breath. He hadn’t had a nightmare in over six months not since they had become set in a regular routine. Their completely planned out days didn’t leave room for him to worry about the past. This was Naruto’s fault and fear that he might be pulled out of school. “I’m okay Itachi.” He tried to push his brother’s hands away but he was overpowered.

Itachi wiped at his forehead with a cool damp cloth. “Do you want to stay home today?”

“No,” Sasuke almost shouted. “I mean I’m fine. I just need a shower and breakfast.” He loved his brother he really did but Itachi was overprotective. As Sasuke got older Itachi’s protective nature got worse. It was getting to the point that the only time he was alone was when he was at school. Itachi insisted on driving him the two blocks to school and picking him up.

“Okay if you’re sure.” He stood and started to leave but turned back. “I’ll start the shower for you.” Itachi left the room for the bathroom. Sasuke flopped back on the bed and listened to the water run. Right now his brother was running the water just this side of hot: it’ll be comfortable but not sweltering. Simply put the temperature would be safe.

Twenty minutes later he was clean, calm, and dressed in a fresh school uniform. It was clean and freshly ironed but a size to big just like the other one he owned. It was Friday so breakfast was maple flavored oatmeal and fruit which was already on the table when he entered the kitchen. He sat down thinking about how he was going to approach his brother with a favor. It would already be hard but now it would be harder with his having the nightmare.

“Um Itachi, me and Hinata Hyuuga …”

“It’s Hinata and I.” He corrected.

“Yes Hinata and I are lab partners in science and the teacher asked us to think about entering the science fair.” He watched Itachi sit down at the table with a cup of coffee and a glass of juice for him. “Hinata and I have the highest grades in the class and we had an idea for a mouse maze.”

Itachi smiled slightly over his cup. Sasuke knew that smile. It was a humoring smile that he got when Itachi was about to talk him out of wanting something by using logic. “Is the science teacher going to open the lab for you two to use after school?” He knew that Itachi already knew the answer to the question.

“No but Hinata said I could come to her house and we could build it in her basement.” His oatmeal sat untouched in front of him.

“I don’t think so. Maybe she could come over here.” This was a dead end offer given to him to lead to a ‘no’ answer.

“It wouldn’t be proper for her to come here alone with the two of us.” This was the logic that Itachi wanted him to come to on his own. He then added softly. “At her house her parents would be there.”

Itachi sighed and put down the coffee cup. “This is something extra right, not for a class grade?”

“Yes.” The oatmeal was cold now but he forced a few big bites to show Itachi he was well. “I really want to do this and so does Hinata. Besides I don’t have any extra circular activities and you know how colleges love those.” He smiled big knowing that Itachi would cave with the college talk.

“I guess but I want to meet Hinata’s parents and we’ll set up dates for you two to work together.”

Sasuke didn’t even wait for him to finish before he was out of his chair and hugging his brother. “Thank you, thank you so much brother.” It was amazing because Itachi never gave in and he didn’t know why he did this time but he wasn’t going to question him about it.

“Yes I know I’m the greatest now finish eating and I’ll take you to school.” He returned to his seat and ate his oatmeal even though it was cold and lumpy. When done he put on his hooded sweat shirt and then his coat over it before following Itachi to the car.

XX***XX

Naruto clutched his hand in the girl’s hair as he came in her soft mouth. He couldn’t remember her name of even if he had asked for it. She was a senior and was just slumming which was good because he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend.

She stood up and grabbed her purse. “So what happened, you run out of junior girls to bang?” She dug around in her purse most likely looking for lipstick.

“Something like that.” He fixed his pants and left her behind to rejoin his friends. They were all sitting around moaning over coffee and open text books. Kiba and Shino were finishing up last minute homework that he didn’t bother doing in the first place. “So Kiba I took your advice and found someone fresh.”

This made Kiba look up. “Is that right who?”

“Sasuke Uchiha.” He grinned, fox like at them.

“Sasuke huh?” Neji spoke up. “You weren’t kidding when you said you wanted a challenge.” He put the book he was reading away. “He’s my cousin’s science partner so I’ve heard a thing or two about him.”

“Oh really, like what?” This peeked his interest making him lean forward anxious to hear what his friend had to say.

Neji thought for a moment before coming up with something. “He lives with his older brother who keeps him under lock and key.” The bell rang somewhere in the distance and like usual none of them moved. “Hinata said his parents died in a house fire when he was eight and Itachi was thirteen.”

“Hinata sure knows a lot about him.” For reasons he didn’t understand he felt slightly jealous.

“I thing she has a crush on him.” They both got up and started toward their first class. “They make a cute couple if you think about it. Both of them are shy and keep to themselves all the time. In fact I don’t think she has any friends other than that math teacher Kurenai.” It was true to his knowledge. He asked Sakura and Ino about it once. They didn’t say they didn’t like her but she went to school, studied, and went home. She didn’t belong to any after school clubs nor had any big groups of friends. In fact, Sasuke was the only person he knew Hinata had contact with.

He smiled, slowly walking through the door. This could work for him. Neji was his good friend who also happened to be cousin to Hinata who was semi-friends with Sasuke. It was a terrible thing to do but he was going to use the Hyuugas as a bridge to the pale withdrawn boy.

XX***XX

“I’ve got good news.” Sasuke climbed onto the stool at the table he shared with Hinata. “My brother gave me permission to enter the science fair.”

Hinata leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s so great I can’t wait to get started.” The normally shy girl was uncharacteristically excited talking without her usual stammer. “Today at lunch we can draw up a schedule and outline for the experiment.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He kept calm but was really excited. The project gave him the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and away from the ever watchful eye of Itachi. He also really wanted to do this with Hinata because she was his friend; his only friend.

At first they were going to build an erupting volcano but that was too simple and overdone. Then they thought about a bug collection but there wasn’t enough time and neither one knew enough about insects to make the project any good. Plus they both knew that Shino would most defiantly show off his impressive collection. Finally they thought up the mouse maze idea.

“There should be more to it than just the maze.” Sasuke mentioned at lunch as he bit into a rice ball from his bento Itachi packed for him. “Maybe a wheel and we could get it to push or roll something around.”

“A spool of thread like on that movie.” Hinata added eating a grape from her school lunch. “We have several months until the fair and building the maze should come first. The bulk of this time should be spent training the mouse so we should have a pattern drawn up by at least the end of next week.”

Sasuke pushed his boxed lunch aside and pulled out a sketch book he used for art class. He quickly drew a square and started filling it with lines and curves. “The maze would be more interesting if some of the walls could slide out changing the pattern. Most of the dimensions should be planned with your father since he’s building it.” Part of the rules for the entries was that the majority of the project had to be created by the students. There was an exception for younger students needing parental guidance to build parts or mix chemicals. The two of them would be drawing the blue prints and creating the design but not actually cutting the wood and binding it together. They both leaned over the paper with a pencil taking turns drawing or writing completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched by two different parties.

XX***XX

“Isn’t that sweet,” Konkoru leaned over Gaara’s lap and pointed at the two students. “Just look at the cute couple.”

Gaara looked up from his lunch and in the direction of his brother’s pointing finger. Across the lunch room Sasuke and Hinata were sitting shoulder to shoulder laughing about something they were working on. He couldn’t help but think how different Sasuke looked with a smile on his face. “That’s not the one I’m worried about.” His eyes drifted across the large room to settle on Naruto who just happened to be watching the two as well. Before turning back to his lunch he smiled at the jealous look on the blonde’s face.

XX***XX

Naruto took an almost angry bite out of his sandwich while staring at the cute couple. There was no real reason to be angry because he had no real claim on Sasuke. It was just an infatuation right now but if the brunet was interested in girls then he had no chance. Anger wasn’t really what he was feeling but jealousy, not of Sasuke but Hinata. She was sitting right next to the pale boy pressed against his shoulder and touching his hand every time they exchanged the pencil between them. They smiled and laughed with each other which made Sasuke’s face light up beautifully.

“You know,” Neji said out of nowhere, “I might have to interfere with you seducing Sasuke. Hinata and he are cute together; I think I like them together.” Naruto had to admit that he agreed. The two of them were cute but he knew that Hinata had a crush on him. He didn’t worry about it because he knew that girls often fell for boys that they only watched from afar.

“You’re right, they are cute.” This wasn’t going to be easy but that was what he was looking forward to. Her involvement added another dimension of having to get him away from her but not hurting Hinata. She was his friend and he wanted to keep it that way. His ace in the hole was Sasuke’s time spent after school waiting for his brother. Naruto groaned internally, that brother was another problem.

“Don’t look now but this challenge of yours is going to get more complicated.” He turned his head to look in the same direction as Neji. He defiantly wasn’t expecting what he saw. Gaara was looking across the room directly at him then at Sasuke then back to his lunch. “Do you think it’s strange that Gaara, who could have anyone, notices Sasuke at the same time as you?”

That was strange and it bothered him. “Goddamnit this is making no sense. What I need to do is think less about what Gaara is doing and more about how to get close to Sasuke.” Just his luck that the first person he’d ever tried to pick up would come with a set of barricades. Also, Sasuke hated him for reasons he didn’t know. He smiled suddenly having decided that what he needed to do first was to make Sasuke into his friend. “Do you know when he has gym?” He asked Neji who thought about it.

“I don’t think he does, in fact, I know he doesn’t. He has a study hall period instead.” Neji packed away his lunch things and threw away his garbage. “I worked in the office at the first of the school year. Itachi brought Sasuke in and filled out a bunch of paper work that I had to file. It was a medical exclusion from participating in gym.” Around them the bell rang.

For once they started for class in time to get there on time. “That’s a shame because wouldn’t he look fabulous in our gym uniform.” Naruto didn’t think much of school uniforms after all they had no orange on the dark blue jacket and slacks they were forced to wear. In gym the uniform was a pair of shorts that were ridiculously short underneath a t-shirt. In the colder months they played indoor sports so they always wore the same uniform.

Neji left him at Iruka’s classroom and went to his own class. As he entered the room a cool chill of danger tingled up his spine making him shutter in fear. He scanned quickly around the room looking for the source. A tall figure blocked his way to his desk holding its hand out expectantly. “Homework?” The thing growled at him. Naruto dug in his back pack even though he knew there was nothing in there that could help him.

“I’ll turn it in tomorrow.” He smiled big showing the mass amount of teeth trying to win over the one teacher that he knew he couldn’t charm.

“Naruto, this is the fifth assignment in a row you have failed to turn in.” Iruka stepped out of his path and pointed at the empty desk in front of his own. “I want you to sit here in front. If you don’t turn in the rest of the assignments for the quarter and pass the next test you are going to fail this class.” Naruto turned his head and snorted prompting Iruka’s anger. “This is not an elective class it’s a graduation requirement so you had better start taking this seriously.”

“How am I supposed to do that when the subjects are so boring?” He threw his things down on the desk that was now his.

“You could get a tutor.” Iruka sat at his own desk shuffling through his day planner. “I’m sure Shikamaru would be happy to help or even Shino he’s doing well in this class.”

“Fine I’ll talk to them.” Naruto sat heavily at his new desk looking to his side. Taped to the wall at his side was the sign-up sheet for the science fair and he immediately recognized the last names on the list. “What about Sasuke Uchiha?” He asked Iruka.

This seemed to catch his teacher off guard. “How do you know Sasuke?”

“I don’t know, around.” It was true.

“Sasuke and Hinata are working on a project for the science fair. I don’t think he has time but feel free to ask him or even Hinata.” Iruka started writing on the white bored and said without turning around. “I urge you to ask someone in your own class because Sasuke has his hands full.” With that the bell rang and class began. Naruto tried his best not to fall asleep since he now sat in front of the teacher.

The rest of the day went slowly, dragging on forever. When the last bell rang he hurried to his locker grabbing his coat and changing his shoes. He made his way through the crowd heading to the very back door. It was a school secret that only he knew about but he had special permission to drive to school. The back lot was for faculty only but none of the teachers left right after school. Iruka-Sensei let him park in his parking space so no one would notice that he left with Kakashi-Sensei most nights. He was careful to leave before any teachers or afterwards but knew that some of the staff already knew. His legal guardian was childhood friends with the principal and Iruka was the youngest teacher who everybody loved. Students weren’t allowed to drive so it was kept very secret.

He pushed the door open and immediately found Sasuke leaning against the wall huddled deep in a sweatshirt and coat. “You must get cold easily. Why don’t you wait inside?” His pale cheeks and nose were rosy from cold making him even cuter.

“I need to be able to see Itachi’s car.” The shorter boy shifted away and refused to look in his direction.

Naruto wasn’t going to give up. Instead he leaned into his line of sight forcing Sasuke to look at him. “So I have a huge favor to ask you. I’m failing science with Iruka and I was wondering if you…”

“No,” Sasuke interrupted before he could finish.

“Oh come on you don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“Yes I do,” he side stepped him and took a few steps away. “I don’t have time to tutor anyone between studying and Hinata and I’s science fair project. Besides I know you’re friends with Shikamaru Nara.”

“What does it matter who I’m friends with?” He followed Sasuke and tried to grab his arm only to have him pull away.

Sasuke stepped away again and folded his arms hiding his small white hands. “He’s smart and your friend he could tutor you.”

Naruto sighed, that was the same as what Iruka said. He could argue but he couldn’t think of any rebuttal. Since it wasn’t working he decided to stop this method and ask about something else that was bothering him. “I’m not going to hurt you, you know?”

“What?” Sasuke jumped and his voice squeaked.

“The other day when I knocked you down you pulled away when I tried to help,” he clarified, “then just now you pulled away again.”

“Oh that?” Sasuke’s face flashed with embarrassment giving it a deeper red color than the cold did. “I don’t like being touched.” Naruto stepped back shoving his hands in his pockets. An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Naruto worried a pack of cigarettes in his pocked before finally pulling one out and lighting it. Sasuke frowned and looked away but asked.” “When do you have science?”

“After lunch, why?” The other boy grinned.

“Here’s the deal.” He stated matter of factly. “You need to be here forty five minutes before the bell and I’ll help you understand the night befores reading. We’ll meet in the library to go over the assignment for the day, okay?” He crossed his arms and eyed him.

“I don’t know, I’m not really a morning person. Can’t we hang out after school?” Naruto scratched at the back of his head. Getting up early was not appealing at all. He could barely get to school on time as it was.

“I’m not available after school. This is the time I have so take it or leave it.” Sasuke stood strait and unyielding daring him to object.

“Fine but I’m kind of dumb so teaching me might take a while.” While laughing he took a drag of his cigarette.

Sasuke laughed too making Naruto smile. He loved the look of Sasuke happy. “Don’t worry I am patient. But I have to warn you I’m putting myself in risk helping you so if you are late or don’t take this seriously for even a second it is over. You are the one with the problem not me and I’m not going to help you if you don’t really want it, understood?”

“Yes I understand but I really need your help.” That was a lot easier then he thought it would be. Naruto watched with interest as Sasuke walked right up to him and actually reached into his pocket grabbing his pack of cigarettes. Before he could do anything Sasuke dropped the pack and stepped on it grinding it into the ground with his heel. “Hey what the fuck are you doing?” Being under age and not having anyone else in his life that smoked made obtaining a pack of cigarettes difficult. That one had been mostly full and now it was destroyed.

Sasuke pointed at the cigarette in his mouth. “That’s your last one. You shouldn’t smoke its bad for you.” Naruto smiled and finished the cigarette before pitching the butt away. “You’ll thank me when you can still run all the bases without gasping for air.” He was going to make a smart comment back but a familiar car made a turn and started for them. Before he could think why he was doing it he ran for the door to get out of sight. As he ducked away he could have sworn he saw Sasuke mouth ‘thank you’.

XX***XX

When Naruto disappeared into the building and he was left alone he noticed his hands trembling and his heart fluttering. He stood so close to the blonde and when he reached into his pocket, he was so warm. Heat radiated off the other boy that seeped into himself. He was concentrating so much on Naruto that Itachi had to honk to get his attention. The sound made him jump but hurry towards the car and climb in. “Sorry but I was thinking about the experiment.”

“Still putting a rat through a maze?” He didn’t seem interested.

“Yes as well as some obstacles likes a wheel or a tube.” Itachi’s eyes were on the road so he risked discretely rubbing his hands across his nose and sniffing quietly. Unfortunately Itachi never overlooked anything.

“Are you getting sick?” He reached over and put a hand on his forehead briefly before pulling away. “You’re not warm.”

“I’m fine my nose just itched.” He sighed and frowned. “Every little sniffle I get is not a cold and a little cold isn’t going to kill me.” To prove his point he rubbed his nose again. His hand smelled faintly of tobacco and the wool of Naruto’s coat. He decided he liked the smell and the warmth from the other boy. Tutoring him wouldn’t be so bad. He was actually looking forward to it.

“I know.” It was a whisper almost too low for him to hear. “You just get sick so easily that it scares me sometimes.”

“You don’t have to be scared but you need to let me have some more freedom.” It wasn’t often that Itachi opened up so he had to exploit it quickly when it happened. “Hinata and I worked out a rough schedule. She gave me her phone number and approximate time her parents are home.” He dug a piece notebook paper out of his backpack and held it.

They pulled into the garage and Itachi grabbed the paper before getting out. On the way in the house he read it over. “You are really into this science project aren’t you?” Itachi gave him a small half smile.

Sasuke returned it. “Yes I am.”

“Well since you’re happy then I’m happy and,” he turned away, “I’m going to forget that you were talking to that kid that I specifically told you to stay away from.”

Itachi’s sudden revelation almost knocked the wind out of him like a physical blow. “How did you know?” Sasuke stammered following him into the house.

“You said he smoked out back and I can smell it on you.” Itachi hung up his coat and disappeared into the kitchen.

Sasuke stood stunned unsure what to do or say. In his entire life he had never been able to hide anything from his older brother. Itachi even knew about things he couldn’t have seen like the time when Ino pushed him up against a wall in the first grade and kissed him on the forehead. On the way home Itachi shocked him and his mother by asking him how he liked his first kiss.

He slowly put his things away and changed out of his uniform but hesitated before leaving his room. What was Itachi going to do to him for going against his instructions? “What was I thinking?” He whispered to himself. Itachi had a class that started at seven thirty so he always got dropped off at school earlier than everyone else but since he did his homework the night before he had nothing to do but read. He got bored easily and had been running out of books. Without thinking better of it he told Naruto he would tutor him in science in the mornings.

It wasn’t a smart move because he couldn’t hide it from his older brother for very long. Then again Itachi did seem to be lightening up. He didn’t have to fight very hard to work on a science fair project with Hinata. Gathering up his courage he left his room and walked to the kitchen to confront his brother who was making tea. “Itachi,” he didn’t turn around but grunted that he heard him. “I wait out back for you and he just happens to be there too. We didn’t talk or anything he just smoked a cigarette and left. The wind blew the smoke in my direction that must be why I smell. I wasn’t disobeying you.”

Itachi put all the tea things on a tray to carry them to the table. When they were both seated he poured them both a cup putting one sugar cube in each and some milk into Sasuke’s. Itachi started talking after taking a sip. “I didn’t say you disobeyed me and I know you can’t control what others do.” They drank in silence for a moment before Itachi smiled and pulled out the piece of paper. “Why don’t we go over this schedule?”

He jumped out of his seat and moved to the one next to his brother so he could see the paper. Itachi seemed to be okay with his talking to Naruto so he decided to let it go. “We only planned for this month because we didn’t know if anything would come up in our lives.”

“Looks likes she is free on Mondays and Wednesdays.” His brother said after reading the piece of paper.

“Yes Hinata has piano lessons on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. She also has other stuff to do, so this worked out.” Itachi read it again.

“I was thinking that we could have tea with her parents sometime this weekend. How does that sound?”

Sasuke smiled at the lightness of Itachi’s voice. “That sounds great.

XX***XX

NOTES:

Yes this is going to be a long one. I have written about 8 chapters haven’t got to the half point yet.

Tutoring is a good device to get characters together that wouldn’t otherwise spend time together. I thought math was over done so I chose science.

The scene with Naruto getting a blowjob seemed a little out of place but I wrote it to give the feel of him being somewhat of a slut. This becomes important later on when Gaara becomes a major player.

I really love Hinata. She is so cute and has some really kick ass moments. Sasuke is so out of character that I wanted to put him next to the person I wanted him to behave like.

It is really odd that I made Naruto a smoker because I hate smoking.

Sometimes Japanese school children will have different uniforms for different events like: class, gym, and activities.


Personal Notes:

I’m leaving for a camping trip so I won’t be updating for a while.

I already have several chapters written out so when I get back all I have to do it type.

I hate posting too many notes on a chapter because it makes it look like the chapter is longer than it really is. That is just a rip off for you the reader. Please visit the following links for more information and review comments.

Notes: http://sylvir1.livejournal.com/1968.html

Reviews: http://sylvir1.livejournal.com/2206.html

Most of my journal entries involve this story. Anyone who wants to know where my story ideas come from or my thoughts on fan fiction writing should look through the topics.