The Challenge

Chapter Three: “Meet the Hyuugas”

Sunday afternoon found them in the Hyuuga living room drinking formal tea. The Hyuuga’s were a nice couple, well dressed and soft spoken. Most of all they seemed to love their daughter. Itachi liked and respected them for that. The father owned some company he’d never heard of and the mother was a housewife. She made and served them all tea before sitting silently at her husband’s side letting him do all the talking. They spoke to him in calm and respectful tones that most parents didn’t speak to him with. Most of Sasuke’s friend’s parents that he had met over the years looked at him with contempt or disbelief. They didn’t take his parenting skills seriously because of his age and brotherly turned parental relationship with Sasuke. These people however were different.

“Hinata’s a very shy girl,” her father began, “your brother is the first friend she has brought home to meet us. We were surprised to find to find the first person she let us meet would be a male classmate.” Itachi smiled but didn’t comment. He was sure the Hyuuga’s didn’t mean it as it sounded. This was simply two children making friend, though, if in the future a different situation presented itself, then one could do worse than Hinata Hyuuga.

“Sasuke informed me that he and your daughter have the highest grades in class.” They both simply nodded not truly impressed. “My brother doesn’t have any extra activities and I believe this is a good one. I do worry about the actual building of this maze.”

Mr. Hyuuga put his tea cup down. “My idea was to have the maze built by an outside contractor. I have some connections to use. The two of them will of course design the maze drawing up a blue print of sorts. That should fulfill their level of involvement in creating it.”

Sasuke had already informed him of this and he approved. He wasn’t keen on the idea of his brother working with power tools. “Well then that sounds fine.”

Abruptly Mr. Hyuuga stood up checking his watch. Out of respect Itachi stood as well. “If you’ll excuse my leaving I have a previous engagement to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Uchiha.” They shook hands and he walked away while pulling out a cell phone leaving him alone with Mrs. Hyuuga. Itachi got the impression that Mr. Hyuuga wasn’t really interested in the project his daughter was working on.

“It must be quite difficult to be both an older brother and single parent at such a young age?” Mrs. Hyuuga suddenly spoke across from him bringing his attention back to her. Her voice was high and soft reminding him fondly of his own mother.

“It was hard at first but we have a routine established. Sasuke’s almost sixteen and takes care of himself for the most part.” He put down his cup but declined when she silently offered to pour him more.

She signaled for a servant to clear the tea setting before speaking. “My husband was quite serious when he said Hinata is very shy. She has several activities but none of her own choosing. Learning the piano and dance were my idea and though she enjoys them they don’t make her eyes light up like this project does. When she speaks of this maze and your brother all signs of that nervous stutter disappears and she gets excited.”

Itachi watched her closely and thought about Sasuke. His brother got the same look in his eyes when he spoke of Hinata and joining the fair. It was a look he hadn’t seen since before their parent’s death. Sasuke had a desperate want to live a normal life and participating in the fair and working at a friend’s house was a big achievement. He put out of his mind how if it weren’t for Hinata’s involvement he would’ve said no to allow Sasuke to enter the fair.

While he sat speaking to Mrs. Hyuuga his brother and Hinata were seated at the table in the dining room going over some assignment. They spoke in whispered tones presumable to not bother the adults but Itachi knew what trading secrets looked like. Both were holding a pen but didn’t seem too interested in the piece of paper in-front of them. Sasuke leaned his face close to her ear whispering something that made her giggle covering her mouth with her hand. Whatever Sasuke said must have been funny because both were turning red from suppressing loud laughter and gasping for breath. The flushed happy look on his brother’s face made him smile.

He was so busy watching his brother that he didn’t notice Lady Hyuuga stand and move to his side. “I’ve never seen her like that. Your brother is a nice influence.”

“Hinata’s not such a bad one either.” He stood and turned to her. “I want to thank you for the lovely tea but my brother and I need to be going now.” Mrs. Hyuuga grabbed his hand when he offered it. “I’ll bring Sasuke over after school tomorrow so they can work together.” He gathered up Sasuke and allowed Mrs. Hyuuga and Hinata to walk them to the door.

At the door it swung open as Itachi reached for it almost smacking into him. “Oh sorry.” A disembodied voice floated out from behind the door before a head peeked around the door. A boy around Sasuke’s age entered followed by a small girl who looked like Hinata but with long hair.

Neither one stayed to be introduced to their leaving guests. Itachi, however, did not miss the small look exchanged by the boy and Sasuke. When they were in the car he asked his brother about it. “”Do you now those two?”

“Just the boy, his name is Neji.” Sasuke didn’t hesitate and turned towards him in the seat. “He’s Hinata’s cousin. A couple of years ago his dad died in an accident so he came to live with his uncle and aunt. I always thought it must be strange for him since his father and uncle were identical twins.” Itachi nodded. It would be hard to live with someone who looks exactly like a dead loved one. “The girl is Hinata’s younger sister but I don’t know her name.”

“Hinata’s parents were nice, I really liked them. They said that you’re the first friend that she has brought home in a while.” Looking over momentarily he poked his brother in the arm softly. “You seem to really like this girl.” He let the phrase float around in the air curious as to how Sasuke would respond.

“I guess, I mean she’s nice but…” he paused to slouch in his seat, “she likes that Naruto boy.”

It was hard to explain but he was happy that they were just friends. However, he was bothered that Naruto’s name came back up. Suddenly his mind drifted back to the scene he witnessed at the Hyuuga household. “What did you and Hinata talk about while I was having tea? You two were laughing pretty hard.”

Sasuke seemed taken aback by the question. “Oh that,” he stuttered. “For the experiment we need to buy and train a mouse. We were thinking of names for it. I told her we should name it Asuma after the language teacher because he spends the last half of the class twitching for a cigarette. Or maybe Genma who’s not allowed to chew on a tooth pick anymore. So instead he chews gum making him look like a hamster.” Sasuke laughed at his own joke but Itachi, not knowing the teachers he was talking about, stayed silent. They must really resemble mice because Sasuke was clutching his stomach and breathing hard. After a while he caught his breath he said. “Sometime I’m going to need to buy a mouse of my own.”

“Why is that?” He didn’t know if he liked the idea of having a rodent in the house.

“The one we’re going to train will stay with the maze but we need a control mouse. I’ll keep it in a cage at all times and keep it clean. You’ll never even know it’s there.”

“Well I guess but if that thing gets out once then it’s going over to the Hyuuga house.” Sasuke seemed happy as he settled back in his seat. Something strange was going on between them that had never happened before. In the course of one week Sasuke had successfully talked him into two separate things. First he got permission to enter the science fair and now he had talked a mouse into their house. “After this experiment is finished I want you to give that mouse back to Hinata.”

Sasuke nodded, “No problem. We already planned to give one to Hinata’s sister and the other is going to Kiba a friend of hers.”

They were silent for the rest of the way home. He thought about the smile on his brother’s features and the slight jealousy swelling inside at the fact that he wasn’t the one that caused it. Hinata was a smart, sweet girl that came from a kind and proper family. She was quiet and withdrawn like Sasuke making him not mind to see them together. He was skeptical at first about this science fair business but after meeting her family he felt better about it plus Sasuke was happy and that was all the convincing he needed.

XX***XX

Across town Naruto was having dinner with Iruka and slightly pissed that Kakashi was there too. It didn’t bother him that Iruka was gay or even that they were together but he didn’t appreciate the gray haired man disturbing his time with his sort of big brother. Kakashi fiddled around in the kitchen and lurked in the background trying not to interfere with their time together.

“So I talked Sasuke into tutoring me so expect some changes in my grades.” He slurped up a mouthful of ramen making Kakashi gag somewhere behind him. Being alone most of the time wreaked havoc on his manners but he exaggerated it in Kakashi’s presences knowing the older man’s annoyance at his eating habits.

Iruka stopped eating and looked at him. “I really wished you hadn’t of done that.”

“Why?” Naruto was confused.

“Sasuke has a 4.37 GPA and is working on a project with Hinata. Don’t you think he has enough to do without having to try and teach your dumbass anything?” Kakashi said harshly as he finally sat down at the table.

“No one was talking to you Kakashi.” He turned away from him and stared at Iruka. “Besides he can’t be too busy because he was the one who decided on mornings to work with me.”

Kakashi snorted and wrapped an arm around Iruka’s shoulders making Naruto scowl. The physical contact helped make sure that Iruka would take his lover’s side and not his own. “Does Itachi know about you two’s arrangement?” Iruka looked briefly at Kakashi before nailing him with a seriously questioning look.

“Well, um, I don’t know.” He poked at the soggy noodles with his chopsticks before actually eating a mouthful. “It is none of his brother’s business anyway. Sasuke’s fifteen for Christ sake not some little kid.” Naruto noisily finished his roman with big slurping mouthfuls just to watch Kakashi gag and turn away.

He liked Kakashi, thought he was a nice, loyal guy but had serious reservations about his involvement with Iruka. Kakashi taught gym and coached his baseball team. He was one of three gym instructors and definitely the favorite for the guys anyway. Tsubaki and Gai were the other two and not very popular because, really, who wanted a teacher who thought running twenty laps was a fantastic reward for having just finished running ten laps. What made Kakashi popular was his laziness and that he always had his face in a book. His books were always the kind lonely housewives read when their husbands were away and that they hid from their children. The ‘Make-Out’ series was his favorite and he was known to read and re-read them in front of his class while they played basket ball or ran laps. With him always reading it was easy to slack off or just stand around and talk.

Every teacher had behavior that made them popular and had behavior that made them disliked, Kakashi was no exception. During sports games he was really into teamwork. In baseball everyone got to hit the ball or in basketball everyone got to handle the ball or shoot a basket whether they were any good or not. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but he got really worked up and anyone who disagreed was made an example of. Naruto didn’t have a problem with him in this regard having no problem with this belief.

Students are observant and notice the things their favorite teachers are up to. Rumors drifted around the school about Kakashi’s involvement with a couple different teachers. They were just rumors with no grounds until he was seen driving Tsubaki home and both came to school the next day wearing the same clothes as the day before. Then about a month later the same thing happened when he was seen with Genma. None of this bothered Naruto, since the list of girls and boys he ran through was just as impressive, until Kakashi started having lunch with Iruka. Then it was a problem. There was no way Iruka was going to become another conquest.

With his legal guardian, Jiraiya, always gone researching his next book Iruka stepped in his place. The two of them became close, closer than he was with even Jiraiya. He didn’t remember when Iruka told him he liked men but he knew he never had a problem with it. In fact Iruka’s reveal made him start taking a second look at the guys he went to school with.

The only relationship he could remember Iruka having was the one he had was with Mizuki and it ended in disaster. He was a great guy at first who loved Iruka but only tolerated him. They say ‘love is blind’ but Naruto never believed it until he observed Iruka with Mizuki. Both of them were only twenty-five but Mizuki was more childish where Iruka was practically a parent and that caused the tension between them. Naruto started living his own life and ignored the goings on of the two teachers until Mizuki broke Iruka’s heart. As it turned out Iruka wasn’t the only one Mizuki was spending time with. Then just like that Mizuki was gone and Naruto was there to pick up the pieces. He had hoped Iruka would learn from the experience like the adult he was but now here was Kakashi.

So far they had been together for over two months but Mizuki had stuck around for over a year so there was still time. They were adults and what they did was their own, he had his own problems. No one thought his pursuing of Sasuke was a good idea but he didn’t see any problems with it. In fact, he was quite interested what everyone’s big deal was. All in all this experience was accomplishing what he wanted it to and that was bringing a little excitement to his boring life.

For as many people as he had been with he had never actually seduced anyone. He was popular enough that everyone just wanted him. It was odd to run into somebody who had no interest in him either romantic or otherwise. Sasuke fit that description perfectly. The brunet not only didn’t have any interest in him but also seemed to dislike him which was odd since they didn’t have any classed together or mutual friends. He didn’t know what he did to make Sasuke act hostile towards him. Besides Hinata and his older brother he wasn’t sure it Sasuke spoke to anyone.

He sipped the broth of his soup and watched Kakashi and Iruka talk across the table from him. Every once and a while Iruka would blush and laugh batting at Kakashi’s wondering hands. It made him smile to see Iruka happy even if it ended badly later he was happy now and that was enough for him.

XX***XX

Neji excused himself from dinner before dessert claiming to be full and tired. Frankly he was bored with his aunt and cousins speak of some experiment Hinata was working on with the Uchiha kid. He didn’t like to admit it but he wished his uncle was home. Then he could sit on the sofa in his uncle’s office and listen to him speak of the company stocks or future demographics. Business was a language they both spoke fluently. As the eldest son his uncle inherited the family business and gave his father a position in it as a kind gesture and not because they were family. Hinata was being groomed to take over but didn’t have any interest in taking over. Mean while he was a genius and understood the documents his uncle brought home and had been accepted to the finest business university in Japan. Despite all this he was over looked in favor of the proper heir who had no desire or interest in the company at all.

There was still time though. He would go to college paid for by his parents’ savings and by the time he graduated hopefully his uncle would realize he was the better choice. It was hard to keep his anger and frustration directed at who deserved it. To whom she was born was not Hinata’s choice and it took years for Neji to realize that it was not Hinata who he hated but his uncle. There were no rules that said direct descendants had to inherit but his uncle chose to follow that tradition. He hoped to be the one to change the trend but that was in the future.

Right now he had newer current affairs to deal with. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contact list finding Naruto’s number. He had mixed feelings about this. On one hand he didn’t really know Sasuke or Itachi and had no problem with Naruto fucking him because that’s what this was really all about. Unfortunately on the other hand Hinata had a huge crush on Naruto, much to his dislike, and he didn’t want her hurt when he seduced Sasuke in front of her.

Pressing the call button his phone dialed Naruto’s number. While waiting for him to answer some annoying song played in his ear. He knew he shouldn’t have let Naruto play with his phone. After what seemed like forever Naruto answered. “Yo Neji, what’s up?”

“I found out something interesting today.” He leaned against his headboard and crossed his feet in front of him. “Something you probably want to know about.”

“Oh really and what’s that?” Naruto didn’t sound enthusiastic on the line.

“When I was gone today Sasuke and Itachi were at my house having tea.” He paused for a moment for Naruto to start begging.

“Okay, to be so smug you have to have more information then that they were at your house.” Naruto yawed through the phone.

“You’re right. It just so happens that I also know when and how often Sasuke will be coming over to my place to work on that science fair project.” He paused a moment before continuing, “Without his brother.”

There was rustling and swearing on the other end and he was sure Naruto dropped the phone at some point or fell down. “Okay I’m ready.” Naruto panted and breathed heavily into the phone.

Neji actually pulled the phone away from his ear to look at it funny as if Naruto could see him. “What do you mean you’re ready?”

“I mean I have a pen and paper.”

“Well put it away because I’m not sharing. If you want to know ask Sasuke.” More swearing and yelling came through the phone.

“I thought you were going to share oh so good buddy of mine.”

“No because you are not doing that to Hinata. It’s not fair to her that you seduce him in front of her.”

“I wouldn’t do that to her.” Naruto paused and threw something in his room. “So just why did you call me?”

“To fuck with you,” Neji sneered.

“You suck,” he yelled and hung up the phone. Neji laughed and closed his own phone.

XX***XX

The battery fell out of his phone as it hit the wall. Neji was right; he didn’t want to hurt Hinata. He was well aware of the shy girl’s crush on him; her turning red whenever he looked at her was a dead giveaway. She was nice but he just didn’t feel ‘that’ way about her and he refused to let her become another name on the list of girls that had visited his bed. She deserved better than that.

Instead he picked up his text book and flipped it open to the reading assignment. After reading only one sentence his eyes drifted over to his Play Station 3 which was a present from Jiraiya after announcements were made that one of his books would become a movie. A game was in pause on his T.V. and his hand reached for the controller but he stopped it. “No, study.” He forced himself to turn and concentrate on the book. This time he was able to read a paragraph before drifting towards the open novel on his bookshelf that he’s been reading.

“No,” he shouted into the empty house, “concentrate.” Hoping it would help he read a couple paragraphs out loud then reread them. Nothing helped. He abandoned the book and pulled out some paper to answer the assignment questions. There were only three so that wasn’t so bad. On closer inspection each question had three parts. “Goddamn it Iruka you suck.” This was defiantly Iruka’s style, trust him to bring up hopes of an easy homework assignments and crush them with essay answers.

Looking up the answers as best he could, he wrote down some sentences to answer each question. It didn’t matter it they were absolutely or not correct because Sasuke would help make it right. The answers were just enough to convince Sasuke he was serious about this tutoring business. Really all he wanted was to spend time alone with the other boy and saving his grades were an added bonus.

XX***XX

Notes:
Itachi is very serious about his parenting of Sasuke.

There is a lot Sasuke/Hinata but it will never get past being friends because this is a Naruto/Sasuke story.

After the science fair she will play a big part on getting them together. I think with Neji and Gaara running interference Naruto and Sasuke deserve someone on their side.

Kakashi becomes important later on.

The next couple chapters have more Naruto/Sasuke moments and Gaara being naughty.

XX***XX

Review Responses:

Kirai: I am trying for some sort of realism and I’m glad you noticed because that means I’m doing this right. I try to use common sense to think what a twenty year old boy would do when forced to be a parent.

Dragon, SamuraiSaaya, and kkt: Thank you so much for your comments they mean a lot to me.

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This chapter took a while to get out and I hope the next one won’t take as long.