Cardiac Arrest

A special thanks to my lovely Paul G (uchihasasukekun07). You know I hold you dearly

Cardiac Arrest
by electrostatic
Chapter 3: Wake me up when the bluebells are ringing

- - -

Naruto stood in front of the enormous school. He was amazed, as well as intimidated but mostly excited. Emotions ran through his body and an uneasy feeling occupied his stomach. Naruto looked up from his brochure to the tall building that stood in front of him. He couldn't help but be in awe of its size and beauty. Somehow the brochure did not do the school any justice, it was so much more elaborate when one was standing in its shadow. The one thing, however, that confused the blonde, was the lame-ass names they gave for each of the four houses! He, Naruto was in the Bluebell house. No matter how many times he ran it over in his head he always ended up smirking about it. He couldn't help think saying to someone, “Hey I'm in the Bluebell house!”

While waiting for somebody called Huuga he laughed to himself. Huuga was a senior and was going to show him around. Naruto was glad that he got to be in the Bluebell house with Sasuke, no matter how lame it sounded. But that was what the whole changing school thing was about, right? To get Sasuke to fall in love with him.

“Excuse me, are you Uzumaki Naruto?” a boy with long hair and freakish eyes asked him in a polite tone.

“Yeah that's me!” Naruto said with a smile grazing his lips. Before he could ask this person who he was, the boy spoke.

“I am Hyuuga Neji, an economics senior. I'm also a member of the BlueBell house and will be guiding you today.” Neji said.

Naruto suddenly snorted out loud going into a fit of laughter. Trying his best to contain himself as the tall youth looked at him oddly. Hearing Bluebell said out loud in all seriousness was harder to cope with that he first thought. He was going to have a tough first day!
“I'm so sorry!! That's awesome Neji! I don't really know that many people here...or....well I only know Sasuke, but he doesn't like me. Are you in the same class as Sasuke?” Naruto asked as they walked into the enormous school.

“To answer your question, yes I am and it's okay. You're not the first. Most of the first years find the whole house naming thing as a source of amusement. However upon learning of the history behind the names, I hope you find a new respect for them.” Huuga spoke as he opened the heavy oak door.

Naruto looked at him before stepping in. Huuga spoke with a deep admiration for the school which added to him been awed as he stepped into the cool corridor. Looking left and right the corridor seem to stretch endlessly. Taking the lead again Neji set off with Naruto close at his heels, listening in wonderment as Neji explained why his particular house was named after the bluebell flower.

“As you know from reading the brochure each of the four houses are named after a flower. Ours the Bluebell, then the Lily, the Poppy and the Leaf. The reason the houses were aptly name after said flowers all dates back to the founding fathers. Each flower representing something to the respective houses.

The Poppy, a red flower represents many things but mainly death, as morbid as that sounds. It also represents sleep and resurrection. You probably know that the poppy is used to represent wartime remembrance but also as a consolation in times of death.

The Lily, a white flower represent death but also rebirth. We take it as a symbol of new life and new beginnings.

The Leaf, though not a flower itself but a vital part of the structure of a flower provides the light and nutrients necessary for a flower to live and grow. The leaf is just as important as the roots.

And then you have our house, the Bluebell. The bluebell is a delicate fragile looking flower but truly is a strong flower. It withstands the cruelest weather without breaking or withering. As it matures, the bluebell bows as if surrendering to the might of the earth before retuning from which it came only to bloom as brightly and strongly the following spring. Flowers as a whole represent the the life here at the school. It's a never ending spiral. We start as tiny buds and we leave as mature adults ready to face the world. As we leave, those beneath us begin the cycle all over again.” Neji paused in his speech aware that Naruto was silent but with a different look in his eye. The look told Neji he understood and was ready to carry on the honor and tradition that was bestowed upon them by the school.

“So, do you want me to show you your room first so that you can put your bags there.” Neji asked as he came to a stop waiting for Naruto's reply.

“Yeah that seems like a good idea. God Neji you're really smart!” Naruto said as he smiled. The boy seemed so uptight, a compliment might help him loosen up a bit. Seeing Neji warming up just slightly was all the proof the blonde needed.

“Walk this way.” He said as he started to walk. Startled at the tone, Naruto ran towards Neji who was walking fast up the stairs.

“Hey, hey, hey Neji, is it true that all the houses are hidden?” Naruto asked with a voice filled with his childish wish.

“Yes it is.” Neji said and stood in the middle of what looked like an hallway. After waiting for Naruto he walked to the left and stood in front of a long wall. It had no paintings or statues around it except an armor that stood in the middle. Neji looked around and then walked up to the armor, put his hand behind the armor and pushed. Naruto didn't get it, why was he pushing against a wall?

The wall started moving and a small door was shown. Neji turned his head to look at Naruto and motioned him to follow inside.

Naruto really wanted to just stand there and stare in awe. This was awesome, this was better than Harry Potter's talking portrait. But he couldn't just stand there and stare. He walked inside right after Neji and what was inside really made him just stand there and stare with his mouth open.

On the left side, there was a fireplace and blue sofas surrounding it. Several tables with either a comfortable couch or a stool. There were some computers on some of the tables. The left side was the study section where it was supposed to be quiet and comfy. Anyone could see that. But the blue sofas surrounding the fireplace had to be a great place for making out, he thought.

Turning his head to the right he saw heaven. A big TV-screen with a Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 lying underneath was never a bad thing. There was a billiard table in the middle and just random places where people could sit and hang out.

In order to separate these two rooms there was a wall that covered more than half of the room, like a line except it didn't complete itself. The two rooms where abandoned and it was still. He also noticed a piano, a guitar and a microphone in a corner.

“Done staring?” Neji asked with an amused voice.

“Neji, are you aware of how awesome this place is? This is.. heaven man.” Naruto said while he took in all the things he saw.

“I'm glad you like it. Do you want me to show you your dorm?” Neji asked but he had already started walking towards some stairs.

“LIKE IT? I FUCKING LOVE IT!” Naruto screamed as he picked his bags up and started running after Neji. He was sooo going to play Playstation as soon as he got the chance.

After walking up the stairs he saw a corridor with several doors. Neji stood in front of one of these doors.

“This is your room.” Neji said and opened it.

Naruto rushed to the door and looked in. There was two big gorgeous beds with blue bedspreads, two desks and two drawers. He put his bags down on the floor and turned around to see Neji.

“So Neji, up for the rest of the tour?” He asked, smiling brightly.

- - -

After almost a whole day the tour was coming to an end. The school really was big in the inside and it was tiring, walking around and getting so much information. Naruto couldn't remember most of the stories Neji had told him or where the different classrooms where. Neji told him that it was only normal and that he would learn everything after a while. Now they where heading towards the common room since it was soon going to be overflowing with pupils coming with the late night train. Naruto's roommate would be one of them.

When they had reached their goal Neji excused himself and went to the bathroom. Naruto looked around and the empty rooms were suddenly filled with people and it was loud. It was so loud and he could see people laughing and joking. Normally Naruto would have seen this as an opportunity to befriend all the joy but he felt tired and a bit down actually.

Walking up the bony stairs and through the cold corridor, Naruto realized that his feet had become heavier with each step. When he finally reached his room he entered and quickly changed his clothes before lying down on his side, facing the wall.

The whole place and the air changed as soon as Neji left, but not that drastically he mused. He had fantasized about the school and it was nothing like what he had imagined. If it was better or worse, Naruto couldn't tell. Perhaps it was the fact that for social studies pupils this was their final year which would mean that they already knew each other pretty well. Naruto didn't know how you got into a group, he always somehow got around. Seeing all the cheerfulness downstairs made him feel like an outsider and he never liked that feeling.

But Naruto was tired and after a few seconds he felt his eyelids become heavier and heavier. He heard a distant sound in the background. It sounded like a door opening but Naruto was to tired to greet his new roommate.

- - -

Naruto woke up to the sound of a voice cursing. He groaned at having his peaceful sleep time interrupted and opened his eyes to find the source of the angry voice.

It came from a boy currently sitting on the floor with a bag between his legs, his hands were busy looking for something in it. He had brown hair and brown eyes. Naruto also noticed that he had a very kind face even through he was sitting there cursing.

“Hi. Are you my roommate?” Naruto asked while trying hard not to yawn or sound irritated. He was kinda pissed at being awoken this way.

The brown haired boy looked up from the floor. He wasn't aware that Naruto had woken up.

“Oh, hello, good morning. Yeah I'm Inuzuka Kiba and I'll be your roomie. Or, you will become my new roomie. Anyhow, I'm sorry... didn't mean to wake you up. I just can't find my damn phone and I have to call my mother.” Kiba muttered and looked around the floor once again.

“I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I can call your phone and see where it is. Is your phone on?” Naruto asked.

“Yeah it is, and I think it's not on silent.” Kiba said while he started to search in his bag again.

Naruto got off his bed and saw his phone lying on the desk. With no memory of putting it there Naruto shrugged it off and gave the phone to Kiba so that he could call himself. The Sony Ericsson tune was heard but faintly confirming it was hidden somewhere amongst things. After Kiba had searched his big bag with clothes he found it in a pair of jeans. Naruto had in the meantime left to take a shower.

Tomorrow would be the first official school day. Today was the usual catch up with everyone after the holidays. Naruto hoped that Kiba wouldn't abandon him, for been a newbie at the school he had no friends to catch up with.

Stepping out of the shower Naruto started drying himself off while forcing himself to erase all those negative thoughts. It wasn't like him to think like that. Naruto sighed and after finishing dressing himself he looked in the mirror. He looked good, he thought. That made him smile and he felt like the old Naruto was back. With this newfound self esteem he walked to his room and saw, to his luck, that Kiba was still there unpacking.

“Do you need help?” Naruto asked, leaning against the door frame.

“No, I'm almost finished. By the way, I added you as an contact in my phone. You know, just in case? You should do the same.” Kiba said casually.

Naruto 'mmmed' a yes and went to lay down on his bed, waiting for Kiba to finish, saving Kiba's number on his phone as he went.

- - -

It took forty five minutes. During this time Naruto and Kiba talked about everything. Naruto felt as if he had found a real friend in Kiba and he could sense that Kiba felt the same. It felt nice and all the worry Naruto had felt disappeared. Hope and happiness replaced the angst as they talked and laughed. He found out that in the afternoon, around three o'clock Kiba's friends (and he's new classmates) would be returning to the school. There were different trains that one could take. One was in the morning, one in the afternoon and the last arrived at midnight.

They sounded really nice, his new classmates. He couldn't wait to meet them.

It was a nice day in late August when Naruto and Kiba sat outside, waiting for their classmates. The sun was shining hot on the ground but the air blew comfortably, making this a prefect day. They had met some of their teachers in the hallway. Naruto got the impression that they where really nice and caring.

Kiba started talking about the different teachers as they sat down on a bench. The small talk took away some of the nervousness that he felt, but only a little.

When suddenly Kiba stopped talking and looked forward. Naruto turned to look and saw a crowd walking towards the school. It was even more scary then he had thought. An army of boys and girls in the same uniform as Naruto and Kiba, walking in the same pace. Some of them even looked the same, carrying similar bags.

The only thing separating the teenage crowd from a military army was the fact that there were four different colours, representing the four different houses. Every person had one of these colours, either on their skirt, their shirt or their tie . Some boys even wore their blazers with their house crests on the left hand breast pocket. The rest of the school uniform was black. Some seniors wore a waistcoat.

“This is the life in a boarding school you know.” Kiba said with a bored voice when he saw Naruto's facial expression.

“They look like an army.” Naruto said, never taking his eyes off the crowd.

He couldn't stop looking at the details of the uniforms, even though he owned and wore the boys version. It was more than just the clothes, it was how everyone made them 'their own'. How they accessorized them to fit their personality. Naruto suddenly felt very dull, having left his uniform exactly the way it was.

“Haha yeah, you got a point. It's kinda awful that everyone looks the same. Stupid preppy school.” Kiba said, staring ahead.

“Pff. I think it's kinda cool, this whole school uniform thing. Besides, everyone doesn't look the same. I mean far away they do but if you look closer you see that everyone makes it more personal. It can just be a necklace or how you style you hair.” Naruto stated.

“Ah Naruto, I now fully understand why you are a social studies student.” Kiba said while waving to some of his friends.

When he noticed six people starting to walk towards them Naruto felt that nervous feeling in his stomach again. Butterflies, some called it. He bit his lip and looked away, preparing himself. Kiba was talking about something but Naruto didn't hear what, he didn't really care.

Soon there was three girls and three boys standing a little bit away from Naruto, having a group hug with Kiba. It was kinda cute, Naruto thought. He saw a girl in a green skirt with a big green sports bag coming towards him with a big smile on her lips. Naruto stood up and took two steps forward, greeting her.

“Hi there, I'm Yamanaka Ino. Heard you're new here. Welcome.” she said while shaking his hand.

Before Naruto could answer she was pushed away by a girl with pink hair. She wore a blue tie and skirt so there was no doubt that she was one of his housemates.

“Hello there! I'm Haruno Sakura!” the pink haired girl said, smiling brightly at Naruto while extending her hand towards him.

Again, before Naruto could reach out to shake her hand she was pushed away by Ino. Confused, Naruto stared at the scene in front of him with his mouth still open.

Naruto felt someone grabbing his arm and leading him away from the squabbling teens. Kiba lead him to a little group of four people. Three boys and one girl. The rest of the group that Naruto could recognize from the tales he had heard earlier.

He could see from the corner of his eye that Ino and Sakura had left and truthfully he didn't care that much. Feeling his bold side was taking over, Naruto found himself getting brave enough to introduce himself with that nervous feeling all gone.

“Hello! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm Kiba's new roommate. I've heard so much about you all, even though we only met this morning!” Naruto said and it was true. Perhaps that was the reason he didn't feel nervous, they looked friendly and not at all mean. He saw to his right a girl with black hair that shimmered lilac.

“You must be Hinata, right?” he asked and smiled. He noticed Hinata blush as he spoke to her. He couldn't help but inwardly smile as his mind set off like a train at the thoughts of a girl liking him. But he knew he shouldn't be thinking such things and let the train of thoughts go as quickly as it came.

“Y-yes I am. N-nice to m-meet you N-Naruto-kun.” she shuttered, looking down.

Next to her was a tall boy with John Lennon type glasses. His hair was black and he had a jacket on, which was very unusual. It still had his house and school crests on it, so Naruto guessed the school didn't care that much. Just as Naruto opened his mouth to talk to him Kiba interrupted.

“Hehe, this is Aburame Shino. He doesn't really talk much.” Kiba said quickly, as if he wanted to speed things up. Shino nodded his head to Naruto, who took this as a good thing and turned his attention to the person Kiba wanted him to meet next.

“This is Nara Shikamaru and Akimchi Choji. Choji is a social studies student like us, so he'll be in our classes. Shikamaru's nickname is Shika, just so you know. It's shorter and stuff.” Kiba said and walked over to Hinata and started talking to her.

Shikamaru or Shika, frowned at Kiba before turning his attention towards Naruto. He extended a hand which Naruto happily took. Choji who sat down on a bench eating chips looked at him.

“You know Naruto, Kiba didn't have a nice roommate before but I think I like you.” Choji said and started eating again.

Naruto shocked, looked at both boys. Shikamaru sat down on the other end of the bench and Naruto sat down in the middle. He found out very soon that Hinata and Neji were cousins, a little guide about all the teachers he was going to have, that Sakura also was a social studies student and about the whole Sasuke rivalry between them. Naruto found out that both of them had huge crushes on Sasuke, at that made him feel uneasy.

When they started talking about Sasuke the whole group assembled around the bench that Naruto was sitting on Talking about Sasuke made Naruto's stomach twirl again but not from nervousness. He felt more ill then anything and realized that he still had no idea how he felt about the whole marriage-thing. What if Sasuke didn't want people to know? Naruto felt like throwing up. Especially the way that Sakura and Ino talked about him, as if he was a piece of meat. He was sure he heard them fighting over who loved him the most but that didn't bother him. What bothered him was the looks that the rest of the group where giving each other and the comments they where making. Naruto felt himself getting more and more distant and the voices where starting to get hard to hear. 'Who was Sasuke?' Naruto could hear himself thinking and for the first time in his whole life he wanted to hide from Sasuke. How could they talk about him like this? It felt as if he had a hand holding his throat. The more he thought about how secure Sasuke made him feel, the more Naruto worried that the Sasuke Kiba and the others knew was not the same Sasuke he had grown to know and care about....it made it really difficult to swallow.

They suddenly changed topic and that made most of the unwanted feelings disappear. Naruto took a deep breath and joined in. The topic was movies and Naruto loved watching movies. Apparently every house had their own movie nights every Saturday at nine. The sudden discussion about the latest movie made Naruto forget almost all of the shaking feelings he felt. But some were still there.....

- - -

It had become rather windy outside and quite late so the gang went to the dining hall. A big buffet was displayed and Naruto felt his stomach scream for attention, this time for food. He asked Kiba if there was always this much food and Kiba nodded his head while piling food onto his plate.

As they all sat down and continued their conversation Naruto saw that the tables weren't four big rows for the four different houses, but both a mixture of small and big tables for different people. Naruto asked Shikamaru who sat next to him why this was the case.

“Well, you see, there are certain “groups” in this school and every group have their own table. Kind of to prove your status around the school. The popular kids sit at those large tables and the rest that don't really care sit at whatever table that's free. However, if you take up one of the popular kids table they'll make a total fuss about it. But it's not worth it.” Shikamaru said while looking at one large table. “I think they are pathetic. It's just a table.”

Naruto saw Ino and Sakura sitting at said table. How all the people around it were dressed up and eating with table manners... “They really are.” Naruto whispered to Shikamaru and started eating his dinner.

After a while Naruto felt disappointed. He had waited all afternoon for this and it never happened.

“Hey, when is your version of Dumbledore going to come and give a 'welcome to school' speech?” he asked out loud.

“Haha Naruto, this isn't Hogwarts!” Kiba shouted and started laughing.

“Why, it's pretty similar!” Naruto shouted back, pouting.

That only made Kiba laugh harder and some others were covering their mouths, not wanting to draw an audience. Naruto felt humiliated, this was not amusing. Not at all. Naruto felt like standing up and walking away when the whole table went silent. Naruto looked up, finding Sasuke standing behind Kiba, looking directly at him.

Again, he couldn't breathe but he had to pull himself together and started smiling and shouted 'Sasuke', just as he used to. Except, it didn't feel the same.

“Dobe. I need to talk to you.” Sasuke said and started walking away, not even waiting for Naruto to follow him.
“ Pfft bastard.” thought Naruto.

“Well, excuse me, my friend needs to talk to me.” Naruto said and could see Ino and Sakura sending him glares. Kiba just looked at him surprised.

“Yeah.... I'll see you later?” Kiba asked with an uneasy voice.

“Yea...” Naruto said, walking away.

- - -

Naruto followed Sasuke into the dim corridor. The silence was deafening compared to the chatter and laughter that was now closed behind the doors. Finally face to face with his future partner Naruto could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his ears ringing, his stomach churning. Looking into the cold charcoal eyes he could not help but flinch as they looked away. Naruto wasn't sure if he was prepared for what was to come next....

A/N: This has been SO much fun to write and I myself can't even imagine what will come out of this. I wanted to write from morning to night but ending it here felt more right. And I could never ever have done this whiteout my beta.

And the song “Wake me up when the bluebells are ringing” is Bluebells by Patric Wolf. Listen to it, awesome.

HAPPY SCARY EPIC HALLOWEEN TO YOU READERS.