"You Changed Me Into My Worst Fear"

Ohayou!
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The bell went just as Hinata was done and they walked out of the class together. Naruto, unaware that he’d grabbed a hold of her hand again, bounced down the corridors, blind to the number of glares and the insults that were whispered behind hands at Hinata. She felt like drawing back her hand but thought that would be unfair. It wasn’t his fault, plus, this was what she had wanted, was it not?

“Hello Naruto-kun! I’m Kyoto, how are you?” a girl, who had been leaning against her locker with a number of whispering, squealing girls had noticed Naruto walking down with Hinata and had decided to interfere.

“Oh hello there, I’m just lost. I was looking for the way to the art class…L9?”

“I can take you there, Naruto-kun!” she smiled, batting her eyelashes and stressing the point that she didn’t want Hinata around.

“Oh, that’s ok, Kyoko! Hinata-Chan will show me, thanks anyway!” he said before walking off again, uncaring that he’d mentioned the girl’s name wrong. The girl frowned and clenched her fists. When Hinata glanced back, at her own peril, the girl made a gesture of slitting her throat with her index finger and pointing at her before slamming her fists against her other palm. Hinata gulped. This was not good.
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Before that…far away… (Actually it was only a block away and still in the school).

Neji, being the co-president of the school body council, abused his privilege and access to the school receptionist’s office and had gotten a copy of Naruto’s schedule. Don’t get him wrong, he was not doing it simply to stalk Naruto and spy his every move and what went on with him, he was just…you know, just in case…Naruto got lost or needed someone to help him round the school or something. He was not a potential stalker-to-be. Not a stalker at all. And he was not sitting at the computer altering his own schedule so he could be in at least some of Naruto’s classes. No-sire!
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(A Tumble-weed rolls by)

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-

(Awkward Silence)

-

-

(The sound of a pin dropping can be heard from miles away)

-
Ok, so maybe he was – so what? You can’t judge him. It wasn’t his fault that he had become unhealthily infatuated with the boy when he’d only known him for less than a day. Things like this never happened to him, you see? So he had to take it to heart.

‘Yes, it’s a sign. He was the one meant for me, I know it! I mean…he made me laugh…chuckle? What’s the difference?’ his mind was in a turmoil. It had taken him half of first period to hack into the school system and retrieve Naruto’s schedule and now he was cross-relating it to his own.

Enter password, Copy, cut and paste. Click-click-click…
Edit, save and print. Click-click-click!…
Done!
Alas!
He waited patiently whiles the printer whirred and cranked to life and begun producing the work of con-artists and forgery.
He took out the piece of paper from the printer and scrutinized it.

‘Not perfect but it will do. There is a flaw in the time structure but no one will notice it, I’m sure. This is the closest it can get. Hmm…let’s see…art. He has art, with Kurenai-sensei? Then lunch, maths, music and homeroom. Pity music and art are the only lessons I managed to get with him. Now to put my name in the register…this will take some work.’
It took him exactly ten minutes to transfer his name from previous registers to the classes he had changed to.
‘Forty minutes gone…’ he wiped the thin sheet of sweat forming on his brow, ‘I should have got Shikamaru to do this, but he would probably have deemed it too troublesome or at least asked me why I wanted it done!’ So true. The genius of the school had time for no one. In his eyes, everybody and everything was “troublesome”.

“Hyuuga-san? What are you doing in there?” the door knob jiggled as it was tried, “Would you kindly open the door, please?”

Neji’s heart beat quickened as he gathered all his things and finished off, closing all applicants and software and whatnot and shutting down the computer. This was crazy…but thrilling. Never in his life had he done such thing or even thought about it. He, in one day, had laughed…a-hem…chuckled, committed forgery and crime and had locked the school receptionist outside her own office…All because one single person had been introduced in his life. (Naruto, why must you insist on changing people’s way of lives? You’ve ruined their daily routines!) But he did not care. So long as he was close to Naruto. The receptionist knocked on the door again, getting frustrated.

“Hyuuga-san?” the door shook momentarily before the receptionist gave up and fished for her other set of keys. (Stupid woman, why didn’t you do that in the first place?)

Neji pushed all the failed attempts of a timetable off the desk and into the bin and disconnected the pc.
When the receptionists had (finally!) got the door open, Neji was found sorting through letters and complaints the school had received (that’s his job in the student council…) with earphones in his ear, (no music, just audios of lessons he had had taped because he couldn’t be there), he looked up when the receptionist walked in and took out the earphones whiles pretending to be…busy.

“Miyazashi-san, I did not hear you come in.” he said in this quietly-calm monotone.

“…That’s ok, the door was locked –”

“I’m sorry,” (No you’re not!), “But I did not wish to be disturbed. It is why I chose to work here instead of the I.T Department.”

Which answered the receptionist, Miyazashi’s, first question that she was about to ask:
“Why are you in my office? ”
She was very self conscious of being in a room, in a dark room…alone, with the Hyuuga. Of course she, like other females, found him very attractive but it was his eyes, they looked even more…creepy, in the dark. And he just looked [4]shysti, sitting there pretending to be surprised (well…as surprised as Neji can get) with earphones in his ear when the computer wasn’t even on! And why on earth was he shielding the printer? The appliance in question whirred and produced a light-blue coloured sheet of paper.
‘A schedule? Why would he need a – ’

“I lost my other copy.” He replied to the un-asked question, His tone implying that was the end of that. But this receptionist was quite stubborn.
“Hyuuga-san, you know you have to ask for permission before you can do that. Did you –”

BRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNGGG!!!
Saved by the bell.

“Sorry Miyazashi-san but I have to go now.”

“But you did not answer my question. Did you access the student’s –”
Neji swung his bag over his shoulder and brushed past her to walk out the door.

“The computer is faulty, please get someone to fix it.” He said coldly over his shoulder, then the glare soon followed after.

“H-Hai, Hyuuga-san, I’ll s-see to it!”

Neji walked out and took the short-cut to Art. He wanted to get there first before everyone else so he could come up with a plausible lie as to why he was there instead of “Business Communication”. But, well you know what they say about short-cuts – it is never safe!
A group of his…a-hem, fans, had spotted him – alone – and had sprinted towards him.
Which is why, two minutes later, he arrived at L9, hair dishevelled, eyes slightly bloodshot from sitting at the computer screen for so long, sweaty and out of breath. But miraculously, he’d managed to loose the mob of girls. (Funny how your body seems to co-operate more when you’re running for your life or when you’ve got competition). He smoothed out his hair, took in a deep breath and opened the door.


Sasuke was annoyed, very annoyed. Neji wasn’t in class and he couldn’t help but feel that it had to do with Naruto and that he was up to something. Sakura would not shut up and kept going on about how Naruto had managed to get his own fan club and how they were competition and how they might be able to take over Sasuke’s and how she had to do something about it – which was not making Sasuke feel any better. Gaara sat in the corner of the class, twirling the sweets around with his thumb, causing them to crinkle and make just that little bit of noise that irritates you the most – especially as it was his friend that gave them to him. He laughed mentally at what he’d just professed. If you’d asked him this question four days ago -
“ Do you have any friends or would you like to have one?” – he would probably have laughed and spat in your face. But because he wasn’t that kind of person, he’d probably have just settled for glaring and ignoring you. But now, he couldn’t describe this feeling of possessiveness he seemed to be acquiring for Naruto so he settled for friendship.
‘Yes, that’s a very logical explanation. He was the only one who’d been so strongly determined to be my actual friend and not because of my money or my social status. That’s a very logical explanation…indeed’

He glared butcher knives at Gaara when he’d oh-so accidentally dropped one of the sweets and had been precariously on picking it up. Sasuke felt like gagging. Why was he taking such extra care of them? They were just sweets. Why was he protecting them like they were precious gems? Heck – even if they were, Sasuke doubted he’d go through such extreme lengths to keep them safe. He found himself feeling sorry for the guy that had been sent to the infirmary because Gaara thought he was trying to steal the sweets from him and the teacher who had taken a leave because Gaara had done some…things when she’d asked him to put them away and concentrate on the work. Now he badly wanted to go up to him and snatch them away. His jaw tightened – he was being way too juvenile for his own good. He half tuned in to Sakura-F.M to give himself something to do other than glaring at Gaara’s back or thinking about what Neji was doing now.

“And I think even Ino is changing her mind! Sasuke-kun, they have a room now! In the senior department – with the cushion chairs and the carpets and the cappuccino machines! Sasuke-kun, what do we do?!”

“You shut up and leave me alone. Me, I go on with my life.” He replied in a calm yet cold and firm tone.
‘This girl is un-readable. Should she not be happy that others are finally losing their interest in me?’
Sakura was hurt…or should have been. But she was celebrating about…something.

‘He replied. That means he was listening to me! He was listening to me!! Yatta!’ she was about to try and wing her new found luck a little bit more when their teacher interrupted. ‘Asuma-sensei, you baka! You always have to ruin everything!’ and that, was a phrase she said to almost everyone and anyone that cut through her time when it had to do with Sasuke.

“Has anyone seen Neji? Odd…his name is not on the register anymore. Did he switch classes?” Sasuke’s eyes widened. Right before he’d come to class, he’d seen Neji opening the office door with his own set of keys. He couldn’t have…

‘But why? What class and to do what?’ normally he wouldn’t care. But Neji didn’t do these sorts of things without a rational explanation. And he wouldn’t dare drop Business Com. , his uncle would be furious. He was the only reason why he took – because he was forced to by his uncle who insisted he would be the one to take over the family business when he was gone.
‘What is he up to?’ he made it a prime on “things-to-do” – he would find out what compelled Neji to disobey his uncle in this way.
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“Neji, what brings you to my class?”
Naruto and Hinata looked up. Hinata tensed visibly.
“Neji!! Ohayou!” Neji turned to the loud voice and smiled a small smile. Infact you would not even have noticed it if you weren’t close enough – But that was because he was Neji, you know, unfeeling Neji, non-emotional Neji, cold Neji…Insane Stalker Neji…the last one was not additional till today – his small smile soon turned into a frown, though, when he noticed Hinata sitting next to Naruto…still holding his hand. Honey, if there were anything stronger than atomic nuclear bombs, Neji was glaring it at her right now. (What is it with these Ice Princes, they love to use their eyes as weapons don’t they…and it works). Hinata withdrew her hand when she saw it was what attracted the intense glare and fidgeted. Neji did not even bother to answer Kurenai, he walked up to an empty seat, pulled it next to Naruto’s and sat on it.

“Ohayou, Naruto-kun,” he greeted.

“Neji-nii-san…” she fiddled with her fingers and looked every where and anywhere but at him.

“Hinata-sama…” his gaze turned icy-cold when he regarded her. Hinata grimaced at the honorific for she knew it was forced. Neji had made it quite clear that he hated her and would sooner dive over a cliff than acknowledge the fact that she was his…better, in any way. But it had to be done because this was the way he was brought up.

“Eh? Nii-san? Sama?” Naruto was dumbfounded. He looked between Hinata, who was on his right, then Neji, who was now on his left and noticed something his slow eyes and oblivious mind had not picked up before, “You have the same creepy eyes!!” he exclaimed, a little too loudly whiles pointing. The class turned to look at him. Creepy? He called Neji…creepy?
“That is so cool!!” he continued, “Ano, does that mean you’re related?” The class sweat dropped, Hinata looked about ready to pass out and Neji looked like he’d been slapped in the face with a hot, metal spatula. This particular topic was very touchy and sensitive to the male Hyuuga. Anyone who brought it up was Inu-meat. Before Neji could say anything, Kurenai intervened. (Kurenai to the rescue…ha-zar!)

“A-hem! Class, the theme today is “destruction”. Papers, pencils, rubbers and paint brushes are at the front. Guides, paint cans and paint are at the back. Start working please. Neji, can I see you after class?”
Neji frowned, and then glared. He had a Naruto to stalk…err, I mean, follow stealthily, after class – he was cutting into his “research” time. He could have said this, but he was Neji. So he just nodded stiffly and looked around as students went around collecting pieces of equipment they needed to do their work. Hinata fled to the back to collect their equipment. Anything to get away from Neji for the time being. She came back and timidly placed pieces of paper and equipment on their desk, in front of Naruto and Neji.

‘They do not actually expect me to draw and paint…do they? My fingers will be sullied! Neji thought.

“What are you guys drawing?” Naruto asked, trying to lighten the mood up a bit. He may be slow but he did notice how Hinata had tensed when she heard Neji’s name and how he’d looked at her with disdain.
“I do not know. I did not intend to draw when I…came here.” Neji replied monotonously.

“You did not intend to draw?” Naruto repeated him, “But, this is art. What else would you have done, Nej?” Neji’s eyes widened a fraction at the new tag that Naruto had pinned him with. Hinata had involuntarily dropped her colour-pencil. Naruto just smiled his smile at him and winked. Glad no one else had heard, for his cheeks were now colouring slightly, Neji cleared his throat and grabbed the pencil, looking at the sheet of paper as if it was foreign to him and he did not know what he should do with it, “Hand me that pencil please, Hina-Chan.”

‘Hina….Chan? What is the meaning of this…’

“H-Hai, Na-N-Naruto-k-kun!” She blushed furiously as she handed him the pencil, not daring to meet his or Neji’s eye. Naruto took the pencil and began work.

“Hina-Chan, you’re wound so tight. You need to loosen up a bit more you know. You too, Nej, you’re like one of them prissy types! That’s not cool.” He murmured absent-
mindedly as he begun to move his hands swiftly across the sheet of paper. Neji sat there, shocked out of words.

‘Prissy…types? Have I just…was I…’ he sat there, puzzled, as he wondered if he’d just been insulted by his dearest. He dropped that train of thought though when he looked at Naruto once again. He had his (long) tongue stuck out in concentration, the ring glinting in the little light that showered their table. His hair fell over his eyes as he leaned forward onto the paper, elbows out and fingers furiously sketching an outline. He dropped the pencil when done and reached for the paint brush.
Hinata and Neji watched, entranced, as Naruto’s long, skilful fingers worked their magic. The paint brush glided across the paper on the outline of a…
‘Hyena? Fox?’ Neji did not know and frankly, he did not care. He was too busy watching Naruto’s hands. The nails were quite well kept considering his personality and were rounded at the tip but not pointy. They almost looked feminine save for the medallion rings that adorned all but the thumb fingers.

Naruto ditched the paint brush – it was slowing him down – and dipped his whole hand in the red paint. Hinata gaped. Neji was horrified – those pretty hands of his were now soiled!

“Nar-Naruto-kun, your b-bandaged f-finger!”
Naruto shrugged and flicked his fingers, creating red-orange speckles of paint in the outline.

“I can go to get it bandaged again. I’m a quick-healer, it doesn’t hurt much anymore.” Naruto smiled and made a thumbs-up sign with his free, unsoiled hand. Not long after one student had just so happened to stroll by Naruto’s desk and had squealed really loudly, the others had started to gather round him to watch his work, even Kurenai had come over to see what the hassle was about. Neji glared and almost cussed when he was elbowed out the way because a crazy fan girl was trying to get a better look-see at Naruto’s picture…and him.

They ooh-ed and aah-ed as the painting took form. On the piece of paper now was a village of ruins…or in ruins, which ever way they preferred to view it. A giant hyena? Fox? They couldn’t decide either, stood towering over the village. It had nine red tails, its long fangs bearing in a snarl. There was a lighter shade of a red water-washed colour around it making it look like an aura of red light. Naruto washed his hands in the clean water can that stood near-by and added the finishing touches. He drew another set of nine tails in a silver colour-pencil, next to the ones already there and smeared red glitter in them, so if you tilted the frame the right way the tails appeared to be swishing left and right. He added another coat of red glitter to the beast’s fur so it shimmered brilliantly in the light; then painted the ruined buildings in grey and brick-red.

“Sugoi, Naruto-kun, you’re awesome!” a girl exclaimed then glomped Naruto from behind. Neji growled lowly.

“That’s a master-piece, Naruto; we should display it once it’s dried.” Naruto flicked the hair from his eyes and directed that dimpled-cheek smile at Kurenai. She unknowingly blushed.
‘What a charming young man. If he were nine years older, I’d –’

“That will be great, Kurenai-sensei!” he flashed a grin, displaying a nice set of white, gleaming gnashes, and then pried the girl off him.
Neji glanced at his blank piece of paper and frowned. Now he had to come up with a better picture or Naruto would never acknowledge him. Several students whipped out their camera phones and took several shots to sell. They could get some real good deals if they printed it out and super sized it. Kurenai ushered them all back to their seats. They’d been too busy watching Naruto; some hadn’t even started their own.
Naruto sat there playing with his tongue ring and the hoops in his ear. He was bored now that he’d finished his assignment. He looked around and sighed when the light bulb above his head blinked alive. (Ugh! Who the hell is messin’ with the lighting?)

“Hina, look at me!” he grabbed a paintbrush and dipped it in the black pot, then held Hinata’s chin and directed it to face him. Hinata turned beet-red. Neji looked up from the picture he’d been attempting to draw and frowned/glared. Naruto moved the brush near Hinata’s eyes. She forced herself not to giggle but it tickled. (Hey, that kinda rhymed…giggled, tickled…no?).

“N-N-N…Naruto-k-kun, wh-what are you d-doing?” Naruto stuck his tongue out in concentration and squinted.
After five minutes of drawing on Hinata’s face, he leaned back and examined his work.
“Ta-daa!” Hinata was confused, “I’m finished, look!” he scanned the area for a shiny, reflective surface but gave up when he couldn’t find any, “Who’s got a mirror?” he soon regretted asking that question as all the girls in the class, and they just so happened to be part of his new acquired fan club, rushed to his desk holding out mirrors of all shapes and sizes. Thank Kami-sama that this was a small class, “Errm…we only need…one.” he was feeling slightly claustrophobic.

“Take mine Naruto-kun!”

“No! Mine is prettier!”

“Nah-uh! Mine is! It even has this thing where you can flip it around and you get –”
She was cut off by Neji reaching into his own pocket and fishing out a hand-held mirror. He offered it to Hinata, reluctantly. Hinata thanked him and took it…reluctantly.

“Girls! Back to your seat! Please give him some space or he might transfer from this school!” Kurenai teased. But it worked, because they didn’t want Naruto going anywhere.

“N-Naruto-kun!” Hinata exclaimed. Around her eyes were dark squiggly eyes that looked like veins.

“Cool, huh? It would be so awesome for a Halloween party!”

“You are very artistic, Naruto-kun.” Neji complimented, though it sounded more like he was stating a statistic.

“Here, I’ll do yours too.” Neji didn’t have the time to protest as his chin was seized by Naruto’s fingers. He felt the oddest sensation. Apart from his obvious blush, because he felt his face heat up, and the ticklish brush along his eyes, he felt something else…that was forming below…way below.

‘His hands are…soft.’ he shifted uncomfortable as he willed down this…this abomination.
“Naruto-kun, I don’t think this is a good idea…”

“Eh? Why not? And what’s with the honorifics? Naruto will do just fine. You can draw something on my face if it makes you feel any better.” Neji stilled obediently as he waited for Naruto to finish. His blush did not disappear and he found himself shifting around every three seconds because it was oddly uncomfortable with this...new sensation that won’t seem to go away. He silently thanked the heavens that the class had gone back to their work otherwise he’d have been very humiliated. Naruto added the finishing touches and handed the paint brush to Neji.
“You can do me now.” Neji almost fell down from his chair.

‘Does he even know what innuendo he’s implying? This cannot go on; I have to do something…soon. ’
“What would you like me to…” swallow, “…draw?”

“Anything you want.” Naruto replied and then winked. (This boy! I think I’ve made him too big-headed…) Neji swallowed again and with shaking hands, he brushed away Naruto’s hair, tucked it behind his ear and cupped his chin, then he begun to draw lines on Naruto’s cheek when he’d taken a glance at his painting for inspiration.
“What are you drawing?” he asked innocently.

“You will see when I am done.” Neji tried to avoid those pretty, big, blue eyes and took a moment to wipe the sweat off his hands then cupped Naruto’s chin again.
‘This should not be this hard. Just focus on the lines…the lines…the – what’s that?’
He fingered the scar that run over Naruto’s eyes to his cheek.
“What happened there?”

“Oh it was just an accident, nothing big.”
Neji was not satisfied with the answer but did not persist. He had no idea why anyone would want to hurt such a beautiful being. He drew three other lines on Naruto’s other cheek and thought about drawing a little pink snout on the tip of his nose but decided against it.

“I’m done, Naruto-k…Naruto.”

“Oooh! I wanna see! Gimme the mirror,” Hinata smiled at Naruto’s childish antics and passed him the mirror, “Whiskers? You drew me…whiskers?” he asked slowly. Neji sweat dropped. Did he not…like them? Personally he thought they made him look very adorable, but maybe he wasn’t going for cute.

“Do you not like them? I could draw another thing if you preferred. I will get the –”

“KAKOOII!” Neji and Hinata…and probably the entire class, jumped, startled at Naruto’s proclamation.

“Naruto-kun, kawaii!” some random girl squealed.

And when someone popular does something you think is cool, you know you gotta do it too, right? Naruto, Neji and Hinata unknowingly started a trend. Instead of focusing on their actual work, the other students began face-painting. One of the art students, Chouji Akamichi, (Err, dunno how ya spell his name), had been forced to have swirls on his puffy cheeks. Kurenai had to go to extreme lengths to calm the class down as that had led to students throwing paint about and other pieces of equipment.

“QUIET!!” she shouted for the fourth time and massaged her temples when she was once again, ignored.
‘Author, please send me a saviour!
The door pushed open and slammed against the wall and a boy walked in. Heavenly bells rang as the angels sang “Hallelujah, Glory” (No, that really did happen). Then suddenly there was a record-scratch and everything froze and went quiet. A can of paint dropped somewhere in the back and the noise it made echoed through the room and out in the halls as the intruder fished into his pockets, pulled out his cell phone and answered it, cutting of the angel choir.

“Hallelujah-Gloooory…Hallelu – ” peep!
“Inuzuka Kiba here, who is this?”

“K-Kiba? Kibaaaa!!” Naruto jumped from under the table he, Neji and Hinata had been hiding under for shelter from the raining paint brushes, paint cans and other pieces of equipment and run towards the boy.
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To the one that asked why I do not leave footnotes instead of in the middle of the story:
1) Thanks for taking the time to review my story. <(=^_^=)>

2) Don't think of it as an author note, think of it as an...well a reminder, as to what is going on. Footnotes are annoying because when you get to the end, you forget. And you have to scroll all the way back up to see what the note is explaining and I hate to do that. Which is why i tell you right away...

R & R, onegai!