Disclaimer: I hereby decree that none of the Naruto series characters are mine and denounce any claim I have upon them, nor will I ever have claim on them. The story line however is my own and would like to condemn anyone who claims otherwise or chooses to claim as their own. (Haha I sounded smart :p)

Summary: L.E.A.F. and S.A.N.D. academy rivalries take place in a middle of nowhere city district, mostly considered a slum that no one cares to restrict order. Here the gangs rule no matter how young or old, if you can hold your own here you can hold your own anywhere. Eventually maybe SasuNaruSasu but maybe not… we'll see how it goes.

OMFG I am soooo sorry to have taken so long. So many things have happened in my course of time that… it's not even worth mentioning. Thank you for all bearing with me. And in this segment I want to clear up a few things, the timeline is perfect because I agonized over that the most.

The timeline goes something like this. It happened 16 yrs ago. Naruto was born and Iruka and Kakashi were 10. Eight years passed when Naruto was recovered. Naruto was 8, Iruka and Kakashi were 18, Sasuke was 9. Eight years more and Naruto is 16, Sasuke 17, and Iruka and Kakshi are both 26. Okay!! Sheesh! Lol no biggie.

The kid in the beginning was NOT Naruto but some nameless face… (for now, I haven't decided) I do plan on making victims but they're not going to be total babies b/c of it alright! Geez come on, remember what I keep stating. I want my characters to be real! And I will do everything in my power and imagination to make them so. True characters are not like sissy girls who just cry b/c they had a bad time okay! Okay… phew… that took a lot off my chest and yeah… just enjoy the story okay! Okay… okay… what you still doin here! Read!

Finding Where I Belong

Uneasy Propaganda

Anyone I feel like's POV

(you figure it out Mwahahaha)

'What in the world is this guy doing in my music room! This is MY space! Who let him in My house? Is he an intruder? But then he would go after my stuff instead. Right?' Glancing towards the 'intruder's' face Naruto couldn't help but notice his striking features of pale skin and raven black hair, so unlike his own. He hadn't seen another person than Iruka for so long that it was a bit of a shock to see someone so different than what he was used to. But even he, who hasn't been out for so long, could tell he was very handsome for a boy.

Shaking his head a little, he snapped himself out of his pondering mind. "Hey, what are you doing in my mixing room? Hell! What are you doing in my house?!" Naruto was starting to get riled up. He was more then capable of taking care of himself and if this intruder was here to start something he was ready. Then an unexpected cough came from his left. 'Oh no, are there more of them?'

"Uh… Naruto-sama…" Iruka sweat-dropped at the teen's reaction. 'Well this was truly unexpected. I thought he would have been more trusting by now.'

"Iruka! There are intruders here! I think that they…"

"NARUTO!"

"WHAT??!!"

Sighing, Iruka had given up. He walked at a quickened pace right behind Naruto and then bluntly and forcefully hit Naruto squarely in back of the head. With the unexpected blow the blonde stopped ranting in momentary shock.

"Naruto, these people are our guests." He said grimly and thoroughly embarrassed, "The one standing there with the silver hair is Hatake Kakashi and the one next to you is Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and glanced up at Iruka. Then allowing his view to pass over the jounin and finally land back onto the raven haired youth. After taking a few seconds to comprehend everything he turned back to Iruka.

"SO?" Naruto stated loudly which only ended with one more solid whack.

"So… you will treat your guests with the hospitality and courtesy they deserve!" Iruka gritted through his teeth. 'What in the world have I raise?!'

On the side, Sasuke and Kakashi both didn't know what to make of the scene but both were visibly relieved and uneasy. Relieved in the part that the infamous Hokage heir acted like any regular rambunctious boy, and uneasy at what they were both getting themselves into. At the moment, however, these two were completely ignored due to the fact that the blonde and brunette were having an argument on common courtesy and hospitality.

"YOU SHOULD AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE A GREETING BEFORE ACCUSING SOMEONE OF A HEINOUS CRIME!"

"WELL THEY SHOULD TRY TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY GO SNEAKING UP ON THEIR HOST!"

"A HOST SHOULD BE LENIENT AND UNDERSTANDING IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!"

"WHY SHOULD I BE LENIENT AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ANY GUESTS I DON'T EVEN WANT IN MY HOUSE!"

The blonde boy swiftly moved from his spot and proceeded to the glass door to the courtyard, swung it open and slammed it shut making a horrible rattling that made it sound like all the glass on the wall was about to shatter. There was an awkward silence that fell upon the room. Iruka coughed enough to clear his throat.

"Well, that went better then I thought."

The others in the room just stared at the brunette after his statement. He smiled at them and clarified.

"Ano. Well you see, instead of immediately refusing guests, he took up an argument with me instead, which is the only way he knows how to interact with others. Now Kakashi, if you would like to join me on a stroll, we could go pick up groceries," he proceeded to walk to the door with the jounin in tow. Sasuke was about to follow when, "No I want you to go socialize and to get to know the master better. Just follow through the rows of plants, you won't find him, he'll find you." With a smile, they waved and left.

With one more slam on echoing in the room leaving Sasuke alone. Too confused to object until they were gone he sighed in exasperation. This was a very awkward situation. He never anticipated anything like this and wasn't prepared for it. For he too wasn't a very social person. With no help from his so called mentor and the heir's mentor, Sasuke was left to fend for himself.

Shit! What in the world are those two up to? Sasuke thought as the two retreated from the room. Sighing he turned to the glass door and proceeded into the outside garden. As he chanced stepping outside, he noticed that everything was beautiful in its own chaotic and natural form. Looking around he discovered there indeed was a path. Curvey and paved with expensive, yet complementary looking peach granite. Walking along the path he saw many different shapes of leaves and colors everywhere. It seemed so much more peaceful up close. Soon the path lead alongside the huge outer wall that isolated the house from the rest of the world. Stopping to glance back and forth, he did indeed feel that he was being watched. Yet he couldn't locate Naruto so he simply stood there waiting to be sought out.

"Hey you... U-Uchiha was it?" A voice higher then he spoke.

"Yes, that's me," Sasuke nodded slowly and peered upward toward where the voice spoke, "But you can call me Sasuke."

Naruto was sitting on the stone wall that stood overbearing to anyone near it. Sasuke heaved himself up the stones in a single swift motion and skillfully placed himself next to the Hokage heir. This action had caught Naruto off guard for he was unaccustomed of having others around him. And he definitely never had anyone join him in his garden. Unknowing what to do with himself; he did what was only natural. He fidgeted.

"Well…umm… well as you can see this is my garden. Umm…" He waved his hand once indicating the whole expanse of garden. Naruto seemed at a loss for words, for he had never had a conversation with someone his own age before. He didn't know what else to say except the obvious.

"Yes, it's a nice garden," Uchiha said as he glanced at his surroundings when his gaze finally fell on the one next to him. And his breathe seemed to catch for some unknown reason. The boy was sitting directly in the sun and his hair shone radiantly. Happy from his previous comment, the boy had an innocent childish smile pasted onto his face. He seemed uneasy but that didn't surprise Sasuke. The raven youth knew it would be difficult for anyone who had been isolated for years on end. 'So it seems that the infamous heir is uncommonly socially hindered. So my mission is to change that huh?'

"So you're going to go to our school, right?" The raven haired asked. But when the words left his mouth, the eyes of the heir seemed to darken a bit. His smile lost it's brilliance until it became almost pained. Slowly he turned and faced the raven boy, as if studying the intended meaning of his words. Then slowly, he seemed to be forming words in his head. 'Wonder if he doesn't wish to be misunderstood. His communication skills seem to be very lacking if not non-existent... That must be due to the fact that the only person he's had contact with is a butler type of caretaker who bends to his every whim without question'.

"What's it like out there?...Um… I mean… At your school?" The blonde boy looked anxiously at the brunettes answer. There was never much that he was ever able to go on. He didn't much like T.V. because he learned that, other than news channels, many stories were fictional and nothing like real life. If not that, then dramatized reality… 'Or at least that's what Iruka said'.

"Well, it's not too bad I guess. Our school is the elite L.E.A.F. academy that prioritizes in academics as well as sports. We have the basic teachers and classes to attend. It's co-ed if that's what you mean…" Sasuke held his gaze wondering what his reaction would be. 'This has been the most I've talked for quite some time. I wonder if this will become a norm with this one. I wouldn't doubt it.'

"Hmm… How many kids are there besides us?"

Uchiha scratching the back of his head as he was calculating the number. "Well there should be somewhere about 1200 students on campus I guess…" Naruto gaped at the number that was produced. "Yeah… there's a lot of us, but remember there are three floors and 30 student classes. We also have a separate building for the gym, an extension for the cafeteria and expansive grounds for different sports and such."

"…Wow…"

"So… Does that mean you approve?"

"Huh?"

"Does that mean you approve of the school? You 'are' going… Right?"

Taken aback by such a blunt question, Uzumaki was speechless. Then he recovered face and started to seriously ponder on what he should do. Crossing his arms and bringing one knee up to rest them on. He searched the ground for some kind of answer. But when it wasn't there, he started to look at his house in its full extent. But it too didn't yield any answer. So he finally gazed back towards Sasuke…

"What do you think? Do you think I should go?"

"Well… Why not?"

The heir began to search the new comers face. 'From what he says, it doesn't sound like a terrible place. I've lived here most of my life but I know nothing of what an actual public school is like. I wonder if the other students would find me weird or just hate me… like others used too… a long time ago… But Sasuke doesn't seem like a bad person. It can't be so bad if someone like him goes there all the time… can it?' With that he decided.

"Huh… Well from what you say, it doesn't sound so bad. I think I will go."

"Cool. But, what ever gave you the impression that it was, you know, bad?"

Naruto caught his breath and cursed himself for speaking out his thoughts. He had no idea how to respond. Not wanting to offend yet fearing an explanation that would leave him a lot more vulnerable then he was comfortable with. He never even told Iruka about his past experiences. Then Sasuke comes and asks about his past as if it's commonplace. But then again, what would the locked away prince know what's common and what's not?

"Well… I don't know… I mean…umm… Eh heh heh…" Naruto scratched the back of his absentmindedly searching in his mind for some way to avoid the question.

'Well it doesn't seem like he is going to answer me… I wonder what impression he DOES have on the world to yield that conclusion right of the bat…'

"So I guess I'll see you at school then," The raven haired boy jumped off the stone wall, "I could come by and pick you up since you don't know your way there. Or do you?"

"Well I do know my way there but…" The blonde once again looked uneasy. 'Asking favors is harder then I thought it would be…'

"I'll pick you up in the morning." He continued as he started walking down the path.

Naruto sat in amazement that Sasuke, a complete stranger, as able to pick up on his uneasiness and was lenient enough to not make him speak his thoughts. Truly this was a very enlightening experience. 'I wonder if this is how it's going to be with all those other people at the L.E.A.F. Academy…'

"Oi!!" Naruto snapped out of his pondering, "I can't find the way out of here. Could you show me the way out, Oh Gracious Host."

"Okay!" Jumping off the wall he started to run after him until it dawned on him. 'Did he just make fun of me!!'

"HEY!!!"

The raven haired boy just continued walking towards the glass windows from which he exited the house. A small, almost invisible smirk graced his face as he anticipated the fun this school year was going to be with this kid. 'I've never seen the likes as him. He's dense, inexperienced and easily irritated. Yet everyone knows him as the only the heir of the Hokage fortune and heir to the L.E.A.F. organization. This should be quite… amusing… seeing how he interacts with the rest of the world. I just wonder if the world is ready for him'.

(Meanwhile, elsewhere)

"What do you think Iruka? Sasuke seemed to be doing alright."

Kakashi and Iruka were actually doing a spying mission on the two teens in the garden. Groceries had already been stocked yesterday so that was just a façade that Iruka had come up in advance. Curious to whom this Sasuke would be like, he brought Kakashi to a room on the second floor that had a clear wide window that overlooked the garden. The interactions of the two teens seemed to please the one spying brunette.

"Yes, he does seem to be doing well with Naruto-sama. And Naruto-sama seems to have already accepted Sasuke into trust. He is no longer keeping such a far distance from him. But Sasuke seems to be too good at this. What is the story behind this Uchiha Sasuke? I haven't kept up in current events in clans. How has he been brought into your care? And how come you have never told me about him before?" All the silver haired jounin could do was smirk for it was starting to sound as if Iruka was jealous that he didn't know what was going on with him. As for Sasuke, the whole mess seemed to be hardships one after another for that boy.

"Well, Sasuke seems to be… the product of war would be the best way to describe it. His life wasn't so bad until… well it's not my place to talk of Sasuke's past. Though he's an orphan now and they needed to have a place for him to stay. He has a mansion but he refuses to have anything to do with it. My home is not really a home for him, but just a place where he sleeps, coming and going as he pleases. Yet, he seems to be the most promising youth of the L.E.A.F. Academy." Kakashi looked pityingly at the raven haired boy who was, at the time, still speaking with the blonde haired heir.

"So if I perceived what you said correctly, then he's actually one of the elite of the gangs right?" Now it seemed to bother him a bit about the status of Sasuke. To have someone so deeply caught in the war watch over the heir. 'But the war itself is deeply ensnared with everything surrounding Naruto so I guess he'll have to learn one way or another.'

"Hey. Sasuke's a good kid. He's one of the most trusted and not without reason. He'll look after the kid no problem. You'll just have to accept that you have to give Naruto room to understand what's going on. Who better to teach him then the best? And Sasuke is truly the best."

"Yes I know… I know… it may just be worrying too much…" Sighed Iruka as he watched the antics of one he watched over for years.

We'll just have to see how this whole scenario plays out. Giving and taking by what little we know. Unknowing what's true and what's false. What may happen and will. What can be predicted and what cannot be. Yet we must trust in our own plan.

In our

Uneasy Propaganda

To be Cont.—

Sheesh!! I took so long! I am so sorry! I try and update sooner. That was totally uncalled for… I mean my own wait for taking so long. I never intended to take so long. But I didn't want to do a half-ass job for this part (excuse my language) and it bothered me before. So I went back and changed parts for what I think is for the better. But now this chapter gets my approval for the alterations I did. Yay!! It's sounds good and it sounds realistic. No areas that leave concern or question!! Yay! Well see you next chapter!!

-aivivi