Author Notes: I have been inspired like nobody's business! I've always wanted to try my shot at slightly drama-themed stories, especially with SasuNaru, though I always tend to make things humorous at the same time. It's just too easy. This theme has definitely been done before, but hopefully you'll still find it enjoyable. There won't be many chapters to this, but POVs will change. This chapter is in Sasuke's POV and the next will be in Naruto's. That will be the pattern. Hopefully you all will enjoy and want more.

Vocabulary: Football in this chapter is what is called soccer in the United States.

Disclaimer: The series Naruto does not belong to me – rather, to Masashi Kishimoto. All of the characters, name settings, etc. (unless mentioned or recognized otherwise) belong to him, not me.

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke has everything – the perfect status, the perfect girlfriend and the perfect image. However, like most seemingly perfect things, they do not last long. This is a story of how one Uzumaki Naruto can ruin it all. –SasuNaru- Other couples include: SasuSaku, ItaNaru

Specifies Scene Change: X X X

PERFECT

-Sasuke-

"Sasuke!"

With a low moan of annoyance, a male of about nineteen years of age turns his head to regard the voice calling him. A woman stands less than a few steps away, her hands on her hips and her expression scolding. The pair looks exactly alike, from the deep black hue of their hair to the curve of their thin lips.

"I need you straight home after school today. I need some help with preparation plans for the dinner your father is hosting, and he will want you straight afterwards."

"I was going to Sakura's."

The woman ponders for a moment. "It might be better to just go tomorrow. I don't know how long your father will want you. Don't be late; you know how your father feels about tardiness." Her once warning expression turns lighthearted, and she offers Sasuke a warm smile. "I love you. Have a good day at school, Sasuke."

"Thank you, mother."

With their goodbyes all said and done, Sasuke exits the house and heads toward the garage. His means of transportation, a sleek, up-to-date and expensive coupe, waits there untouched, not a dent in its metallic silver finish. Unconsciously, Sasuke twirls his car keys around his fingers – an expression of contentment.

Before long, the coupe smoothly exits the driveway and the young man is at his destination – a large parking lot, filled to the brim with cars like his. No odd shades of colors stand out, only the professional whites, blacks and silvers of mature taste.

Sasuke's school is exclusive, and he prefers it that way. Konoha School for the Gifted is designed to train the wealthiest and smartest teenagers throughout the whole city of Konoha. While wealth and intelligence may not correlate in a minority of the school population, none of the students are stupid enough to act out. Whatever happens inside of the school's walls is bound to reflect on the family's name. The pressure is high, but Sasuke does not care; he has got nothing against him.

After all, Uchiha Sasuke, second son of multibillionaire Uchiha Fugaku, CEO of Uchiha Technologies, is almost immune to anything. The school needs him more than he needs them. If he even makes a mistake (which the likelihood of happening is practically nil), his father could cover it up with a quick hush and exchange of cash. It is a good thing Sasuke is reasonable and mature; his father needs his money to invest in his corporation, which is much more important than investing in covering for a son's mistakes. Sasuke has responsibility to his family.

Fugaku's first son doesn't quite see eye-to-eye with this expectation, but that is none of Sasuke's immediate concern.

Exiting his car, Sasuke looks upon the campus scenery. It really is a pretty school, decorated with an impressive fountain, a well-maintained lawn and an immaculate pattern of flowers spread throughout the pathways. This kind of environment is what Sasuke looks forward to seeing every day; he cannot wait for the day he takes over his father's company and has the opportunity to create this kind of environment for himself. He could be content for the rest of his life.

"Hey Sasuke!"

For the second time today, a female voice catches him off guard. Looking to his right, he sees a head of bright pink hair quickly come in his direction, until the figure stops in front of him. The young woman offers him a smile, her bright green eyes beaming with happiness. She offers Sasuke a quick kiss to his left cheek as a greeting.

"Good morning sweetie. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke replies. "I cannot visit today. I have plans."

Sakura looks crestfallen for a moment before she regains her former excitement. "That's okay. I might as well take the time to plan some things with some friends. Would you want to come over tomorrow, then?"

"That should be the case."

Sakura nods. Her compliance is very appreciated; perhaps that is what attracts her to him above all over girls at the school. While the typical girl would probably complain about his duties or his busy schedule, Sakura understands the pressures of his title and allows him all the space necessary. While she does appreciate spending a lot of time with him, she is also able to be independent.

Constant clinginess would quickly grate his nerves.

"Well tomorrow is a date then," Sakura says, offering him another quick peck on the cheek. "Oh, and I almost forgot! I had a little trouble understanding the work for Yuhi. I don't know how you do it; mathematics just doesn't come to me…"

At some point, Sasuke zones out; good qualities also come with the bad. Sakura's one drawback is her tendency to keep talking, although he supposes this one flaw does not make or break the relationship. He has no time to dwell on 'what ifs'; she suits the girlfriend role very well.

As they gradually come closer to the school entrance, Sasuke interrupts Sakura's chatting with respectful nods to the 'good mornings' he receives from passing classmates. Since the school population is limited to only the wealthiest class, every student recognizes the other. Sasuke's fame has gained him immediate popularity, and the students who admire him make it no secret that they acknowledge his standing. While Sasuke does see most of them as rather insignificant, he does maintain politeness.

This routine life makes Sasuke very content. The day only gets better as his class blocks pass by rapidly, with constant appraisals sent his way. His calculus homework has no errors, his language exam shows promise to easily learning multiple languages, and at all the same time, he even manages to sneak in a quick intimate session with his girlfriend during the lunch period.

Perfect. The definition of his life is perfect.

X X X

When Sasuke wakes the next morning, he instantly feels like something is off. After preparing himself for another day, combing his hair back in its familiar spiked style, putting on his uniform and spraying signature cologne, he makes his way to the kitchen where his mother typically is at this hour. To his surprise, she is not there, and the only thing Sasuke can imagine is that she must be sick. She would not leave bed otherwise.

As a result, he does not receive the filling breakfast she usually provides him. Instead, he grabs a supple apple, fills a portable mug with black coffee and then makes it to the garage. When he attempts to start his car, it refuses to turn on – but with a second try, it purrs quietly and Sasuke makes his way to his school.

When he arrives there, the first thing that sticks out to him is a bright red car in the normally colorless lot. Upon closer inspection, as Sasuke drives by the eye-catching hue, Sasuke comes to the conclusion that the red vehicle is an abomination to the name of cars. Its tires are entirely too large, there is no proper roof on the car (the roof is actually just a plastic cover) and an assortment of junk hangs off of the rear-view mirror. Its condition is pathetic at best; there are scratches alongside the driver's door and paint is chipped in several places. The person driving must have gotten lost.

Not paying any further attention to the worn down junk of metal, Sasuke parks his car in its usual spot. Not even within two minutes of parking, he sees Sakura shuffle towards him from her usual group of friends. At least one detail has remained normal.

"Hey."

A kiss to his left cheek.

"I know you don't like gossip, but I think this will catch your attention. You see that car over there?"

Sakura points to the red SUV. She doesn't wait for Sasuke's acknowledgement.

"Looks like the school is getting a new guy. I can't say I've seen him yet, but according to what's flowing around, he's quite a character." She follows her statement with a laugh. "That means you should probably avoid him."

"He doesn't affect me in any way," Sasuke says bluntly, following his girlfriend to the grand, oak double doors of the school's entrance. "As long as he doesn't try to bother me-"

"The hell you mean you can't get my car in the shop?" an obnoxious voice yells from nearby, just before Sasuke and Sakura enter through the school doors. The little area goes quiet for a brief moment, obviously not used to such bustle and shouting. Sasuke and Sakura are no exception, quickly becoming silent.

"Look you old, decrepit pervert! Kyuubi is the only thing which gets me here – okay, so maybe grandpa does too, alright smart ass – but you know I can't pay for it right now." There is a short pause. "Ask grandpa? The hell do you mean ask grandpa?"

The incredibly informal and crude manner the male voice uses is a shock to Sasuke's ears. Unwillingly intrigued by this loud commentary, Sasuke unconsciously seeks out the owner of the conversation. According to the rather loud shouting, Sasuke's eyes land on a bench on the main school pathway.

A male, to whom Sasuke has never even seen before, is currently sitting on the wooden bench, his form bent over with his arms resting on his legs. He holds a cell phone to his ear, with a completely annoyed expression on his face. The teenager looks disheveled; his blond hair, spiked in every direction possible, looks practically unable to be tamed. His uniform is crinkled, with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows and the top button undone to reveal a black banded necklace with a sapphire crystal pendant. His eyes are a very shocking blue, a deep hue which matches the color of the crystal around his neck.

The last detail, which perhaps is the most intriguing, are the three sets of scars on each cheek of his face. They are perfectly symmetrical.

Everything about the blond is messy, loud and attention-seeking.

Sasuke already dislikes him.

X X X

Physical Education. That is the only thing standing in the way of Sasuke's freedom for the day.

As he enters the gymnasium, he is surprised to see the locker room door open. He is usually the first one to arrive, always coming about five minutes early.

With a shrug, Sasuke figures that his instructor, Maito Gai, must have arrived before him. The thought immediately disappears as a head of bright yellow exits the locker room, wearing the standard gym uniform of knee-length shorts and a slightly snug shirt. Upon seeing the strange new male, Sasuke feels his good mood immediately ruin. He has not even gotten to personally know this teenager, and he already irks him every way possible. Maybe it is because of the boy's lack of etiquette or his unfamiliar, bold presence. Sasuke does not need to get to know him to realize the new kid is the epitome of the stupid, stereotypical teenager.

With these unpleasant thoughts in his mind, his mood grows darker as he comes closer to the blond, heading in the direction of the locker room. Sasuke does not look at him.

"Hello!"

Sasuke responds with nothing. He can practically feel the frown from behind him.

"I said hello!"

Sasuke just walks into the locker room. He hears angry mumbling ensue from the blond, which slightly improves his mood. Going to his assigned locker, he slowly changes his clothes, killing time in order to remain as far from the new kid as possible. Sasuke does not imagine anything good coming out of an interaction with him.

When greater numbers of boys begin to enter the room, Sasuke decides to take his leave. A few boys are mingling by the bleachers in their own respective groups, and to Sasuke's inner sadist, the blond sits alone. Every boy who Sasuke passes by does their typical greeting; they offer a polite nod of their head, or wish him a good afternoon. Sasuke replies to all of them, whether with short words or a subtle bow of his head.

"Oh, I get it."

A random voice cuts across the gymnasium, causing the small groups of students to stop their conversations. Turning his head, Sasuke watches as the blond student jumps off the bleachers and practically begins to stomp his way towards Sasuke. As he comes closer, Sasuke can see annoyance and disgust radiating off the boy in waves. None of the other students say a word.

"This is that type of school. You know, the one where there's that guy who thinks he's the hottest shit on earth. He gives his fake attention to the ones who kiss his ass and completely ignores the ones who mean nothing to him. Wow, you're kind of an asshole."

Sasuke lifts an eyebrow. So this new guy thinks he can stand up to him?

"I suppose you don't seem to realize the hierarchy of things around here. They respect me and I offer my respect back. However, I probably shouldn't even try to explain things to you – you seem rather stupid already."

The blond scowls deeply. "Stupid, huh? Good one. And they respect you? They lick your feet and hump your leg like needy dogs. Let me guess – because daddy is rich?"

The atmosphere begins to become very tense. Much to Sasuke's annoyance, a crowd begins to form around the two, but he would never lower himself to fighting with this pathetic boy. What do these people expect?

"I sense some envy, although your opinion means nothing to me. In fact, you mean nothing to me. Don't talk to me again."

"Stuck-up asshole-"

"My wonderful students! Look at you all, already out, dressed and ready to begin exercise!"

The tension is immediately cut. Students quickly form into a line, standing to the attention of the newly arrived teacher. Gai looks the same as always, bowl cut immaculate and his green jumpsuit freshly clean and clingy to his skin. He tends to scare students; while very nice (as he commands every student to call him by his first name), if a student disobeys or is too slow to follow orders, he follows up with fifty push-ups. No one wants to endure that kind of punishment, especially at the end of a long day.

Silently, Sasuke walks to his place on the line. He watches the blond look around confusedly, not familiar with Gai's orders. A part of Sasuke wants him to get into trouble, but there is nothing for the blond to get in trouble for.

"Well, well! A new student who comes to retain their youth! Your name?"

The blond looks caught off guard, most likely because of Gai's unnatural enthusiasm, but he ends up replying: "Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke almost chuckles. His name is just as ridiculous as his personality.

"Naruto, eh? Tell me, are you good in any physical activities?"

"I've been told I'm pretty good at football. I like to believe that I also have a lot of endurance."

"Well Naruto! You are in luck today; I already had football on the agenda! Show me your best skill! I am always so excited to see students active in their daily lives. Why don't we go ahead and assign your spot, Naruto?"

Gai points to a boy at the end of the line who is abnormally pale, but his light complexion seems to suit him. His hair is long, pulled back into a smooth ponytail in anticipation for the activities to come. Sasuke watches Naruto quickly analyze the student before taking his place next to him. The pale boy grimaces in disgust.

The reaction makes Sasuke chuckle. If there is anyone who will treat Naruto worse than Sasuke does, it is Hyuuga Neji. He is one of the richest of the rich, who does not waste his time talking to those beneath him. The only people who reach his caliber are a select few, and Naruto would definitely not be included.

"Alright, warm up. Stretch and jog ten laps. We'll immediately follow with football for the rest of the period. Let's go!"

Without any protests, the whole class begins their warm up. As the class heads to their fifth lap, Sasuke notices that the new student does not look in the least bit perturbed by Gai's demands; in fact, it seems as if he is not even breaking a sweat. Perhaps that gives him one redeeming quality.

As they finish, Gai brings out the familiar black and white ball, along with a shining silver whistle around his neck. He looks absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of playing the sport.

"Alright, two teams. Sasuke, you're captain of team one, and Neji, captain of team two. Divide your teams one by one, and then meet me on the field outside."

Sasuke ends up choosing first, picking out one of the more offensive students at football. Neji follows after, choosing one of the stockier students who could graze a player and knock them to the ground. Back and forth they choose, until Naruto is the only one left. Neji is left to take him, but even then, he does not even call him by his name; he signals to his team to head out to the field, leaving Naruto behind.

Sasuke eyes him. The blond's fists are clenched.

X X X

"He's down!"

Sasuke immediately stops dribbling the ball, turning backwards to regard his teacher's shout. On the ground, one of Neji's teammates lies in pain; he clutches his ankle with a twisted grimace on his face. Gai kneels beside him before helping the young man to his feet. As soon as he is standing, it is obvious he cannot play anymore; judging by Gai's expression, the kid probably has a sprained ankle.

"I'll take him to the nurse," Gai shouts across the field. He points to Naruto, who has been sitting on the bench for the duration of a half an hour. He looks absolutely bored. "Naruto, you take his place. Now is a time as good as any to test your skills. When I get back, I better still see you in action!"

Gai does not wait for an answer, leaving a dumbfounded Naruto behind. Sasuke watches as Neji scowls.

"You heard him. Take his place," Neji states coldly, returning to his respective side of the field. The blond rolls his eyes, but follows Neji silently.

The game continues – and Sasuke is back in control, just as he was before Neji's teammate's accident. He quickly makes his way to the intended goal, dodging those who attempt to steal the ball away from him. With practiced skill, Sasuke dribbles the ball across the field. When he pretends to pass the ball, he shuffles his feet and circles around the opposing player. When he finds himself cornered, he passes the ball to a fellow teammate, but soon it is back in his control.

Before long, the only thing which stands in his way of shooting the goal is the person protecting it. Sasuke kicks his leg back, already anticipating the point-

-when a flash of blond rushes by him, and the ball is suddenly out of his possession. Dark brown eyes flash with surprise, but it does not last long; his expression turns irritated, and he immediately is on his heels to pursuing the new student, the one who took his ball.

Unfortunately, keeping up with the blond is almost impossible; Naruto's skill lies in his unpredictable patterns. He moves forward, then backward; he passes it to people who normally don't have the chance to obtain the ball. Naruto gives them glory until they have no choice but to give it back. And on top of this, within a minute of obtaining the ball, Naruto scores a point. The ball races past the surprised goalie, who is left stunned by the sound of the ball hitting the net.

Naruto's smirk makes his blood boil. He approaches Sasuke, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Fuckin' try me," Naruto murmurs to Sasuke, sporting an enormous grin.

It is Sasuke's turn for his fists to clench.

Eighteen minutes go by, leaving only two minutes left to continue playing. All of the players are sweating profusely at this point, Sasuke included; he even has perspiration dripping down the nape of his neck. However, Naruto looks even worse; his hair looks more untamed and his face is pink with exertion. Sweat beads at his hairline and the front of his shirt is drenched.

As soon as Sasuke takes note of the soiled shirt, the blond unabashedly tugs at the bottom of it and pulls it over his head. Instead of wearing a thin tank top like most of the others, nothing is underneath his school shirt. As soon as the fabric hits the ground, Sasuke realizes the blond is practically half naked.

"What the hell man?" a random student calls, directing his attention to Naruto. "You can't just take your clothes off."

"You bet I can. I doubt Gai minds," Naruto replies, smiling at the annoyed teammate. With perfect timing, Gai returns from attending to the injured student, jumping up and down and yelling at them about the spirit of youth and excitement.

Naruto smirks. "Let's finish this game then."

The blond then straightens his back, revealing a toned stomach and a simple yet intriguing belly tattoo. It is a spiral surrounding his navel, about as large as a disc. The sight grabs Sasuke's attention, despite his dislike for the new student.

What a nuisance.

The last two minutes pass slowly and anxiously, but in the end, it is Sasuke's team who claims victory. Sasuke cannot help shooting Naruto a triumphant smirk, to which the blond replies with an angry scowl. For this time, Sasuke claims victory – however, it was not easy. Sasuke is hesitant to admit, but if Naruto was in the game since the beginning, there would be the possibility that Neji's team may have beaten his.

Sasuke will be prepared for it if it comes.

"That game was excellent! Amazing! Naruto, your talent is limitless! If you arrived earlier in the year, I would have encouraged you to spread your youth by joining the football team!"

The blond smiles, his grin reaching ear to ear. "Sorry."

Before Gai can comment any further, the school bell rings, signaling to the end of the day. Sasuke does not hesitate to make his way to the locker room, sporting an impassive expression. However, the inside of his chest betrays his outward appearance; it beats at a rapid rate, and it is not from the strenuous game the class has just played.

The tattoo. Somehow, it is imprinted in his mind.

X X X

"Sasuke, Sakura! Come down please!"

Sakura huffs in annoyance, leaning her head back against the pillow and rolling her eyes. "Your mother has the worst timing."

Sasuke says nothing; he removes his hand from underneath her school blouse, slightly miffed himself about the interruption. It has been a long day, and he has discovered that sex is a wonderful way to ease away all of his problems and worries. His all-too-willing partner will be in a slightly foul mood because of this abrupt stop to their activities.

"Well, I have to be home right after dinner," Sakura says, sliding her hand down her lover's leg. "Just a little bit more?"

"No," Sasuke answers with finality, detaching himself from the pink-haired girl. The last thing he needs is his mother to walk in on them in a rather private moment. If that ever happens, she will forbid them from ever being in a room without parental supervision. Sasuke is not a very big risk-taker.

"Fine." She concedes to his wishes, straightening out her shirt and smoothing down her knee-length skirt. "You will make this up to me tomorrow. I feel like it's been forever."

Sasuke reassures her with a peck to her still rosy cheeks. Her agitation disappears instantly.

"Let's go."

The two silently exit the bedroom, continuing their way through several hallways and then down the main grand staircase. Once reaching the kitchen, Sasuke's stomach grumbles with excitement; his mother is an excellent cook, and a full stomach tends to put him in a good mood.

"Sasuke, your brother is home; can you please set another plate on the table for him?"

Sasuke frowns, but he does not disagree with his mother's wishes. If there is anything he does not understand about his mother, it is that she still dotes on his brother, Itachi, like a child. However, Sasuke knows all too well that Itachi is anything but.

When dinner begins, his brother arrives late. As he enters the room, Sasuke has to refrain from frowning in displeasure; something about his older sibling just irritates him. The older man is dressed for his job, sporting a very tight sleeveless black top and dark jeans which hug his built legs. His hair is left down to frame his angular face, and he wears a set of black diamonds in each of his lobes. Itachi is undoubtedly attractive, although however slightly androgynous.

"Good evening, mother," Itachi greets, taking a seat next to his mother. She offers her pretty smile and pats his shoulder.

"What time do you need to go to work?"

"Not until nine," Itachi replies, helping himself to the food laid out for him. "I have a late shift tonight. Go ahead and lock the house before you go to sleep."

"I appreciate you being hardworking, Itachi," a male voice booms over the table, attracting everyone's attention. It is the male patriarch and father of the household, still wearing his expensive suit from work and sporting an equally expensive cigar in his left hand. Sasuke doesn't particularly like his father smoking at the table, but he never says a word. Fugaku will bite him back with criticism about Sasuke's shortcomings, like not having a job or generally not being as good as Itachi.

"Although I do not understand why," his father adds, bringing the tobacco to his lips. "We have more than enough money."

"It is a job which gives me some work to do," Itachi replies nonchalantly. It grates Sasuke's nerves.

"You pour alcohol into glasses and collect tips for looking good. That doesn't sound like work to me," Sasuke says harshly. His mother lightly hits him in the shoulder, giving him a reprimanding look.

"I suppose you're right, Sasuke," Itachi replies, shrugging his shoulders. "However, I do enjoy it. It allows me some time outside of the house. It will stop when I graduate."

Somehow, this answer makes Sasuke even more agitated. Itachi never takes the bait; he never gets mad, and he never tries to argue with Sasuke. He always is two steps ahead, more nonchalant and indifferent than Sasuke could ever be. It is downright embarrassing, and having Sakura next to him makes it even worse.

As dinner passes, Itachi is all that Sasuke muses on. If only his parents could know what actually entails at Itachi's bartending job; he has seen the man flirt with others and he has heard Itachi's exploits (as Sasuke lives in the room beside him) but yet, he still receives praise. If Sasuke ever did the things Itachi has done…that would be the end of him, the end of his mother's high opinion of him and the end of being anything better than Itachi in their father's eyes. The double standards make Sasuke sick.

And Itachi still has the audacity to call him little brother. He is probably laughing behind those fake sentimental words, thinking about how stupid Sasuke is.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispers next to him, obviously concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Sasuke replies shortly. This is a hint to Sakura to leave him alone.

He cannot wait when Itachi moves out, or he finds a place of his own. That will be the end of this brotherhood.