Disclaimer: not mine.
Pairing: later NejixSasukexNaruto, Itachi x Kakashi, others
Notes: Set in an AU where the boys are older (15) or at least in their older teens. *wink*
Potential: NejixSasukexNaruto and ItachixKakashi ficlet in the making Summary: N/A at the moment


Lesson #1:
Never Take Candy From Strangers
Chapter 1



Neji had been going over the details of their mission assigned by the boys concerned father, the Fourth, when their charge, Hatake Kakashi passed out onto the floor. Rushing over, he had checked Kakashi's vital signs and pulse but in his opinion, it had been steady. Moving ahead, Neji tipped Kakashi's head back and opened each eyelid for a clue. Both pupils were dazed and unfocused.

Seeing no way around it, Neji had managed to lift the silver-grey haired instructor up and drag him over onto Naruto's mattress, where he deposited him there and tugged a loose sheet over the legendary seasoned warrior's chest and lower body. Afterwards, Neji noticed that Kakashi-san was sleeping as soundly as a kitten, after receiving its mothers milk.

But to his chagrin, Neji had found it quite difficult without the assistance of Kakashi to keep a steady control over Naruto, their former teammate but now youthful companion. It would of been easier to control the boy if he had another set of hands to keep Naruto distracted while he went over the plans Kakashi had written up the night before. But he didn't.

That was when all movement of Naruto stopped and he grinned up at him, while for his part, he pinned the younger boy down with his body. Naruto seemed to be offering him a piece of candy. Sighing, Neji knew what he had to do. To quiet the boy, he took it, grasping it out of Naruto's offered hand and unwrapping it before plopping it into his mouth. Chewing it experimentally and rather liking the taste of caramel and chocolate meshed together in a ball.

Swallowing it, even as the taste of it lingered in his mouth, Neji allowed the tension to leave his body as he awaited for something to happen.. Knowing the boy, since his change, was a full-blown prankster at heart.

When nothing happened and he seemed fine, he chanced a look and found that Naruto had settled underneath him and was now minding his own business like a good boy.

Not passing up the opportunity, Neji went back to work, untangling himself from the boy, when an hour into his reviewing, all of a sudden his stomach made a noise. Not a hunger noise but a pained noise.
That's when Naruto decided to jump into his lap and he grounded out a pained groan by the unwelcome greeting.

Before he could do no other, there was a knock on their door.

Not persistent but annoyed.

Sasuke, thought Neji fondly but also in severe pain as Naruto used his knees as a bouncing board.



Uchiha Sasuke let himself in when he was left ignored and rolled his eyes in annoyance as he helped Naruto up after being shoved off of Neji's lap, whom to his observation was too ill in the stomach to baby sit the blond-headed boy right now.

"Not now, go play with Sasuke," he heard the Hyuuga boy grumble to their over-enthusiastic yet naive teammate as it disappeared into a futile whine. Stopping him, to stare startled at the white-eyed boy as he seem to be in some sort of agony.

Neji clutched at his stomach, gasping and falling onto his knees before laying out onto the floor as he withered on the boy's carpet just like the boy's sensei, whom, if he thought about it, had similar symptoms like he was experiencing right now after eating the candy but earlier.

He was glad Sasuke was back and he hoped instead of the raven-haired boy standing there stupidly, that the Uchiha could come up with some answers since he couldn't, which was a disgrace considering his eye ability and instead of standing stock-still with Naruto, whom he had to admit was a armful, would instead come over to him and help him up before he passed out and relay what he thinks was going on. But was still not quite positive as he reminiscent back to his earlier doubt, since he wasn't a mind-reader.

Sasuke paused and looked around at his teammates in the room, "Naruto, what did you do to Neji and Kakashi-sensei?" he asked sternly, observing that not only was Neji down but so was his master, whom was a jounin and nearly impossible to fool easily.

Naruto hearing his name with a sour note, jumped off of Sasuke and stuck his tongue out at him, pouting his lips back as though he was no fun.

Sasuke frowned.


There was a long silence on Sasuke's part and Naruto started to break, tears filling his eyes as he swiped at them, trying to clear the beads away. He turned his face into the older boys black shirt and confessed what he had done, "An older boy that looked like you told me to give them these pieces of candy." Naruto took the empty wrappers of the candy and put it in Sasuke's hand, "He said they taste real sweet but he told me not to eat any because it wasn't right for me."

An older boy that looked like me...? No sooner as the sentence went over in his mind, Sasuke's eyes lit up in flames, Itachi! He grit his teeth and sent his steely gaze outside of Naruto's bedroom window, clenching his jaw tight in a grim line and fisting his one fist in fury.

He had warned his father of his older brother's low activities. How he thought his older brother was turning against the village and plotting against them. This only strengthened his resolve and he even held the evidence in his hand that Naruto had trustingly given to him.


He padded Naruto on the head, who smiled brightly up at him, tears forgotten and like his anger was dismissed and brought him into a tight hug, as Naruto's yellow head burrowed into his chest. As Naruto did this, Sasuke thought grimly more about his older brother and what this mean.

He had meant it when he told his father that they were better off without Itachi, even if his older brother was the first born and was to carry the clan. He told his father they should have a better watch over Itachi for the sake of the village's well-being but his father told him in uncertain terms not to fixate on it much but instead to concentrate on his studies and complete the missions the 4th Hokage had handed down to him, which was to watch over his son, whom spitefully swallowed down a forbidden vile that made him years younger than his own age, since he kept complaining everyone treated him like a kid, so he should at least look like the part without having to use his jutsu and became just that.

But because Naruto had such a sheltered life growing up with his protective father, even though he was very powerful and with a fierce demon in his stomach sealed away, Naruto may look like a twelve year old but he behaved more like a seven year old would and it was rather hard to watch over him, especially if news got out of the Hokage's son's condition and that's why they were assigned to this mess.

Not that he really mind, but now he'll have to worry about Itachi too and his motives while he figured out what to do next.


To be continued,...