Not So Typical (under revision)

Chapter Three

"Wait so he asked to have lunch with you?" Kiba asked passing the basketball back to Naruto who took a shot at the basket and managed to sink it. He was pretty good at sports but not as good as some others he knew and never really had gotten super into the idea. That... and he tended to get almost too competitive. Naruto could list a lot of people off the top of his head who were much, much better than him at a lot of things. But he would just have to change that then he decided softly feeling a little lighter than he had in months as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders without him being aware.

"Yeah." Naruto answered blandly. Lunch was after gym, where they were now. The state winnings lining the walls with banners, the hoops hanging down over the floor, the mats on either side of the end of the basketball court... it was just somewhere he liked to be. Though sometimes it came at great risks as the people who were normally mean also liked the gym and it tended to get loud with the echoing of balls bouncing along the waxed wooden floor. Kiba smirked as Naruto dribbled the basketball that echoed along with all the others in the gym. Like a sort of repetitive drum beat. "I should push you to talk to people more often apparently." Naruto rolled his eyes at his friend and tossed the basketball at him hard, causing Kiba to struggle to catch it before it hit his chest.

"So...do you like him?" Kiba asked. Naruto shrugged and then thought about what his friend just said and stiffened. 

"Kiba!"

Kiba missed his shot because of that and he started laughing turning to wiggle his eyebrows at Naruto. The ball bounced to Naruto who hit his friend in the stomach with it this time while he walked away. He was more flustered than anything. In truth he wasn't even angry but seeing the ball hit Kiba's stomach and the boy to fall over onto his ass certainly wasn't a sight he was against.

"C'mon Naruto! I was kidding alright? It's not like everyone doesn't know....I'm sorry!" Kiba called after his friend as he recovered from the blow. Jumping to his feet he ran after Naruto who had walked a quarter of the way across the gym.  Walking into the locker room, Naruto ran into someone causing him to take a step back after bumping into who ever it was. Naruto looked up softly an apology already on his lips when he met the eyes of the person he had run into and froze, the apology dying where it was before being uttered.

"Going somewhere? Usually people watch where they are going, but I guess I don't categories you as a person so how could I expect any different?" Neji taunted while pushing Naruto aside and marching out if the locker room. Naruto hit the wall with his shoulder from the force of the push and winced. Neji was strong and it hurt pretty bad, but he just ignored it for now, because a situation was now presenting itself and it was for more pressing than the ache in his shoulder.

"If he's not a person I would hate to see what demon you think of yourself as!" A voice yelled. Naruto looked up wide eyed. He turned to the direction of the voice, Sasuke had just stood up for him. In fact Sasuke had just walked over  close enough in time to see it happen. Now he stood before him looking absolutely livid and it sort of scared Naruto a little bit with the pure rage that seemed to boil behind his eyes. 

"Naruto you okay?" Sasuke asked walking over. Naruto nodded numbly and shrugged, pushing lightly on his sore shoulder that hit the wall with his finger tips.

"I'll be fine. It'll just bruise a bit. Thanks Sasuke."

"No problem dobe."

Dobe? Naruto smiled, he knew the word was supposed to be an insult but it didn't sound like one coming from Sasuke.

"See you at lunch." Naruto replied walking into the locker room to change and leaving Sasuke to watch him go. Neji rolled his eyes dramatically scoffing loudly at the two who didn't even seem to care enough to take notice which only further angered him as he turned and walked back out in to the main part of the gym.