[Sasuke]
I stare at Naruto's hands. Did I see that correctly? There's no way I did. The hands of the man in front of me. Did not, just form into legible signs, for me, to understand.
"Sorry, I'm a little rusty." He says and shakes out his hands.
"Okay." He claps his hands and puts them in front of him looking down at them, he begins signing more carefully, his eyebrows shifting as he forms each sign, making sure he's correct.
[Do you understand sign language? Or do I just look like an idiot right now?] He signs with his brows raised, his eyes squinted at me, scanning me for a reaction.
I hesitantly raise my hands and begin to sign.
[Are you the student Iruka was talking about?] I sign back, my hands frozen in place.
"Yeah probably," he says out loud. "Oh shit sorry."
[Yeah, I'm the only one I know who can sign. Well fluently.]
My mouth is hanging wide open. I can understand him perfectly. My family doesn't sign to me, I'm surprised they bothered to even learn sign language. But for Naruto of all people to know sign language fluently. I'm speechless.
I don't mean to sound rude but he doesn't seem like the type to know sign language.
He clears his throat and wears an awkward smile.
[Is it that surprising?] He asks, rubbing the back of his neck.
I slowly nod and close my mouth.
Then Naruto's brows pull together and he glares at me. "Wait how'd you, shit."
[How did you understand me if you're deaf.] He signs quickly, I divert my eyes from him and look around the room for an excuse.
Got it. I point to my lips then sign [Your lips.]
"Oh!" He exclaims. "That makes sense." He pauses, then he squints at me again. "Wait no because you didn't look at me for most of the time I talked to you. I think anyway, I can't really see your face too well."
[I was looking at your lips.] I sign again. He seems like a dumb ass even though he's trying his best to piece this together.
He huffs and slides down in his seat.
[I don't believe you.] He signs.
I'm going to have to get used to this switching. I never have people sign to me so I'm out of practice when it comes to reading it. It's usually me signing to someone so this will be an adjustment since it takes me a little bit to read his signs. His hand movements for transitioning between signs are a little sloppy but the signs themselves are perfect so it makes up for it.
"Ahh oh well." He slaps his hands on his knees and sits back up.
He thinks for a second then begins to sign.
[At least I can get to know you now!]
[What's there to know?] I ask.
His jaw drops and the ends of his mouth begin to curl up into a smile.
[What's there not to ask? Why are you deaf? What school did you come from? What's it like being Sasuke in a hearing-based world? Your favorite color? Do you play on Xbox? What-]
He lost me once he asked me if I play on Xbox. I know he talks a lot but now it's possible for him to sign a lot. And he said he's rusty...
He waves his hand in front of my face.
[Are you paying attention?]
[No.] I replied quickly, making his mouth twitch slightly.
[How are you not as excited as I am right now!?]
[I am. But you play on Xbox, you're dead to me.] I sign and lay my forehead on the desk. How long are we stuck here? Didn't Naruto say he'd just leave?
"Ugh, whatever." He scoffs. "Like I could afford a whole Xbox." I hear him shift around, maybe he's laying down like me?
"Hey Sasuke." He calls out, and I shift my head onto my arm and look at him. And he has the biggest smile on his face.
[What?] I spell out with my free hand.
"You're not deaf." He says triumphantly.
How'd he figure that...Wait...FUCK!
"You heard me and turned to me. Why'd you lie to me! It's easier to understand signs then sign them for me."
I roll my eyes and sit up.
[Sorry for the inconvenience of you being able to talk and not have to sign everything you wish you could simply say.]
You think I want to sign?
I watch his smile fade into an awkward frown and he avoids my gaze.
I let out a long sigh. I shouldn't have said that. I don't know why I did.
I try to form the word 'hey' but my mouth doesn't even know-how. Fuck this, that's why I got mad because he has it easy yet he complains! I don't even have the ability to form a word let alone say it!
Still, it was out of place of me to say something so mean.
"I." He starts and stops himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive. Would you prefer for me to sign to you or talk?"
[Talk] I sign. I won't apologize though, I think I'm in the right, even though I could've been nicer about it.
"O-oh okay, that's cool." He says looking around the room.
We fall into an awkward silence and I go onto some apps on my phone while I wait.
"Hey Sasuke," Naruto says his voice cracking.
I chuckle and Naruto clears his throat.
"Sor-ry." His voice cracks even harder and I end up laughing.
[Holy shit if you're going to talk like that you might as well sign too.] I sign with a smile.
Naruto flares his nose and his face starts to become red.
"Hey I'm still growing okay? That's to be expected!" He defends.
I roll my eyes. [Whatever you say.]
"B-but I was asking. Would you like, um, pull your hair back? Or something" He asks, diverting my eyes again.
[Why?]
"Just, I don't know what you look like." He locks eyes with me and I squint at him.
[You're literally looking at me right now.]
"I can't really see your face since your hair is in your face. So I hope I'm looking at your face." He jokes with a smile starting to form on his face again.
Does he ever get tired of smiling?
I'd rather keep my face covered but since it's just us. I take off my glasses, look down, and begin brushing my hair behind my head into a ponytail. I gather my hair into a low ponytail and hold it with one hand.
I look up at Naruto and his eyes widen for a second then return to normal.
"Sasuke." He pauses. "Don't ever wear glasses again." He whispers more to himself than me.
My jaw tightened and I let my hair fall back over my face. Why does everyone say that!
I give him the middle finger and turn to face the board. Asshole, I look good in glasses!
I hear him laugh and the creaking of his desk. Then I see his hand for a second and he swipes my glasses from my desk. I shift my attention to him and he has them on.
Haha, he looks like a nerd now. Wait...
"What the hell. There's not even a prescription in these. Why are you wearing glasses?" He exclaims. "Seriously, man?" He mumbles.
[What are you trying to say?] I ask, facing him fully this time.
"Tha-." He's interrupted by his phone ringing. He takes it out and answers it.
"Oh shit!" He bites his lip and gets up suddenly.
I start to get up in my seat, I rest myself on the table and wait for his next move.
"Sorry, I got detention." Naruto starts to gather his stuff, putting the phone between his head and shoulder.
"Yes, yes again. I told you Kakashi and I have a love-hate relationship. Mostly hate." He finished packing his stuff up and headed for the door, motioning for me to follow him.
I gather my stuff and follow close behind him.
We get out of the classroom and start jogging. I don't know where but I'm in no shape to be doing this shit.
"Look we'll be there in like five minutes. Make out with your girlfriend or something." He ends the call laughing.
He starts to pick up his speed and I do too. Then he looks at me with a devilish grin.
"Last one to the main door has to pull Kakashi's mask down tomorrow!" He states and starts full-on sprinting down the hall.
I suddenly get a burst of adrenaline and start sprinting after him.
I catch up to him as he slows down to go down the stairs. I grab onto the railing, slide down the rail, and jump off.
"What the fuck was that!" Naruto yells after me. I start feeling my heart beat faster, lungs and legs burning and I start running faster and faster towards the main door in the distance.
I hear Naruto's footsteps behind me getting louder and louder. I look to my side and Naruto catches my eye and winks at me as he starts to gain speed over me.
Fuck no, there's no way I'm losing to this bastard. We match each other's speed.
The door is a few steps from us and I stick out my arm to touch the handle before he does. But we both end up slamming our bodies into the door at the same time, making a loud bang and fall onto the ground.
Naruto lays on his side, clutching his arm and I do the same.
But unlike me who's in physical pain all over, Naruto starts laughing like a fucking psychopath. God why'd I do that? My body died, I think that's the most physical activity I've done in my life. All my youth has gone into that run just to tie with this idiot.
As I try to calm my breathing my lips start to form into a smile. I put my hand on my chest and concentrate on my heartbeat. Shit, I almost broke my fucking arm.
I look over to Naruto again and the psycho is already back on his feet but crouched over something rubbing the back of his neck.
I manage to sluggishly get up on my feet. I walk over to see what he's looking at.
I gasp. My glasses! Both handles are broken and the lens is cracked.
My glasses, my glasses, I crouch down next to Naruto, my beautiful glasses are gone. I've had them for years.
"Sasuke." Naruto hesitates. "I'm so, so sorry." He says slowly moving his hand to the glasses. I smack his hand and start picking up the pieces.
It's okay. It's okay. I'll just tape and glue them together. It'll be fine.
"Sasuke, talk to me." He whines.
My jaw tightened at that comment. Is he trying to be funny?
"Shit, I mean sign to me. I didn't mean it like that."
My glasses...
"Naruto!" I hear a deep feminine voice call out.
"Sasuke. We have to go!" He grabs the back of my collar, pushes open the main door, and drags me out of the school.
"Run! That old hag will kill us!" Naruto begins sprinting and so do I.
We run into what I'm assuming is the school parking lot. I didn't see it when I came to school so that's my best guess.
We finally slow down as we bob and weave through the cars. My lungs can not take this running shit for much longer. But to my surprise, I'm much faster than I thought I was.
I never did sports or anything like that at school. Suigetsu always tried to get me to join but it just wasn't my thing. I played football like once and I was a pretty good quarterback, I could see openings throughout the field and stuff like that. But to be a quarterback you need to be able to talk to your team and make plays in the moment. See that all requires talking. I'm mute.
"Okay, I think they're around here." Naruto states and we come across this old black car that has the paint peeling off.
I don't know if I'd drive it but I guess a car is a car.
Naruto runs up to the car and knocks on the glass then I hear the car doors unlock.
"Let's go," Naruto calls out to me.
I take a step back and motion for him to come to me and he does.
[I don't feel comfortable going in there.]
"Why?" He asks with a brow raised.
Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I don't know who the fuck those people are, where you guys are going to take me, how to get home because I don't know my literal address. I don't know, just some random thoughts I wanted to throw out there.
[I don't know where you're taking me and who those guys are.]
I look over his shoulder and see a guy with black hair pulled up into a ponytail, his hair actually looks like a pineapple. He's glaring at us with a brow raised. Wait, actually I think he's just glaring at me. I think there's someone else but I can't make out who from here.
"You don't trust me?" Naruto asks, trying to hide a mischievous grin.
I groan. I look back into his eyes. He's taller than me? I haven't really stood next to him yet but yeah. I take a small step back to size him up. I have to look up slightly to talk to him. That's annoying.
"Sasuke?"
[I do but I don't trust them.]
"Well, if you trust me, and I trust them, wouldn't that mean you should trust them too?" He asks, tilting his head to the side like a puppy would.
Fair point but still.
"Come on Sasuke." He urged and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the car. "It'll be fun. And if you really don't like it I'll take you home ok?"
I don't say anything and let him pull me to the car. Before he opens the door he looks back at me, dead in the eye.
"Okay?" He persists.
I nod and motion for him to open the door. He does and waits for me to enter the car. I'm not-.
"Get in new kid, we're already late." I hear a girl call out. I look inside and see a girl with two spikey blond ponytails, smiling at me.
I feel like a chick but I get in the car anyways. The seats are black leather and torn up inside and it smells like cigarettes and a tropical beach like perfume.
Naruto gets in after me and closes the door. The black-haired guy puts the car in drive and we start navigating through the parking lot.
"So who are you?" The black hair asked me.
I glance at Naruto and he's on his phone, texting someone I think. I hit him on his leg and he looks at me.
[What?] He signs.
[Tell them my name please.]
After a second his eyes widened.
"Oh! Shit sorry! By the way, these guys are Shikamaru and Temari." He points his finger to them as he names them
Then he scoots to the middle seat and peaks his head into the front part of the car.
"Okay, so guys."
"Put your fucking seatbelt on." Interrupts Shikamaru.
"Anyways, this is Sasuke, he's new, like today was his first day of school new. He's pretty cool."
"Why couldn't you have let Sasuke tell us that?" Temari asks.
"Oh, he's mute. He can't talk." Naruto answers.
"Like deaf?" Temari asks.
I don't know what's making my brain cells deteriorate more. The smell of this ashtray of a car, Naruto yelling, or her thinking mute means deaf.
"No. That's what I thought at first too. But he just can't talk but he can hear us just fine."
"Oh. Why can't he talk?" Temari asks, looking back at me.
"Yeah," Shikamaru interjects and starts to light a cigarette.
"Um." Naruto sits back into his seat and looks at me. "I don't know actually." He then reaches his hand out and touches my hair.
Okay, what is going through his head? I shift away from him and his eyes widen slightly and he removes his hand.
"Yeah sorry. Hey Temari, do you have an extra ponytail holder?"
"Yeah hold on." Temari goes into her backpack then reaches behind her to hand Naruto the ponytail holder.
"Here," Naruto says handing it to me.
[I'd prefer to keep my hair how it is. I don't like showing my face.] I sign.
Then Naruto starts to pout. "Please." He begs, giving me puppy dog eyes.
I bite my bottom lip. Ugh, fine. I snatch the ponytail holder from him and put my hair in a low ponytail.
Naruto's eyes light up and gives me a toothy smile.
"Wow he's hot." Temari comments.
"He's what?" Shikamaru raises his voice.
"You heard me."
"I hope what I heard wasn't what you actually said," Shikamaru says taking his cigarette out his mouth and flinging it outside, onto the street.
I haven't even known these guys for five minutes but that, right there, just gave me a bad sign
"Sasuke. Is. H-." She's cut off by Naruto reaching over and putting his hand on her mouth.
"Woah woah, okay okay, hey guys let's not fight in the car, while there's two other people's lives at stake." He tried to remind as he took his hand off Temari's mouth.
I didn't even notice till now but we're in what looks like the heart of the town, like a city/market area. There are little shops everywhere and a good bit of people walking the sidewalks. It's probably crazy at night.
"Huh, you're calling me a bad driver? If that's the case why aren't you driving your car?
"One, I never said that." Naruto starts.
"You should've." Temari scoffs, cutting Naruto off.
Shikamaru swerves the car a bit, which causes everyone two slide to the left suddenly. Almost hitting another car coming in the opposite direction. These two are fucking crazy!
"Ah! Okay, not true. And two, you know it's in the shop right now."
"I'll kick all your asses out right now." Shikamaru threatens in a nonchalant tone yet still comes across as dead serious.
"Do it, I'll call my brother." Temari contests.
"What is that redhead going to do." Shikamaru sneers.
"Kick me out and you'll see."
A silence falls across the car but I can feel the tension in the air and it's almost as suffocating as the smoke. Shikamaru is gripping hard on the steering wheel and Temari is staring lasers into the side of Shikamaru's face. Thank god he's still somewhat focused on the road.
Naruto clears his throat. "Guys really let's not-."
"SHUT UP NARUTO." Temari and Shikamaru yell in unison. Igniting the flame that starts them to go into a full-blown argument.
Naruto leans back into his seat, dazed, and looks at me. I shift my eyes from him to the arguing couple and ask him if this happens often.
[Literally every day.] He responds.
They're fighting like a married couple, and he said this happens every day. Fuck that.
[Where are we going?] I ask.
[They're dropping me off to get my car, then, I'll probably take you home.]
I frown slightly. I don't know why but I kind of wanted this day to keep going. It's chaotic but fun. It reminds me of how it was with my old friends.
Shit, I don't know my address though. I whip out my phone and ask Itachi. And see even more texts from Suigetsu. I scroll through my contacts and see Itachi had already messaged me.
ITACHI
where the fuck are you?
hello?
I'm at your school, where are you?
Sasuke I swear if you don't fucking answer
you're not deaf I know you can hear the notification
you're dead when you get home
My frown deepens reading these messages. What business does he have looking for me?
"Everything okay?" Naruto whispers.
I nod and text back Itachi asking him for the address. I go to put my phone in my backpack but my phone rings. I glanced at it quickly and he texted the address.
Perfect. Kind of, I don't want to go home. I feel safer with strangers than I do at my own house. If that doesn't say something I don't know what else does.
"Alright get out my car, we're here," Shikamaru says unlocking the car doors.
"Wait," Temari says locking the car doors. "We're having a get-together tomorrow, we don't know where yet. Make sure Sasuke comes, I think the gang will like him." She unlocks the car doors and smiles at Shikamaru who's glaring at her.
I feel like I'm interrupting something. I open the door from my side and Naruto follows after me. The two stay in the parking lot though. Yeah, I think we know what all that tension led too.
"Alright, I think it's over here," Naruto says as I follow behind him.
We're at a car repair shop and there are sounds of drills and clashing metal coming from the two open garages in front of the parking lot. Which is where I'm assuming we're heading too.
I shield my eyes with my hand from the sun, Jesus without my hair in my face everything just hits me. The sun does feel good on my face, but at the same time I'm more of a winter kind of guy but a little heat is nice too. It's surprising for it to be this hot even though it's technically fall going into winter right now.
"Wait right here," Naruto says and heads into the building. I watch him as he interacts with the cashier with that same big smile on his face. He and the cashier share a laugh then they disappear. I look around and see a bench near the end of one of the open garages on the outside.
I walked over there and played some app games on my phone as I waited for Naruto.
I heard a giant laugh followed by a thank you, and I instantly knew it was Naruto. I get up and peek my head into the garage and see him getting the keys to his car. It's a faded green, older model Toyota Camry but seems in better condition than Shikamaru's car.
I catch Naruto's eye and he tells me to go over to him. I do and he greets me with a smile.
"So! What do you think! I've gotten some repairs to it: fixed the breaks, both headlights work now instead of one, I have a radio now!" He rants excitedly. I don't know much about cars so the rest he tells me just goes in one ear and out the other.
[That's great!] I sign forcing a small smile to my lips.
"Okay okay let's drive, get in!" He unlocks the car and gets in. I do the same. I fall back into the seat, it's more of a beige soft carpet texture and with a few stains on the seat. Ew. I look over to Naruto and I'm not even joking I think that's the biggest smile I've seen in my fucking life.
I looked closer at him and it looks like he's tearing up.
"Wow!" He semi-whispers, gripping and un-gripping his hands on the skinny black steering wheel.
He starts the car and starts revving the engine. The car jumps every time, I quickly put on my seat belt. Holy shit, this car is a bit more powerful than it looks.
"Ah! Okay, we have to go for a test drive!" Naruto says and puts his car in gear, and we're off. My heart drops as he pulls onto the road and starts speeding down the long road.
He's fucking insane!
"S-s." I try to force something out to get his attention, but he's way too focused on his car to pay me any attention. Thank god no one on the road but still. I glace over to see his speed limit and he's approaching ninety. He grips the handle tight with one hand and rests his other hand on the gear. I see a traffic light in the distance and I stomp my feet down trying to resist myself from flying forward as he hits the breaks. Holy fuck! We ease into a stop at the light and he turns to me.
"Wasn't that great!" He yells.
[No.] I signed and let go of the breath I was holding.
"Haha. Sorry, I'm just! I've been saving up so much to get this car fixed, I worked so many hours, and I just. I'm so happy!" He explains, shifting excitedly in his seat.
"Oh! They installed a radio!" He shifts his attention to the radio located to the right of the steering wheel and I do the same.
This is the first time he's had a radio or...?
He starts playing with the station until he comes across a station playing some rock music. Good choice.
We drive back through that city market area and he lowers the volume of the radio.
"What's your address again? Sorry, I was kind of, just driving." He asks.
I didn't mind him just driving. Although chaotic at the start. I was starting to relax. I take out my phone and give it to Naruto with what Itachi texted me showing.
"Oooh. Yeah I know where that is, it's around Sakura's neighborhood. Let's get you there quick. This Itachi guy sounds like he's gonna kick your ass." He starts speeding and passing cars. Speed limits are a thing!!
I take back every compliment I said!
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