Chapter Text
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke had been rivals for as long as anyone could remember.
If there was one constant in Konoha High, it was that Naruto and Sasuke could not be in the same room without some kind of competition breaking out. Whether it was sports, academics, or just a straight-up insult battle in the middle of the hallway, everyone knew that these two were obsessed with trying to one-up each other.
Naruto—loud, brash, always wearing his heart on his sleeve—was the kind of person who never backed down from a challenge. He wasn’t the top of the class (that damn title belonged to Uchiha Bastard over there), but he was relentless, determined, and fiercely passionate. Even if he wasn’t the smartest, he had an energy that commanded attention wherever he went.
On the other hand, Sasuke was calm, calculating, and effortlessly perfect at everything he did. He didn’t try to show off—he didn’t need to. His cold, untouchable aura made him the school’s most sought-after student, but he couldn’t care less. The only thing that ever seemed to get a rise out of him?
Naruto.
It was almost comical how much Naruto got under Sasuke’s skin. No matter how much he tried to ignore him, Naruto had a way of invading his space, his mind, his entire damn existence. And the worst part? Sasuke always found himself responding. Every snarky comment. Every challenge. Every stupid grin Naruto threw his way. He could never just ignore him. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe that was why, lately, things had been feeling… different.
Konoha High had many things—strict teachers, overpriced vending machine snacks, and a questionable amount of romantic drama—but above all else, it had Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. And those two? They were a freaking spectacle.
If you asked Naruto, he’d tell you that Sasuke was an arrogant bastard who needed to be taken down a peg.
If you asked Sasuke, he’d say Naruto was an obnoxious idiot who needed to shut up.
If you asked literally anyone else in the school? They’d just roll their eyes and say, “Oh, those two? Yeah, they’re basically married.”
Which, of course, Naruto and Sasuke would vehemently deny.
—
“OI, TEME! MOVE YOUR STUPID ELBOW—YOU’RE IN MY SPACE.”
The classroom had been quiet for approximately two minutes before Naruto broke the peace by shoving Sasuke’s arm off their shared desk. Sasuke, who had been minding his own business while taking notes, barely even reacted. He simply flicked his eyes toward Naruto, gaze bored and unimpressed.
“I was here first, dobe. Get a smaller desk if you can’t handle it.”
Naruto scowled, leaning in aggressively. “What did you just say, you smug bastard?!”
Sasuke didn’t even blink. “I said, ‘Get a smaller desk if you can’t handle it.’ Do I need to spell it out for you?”
Naruto bristled. The sheer audacity of this guy.
“What you need,” Naruto growled, cracking his knuckles, “is to get that stupid stick out of your ass before I—”
“Uzumaki! Uchiha! If you’re going to flirt, at least do it outside my classroom.”
A dead silence fell over the room. Naruto froze. Sasuke’s pen stopped mid-stroke. The entire class was watching them now, grinning knowingly.
“I—WHAT?!” Naruto’s voice shot up an octave. “Who the hell is flirting?! I was gonna—”
“—Deck him,” Sasuke finished lazily, still writing. “Sure. We believe you.”
The snickers from their classmates made Naruto turn red. “Oh, screw all of you,” he muttered, slumping back into his seat.
Sasuke, meanwhile, just smirked. Because the truth was, he lived for this. For Naruto’s attention. For their fights. For the way Naruto’s blue eyes only ever burned this brightly when they were directed at him.