Disclaimer: Don’t own Naruto

Chapter 1

Katrina gathered the rest of her luggage and set off across the immense airport. For most foreigners it would be overwhelming, but she had spent most of her life in the lovely City of Angels in California and a crowded city didn’t bother her.

Someone from the university was suppose to meet her but she hadn’t seen anyone holding a poster with her name on it. She shrugged. Maybe they were outside or running late. Shit happens after all.

A group of people dressed in black suits with black shades made a small crowd and each of them had white posters with names written neatly in black letters.

A woman with oddly striking red eyes noticed her gawking shamelessly. “Are you searching for someone?”

“Sort of, some guy from Konoha University was supposed to meet me here and take me to the school.”

The other woman smiled wryly. “Judging by your oddly accented Japanese, I take it you’re a foreigner?”

“Yeah, American actually. I'm here for the year studying abroad.”

Huh, what do you know. Japanese people were really friendly and polite. Not something Katrina would be likely to encounter back in L.A.

“We’re with the university too. Do you know the name of your escort?” She asked.

“I think it was Kashi Hattooe or something weird like that.”

“Kakashi Hatake?”

Katrina brightened in recognition. Now, that she thought about it that was the name on the papers. “Yeah, that was the name. Kakashi Hatake.”

The others around her groaned in pure irritation.

“I told him not to be late. Why does he never listen to me?” A tanned man muttered under his breath.

“My eternal rival’s always late because he’s so darn cool!” Another said.

Katrina sighed exasperatedly and ran a hand through her hair as the last speaker went off on a tangent about how many wins he had against her mystery escort.

Strange was something else to be added to the Japanese repertoire if this guy was anything to go by.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” The woman laughed apologetically and bowed. “I’m Kurenai Yuuhi. I am the head of the Performing Arts department.”

Katrina almost held out her hand to shake the other woman’s but remembered the Japanese bowed in greeting and usually did not shake hands.

She dipped her torso awkwardly, being American and not used to bowing. “I’m Katrina Flynn. Its nice to meet you Kurenai.”

The rest of the group went around and introduced themselves.

“Asuma Sarutobi, Head of the Athletic Department.”

“Might Gai, at your service fair young maiden. I am the Drama and Theatre professor and look forward to working with you.”

“Uh, actually, I’m not a theatre major.”

The man’s face dropped. “Oh.”

An old man with white haired grinned lecherously. “The name’s Jiraiya and I’m the English professor. Even though you're not even in the least bit sexy, I’ll teach you to write some of the steamiest love scenes. In fact-”

Kurenai elbowed him in the gut. “The Dean warned you about sexual harassment, old man. We don’t need anymore lawsuits.”

Jiraiya pouted and crossed his arms with a huff. “You’re no fun.”

“Sorry about that Katrina-san, he’s going senile.” Asuma drawled lazily.

“Hey!”

Katrina stared back blankly. Okay, she was so avoiding anything English or anything to do with writing in general.

She agreed with Jiraiya, sexy would not be an adjective she would use to describe herself. You know all those songs about the girl next door dreamt up by punk bands? Yeah, they might as well have been literally written for her.

She had bushy dark red hair that made Hermione Granger's look tame in comparison and wore glasses of all things.

Katrina grew up in the plastic surgery capital of the world blasted with millions of beauty ads a year and surrounded by glamorous and gorgeous people all the time.

Almost seventy-five percent of the girls she went to high school with had some type of plastic surgery before they were eighteen. If her self-esteem was lacking, well, it was kind of understandable.

While, she was pondering the problems of her society, the rest of the foreign students drifted over to the group and their escorts. Katrina was still the only one missing hers.

She glanced at her watch and it was a quarter past three. Where the hell was this guy?

“Yo.” A silver-haired man in his mid-twenties sauntered over them with a lazy wave. “My dog ate my paperwork for the student so I had to go to the dean and get a new copy.”

Katrina’s eye twitched. This guy was joking right? No one would believe that kind of bullshit. The rest of the professors seemed to agree.

Kurenai scowled at him. “Just admit you didn’t get out of bed until noon and stop feeding us these bullshit excuses, Kakashi.”

Kakashi chuckled uneasily. “So, did she arrive yet?”

“She’s the one standing in front of us glaring daggers at you.” The woman said dryly.

“I’m Kakashi Hatake, TA under Professor Jiraiya.”

“So glad, you finally showed up.” Katrina growled through clenched teeth.

“Uh…sorry?”

“Never mind, let’s just get going. I want to get to my student apartment before midnight.” Katrina said sarcastically.

“That luggage looks heavy.” He commented idly. “Do you need some help?”

“Sure, that would be nice.” She smiled sweetly and innocently as a newborn babe and thrust all her bags into his arms. “Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it.”

Kakashi staggered under the immense weight and nearly fell before Asuma took some of his burden.

Humming cheerfully, she marched out the front door a little spring in her step. It serves the guy right for making her wait on him.

OoO

The ride to Konoha was long, very long. Kakashi was a guy who clearly liked quiet so the radio was off. The silence was oppressive. Katrina tapped her fingers impatiently on the leather of her purse just for something to do.

The silver-haired man twitched occasionally out of irritation.

“So…you’re from America?” He asked, likely to distract her from her tapping.

Katrina nodded.

“What’s it like?”

“Fast paced and hectic. Its like you’re running nonstop without a break.” She said softly.

“Sounds stressful.” He commented.

“It can be but I’m used to it. I wouldn’t know how to live any other way.” She glanced out the window and the passing scenery. “What’s KU atmosphere like?”

“Never boring, that’s for sure.” He muttered darkly.

Katrina quirked an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

“Rivalries, rabid fan girls, arrogant college boys, etc.”

“Other than the rabid fan girls part, it sounds pretty much like a continuation of high school to me. All men are arrogant no matter what part of the world you go to. We have rivalries between schools but not really between anyone on campus. That’s middle school shit, you know?”

“Hmm.”

Kat propped her elbow up on the window. “How, much longer until we get there anyway? Its been like four hours already. I hate long car rides.”

“Five minutes.” He said shortly.

“Not much of a conversationalist are you?”

“Not really.” Kakashi agreed.

“Then why are you working to become a college professor, Kakashi? They have to get up in front of the room and talk all the time.”

“Its Mr. Hatake, Katrina-san.”

“We call our professors by their first names in the U.S. since we’re all legally adults it seems stupid to refer to them as Dr. something-or-other when they call us by our first names.” Katrina argued hotly. “I’m not a child and I don’t believe in exceptions. If its true for you then its true for me or vice versa.”

“You’re going to be a pain in the ass aren’t you, Ms. Flynn?”

“Only if you insist on equally being one as well, Mr. Hatake.” She mocked.

If it wasn’t her imagination the man smirked ever so slightly. “What do you know, we’re here.”

Kakashi whizzed through wrought iron gates and down the long winding path. Trees and trees, as far as the eye can see.

“Don’t tell me its in the middle of the woods?”

“Its further back from the road, yes. It is a private institution after all.”

After another quarter of a mile the trees started to thin out and buildings began to appear. Some were brick-faced with Greek columns, others looked like your standard lecture hall. Stark white with uniform windows and blinds.

He turned left and wound behind all the buildings to what like an apartment complex. Most of the parking spaces were filled, only the ones in the back of the lot were empty. A couple of the cars were parked in front of the doors and people were unloading stuff for the semester.

Kakashi pulled the car to a stop near one end of the building. “You’re room is on the second floor, room 205.”

Katrina opened the door and climbed out. She stretched her arms over her head and arched her back. “Damn, I’m stiff all over and my ass is numb from sitting so long.”

“Let’s get your blood flowing then, shall we?” Kakashi tossed her a couple of duffle bags from the trunk.

Katrina caught them with a grunt and glared at him. “Real amusing.”

“I think so.”

He brought up the rear as they entered the building. People were shouting in the hallway tossing stuff back and forth. One guy even zoomed by on a skateboard nearly bowling Katrina over. He yelled an apology before he kept going.

Same old, same old. Guess, dorm life was just as crazy here as back home. She mused and started the ascent up the stairs.

When she reached the landing, she was nearly knocked down the stairs as a pair of blonde and pink-haired girls hurtled by screeching at each other.

“No, I’ll help Sasuke-kun unpack!”

“Give it up, forehead. You’ll never win.”

Katrina stared after them incredulously. “Were those girls for real?”

“Unfortunately.” Kakashi joined her. “A word of advice. Avoid Sasuke Uchiha or you’ll have those two and the other girls clawing at your throat.”

“They’re the rabid fan girls you were talking about?” She asked as they headed in the same direction as the other girls. “That’s totally weird. I grew up in L.A. and understand about obsessing over a celebrity because people do it all the time; but to obsess over a normal guy, its really strange.”

“Welcome to Konoha.” He said cheerfully.

The door to 205 opened and the girls from before were shoved out into the hall and then the door slammed shut. They stood there arguing loudly with each other until Katrina and Kakashi approached.

He deposited her luggage on the floor. “Well, I’ll be off then. Have a good semester Ms. Flynn.”

“You too, Mr. Hatake.” She shot at his rapidly retreating back.

“Who are you?” The blonde one demanded looking Katrina up and down, assessing her.

“Katrina Flynn.” She turned coolly, not liking the girl in the least.

“You’re not from around here are you?”

“You have no idea how not from around here I am.” She retorted.

The pink-haired girl eyed her curiously. “A foreigner then?”

“Yeah, I’m from the U.S.”

“Really?” She squealed excitedly. “Where exactly in the U.S.?”

“L.A.”

“That’s so cool, isn’t it Ino? Who would’ve thought we’d have a Cali girl on our floor this year.” The girl smiled. “I’m Sakura Haruno and this is Ino Yamanaka.”

“Nice to meet you.” Katrina said woodenly.

“So, do you need help moving your stuff in?” Sakura asked.

“Thanks, that would be awesome.”

“What room are you in?”

Katrina nodded her head in the direction of the door they were standing in front of. “Right behind you, 205.”

The two girls went rigid.

“What’s the matter?”

The blonde came out of her shock first. “There must be some mistake. You can’t be with my Sasuke-kun. There’s just no way.”

Katrina rolled her eyes. “If you’re just going to stand there gawking, then get out of my way. I’m completely exhausted and want to get all my stuff in so I can go to bed.”

Ino’s face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. “I won’t allow it! You can’t sleep with Sasuke-kun! Do you know how long we’ve been trying to get assigned to be his roommate?! I’ve worked hard these past three years and I’ll be damned if some ugly Irish American whore is going to waltz right in and take it away from me.”

Katrina had had enough, even she couldn‘t control her temper forever. She pushed past the girl and unlocked the door. “Fuck you, bitch. I don’t give a damn about your Sasuke-kun. I just want to get in my room and go to sleep. You can have him for all I care.”

A dark-haired guy was hunched over a box he was opening. He glanced up in surprise when she stormed in, but Katrina didn’t get far before she was pulled back by her hair.

“What the hell?” She glanced over her shoulder to see Ino holding onto her hair.

Sakura grabbed onto her friend. “Ino, leave her alone. You’re completely overreacting.”

“But she-”

The guy straightened up to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest. It might be considered intimidating by anyone other than Katrina. “I told you two to leave me the hell alone. Let go of the girl and get out. All of you.” He added to include her.

Ino and Sakura did as they were told and left. If Katrina didn’t see those girls again it would be all too soon.

“I thought I told you to leave.”

Katrina placed her hands firmly on her hips and stared him down. “I arrived in Tokyo airport from a ten-hour flight, only to find the person who was supposed to be escorting me to KU was not even there. I had to wait an hour for him to show up then ride another four hours in a car to get here, enduring his annoying attitude. Then, I get mauled by some psychotic girl and now my roommate is telling me I can’t stay in my apartment. I have two words for you, ’Fuck off’.”

First he was shocked at her impudence, then he settled on anger. Katrina was under the notion no one had ever spoken to him like that before, let alone a woman.

“Is that so?” His voice was all rage and it was directed at her.

Katrina was a pioneer in bad first impression and her record was still perfectly unblemished. This wasn't the first time she had pissed off her roommates with her sharp and witty tongue and it probably wouldn't be the last.

“Damn straight, whatever your name is.” Katrina dropped the bags she was holding on the floor and then went back into the hallway for the rest. It took her three trips to get everything inside.

“Phew.” She swiped a hand at the sweat on her forehead. “So, which room is mine nameless one?”

“Well, the idiot has the one on the left. I got the one in the middle.”

“I guess, that means the one on the right is mine.” She glanced down at all her stuff in dismay. “I think I’ll leave unpacking for tomorrow and just go to bed.”

She was almost to her room when something occurred to her. "What's your name? I really don't want to go around calling you nameless, though I suppose I could settle for Emo since it seems to be your style."

“The name’s Sasuke Uchiha.” He snapped.

Katrina froze. “Oh shit.”

This was the guy Kakashi warned her to stay away from and here she was sharing an apartment with him. Well, she just shortened her life span by about thirty years.

I think this version turned out better than the other story. Just because they’re roommates don’t jump to any conclusions. Katrina's going to be having a lot of problems with everyone.

And if you're wondering about Jiraiya's comments about her looks think about it. She might not necessarily be a model or plain but in the eyes of someone from a different culture which possesses a different idea of beauty that might be another story. In Japan the western idea of attractiveness might not apply.

This can really go either SasuOC or KakaOC or even ItachiOC because he's going to show up later on. Let's have a vote! Why don't you guys decide what it will be? Please review and let me know.