Reia Yuji is an ordinary middle school girl who also works part-time at the local anime/manga/game hobby shop. One day she and her younger brother stumble upon a worn out Naruto cd at the back room of the shop. But on their way home something strange happens...

Beloved Author Maiya-sama

Proudly Presents

THE WORN-OUT CD

(A Naruto Fanfiction)

DISCLAIMER: Naruto, its story and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of the great Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. Only the plot of this fanfiction, and the original characters like Reia, Etsuya and Eiki are mine.

I

OH DEAR GOD! TO WORK AT A HOBBY SHOP!

DIM DOM DUM DUM...DIM DOM DUM DUM...

Yuji Reia tucked loose strands of long brown hair behind her ear as she stood waiting by the entrance of an elementary school one afternoon. As soon as the bell finished ringing, the doors immediately opened out came excited elementary school students celebrating the end of another day of school. Her deep-set green eyes shifted from time to time, searching for a child with familiar amber hair.

"REIA-NEECHAN!"

The girl had only time to blink before an amber-haired child launched himself towards her, wrapping his small arms around her. "Etsuya!" She gasped, backing up slightly to balance herself from the force of the excited child's embrace. "What's with all the excitement?"

Green eyes similar to hers gazed up at her, and below them was a mischievous grin. "Heee heee!" The boy giggled, latching onto her hand and pulling her into a walk.

It was then that Reia realized that she knew the cause of his excitement after all. Of course, the latest episode is coming out today, She thought to herself. She rolled her eyes. "Look Etsuya, I am NOT bringing you to work again. The ruckus you caused last time almost caused me my job! AND my future boyfriend!" She shivered as she remembered the slightly angry look of her work partner/long-time crush Matsukura Eiki.

Etsuya let out a loud 'Pfft'. "Yeah right, IN YOUR DREAMS Neechan."

"Oh yeah? Just you wait, he'll ask me out later at work."

"That's what you say everday. Besides," He said. He closed his eyes and placed his arms behind his head as he walked. "He's a jerk, if you ask me."

"He's not a jerk!" She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. "He's actually the kindest and most thoughtful person I've ever met..." Then she looked down at her younger brother, "Just because he looks like your least favorite character in that weird anime of yours doesn't mean he's the same as that guy." She raised a knowing finger. "Nothing beats the real thing!"

"Yeah whatever." As he opened one eye and glanced straight ahead, he stopped suddenly. "Uh oh..."

In her momentum, the girl would have collided over her brother had she not flailed her arms on time to stop herself. "What the! What's the big idea, Etsuya!"

"Look..." The little boy pointed a shaking finger ahead.

Reia turned her head towards the direction her younger brother was pointing at, and consequently froze on the spot. Her worst fears were confirmed, as she saw hundreds of people from all ages crowding around Fildars, the anime, manga, and game hobby shop she was currently working part-time in. But then again, that really did not need much thought, as today was October 9. The release of the latest episode of the most popular anime in town, NARUTO. "Oh shit..."

Quickly, she opened her bag and fumbled around for the keys to the side entrance of the shop. "Keys, keys, where are the damn keys!"

Truth be told, she could have easily waltz into the front entrance to the shop, but that would mean two troublesome things. One, opening the doors would mean excited otakus storming into the shop and her being squashed to the floor in the midst of the stampede. Two, walking in with her current hairstyle, a braided ponytail with long bangs which were parted in the middle hanging around the sides of her face, would mean getting attacked by the game otakus. Damnit, why in seven hells did she have to look like some character in a game!

"Neechan...hurry! I have get my own copy first before they get in!"

"Sssh!" The girl hissed. "They might hear you...ah! Here it is!" She whispered, triumphantly pulling up a set of keys. "Matsukura-kun must be in there right now, so--" The two siblings froze as the ringtone of a cellphone sounded from within her bag.

"Cultivate your hunger before you idealize.

Motivate your anger to make them all realize.

Climbing the mountain, never coming down.

Break into the contents, never falling down."

Under normal circumstances, people would not be able to hear the muffled ring tone. However, for some reason, the otakus' ears perked up at this particular song, and simultaneously turned their heads towards the two siblings.

"My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve,

Sneaking out of the classroom, by the back door.

A man railed at me twice though, but I didn't care.

Waiting is wasting for people like me."

"Aerith-sama..." They droned simultaneously, their eyes becoming blank suddenly.

"Eeep!" Reia felt goosebumps popping out of her skin, as the otakus eyes trailed over her form. Grabbing Etsuya's wrist, she dove towards an alley leading to the shop's side entrance.

As soon as they did, the otakus suddenly broke into a stampede, chasing after the poor girl and her brother. "Aerith-sama...Aerith-sama..." They chanted simultaneously. It was at least fortunate that they alley was small and narrow, so the ones chasing her had been cut off into threes. Still, three otakus chasing her would be scary.

"Don't try to live so wise.

Don't cry 'cause you're so right.

Don't dry with fakes or fears,

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end."

"I don't understand!" Reia stared down at her ringing cellphone as she ran. "The volume shouldn't be loud enough for all them to hear at that distance!"

"They're otaku, Neechan." Etsuya explained, all the while flying in the air at the force of his sister's running. "Any Naruto otaku would perk up hearing the 'Wind' by Akeboshi, which is the ending song for the first season of the anime."

"You say, "Dreams are dreams.

"I ain't gonna play the fool anymore."

You say, "'Cause I still got my soul.""

"Oh dear god..." Reia sighed dejectedly for a moment, then she gasped upon realizing something. "Wait, that wasn't SUPPOSED to be my ringtone!" She glared back at her flying brother. "ETSUYA! Did you have something to do with that!"

She was answered with a mischievous giggle. "Say Neechan, isn't it about time you answer that phone? Maybe it's your 'beloved Matsukura-kun'." He stuck out a disgusted tongue in the process.

The brown-haired girl glanced down at her cellphone, and saw that it was indeed, her working partner who was calling her. "Eeeek!" She pressed a button and lifted up the phone to her ear. "Hello...?"

"Yuji-san? Where are you right now? We are about to open in a few minutes!" Came a low, sultry voice from the other end.

"Don't worry, Matsukura-kun!" Reia cried, trying to overcome the loud chanting of 'Aerith-sama' from behind her. "I'll be there in a few seconds. I'll be coming in front the side entrance!"

"Are those guys chasing you?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, I'll open the side entrance for you."

"Thanks, Matsukura-kun!" With a click, Reia placed her phone back into her bag. Her expression brightened as she saw the side entrance ("Why the hell should the damn entrance be so far inside!"). She pushed the door open, and was greeted by her working partner who helped her push the door close and lock it. It was just in time too, because they suddenly heard loud bangs from the door and the still continuing chanting of "Aerith-sama" from behind it. Leaning against the door, she and Etsuya breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You okay, Yuji-san?"

Reia blushed and breathed in sharply as she saw her crush hovering above her, a concerned expression upon his face. Matsukura Eiki was indeed, one who was the complete embodiment of a SIZZLING HOT PRETTY BOY. With his short, silky, and somewhat spiky dark black hair (with those adoring bangs hovering around the sides of his face) and deep onyx eyes, it was definitely easy to fall for him. What delighted the otaku girls even more was that he seemed to be the real version of an anime character from NARUTO. Uchima Satoshi or some other.

"Yuji-san!"

That call brought her back to reality. She blinked and looked up once more into his onyx eyes. "Y-Yes?"

"I was saying that we should get back to our posts. We're about to open in a minute." His voice was soft but stern. "Oh and, could you get rid of that? I don't think the customers would be delighted to see that." He smirked and placed a hand on the side of his lip, pointing out the area to her.

She lifted a hand towards the edge of her right lip, and gasped in horror upon feeling the --wet-- sensation there. Oh dear god no...

Etsuya suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. "MWAHAHAHAHAHA! REIA-NEECHAN IS DROOLING!"

The brown-haired girl blushed more intensely. "Uh...um...I'MGOINGTOGOCHANGENOWBYE!" She quickly scampered into the employee's locker room.

It was fortunate (or unfortunate, depends on how you put it), that she wasn't able to see the sexy smirk the boy made else it might make her drool all the more.

Around half a minute later, she emerged (after calming herself down) in her uniform and joined Eiki at the counter. "You ready?" The boy asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

The boy then nodded towards the staff member who guarded the doors. "Alright, let them in."

Reia gulped nervously as the doors were unbolted. "Here we go..."

The grounds of the shop began to shake, and "SLAM!" went the doors, allowing the anime/manga/game otakus of all ages, genders, shapes, and sizes to stampede in.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"AERITH-SAMA!"

"WHERE IS IT! WHERE IS THE EPISODE!"

"AHHH! THE NEWEST GAARA PLUSHIE!"

"HEY I FOUND THAT FIRST!"

"NO, I DID!"

"NO, I DID!"

"Oh dear god," Reia murmured to herself as she busily punched in all the purchases. "Please help me and Matsukura-kun get through this alive."

Author's Notes:

Hello everyone! You may wonder about me getting another Naruto fanfic up in just a few days, but hey, what else can I say? I have fallen hopelessly in love with the series! In addition, it has Sasuke-kun this time around. I hope you would all enjoy reading this! And please don't forget to review!