Author's Message: Boy, how long has it been since I wrote a Naruto story? Too long.
And thus, the birth of May Love Be With You. Please just have fun when you read this. There are a few people that I want to thank for the production of this story. First would be Miss. PolishedSoul for reading this over and editing the mesh of a first chapter that this story has conceived. And second, I would like to thank you! Yes, you, the reader of this story. I thank you in advance for being interested enough to stop in to read this fun little piece of mine. Many props to you! Oh, and if you would be so kind as to leave me a brief review, it would just make my day and feed my soul xD Thank you, thank you, thank you.
May Love Be With You
Anonymous Lemony
"Oh this thing called love
I just can't handle it
Oh this thing called love
I must get around to it
I ain't ready
Crazy little thing called love
Oh this thing called love
It cries in a cradle at night
It swings and it jives
It shakes all over like a jellyfish
I kinda like it!
Crazy little thing called love..." -This Thing Called Love
Perhaps if one were to look closely at this seemingly inexplicit yet prosperous town in the Old Dominion called Konoha, the obvious would not seem as blatant. For this is a town ruled by ninjas. Of course many lands are very similar to this in the same respect but what makes Konoha stand out in comparison to Suna or Mist or Hidden Rock could possibly be in the simple fact that our story just does not take place there but here in the heart of the Fire County. Here where the wind blows gently and the sun beats bright rays upon the occupants of such a town our story of grand calamities, monstrous misunderstandings, and, of course, the cumbersome flourishing of young affections. In other words, love... in all its glory and splendor.
On the second street west of city hall, there stood one of the more smaller apartment complexes with vines running up each corner of the tall building shading its walls from the harsh sun beams as summer made itself apparent up and down the streets. A group of friends, living on the same floor as each other of Hidden Vines Apartments, gathered for their weekly gossip rallies. They would congregate within the confines of pale green walls, along with magazines, sprawling all over plush white carpet. Five girl-friends giggled and scoffed at each other as they passed around a bottle of sparkling apple cider make-believing that they were more refined women who would speak of other refined women over cheap wine and crackers. Four of them were in their late teens with the last girl being already of age (according to the justice department of the Old Dominion) to actually be drinking the cheesy beverage. Her name was Temari Sabaku and she, unlike the other girls, was also the only one that didn't actually grow up in Konoha. She had dirty blond hair to match her dusty tan and bright emerald orbs that dares anyone to challenge them. Said eyes just rolled as she heard the blond girl, who sat across from her, ramble about the latest "cinematic masterpiece" that came out in the theaters last week. If there were only two things this group did not agree on was: one their definition of what is a good movie and, two, their definition of the perfect guy.
"Oh my gosh! You have no idea how amazing this movie was! It was, like, the sweetest and cutest movie ever! The story was the coolest thing in the world." Ino Yamanaka said as she plucked another grape from the bowl of fruits that chilled in the ice chest in the middle of the room. Her long blond hair was kept in a high ponytail and cascaded down to her slim hips. Bright blue eyes glared as her lip curled in a sneer at the older girl. "What? Just cuz there aren't any guts flying and bones crushing doesn't make it a bad movie."
"Who ever said I was the slasher fanatic? That would be more like Tenten and her morbid hobbies like sharpening knives for local butchers. I need something with a little more intrigue and a little more edge. Not something that even an immature little adolescent could enjoy. Honestly, give me something that's even a bit more thought provoking and I just might stay awake." Temari muttered as she lazily thumbed through a older issue of YFlames magazine before throwing it onto the floor next to the aforementioned slasher films fanatic. Deep brown hair pulled up into two tightly wound Chinese style buns atop her head, Tenten did nothing to deny her love for bloody gore filled pictures but spoke volumes when she picked up the only wedding dresses magazine the entire pile of fashion magazines. You see, she has a very sensitive side when it comes to marriage. Her own mother feels it is her God-given duty to set up an arranged marriage for her one and only daughter and now, Tenten is hell bent on finding her own husband at all cost. But it is truly difficult to find a husband when one has an occupation such as sharpening knives.
As her eyes skimmed over one particularly striking dress, a girl with a rough cut, shoulder length pink hair peaked over Tenten's head before resting her chin atop the brown haired girl's head and sighing, "You know, Ten-chan, if you keep on dreaming at the rate that your are going, you're just going to end up getting an ulcer before getting to the altar."
Tenten silently began thinking of all the ways she could kill Sakura Haruno as she raised an elegant eyebrow disapprovingly at a particularly hideous couture design. She knows the pre-pharmacy, EMT medic is just trying to look out for her, but the more she hears it the more she feels like she's a lost hope and a lost cause. Then she would be in her mother's clutches.
At that thought, Tenten visibly shuddered, making a slender white eyed girl in the corner squeak before running over to the air conditioner and turning it down a few of notches.
This sparked a chain reaction of responses to the disappearing cool air.
"Hinata, what's the matter?" Sakura asked frantically.
"Who turned off the air? It's hot as fuc-"
"Shut up, Ino! Hinata what's going on? Did you see something?" Temari questioned.
"Why you! Who the hell do ya think you are, eh, Temari?" Ino raged.
"Only idiots would ask a question and then answer it themselves in the same sentence, ahou." Temari said coolly before walking over to Hinata to ask her if it was okay to turn the air back on.
Finally, as the air came back on and everyone slowly began to calm down, Hinata shyly turned to Tenten and stuttered, "T-Tenten-chan. G-g-gomen... I t-thought that you were... a-ano... c-c-cold. I saw you s-s-shivering and I just a-a-as-sumed that you were cold and... and... ano... GOMEN!"
That was when Tenten turned away from the magazine in her hands and looked up towards Hinata and softly whispered, "Hinata, don't worry about it. You are probably the only person who would even think so far as to do something like that for anyone. It was sweet and, for that, I thank you." Her eyes were kind and soft without an ounce of malice thoughts reassuring Hinata that Tenten meant every word she said.
"Oh, I see. S-so did you just get a b-b-bout of the shivers?" Hinata asked, as she graciously took an offered cup of cider from Ino, who was yelling and cursing at Temari in three different languages (mind you that she didn't use the curse words grammatically correctly nor did she understand the meaning of said curse words, but they sounded thoroughly impressive to her).
As Tenten doggy-eared one of the pages that she liked the most, she answered nonchalantly, "Ah, I was thinking about my mother."
With that, the entire room fell silent before "a bout of shivers" infected the room of girls.
It was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon, when a certain young detective was making rounds up and down Meguro street. Well, at least, he was suppose to be. Where he actually was parked was on the outskirts of Konoha right on the boarder of Fire county and Waterfalls county. Sitting on the hood of his patrol car, arms tucked behind his head, Shikamaru Nara was lost in his thoughts as he tried to figure out what shape exactly this one particular cloud looked like.
He was debating between a kiwi (the bird, that is) and a hummingbird.
A distance off from where the dark haired boy was "stationed", an incoherent voice called out his name. He didn't bother to turn his head as he was still in deep thought, debating which long beaked bird the puffy cloud truly was. And it wasn't until he felt himself being pulled down back towards earth from the clouds above did he register that he was being kicked off the hood of his patrol car and falling fast towards earth.
Groaning as he saw kiwis, hummingbirds, and stars dance around his head, Shikamaru only grunted as he heard an apology coming from above his head.
"I didn't mean it. But honestly, you gotta respond to a guy when he's been calling out to you for over fifty yards! I thought you were dead or somethin'!"
Big blue eyes and blond tuff of hair crowned the head of Naruto Uzumaki. He was one of the academy's most infamous prankster as he would have the craziest pranks ready for all the new recruits as well as special capers for the seniors and administrators of the academy.
In other words, no one was safe when the 'Uzumaki Brigade' was on the prowl.
"Oh my friggin' Kami! Do you know who just got recruited into the force?! AND I have work with him none-the friggin'-less!" Naruto dramatically insinuated once everyone else settled around in a lopsided circle.
"Okay, so I was on my way to the pissroom-"
"Will you fuckin' get to the name, Uzumaki?" Kiba said as he pulled out a silver titanium box from his glove compartment before plucking out a very elegant biscuit and tossed it to his partner who caught it easily in his mouth. Akamaru grinned satisfyingly licking his lips for any reminiscence of crumbs.
"It's a fag... by... the name... of... of... of-"
"GET TO THE FUCKIN' NAME!" This time it was everyone.
"Sai." Naruto proclaimed as he waited in silence for an undelivered standing ovation.
"The folder for your assignment will be on your desk. Details on the targets are inside. This is a partner case so he'll be at the drop off about 25 minutes before you arrive. Captain wants you to be on site at 1400 hours this afternoon. Any questions?"
The smiling man being briefed to was a pale, almost sickly looking. His smile did not reach his eyes giving his entire aura a sense of creepiness. Sai stood relaxed in a crisp dress shirt and slacks as he casually watched Lieutenant Genma lay out the plans of his first day on the job as a homicide detective.
"Actually," Sai said as his enigmatic smile grew across his face, "I do have one question."
The Lieutenant waited patiently for the new recruit to continue speaking and was temporary stunned when he heard Sai ask, "Do you want the perpetrator to be brought back dead or alive?"
Lieutenant Genma did not say anything for a second but then as he looked down at the name once more, he chuckled before saying, "Wat ever is easier for you." And with that he was gone.
Chuckling in return, Sai said to himself softly, "Dead it is then."
Sai proceeded to walk to his desk and placed the small box of belongings next to his assignment folder that read "CASE 653: OROCHIMARU".
"Sai?" Shikamaru inquired.
"Yer right, Naruto. That is a pretty faggity name." Kiba said as he tried to brush away some flies that were buzzing above his head.
"Faggity? Is that even a word, moron?" Naruto said.
"It's a word if I say it's a word, alright baka?!"
"Who is this Sai dude, Shikamaru?" Chouji asked his partner. He was a porky kid with "big bones" and spiky auburn hair. Shikamaru's father and his own were ex-Sargents on the force of the Konoha police bureau so they go way back as friends.
"I'm not sure but for some reason that name rings a bell." Shikamaru said before falling silent, deep in thought.
"Well, sorry I have break up this tea party, ladies, but I have to get to the site." Naruto said proudly, "I gotta show newbie Sai around. Ya know, show him the ropes and stuff. I really don't want to do it but, ya know what they say," placing on his bright orange rimmed Oakley sunglasses, Naruto coolly said before backing up, "duty calls."
Everyone, including Akamaru, rolled their eyes in response.
As the dust faded, leaving a patrol car slowly disappearing in the distance, Shikamaru looked up at the spot he was staring at in the sky and made his final decision on what the particular cloud looked like.
"What is it?" Chouji asked as he opened up his "third-lunch" bag of chips.
"It's a jellyfish, Chouji. No doubt about it." Shikamaru said as he jumped off the hood of his car and climbed into the patrol car just in time to hear a call on the radio.
-OWARI: chpt 1 (This Thing Called Love)-
