Sony Boy here and willing to try my luck in fan fiction. First one shot-or anything really-posted.

Disclaimer: No, I don't know. Hell, I'm barely getting through college. Any and all money I have goes to that. So suing me get you….lint. Maybe even a penny.

Key:

[# Are author notes. Can be seen at the end of the fic.

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Acquaintances: (1) Somebody who is known slightly rather than intimately; (2) knowledge, usually slight, of somebody or something. [1

He had many acquaintances. Actually the whole village-of not most-was his acquaintance. Merchants who-if he could help it-barely interacted with him. Villagers who stare angrily at him as he passed by and who kept their children from him. His own classmates for that matter fell in the 'acquaintance' category. He wondered if he should worry about that.

On second thought, why bother? Things have always been like that. Why change it?

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Friends: (1) Somebody who trust and is fond of another; (2) somebody who thinks well of or is on good terms with another. (3) An ally or somebody who is not an enemy. [1

Blue eyes hungrily read the words presented before him with obsession. He had heard many time when the Hokage come to visit him in his small apartment how he should have friends. Until that day he had actually never really thought about it before, never really cared for the word or its meaning, so he incessantly [2 ignored the Hokage on the matter of friends.

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"Mommy look!! Mommy meet my new best friend. We're going to be friends forever, and ever and ever!!! Can she come to our house and play? Please???

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A new classmate had made a friend. In one day. He had been in that class for two years and he had never even has a friend. But she did, in only one day. Was that even suppose to be possible?

How to get it. That was the problem he faced. He needed to plot, scheme, a plan of action. To set up and prepare a way to get friends. Eyes narrowed in determination, he would have these friends or even a friend if it was the last thing he did. Plus if his plan did not work the first time he could always improvise on the spot.

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Acceptance: (1)Willingness to believe that something is true; (2) the realization of a fact or truth and the process of coming to terms with it; (3) the toleration of something without protest; (4) willingness to treat somebody as a member of a group or social circle. [1

Blond hair could barely be seen over the large dictionary seated in front of a small child. A child how had looked up the meaning of an unknown word. A word he did not know that he wanted, and before could not name.

Strange how ten letters, one word could explain the feelings he had when it came to the village. He wanted to know that word, to feel its luxury and know that he was who he was, and that his friends still cared for him. To have friendship at the end of the day.

How does one who many shun get not only the attention of people who were determined to ignore his very existence but also get their acceptance? Well hopefully his plan would work. He wasn't particularly sure but he had made six friends. A small smile lights his face before becoming a frown. Well he wasn't sure they actually were friends but at least they were no longer acquaintances. He just had to work harder at getting them to the 'friend' category, that's all. Subtlety, of course. After all, the merchant at the Ramen Restaurant may not exactly want to be friends with a child his age. The waitress though did think he was adorable and was nice to him.

Also four, FOUR, classmates were hanging out with him this year. Sure they got in trouble sometimes but at least they were together. He hanged out with them during lunch, seat next to them during class, and sometimes they even played with him after school, so that had to mean something.

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Love: (1) to feel tender affection for somebody such as a relative, friend, or something such as a place, and ideal, or an animal. (2) An intense feeling of tender affection and compassion; a romantic affair. ; (3) To feel romantic and sexual desire and longing for somebody. [1

Maybe in time he would get to this stage. He just had to move slowly but steadily. Perhaps when he was older he could get there. First, thought, he had to master the other three stages. It wouldn't do to skip steps only to mess up entirely and have everything fail in the end.

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Uzamaki Naruto would have what he wanted, even if he had to stage-manage, influence and manipulate others. With a smirk that transformed into a grin, the eleven year closed the dictionary. He didn't need it anymore-at least not now. Maybe in the future he would, but right now he had a Genin exam to take.

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[1 Taken from the Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)

[2 Continuously

First fic and one-shot I've ever posted. God, I hope that this turned out okay. Please let me know how I did. Review welcomed.

V