My Magical Arabian Nights.
Prologue.
Jingling, heavy, shiny. It was calling to him, in all its golden and diamond glow, take me, oh please take me away it seemed to whisper. "Just a little longer precious…" Naruto crept closer to the giggling noblewoman. Yessss, it's fun, isn't it? Looking at the poor people and making them envy you by visiting this ordinary market, there's no way that would ever backfire! He hid behind the green flap of fabric hanging over the edge of the stall the woman was standing in front of. Her bodyguard was a big guy, but he'd been working these streets for years, no one knew them better than he did. All he needed to do was get his hands on the necklace she was so proudly showing off and he could disappear without a trace!
For the twenty years he'd been alive he'd been wandering the streets alone, sleeping where he could, eating what he could find or, if he had to, steal. Things changed about eight years ago though, when he saw the incredible sense of entitlement the noblemen and women carried themselves around with, acting as if they owned the world. He was there, helping out in a stall that belonged to an old man who put his love, life, and soul into his small business. The man was old and weak now, so he couldn't carry the crates or put up the heavy wooden stall on his own anymore. Naruto helped him out in return for a place to sleep and whatever food hadn't been sold that day.
And then they came, the prince and his lackeys. Just thinking of them filled him with disgust. He'd been gone, getting some bread as lunch for the two of them, and when he returned the stall was being trashed by soldiers. The old man had sunk to his knees and bawled his eyes out, when Naruto tried to stop them he got a scimitar pointed at his throat. The prince had deemed the slow service the old man could manage and the taste of his apples unsatisfactory. And this was the price that had to be paid. Naruto hadn't known what to do, he'd never felt so useless in his life. He sat beside his caretaker and leaned against the warm stone of the house to his back, how could this happen? "um.. um um…" a small boy stood in front of him, he was clearly very nervous to be talking to a stranger. His hair and eyes were pitch black, his skin pearly white, his clothes expensive. Damn rich people, he wasn't a damn toy, and definitely no playmate.
"Can I help you, little one?" he asked, the fake kindness that was his trademark covering the pain in his voice, the boy turned scarlet at being spoken to and avoided eye contact. He took a step closer to the stranger with the bright eyes and golden hair, and held out a large shiny red apple. The only one of their stall that hadn't been smashed. Naruto blinked, "Why…?" the boy took a deep breath and grabbed Naruto's hand. He pressed the apple in it and smiled. "SASUKE!" a young woman ran over to them and grabbed to boy by his arm, violently shaking him. "What are you doing? The prince will worry!" she pulled the boy away.
That night the grief of losing everything he held dear that cut deep into the old man's heart took his life. In the morning Naruto was on his own again.
A large cart laden with manure passed closely by her in the narrow street and Naruto saw his chance. He picked up a pebble and peeked from under the cloth, if he aim was as good as usual this was a done deal. He threw it with incredible speed, hit the one weak spot in the cart's wooden getup and caused all the manure to spill out into the street. The vendors called out in distress and the woman ran into the dark part behind the stall, in her haste forgetting the bodyguard. Naruto stuck out his foot and she tripped and fell on her face. As gracious as a gentleman he stood, straightened his blue embroidered orange sleeveless vest, walked to her side barefoot and helped her back to her feet. "Are you alright miss? Such a horrible place to find a gem like you!" she was flustered, his appearance, shabby and patched up as it may be, took a backseat to the friendly grin and unique sapphire-blue eyes that kindly greeted her.
"Oh my, such a nice young man! I'm quite alright now, thank you." He took a step closer and slid a large tan hand around her fat waist as if she were a delicate flower. "Such a beautiful woman should be careful around these parts, I better look after you, don't I?" "Oh my!" she nearly fainted when he pulled her to his chest and caressed her cheek. "MY LADY! Are you alright?" the bodyguard finally escaped his poopy prison. "Until next time my flower…" he whispered in her ear and the next moment he was gone, feeling an exhilarating rush and not a single grain of regret. She stood frozen in heat for a moment before she pressed her hand to her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart and felt something missing… "MY NECKLACE! HE STOLE MY NECKLACE!"
0
"Why not?" "Because it's dangerous, that's why, haven't you heard?" The young raven haired man who stood by the large stained glass window turned away from the sight of the city that lay at the feet of the massive palace with a sigh. "What am I supposed to have heard?" he spoke, his voice laced with obvious disinterest, before he turned his longing gaze back to the endless rows of dusty streets and brownstone houses. The market stalls were a colourful and bright stream of light expanding down the streets in every direction stemming from the centre square. It was so different from the endless slumber that hung around the endless corridors, high ceilings and pointless luxury that was his palace life. His elder brother stepped to his side and pulled the high curtains closed. "Sasuke, Lady Haruno was robbed today! A friendly stranger helped her up after she tripped and the next moment her necklace was gone! I cannot let you go out there, who knows that would happen?"
"I can take care of myself." He stared back at the emotionless mask that was his brother's face, equalling it in expressionlessness. "What if someone took you hostage?" that was what it was all about. That was what it was always about, his brother didn't care if he got mugger or even murdered, he was only worried about how his little burden could screw up his claim to the throne. Sasuke hated his life, for sixteen years he'd been stuck in this damn reserve for the rich. Aside from the trip outside of the walls when he was eight his life had been bland, empty and boring. He had nothing to look forward to, nothing to give his life meaning and nothing to fill his endless days. He wasn't interested in the feeble ways of wasting time the noblemen were accustomed to, he wanted to get out. He wasn't needed in here, and he sure as hell wasn't needed out there, but at least he would be able to make a life for himself.
"You're not going and that's the end of it." His brother turned on his heels and walked away. Sasuke decided that he wouldn't stay in the palace another day, he was getting out tonight, he would go wherever fate lead him.