Chapter 1 ~ Disease
The roar of the crowd could be heard all around him. The sensation was breath-taking, and it was a sensation he had become very accustomed to these past six months since he had arrived here. Naruto Uzumaki, the closer for the San Diego Sharks was standing atop the mound on the field where he was living his dream of pursuing a career in baseball here in America. He had been confident since his elementary days that he would become the greatest pitcher in baseball history and half a year ago he was given the chance by a minor league team who signed him out of Japan as a rookie. The nineteen year old rookie kept his cool from all the noise around him. The chants of his name were loud and clear as he readied to throw once more. The ecstacy he felt when he was surrounded by thousands watching him play was uncomparable in any sense.
Baseball was his life. It had been since he was five years old, growing up with his grandparents back in Japan since his parents had died. He had nothing but a name when Tsunade and Jiraiya had found him, making them his adoptive grandparents to be exact. A baby on their doorstep like an old movie was the scenario. Since then, they had taught him how to grow into a responsible adult, and baseball was a way to bond with his grandparents while learning how to play the game. Jiraiya and Tsundae had been fans since they were children. Jiraiya was the clean-up hitter and first basemen of a team in Japan where he had won many awards and batting titles. Tsunade happened to be the daughter of the manager of his team while he played there so she had grown up around the sport, and at a team party, they had met and over time fallen in love.
Baseball had also been his way to vent. Whether it be happiness, sadness, anger or boredom, Naruto always found time to play or practice his pitching to the point where his friends had to join the team just to spend more time with him! Naruto led them to two Koshien titles, winning one of them his Senior year in high school, and evening earning himself a nickname from his teammates and other teams around the country as "The Machine" Naruto Uzumaki. Though his high school days seemed to be glory, the ending was much more... dramatic.
Naruto read the catcher's sign on the 2-2 count. A change-up pitch on the outside corner. Naruto stretched, taking a deep breath and forming the ball in his glove the way he needed and placed his hand the right way it needed to be throw. Half the solution to throwing a good pitch was the basics, such as control, speed, balance, and how to hold the ball. The other half, which many picther's lacked at his age, was confidence, and Naruto, had A LOT of confidence, much to the chagrin of the batter's he faced, was his ace in the hole, and worst of all, he knew it.
With his grip firmly on the ball, he stretched from the wind-up pose and threw the ball with as much force and control as he could, which results in a miss swing and the final strikeout of the game, and now... the season.
"Strikeout!" The announcer yelled at the top of his lungs.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy as fireworks were set off in the background signaling yet another Sharks win at their home stadium, closing out their year.
"You've seen it here folks, Naruto Uzumaki saves yet another game for the Sharks, in our closing game here at the stadium. Unfortunately, there won't be a playoff run this year, but maybe next year we'll have a better chance! Thanks for supporting us, Shark fans, so let's hear it one more time loud and clear for our San Diego Sharks!" Screamed the announcer once more from the announcer's box into the microphone.
The sound of more than fifteen thousand fans was heard after the declaration from the announcer, as well as thank you chants and other loud celebrations within the ballpark. The Sharks had a great second half of the season and finished a few games over the .500 mark but were unable to make up any ground with the division leading, Utah Hornets. And just missed out on the wildcard spot by 2 games. But it didn't matter tonight. Tonight was the finale for this year, so the fans and team members were going to enjoy tonights festivities, including this year's rookie of the year and Sharks MVP of the year, Naruto Uzumaki, who was soon joined by a news broadcaster and cameraman down on the field near the dugout.
"Mr. Uzumaki, could we have a few moments of your time for the currently broadcasting ten o'clock news, please?" Inquired the reporter with eagerness evident in his voice.
Naruto had his trademark smile that he always ahd on and off the field as he walked towards the dugout and stopped nex to the reporter. "Of course! After all it is the end of the season so let's celebrate!" He responded.
"First off, congratulations on being awarded the Triple-A rookie of the year, finishing with a 1.18 ERA and saving every game you've come into. How do you feel right now?" Asked the man, getting right to the point.
"It feels unbelievable! I'm living the dream that I've wanted for so long, and one day soon I plan to go to the majors and win the World Series! You can count on it, dattebayo!" Answered Naruto promptly and proudly.
"Finally, is there any last words you have for the San Diego Sharks fans and your fans back in Japan? I've heard you've got quite a fan base over seas."
"Well" He started. "First off I'd like to thank all the Sharks fans for believing in me and getting behind me so that I could show them what I am really made of. I plan to be right back here next year if my contract is extended and i plan to be even better for all of you! Next yer, we take the title!"
Naruto was never one to down play anything as he sent the crowd into an even louder uproar then they were already in.
"As to your second part, I have to send my thanks to all those back in my homeland of Japan for following me from my high school times to this day. Family, friends, and even you teme." As Naruto smirked mentally. "But yes, thank you everyone, for everything you've done for me! let's do it again next year!" Naruto ended.
"And there ya go everyone, Naruto Uzumaki, proud Japanese native playing here in America, let's try and keep this one!" Laughed the reporter.
After his short interview, Naruto shook the hands of both the reporter and the camerman as well as signing a few autographs for the people in the park as well as taking a few phone numbers from the ladies in the ballpark before finally entering the dugout and strolling back to the lockerroom with his teammates to get changed.
"Aw man! We got really hot in the end, I just wish we could keep playing!" Said the enthusiastic first basemen Michael.
"Can't do much about it now, let's just take all that energy and focus it towards next season." Replied center fielder Justin.
"Yeah those damn Hornets man, they just would not lose a game these past few weeks, sheesh! Of all the rotten luck!" Chimed in third basemen Alex.
"Hey, hey now." Naruto said now entering the conversation. "No reason complaining, it won't get us into the postseason. But we'll definitely kick their asses next year."
"Yeah that's true. I just wish we knew we had a weapon like naruto here before we came into the season." Said Alex.
"Got that right. He can hit, he can pitch, he can run. Damn kid, come paint my house for me since you can do just about anything." Said left fielder Andrew.
"Oh, please. You couldn't afford me." Replied Naruto arrogantly with a smile, forcing the team to laugh more.
"Aw Naruto, you gave this club a lift out of a crappy first half of the season, I don't know what we could do to thank you for all that you did for us this season, you wise cracking baseball machine." Said the coach.
"Eh, make my checks a little larger. That'd work." He replied
"Yeah, okay. I'll DEFINTELY DO THAT." Replied the coach sarcastically. making the team members laugh more at the rookie being turned down as Naruto sat their with his left eye twitching rapidly from the remark that was made.
"W-Was worth a shot I guess. He...hehe." He responded, still twitching.
The players continued to get changed out of their uniforms and one by one they all left the locker room until only Naruto himself remained. He walked around the now vacant underground dugout and locker room slowly making his way back out to the field. He walked back out to the mound where he had been just a little more than an hour ago and looked up to the empty stadium that didn't have a soul left with a soft expression on his face before looking down once more to the mound and changing his expression to that of a stern frown.
Slowly he brought his hand up from his side where it had been hanging and clutched his mid-chest area.
"A few months at most huh?"
The Day Previous...
"Its an organ eating disease" said the doctor.
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'What did this mean?'
"Is-is there something I can take for it?... I mean when will it go away? Will I be in form for next season?" He replied baffled.
"Mr. Uzumaki... I don't know how to say this but... we don't even have any records on something like this. it's completely new to our field of medicine. A disease like this is... unprecident." Replied the doctor speechlessly.
"Okay, so we run some tests and I'll get med-"
"It's not that simple." replied the doctor cutting him off. "Having no records means it could take years to develop any type of defense against this. And at the rate it seems to be accelerating..." he paused.
"What?" Naruto replied now more scared of the situation.
"You're... most likely... going to expire before we can find anything on this..." The man replied slowly.
Naruto couldn't register what he had heard just then.
"Y-you mean, that I'm... going to... die?" Naruto replied more frankly.
A little silence was kept between thembefore the doctor replied with "Yes." With much anguish and sorrow in his voice. " I am very sorry."
Naruto again couldn't even fathom what he had been told. He had just made it to America, where he was going to live his dreams, everything he had ever wanted. But now... it would be cut short do to this new disease...
"How..." He couldn't speak. "How long do I have?" He finally added.
The doctor took a moment to review his clipboard. over and over he seemed to look at it. Up and down, up and down. it seemed like an eternity to Naruto before he finally cleared his throat to answer his question.
"Well... I'm not sure with this being a new type of disease, but from what my results are saying... maybe 5 months at the longest."
"I see..." It was all naruto could manage to say after hearing something like that.
"I have a sample of your blood and we will continue running tests to see if we could find something that might be able to work, but, I won't give you false hope... they're might be a 30 percent chance we are looking most.." He replied with more sorrow in his voice. " I suggest... if you have any regrets... or anything that needs settlement or closure... now is the time to do it."
End Flashback
Tears fell from naruto's eyes slowly as he continued to look down at the mound where he had been standing after thinking back about the previous day.
"Regrets, huh?" He said clenching his fist tightly.
A/N: There you have it people. A very slow and drawn out first chapter to "Dattebayo". I couldn't think of a good name so I was like, eh, oh well xD. It's my first story so spelling, grammar, vocabulary might suck, so if there's anything you can point out to me, it would be nice, I'm kinda careless sometimes TT_TT. Anyway I hope to post another chapter shortly, so please gimme a review and tell me if its good... or if I should just die TT_TT