Chris booker
Burt Reynolds
"Naru, you're going to hate me for what I did." Sasuke said his face in his hands.
"What? Is something wrong?" Naru asked, crouching down to sit next to him.
"Well, a man came and wanted to adopt me." Sasuke said, taking a peep in between his fingers to see her expression. To his surprise she was smiling. She hugged him tight, "Sasuke silly! I'm so happy for you! You're going to have a family! You're going to be happy, why would I hate you? All I want is for you to have the best." She quickly wiped a tear that was falling down her cheek before she let go so he wouldn't notice.
"But I'm leaving you! I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but you know I have my goal to achieve and I could never do that if I was here. I'm sorry. I want to be here! With you! To protect you and make sure no one does anything to you."
"Protect me from what? No one wants a weak, fat girl. I won't be adopted. Come back in two years, I'll still be sitting here waiting for you. Trust me; no one would want to adopt me." Naru said. What Sasuke didn't know was that she had gotten many offers for adoption but she wouldn't leave until Sasuke did.
"You're not fat. Say that one more time and I'm not going."
"Okay, I'm not fat. So when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. Orichimaru-san will come for me at 8 am. Promise me you'll say good-bye. In the morning, you will meet me at the door at 6. You will say good-bye. Please." Sasuke looked into her deep green eyes.
"I promise. I'll be there."
"One more promise?"
"Anything for you."
"Don't get adopted. I know you've been rejecting all those people. Just, don't. Please, don't get adopted. I'll come back for you once I achieve my goal. The day I kill him, I'll come straight back here for you. Promise me you'll be here when I come."
"I promise. I won't get adopted."
Sasuke smiled and wrapped his arms around his best friend in the whole world. He wished they could stay like this forever, but it was soon curfew and they had to go to their room. Although they were boy and girl, they refused to not have a room not together.
Sasuke slept content, knowing that he would meet Naru in the morning and he would tell her that he had always have feelings for her, more than the brotherly feelings he thought were returned. In the morning he would tell her that he loved her.
Naru on the other hand hadn't slept at all. All night everything felt cold, she was freezing. Her face got very sweaty, not to mention her back, and soon she was drenched with sweat, but that only made her colder.
In the middle of the night, Gaara, the insomniac was walking to the kitchen for a glass of water, but he stopped at Sasuke and Naru's room when he heard heavy breathing. He walked over to Naru's bed he felt her forehead, but quickly withdrew his hand. He scooped her up and ran her over to the nursing room, "Naru! She's burning up like crazy!"
Naru looked up at Gaara and whispered, "No. Sasuke. Promise! Can't sick! So cold. Angel?" She fell asleep looking up at Gaara, thinking he was an angel.
Naru shot awake and looked at the clock in the wall in the infirmary, noting that it was five forty-five. She looked over at Gaara, who was lost in the world that was his book. She quietly got up and tried to walk over to the front door, but ended up nearly hugging the wall trying to stand straight. She scaled the wall, dizzily. The floor seemed to move underneath her feet. She stumbled and fell sprawled on the floor, but she used the wall to get herself back up when she finally reached the door, it was ten past 6 and Sasuke was waiting there worried.
Carefully holding herself up with the wall, she walked up behind him and tapped his shoulders, giving a weak, "Hey."
"What the hell? Naru, why weren't you in your bed this morning?" but after noting she was wearing an infirmary robe he added, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, they're just comfy." She said defiantly trying to stand up straight but when she tried she was overcome with spinning. She stumbled backwards being caught by the wall.
"See? Perfectly fine." She said, but she could only manage a whisper.
"Tell me." Sasuke said, his eyes glowing with anger.
"Okay, jeez. Last night I was rather cold and Gaara said I was a bit warm, so he took me to the infirmary, but I fell asleep. He was too lazy to put me back in bed so I just spent the night there." Naru smiled weakly, proud of her story that was the truth, but not quite the truth.
"Why can't you walk?" Sasuke demanded, looking at her with hard, determined eyes.
"Just a bit dizzy, lack of sleep. Gaara woke me up. It took a while to get back to sleep, especially with them prodding me with thermometers."
"I don't believe you. Tell me the truth. The whole truth, and leave no details out." Sasuke took a step towards her.
"Come on! You're leaving! I don't want your last memory of me to be a bad one! Today is about you! We're here to say good-bye!"
"Don't change the subject, you're not well. I'm not leaving until you go back to the infirmary. I want to talk to Gaara myself." Sasuke reached for her had but she quickly drew away.
"You want to tell me something. I can see it in your eyes. I'll go back to the infirmary. Gaara will tell you the story. I'll do anything you want, but you have to tell me first." Naru said. She knew she had a very high fever. She didn't want Sasuke to know it though.
"I… Naru, I…" Sasuke stuttered. He knew there was only one way to say it, but he couldn't do it. He knew he felt it. He was scared, scared of rejection, of embarrassment. There were so many things he was scared of. 'Come on, Sasuke, now or never.' Suddenly he knew exactly how to show her.
Naru's eyes widened as his lips came crashing down on hers. She stood there in shock for a few seconds, but she kissed back. Sasuke pulled back with wide eyes, "You're burning up! You told me that you were a bit hot! You're gonna kill yourself!"
"Not so loud, jeez, I have the worst headache." Sasuke didn't reply, but he picked her up, bridal style and took her to the Nurse's office.
Gaara looked up from his book when the door burst open, "Holy hell!" Sasuke put her down on the bed she was on before. "Naru! You're going to kill yourself! You know what your temperature is?" Gaara placed a thermometer in her mouth, and after a few seconds he pulled it out, "One hundred nine! Naru, we have to bring that down immediately!"
"I've had worse," Naru chocked out, when knowingly she hadn't. She heard Sasuke say something to her, and then Gaara, but everything he say was just a blur of sounds she couldn't tell apart, and slowly the colors all swam together, then faded until everything stopped.
dreamdream
"Naru, I love you. You know that, right?" A voice screamed that over and over, "I love you!" I know that voice. Who is it? "Who are you?" Suddenly, as if it was obvious, the name came to her, "Sasuke?"
The voice just kept on screaming it, "I love you! You know that! I love you, Naru!"
"Sasuke? I love you, too, Sasuke!" Naru tried to scream it, but every time she did, nothing came out. "Sasuke!"
"Just leave! I hate you! I don't care about you! You don't matter to me anymore! The only thing that matters to me now is killing! I just want to kill, everyone, everything!" Naru was scared by this. She cried and cried, but Sasuke, didn't comfort her. He just laughed. When he laughed he didn't sound at all like her Sasuke.
"No, stop, please!"
"I don't care anymore! You were just something stupid I did while I was orphaned. You don't matter anymore. You never did."
"I hate you!" Naru screamed to make him stop.
"I can protect you. Come with me. You can't trust them. I can protect you from everyone. You don't need anyone else. You love me. I won't leave you. I won't break your heart." This voice was different. It said comforting things, but she didn't like this voice. Its intentions were not good.
"Don't trust anyone. Just me. No one else. Trust me, I'll keep them from your powers." A third voice rang in her ears, but she liked this one, it was commanding, and strict, but she felt he was trustworthy. She walked towards this voice, but something stopped her. A familiar voice, but she couldn't place it. She'd heard it before but she couldn't recall from where.
"Naru? I thought you loved me. I was wrong, wasn't I? I still love you. They won't have you." Naru felt safe with this voice. Then she remembered this was the first voice, the one that was screaming at her.
"You hate me! You don't love me!" Naru was confused, and all the voices started screaming at once.
"Stop, please! Please Stop! I don't want this! I don't want it! Help me someone! Stop it! Stop!" Then on a reflex, she yelled the first name that came to her mind, "Gaara! Gaara! Sasuke, he won't stop! Sasuke! Gaara!"
"Naru! Naru, wake up!" Naru woke up to Gaara, shaking her. She almost opened her eyes, but something stopped her. She didn't want to see what she thought she would see, or rather, what she wouldn't see.
"Gaara, idiot! Don't shake her like that, you'll hurt her even more." Naru's eyes shot open, "Sasuke!?"
Sasuke looked in her direction, and ran to hug her. Slightly surprised, she hugged back, awkwardly.
"You made me so scared!" Sasuke whispered urgently in her ear.
"Why are you still here?"
"What?" Sasuke looked hurt.
"No, I mean, I'm glad that you are, but I thought you were adopted and I don't want you to miss out on an opportunity like this." Naru felt Sasuke's tears fall on her neck, as he hugged her, giving no sign that he would ever let go. He rubbed her back, and squeezed her tighter, "I don't want to leave you like this! I don't want you to die! I want to protect you!"
He buried his face in her neck, while she just sat in the hospital bed awkwardly. Wait, hospital?
"Where am I?" Naru asked.
Gaara appeared in front of her eyes, he'd been there the whole time but with Sasuke's episode she hadn't noticed him.
"We're in a hospital. Naru, you're going to be put under twenty-four hour surveillance. You haven't been eating your food have you, Naru?"
"Maybe, I did skip a few meals."
"Naru, the doctors said that you had not had a proper meal for nearly four months. And you'd been choking yourself. Why, Naru?" Gaara looked truly concerned.
"I don't know." Tears fell down Naru's face rapidly.
"And cutting yourself. Why didn't you tell us? Please. Me and Sasuke are your best friends. We're family. Please. Tell us why."
"I… I don't know… It was just so easy… It got rid of all the pain… It made me realize everything was real… I don't know… I can't give you a truthful answer… I guess all of that's true…"
"If you can't give us a truthful answer, then at least tell us how long." Gaara looked like he was about to cry. He was right, we were family. No, we were closer than family. We were all each other had.
"How long what?"
"The cutting, the choking, everything!"
"The cutting… I don't know. I guess one day, I accidentally cut my arm with a knife while cooking and every time I focused on that, everything else seemed to disappear. The only thing that was real was the pain. It seemed easier. I didn't cry, I didn't get mad. Every time I cut myself I would focus on the physical pain and I made emotion seem like a dream. I think it all started about, what… six months ago… I think the only person who knew was Kiba, but he promised not to tell."
"And the choking?"
Naru looked at Sasuke, a sobbing mess on her lap, "I don't know. Every time I felt unwanted, or insignificant, or just depressed, I would choke my self. It made me feel like I had power, that the world didn't control what I did. I think one time, I actually wanted to kill myself. Yeah, Kiba walked in on me trying to commit suicide. He convinced me not to. He stopped me. He made me feel like I was really there and some one noticed me. I think he caught me about three weeks ago. I haven't done it since then." Gaara looked like someone had just stabbed him.
"The eating problem?"
"Well… You know how long that went. I… I felt intimidated…"
"By what?"
"Every other girl I'd seen or met, they were skinny. They were all smaller than me and I…I just cracked!" As if on queue Naru broke down to tears, but she managed to choke out, "but of course, Kiba found out and he force fed me everyday, something, anything! He told me I was beautiful, he proved me wrong, about everything!"
Sasuke stood up, letting Naru go, wiping the tears from his eyes.
Gaara knew what Sasuke was thinking, but he didn't want Sasuke to say it, "Are you and Kiba together?"
"No. He asked me a few times but I told him that I just didn't feel that way."
"So if you wouldn't go out with Kiba, how did you manage to keep his mouth shut?" Gaara knew Kiba couldn't resist a good rumor.
"I promised I would do whatever he said as long as he didn't--" Naru stopped as if she caught herself from saying something bad.
"Didn't what?" Naru shook her head, "Nothing."
"I'm going to go tell the nurse I'm staying the night." Sasuke left the room, Gaara knew he was just looking for a reason to get out of the room so he could get really pissed off without Naru seeing.
"Naru, please tell me. I'm worried sick and I think Sasuke is going to kill himself."
"I promised I would do what ever he wanted… as long as he didn't," Naru hesitated as if unsure, "as long as he didn't tell Sasuke." Naru laid back down on the bed, and cried. Her whole body shook as she cried.
"I'm going to tell the nurse I'm staying the night as well," Gaara said, but really he wanted to talk to Sasuke in private.
He walked up to Sasuke and pulled him out of hearing range of Naru.
"Her and Kiba sure are close," Sasuke said bitterly.
"Shut up! You're so blind! She didn't care about him."
"She sure trusted him a hell of a lot more than she does us."
"She likes you."
"She likes Kiba."
"You're stupid."
"I'm pissed."
"Don't be, you idiot!"
"Why not! When she left the infirmary, I kissed her. She knew I liked her and she kissed back but that kiss was a lie. She did that because she thought she would never see me again and she thought I wouldn't find out about her and Kiba."
"She kissed back because she likes you. You know what she didn't want Kiba to do? She said, 'I'll do what ever you want as long as you don't tell Sasuke.' Now she thinks you are disgusted by her. She loves you and if you don't go back into that room right now, you'll be proving her right. That you are disgusted by her. If you don't go back into that room right now, I'll kick your ass and you know I will. You know how much she means to me. She's like a sister to me, and I will treat anyone who hurts her like they hurt my sister, cause that's what she is. Naru means more to me than anything in this world and if you hurt her I'll hurt you so bad, your face will scare the death out of Davie Jones."
"I just don't want to lose her. To anything or anyone. I don't want her to die."
"Neither do I. I won't let her die, and if you know what's good for you, neither will you." Sasuke took a deep breath and walked back to the room, but he stopped outside when he heard Kiba's voice coming from inside.
"So what do they know?"
"The cutting. The choking. The suicide. The anorexia."
"They don't know about that one time, when you broke your leg?"
"No."
"So how are you?"
"A mess."
"Emotionally?"
"He hates me."
"Uchiha?"
"Sasuke."
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He's probably just shocked."
"I ruined his chance of adoption."
"It's just one adoption. There'll be more."
"I feel so selfish."
"You didn't do this on purpose."
"I have to give myself all the attention. He thinks I'm a selfish brat."
"He does not."
"I'm scared."
"How do you feel about him?"
"Strongly."
"What? You hate him strongly? So what's the problem?"
"Kiba, I love him." Sasuke walked in before anything else was said. Sasuke looked at Kiba. As if reading his mind Kiba stood to leave, "I'll let you guys have a minute alone." Kiba almost left, but stopped at the door, "You're not going to hurt her, are you?"
"No. I couldn't hurt her and you know that." Kiba gave Sasuke a reassuring smile. When Sasuke heard the door click behind him, he felt that they had complete privacy.
"I'm sorry. Everything is my fault. It's my fault you couldn't go with Orichimaru. It's my fault. I'm so sorry."
"I don't care about Orichimaru. There will be more after him. And if there aren't I don't care. Naru, tell me how you feel about me."
Naru stayed laying on her bed, but turned to face away from Sasuke. Sasuke cupped her face in his hands and turned it to face him, "Tell me exactly how you feel about me."
Naru just stared at him and blinked a few times. That was her thing, blinking. It ticted people off every time she did it. She didn't realize she was doing it, but when she was expected to say something, or when she was just looking at something, she would make her eyes really big, and she would blink, over and over. It creeped out some people, and everyone else got pissed. Naru could never sense why.
"If you're not going to tell me, then I'm leaving." Sasuke got up like he was going to leave, but he knew he would end up just standing outside the door. He couldn't leave her, especially at a time like this. He continued his walk until he was out the door, "Come on, you can't just leave me hanging like this?" Naru smiled but seconds later she was peacefully asleep.
'I'll talk to her once she's awake,' but that chance never came because a cold voice rang behind him. "Are you ready?" Sasuke turned to see Orichimaru standing behind him.
"My things…"
"Already taken care of, packed away in the car." Orichimaru took him by the arm and lead him to his car.
'I'll call Naru in the Morning.'
"Does Sasuke seem withdrawn from his work lately? He'll never succeed if he doesn't cut all strings." Orichimaru said to Kaede, his personal assistant.
"Yes, I'll send him in."
Sasuke entered the room as Kaede left.
"Sasuke, you want to avenge your brother, right? Kill the man who killed him."
"More than anything."
"You'll have to let go of all strings. Tell me, who's your best friend?"
"Well, back at the orphanage my friend Gaara and I were real close, and my friend Naru and me were… We were like one person, in two different bodies. We were really, really, really close. Me, and Gaara, and Naru, we were each other's family. All we had."
"Well now you have a family and to completely engulf yourself in avenging your brother. In fighting, emotions only make you weaker. However emotions like anger, sadness, and pain you can draw benefits from. If you are serious about this you have to detach yourself from them completely. I will not let you contact them in any way. You're not friends anymore, you're enemies. Understand?"
"Of course. I hate them now."
"Wonderful. Now, I believe its time for your classes?"
Iruka was walking throughout the orphanage, looking for the owner. His wife wanted a kid.
"So tell me, what age group you were looking for about?"
"Well, my wife really doesn't want to have to go through the baby process because she is a first grade teacher, so we were hoping for someone in middle school, or at least around that spot. The Mrs. really loves reading, so we want some one who definitely knows how to read and is deep with things like that."
"Ok, I know many people who are perfect, but I've heard what your wife wants, what about you?"
"Oh, I don't know, I would have to meet them."
"What profession are you?"
"Well, I work in the music business."
"You're a singer?"
"No, I help people get themselves out there, get them record deals, and pretty much help little people get noticed by big people."
"Well, school just ended so I'll go get the file keys from Hatake Kakashi, one of the teachers here. Feel free to wander around, perhaps meet some of the children." Tsunade walked out the door, Iruka followed, but they went different directions at the door.
Iruka walked around aimlessly, noticing a lot more boys than girls, 'Please, a girl, please, a girl!' Not that he didn't like his own gender, but he had to admit, guys you want to get when they're babies, girls tend to not be so vicious. His thoughts were interrupted by music.
Naru was in the music room. Sasuke and she loved music. They would write songs, play together with the orphanage music instruments and Gaara would love to sit there and listen to them play. They didn't know any famous songs, didn't listen to much music. All the songs they knew they had written themselves, but what Iruka heard her singing was something Naru had written on her own after Sasuke had left.
We had like a thirty-second
First connection
Yeah
But there was something in that
You don't let feelings like that
Just pass you bye
No
Looking in your eyes for the first time
I truly believed in love at first sight
But it was the second glance that truly had me sold
Whoa
You said you'd hold me tight and never let go
But you went and lied
Left without saying good bye
Went and found your own way back home
I thought
We were
Best friends till the end
Boy, don't I feel, oh so silly
You probably can't remember when
We made those promises
Were the sweet
Words you said
More than just words
I just can't
Believe you didn't
Good-bye to me.
Suddenly Gaara started banging heavily on the drums. Naru laughed.
But I got better things on my mind
Than the times
You left them behind.
'cause I got my
best friend by my side.
Gaara went psycho on the drums but Naru yelled over the noise, "Alright! Gaara! That's all I got left!" Naru laughed.
"Naru'll be here 'til she gets adopted. I'll be here 'til Naru-kun can pry the drumsticks from my muscular, iron fingers!"
From what Iruka could see, they were sitting there playing music, the girl, Naru, playing guitar and singing, and the boy, Gaara, becoming very fond with the drums. Naru tackled Gaara but he rolled over so he was above her, his hands still clutching the sticks, were positioned on either side of her head, "Gaara-kun! Get off!" Naru laughed when she heard his answer, "Only if I can keep the sticks."
"Okay, but I'm going in. I'm hungry." Gaara got up and so did Naru. Noticing Iruka Gaara tucked the sticks into the back of his belt with one hand, the other he scratched the back of his neck, "This orphanage is very hospitable and tries its best to get us happily into a family and the facilities are the greatest in the country."
"I don't think he's an inspector," Naru said noting the weird looks Iruka gave them.
Iruka laughed, "No! Actually I'm adopting. My wife and her friend are first grade teachers and they didn't want to have to go through that with their home lives, but the wanted children so my wife's friend's husband and I proposed we adopt someone a bit older."
"There are many people here who would be delighted to meet you!" Gaara exclaimed.
"What about you two? I'm in the music industry, as is my friend and as far as I can tell you like music."
Naru's eyes lit up and a smile graced her lips. Gaara whooped. "We would be close right? I mean your wife and you spend a lot of time with your friends and we could see each other a lot, right? We're really close."
"Of course, I and my friend, John, do go on a lot of business trips so sometimes you may have to work with my wife and her friend. That means you have to play nice with the little kids."
Naru's smile grew intensely and he eyes widened as far as they could, "I love little children! And they love Gaara-kun!"
"Let's go meet with Tsunade-sama. We can see what she has to say."
As they were walking out the door Gaara had to let a little of him seep through, "So, do you or this John person have drums?"
"Sorry, I know the cooking isn't great. I was very nervous. Not nervous of what you would be like! No! From all the meetings, I already feel you as a daughter! I love you, I was nervous you wouldn't like us! I didn't really know what type of food you like! Not as to say I don't care! I do! I just from our visits I hadn't gathered what you liked so I cooked up some of my favourite food hoping you would like it too! Not to be too selfish! I really want to get to know every little detail about you! I'm really excited! I'm sorry if I'm a handful!" Naru had come to like how Iruka's wife would drabble on like this. This was her first day as their legal daughter. Everything was finalized and same for Gaara, only he was adopted by Janice and John, Iruka and Francesca's friends.
"Are you crazy!?! You're food is wonderful! Of course, the food I'm used to is the dumpy orphanage food, but I'm sure compared to other human food your cooking is still awesome!" Naru meant it, she was sure this was greatest food ever!
"Hey, what do you want me to call you? I understand if you want to go by first name, totally! I had a friend who had to use the last names, if that's how you want it, that's totally cool with me also!"
"Well, I already totally feel you as my daughter, the whole love more than life feeling, already kicked in, but if it doesn't feel right because it's not by blood, that's cool with me."
Naru smiled, this had always been her dream. This was a dream come true. They both sat there for a while just smiling at each other, completely happy with each other, when the door opened and Iruka came it. That seemed to snap Francesca out of space, "Oh, are you done?"
"Yeah. Thank you for a delicious meal!" Naru smiled as she began to clear her table setting.
"Hey, Dad?" Naru loved saying that and she felt happy with Iruka and Frankie.
Iruka's face brightened magnificently at being called "Dad", "Yes, Sweetheart?" The two of them were having a blast with this, as was Frankie watching them get along so well.
"Do you know someone named Orichimaru?"
"I don't think so, honey?" Iruka looked over at his wife.
"Um… Oh, yes, he owns a whole bunch of martial arts academies! Remember, dear, Orichimaru's Fighters, down the street from the super market."
"Oh, duh, why, baby?"
"Well, when I was a little kid I was really close with this one boy. He was best friends with me and Gaara-kun, but we lost touch after he was adopted by someone named Orichimaru."
"Well, we can look on the internet where their offices are if you wish. You want to see him to tell him you were adopted don't you, Sugarcakes?"
"If it's not too much trouble! I don't want to be a bratty girl!"
"You could never be bratty, you're too kind, honey." Frankie smiled and motioned Naru over for a hug. After about twenty minutes Iruka yelled for them, "I found it!"
"That's our nerd-boy." Frankie joked quietly, Naru giggled, "Heard that!"
Just then the phone rang making Frankie smile, "Why don't you get that?" Naru squealed with delight as she ran over. She took a calm breath and picked up the phone, "Hello!?!" Naru couldn't suppress her excitement, she was answering the phone! Her phone! Someone was calling to talk to her, not the orphanage, her! Her and her family!
"Naru? Oh my Gosh! I get to call my friends on my phone! I can't believe it!"
"Gaara? Oh my Gosh! Some one called for me! I can't believe it! How are you?"
"Oh my, they are awesome! My dad called me "Son"!"
"I know! I called him Dad and he called me daughter names! He called me baby and Sugarcakes! Oh my Gosh! I love that, Sugarcakes! Oh, and guess what!"
"Tell me!"
"I'm going to visit Sasuke-kun! Their taking me to tell Sasuke kun! I want to tell him I got adopted! Oh my Gosh! What if he hates me now? What if he doesn't want to be friends with me? What if I was just his friend from the orphanage? What if to him I'm still reject orphan girl? Gaara-kun!"
"You want me to come with you? Knock him one two?"
"Can you?"
"Yeah I can!"
"Meet me here?"
"Gimme five minutes."
"Bye! You rock!"
"Don't I?" He smiled knowing he made Naru laugh.
"Bye, silly goose!"
"Bye, Naru-chan!"
Naru was suddenly scared, "Daddy? Is it okay if Gaara-kun came with us?"
"Of course, sparkle."
99999michael ian black
Gaara sat in the back of the car, next to Naru, with Iruka and Frankie in the front. Naru was shaking. It was over a year ago that Sasuke had just suddenly left that one day in the hospital. He had never made any contact. Never called or visited. Ever.
Naru started drumming her fingers rapidly on the seat beside her, anxious for Sasuke's reaction. Gaara, sensing her fear, put his hand over hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Naru smiled at him. As he began rubbing circles on the back of her palm, Naru began to think. Thinking of how much she liked Sasuke, of how he just left her there like she was nothing. Gaara, even when he was adopted, he was still by her side. He was holding her hand, comforting her, and she had to admit, Gaara was handsome. He was tall with flaming, spiky hair, had a nice tan, sharp green eyes, and he was way overprotective. He would threaten in a way that scared the spit out of a person, and he had the deep voice, and to the person who wouldn't give into his threats, he would live up to them. He could really kick butt.
Naru looked up at him, the sun shining on his perfect tan, making him seen to glow. He smiled down at her, reassuringly, and she smiled back at him. She had never thought of him this way. Something today, he looked so hot out of no where! She blushed furiously, unable to keep the warm feeling from her cheeks.
Frankie looked back for a quick second from her driving at a red light to see what her daughter was doing. She elbowed Iruka and motioned to look back at them. They looked funny sitting as they were. Gaara was staring at her, like she was the funniest thing in the world, trying to hold back laughter. His left hand was in the pocket of the sweatshirt he was wearing and his right hand was still holding onto Naru's. Naru's right hand was clenched in a fist pressed hard on her leg and her left under Gaara's. Her face was bright red and she looked like she was about to die, scrunching up her face, trying to hide it.
"We're here!" The sudden voice made both of them shoot their hands back. With a thank you the two of them walked into the building. It was deserted, but after while and with a little luck, they saw Sasuke.
"Sasuke!" Naru ran to hug him, but stopped before she did seeing his cold look.
"What are you doing here?"
Gaara glared at him, nearly burning holes in him, "She's visiting you. I don't know why. I gave up on you a long time ago."
"I'm sorry." Naru looked like she was about to cry.
"Don't be sorry, Naru. He should be sorry. She came to tell you she'd been adopted. She had the decency to tell her best friend something like that. Unlike you who just leaves out of no where without saying good-bye. We should have known you would be a prat when we found you." Gaara was about so say a word far more graphic than prat but he knew Naru hated bad words. She thought the world was bad enough, we don't need words set apart from others that are worse. It's not a good thing to put people down.
"Her? Adopted? Don't josh me like that." Gaara looked like he was about to kill Sasuke. Naru didn't notice, though, because to her everything was blurry through tears.
"Naru, wait for me at the elevator. I made a promise with Sasuke." Naru took off running.
After about a minute Sasuke broke the silence, "Look, I would love to help an orphan, but frank—" Sasuke was cut off by a hard punch to the jaw.
"Look, I'm sick and tired of your wise-ass cracks. You just made the most wonderful person in the world cry. I promised you that if you hurt her, I would kick your ass." Sasuke looked furious. He threw kick after kick, punch after punch, but nothing even touched Gaara. Sasuke didn't even see Gaara move but he sure felt it, a punch to the stomach, another to the head, a kick numbing a leg, and hard kick to his baby maker. Next Gaara would have cracked ribs, but there was a high pitched squeal.
"Naru!" Sasuke took this chance to try to take a punch to Gaara, but Gaara's hand whisked it away like a fly.
"I wish you not to hurt Sasuke further for the return of your little girlfriend." Orichimaru appeared before them, Naru in his clutches, unconscious.
"If you hurt her I'll hit you so hard it'll send you straight to hell."
"I mean you no disrespect, but I wish you to give us the same privilege. You knew Sasuke would stand no chance against a ninja of no degree yet you still fight him."
"Hold on, he's not a ninja! He's an orphan!" Sasuke cried. Orichimaru glared at him, "He is a ninja of such a high stature that they trusted him to be the Maiden of Magic's personal guardian."
Gaara walked over to Orichimaru and took Naru from his arms, "This isn't her."
"Then why are you always with her?"
"Because I care very deeply for her."
"I don't believe you."
"There was a miscalculation in the years. She hasn't been born yet. Either way, Sasuke has known Naru her entire life. He would know if it was her, right?"
Sasuke looked a bit uncomfortable, "Well not her whole life. I met her when she was ten. I think she was ten, at least. She would never talk of her life before the orphanage. I always assumed she didn't remember."
Naru groaned on her sleep, "Mom."
"Gaara, do you know how to get her to say aloud the dream?" Gaara gave a solemn nod, laying Naru on the floor. Before he could do anything, Naru woke up.
"Gaara? Sasuke? Where am I?"
"Remember, we came to visit Sasuke."
"Oh, yeah."
"Naru, what was your life like before you came to the orphanage?"
"I can't remember." Everyone looked at her shocked. Naru had never sounded bitter before. Everyone knew she was lying but no one dared ask her again, for fear of the sudden change of emotion.
"Naru, we should go."
"Yes, that would be best. I hope to see you here again soon." Orichimaru walked off dragging Sasuke by the ear. Sasuke did manage to yell at Gaara, "Next time I won't let you off so easily."
Gaara helped Naru up, "Let's go."
"Now I know why kids on TV were angry at their parents all the time. They had to get up at the butt crack of dawn for school." Gaara wasn't a morning person. Naru seemed distant as she walked toward her homeroom class.
"You okay? You seem like there's a war in lala land and your side is losing."
Ignoring that, Naru walked into the class. It was relatively full, considering class started in five minutes. Scanning the room she sat down next to a boy with extraordinarily long black hair, "I'm sorry, no one is sitting here, right?"
The boy shook his head. Gaara sat in front of Naru. The bell rang and the teacher started class, "Today we have two new students, Gaara Saratoga and Noelle Bakerson."
"Naru, please. Everyone calls me Naru."
"Alright then, Naru Bakerson, tell us a bit about yourself. We have a tradition. Tell us your age, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and dreams."
"Um… well, I'm sixteen. Hobbies, I draw. I sing a lot. I like writing and hacking computers. I like wolves, dolphins, sharks, horses, and snakes. My favorite colors are green, black, brown, and blue."
"What are your dislikes?"
"I don't dislike anything."
"Everybody dislikes something."
"No. Sorry. I don't dislike anything."
"Okay then, what is your dream?"
"I don't have one."
"Yes you do, I can see it in your eyes."
"I want to get someone out of somewhere she is forced to stay for her entire life where there is no escape, but I wouldn't really call that a dream."
"Alright. Gaara, you?"
"I'm seventeen. My hobbies are drums and fighting. I like fire and the color red. I dislike people who pity themselves and sweet candies. My dream is to get married and have three kids." Gaara sat.
"Okay well, I'm going to put some notes on the board. I expect you to copy them down. Your homework will be based off them. If you get them all you will have no problem."
Naru pulled out a pen and her notebook. She saw a note on her desk and she opened it: Hey. I'm Neji.
Naru quickly scribbled, 'Hey. I guess you know me, Naru.' She flung it back to him, then in a flash copied all the notes on the board. She saw the note back on her desk, 'What class do you have next? – Neji'
'Art-Naru'
Pulling out her text book she completed the homework while Neji replied, 'Cool, me too. You done with notes?'
'Yeah, you?'
'Yeah. Want to hang after school? – Neji.'
'Can Gaara come?'
'Whatever.'
'Cool. What do you have in mind?'
'The mall.'
'Cool.' Naru drew a really ugly smiley face and added ' - that's you.'
'Thanks'
'Yup.'
Naru just sat there, startling Neji.
'You're done with your h/w?'
'Ya.'
'Serious! Can I copy?'
'Sure.' Naru inconspicuously slipped him her homework.