He sat irritably, looking out to the trees that surrounded him. Days before he and his friend had agreed to meet each other in the woods which surrounded the old leaf village for one of their routinely battles, where they would spend most of their day fighting until the sun went down. But on this particular day his friend had yet to show and the sun was now beginning to set, lighting the horizons with the last of its gentle rays. He thought about returning home, back to the village but the thought only pissed him off further. He hadn't the patience to deal with anyone else, to wear his usual façade and pretend to be what they thought he was, happy go lucky. In truth he was angry, upset at not only being stood up but also at the world.
They were the ones who had given him life, the same ones who had allowed him to live under 'unusual circumstances' and he should be grateful for that. But he was to show his appreciation by becoming what they expected of him, not allowing him to have a voice or say in the matter. He was tired of being their toy, their subject, the only reason he put up with such bullshit was so he could appease and perhaps surpass his rival, Sasuke Uchiha.
The very thought of his name made the blonde laugh, when it came to his friend he always felt a feeling of mixed emotion. At some point he would grow angry for all the boy had put him through, but shortly after he would feel joyous for all the memories they shared together. In some way Sasuke had believed in him, he knew, though he often showed it in cold, hurtful ways. At first after meeting they couldn't stand the sight of each other, but as the years passed their hate turned into something more; a bond that connected the two, a feeling stronger than anything else.
But this time the Uchiha had stood him up, something which had never happened before. He felt like an idiot, an outcast, a familiar feeling he had pushed away many years ago.
Naruto hoisted himself up onto his feet and brushed away the dirt from the orange fabric of his jeans. Orange, how he hated the color, not specifically on any other person but it didn't suit him. It made him stand out, drew eyes, and to him he looked like a dumbass running around in these bright contradicting colors. The only compliment he had received was from his friend, Lee, who was accustomed to wearing quite distasteful outfits, surely orange would fit him nicely. His first orange jumpsuit had been a gift from Iruka, one of his first friends. He had simply wanted to see it on him, and when Naruto had tried it on the older male had said it fit him nicely. He had worn it the first couple of days simply to be nice, to show the male how much he appreciated the gesture, but then everyone else grew accustomed to seeing him in it. It fit his 'bubbly' personality. So from then on, every birthday or holiday he was gifted with orange attire, and he would wear them despite his displeasure. They were only trying to be nice, they hadn't known better, and he couldn't bring himself to tell them otherwise, no matter how ridiculous the gift made him seem.
The wind began blowing harder, pushing against him, towards the leaf village, the same place he called home. By now day had gone and night had risen but he knew no one would notice his disappearance, not at first. It would be hours, maybe even days before anyone bothered to look for him and by then if he wanted he could be far gone, away from his so called friends. He could start off on his own adventure, begin a new page in this thing he called life. He smiled at this, and turned his back to the familiar pathway. He would do just that, and walk his way through the woods, to hopefully some new place, to another village where he wouldn't have to answer to anyone but himself.
He shouted into the wind, pumping his fist into the air. For once he felt excited, stoked. Naruto was ready to become his own man, and leave behind the familiarity of the old leaf village.
Sasuke stood, leaning against the door to the small apartment. He was supposed to meet the blonde earlier but had gotten mixed up in some other urgent matter. He was hoping his friend would understand and reschedule their match, but the moon had risen and he had yet to show. It was rather unusual, even for Naruto who was often irresponsible when it came to these types of things. His mind rushed through all the possibilities; what if his friend had run into someone unexpectedly, what if he had had a run in with an Akatsuki member just as he was to return home? He shook his head, quieting down his thoughts. Surely the blonde was just running late, and soon he would be next to the Uchiha, apologizing for having kept him waiting.
"Yeah." He breathed, looking out towards the starry night sky, "That's it." But something felt different, he couldn't explain it fully but something wasn't right. The wind pressed against him, causing him to shiver. It was late, and they had training the next day, he would meet Naruto there and explain himself. But he couldn't bring himself to move, he had to see the blonde for himself, to ensure his safety. To see that goofy grin that often made his worries go away. Hours seemed to pass and the Uchiha was growing considerably tired, by now it was obvious Naruto was not returning home, and the same thoughts flooded his mind. Hurriedly he sulked off to consult their teacher, Kakashi, hoping he could come up with a logical explanation to put his thoughts to rest.