A silent cool wind blew past the two wooden swings hanging from the tall oak tree, causing them to shift ever so slightly in the light breeze. The setting sun catching on the green grass, the orange and red turning leaves. The trees shivered, the leaves flowing gently to the hard ground. A yellow and orange light illuminating from the cloudy evening sky. The old cold chain fence surrounding three-fourths of the hilltop, the long shadows on the ground of forgotten toys left by the children who still come here. Grass longer in patches, bare spots with nothing except a few weeds and warm soft dirt where children's feet run constantly during the day. Such familiar sights, yet scenes never seen before. That could be enough proof to prove the point of this tale. Even if you forget your own past, it will never forget you.
Did he ever play here as a little boy? Did he grow up here? He knew he had, they had all told him that he had. His cousin told him that he had come there for years, despite the times when the other children wouldn't play with him. He never gave up, he believed they would become his friends. He believed, he had such faith in people. At least that's what his cousin had said, whether that be true or simply an admiration for an older male who idolized him he couldn't tell. Whether he actually idolized him or not was speculation in its self. He couldn't even tell you how close he'd been to this cousin, this only living relative he seemed to have. Supposedly, they had been close, he'd even been like an older brother to him. He looked up to him like a teacher, a boss and a role model. He wanted to follow in his footsteps, but look at him now. What was he? Nothing. Just a shell. An empty shell, forgotten and crumbling on the blank floor of his mind.
His had shot to his face as a sharp stabbing pain shot through his forehead, unbearable but gone almost as quick as it appeared. The lingering numb pain made him want to stop thinking, not that there was much to think about. He had no past, maybe no future. All he could remember was pain. He wasn't even allow to stay on his own, he was too helpless. No, instead he would stay with his cousin. Such a sweet boy he seemed. Well, sweet man really. Technically, his cousin was only a few years younger than him. Following that logic, he himself would be considered a man based on age alone. Yet, he felt like a boy. Empty and without any experience at life. Without any memory. Without a past.
He was here to remember, something small and subtle might do it. Something insignificant to others. That's why he had been brought here, yet still the canvas of his memories remained white. Not blank, but painted over till nothing remains. Nothing there, yet so many possibilities for the future finished picture. At least until the white begins to peel and review the truth beneath. A whole life of painting and creating.
The two walked back to small black car, the man-boy and his cousin. Opening the door, the man-boy caught a glimpse of his reflection in the tinted glass. At least he assumed it was him, he didn't recognize the face. The bright contrasts of colors, clashing with the autumn background. The bright blonde locks, in almost drooping soft spikes arranged about his head, sad if such a thing possible to reflect one's feelings in an object such as hair. Skin tan and rough, warm from the sun except his rosy cheeks being bitten by the wisps of wind. The strange whisker like marks on his cheeks, a birthmark of sorts he'd been told. Something he'd probably had been so familiar with before that he probably disregarded as normal, such foreign and strange features to him now. Bright blue, splotches of wonder and confusion. Pain and fear, the windows to his soul seemed to be a muddled sky. Hopefully it wouldn't rain, he didn't know if he was the type to cry. He sure felt like he was, but still he was scared that he'd never be able to stop once he started. There was nothing worse than this feeling, knowing nothing. Being helpless, useless.
As he rolled down the window, the other man began pulling off. While riding, he might as well organize all the information he had gained thus far in the jumble of a mind.
His name was Naruto Uzamaki. He had recently been in an accident, and he'd lost his mind. Not gone crazy and actually lost his mind, but lost all the information that normally filled his head. He lived on his own in a small apartment on the West end of the town of Konohagakure, as soon as he was ready he would move back in together. He was graduated from Konoha High School and instead of going to school had jumped head first into busy work. He worked as an illustrator, drawing scenery. They said he was amazing, but always wanting to go off in the strangest places to capture the most beautiful and sometimes simplest images. Naruto could find beauty in anything, find the goodness. Naruto was happy-go-lucky, high strung, and energetic. Naruto had faith in everything and everyone. Naruto was friendly, Naruto was head strong, Naruto….
Naruto was gone. Idiot. He could couldn't even remember his self, how stupid he really was after all! Just like they said. Or at least like someone said, he couldn't remember who it was but he was sure someone called him a stupid idiot. Or had they? Well, either way they were right, imaginary as they might be or not.
Naruto glanced over at his driving cousin, Konohamaru Sarutobi. The young man had medium spiky brown hair, almost in a style imitating Naruto's own. His eyes deep dark almost black darting from the rode occasionally over in Naruto's direction, a hopeful gleam showing in the corners of his slightly tilted eyes. A pair of sunglasses across his forehead, holding his hair back from his eyes. The tension thick enough to cut, too much for either of the men.
"Anything, Boss?"
"No." Naruto shook his head as he answered. "Nothing at all, just a cold feeling."
Konohamaru's shoulders slumped back a little, he let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Then gathering his smile, he glanced in Naruto's direction. "It'll come back, Boss. Just give it time. You'll remember everything, just you believe it!"
Strangely, in the back of Naruto's mind he couldn't help but wonder if he really wanted to remember a past he'd so easily forgotten.
They got to Konohamru's apartment shortly after sunset, it was a nice place on the East side and right next to the park. Apparently, Naruto and Konohamaru's late grandfather had been a well off politician who had left the boys a large estate when he'd passed on. Konohamaru had said it was Naruto's dream when he was younger to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Having admired both so much, Konohamaru had made it his goal as well. However, for some reason Naruto had decided to give up that dream to become an artist while Konohamaru continued to pursue his goals. With enough effort, sometime sooner rather than later he was sure to achieve his dream.
The apartment was surprisingly neat for a single male always working the way Konohamaru does, always being so busy and on the move. Books neatly in piles on the tables with paperwork stacked properly near those. Pens neatly in a row. A white sheet had been neatly tucked on the couch as a makeshift bed, a small cushy looking pillow on one end. Naruto wondered if he was as neat as his cousin, if it was a family trait or not. Konohamaru came out of a room with a thick tan quilt and placed it on the couch.
"Well, it's not much, but for a temporary fix it should be pretty comfortable."
"Thank you, Konohamaru."
Konohamaru frowned a little, "it's weird to hear you call me by my name when you stay over. You used to call me Brat when you spent the night when we were little."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know."
"It's perfectly fine. Heck, I should be happy you aren't calling me that." Konohamaru shook his head as he spoke, Naruto could see the sorrow in his cousin's eyes at being forgotten. Naruto too the opportunity to change the subject.
"So, your father must be my mother's sister, since we have different last names and all, am I right?"
Konohamaru, taken back by the question, took a moment to reply, "Well, actually… you were adopted by Grandpa Sarutobi. Even so, the three of us were family and we still are a family. I'm going to put some photos out on the table, tomorrow you should go through them and see if they bring back any memories. Goodnight, Naruto."
With that, Naruto's cousin walked to his own bedroom. Naruto took that as a queue to prepare himself for bed.
Later that night Naruto stared up at the blank ceiling, knowing very a little more about himself than he had before. He was a blank canvas, he didn't know his past. He held a pain in his heart that he couldn't explain, whether it was attributed to his not knowing himself or otherwise he didn't quite know. He now knew another fact. That he had no true family left, no blood ties left. To make it worse, he didn't know for his self just how strong his bond with his cousin truly was after all since they weren't actually related.
To Naruto's knowledge he had no family, friends or ambitions. He escaped the wreck with his future assured, but the price was his life. Starring at the endless white, Naruto slipped into the deep cocoon of his empty yet spinning conscious and fell asleep.
"Empty and alone…."
The young boy stood in the circle, five other boys surrounding him. Naruto noticed how all of them seemed to be slightly older and taller than him. He looked down at the red and blue striped ball that had rolled under his dangling feet. He hopped off of the swing, making the wood creak a bit. He picked up the ball, the boys motioned him to throw the ball back.
Naruto threw the ball to the nearest boy, the tallest of the five. The dark haired boy sneered as he caught the red and blue sphere, dark eyes gleaming with hatred. He reared his arm back and threw the toy hard back at Naruto, slamming it into the smaller boy's gut and knocking out the breath Naruto didn't know he'd been holding. Naruto coughed and dropped the ball as he hunched over, holding his abdomen where the ball had hit him.
"What's wrong, Fox-Face? Can't catch a ball? Are you that slow and weak, or just plain stupid?" The boy started to laugh and three others of the boys began to laugh at him. The smallest of the other boys frowned and ran over to the blonde on the ground.
"Hey, are you okay? That wasn't cool at all, man! You guys are such jerks!"
The dark haired boy's laugh faded and he grimaced before turning his head to spit with disgust at the other boy's show of pity. He walked over to the boy helping Naruto up and shoved him hard by the shoulder, knocking both boys back to the ground. The boy, now on his back, had a look of surprise on his face as the other boys surrounded him and began to beat him. Naruto's eyes grew wide as he slowly tried to crawl away. This always happened when someone tried to help him, always. Naruto felt a hand grab the back of his shirt, pulling the ends of his hair with it.
"Don't think we forgot about you, Fox-Face. There's plenty for you too!"
The boys laughed as they left the two thoroughly thrashed boys sprawled out on the ground. Naruto opened his eyes and leaned up, head spinning as he slowly sat up. He saw his would be savior rubbing his back as he sat on the ground. Naruto jumped to his feet despite the nauseas feels from the motion and rushed over to the boy, attempted to pull the boy up to his feet. The boy looked through one glazed eye at the outstretched hand, a look of disgust across his face. The boy punched Naruto's hand away and leaned away.
"Don't touch me, Freak. All you ever do is cause trouble, you Fox-Faced Freak."
Naruto didn't want to cry in front of the other boy, so he turned and began to run as the tears cascaded down his whisker stained cheeks. The salty tears burning the scratches, adding salt to the fire. Someday, he'd show them. He wasn't weak, someday he'd be important. Someday, he'd mean something to someone. Maybe not now, but someday….
The next morning, Naruto woke up to find that Konohamaru had already left, so he spent the morning going through old photos his cousin had left out. Nothing seemed familiar to him so around lunch time he put the photos away. While eating a sandwich for lunch, the phone rang.
"Hey, Cuz. You okay? Find something to eat? "
"Yeah, I'm eating now. I think you need a new couch, yours is lumpy as a rock! Luckily, I was exhausted, I was out like a brick."
"I know! I heard you snoring and mumbling in your sleep! You must have been having some crazy dreams!"
Naruto frowned, a crease appearing across his forehead. Had he actually had any dreams last night? "Actually I didn't dream at all. Maybe I forgot, I seem to be doing that a lot lately…"
"It's all okay, at least no nightmares, right Boss? Well, I've got to get back to work, but your apartment address is written on a paper on the table with some directions if you want to head up there, to check the place out."
"Cool, thanks. I might just do that."
"There should be the cash somewhere in the kitchen if you need. You can pay me back later." Naruto could hear his cousin's grin over the phone. His own grin spread across his face, a familiar feeling. "See you at home, Boss!"
"See you then." With that, Naruto hung up the phone. He went to the kitchen and found a little bit of cash and the paper with his address on it and headed out. It was about time he went home.
A.N: Well, this is my newest attempt at a fanfic. Hopefully it will do okay and you all will like it. Leave me some reviews to see if I should continue on with it or what. I'd love to know if it's too short, or long for a chapter in the opinion of the reader. I tried. Well, till next time!