Authors Note:
This is my very first story on here, despite having written and read plenty of fanfiction over the past many years. I just want to say I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know with your comments.
EDIT: It has come to my attention that some of my readers are becoming confused as to the pairing in this story due to the next few chapters. I would like to state this IS a Naruto/Sasuke/Naruto story. However, there will be exploration on Naruto's part. I will not say more in light of this being the first chapter and I don't want to ruin it for new readers.
Disclaimer:
Of course I do not own Naruto or its characters and I make no money from writing this. It's all in good fun!
Naruto looked up at the piece of candy in his hand. It wasn't very expensive, but it was worth more than he had. It was small and made of chocolate, and it had a crunchy nougat center. It was his sister's favorite, and they couldn't get it often. Naruto and the other orphans didn't come across money often, and when they did it was usually only a few coins left behind by a passing stranger. Their caregiver Iruka did his best to provide for them, but the orphanage was funded by donations and there were never enough. Naruto had offered to work, or even beg, but Iruka told them it wasn't up to them, that money wasn't their responsibility. He said that they didn't deserve sympathy, but respect, and that begging on the streets wasn't going to bring it.
Naruto thought he lived a pretty carefree life because of that, along with the other orphans, his brothers and sisters. He didn't mind not having anything, and he enjoyed the small treats they could get, such as the sweets from this shop. The owner was very kind, and unlike some of the other shop owners, she didn't mind the children from the orphanage coming in and running around only to buy maybe one or two pieces of her cheapest candy. Naruto loved this shop, and he really admired the owner.
That was why, as he stared down at the chocolate, he felt his hands begin to tremble. He didn't want to steal this, he had never done it before in his life, but he had no choice. Even though Iruka wanted them to grow up without worrying about things that "weren't their responsibility", Naruto couldn't help the worry he felt when his sister got sick. She just started coughing one day, and then it got worse, and soon she was stuck in bed. Iruka said everything was going to be fine, that he would get her some help, but even at such a young age Naruto knew a lie when he heard one. Iruka couldn't afford to get her medicine. The doctor that treated all the orphans had been in a few times to try and help her, but even she couldn't help his sister without medicine, and Iruka couldn't afford it, even with the doctor's kindness.
Naruto had promised his sister that he would get her her favorite piece of candy from the sweets shop. It was the only thing he could do to help her.
"Naruto, you can't afford that. It's too expensive." Naruto shook his head and promised that he would get it for her. That she just had to stay well until he brought it for her, and then everything would be better. She had smiled and agreed, but as of yesterday she took a turn for the worst. Iruka called the doctor and Naruto overheard her say that his sister wasn't going to last much longer. That's when Naruto had run to his room and counted the small coins he kept in a small box. It wasn't enough, but he decided he didn't care, that he needed to bring his sister candy so she would get better.
"Hello Naruto, I haven't seen you in a while." Naruto jumped and turned when he heard the owner's voice. He slipped the chocolate under his sleeve and smiled at her.
"Yeah, sorry. Lot's to do you know?" He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. It was a nervous habit he wasn't even aware of.
"How's everyone doing? I heard one of your sisters is sick. Are you buying her some candy?" Naruto felt his lip tremble, wanting to cry out and confess, but restraining himself for the sake of his promise.
"No. Uh, I just wanted to look at the candy you know? But I should get going, Iruka will be looking for me." Naruto turned to leave, but was quickly stopped by a hand on his arm.
"Sasuke what are you doing?" Naruto heard the owner's sweet voice and he turned to see a boy his age glaring at him.
"He's stealing. I saw it." The boy shook Naruto's arm and the small chocolate fell out of his sleeve.
"Naruto?" Naruto couldn't look at the woman. He knew what her expression would hold: anger, disappointment, hatred, maybe sympathy. Naruto didn't want to face it. He just stared at the boy's hand on his arm and the chocolate on the floor. Tears began to fill his eyes and he shook his head.
"He's lying. See? The chocolate." The boy released Naruto's arm and picked up the chocolate from the floor, but Naruto didn't run. He could only stand there with his arms pulled tightly against his sides and his head looking at the ground.
"Naruto why would you do this?" The woman asked and Naruto felt the tears begin to fall. He mumbled softly, too low for anyone else to hear.
"What was that?" The woman asked again. Her voice was still kind, as if she were more worried than angry, and Naruto couldn't take it. Images flashed through his head of the woman's smiling face and the times she watched him and his siblings run around her shop. Then he thought of his sister, who wouldn't get her chocolate, and would die thinking her brother was a liar.
Naruto began to sob and collapsed on the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
"Naruto please, it's alright." The woman said, kneeling down as her son watched in confusion. She tried to console the boy, but Naruto continued to sob.
"Sasuke, please bring me my phone."
"Why?" The boy asked but she merely shot her son a look before he scurried off.
He came back a few moments later, pouting as he handed the phone to his mother. "Here."
"Thank you." She quickly dialed Iruka's number and waited only a few moments before it was answered.
"Hello, it's Mikoto from the sweets shop in town…yes he's here. I caught him trying to take a piece of chocolate." Her voice wasn't angry, which shocked Iruka, but he quickly explained what was happening with Naruto's sister, and the promise he had made her. Mikoto nodded.
"I understand. It's alright. I will watch over him until you get here." Mikoto pulled the phone away and turned to Naruto who was still on the floor crying softly. It wasn't long before he fell asleep and Mikoto brought him to the back of the shop to rest. Sasuke looked at Naruto for a moment before running up to his mother.
"Why are you letting him sleep here? He tried to steal!" Mikoto lifted her son into her lap and smiled at him.
"He's a good boy. His sister is very sick, and he promised to bring her a piece of candy. He didn't do anything wrong." Sasuke looked at his mother in confusion. He had always been taught that stealing was wrong. Why was it different now?
"But you said it was wrong to steal. That only bad people steal."
Mikoto smiled. "I did say that. But sometimes things aren't that simple. He didn't mean to hurt anyone, and he feels very sorry. I think Naruto has learned his lesson. Don't you?" Mikoto asked, and Sasuke nodded.
"Hello? Mrs. Mikoto?" Iruka called as he opened the door to the shop.
"Yes!" Mikoto called as she stood up. Sasuke jumped down and stood behind his mother.
"Ah. I'm so sorry this happened. Thank you for looking after Naruto." Iruka bowed to Mikoto and she smiled, shaking her head.
"There is no need to apologize. Naruto is dealing with a lot. I can't fault him for making one mistake." Iruka nodded and smiled.
"Thank you. Where is he now?" Mikoto lead Iruka to the back of the shop to where Naruto was lying in a chair.
"He fell asleep, so I brought him back here to rest. He was very upset earlier."
Iruka nodded, a sad look on his face.
"Yes. Thank you again. I should take him home now though. We have a lot to talk about." Iruka said as he picked Naruto up. Mikoto nodded. She was worried Iruka was going to yell at Naruto, but it was not her place to interfere.
"Hey Sasuke, can you come here a minute?" Sasuke had moved to watch them walk out the door. He quickly turned and trotted over to his mother.
"What is it?" Mikoto lifted Sasuke into her arms and smiled at him.
"I want you to do me a favor. Next time Naruto comes in the shop, will you try to be friends with him?"
"I don't wanna!" Sasuke said, a frown on his small features.
"Now don't say that. Naruto hasn't been as fortunate as you have. He doesn't have a family or home like ours. I'm sure he could really use a friend right now. Will you promise to try and help him?" Sasuke looked into his mother's eyes and nodded. He could see her concern for the other boy, and knew he had to help her. He didn't like to see his mother sad and silently promised he would make the other boy his friend no matter what.
Naruto grinned as he walked through the gates of his new school. It was one of the best private universities around and he was lucky to be there. It was very small, and only a handful of students were admitted each year. If it wasn't for Tsunade, Naruto would probably be attending a state school, which wasn't bad, but going to such a prestigious school made his dreams more tangible.
"Naruto!" Naruto turned around and grinned when he saw Tsunade walking over to him. She was in no way dressed like the dean of a prestigious university should be, but Naruto was used to it. Although she was the same age as Jiraiya, she looked much younger. She was wearing a loose cardigan over a lowcut, sleeveless shirt and dark pants. She was very curvaceous, but despite her womanly features, she was the scariest woman Naruto had ever met. Jiraiya and Tsunade had become friends when they were young. They were both in the school's martial arts club and became fast friends. She had basically been Naruto's surrogate mother. Whenever Jiraiya would run off after some "research" for his books, Tsunade would watch over Naruto until his adopted father would return.
"Grandma Tsunade- EEK!" Naruto ducked as a clipboard was thrown at him. He laughed. Yep, still as violent as always, even at work.
"Don't call me that, brat. Now pay attention. I have a lot of work to do and can't waste the whole day showing you around campus." She picked up her clipboard and hugged Naruto. Naruto grinned and hugged her back.
"Don't worry. I can find my way around. There are still a few days until classes start. Just point me in the direction of the dorms." Tsunade nodded and pointed to the buildings left of the main campus. They were in rows and looked much like street blocks. Naruto noticed that most of the dorms looked like large houses. The campus was like a small town. He had heard there was even a place called "the Block" which was where all the on-campus food and events were. There was even what looked to be a bell tower, with a large clock on it, and Naruto couldn't help but be amazed.
"Don't get into any trouble now. There are other students already here and I don't need any fights."
"Fights? What do you think I am, a hooligan?" Naruto held his hurt expression for as long as he could before laughing, which was only a few seconds. Tsunade once again threw her clipboard before turning around and walking off.
"I mean it Naruto!" She called over her shoulder. Naruto laughed and waved before striding over to where she had pointed. He was right in his earlier assumption. The closer he got, the more the buildings looked like houses on a block. Now if he remembered correctly, he was in building 7.
Naruto walked past the houses, gazing at the numbers until finding number 7. It was in the second row of buildings and Naruto grinned as he walked up. He pulled the key out of his pocket and quickly unlocked the door.
"Ah! Home sweet home." Naruto sauntered inside and immediately began to run around like a small child in a new house, trying to discover all of its secrets. The first thing he saw was what looked like a very large living room, along with an attached dining room and kitchen. The living room was furnished with two large sofas, a bean bag chair, a wooden coffee table, and a large entertainment center. The dining room was simple with a large oval dining table and eight chairs surrounding it. The kitchen looked newly refurbished. It had stainless steel appliances, dark cabinets, and marble counter tops. Naruto was suddenly hit with the sudden realization that he was the odd man out in this school. He knew it was a school for the rich, but growing up with Tsunade made it seem normal. She spoke about work all the time, but she always made it sound like your everyday university. Looking at all the expensive furniture and appliances, Naruto suddenly felt like he was a little in over his head.
"Come on, that's silly." Naruto slapped his cheeks and shook his head, snapping himself out of the dangerous thoughts. "Okay, what's next?" Naruto turned to the hall on the other side of the kitchen and walked over. It was a short hallway. On the left was a small storage closet with a washer, dryer, and water heater. Across from that was a small half-bath with a toilet and sink, and at the end of the hall was a bedroom. He realized it was probably his because Tsunade had mentioned keeping him as far away from the others as possible, and this was the only bedroom on the first floor. He didn't feel particularly hurt by her statement, but he thought it was unnecessary. He had been working hard on controlling himself, and even Jiraiya said he was like a new person.
When Naruto opened the door, he saw two beds sitting against the left wall with a small table between them. Across from the beds was a small entertainment stand with a T.V. placed in the center. On the left side of the T.V. stand was a door leading to a large closet. Naruto assumed it was meant to fit both his and his roommate's clothes. He didn't doubt it would. On the other side of the T.V. stand was another door that Naruto discovered lead to a nice sized bathroom. There was a full bath/shower, a sink with vanity, and a small linen rack that already had towels placed upon it. As Naruto looked around the room he could clearly tell that his roommate had already made himself comfortable. There were clothes in the closet—dark ones, Naruto noted—and there were toiletries in the bathroom.
Naruto decided he would do his unpacking later and moved to explore the upstairs. He quickly moved up the stairs, not paying attention to the expensive wood it was made from, and came to a hallway. There were three doors, one on each side and one at the end. Naruto noticed the name plate on one of the doors and grinned. It looked like more of his roommates were already here. The names on the door read 'Sakura' and 'Ino'. None of the other doors had names on them so Naruto decided to knock.
"Hello?" Naruto called when no one answered. Naruto heard mumbling from inside and suddenly the door flew open.
"I told you to get the door!" A girl with bright pink hair yelled at someone behind her. Naruto was a bit shocked but the girl quickly turned to greet him.
"Hi! Do you need something?" The girl asked with a smile. "Oh! You must be our new roommate, right?" The girl grinned and Naruto nodded. She was very cute. Her eyes were a bright green, and they complimented her hair nicely. She did seem to have a similar aura to Tsunade though, which worried him a little. The way she went from angry to sweet in mere seconds was actually impressive.
"Yeah. My name's Naruto. I just got here and was exploring the house."
"Nice to meet you. My name's Sakura. This is Ino, my roommate." Sakura opened the door to reveal a girl with light blonde hair and blue eyes. Naruto blushed as the girl screamed, grabbing a blanket and throwing a pillow at Sakura.
"You idiot! Wait until I'm dressed!" Sakura just rolled her eyes before turning back to Naruto. Naruto's face was burning and it caused Sakura to laugh.
"Don't worry, she walks around like that all the time. You'll see it again." She winked and Naruto felt himself chuckle and scratch the back of his head.
"Ah, um, so is, uh, anyone else here?" Ino hurriedly slipped a pair of shorts and a tank top on before joining Sakura at the door.
"Yep. I think everyone actually. You're the last to show up." Ino said. Naruto was surprised. It had been his impression that most of the students weren't coming for another day or two.
"Oh, I'm glad I didn't go barging into anyone's room then." Naruto laughed and the girls joined him.
"Here, we'll introduce you. I think the boys are gone, but Hinata is in her room." Naruto turned to allow the girls to walk past him and lead him to the door across the hall. There was no noise coming from inside and Naruto swore there were no lights on. Maybe they were wrong?
"Hey Hinata! Our new roommate is here!" Sakura yelled, knocking loudly on the door.
"Yeah!" Ino chimed in. "Get outta bed and come meet him!" Naruto was silent as the door opened to reveal a small, timid looking girl with long dark hair and pale eyes. Naruto was almost entranced by them. It seemed as if they were white, they were such a pale blue.
"Hello." She spoke very softly; Naruto thought his heart might melt. She was wearing a hoodie and a pair of gym shorts and she looked like a perfect sweetheart.
"My name is Hinata, nice to meet you." She spoke, and then coughed lightly, covering her mouth with delicate hands. Naruto couldn't help the light blush that formed on his cheeks. What was with this place? Why were all the girls so cute? He hadn't found one good looking girl in his whole high school before. He didn't know what to do.
"Hi. I'm Naruto. Um, are you alright?" Naruto asked, looking a bit worried.
Hinata quickly nodded. "Yes. I just have a cold. I've been lying in bed watching movies."
"Oh, that explains the lights." Naruto laughed. Hinata nodded and a light blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Hey, do you know when the boys will be back? I didn't even see them this morning." Sakura asked Hinata.
"Oh, I think Neji and Kiba went to the store. Kiba ate the last of the eggs and milk. I don't know where Sasuke is." Hinata said before coughing once more.
"Maybe you should text them to bring you some medicine." Ino said.
"No, I'm fine. I have some medicine in my room." Ino nodded.
"Okay, well then we will let you get back to your movies." Sakura said and Hinata nodded before turning back to Naruto.
"It was nice meeting you." Her voice was soft and sweet and Naruto swore he was going to implode.
"Same. Feel better." Naruto chuckled nervously and Hinata nodded before closing the door.
"Cute, isn't she?" Naruto jumped when he heard Ino's voice right next to his ear.
"Uh…" Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. He hadn't been very popular in his high school, and there weren't girls like this. He felt overwhelmed.
"It's okay. Most guys get swooned by her at first. But don't let that cute exterior fool you. She's fierce as a tiger." Sakura said, leading them downstairs. Naruto looked at her confused. A tiger? Hinata? She seemed more like a mouse, no, a rabbit.
"Yeah. We went to the same high school. She was the head of our fencing club. She's master of the sword."
"Fencing?" Naruto asked Ino.
"Yeah, you know, with the long swords and the 'En Guarde!' and stuff? She was a regional champ." Naruto's eyes widened. Imagining the sweet girl he just met trying to skewer someone with a long metal sword was impossible.
"Oh."
"Yeah but don't worry, when she isn't fencing, she's as timid as a mouse. She's a film major, so she mostly just sits in her room watching movies." Sakura said. Naruto nodded.
Sakura lead them to the living room where they sat down on the two couches.