Chapter 1
Bad Luck
This prison of a school allowed a short freedom when the lunch bell rang. On cue, his co-inmates of students stomped off the door and joined a new crowd at the corridor. They always did that. Everyday. When the coast was clear, Sasuke rose from his seat and sauntered out the cell – also known as their classroom.
As soon as he stepped out the door, he cursed himself for even making the move.
I. Hate. Life.
"Sasuke-kun! I've made this bento for you!"
"Sasuke-kun! Can you join me for lunch?"
"Sasuke-kun! Accept my letter for you!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
He strode past the roadblock of females within the corridor, not sparing a glance at any of them. The only idea that appealed to him was to get away from these people – the beings that made his life a living hell. Shakespeare had been right.
Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.
They lingered at this school, stalked him to his house, and roamed around this town and the world. They disguised themselves as teachers, students, animals, plants, every living thing in general.
Their worst persona of all time?... Family.
Sasuke barged into the fire exit and climbed the stairwell leading to the roof top… to his sanctuary.
As soon as he stepped on concrete floor, the cool breeze greeted him and played with his hair, making the black spikes even more unruly. The door swung closed behind him, while he took in Konoha's skyline beyond the metal railing.
Man-made creations combined themselves with nature, as skyscrapers reached out to a cloudless blue sky. The glass windows shone with the sun, creating miniature stars at daytime. And the far mountain silhouettes peeked through the gaps between buildings, encouraging him to fill in the blanks.
Sasuke walked over to his usual spot, just a few paces from the door and right next to a cylindrical water tank. The high tank projected a shadow onto the floor, enough to protect him from the sun's blaze.
He sat on the ground and leaned against the cream wall, elbows resting on the knees.
There was nothing here but silence, and he preferred it that way. Silence was always reliable in times of clearing your head. It was always an option in avoiding arguments.
Silence was his best companion.
In a world where everyone and everything was against him, Sasuke had learned to live on his own and only for himself. Friends weren't in his vocabulary. They were hindrances, potential traitors, or causes of his downfall. Like family.
His stomach growled, but he wasn't hungry.
I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.
Mind over matter always worked for him, after all.
The foods offered to him were booby traps. If he accepted one, the news would spread and more of those girls would flock around him, more of them would pester him.
Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.
A nap could resolve the hunger. So what if he would miss the afternoon classes? This wasn't the first time…
*RIIIIIIIIIING!*
Two circles of black returned to the rooftop. Sasuke glanced at his watch.
3:00 PM… Time to go home.
He stood up and dusted his pants, before heading to the stairs, descending five storeys to ground level. He emerged at the flag pole area, where students were roaming around, all dressed in Shinobi High School's standard uniform. White, long-sleeved, button down shirt and black slacks for the males; while the females wore the same button down shirt, but with a large, black, round collar and black lace in front, paired with a black skirt that reached just above the knees.
Sasuke strolled across the quadrangle and headed to the school gates, carrying nothing but his own weight. His backpack was left in the locker… and would remain there until tomorrow. He wouldn't care to do any homework anyway.
"Sasuke-san!"
A boy with thick brows caught his attention, while said boy jogged towards him and fell in step at his side.
"Sasuke-san, have you thought about the basketball team's offer? It would be wonderful if you join our team!"
"Hn." Not a chance.
"You know, you have exceptional skills and it would be a waste if you don't make use of them. You need to enlighten the youthful spirit within by doing what works for you! Set yourself in the things you're good at! So, will you join the team?"
Sasuke paused and glanced at the boy. "No." Then ambled away, leaving the thick-browed boy behind.
"That's okay! Don't hesitate to notify me if ever you change your mind!"
That was the last shout Sasuke chose to ignore, before he passed through the school gates.
"Sasuke-kun!"
…Or not.
"Sasuke-kun, can we walk home together?"
"Sasuke-kun, I haven't seen you at Math today!"
"Sasuke-kun, do you have any plans this weekend?"
With all the hatred in the world, Sasuke threw a glare that could have made their souls flee their bodies.
"Leave me alone."
The girls gasped and paused on the sidewalk. That would put them to their rightful place. They wouldn't dare get near him again. With that settled, Sasuke resumed walking.
"Oh my God! He just looked at me!"
"No way! He was looking at me!"
"You are delusional! His eyes were clearly on me!"
He sighed. Why did he even try to keep his hopes up? The universe had always been against him from the start.
Stupid life.
Sasuke traveled down a few blocks, and then the familiar light footsteps were behind him again, causing a spike in his temper, melting his insides into magma. And he was an active volcano.
Sasuke looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, the same group of girls had been stalking him. He let the murderous intent show in his eyes, sending them flares that could burn them on the spot.
"Get. Lost." He growled.
Finally, they understood the message as fear and shock crossed their faces. They shuffled back to the opposite direction, shoving the person behind them out of the way.
The person staggered to the side and scrunched her brows at the group of girls, before turning to him with widened green eyes. Sasuke recognized the girl as one of his classmates and one of his neighbors. There was no mistaking it, the pink hair was a huge give away.
Because there was a hundred and one percent chance that she could be another fan girl, he directed a glare at her as well.
She averted her gaze and strode past him, while Sasuke followed her with his eyes until she rounded one corner. No way would he share this sidewalk with anybody.
"Hn."
He had only taken three steps forward, when a black cat crossed before him. Sasuke stood in place and fixed his eyes on the animal.
So, this little beast wanted to remind him how unfortunate he was? That wasn't necessary. He saw it everytime he faced a mirror, everytime he took a breath, every single second of his existence.
The animal sat on the edge of the sidewalk, mocking him even further. With the tail around its side, the beast observed the surroundings until its gaze landed on Sasuke.
Innocent golden eyes stared back at him. "Meow."
Little fucker.
In a swift movement, Sasuke raised a foot and kicked the animal out of the way, sending it to the middle of the road, where a dump truck was currently passing by.
The little tiger's cry of suffering echoed throughout the street as Sasuke resumed strolling down the sidewalk, not bothering to look back.
Silence welcomed Sasuke to his home… no, to this house. He locked the front door and climbed straight to his room. More silence. Yes, it was loyal to him… and always would be.
He swung the door open. Four navy blue walls awaited him. A black modern twin bed with grey sheets sat against the right wall, fronting an empty desk and a bookshelf. Another wooden door stood beside the shelf, the entry to a walk-in-closet and a bathroom. And in front of him were two wide windows, one of which closed and the other was opened.
Upon sighting the open window, Sasuke's eyes narrowed and found an orange cat on the sill. He strode over to it, past the used socks and dirty shirts scattered on the wooden floor. When he paused before the animal, the cat turned to him with its big blue eyes.
Annoyed with another beast, Sasuke raised a hand to push the cat outside.
"Not so fast, pretty boy."
…And his hand froze in midair.
What the–? "Did you just…?"
"Yeah, I'm a talking cat. So what? No big deal!"
No way.
The little tiger's mouth opened and closed with each word, accompanied with the flicks of the tongue when pronouncing some consonants.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that! You humans are really weird sometimes."
Sasuke shook his head. "I'm dreaming. I'm still unconscious on the school rooftop."
"You're in denial stage, I see. Well, guess what? It's your lucky day! 'Cause you're about to witness Uzumaki Naruto's true form!"
The orange cat leaped in the air with grace, made a perfect curve from the window sill to the floor, landed onto the wood planks – paw first… then slipped.
"Man! Your sock got in the way! It ruined my epic jump!"
What a dobe animal.
In the blink of an eye, the cat transformed into a human-like creature, towering just a few inches shorter than Sasuke and sporting an orange sweat suit. He had a mess of blonde hair, whisker-like marks on both cheeks, bright blue eyes, and a full-out goofy grin.
"Still couldn't believe my handsomeness?"
With a poof, smoke appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the creature.
"Dammit! Even my smoke effects failed!"
Sasuke's mind stopped running. This didn't make any sense. This was definitely a dream. "This isn't real."
"Oh, it is! I'll tell you another fact." The blonde's grin turned into a straight line. "You're busted. Big time! I saw what you did to Kyuubi!"
"Who?"
"The cat! Kyuubi's the cat you killed earlier! The poor thing was just sitting there, for goodness' sake! What did he ever do to you?!"
"Hn." It insulted me. "What are you?"
"I'm the great cat guardian! I look after every animal that belongs to the feline family. Lions, tigers, cats, kittens… you name it. Now, I know what you're thinking, Sasuke. Don't be your perverted-self here. You're in trouble, I'm telling you."
Whose thinking perverted things in here, pervert? "Why do you know my name?"
"Because this isn't the first time you've taken an animal for granted. I've seen you mistreat dogs, ants, and even your fellow humans! You're on the hot list of other guardians too, and on top of the naughty list of one. You are a bastard, do you know that?! For that reason, I've decided to punish you. Well, 'to help you' is more accurate, because I'll make you understand how it feels like to be in other creature's shoes."
Naruto did a series of hand signs before yelling, "Kage-bunshin technique! Times two! Times two! Times two!"
Sasuke quirked a brow, speechless.
"Nah… I'm just messin' with ya. Do you know the show? The one with a good-looking hero? I forgot the title, but… it's cool! You should watch it!"
Speechless.
Naruto cleared his throat. "Anyway, here's the real deal."
At the next second, a fist came in contact with Sasuke's face, making him stagger a few steps backward. He balled his own fists in reflex and pressed a knuckle against the side of his mouth, gritting his teeth in the process.
"What was that for?"
"Why, I just bestowed a spell on you!" Naruto grinned. "I was also helping you figure out you're not dreaming… Oh! And a payback for Kyuubi."
Pure wrath ran into Sasuke's veins. He lunged forward and raised a hand to throw a straight punch at Naruto, who then blew a breath onto his fist.
And then all of a sudden, the guardian became a giant… and so did all the furniture in the room.
What's happening?
Sasuke couldn't stand on his two feet. He opened his mouth to speak, but to no avail. So, he tried to scream…
"MEOW!"
Silence.
He looked up. Naruto was still in human-like form.
Then, that means…
"Yup! That sound was from you, Sasuke."
He looked down. Four black paws on the floor. And what's this on his back? A tail!
I'm a…
"A cat!" Naruto crouched down to him.
You can hear me?
"Uh-huh, I can hear what you're thinking when you're in that form. Actually, I can hear what every cat thinks."
What did you do to me?
Naruto shook his head. "You did that to yourself. You asked for it, Sasuke. Everytime you intentionally hurt a living thing, you will turn into that. And how long you'd stay in that form would be determined by the degree of pain you brought upon. Don't worry, the longest is about a week, I think. This here now, was just a sample, because I had to protect myself from that punch!... Normally though, it'd take a few more seconds for you to transform. Right now, I can turn you back into human, but I can't lift the spell entirely."
Why not? You're the one who gave it!
"'Cause you have to learn your lesson first, and when you do, the spell would automatically lose its effect. Once I cast a major spell, I can't take it back. You're the only one who can set yourself free."
Then, what am I supposed to learn exactly?
Naruto shrugged. "It wouldn't be a challenge if I tell you. Discover it on your own. That way, you'll learn it by heart."
Shit. And why can't I talk? How come you can pronounce words when you were a beast?
"Duh… 'Cause I'm the cat guardian?!... How could I have talked with you a while ago if I can't speak your language? It's one of the infinite things that make me great, really. And who are you calling a beast?! I suggest you look in the mirror first! Here, I'll give you a hand."
Naruto lifted him with both hands and started walking to the full-length mirror at the corner of the room.
Hey. Get your hands off me. Put me down! This is awkward.
"Alright, alright… I'll let you go. Such a teme."
Sasuke reunited with the floor and took the few steps to the mirror.
Black. That was the beas–… his color. He stared at the reflection from the top of its triangular ears, the golden eyes with black upright-football-shaped pupils, the little black nose, the long whiskers on both sides of its face, the shiny black fur all over its body, to the little paws that supported it onto the floor.
This can't be happening.
"Done checking yourself out?"
Two golden eyes narrowed and glared at the blonde. Dobe.
"And you're a teme! If I were you, I'd start being nice to others, 'cause your 'karma' is just a blink away."
Naruto stepped beside him and tapped one of his ears. In less than a second and before he even knew it, Sasuke was his human self again.
Naruto leaned against the wall, nonchalant. "And when I said blink, I mean literally."
"This is deep shit."
"You better be thankful that I'm letting you go back to human form with your clothes on. Saves you humiliation at public places."
It was all clear to Sasuke now. The universe had yet again played some tricks on him. Another statement had been made. A statement that emphasized how cursed his life was.
Among all the facts introduced to him, a former superstition stood out: A black cat that walked across your way could really bring a bundle of bad luck.
A/N:
I just thought this would be fun, so yeah... there it was.
What do you think?
Thanks for dropping by! :)