Author's Note: I don't know if other people have this problem, but I have a very hard time keeping short stories, short. A regular chapter for me is around 15,000 words, so these stories make me feel like I'm missing something. This is sort of a problem when you're working on a collection of things you can't seem to get comfortable with.
Warning: I must stress that regardless of the title, this story is not religious. However, I did have to research MANY religions in order to form the background I wanted. So, what you have is an eclectic mix of spiritual beliefs added and altered to inject into this story's foundation. I'm saying this, because some of the things may not fit what you believe, if you follow a single religion. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto are not mine. They're the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not, and never will, make any money from this story.
Genre: Fantasy/Humor/Mystery
Rating: T
Characters: Naruto and Sasuke (NON-yaoi)
Setting: Alternate Universe
Words: 10,810
"Finally," Naruto grumbled as he turned his key, and drug himself into his apartment. He had just completed his fifty-hour workweek, and was beyond exhausted. All he wanted to do was eat his leftover Chinese food, and sleep for a week; well, at least until it was time to return to the place he called hell.
"Hurry up, Naruto. This plate isn't clean enough, Naruto. You're one minute late from your lunch break, Naruto. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto," he muttered as he removed his shoes, having a harder time due to being irritated and distracted.
"I wonder what old man Homura would do if I changed my name to a symbol," he continued, before throwing his shoe on the floor so hard that it bounced. That was its punishment for giving him trouble. Sure, it wasn't as good as throwing his boss, but it helped relieve some of the tension. Now, all that was left was inhaling some food, and then passing out.
'I wonder if Kiba made it home okay? He was still drunk when I left this morning,' Naruto thought as he made his way over to the fridge. He pulled out his take-out, and almost dropped the box, due to how light it was. So, now more than a little curious, he peeked inside and found two grains of rice, some soy sauce tracks and a note.
Hey man,
You really need to go grocery shopping. All I found in here was a container of stale, fried rice, and a few strips of overcooked pepper steak. That's no way to treat your guests, especially when they got a hangover. Call me when you get some food.
Kiba
Naruto read the note, and then re-read it as he debated over whether he should take a detour to kick his mooching friend's ass. His body was telling him to just send a text, while his stomach was screaming for blood. Decisions, decisions.
If he didn't show Kiba who was the boss, he may never get to finish his own leftovers again. However, if he charged over there, and got his ass beat due to fatigue; he would never live it down.
'It's on tomorrow morning,' Naruto finally decided as laid on his couch, and turned on his TV. Within seconds, he was asleep, and the TV was watching him.
Suddenly, Naruto was wide-awake, and couldn't understand why. He was still tired, and there was no sunlight shining in, so he couldn't have been asleep for long. He didn't have to go to the bathroom, nor did he have a nightmare, so he was guessing that he didn't wake himself up. That only left the option of someone or something doing it.
"Give me a break," he mumbled as he got up, and staggered towards his bedroom. He was expecting to see a few rats searching for food; instead, he saw a pale-skinned dude draped in a black, feathered coat, rummaging through his drawers.
"What the hell," Naruto yelled, and the guy calmly turned around as though he had every right to be there. With dark, contemplating eyes, he gave Naruto an assessing look, then met his gaze head on. Naruto took it as a challenge.
"Look buddy, I don't know who you are. But, you chose the wrong apartment to break into tonight," he said as he cracked his knuckles. The guy's eyes narrowed slightly, before turning blood red. Three black tomoe spun wildly, then suddenly came to a stop.
"Naruto," he asked in disbelieve. Said person quickly moved several feet away. He had been prepared to take out the standard burglar, or what he secondly guessed was a confused pimp, but whatever was currently in his room was not normal.
"I've finally found you," the being continued, and Naruto scrambled to find a weapon. Grabbing the first thing his hand came into contact with, he muttered a quiet expletive once he realized what he had. But, he couldn't spend too much time complaining. He had bigger problems.
"I don't know how you know my name, but if you come one step closer, I will febreze your ass from here to the next dimension," he threatened as he kept his unwavering gaze on the intruder. At this, the corners of the guy's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
"Is that so," he asked, now from behind Naruto, with amusement in his voice. A half-second later, he got a face full of fragrant, white foam, and was bonked on the head with the can. By the time he regained his bearings, Naruto was halfway out of the apartment.
Naruto heard movement from behind him, and could practically feel breath on his neck. So, he chanced a quick glance over his shoulder, and was horrified to realize that the black coat was actually a pair of wings. That was all he needed to see to give him an extra boost of energy. Unfortunately, the thing was still faster than him, and tackled him to the ground as soon as he reached the stairs. They teetered on the edge for a brief moment, before falling all the way down to the main floor. Once again, Naruto wound up on his back, with his pursuer on top of him.
"Get the hell off of me you freak," he yelled as he thrashed about wildly. He refused to go down without a fight.
"Damn it, Naruto, calm down. It's me, Sasuke… Hold still, moron… Does this make it better," Sasuke asked as he let his eyes bleed back to black. He was hoping the more human look would put Naruto at ease. However, seeing the display up close only rattled him more.
"Help! Help! Jiraiya," Naruto yelled for his friend and landlord. Within moments, a large guy wielding a machete ran out of the basement apartment. He quickly stopped to assess the situation, and only found Naruto rolling around on the ground.
"You idiot. Do you have any idea what time it is? It's too early for one of your pranks," he said with annoyance as he glared at Naruto. Meanwhile, Naruto was having a conniption. Here he was wrestling with some monster, and Jiraiya was just calmly watching, and talking shit.
"Hurry up, old pervert! Make yourself useful! Get it off of me," he yelled in a high pitch squeal. Jiraiya's eyes turned slightly calculating, before he walked over, and lifted Naruto off of the floor by his collar. He then discreetly glanced in both directions, before his gaze settled on his tenant.
"Are you all right? From what I saw, you and the floor was fighting, and it was winning," he said with a smirk. Naruto was breathing heavily, and had pushed himself completely flat to the wall. He let his eyes search the entire lobby, before facing Jiraiya.
"What do you mean the floor? You didn't see it," he asked, incredulously. He always teased his landlord about getting elderly, but perhaps he should have been seriously questioning him, if he was missing whole, winged men.
"See what," Jiraiya asked casually, breaking his tenant's concentration. Naruto looked around for the second time, and realized that the creature had truly vanished.
"But, it was just here! It had wings and red eyes, and…" He started, and then clammed up at the disbelieving look on Jiraiya's face. As he thought about what he was describing, he felt like a small kid trying to convince his parents that there were monsters under his bed.
"Maybe I'm just tired," he concluded after he inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath. Jiraiya's face softened, before he patted Naruto on the shoulder.
"Get some sleep," he instructed, and then went back to his apartment. The moment his door shut, another door opened. Naruto looked up, and saw a pale face quickly look out of his apartment, before the door was shut again.
'Okay, now I know I didn't imagine that,' he thought as he headed out of the lobby door, and into the cool night air. Whatever was in his apartment was fooling itself, if it thought he was going back in there.
"Of all of the people this could happen to, it had to be me" Naruto griped as he walked for over twenty minutes to his friend's condo. By the time he got there, he was not only hungry and sleepy, but shivering cold as well.
"Open up, god damn it," He yelled as he banged furiously. The door was hastily thrown open, and an irate, bleary-eyed Kiba appeared.
"What the fuck is your problem? Do you know what time it is? …If this is about that dry ass Chinese food…" he shouted, and Naruto cut him off by going under his arm and walking in.
"All is forgiven, if you just let me crash for a while," he said as he wobbled on his feet. Kiba finally got a good look at him, and was surprised at how haggard he appeared.
"What the hell happened to you," he inquired, and Naruto simply shook his head.
"You wouldn't believe me, if I told you," he replied exhaustedly. Kiba waved him off.
"Whatever man, you know where the couch is. I'm going back to bed," he said as he turned, and disappeared down the hall. Naruto shakily laid down, and stared at the ceiling for several, long minutes, weighing his options. He then fell into a fitful sleep, with dreams of flying creatures circling above him.
Naruto rested his forehead on his apartment door as he contemplated what he was about to face. Now, that he was somewhat rested, he was ready to confront whatever was on the other side. That didn't mean he was looking forward to it, but he had no choice. His only other option was Kiba, and he would be damned if slept on his couch that reeked of feet every night. So, with a weary sigh, he turned the key.
He walked in, and was instantly smacked with the overpowering smell of bleach and pinesol. He looked around, and noticed that his entire apartment was gleaming. Smudged walls were now white, dishes were washed and dried, and the carpet had been swept. However, what really caught his eye was the mystery being that was currently drinking his coffee, and reading his newspaper.
"Let me know when you're ready to act like an adult," Sasuke said calmly, without looking up. He then took a sip of his coffee, and read on. Naruto gawked for a second, and then made a firm decision to ignore him. He had always said that if he went crazy, he would be cool about it. Now was his chance to do just that. So, he gave his visitor the silent treatment for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Sasuke had other plans.
Sunday
"Get out of my shower! You've been in there for over an hour. I want some hot water, too, you bastard," Naruto shouted and cursed loudly for several minutes. Suddenly, the door opened, and out of the steam appeared Sasuke in nothing but a towel. Naruto gaped for a second, and then immediately entered into his next tirade.
"What the hell! Cover yourself up. No one wants to see that," he yelled, and Sasuke walked pass him, but not before flicking the water out of his wings and onto Naruto. He then entered the living room, and proceeded to get dressed right in the center of it.
Naruto growled, and then slammed the bathroom door once he was on the other side. He hurriedly striped out of his clothing and entered his shower. He was hoping to at least get lukewarm water, but got a shock when frigid H2O splashed his chest. Sasuke smirked for the rest of the day.
Tuesday
"What is your problem? Can't you see I'm trying to work," Naruto hollered as he loaded the sink with another stack of plates. Sasuke gave him an unconcerned look, then continued with his stare-fest.
"Damn it, stop looking over my shoulder every five seconds. Don't you have something better to do than following me around," Naruto complained as he threw his dishtowel on the floor. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, before the corners of his mouth lifted a bit.
"Who do you think you're talking to, you little monster? You should be happy I let you work here," Homura said from the entryway. Naruto whirled around, and was faced with a pissed off boss. He apologized profusely, but still got the tongue lashing of a lifetime.
"Smooth," Sasuke said after the man stalked off. In his rage, Naruto threw a plate at his head, which was easily dodged.
"NARUTO," Homura yelled the second the crash sounded. Naruto paled, and Sasuke's smirk returned.
"Dumb ass," he said nonchalantly, and looked on in amusement as Naruto's boss came back for round two.
Thursday
"Sasuke, could you get that for me," Naruto asked casually as the phone rang in the background. Sasuke's eyes narrowed a bit, before he walked over, and picked up the contraption.
"Naruto here," he said cheerily with Naruto's voice. Said person froze, and then slowly looked over his shoulder.
"Oh hey, Sakura… No, I have to work tomorrow. How about Saturday," Sasuke continued while keeping his blank gaze on his prey. Naruto felt a chill run down his spine, and he didn't have to guess what was causing it.
"Sure, I'll see you then. Bye," Sasuke concluded, and met Naruto's eyes.
"You didn't think I'd use my real voice did you," he asked condescendingly, before casually strolling back to his chair. Naruto gaped some more, but Sasuke wasn't fazed.
"Oh yeah, you're supposed to be meeting somebody named Sakura on Saturday at 10 am, her place," he added, before pushing the button so that he could properly recline. Naruto nodded slowly, and then turned back to stirring his pot of beef stew. He decided that there were occasions when things should go unsaid, and this was one of those occasions.
Saturday
"Hey! You hardly ever call me anymore. What gives," Sakura questioned as she gave Naruto a fierce hug. He hugged her back tightly, as he had a glare match over her shoulder.
"Aren't you going to let us… I mean me in," he asked, and Sakura looked at him inquisitively, before stepping to the side. She watched Naruto look at the hall for a second, before he slowly turned his head towards her apartment as though he was watching someone walk in. He then slammed the door, before grabbing her arm, and quickly running down to the laundry room.
"Will you stop dragging me? What's gotten into you," Sakura growled as she yanked her arm free. She was about to slug him, until she saw his face.
"Look Sakura, I don't have long, so listen up," Naruto began as he frantically searched the room. Sakura followed his movements; getting more worried by the second.
"Good, the coast is clear… I know this may sound crazy, but I have a flying dude following me everywhere I go. The worse part is he clearly wants something, but he won't tell me what it is. No one else can see him, but I'm telling you, he's real," Naruto said without pausing. Sakura's concerned face instantly melted into one of sadness.
"Naruto, have you been overworking yourself again," she asked woefully. Naruto grabbed his hair, and pulled it as hard as he could.
"Don't do this to me! You have to believe me! This guy is unbelievable. He walks around my apartment as thought he owns it. He reorganizes my cabinets, he drinks all of my coffee, he won't let me put my feet on my table… It never ends. I even got suspended from work all next week, because of him. Please say you believe me," he ranted as he paced at high speed between the washing and drying areas. Sakura watched the display, and was at a loss as to what to say.
"You're overreacting," Sasuke said from his perch on the edge of the sink. Naruto let out a frustrated scream, before stalking over to him.
"Can't a guy get some privacy around here? I can't even take a shit without you showing up," he bellowed in Sasuke's face. At this, Sasuke looked minutely disgusted.
"Believe me, I'll leave for that," he informed. Meanwhile, Sakura was intently looking in Sasuke's direction, trying to see someone, something, anything. She desperately wanted to believe her friend, but that was hard to do while he was yelling at an empty sink.
"Um, Naruto," she called out, and drew both males attention to her.
"When was the last time you've gotten laid," she asked calmly. Sasuke's eyes widened, while Naruto's narrowed.
"You think I'm imagining a person, because I'm horny," he asked disbelievingly. His friend just stared at him in silence.
"Sakura, when guys get horny, they jerk off. Sometimes, they get blue balls. However, they most certainly don't imagine floating men," he added as his voice got louder, which made the girl flinch. Naruto then blew out a calming breath, before speaking again.
"Just forget I ever said anything," he said dejectedly, and then walked down the hall. Sasuke patted him on the shoulder, and Naruto hastily shrugged him off. Sakura watched, and pitied him as they entered her apartment.
"Sakura, he has been glaring at that chair all afternoon. Mind telling me what's going on," Ino, Sakura's roommate, whispered as she watched Naruto from the corner of her eye. Sakura swallowed the last bit of her tea, before lowering her voice as well.
"He's been hallucinating lately. I think it's a combination of stress, fatigue and lack of sex that's driven him to this. Maybe you can help him out," she replied, and Ino looked Naruto over.
"Well, he is attractive, but are you sure he's not crazy," she asked, and Sakura nodded with confidence. They then looked up to meet the glare of their subject.
"I'm going to get some more tea, do either of you need a refill," Naruto asked, and both ladies handed over their cups. He then turned to Sasuke with a glint in his eyes.
"How about you? I haven't seen you with a cup of coffee all day. You must be going through withdrawal by now," he said with a conniving grin. Sasuke leaned forward in challenge, before speaking.
"Extra strong, no sugar, with a teaspoon of hazelnut cream," he ordered, and Naruto smiled.
"Coming right up," he said, before preparing everything in record time. He gave the girls their drinks first, and then set Sasuke's mug on the floor in front of him. Now, all he had to do was watch, and wait.
Sasuke bent down, and lifted his mug, before sniffing it. He then took a small sip, and followed that with a gulp, before speaking.
"You make damn good coffee for an idiot," he said, and then drank some more. Naruto jumped up, and did a touchdown dance across the floor as he rejoiced.
"Ha! I beat you at your own game! Look at that, girls," he said as he pointed to Sasuke. Both Ino and Sakura looked at the chair, and grew puzzled.
"What are we looking at," Sakura asked, and Naruto's mouth dropped. He turned and saw Sasuke still sipping away.
"You don't see that floating cup," he asked disbelievingly. Ino chose to respond this time.
"Oh we see it all right," she said as she stared at the cup that was still sitting on the floor. Naruto looked at it, then looked at the cup that was in Sasuke's hand. Sasuke held it up so Naruto could see it clearly, and then he showed off a new talent. He put his cup in the same spot as the other, but instead of them stacking, one cup melded with the other the way a soul melds with a body. All Naruto could do was stare with his mouth hanging open. Sasuke smirked.
"You son of a bitch," Naruto said, clearly in shock. The girls started chattering.
"Okay, Sakura, I don't think I can help him. I mean I'm good, but I'm not that good," Ino informed, and Sakura nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I agree. But, I'm sure sex couldn't hurt. Maybe two girls," she asked, and Ino looked contemplative, while Naruto was downright furious.
"Will you two forget about the stupid lay," he yelled, and two sets of wide eyes met his. They had never seen a guy turn down a girl, let alone two. So, Ino knew what it was time for.
"This is my cousin Gaara's psychiatrist. He does wonders for him, so maybe he can help you," she said as she dug through her purse, and pulled out a purple, heart-shaped sticky note. Sakura was nodding continuously.
"You said you had a whole week off from work. Maybe you can schedule something for next week," she said encouragingly. Naruto looked at the two concerned, yet hopeful faces, and deflated.
"Fine, I'll call this… Dr. Might," he said miserably as he looked at the paper. Both girls smiled, and wished him luck. So, out the door he went, with Sasuke in tow. The last thing he heard was Ino saying something about, "all of the cute ones."
"I've seen plenty of cases similar to your own, but haven't had one that I couldn't cure," Guy Might informed with a bright, white smile. Naruto nodded slowly, and then flashed an uncertain smile that was mostly a showing of teeth.
"You see, the body is not just reliant on the mind, but the mind is reliant on the body as well. Right now your body is weak, so your mind is weak. But, with a little physical training, you'll be back to your old self in no time," Guy continued with the grin still intact. Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke, and was met with angriness.
"I told you this guy was insane. Keep talking to him, and you will become crazy. Then you'll have no choice, but to go see him. I bet that's how he could afford such a lavish office," Sasuke said as he looked out the large picture window. The view almost made up for the green carpet, and lighter green paint.
Naruto looked from his winged companion to his new beaming one. He felt like he had jumped out of the pan and into the fire.
"Go to the first floor, and Lee will start you off. I have full confidence in him, just as you should. Not only is he my protégé, but he's also my son," Guy informed, and Naruto nodded stupidly, before exiting. He was happy to be out of Dr. Might's office, but he was concerned with what Lee would be like.
"Welcome, my new pupil. I am Lee, and I will show you how to be strong; mind, body and soul," Lee said as he gave a deep bow. Naruto bowed slightly, then tried to stand, but saw his new teacher still going, so he quickly got back in position. After what felt like many minutes, they finally stood.
"Okay, first we will begin with shadow boxing. Punch the air as though you are sparring with an actual opponent. This will help me assess your abilities," Lee instructed, and Naruto struck the air a few times. His aim was a little off, and there wasn't a lot of power behind the blows. Lee looked dismayed, while Sasuke was irritated.
"You're hopeless. Here, aim at my hands," he said as he held his palms up and open like targets. Naruto wasted no time going to work. The mere fact that he had to put up with this father/son duo, because of his meddling, made him relentless.
"Wow, I have never seen such force! Your accuracy is dead on," Lee gushed, while Naruto shifted gears, and started openly going for Sasuke's face. For some reason, he felt like he had done this many times before, and Sasuke actually seemed to be enjoying it.
"You may as well give up on hitting me. You never could, especially as you are now," Sasuke taunted, and Naruto let out another series of punches. With lightning fast moves, Sasuke dodged him every time.
"Damn it, hold still, so that I can hit you," Naruto yelled, and Lee finally realized what was going on, sort of.
"That is right, Naruto. Father told me all about your apparition. So, use all of your strength, and kick him out of your life," Lee cheered. Surprisingly, it encouraged Naruto a bit, and he managed to land a shallow blow. Not even a second later he was flying across the room.
For several moments, his head was spinning, and he was left wondering where he was. Then two faces, one excited and the other disgruntled, appeared over his.
"Wow! I have never seen someone with such a strong imagination," Lee announced, and Naruto turned to look at his very unhappy imagination.
"You dropped your guard," Sasuke said nonchalantly, and refused to look at him. Naruto could feel his left eye closing, but felt great pleasure knowing that he wounded something far better, Sasuke's pride.
"With a little more work, you will be back to normal in no time," Lee encouraged with a smile. Naruto was smiling too, but he had his own reasons.
"Will you give it a rest? You barely touched me," Sasuke complained as he put some ice into a sandwich bag. He then walked over to the still talking Naruto, and dropped it on his face.
"Don't get mad at me, because I kicked your ass," Naruto teased as he repositioned the ice. Sasuke turned away, and sat in silence for several moments, trying to take the highroad. But, his pride was eating him alive.
"This is coming from the person with the black eye," He smugly replied. However, the expected outrage didn't come. So, he looked at Naruto, and realized he had fallen asleep with a sandwich bag on one eye, an arm over the other, and a smile on his lips. With a wry smile, Sasuke got up, and set Naruto's alarm clock. He knew the boy had to be up early in order to make it to Guy's follow-up session. Sure, he could wake him up, but watching Naruto get startled awake, before falling onto the floor was entertaining.
Naruto had just made it to the lobby door when Jiraiya intercepted him.
"Naruto, you got a minute," he asked his tenant, and then quickly cut a narrowed glance in Sasuke's direction. For the first time, Sasuke looked fearful.
"Well, I am a few minutes early. What's up," Naruto asked confusedly as he took note of Sasuke's discomfort. Jiraiya said nothing as he grabbed him by the arm, and then led him to his apartment. He then shut the door, and mumbled a quick prayer.
"Is it in here," he whispered once he finished chanting. Naruto obligingly looked around, and surprisingly didn't see the person he fondly referred to as his leech.
"Actually, he's not…" he began, before his eyes widened.
"Wait a minute! You believe me," he asked, and Jiraiya finally stopped his own search to face Naruto.
"I don't know what I believe, but I do know that I felt a presence that night in the hall. Also, when I lifted you off of the ground, you were much heavier, as though someone was attached to you," he concluded, and Naruto exploded.
"Duh, I told you that! Why do you think I asked you to get him off," he yelled, while gesturing wildly, not missing a moment in his tirade.
"Why didn't you say anything? You had people thinking I was nuts. I even went to a shrink," he continued, and Jiraiya silenced him with a hand over his mouth.
"Keep your voice down. If I wanted your friend to hear, I would have invited him in," he said as he quickly looked around.
"The reason why I didn't say anything was because I didn't want to blow my cover. It's a dangerous business when your opponents can see you, but you can't see them," he explained, and Naruto looked puzzled.
"Opponents? What are you talking about," he questioned, and Jiraiya let out a tired sigh.
"My parents own a Shinto shine, and all of my childhood was spent training to be a priest. But, once I became a man, I was more interested in saving people's lives instead of their afterlives," he clarified, and Naruto burst out laughing.
"Yeah right. You probably got kicked out for being a pervert," he joked, and Jiraiya growled.
"Would you shut up, and let me finish," he yelled, and Naruto quickly silenced his jeers.
"As I was saying, I wanted to save lives, so I got an M.D., and opened a clinic with my friend from college. Everything was fine for a while, but after a few years, I realized that was the biggest mistake of my life. For every life I saved, he took one. I was running a family clinic, while he was running a research lab. So, once the truth came out, I shut the place down, and never practiced medicine again," Jiraiya informed, and Naruto interrupted once more.
"That's an interesting story and all, but what does it have to do with me," he queried, and Jiraiya explained further.
"When you first filled out the rental application six years ago, everyone told me not lease to you, because you had an odd background. But, I sensed no malice in you, so I let it go. However, after the incident in the hall, I checked you out, and saw that your family doctor used to be Kakashi Hatake. He was once one of my interns, so I contacted him. He wouldn't give me much information due to doctor-patient confidentiality, but he did say that your case was the strangest he had ever seen. He also gave me this," he said as he handed Naruto a slip of paper with an address and a telephone number on it.
"He said whatever you needed to know could be found out there," he added, and Naruto nodded, before thanking him. Out in the hall, Sasuke listened in. He could have just slipped through, but he wouldn't have gotten nearly as much information, and he needed to know just how much the old man knew. Judging by what he heard, Jiraiya had just made his job a lot easier.
"Hidden Leaf Orphanage of Nagoya," Naruto read the sign aloud. He was sure he had seen it somewhere before, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
'Well, this is it,' He thought as he entered the double glass doors. The moment he was fully inside, all eyes were on him. Some people were whispering, some looked afraid, and others looked angry.
"Um, I'm here to see Iruka Umino," Naruto announced uncertainly as he looked around at the people gawking at him. For a long while, no one said a word, until a light haired guy walked up.
"What are you doing around here, Konohamaru," he asked challengingly. Naruto looked behind him, and didn't see anyone standing there, so the confused guy was obviously talking to him.
"You're mistaken. My name is Naruto," he replied, and the guy got up in his face.
"I said, why are you here, demon," the belligerent male yelled, and Naruto slowly felt his anger grow. He was never known for his patience, and this guy was asking, no, begging for it.
"Look pal…" he started, but was interrupted.
"That's enough, Mizuki," a stern voice stated. Naruto looked to his left, and saw a darker-skinned, brunet1 glowering at who he now knew was Mizuki. The man then turned an open and friendly face towards him.
"Nice to see you again, Naruto. We can talk in my office," he said with a smile, before walking over to a brown metal door. Naruto looked around the room once more, and saw nothing but fear and hostility, so he followed the guy that he hoped was Iruka.
"It's been so long since I've last seen you. You've grown nicely. I'm glad you're well." Iruka said as he observed Naruto. Naruto noticed that he was somewhat apprehensive, but couldn't understand why. Then to his shock, the man pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Uh, do you always hug people you just meet," Naruto asked as he blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He'd heard of affectionate people, but this was ridiculous.
"I see it's still the same," Iruka said with a happy, yet somewhat crestfallen sigh. He then released Naruto, and took a big step back, before speaking again.
"Tell me, what's you're oldest memory," he asked casually, and Naruto paled. He had never discussed his issues with anybody, so to have a stranger question him on this subject was a little alarming.
"Uh… I… um…" he stammered as he struggled to find something to say. Iruka waited patiently, encouraging every now and then.
"It's okay. Go ahead," he said, and Naruto finally solidified his thoughts.
"The oldest memory I have is when I went to Tokyo for a New Year's Day celebration. That was a few months after my 18th birthday," he said uncertainly. Iruka nodded as though he was expecting an answer similar to the one given.
"Your memory is still fragmented," he said in confirmation, and Naruto looked confused.
"You seem to know an awful lot about me. Have you been spying," he asked as he stared at the other man with suspicious eyes. This caused Iruka to laugh.
"No, I haven't been spying on you. But, I would hope that I know you very well after all of this time. I was only your counselor from the time you arrived here until you suddenly left eight years ago," he replied. Naruto quickly tried to recall any memory of this facility, or this man, but came up short. All he saw were blurs, and got a slight headache in the process.
"I don't understand," he finally said as he slowly took in the details of the floor, and the cherry oak desk in front of him. Iruka looked concerned, but decided to carry on.
"I know that you came here looking for information. So, how about I tell you what I know, and then we'll go from there," he offered, and Naruto nodded, before giving a quiet, but firm 'okay.' Iruka then sat as his desk, and gathered his thoughts to recount what he knew.
"A few months before your first birthday, your family was killed in a car crash. You had no immediate family that was willing to take you in, so they sent you here," he jumped right in, and Naruto hung on his every word.
"More so than any other baby I've met, you were always happy. That's something you rarely see in a foster home, so all of the workers and attendants loved you. But, shortly after you arrived, you contracted the flu from one of the older children. Our doctors attempted many treatments to keep your fever under control, but nothing worked. So, when we discovered that you also had a mild case of pneumonia, we contacted Dr. Hatake. He had been your physician from birth, so we figured he would be able to help. But, by the time he arrived, your temperature was already over 104 degrees (F). He tried many things to bring it down, but you were failing rapidly. So, after several hours, we were ready to admit the worst. Then, by some miracle, your temperature quickly returned to normal, and your hair turned bright blond. Over the course of several days, your eyes changed colors as well," Iruka informed as he handed Naruto a baby picture from his file.
Naruto looked at the smiling child with brown hair, and big brown eyes, and felt a small twinge, but it was fleeting.
"Is this me? It doesn't look it," he finally announced as he rubbed his finger over the surface.
"Indeed," Iruka responded, and reclaimed Naruto's attention.
"That's what caused all of the problems. Though you didn't behave any differently, many of the workers began to fear you. In fact, it had gotten so bad that I was thinking about sending you to a different home. But, word travels fast around here, and pretty shortly, I felt like I was the only one who could protect you," he continued, while Naruto was giving him a considering look. He then looked away as he admitted the next part.
"I tried to find a stable home for you, but each time you were returned, sometimes within hours," he said as he handed Naruto a file that was several inches thick. Naruto quickly scanned through it, and stopped at a name.
"This says Konohamaru Sarutobi," he said as he tried to hand it back. Iruka nodded, before responding.
"That's your birth name. Your name was unofficially changed when you turned two, because you insisted on being called Naruto. When we didn't listen, you became quite aggressive. So, I went along with it to keep you happy. However, the staff liked to irritate you by calling you Konohamaru anyway. I felt bad, so I often spent extra time with you, trying to make up for it. That's how I learned of your peculiar memory," he informed, and Naruto looked caught between shock and confusion.
"On your fifth birthday, I took you to the fair. We were there the entire day, so you often bragged about it for many months and years later. But, a few weeks after your 12th birthday, you seemed to have no recollection of it. I observed you for a while later, and asked you about past events, but you could only remember things that happened around seven years before. As time passed, it remained consistent. So, when you left, I was hoping that you would contact me before your 24th birthday. Once it had come and gone, I had given up hope. Therefore, I was a little surprised when you called yesterday. I'm glad you did," Iruka concluded with a smile. Naruto was bewildered and a little overwhelmed, but his brain was working in overdrive to make sense of everything. He didn't have any answers, but he had a damn good idea of who did.
"Is it okay if I borrow this for a while," he asked as he held up his folder. Iruka looked apprehensive for a moment, but quickly returned to smiling.
"I'm not supposed to, but it shouldn't cause too many problems as long as you return it in a few days," he answered, and Naruto started gathering the loose papers. Iruka wasn't ready to see him leave just yet.
"Wait, when will come back? I don't work tomorrow, but I'll be here Saturday," he said quickly. For the first time that day, Naruto had something to smile about.
"I'll be around. I'd love to hear more about my childhood," he said, before he bowed to Iruka, and then headed towards the door.
"Oh, and Iruka… thanks for everything. I'm sure I had a great time at that fair," he added as he walked out.
"Sasuke," Naruto called out loudly as he threw open his apartment door. He had read his entire file on the train ride home, and had developed quite a few questions along the way.
"SASUKE," he practically screamed, before said person appeared behind him.
"I heard you the first time, as I'm sure everyone else in the building did, too," Sasuke replied casually. Naruto quickly turned around, and his eyes were fierce.
"Tell me, what are you? Why are you here? How do you know me? What do you know about me," he asked without pause. Sasuke's face instantly closed down, before he turned to walk away. Naruto was hot on his heels.
"No, I let you get away with that when you first appeared, but you're talking today. So, answer me. What do you know," he questioned as he gripped Sasuke's arm. With the blankest face possible, Sasuke responded.
"It'll all make sense in time," he said stoically. Naruto released his arm as though he had burned him.
"No, it won't! You keep saying that, but nothing makes sense at all! I don't remember my childhood. I don't remember my teen years. I don't remember how or why I came to live in Okazaki. Hell, I don't even remember my name," he screamed as he punched the wall.
"I just don't get it. Why can't I remember anything? Why do I have to be so fucking weird? Normal people know who they are," he said brokenly as he rested the back of his head on the wall. Sasuke saw this as good a time as any to jump in.
"Naruto…" he began, and was swiftly cut off.
"Exactly! Who is Naruto? Apparently, it was just some name I made up. So, how do you know me as that? I certainly didn't tell you. Oh, and what did you mean by, 'I finally found you?' Why were you looking for me? I don't know you, or do I? You seem to think so. Didn't you tell me to stop trying to hit to you, because I never could? Sounds like we met before, doesn't it," Naruto said with heat, while Sasuke looked like a deer caught in headlights. He knew that as the truth came out, things were going to get tense, but he wasn't prepared for this.
"Naru…" he tried again, and was promptly stopped once more.
"You have the answers. You have the answers, but you won't tell me. Why? Am I monster? Is that it? I'm a monster, right? These people think so," Naruto said as he threw his file onto the floor. Sasuke picked up the first few sheets, and quickly read through them.
Family: Akimichi
Issue: He's a wonderful baby, and gets along great with my biological son. But, there are some things I just can't overlook, like how every time he cries, regardless as to what the forecasts says, it rains. Depending on how upset he is, it may even hail or sleet. I thought it was just a coincidence, but this afternoon I walked outside, and it was only storming on top of my house! My husband and I are sad to do this, but he frightens me.
Family: Yuuhi
Issue: He's very sweet and mannerly, albeit a little hyper. However, some of the things he envisions are extremely dark and graphic. The last straw came yesterday morning when he told me he dreamed about an earthquake. He described it down to when it would occur, what magnitude it was, and how many had people died. A few hours later, that same earthquake shook southern Japan.
Family: Morino
Issue: Being an orphan myself, I always try to help out other orphans as much as I can. So, when I heard the little guy couldn't find a home, I decided to take him on. He seemed to be settling in nicely, but yesterday he became skittish. Then after several hours of him not talking, he went into fetal position, while mumbling in a dialect I had never heard, and I have a Ph.D. in linguistics. I feel odd saying this, but I don't think I can help this kid. Perhaps an exorcist would be better.
After reading those three cases, Sasuke decided he had seen enough. He didn't like seeing his missed opportunities paraded in front of him. So, he looked over at Naruto, who had walked over to the window. Observation revealed that his shoulders were shaking, and he inhaled rapidly every so often. He was obviously crying.
"Naruto, I know that…" Sasuke started, but Naruto still didn't want to hear it.
"Shut up. Naruto doesn't exist. Apparently, I'm Konohamaru," he said quietly, as he cried harder. The rain matched his tears, which in turn made him cry even harder. This cycle continued for many, many minutes. All Sasuke could do was sadly look on.
Naruto woke up on the couch, and couldn't remember how he got there. His head was hurting slightly, but it was overshadowed by the smell of food.
"Here" Sasuke said as he passed him a hot container of cup ramen. Large pieces of shrimp and an assortment of vegetables decorated the top. But, it just wasn't as appealing as usual.
"Thanks," Naruto muttered, as he took the food, and ate a few small bites. After all of the emotion from earlier, he didn't have the strength to be enthusiastic. Sasuke wasn't much better. He knew he had to be alert from here on out, or everything he had worked for could fall apart.
"You know what's weird," Naruto began after a while. Sasuke slightly turned his head to show that he was listening.
"I don't remember my past, but I remember every dream I ever had. Most of them literally seemed out of this world, like my last one. Want to hear it," Naruto asked, but didn't pause for an answer.
"You, me and this guy with pale, almost white eyes, were standing in the center of the ocean, arguing. You were both chewing me out for not taking things seriously, and for some reason, I found that funny as hell. Then I woke up. Weird eh," Naruto asked as he turned to look at Sasuke. He met red, spinning eyes.
"Stop that," he said calmly, and Sasuke looked away. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Naruto spoke again.
"I feel like shit. You look shit. How about we get drunk, so we can at least have an excuse," he asked, only slightly joking. He knew the answer would probably be no, but, if by some chance he got a yes, it was on.
"I don't drink, and neither should you. That stuff will kill you." Sasuke ended his dreams with a stern reply, while giving him the full "father's" glare. Naruto was slightly taken aback by how serious Sasuke had gotten, but eventually shrugged it off.
"Whatever. I knew you wouldn't want to do something fun like drinking, yi-ro wi-la-kē-shi," he replied flippantly. Sasuke's head whipped around, and he openly gaped at the boy.
"What did you just call me," he asked as he frantically searched Naruto's face, red eyes, beaming. Naruto leaned away, and looked at him oddly.
"I called you a boring bastard, but perhaps I should have called you a crazy one. You don't get off on insults do you," he asked, worriedly. Sasuke just moved closer to his face, still scanning.
"That's not what you said," he replied, and Naruto grew angry.
"How can you argue with me over what I said? I think I would know… and will you stop changing your eyes? Why do you keep doing it? What is it for," Naruto questioned. Slowly, Sasuke backed off, before acting like nothing happened.
"It's not important," he said quietly as he began examining the ceiling. Naruto gawked at him for a long while, before muttering, "ki-so-nē-liy." Once again, Sasuke was on him.
"I heard you loud and clearly that time. Repeat what you just said," He commanded as he moved closer. For the first time, in a long time, Naruto was growing afraid of him.
"If you heard me, why should I repeat it? You're acting weird. Are you okay," he inquired as he gave Sasuke a fearful once over. He had grown used to seeing him over the past two weeks, so he overlooked his abnormalities. However, now that he was freaking out, those same abnormalities were eye-catching.
"Sorry," Sasuke said quickly as he gave Naruto a little space. The last thing he needed was to scare the boy off, especially when his chance finally presented itself.
"Naruto, this may sound weird, but I need for you to repeat after me. Repeat after me, no matter what happens," Sasuke instructed a little shakily. He was noticeably anxious, and that, oddly, eased Naruto a bit. For some reason, seeing the guy's fear made him less afraid.
"Why," he questioned. He was less apprehensive, but he still wasn't completely sure of Sasuke and his new mood swings. Besides, it was a rather odd request.
"I can't tell you why, so just trust me. If I had planned to do something malicious, I would have done it by now," Sasuke replied, hoping that Naruto would believe him. If he missed this blatant fragment, he may not get this chance again. Luckily, Naruto was a trusting person.
"Fine. What do you want me to say," he asked uncertainly. Sasuke took a deep breath, before responding. This was it.
"Mē-ni ee-shi ra-sha-la na-ku-ya," he said, and Naruto hesitated for a second, before repeating it. The moment he did, his skin felt scorching hot; his vision became slightly hazy, jumping in and out of focus; his heartbeat pounded in his ears; and he felt muscles twitch that no human body had.
"What the hell did you just do to me," He asked fearfully, as he lifted his hands to touch his face. The moment he did, he realized that his fingernails had elongated, and he had odd ridges on his cheeks.
Sasuke was trying to get him to repeat the next phrase, but Naruto needed to see what was going on with his body. So, he ran to the bathroom, and was horrified by what was revealed in the mirror.
His blonde hair was streaked with brown, the ridges resembled whispers, he had canine-like fangs, and his eyes blinked from blue to brown, before settling on red. Sasuke was walking towards him, trying to calm him down. But, he wasn't having it.
"Get the hell away from me, demon," he yelled as he let his two index fingers intersect to resemble a cross. Sure, he was a Buddhist, but considering he had several statues around his apartment, yet Sasuke walked around freely, he didn't trust him to do the job. Besides, he needed some serious help, and at the moment, he didn't care who gave it to him, be it Jesus, Allah or Zeus.
"Naruto, calm down, and repeat what I'm saying. It'll all make sense in a minute," Sasuke said as he tried to get closer. Naruto had a different idea.
"Fuck you! I don't know why I listened to some invisible person, but I know I'm not listening anymore," he yelled as he tried to run out the door. Sasuke grabbed him, but was thrown into the wall. Naruto was shocked at his strength, but didn't have time to think on it. He had to get away.
'He tricked me. He tried to turn me into something. Damn it, why am I so gullible,' Naruto thought as he ran down the stairs. He heard Sasuke following him, but could only be half concerned about it. He was currently being bombarded with visions.
'Who are these things winged people? Why are they in my head,' Naruto wondered as several images appeared, and then left.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was desperately trying to reach him. He could tell Naruto wasn't all there, because he was running through traffic, and in front of cars.
'If something happens to him, I'll never forgive myself,' he thought as he flew overhead, looking for an opportunity to swoop in. Then in the blink of an eye, tires screeched, someone screamed and there was a crash.
'Shit!' Sasuke thought as he flew to the center of the wreckage. The driver of one car was hanging out of the windshield, clearly dead. Another driver had her head resting on the steering wheel, her condition uncertain. But, the person he was concerned about was alive, albeit barely.
"Naruto, look at me," he ordered as he knelt down. Blue eyes opened a fraction, before a smile appeared on his face.
"Even in death I can't get away from you," Naruto joked, but Sasuke remained utterly serious.
"Don't talk like that; you're not dead, yet. But, there isn't much time. You have to repeat after me, now," he said quickly. Naruto's vision was blinking in and out, but he understood the request. He didn't understand why Sasuke thought it was so important, especially with him in the condition he was currently in, but at least it would pass the time until his life ended.
"Do it," he said weakly, and Sasuke jumped right.
"Mē-ni ee-shi ra-sha-la na-ku-ya," he began, and Naruto repeated it. Oddly, this time he understood what he was saying.
"I am of the Great Spirit."
"Shi-wey ee-nuun-ya shi ma-ee o-kin-ri na-sey mē."
"The blood of mystics, and the power of gods flow through me."
"Mē-ni a-ka-sey-o-ri."
"I am immortal."
The minute Naruto stopped reciting, everything slammed into focus. He wasn't on the brink of death; he wasn't being flooded with forgotten memories, nor was he confused about who or what he was.
He was Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Though some people referred to his kind as angels, while others preferred demon, he knew he was a warrior that swore to protect the innocence of mortality from those in his society that wanted to exploit it.
With that in mind, he lifted himself off of the ground, before spreading golden wings. He then stared at the figure that was still lying there. It was a guy in his mid twenties that had brown hair, and what he knew would be brown eyes, if they were opened. He knew that face anywhere, even if it was older than what he remembered.
He then turned to look at the rest of the wreckage, before his gaze fell on his relieved, but livid friend. Red eyes met red, and then slowly one turned black, while the other turned blue.
"Sasuke, what the hell happened to me," Naruto asked in a language that he had long forgotten. A glare was burning into his skull, but was eventually reduced to a simmer.
"You botched the mission," Sasuke answered, tersely. This caused Naruto to think back to his most recent assignment…
"Naruto, I have a very important task you for you," Tsunade informed once he made it to her office. Naruto had been on the front lines for almost a century, and was ready for something different. Now, after all of his complaining, the higher-ups were finally listening.
"It's about time! When do I leave? Who am I protecting? Is it a king, maybe a philosopher? Oh, I know. It's a revolutionary, isn't," he rattled off quickly. He had to know these things, so he could gloat properly. But, Tsunade just smiled and shook her head.
"You'll see," she said lightly, before sending him on his way…
"Important task my ass," Naruto growled as he stood with his back facing the hospital's nursery. He thought he would get to protect somebody of status, at least a president. Instead, he got a newborn baby.
"This is just great. Wait till I get back. I'm giving Tsunade an earful," he continued. That's when he heard gurgling. He turned around, and the neonate appeared to be looking right at him.
'I thought these things couldn't see, yet,' Naruto wondered, as he stuck his tongue out at it. The moment he did, a big smile appeared on the baby's face.
"Wait, a minute? You can see me," Naruto asked as he walked directly into the nursery from the hall. As best as the baby could, it followed him with his eyes.
"You can see me," Naruto exclaimed, as he got right up in its face. The baby instantly smiled.
"You're very lucky Ms. Sarutobi. Already, he is such a happy child. In fact, I'm surprised. Most babies don't start smiling for several weeks, because the face muscles aren't strong enough. But, that's clearly not a problem here," the nurse reported. On the other side of the glass, a smiling woman, a tall man, and an elderly man looked on proudly.
"Good job, sis. He's cute," the younger man congratulated. The woman turned to give her thanks, but stopped immediately.
"Asuma! I know you weren't about to smoke in here," she angrily asked as she snatched the cigarette from her brother's lips. Asuma looked pained.
"What? It wasn't lit," he defended, but the woman wasn't having it. Meanwhile, the older man was just sadly shaking his head at his kids' antics. He then looked back to the smiling newborn, before smiling himself.
"You did a wonderful job. He'll make a great Sarutobi," Hiruzen said to his daughter. He knew his daughter was sad that her fiancé wasn't alive to see this, but neither she nor his grandson would ever have to go without, as long as he was alive.
Naruto was thinking something similar. Sure, he didn't get Mahatma Gandhi, but Konohamaru Sarutobi was just as good…
Over the course of the next six months, Naruto was relentless with his attention to the baby. He woke him up all hours of the night, so that he could play with him. He hid anything that he thought might be hazardous, which included his pacifier, his rattle and his new teething ring. He even went as far as throwing away his diapers, so that he couldn't get diaper rash.
The older Sarutobis weren't excited by their stroke of "bad luck," but Konohamaru was happy, and that's all that mattered to Naruto.
"Na… Na… Na-to," Konohamaru muttered, and all three Sarutobis surrounded him. They then began to argue over whom he was talking about. Each of them thought he was referring to them, but Naruto knew the truth. He got confirmation two months later…
"Nar-to, Nar-to, Nar-to, Nar-to," Konohamaru chanted while both his babysitter and Naruto paced. The Sarutobis were supposed to be back hours ago.
'I wonder what happened to them? They're never gone this long,' Naruto thought as he stared into the carefree baby's face. Then, a knock at the door changed everything…
"Dr. Hatake, his fever is still going up. The thermometer reads 105.2 degrees (F)," A nurse called out as she placed Konohamaru into a pan of ice cubes. He didn't like it, and showed this by screaming to the top of his lungs. His entire body was as red as a beet. But, the number one priority had to be lowering his temperature.
"What are his stats now, Shizune," Kakashi called out after 60 seconds passed. The woman quickly got a reading.
"105.6 degrees. It's not working," she said as Kakashi was preparing an injection. Meanwhile, Naruto was looking on, feeling useless.
'It's too high. He won't make it, if it stays like that,' he thought as he looked into glassy eyes. Konohamaru's light was fading fast.
'Why was I sent here? Did they just want me to watch him die? It's not fair,' Naruto thought as he dropped his head in sadness. Out of all the things he had seen, this was the worst.
'No,' he said after a moment's decision. Regardless as to what the rules said, he would not stand by, and just watch this. He had the power, so he was going to use it…
"I tried to save him," Naruto said quietly. He then looked over at the young man, who was being zipped into a black bag, and hung his head. Sasuke was quiet for a long time, before he chose to speak.
"You can't get attached to them, and you can't interfere with their lives. Look at what happens," he said as he watched the ambulance roll off. Naruto followed it, too, and didn't look away until he couldn't see it anymore.
"I just couldn't let him die. He was too little," he said softly. Sasuke watched his friend closely, before letting out a tired sigh.
"Let's go home. The others will clean this up," he said as he lifted into the air. He could have just teleported, but he figured Naruto needed some time to think. He himself may have been happy, but it was clear that Naruto wasn't.
'I really made a mess of things this time.' Naruto reflected as he took off after Sasuke. He knew Tsunade gave him that mission to teach him a lesson…
"You always want to protect someone of high status, but each of them are important in their own way. One day you'll learn that." –Tsunade
'I doubt this is the lesson you had in mind,' Naruto contemplated as he reviewed his mistakes.
He knew how serious it was to merge with a mortal. To die in that form would have ended his existence. But, he didn't really put too much thought into it at the time. Even if he had, it wouldn't have changed the outcome.
'The elders are going to crucify me,' he thought after a while. From what he could recall, they weren't happy when it happened in the past, just as they won't be happy now. He was only a small child, but he remembered it clearly.
His father tried to save a boy that resembled him. But, in the process, he wound up fusing with him, and the emergent properties of the union made it impossible to find them. It was like they had become an entirely new being. Neither their souls, nor their chakra could be individually located.
On top of that, the boy's six years of age versus his father's centuries made it difficult to determine whether they would be an old man, a child or something in between. The same thing happened with the rest of their appearance.
Blue eyes and blonde hair seemed likely, but there was a possibility that they could've canceled each other out, and wound up totally different. Therefore, just about anybody could have been it. The only thing they knew for sure was that they were looking for a male with hidden memories of their world.
But, back then, there were only millions of men. Now, there were billions. So, Naruto couldn't even imagine how hard Sasuke must have been searching to have actually found him. His father wasn't so lucky, and half of their population was out looking for him.
'Wow,' Naruto thought as he looked over at Sasuke. For the first time, he noticed that he was paler than usual, and his wings were a dull, dingy black. They matched his tired eyes.
'It looks like he's taken several trips to Tartarus,' Naruto deduced, before he thought back to the last two weeks. He had sprayed him, hit him over the head, cried like a child, ran from him, ignored him, and the list goes on. But, here he still flew right beside him.
"There are other things to stare at besides me," Sasuke finally spoke up. They've had numerous glare-offs in the past, but nothing that ever lasted this long. He was beginning to think that he botched his mission by not separating the souls properly. Perhaps a small piece of Naruto was still back there.
"I was just thinking how you spent a quarter of a century looking for me," Naruto interrupted Sasuke's musings. Sasuke was quick with a rebuttal.
"It was just a mission. Don't think so highly of yourself," he replied, before flying a little further on. Naruto glared at the back of his head, before a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Admit it. You missed me," he said as he caught up. He knew the boy wasn't big on physical contact, so he used one arm to pull him into a half embrace half chokehold.
"Stop hugging me, weirdo," Sasuke snapped as he instantly pushed him off, before giving him an annoyed look. Naruto laughed.
"What? I lived as a human for the last 25 years. That's what they do," he retorted, and received a glance.
"You're not a human," Sasuke deadpanned, and Naruto's grin grew.
"Yeah, but after playing as one all this time, I've picked up a lot of new habits. I wonder how long it will take me to return to normal, maybe a few hundred years," he said connivingly. Sasuke was silent for a moment, and then he flew several hundred feet ahead. Naruto quickly caught up to him, but again, Sasuke added some distance.
"You might as well give up on getting away from me; we're going to the same place. Besides, I'm probably gonna be on lockdown for the next millennium. I've got nothing, but time," Naruto said as he caught up once more. Sasuke glanced in his direction, and then sped off again. Naruto growled, and then kicked it into high gear. He was putting on a great show, because inside he was happy, and judging by the glimpse of a smile that he saw on Sasuke's face, he was happy, too.
~Fin~
1 Brunet is used for men, while brunette is used for women.