It was a hot day in Konoha and the sun was shining from a clear blue sky. The few people, who were still outside, were hiding in the almost extinct shadows. But if you look carefully a person could be spotted in the clouds of road-dust created by the soft breezes.
Wild golden locks whirled around the face. A large baggy jumpsuit covered the entire body in an intense orange, making the smile seam so much brighter. At a quick glance anyone would see a happy boy in the middle teens taking a stroll along the street. But if you took a really close look you could see the dullness in the eyes.
The blond was slowly walking down the road towards home, letting a sigh escape. 'Ramen again… Not that it was something to complain about, it never ends up spoiled when bought. But a little variation wouldn't hurt, if only it would be possible to get something fresh and less salty.'
Hands tightened around the grocery bags as the blond turned in to the slum parts of the town. Here the worried mothers telling their children not to "look at the monster, he might attack you" couldn't be heard, but instead drunkards were openly calling the blond names. Keeping the make shift smile plastered on, the tiny blond turned around a corner to lose one of the men that had decided to follow. You never knew what their intentions were, but it's never something good.
"Bakemono! You freaking monster! Leave this village!" A woman screamed from a window, throwing a tomato in the blond's direction. 'What ever have I done to you, to deserve this kind of hatred? No matter what I do I'm always treated this way.'
The shrill voice of the woman had alerted the following man of the blond's location, but now he had a companion with him coming from another direction. 'Oh no, not the bearded one! I need to get rid of them fast, otherwise they will gather more people or follow me to my apartment, depending on what I do.' the teen thought.
When the blond enters a blind alley the drunkards makes huge grinning faces. "Finally you're caught! You know that with that short height of yours and your slender body, you could easily be mistaken fore a girl" The bearded one calls to the teen in a sickly sweet, husky voice. "And nobody would miss you."
Pretending not to have heard anything, the teen jumped up on a trashcan then continued up the wall in the dead end, waving to the persecutors before jumping down the other side. That way the blond was making the perfect illusion of a brainless hyperactive teen that hasn't a clue as to what was happening, believing that it was some type of a game they were playing.
Lots of cursing was heard as the blond disappeared among the narrow streets in the dirtiest part of slum-district. At the same time as avoiding kicking at a can lying on the ground, not wanting to catch anyone's attention, the teen was thinking things over while making the way home.
'The bearded one is right' the blond thought sighing, 'it's not like there is anyone around here who would be upset if I disappeared… This farce is getting whey to old. I should without a doubt get away from here. Perhaps it would be a good thing to take Gaara up on his offer... He seemed to have a lot of spare rooms. Though they would probably make me a missing ninja. Could it be worth it?'
As the blond was pondering and potting the groceries… or rather ramen, away in the little apartment, a chirping sound was heard at a distance. Looking out the window the blond saw a messenger-bird heading in the way of the worn down building. 'Gees' the teen thought, 'that's so like her, can't even think something like that without her wanting to see me for a mission. But it's not like she really cares. I can't ever truly be her little brother, and she never tried to learn who I am. Ever sins the old geezer died I haven't had anyone to help me keep the secrets I hold or give me advice… Feels lonely... so lonely..'
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A raven-haired boy sat in the windowsill of a large mansion, seemingly watching the street and the people walking by. At this time of the day most parents were on their way home to their children or teenagers, but this eighteen year old male weren't awaiting his parents to come home any time soon. In fact they were never going to come home again.
Sasuke's face didn't show any emotion, but he was bored. He had two goals in life, the first and most important, was to avenge his family. But since Itachi had died due to the eye-disease that followed the Magekyou Sharingan, his hope for revenge was less then nonexistent. Then he had the second goal, which he hadn't thought much about since he never thought he would survive his first goal, to restore the clan. But as he found girls annoying and the thought to marry one disturbing, he couldn't bother to make up a plan.
'Life definitely seems boring without a goal, without a purpose. What's the meaning of my life? Why am I still alive?' The pondering could go on and on, like the never ending pounding of the sea. But what's the point in that? What would that achieve? Nothing, that's the answer. No, Sasuke wasn't the kind of person who normally dwells on depressive thoughts! Yes, he used to think those too, but usually he turned it to something creative, like exercising so he'll have the strength to defeat his brother.
Training didn't have the same ring to it now when there wasn't anything to achieve anymore. This left Sasuke sitting brooding about what to do. 'If I went to the training grounds I would probably meet Naruto. I could always challenge him to a spar. But then again Naruto was so loud and idiotic and he would probably follow me the rest of the day.' That thought didn't seem pleasing to the Uchiha who didn't have any other purpose to training then pass the time away.
'Then there is Sakura' the Uchiha thought. 'She isn't as good a sparing-partner as the dobe, and she is also ear-splittingly loud… Stop, what am I thinking? She would only spend my precious time by trying to make me go out with her, or try to steel a kiss.' Sasuke shuddered at the thought of it.
That was when it suddenly happened. A messenger-bird came in throw the window and woke him up from his boredom. It turned out to be a letter from the hokage who summoned team seven to a meeting.
Getting up and out of the house to the hokage tower, Sasuke tried to ignore all the glances and giggles he received on the way there. Girls were really strange and annoying. A girl begun to stumble a little insecure towards him. 'Again' He sighed, frustrated that this was a part of his day. They were stealing his time away! 'Why did they have to single me out? Because that I'm an Uchiha? Because of my pale skin and refined features. There are lots of half decent guys who of cause aren't as good as me, but are at least willing! Couldn't they see that I'm a person too, like everybody else, not something meant just to show of? Damn! With all the glaring, way can't they take the hint?'
Sasuke gave the stumbling girl an extra hard glair and turned away from her, to make a show of not wanting anything to do with her. At this the girl shrunk a bit and took a few steps back before stumbling of in another direction. This made the Uchiha somewhat happier, giving a smirk before continuing towards the tower.
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"Bachan!" An orange blur could be seen dashing into the room, not stopping before being face to face with Tsunade, screaming at the top of lungs "Do you have a mission for me?" An idiotic smile graced the hyperactive blond's features.
"Naruto! Don't scream at me brat, and don't call me that!" The hokage's poked the blond on the forehead making the teen fall tumbling to the flour. This scene was followed by a flow of swearwords from the injured blond.
Nursing the offended place in the middle on the forehead Naruto shouted "What did I do?" A confused expression was visible on the blond's face. Groaning sounds were heard from around the room. Surprise slips into Naruto's face as the blond is looking around the hokage-office, while seemingly just noticing the surroundings.
"Hi, Sakura-chan, are you here too! I'm so glad!" The blond said in his usually loud but happy voice. "Would you like to go out with me Sakura-chan?" The blond asks in a loud voice, making her cringle at the question.
With a frown on her face, the pink girl trough a firm slap sends the blond crashing in to a wall, where the blond ends up laying in a heap on the floor. With a smirk on her face she crossed her arms over her belly, making a point of it, like saying that's what you get from trying to come close to me.
"Ouch, you don't have to hit me so hard!" Naruto said to Sakura. At that she turned her back to the blond heading to stand beside her crush.
Black tresses caught the blond's attention. Pointing a finger at said raven-haired boy, the blond exclaimed "What's he doing here?" This resulted in a snort from the boy and Sakura shirking "Naruto-baka!"
Tsunade watched the blond interact with Sakura and Sasuke. She sighed and let a small smile creep on to her lips at the all too familiar patterns. 'Naruto never seemed to learn, but then he wouldn't have had the same stupid and almost impossible goal as my beloved brother had had. My brother who died all to soon and left me a broken hart. Naruto, with the sunny appearance, stubborn personality and the goal to become hokage both tore the old wounds open and mended her shattered hart, filling the spots that had been empty sins her brothers death. She never wanted the blond to change, she much rather have Naruto stay this way for ever, though hopefully a little bit more appreciated. This was what the hokage was thinking while she tried to regain their attention so they could continue with the mission-debriefing.
"Well!" The hokage continues. "What's happened is that the barber's daughter has run away from home. And your mission is to get her back home, hopefully willingly so that we won't have to do this all over again."