This is the result of my needing to write anything to get over my writers' block, and my friend giving me the words 'unknown' and 'orange' to work with. Thanks Cristallia (her pen name here on FanFiction). Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of its associations.

I remember the day clearly. I was a mere twelve-year-old and alive with the fiery spirit of youth* when my father took us to his company's annual picnic in May. We had always gone before, but that year's picnic stands out to me because of that majestic orange. At picnics, people usually eat watermelon – sweet and juicy, practically melting in your mouth – so there were tons of oranges to choose from. Oranges are my favorite kind of fruit: I just cannot get enough of citric, tangy juices and I even enjoy having to remove the textured skin, I feel as if I have to dig for the scrumptious golden treasure inside, and the reward is definitely worth the effort.

So there I was, digging through a crate of oranges, looking for the best one, It took me a while and my family had already started eating, but I kept on searching until at last, I had found it, First of all, the thing was big—I mean huge—nearly as big as a grapefruit, and the aroma emanating from it was intoxicating. Just beholding its beauty made my cheeks tingle with an odd sensation. I knew immediately that I would have to hide the fruit until I could have enough time to eat it alone, otherwise someone would surely ask for some. Since we were at a company picnic, refusing would make my father look bad, and possibly jeopardize his job I found an empty box and placed my orange inside. After borrowing a marker from some adult, I labeled the box, figuring that no one would want to touch it then. When I looked up from my work, I noticed that some boy was staring at me. I figured that he had only seen me writing on the box, and had not seen what I put in it so, I remained calm. He looked like he was going to say something, so I spoke first. "I'm just making sure everyone had a fair warning." Then I took my leave.

I picnicked with my family, and just as things were coming to a close, a friend of my father's and work came over to us with his family. He had a girl around the same age as me, and a boy that was a bit older. It took me a while to realize it, but it was the same boy that was watching me write on the box. I am sure that he was nothing spectacular bout him, so I must have only remembered because of my desire to savor the moments I was in the presence of my precious orange. Sure, his blue eyes were kind of pretty, and maybe the way he was smirking for absolutely nothing was charmingly funny, but all of that is easily forgettable. I only remembered that because of my orange's magnificent presence.

He must have recognized me as well, because once the introductions were over, he came up to me and said, "Thanks for the warning about the brussels sprouts," I froze. He could not have looked into the box, he would have known it was just an orange.

"Uh, no problem. It was just the right thing to do." I looked at the ground and shifted my feet. I absolutely had to get back to my orange. As soon as everyone turned their backs, I shot out like lightening, back to my orange. When I at last reached the box, I knelt down in front of it and hurriedly pried it open. I almost screamed when I found the box to be empty. The barren, brown flap, missing the orange to glorify it. My entire body started trembling as I closed the box again.

"Are you looking for something?" I turned to the voice and came face-to-face with the boy from earlier,. I managed to shake my head, but he began to laugh as I did so. I chose to ignore his ridiculousness because I had to look for – no I had to find – my orange. I ran again and spent a good chunk of time searching high and low for the fantastical fruit. Round and round and round I went, praying that I would find it unscathed. How could I have been so stupid as to leave it alone! Why did I think it would be alright to leave it unattended in a box?

I flew back and forth, searching and searching, and I could not find it anywhere. I eventually collapsed in front of my incompetent box-safe and sighed deeply-trying desperately not to burst into tears. That orange would have been magnificent. Just thinking how close I was, and now how so far away…I wished I could have gone back and instead eat it right away. While I was wallowing in my misery, the boy from all those times before appeared. I did not notice him at first-being too absorbed in my self-pity-so he was able to sit down right next to me without my knowing. I may never have even noticed him had he not said the following words aloud, "Did you find your orange yet?"

If his sudden appearance was not enough to shock me, then his mentioning my orange sure as heck was. "What orange?" I asked, feigning some sort of indifference.

Something in my voice must have given me away, because he immediately responded with, "Oh, don't play dumb! You know what orange!" I just gaped at him, disbelieving that he knew about my orange. Then he chuckled to himself and spoke again, "Then again, I'm the one playing dumb. I know where your orange is." And before I had enough time to even drop my own jaw, he pulled out my missing wondrous fruit. He laughed again, probably at the somewhat distorted look on my face.

"G-give that back," I stuttered. Whether it was fear or anger that caused my stutter, I have no idea-even to this day.

"The thing is, I really like oranges," he continued on, as if he did not hear me. "And when I saw this big one, I thought to myself 'I have to it.' They're my favorite fruit, y'know."

"I don't care! I found it first!"

"But you left it alone."

"That was to protect it! How could I be so stupid?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I'm going to eat it know."

"Wait!"

"No, I don't think I will. In fact, I'll consider it a birthday present from you to me. That way you won't have to give me another one."

"I don't even know you. Now give me back my orange." I was on the verge of tears.

"Oh come on," he whined. "Can't we at least share it?"

I was awestruck. The entire reason I had hid it was so that I would not have to share. And now, it was the only way I would be able to have any at all. I thought it over. There was no way I could forcibly take it from him, seeing as how he was bigger and possibly stronger than I was at the time. To completely give up on the fruit would be disastrous and I would have died from disappointment that way. The only choice I had was to share. "F-fine…." He seemed to be shocked that I agreed.

Nevertheless, he nodded and began to peel my orange. I was still about to cry, but this time it was because all of my hard work to hide the orange had blown up in my face, forcing me to actually share it. I did eventually get over that fact, but only when I tasted the delicious tang of the mystical fruit. I ate it slowly, savoring every last piece-and all the while that ingrate laughed at me properly enjoying an orange.

And that is the tale of how I met my true love. I mean the orange, by the way. I mean, sure I did do some fireworks with the boy later. And when I grew older we did begin to date. And yes, I am married to him now, with three darling children-they take after me. But my one and only true love was that orange.

*: Does that sound like Gai-sensei or what?