Chapter One: Welcome to Zenko!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any money from my stories.
Summary: What if Naruto chose another profession instead of being a Shinobi, what you may ask read and find out.
X
X
ヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノ
X
X
In this world exists a continent divided into a number of different countries, of operate as separate political entities ruled by Daimyō.
Those countries maintain balance between them through nothing but power and the empty promise of an alliance between various other countries. However our story focus on Hidden Villages, which were are parts of countries in which the country's Shinobi reside.
In particular a person that lived within a particular Hidden Village, Konohagakure. In fact this person was not even a ninja; no he was just a shopkeeper…
X
X
ヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノ
X
X
"It's finally graduation day and I'm now a Shinobi of Konoha. It's time to show Sasuke what I can really do!" A rather peculiar pink hair-colored girl with sparkling emerald eyes grinned triumphantly.
She was clad in a red dress, black spandex shorts, and blue colored open-toed Shinobi boots. Her eyes shined in happiness while walking towards the Konoha Shinobi Academy to attend the graduation ceremony.
It was on the way to her destination she met up with her rival, a pretty platinum blonde with mischievous cauliflower blue eyes.
This girl wore a purple dress yet underneath most of her body was covered in bandages, and finishing off her ensemble were the same blue colored open-toed Shinobi boots.
"Hey Sakura, you look happy this morning. Did you realize Sasuke is never going to be into girls with huge foreheads? Forehead Girl," The blonde smirked smugly, crossing her arms in front of her after she ran her hand through her long blonde hair.
Sakura glared placing her hands on her hips, "Please, you are only trying to take away from the fact Ino-Pig that I am going to be teamed up with Sasuke. We are going to take the Shinobi World by storm and he'll finally see you for the ugly pig that you are."
The pink-haired girl smiled a little at the not so subtle dig at Ino's name knowing the blonde hated it. Choosing to remain silent the rest of the way to the Academy the two girls constantly tried to walk ahead of each other.
As a result they practically ran through the village, but their normal routine changed when they slowed down a bit to see a store they had never seen before.
"Hey what's this place?" Sakura asked stopping in front of a small shop surrounded by large iron gates.
The gates had various swirl marks artistically shaped out across the top, it was so elegantly done that it did not seem too outrageous. The shop itself was made like a traditional Japanese home with shoji styled panels decorated with red foxes playing in an open field filled with Sakura blossoms falling from the trees.
The painting was strange because for a moment seemed to come to life though Sakura and Ino believed it was a trick of the sunlight.
"It's beautiful… what kind of place do you think it is?" Ino said in a whispered tone.
"Don't know probably an antique store or something," Sakura chuckled as she rolled her eyes at Ino's unquenchable curiosity.
"Come on we have time let's check it out," Ino said she had a strong sudden urge to go inside. Nodding her head Sakura followed, she was suffering from the impulse to enter the shop as well.
However once they crossed over the threshold and it was as if they were transported to another world.
Upon viewing from the outside it looked like a simple shop, but once inside they were brought into a large Japanese garden.
One section it was styled much like Karesansui gardens or "dry landscape" gardens were influenced mainly by Zen Buddhism and can be found at Zen temples of meditation. The ground was made of raked sand. The large rocks were all artistically shaped with as small shrubs that garnished the landscape.
Another section was more like Tsukiyama Gardens with large shrubs, the garden's structure made onlookers focus on the Hokage Mountain by doing this; it seems that the garden has the mountains as part of its grounds.
A sizeable fish pond in the middle of this area with a small red bridge over the pond, the water spread out into streams, flowed down small hills, trickled over smooth stones until it reached the various trees, flowers.
The third section was Chaniwa Gardens are built for holding tea ceremonies. A beautiful tea house was the main focal point, smooth stepping stones lead up to the tea house. On the outside of the building were stone lanterns and stone basins (Tsukubai) where guests purify themselves before a ceremony.
Throughout the lands surrounding the three gardens were also various trees like Japanese Black Pine, Evergreens, Sakura Trees, and Japanese Maple Trees though it was strange because not all of them were in bloom during this season.
"Alright I must be dreaming," Sakura said monotonously. She had never seen something so beautiful in her life.
Ino gasped in astonishment, "You and me both, this looks like something out of a storybook my dad used to read me when I was little." She was a great appreciator of places like this due to her parents owning a flower shop.
They turned back to look at the shop to see it remained the same. The two girls carefully made their way towards the shop. It seems as if no one was inside the shop, there were no sounds of someone inside of in the area.
Outside on the bare porch they noticed the lack of a chair or even a small pillow for someone to sit on which was usually there so the owner can view their garden.
"It looks like no one is inside," Sakura murmured.
A melodious, but soft male voice spoke up this startling the two girls, "May I help you two young ladies?"
"What the hell how and when did you get there?" Ino shouted.
Sitting there upon the porch on a large crimson velvet pillow so enormous it looked as if you could comfortably sleep in it sat a young man who was clearly not there a moment ago.
In front of him was a tray that held a bamboo tea set and snacks, he was currently holding one of cups filled with hot tea judging by the steam coming off in waves.
The boy in question had silken long golden blond hair that fell majestically upon his shoulders and down his back.
He was dressed in traditional white kimono with large bell-shaped sleeves and a rather large feminine crimson obi with looked to be a number of golden fox tails crisscrossing about the fabric.
His deep sapphire eyes gleamed in mischief as he gestured them to take a seat on the two pillows that now appeared as if by magic.
Not knowing what else to do they sat down and were each handed a cup of tea. "Mm… I love jade dew tea, it's my favorite," Ino sighing in refreshment.
"Huh that's strange mine tastes like my favorite stalk tea," Sakura said after sipping her own.
"And mine is oolong, which is my favorite so what brings you here to my shop?" The golden haired boy asked in amusement. It never gets old how spellbound his customers look upon first entering his shop.
Sakura gasped in wonderment, "You own this place?" At first she thought he may have been an assistant being as young as he looked, in face he appeared to be about the same age as them.
"Yes I own this place. My name is Naruto and this is Zenko, my humble shop," Naruto smiled as he moved his hands in graceful flourish waving to show off his not so humble shop.
The size and sheer magnificence of it earning deadpan looks from both girls. "Well we're on our way to the Academy and… oh my god we are so late!" Ino yelled.
Sakura shrieked in worry as well as they were got up to break out in a run, but Naruto merely made a simple dismissive wave of his hand and they abruptly sat back down gently in their seats.
"How did you do that and why did you stop us, we're going to be late!" Sakura yelled.
"Time is irrelative here, what may seem like hours here are mere minutes outside. You are in no danger of being late I assure you. Now you were able to enter my shop so you must desire something," Naruto said calmly.
"Well there isn't anything I can think of," Sakura said a blush forming on her face with Ino mirroring the expression.
Naruto chuckled softly, "Ah… it is love then how cute." Getting up from his seat he offered a hand to each girl that took it and led them into his shop.
Inside it looked more like a museum as it was filled with paintings, wall scrolls, statues of all sizes, and other pieces of artwork and that was just the foyer.
Sliding open the Fusuma (another type of paper room divider) they were led to another hall filled with other shoji type doors.
Each decorated with paintings depicting nature such as oceans with birds flying over it, a forest with animals playing within, or flowers waving gently in the wind.
Coming to a door with a design of a moon shining in the night sky reflecting on a lake they walked inside. In the middle of the room there was a simple low table, Naruto nodded to the table, and the two girls sat down at it.
Sitting across from Sakura and Ino, Naruto with another wave of his hand summoned a few item onto the surface of the table.
The girls can only watch in awe at what could describe as magic took place before them. Naruto placed two black ceramic bowls filled with water in front of them.
With a snap of his fingers three vials of red, blue, and white colored liquid merely floating in the air in front of Naruto. Picking up the red liquid vial he poured half into Sakura's bowl and the other into Ino's bowl.
"The essence of passion, however there is a downside it is also the essence of pain," Naruto recited after pouring the red vial, once empty it vanished.
"The essence of happiness, but its twin in the negative can be the essence of depression," He said as he did the same with blue liquid.
"And finally the essence of purity or innocence however because of its lack of true color it can be easily stained and tainted," Naruto murmured as he poured the white liquid into their bowls.
The colors merged into lilac color water and soon began to glow until something solid formed out of the liquid.
When the light dimmed down floating in now clear water was an actual Lilac flower floating. Ino's eyes immediately grew wide in understanding.
"Lilacs are known to be the symbol of love!" Ino gushed over the romantic sorcery of what took place.
Sakura's eyes glittered at what she now understood to be quite a magical and romantic act right before her eyes.
Naruto then took it a step further when he took the lilacs in each of his hands and seemingly crushed him. When he opened his hands two lilac shaped broaches now appeared in his hands.
"Wear these and you shall find your true love," Naruto said ambiguously smiling brightly.
After they asked what it would cost as they knew he did not do this for free he merely smiled once more, but it looked far less innocent than before.
Naruto said, "Why simply a large portion of your hair would do." They gasped grabbing their long glossy locks in fright.
"Come now if you want these broaches guaranteed to find your true love some of your hair should be a small price to pay," Naruto chuckled at how foolish these girls were acting.
"Alright I'll do it even though Sasuke like girls with long hair I know my good looks will get him in no time," Ino said.
Sakura retorted, "As if Ino-Pig I'll be the one to get him with the help of that broach he did say it will lead me to my true love."
Before Ino could reply Naruto spoke once more, "Excellent you made the right decision."
He grinned, waving hand in a cutting motion, a second later their hair was cut just below their shoulders though their strands never reached the floor since they disappeared in midair.
Once their hair was cut, the jewelry appeared pinned where their heart would be on their chest. "Now remember the funny thing about love and you'll be fine," Naruto advised.
Ino and Sakura smiled and was about to thank him, but Naruto shook his head.
"Don't thank me now… when the time comes you shall give your thanks to me then," Naruto said in a vague tone leading them out of the shop through the gardens and out to the iron gates.
Once they closed the magical look to the shop faded as it returned to more ordinary state. "Did that really just happen?" Ino asked Sakura, who looked just as stupefied.
"I think so I mean look at us," Sakura said pointing to their shortened hair and their new fashion accessories.
"Hey look he was right time hardly passed at all!" Ino shouted in shock as she raised her add-on sleeve to view her watch.
It seemed that only five minutes passed, but it felt like they were in the shop for much longer. "Come on we'll be late if we stand here any longer!" Sakura yelled.
The two girls moved a bit faster to get to the Academy on time all the while they were being watched by Naruto in large mirror acting much like a television or scrying ball.
"It's funny how fickle crushes can be. They have to remember you cannot choose who you fall in love with because I can foresee this much that Sasuke Uchiha is not their future mate," Naruto laughed softly at the thoughts of denial they will soon have at discovering their true loves.
X
X
ヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノヽ(' ∇' )ノ
X
X
End of Chapter One…
A/N: Yes this is a rather different story, I may have been influenced by reading XXXHolic and some other manga, but I do not know what made me write this, but I'm glad I did I was having fun while writing it.
I hope you enjoy what I've written so far, until next time…