Pun so intended.

This might become part of a series. Actually, it most likely will be considered a first chapter or a prologue, because I've been dying to do a Naruto/CivilianOMC friendship or slash for a while...

Anyways, I've had the ridiculously talented Uchidakarasu as a beta reader :) Gotta love him!

Please enjoy, and remember:

Reviews are love!

The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Civilian

Horezuka Sukui walked down the deserted alley with his friends, fidgeting nervously. He accidentally stepped on a broken twig, making it snap. His friends shot him angry glares and he mouthed his apology. He kept walking, careful not to make any sound and tensing as the noise of the busy market reached his ears. It was his first time into the shinobi part of the village.

Kenshui, who had taken the lead, shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and gave it to Mitani. He then proceeded attempting to climb the high wall, predictably without success. He scowled.

"Maybe we should climb the rooftop," suggested Mitani. Mitani was only eleven but they let him hang with them, anyway.

"Do you have a death wish, baka?" retorted Kenshui.

"You're the one who suggested going into the shinobi area! They have weapons, and I bet they can kill us all, too," Mitani argued.

Kenshui had gone to the shinobi market before with his mother, and had come back elated with the most exciting stories about kunai and epic battles. It was scary, but fascinating all the same.

"Don't be such a crybaby. Are you a girl or something?" he asked with a smirk.

Mitani blushed, shaking his head instantly. "I can handle it. I'm not afraid of stupid shinobi."

Sukui knew he was lying but said nothing. It wasn't his place to bust Kenshui's ego. It was nobody's place, really.

"Well, let's see you, then. Go on," Kenshui pushed.

Mitani gave Sukui a hesitant look, to which he shrugged and nodded. If he went against Kenshui's word, he would lose his friendship and be alone. Mitani would be fine, right?

He watched warily as Mitani climbed to the roof. Mitani walked unstably on the peak of the red bricks, and then sat on the edge, facing the market. He met Sukui's eyes and Sukui looked away. It wasn't his fault Mitani chose listen to Kenshui. Mitani looked forward, giving a salute before jumping off the edge.

They heard a thump and a muffled "I'm okay" from the other side and Sukui sighed in relief.

Kenshui elbowed him. "Come on. If a weakling like Mitani can do it, we sure as hell can," he said.

Sukui nodded obediently and took Kenshui's backpack, which was rudely handed off to him. It was a heavy weight on his shoulders and back as he tried to climb the roof, a task which proved to be more complicated than he had expected.

He nearly lost his balance for a moment when he stood up, catching up to the height of the house and the fall which seemed to be a very, very long one. His eyes widened as he watched Kenshui jump with annoying ease off the roof, landing on his feet. He threw the backpack to Mitani, who caught it, and with a determined face he jumped.

He landed on his feet, but his knees buckled and he fell on his butt. He felt the heat rise to his face, ashamed of his unmanly stumble. Kenshui laughed, and Mitani looked like he wanted to help him but didn't and only watched silently, clutching Kenshui's backpack to his chest.

The market was crowded and they had to squeeze through a few groups of civilian-looking people before they got to an emptier part of the street. Everything was colorful, and the noises and smells overwhelmed Sukui.

He stared in amazement as a woman with baskets full of vegetables passed them, bringing a gust of flower-scented wind their way. He assumed it was her perfume, and wondered why his mother never wore such a fancy scent. Her perfume was a simple one made in their neighborhood from collected plants and common flowers, never a special flower or a perfume imported from other towns in the Land of Fire.

Beside him, Mitani was standing wide-eyed with his mouth open and Kenshui was smirking smugly, hands on his hips as he watched the passing and going people do their shopping.

"I told you it's awesome, didn't I?" he said in a show off-tone that annoyed Sukui, but he couldn't help but agree with him. The market was amazing.

Mitani was actually starting to come to, his posture relaxing as he smiled softly. Sukui was only able to barely catch the mischievous glint in his eyes before he dropped the backpack, his hand shooting towards Kenshui so fast it was blurred as he yelled, "You're it!" and burst into a run.

Sukui, catching up to what happened, tried to escape as well, but he was too late. Kenshui stabbed his side with a strong finger mercilessly, muttering, "You're it, Sukui," before disappearing into the mass of people, taking his backpack with him.

Sukui groaned, holding his bruised skin and imagining a pierced kidney, shuddering as the image made him nauseous. He wasn't good with gore.

He started searching, having no clue of where the two might be. Unlike Kenshui, he wasn't familiar with the area and as he expected, he soon found that he was lost. He had no idea where he was, apart from still being in the market, and he had no idea how to get back. Panic kicked in. What if he never found his way back home? What if Kenshui and Mitani would go back without him? What if he couldn't find them before it got dark?

His worries dispelled as he caught sight of someone who looked like Mitani. With anewed resolve, he started chasing after the running figure. He ran and ran and didn't stop until he lost the figure in the crowd, again.

He stopped, sighing. He was about to continue his search when a heavy mass crashed into him. He fell back, and he thought he felt himself lose contact with the ground for a second, hitting the dirt with force that would surely leave a mark on his poor behind. That was twice already.

He sat up, feeling his palms burn. Bringing them to his face, he saw blood trickling from new scratches he has gotten from falling. He frowned. Mom would ask how he got himself hurt, and what would he tell her?

'Hey, mom. Yeah, I went to seek out shinobi with Mitani and Kenshui!'

No.

A hand was shoved in front of his face, and he looked up to see a blond boy and with an anxious expression, stressfully looking over his shoulder and then back at Sukui. He boy looked to be around his age. He had whisker marks over his cheeks, which made Sukui chuckle at the funny sight. The boy was also still waiting for him to take his hand, which he did hastily.

The boy yanked him up, but the strong tug made him topple forwards, embarrassing him even more. The boy was strong.

"Hey, sorry I made you fall. I didn't see you standing there," the boy apologized in a rush, looking over his shoulder once more. "I have to go, sorry again!" He prepared to run.

Sukui grabbed a hold of the boy's shirt and said, "Wait." The boy stopped, turning around to face him.

"What do you want? I said I was sorry," he said, tapping his foot impatiently and crossing his arms.

Sukui was taken aback. "Nothing, just… Do you know the way to the civilian district?" he asked, unsure.

The boy seemed surprised, if his gaping was any indication. "You're a civilian? Really?"

Sukui nodded uncomfortably. He hated people who lived in the shinobi district – they always thought they were so much better than civilians. But his dad was way stronger than this boy!

"Cool!" the boy beamed. "So you don't have chatora? I have it. I can do all sorts of awesome jutsus with it! Iruka-sensei taught me!"

Sukui stared at the boy in shock. "You're a ninja?" he asked. This boy was certainly not what he had in mind when he thought of shinobi. He had imagined them more… well, scary. And dangerous. He had imagined blood-stained uniforms and samurai swords.

"Not yet. I'm not a Genin, but I'm gonna be when I pass the test this year. And then I'm going to be Hokage!"

Sukui didn't really understand the procedure, but he thought a Hokage was supposed to be older, right? Maybe he was just wrong.

"What's your name, by the way?" the enthusiastic boy chirped.

"Horezuka Sukui," he answered.

"Horezuka? Huh? Well, I'm-"

"Uzumaki Naruto!" someone shouted.

Sukui turned to see a masked man leaping from a high roof. He winced, but then he realized the person had landed unscathed, unlike his own painful meeting with the ground.

The man was actually what he imagined a ninja to be like – he had a ninja uniform, something cool and comfortable-looking, and he had pouches all over the cloths. They probably had chatora in them! And weapons! He was suddenly reluctant to get any closer to the person.

"Uzumaki, you fool! The scrolls! The scrolls! Do you have any idea how much damage you've caused?" the man yelled.

The boy, Uzumaki, hunched his shoulders in defeat. "The Old Man was going to throw them away, anyway. I heard him," he mumbled.

"You're coming with me." The person grabbed Uzumaki's arm and pulled him along, jumping on the roof again – how could anyone jump that high? – and disappearing in a blur.

And Sukui was left alone.

Lost.

Again.

He sighed and headed deeper into the market.