Get to Know Me
A Naruto fan fiction by AmaliaRose
"Alright. Uzumaki, Naruto, you're up." The older female ninja said, eyeing the younger blonde ninja in front of her, "As I'm sure you know, this evaluation is to decide not only your future ranking but also whether or not you're cut out for higher ranking missions as well. It will work as an interview. I will ask questions and you will answer them to the best of your ability. Your friends, as you requested, are present in the observation room just to your right."
Naruto zoned out as she droned on about the ins and outs of what the evaluation would hold. He'd already attended all of his friend's evaluations. He'd heard the spiel about ten times already this month. He hadn't really wanted to invite the rookie nine- and Sai-but even Sasuke had allowed them to sit in. He wouldn't be outdone by the Teme.
"Alright. The first category of questioning is open ended. The questions will be general, though you're free to elaborate as much as you'd like." The woman continued. Naruto nodded, anxious to get this over with. He was an open person, but there was just something about spilling his guts to a stranger that made him antsy.
"Can you describe your childhood, Mr. Uzumaki?" She peered at him from over the top of her clip board. Naruto nodded again.
"Well… I grew up in Konoha. I'm an orphan, so my early years were spent in the orphanage until I was old enough to live on my own. I got a job singing on street corners and earned just enough to rent a small apartment." Naruto cleared his throat uncomfortably, "When I was younger, I didn't know I had the nine tails sealed inside of me. The village adults resented me, and I had no idea why. They would look at me with pity. Some would tell me I was a monster. Others got physically violent, though that wasn't as common."
Naruto paused long enough to think of what his friends' reactions might be but soon continued, "The adults would tell their kids not to talk to me. Not to associate with me. I didn't know what I'd done wrong. Then, I met Iruka-sensei. He persuaded me to join ninja academy. That's when I decided I wanted to become Hokage. I decided if I did that, the villagers might begin to like me. I hoped they would see I didn't want to hurt them." Naruto finished softly, glancing at the ground.
The ninja in front of him scribbled on her clip board rapidly. "I see. Why do you want to fight for people who don't trust you?"
"I guess I… Well, this place is my home. And no matter what they've said or done to me, I want to protect everyone in it. I want to fight for them, so they don't have to. I want to fight so they can be free to live how they want. I don't like killing people." Naruto answered, "But if they're threatening my village, I'll do what I have to."
More rapid writing. "After you graduated, you gained two teammates. Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"
"Yes." Naruto affirmed.
"Tell me, what was your relationship like with Miss Haruno and how is it now?" She looked at Naruto expectantly.
"At first, I had a huge crush on her." Naruto admitted, "I liked how she was modest about her talents. She was… well, ordinary isn't the word t describe her. She was… special. Not in the normal, flashy look-at-me way. It was subtle. I really loved her as much as a twelve year old can love someone that is." Naruto looked thoughtful.
"As we got older, I slowly stopped thinking of her romantically. I started to love her more as a sister. She and I get along a lot better now. She's a great friend." Naruto finished with a nod.
"And what was your relationship with Mr. Uchiha then and now?" She stared at him as he hesitated.
"Well… first I… hated him. No…" Naruto backtracked, "I never hated him. I was jealous. He had money, he got attention without trying, and everything came easily to him. I envied him. But then I started to learn about him. I started to see similarities between us. We became a team." Naruto hesitated again.
"Things changed for us when we started the Chunin exams. Sasuke was offered a deal, and he took it. I think… deep down… he knew it was wrong. He was just too desperate to care. I felt… sorry for him. When he left, I couldn't figure out why I was so hurt. I came to the conclusion that somewhere between point A and point B, he'd become my best friend. So I went after him. I wanted to help him. I put my dream on hold for him because I believed he was worth it. I believe he is worth it."
"Why?" The woman interrupted.
"Because he has his heart in the right place. Even if his head isn't always on straight, I know him. I don't claim to know everything about him, but I know when it comes down to it, he'll do what's right. After he came back things were awkward. We didn't know whether to pick things up where we left off or to start over completely. After we let it be, things just fell into place. We're closer now. And if I woke up tomorrow, back right before those exams and knew what I do now, I wouldn't change it. He's worth it."
She nodded and scribbled. "You seem protective of them. Do you believe your attachment to them is a concern?"
"No." Naruto said after a moment of thought, "They aren't my friends. They're my family. They motivate me. They make me who I am. Yes, I'm protective of them, but that's because I love them. Not just Sakura and Sasuke. They're all my family; Kakashi and Iruka-sensei, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Bushy Brows, Neji, Gaara… the list goes on. I will fight for them. All of them."
The jonin ninja smiled, "Thank you for your time Mr. Uzumaki. You'll be made aware of your results after they've been extensively evaluated and a conclusion is made." She got up and left. Naruto nervously got up and walked to the observation room his friends were watching from. When he entered, two curious things happened.
The first was Sakura tackling him with a hug so strong it could rival the strength of her fists. "I love you too." She breathed.
The second thing that happened was, once Naruto was released, Sasuke pulled him into a brief, feathery hug. The kind that was so fast and soft, you questioned whether it had happened at all.
All he said to counter the hug was a gentle, "Dobe." Then he affectionately slugged Naruto's shoulder. Naruto smiled somewhat sheepishly, still unable to believe that the hug had actually happened. He let his sheepish look drop and offered nothing more than a shy smile in its place. Sasuke gave him a look that, to any stranger, would have been unreadable. But Naruto saw through it. There was affection and a longing that he couldn't quite place. He scoffed.
"Teme." He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck tightly, unwilling to let go. Sasuke slowly brought his arms up around the blonde's waist. He lets his hands rub the shorter boy's back in slow, gentle circles before he pushed Naruto back and gave a soft scoff of his own.
"You're an idiot. " Naruto punched his shoulder.
"You're a jerk." They smiled at each other and Sakura rolled her eyes, wondering why they couldn't just act like normal people. They were so obliviously in love and everyone but the two themselves knew it. Maybe someday, they would figure it out.