It was already midnight, and the diner had closed an hour ago already, but as always, he and the other cleaning staff had to stay behind to fix it up for next morning's shift. An hour later, Naruto groaned as his back creaked. He felt rather than heard the small cracks that spread constantly from his fingers to his shoulders as he stretched. He grunted a goodbye to Genma, the guy that locked up the restaurant, when he clocked out, and left the diner. The light from the streetlamp down the back alley laid on the damp tarmac like small light orange pearls as Naruto passed through to the main street. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He opened his eyes to make sure he was not about to crash into something when suddenly, he met a scene straight from his nightmares. It was a girl with extremely long, black and dripping wet hair sticking to her back, and she was crying. He could hear her sniffing from where he was standing. Naruto contained the terrified scream he almost let out at her sight.
Naruto's heart started to beat wildly. He didn't want to die yet! He threw himself into the deepest bow he knew how to make, with his forehead touching the wet floor.
"Please forgive me, Sadako-sama!" Naruto yelled the loudest he could to make sure the vengeful spirit listened "I-I-I-I-I'll make a copy of your tape!" He grit his teeth desperately, waiting for the ghost's answer… maybe she'd let him live…?
"T-tape?"
He didn't expect the wavering sweet voice of a girl. Naruto raised his head from the floor, and got up, his mind puzzled, wiping away the water dripping from his forehead. His heart still beating faster than it normally did.
The girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand and stared at it before wiping it on her clothes as discreetly as she could, her eyes and cheeks red and, Naruto noticed, her other hand holding the handle of a large suitcase. The girl hid her dirty hand behind her body, embarrassed.
"I-I'm sorry. You're confusing me with so-someone else."
Oh… "You're not a ghost, then, are you?" The girl shook her head. Naruto started to laugh nervously, scratching the back of his neck with his right hand. "I see…!" Naruto looked at her again.
The girl sniffed again and looked to the employer's entrance, several thoughts going through her eyes at once. She looked at the floor. "E-Excuse me… By any chance, is Haruno Sakura working today?"
Naruto hummed thoughtfully, sticking his hands back into his pockets. "You're a friend of Sakura-chan's…" The girl turned her hopeful, light lavender eyes to him. "Didn't you know she moved out of Konoha when we graduated this spring?"
His only answer was silence, and, in the darkness that enveloped him, Naruto wondered if the girl would then leave, disappointed, until he heard sniffing.
"Hey… you…" He scratched the back of his neck. Man… "Listen, just come with me."
He didn't wait for an answer before he started walking forward, but when they left the alley, the sound of a suitcase's wheels rolling on the pavement was following him like a dog's tail.
An electronic bell bleeped as the doors slid open for them. The sleepy clerk raised his head sloppily, like it could fall off his neck at any second. Naruto turned around to see if the girl had not run away yet. The fluorescent light bathed her, her black hair shiny and damp, her straight bangs sticking to her forehead, and her eyes white with a hint of lavender. Suddenly, he felt as if they had entered an alternate dimension. He could see now she was wearing a deep purple coat, pajama pants, and fluffy slippers. Not at all typhoon season appropriate clothes.
Naruto swallowed. He adjusted his uniform shirt's collar nervously as he attempted to count the money he had left from the day with his mind. Maybe he could manage to buy two soft drinks, but only that. If he did, he would have to walk home. But… The girl was crying, and all he knew about comforting sad people was what he had been taught himself. He wanted to cheer that girl up, so he would need to treat her to something. A soft drink was all he could afford. Yes. He strode through the aisles, turning his head once in a while to see if the girl was still there. She was.
She kept shifting her weight from foot to foot, and wiping the hair away from her face. She stared at him keenly, as if she was trying to drink in every detail she could make out. Her eyes were curious and also very confused. He flushed and went on to pay for the drinks. The clerk handed Naruto the change, barely hiding his contempt for the world, throwing him a withering stare.
He smiled at the clerk nervously, thanking him, but hurrying the girl out before he exited the store as well. They walked along the street until they reached a park. The trees were tall and their foliage was thick, but the lamps were well spaced enough, and they burned white in the night, like stars lighting the paths.
Naruto plopped down on the bench, sighing with contentment. He offered one of the peach-colored cans to the girl. She took the drink silently, and sat down carefully next to him. A soft hiss later, he gulped some of the peach and watermelon soda.
"Sakura-chan was accepted in a university in Wind. The Royal University of Suna," He moved his hand around, spilling his soda carelessly "or some fancy shit like that. In the med program." He took another swig "How do you know Sakura-chan, anyway?" He eyed the girl's suitcase, and then he eyed the girl herself "You seem familiar somehow"
The girl stared at the streets stretching before her mournfully "I used to live here. A long time ago, actually" She tightened her grasp on the suitcase's handle, absentminded. "I moved in the middle of primary school to Wave, but Sakura-san and I kept in contact until a year ago." She turned her pale lavender eyes on him "By any chance, were you a student of Konoha Academy?"
The boy smiled brightly, happy thoughts of the friendships he had continued to form since primary school coming to his mind. "I am, yeah!"
She smiled, relief raining down her face almost visibly. "I thought you were familiar. I was a student there, too. My name is Hyuuga Hinata, from class 1"
"I'm class 2's Uzumaki Naruto!" he extended his hand towards her, almost punching her on the side in the process "Nice to meet you again, classmate!"
The girl, Hinata, shook his hand merrily, her face almost too warm, but the moment quickly passed. Now she wasn't quite sure what to do…
"I've inconvenienced you enough, Uzumaki-san" She peeked at him "I flew here so suddenly, and I show up at Sakura-san's workplace, but instead I find you, and I have given you so much trouble…" She got up reluctantly and glanced at the familiar stranger and bowed, hoping her hair would hide her flaming face. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Then she turned around and shifted away from him, her suitcase rolling behind her.
As Naruto watched her and her dark hair leave, he felt the smallest pull in his heart, and he struggled, his mind and his gut following completely different directions. He felt as if the battle was becoming more violent with every second he didn't choose to either stay and let her leave, or to run after her and ask if she was really okay. What had made this girl travel all the way from Wave to Fire when she hadn't even contacted Sakura-chan for a long time?
Probably something not nice. Probably something dangerous! No. He had to run after her. Make sure she made it okay to wherever she was going. So he shot up from the bench.
The can of the peach and watermelon soda soon laid forgotten in the concrete next to Naruto's wallet.
Edit: Changed some of the wording.
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