Naruto sat on the edge of the cliff, staring down at Konohagakure. It had been ages since he'd seen his teammates, or any of his friends, for that matter. His feet swung in the air, a breeze ruffling his orange shorts as he leaned back onto his elbows. He was dangling his feet over the forehead of the Hokage Monument, remembering a time from before he was a ninja.
'It was so long ago..' He thought to himself, his now longer blonde hair blowing to cover his eyes. The sky was a saphire blue above him, and as he swept his hair behind his ears, he stared into it. A cloud swirled it's way in front of his vision, and he thought for a few moments why it was that people no longer noticed the beauty of the sky. He remembered a time when he, too, took no heed of the openness that engulfed him. Kakashi had, he remembered. Before Naruto left, Kakashi-sensei had been constantly staring upwards. Whether, like Naruto, he took a fascination in clouds, or if he was simply admiring the birds, he would never know.
'Not unless you go down there and ask him.' Naruto startled himself with this thought, his gaze returning to the villiage before him. He raised his legs up and turned over, laying forward to peer down into the valley below. The grass tickled his face and for a moment he closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze of spring. For a whoozy moment, Naruto envisioned the bright pink sakura petals from when he was a young child. His blue eyes opened instantly.
"Sakura-chan.." He whispered, sitting up. He brushed off his knees, staring downwards for a last few moments as he hesitated on his decision. But no, he must go. If his question to Kakashi did not lure him into the old villiage, the pink-haired beauty would. Naruto stood fully, picking up his pack from the ground beside him. His white T-shirt was stained with dust, which he brushed off as he slowly hiked down the path. Stones skittered out of his way and dust rustled up from the grasses, but Naruto did not feel it tickle his legs. His mouth hung slightly open, as he forced back the depressing memories which invaded him more and more as he inched toward the heart of the villiage. Finally, the shade of shallow trees covered his head. He listened to the sounds that accompanied early spring. The first birds, the rustling of leaves, the whistle of insects by his ear. His feet splashed through puddles as the path widened and evened out, leading directly into a busy marketplace. Naruto vaguely recognized a few people who were once mere strangers of his past. He felt a Sakura petal tickle his arm and pushed his legs forward into the bustle of people.
A few people stared as he made his way to where Sakura used to live. He was not sure if he was ready to see her, but he knew by now that she didn't live with her parents anymore. 9 years ago, he remembered, she had wanted nothing more than to be on her own. At 22 years she must have her own place. Maybe her parents could buy him some time by directing him to her. He doubted they would recognize him, he had aged and they had never known him well.
More stares encompassed walking through the villiage, but Naruto ignored them and casually stuck his hands in his pockets. He fumbled with a few things that lay there, and old, dull Shuriken and foreign currency from his long absence. His pack, once heavy on his shoulders, now barely weighed him down. His face was grungy with dirt and he needed to shave, but Naruto's face was impacted most by the weathered look of sorrow. Being back in Konoha brought the shine into his eyes again, but his lips and cheeks still wore sullen expressions. His throat was dry with thirst. As he creaked up the wooden steps to the Haruno house, Naruto noticed that the once upbeat and tidy look to the place had left. He rang the rusted doorbell and stepped back, glancing around at the waterstained woodwork and windows. The door opened, a flurry of chipped paint falling to the welcome mat.
It was Sakura.
Naruto stood speechless, as he saw recognition in her eyes. Their emerald tone shone over with sorrow and pain and love all mixed into one emotion: shock.
"N.. Naruto-kun?"
A/N--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue. NaruSaku Friendship(could turn into more), major character death next chapter.
Welcome me back. I am planning a few stories right now, one involving Lee and his mix-up of emotions, blah blah blah... Look out for more of me ^_~
-Kounouri
'It was so long ago..' He thought to himself, his now longer blonde hair blowing to cover his eyes. The sky was a saphire blue above him, and as he swept his hair behind his ears, he stared into it. A cloud swirled it's way in front of his vision, and he thought for a few moments why it was that people no longer noticed the beauty of the sky. He remembered a time when he, too, took no heed of the openness that engulfed him. Kakashi had, he remembered. Before Naruto left, Kakashi-sensei had been constantly staring upwards. Whether, like Naruto, he took a fascination in clouds, or if he was simply admiring the birds, he would never know.
'Not unless you go down there and ask him.' Naruto startled himself with this thought, his gaze returning to the villiage before him. He raised his legs up and turned over, laying forward to peer down into the valley below. The grass tickled his face and for a moment he closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze of spring. For a whoozy moment, Naruto envisioned the bright pink sakura petals from when he was a young child. His blue eyes opened instantly.
"Sakura-chan.." He whispered, sitting up. He brushed off his knees, staring downwards for a last few moments as he hesitated on his decision. But no, he must go. If his question to Kakashi did not lure him into the old villiage, the pink-haired beauty would. Naruto stood fully, picking up his pack from the ground beside him. His white T-shirt was stained with dust, which he brushed off as he slowly hiked down the path. Stones skittered out of his way and dust rustled up from the grasses, but Naruto did not feel it tickle his legs. His mouth hung slightly open, as he forced back the depressing memories which invaded him more and more as he inched toward the heart of the villiage. Finally, the shade of shallow trees covered his head. He listened to the sounds that accompanied early spring. The first birds, the rustling of leaves, the whistle of insects by his ear. His feet splashed through puddles as the path widened and evened out, leading directly into a busy marketplace. Naruto vaguely recognized a few people who were once mere strangers of his past. He felt a Sakura petal tickle his arm and pushed his legs forward into the bustle of people.
A few people stared as he made his way to where Sakura used to live. He was not sure if he was ready to see her, but he knew by now that she didn't live with her parents anymore. 9 years ago, he remembered, she had wanted nothing more than to be on her own. At 22 years she must have her own place. Maybe her parents could buy him some time by directing him to her. He doubted they would recognize him, he had aged and they had never known him well.
More stares encompassed walking through the villiage, but Naruto ignored them and casually stuck his hands in his pockets. He fumbled with a few things that lay there, and old, dull Shuriken and foreign currency from his long absence. His pack, once heavy on his shoulders, now barely weighed him down. His face was grungy with dirt and he needed to shave, but Naruto's face was impacted most by the weathered look of sorrow. Being back in Konoha brought the shine into his eyes again, but his lips and cheeks still wore sullen expressions. His throat was dry with thirst. As he creaked up the wooden steps to the Haruno house, Naruto noticed that the once upbeat and tidy look to the place had left. He rang the rusted doorbell and stepped back, glancing around at the waterstained woodwork and windows. The door opened, a flurry of chipped paint falling to the welcome mat.
It was Sakura.
Naruto stood speechless, as he saw recognition in her eyes. Their emerald tone shone over with sorrow and pain and love all mixed into one emotion: shock.
"N.. Naruto-kun?"
A/N--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue. NaruSaku Friendship(could turn into more), major character death next chapter.
Welcome me back. I am planning a few stories right now, one involving Lee and his mix-up of emotions, blah blah blah... Look out for more of me ^_~
-Kounouri