Japan was faced with rapid change, things had changed and so had people, some to deal with the way things were and some just because of influence, there were few people who were actually considered good anymore, it was probably a myth now. No one was good and no one was worth saving, much less Naruto. The tanned male had given up on his dream of becoming successful because no one gave him a chance and there wouldn't be a chance due to the inept corruption of the city; people only became anything with money and connections and if one didn't posses either of those they were definitely screwed and forced to live a life much below what they had once expected to live.
The city had become rippled with clans and gangs, not that they did much damage but these people had just found a different way of surviving together and it was just another way of getting by now. Naruto belonged to one of these gangs, they didn't have a formal name but the police had begun to call them "beasts" and it stuck with them, at first no one liked it and everyone tried to change it but eventually they gave up and started to use the name.
Naruto was a tall blond male who had tanned skin, which was confusing to everyone in Japan because he was different from them, and that was something that affected people more now a days. They all seemed to look at him differently when he walked by, maybe the fact that he wore an orange jacket helped, but his tanned skin and blue eyes got their fair share of looks. His best friend was another tall man, skinny with black and spiky hair, you could always find him with a cigarette in his mouth even though he repeatedly said he hated smoking and that it was some sort of homage to his dead teacher. Their gang spent most of their free time in a bar that belonged to one of the member's family and all in all they got good business, but today it was just the two of them because they had gotten a free day and were a few cups of whiskey into an interesting conversation.
"See, the reason we have gangs now is because as individuals we're weak and can't get anything done, much less get a message across these rich assholes, they look down on us as if we were scum and hate our very existence in this world." Shikamaru went on, he hated this change the world had faced; good people with good backgrounds who served the country were shut off from any government funding, coincidently, his father who had worked for the army was one of those people and he hated it, so was his late teacher, Asuma. "There were good people, people who cared and helped… But that's not what anyone looks at any more, all they see is money, ways to spend it, ways to earn more, no one cares about people anymore, no one cares about what's good."
Naruto was used to this speech, they always ended up on this specific topic for some reason and he understood why Shikamaru felt that way, yet there was one thing he always disagreed with. "We aren't weak as individuals, we're strong, but not many of us feel that way so that's why no one fights on their own." Was his reply every time Shikamaru called people weak, he hated believing that people were so weak that they didn't care about anything happening anymore, that there were people who didn't want to get their old life back. "But the fact is we are stronger together, we manage to get a message across sometimes, even though it's just very rarely… We still manage something this way." He ended with a sigh.
They kept going on this topic for a while, he didn't know what to do anymore because he had tried everything and he had given all he had this whole week during riots and campaigns, but no one seemed to even look their way because they were too busy polishing they shoes or getting their ass kissed by people who wanted to be up there with them, it was sickening for him. When it was late enough to leave, the blond paid for his drinks and left his friend there, knowing Shikamaru would stay longer to meet with his girlfriend; everyone had something or someone to distract them from their horrible life but not him, Naruto was alone whenever he left his gang and always walked to an empty house.
The blond didn't walk home tonight, he couldn't bear to be alone again so instead he walked to a park in the city, he knew he might find a few friendly people there who'd make for decent company. As the night prolonged itself he found himself laying on a park bench and staring at the sky as he heard a group of teenagers get high and laugh, it was nice to hear someone laugh, it had been a while since he did the same without being either high or completely drunk. The sky however distracted him, no one could actually see many stars because of the pollution that plagued the city but he could make out two or three and those few ones made his heart melt slightly, it was what he needed at that moment, and maybe a drink.
Moments after he was focusing on the stars Naruto heard a voice which broke his daze, looking over to find the source he saw a man who was pale and had black hair which stuck up in every direction and a fringe that almost covered his eyes, they were about the same height. "Sorry what was that?" He asked the stranger who was starting, knowing he hadn't heard what he had said before.
"I was asking if you'd mind sitting up or moving… All other benches are taken by groups." The main replied with a shrug, his voice deep and low which resonated in Naruto's ear. After eyeing him for a second the blond decided to give the man a seat and sat up a little, sitting back against the back of the bench and tilting his head up to continue to look at the sky. "I'm Naruto." He said after a second or two of silence because he was a polite man, besides the whole being in a gang and doing drugs thing.
The man was quiet for some time, probably unsure if he should engage in conversation with him or not but finally he spoke again and the sound of his voice still sounded incredible in the blond's head, he never knew people could sound that good. "Sasuke…"
"That's a nice name…" Naruto said in response with a smile, he didn't know if he should keep a conversation going with him but the fact was that he wanted to hear this stranger speak more. "Are you from here?" That was probably a stupid question considering no one came to this small village, only those who lived here or those who were coming back because they remembered that the corruption in the city would aid them in some way.
Naruto didn't think that Sasuke would reply because he was quiet for a long time, though after hearing the other man sigh with frustration he heard him speak, "yes, I am." And then it went quiet again. Okay so this man wasn't one for speaking too much, he didn't seem to be too friendly either, but that wasn't enough to stop the blond so he kept using, asking him questions about his age or work position and the only reply he got was, "look, I don't want to talk. I came here to get some quiet, well as quiet as it can get anyway." And the blond couldn't keep pressuring him to do anything, he couldn't keep asking him anything, so instead he just stood up and nodded, "sorry for bothering you." After apologising Naruto decided to walk away, making his way home or maybe to another bar so he didn't keep worrying about things but home seemed like the best possible option.
Naruto had been walking for some time before he decided to actually go home, he lived downtown like most of the population that was in some sort of financial downhill, the apartments were small and cramped and he knew that there was going to either be a fight in his building or someone over dosing on something which would mean cops. All in all, it was home and in less than a few minutes he was inside his little apartment, sitting on his bed and looking out the window, trying to understand why the other was so keen on being left alone, everyone was alone now a days. Maybe he was one of the lucky few that had someone to keep him busy.
Trying not to think of it too much he decided to lay down and go to sleep, which had been an issue for him for quite some time. The tanned male seemed to not be able to fall asleep as quickly as he once could and spent a large part of the evening twisting and turning in his bed, the same as tonight. Naruto was tired of not being able to sleep so he decided to get up and get high, weed was what had helped the past couple of times so he assumed it would work the same way now.
As he smoked he found a seat by the window, looking down at the town he once loved so much. And eventually his eyes found their way to the park he had met the mysterious man, maybe it was because he was high but he couldn't get him out of his head for a couple hours, he could only think about the sound of his voice and his very delicate features. Naruto thought he hadn't payed attention to him but in fact he noticed that he actually paid very detailed attention to him.
"Sasuke…" The whispered out to himself, smiling a little as he remembered everything he saw about him; he had soft, delicate features, his skin seemed flawless and a milky tone very few people could pull off, his lips were thin but plump, pink which merged very well with the soft colour of his skin. And his eyes, he had sharp, dark eyes which could pierce daggers into anyone if he so wished it, it was intimidating, but gorgeous. He had been wearing black jeans and a white t-shit, one that seems a size too big but that still somehow managed to look fine, maybe Sasuke was just one of those few people who looked good in anything they wore, that was a logical assumption.
Naruto knew he was thinking too much about someone he didn't know until a couple hours ago but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to stop no matter how hard he tried, and he did, but his mind was too busy either thinking of the pale man or thinking of food, which made sense due to his high. Yet he had a mission when he decided to smoke and that was to get weary enough that he could fall asleep. And it did work after about another 30 minutes of mindless staring out the window, lucking lay he just had to shift off the headboard of the bed and down to the mattress, closing his eyes and falling into a deep daze where hardly any memories survived, and the only one that had was the one of Sasuke's face and the question for if he'd ever see him again.