This is the first chapter of a story that I just came up with in my head while I was at work. I was playing with this said toy for a while before I wondered, what if the magic of this was real? I'd have such a fun time with it!
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Brisk air and the bright light of the sun had shone through the window, the light prying my eyes open to see the sky above me. I lay in the somewhat large double bed futon that I owned. It wasn't anything special; it was actually a little lumpy. But at least it was my own bed, in my room, in my apartment.
Grumbling, I shifted in my bed and tried to burry my head into the pillows to hide from the light. It was the first day of winter break, and I didn't even want to be awake for dinner let alone this early in the morning. I was having such a wonderful dream! It was…I couldn't remember.
Sighing, I threw the blankets off of myself and hissed at the cold air that nipped at my bare skin. The idea of sleeping in your birthday suit was always a pain when it came time for winter; it was always way too cold here in Konoha.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I placed my feet on the freezing cold, hardwood floor and jumped a little. It was like this yesterday, so I didn't quite understand why I was expecting anything different. But that's the way the cookie crumbles right?
I moved quickly to the dresser that was on the opposite side of the room. Slipping on some socks and a pair of boxers, I sighed at the feeling of those pieces of cloth on my feet that kept me from the chill emanating from the floor. With the socks finally on my feet, I could feel each step I took slipping slightly from under me. It was usually like this; it's a little difficult to keep my footing.
Looking around my room, I snickered as I remembered when I was living with my parents. My mom would always yell at me for running around in naught but my underwear. So with that in mind, I bolted out of the room, sliding on the floor into the wall that was across the hall from my door. I laughed with a slight tinge of pain in my shoulder, and headed for the bathroom with the incredible urge to pee.
As I yanked down the front of my shorts, I let go that built up tension with a sigh of relief. But when my sigh was over, I heard clinking in the kitchen. It was on the other side of the bathroom wall, so whenever someone was in either of the two I could hear it.
My head shifted as I leaned out the door a little while I peed, having the toilet and the door right next to one another came in handy after all. "If that's not Sakura in my kitchen, I'm gonna kick your ass, whoever you are." I hollered as I waited for a response. If they started to move frantically then I'd go kick their ass. If it was her however, she'd come up with a smart ass remark.
"Shut your face and finish pissing before you decide to open your mouth and talk to me!" I heard from the other side of the wall. I laughed; yup, it was Sakura alright.
The girl in the other room there and I, have been friends since I was in middle school. At the time I had a crush on her. But it wasn't till later that I finally realized the error there. She was not my type after all. But I will admit that there was a time that she and I had dated. But now she was living with her current boyfriend, Rock Lee, a guy that I couldn't stand at all.
When I finished I pulled up those small short that I had on, and flushed before washing off my hands and walking out of the bathroom. "Can't I for once just wake up and not have you here raiding my fridge or something?" I asked as I looked to her before grabbing the pot of coffee that smelled fresh and was steaming.
"Just be happy that someone comes over to see you at all. You damn hermit, it's no wonder that you're single since you stay inside all the time." She said as she crinkled her nose at the smell of the coffee that I poured for myself.
It was true though. I really never went out unless I was going to work or going to school, but I had requested these three weeks off, so I didn't have school or work for three weeks. I really only planned on being lazy and not doing anything for the three weeks that I would have to myself, but I didn't expect what all was going to happen in these three weeks. It was going to be like nothing I ever thought possible before, and I was not going to be ready for all of it.
"Oh, by the way, this came for you. It's from your sweet little mommy." She said as she tossed a small square box to me. It held a few postage stamps on the front of it, and a card with my address written on it that was taped under the stamps. After I stirred in the sugar to my black coffee, I tossed the spoon into the sink where Sakura was doing the few dishes that I had there. She knew better than anyone that I hated to do dishes, so she was always kind enough to turn around and do them for me.
I took a sip of my coffee and grabbed a steak knife from the block that was on the counter. Spinning the small box around as to be able to cut it in a comfortable way, I sliced through the tape and slid the knife back into the block. Sighing, I opened the box and shuffled through the Styrofoam peanuts that lay inside to find a black orb. I raised a brow as I pulled it out, and felt that it was wooden. Spinning it around, I chuckled at the idea of it.
There, lying on the black wooden finish of the ball was a white number 8. My mom had sent me a wooden 8 ball. Looking it over, I almost missed the bright orange card that was in the box under the fake magic ornament. Setting the black ball down, I picked up the envelope and ripped the top off of it, to pull out the card. It had a picture of ramen on it with a Santa hat behind it. I shook my head as I flipped open the card.
"Merry Christmas, Naruto! I know you probably won't like this, but I remembered that you used to have one almost just like it and you were always telling me how it was really magical and how it was telling you your future. So I thought I'd give you one for Christmas this year in hopes that you have a wonderful future from here on!" I said as I read it aloud for Sakura to also hear what was on the card. She chuckled and turned an eye to me with a raise of her brow.
"You used to have one and you said it told you your future?" She asked with a laugh. Of course no one ever really believed that I knew my future from some silly toy. But I was a kid; I didn't know there was no such thing as magic. "Well why not give it a shot future boy?" She asked with emphasis on the nickname she'd just come up with.
"Okay fine, what are the numbers to the lottery?" I asked as I shook the ball with my tongue out at her. As I looked at the glass little window that showed the answer, I frowned as I saw that it landed on one of the corners of the little die that was in the blue liquid.
"Well of course it can't answer that, that's way too specific. It's gotta be a yes or no answer." She said as she reached her hand out from the bubbly sink water and grabbed it from my hands, splashing me in the process. "Let me show you. Hmmmm." She hummed as she thought of a question to ask. "Ah I got one!" She said as she smiled widely at me. "Will little Future Boy here, meet a hot guy today?" She asked as she shook the ball.
I sighed and shook my head as I turned and grabbed a towel that hung on the front of the stove so I could wipe the suds off my stomach and legs. I waited for her answer. "It says yes. So apparently you're going to meet a hot guy today!" She said as she placed the ball gently down on the counter.
I laughed and hung the towel back on the oven's door. "I doubt it; I'm not even going anywhere today." I said as I turned and started heading toward my room.
"Oh yes you are. You promised that you'd go Christmas shopping with me today, and you are going!" She hollered. I groaned at remembering that I had told her that. I even said 'I promise' to her, and she knew that if she brought up me promising something, that I'd always go through with it.
"Can't we go some other time?" I asked while idling in the hall, spinning the "magic" 8-ball in my hands. My eyes grazed over the features. Around the eight there was a swirl with what looked like small symbols all going out from the middle. It was strange, but cute because my mom had remembered what I used to say about these.
"Nope, you promised. Now get dressed." She told me as she rounded the corner with the same towel I had used in her hands.
"Why can't you just take Lee or Ino?" I asked as I started down the hall to my room, with her following in toe.
"Because I'm shopping for them! I can't go and buy their gifts right in front of them. Geez and I thought you were the smart one here." She said as she came into my room after me. She was used to just barging in around here, and I got so used to it that I didn't let it bother me.
"Well fine. I guess you leave me no choice." I said as I grabbed a pair of faded worn jeans from my dresser and placed the ball in the top shelf of the dresser. Then I grabbed one of my favorite jacket, it was gray with black fur around the wrists, and around the hood. When I was in preliminary school, one of my best friends had given it to me. I wouldn't have ever remembered his name if it weren't for it being written on the tag in sharpie.
"We seriously need to get you a new jacket. That thing is so old and worn out." My pink haired friend told me as she waved off my choice of wearing the jacket without a shirt under it.
Sliding into the pants, I shook my head, "No way, this thing is so comfortable. I couldn't get rid of it." I told her as I slid my arms through the sleeves. "Hell, I'm surprised it even still fits me really." I told her as I looked it over. It fit snug on me.
But then again as I look back to when I got it, it was huge on me. It was huge on my friend too. It was apparently his fathers, and the man had left while he was in school and he was borrowing it. So when he heard that his dad left, he gave it to me at the end of that day. He told me that because I was his best friend he knew he could trust me in taking care of it. But I knew that he was just mad at his dad for leaving him that he didn't want anything else to do with him.
"I know it was your friend's once. But don't you think having a jacket for over ten years is a bit much? I mean, you've literally stitched that thing together a few times." She said as she picked at one of the off-grey patches that had been sewn into the shoulder.
"Well I wouldn't have to stitch it up if someone would quit picking at it!" I yelled as I swatted her hand away. Moving over to the bed, I grabbed the converse that were sticking out from the bottom of the bed and slid my feet into them before lacing them up.
"I know why you won't get rid of that thing." She said as she leaned closer to me with a finger in the air as if she were all-knowing.
"Oh and why is that?" I asked getting up I grabbed my keys and wallet before leaving the room with her following close behind.
"Because you used to have a crush on him. I bet you don't even remember his name do you?" She asked. But before I could answer, she started again, "Well, you wouldn't remember if you didn't write his name on the tag those years ago. You probably wrote it so you could try and find him and make babies later on huh?" She asked with a laugh afterward at the idea.
I just couldn't believe her. I didn't have a crush on him! He was my best friend at the time, and then he left me without a word. He moved away and didn't even bother saying goodbye to me! How could I have a crush on someone like that? I was infuriated by her accusations that I almost slapped her. But I wasn't one to hit a female… even if I was gay. There's a difference between being a man, and being a douche. And hitting a girl? Squarely in the douche category.
"I didn't have a crush on my best friend. He was a guy, and I didn't know that liking guys was okay until now." I explained as I opened the door to the nipping air that was out ahead of me. I could see now that the ground on the first story was covered with a white layer of snow. Being on the second story, I didn't usually have to worry too much about having to deal with the snow on my front porch.
"Just because you didn't know it was okay, that didn't stop you from liking him." Sakura had explained as she turned and locked my door with the spare key that I'd once given her so she could come over whenever she felt the need.
"I still didn't have a crush on him." I explained as I started down the stairs that stand just a few feet from my screened in porch. Taking the steps two at a time, I almost slipped when I reached ground level and I tried to play it off.
"Yeah whatever." I heard from Sakura.
I just shrugged off what she said. I wasn't going to argue with her. I didn't have the energy this early in the morning. We rounded the corner to the parking lot of the complex that I lived in. She actually lived in the same complex as me; it was just a few buildings down. That was the really the only way that she was able to come and see me, because I was the one with the car, and she was the one with the fear of driving. I didn't quite understand her, I loved to drive. It made me feel like I had freedom.
As we got into the gray Mazda 6 that I owned, I buckled up and rubbed my hands together before turning the car on and turning up the heat to full blast. "Geez, I swear this time of year sucks ass." I said as I let my car warm up before even thinking of driving.
Snow covered the windshield of the vehicle, so I had to grab the scraper that sat in the glove box, and for the first time this week, and the eighth time this month, I had to get out and start scraping the snow off the windshield. Of course I was freezing as I did this, having not put on a shirt under this jacket was not the best of ideas. But I'd done worse! Hell, the first time I ever even saw snow I had run out and played in it for about an hour in naught but my shorts. Of course, I was sick for a while afterward, but it was worth it!
With the snow finally scrapped off the glass, I rushed back to get into the driver's seat of my car before. The car was nothing special, but it did have the perks of being a car. Meaning I got from point A to point B without much difficulty, and I got to stay warm. "Finally, geez, if I'd known any better I'd say you like the cold." Sakura exclaimed as I put the car in reverse.
"That's because I do?" I half explained and questioned. I thought it was obvious that I loved the cold, and the snow. I mean, you can always put more clothes on, but with the heat. You can only take off so much before it becomes illegal.
As I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, I noted how there weren't that many cars out this morning, despite it being ten o'clock. People must have gone to their homes for the winter break. I lived in a town that was mostly populated by students, so when breaks came around, it was usually quiet here.
Down the road, I also noticed the large truck that was plowing the snow off the streets, and laying a layer of salt on the ground as well. "The only thing I don't like about winter is the ice on the road. I can't be myself when I drive anymore." I explained as I knew she understood what I meant. I had the tendency to drive relatively fast. I usually drive about thirty to forty miles over the speed limit.
Hearing Sakura chuckle I smiled as well. Despite having the audacity to take me from my comfortable home and take me shopping with her, I didn't mind having her around. She was usually fun, and she could always make me smile. The only thing that bothered me was that she talked about her boyfriend Lee, way too much.
I muted her by turning on the radio. She knew that I didn't like the guy she was dating, not because he was an asshole or anything. He was just too much of a pansy. He was the type of guy who did anything without question. He was too dependent on her, and she controlled everything he did. So it was unnatural for me to see it as a comfortable relationship, and it was, to me, wrong of me to see him as a true guy.
As the music was turned up, Sakura looked at me with a pout on her face. She was obviously a little upset that I cut her off with the music, but knowing her I figured she'd be happy that I even put music on. She was usually always playing music no matter where she was.
So with that she started to sing along to the music; My Chemical Romance, Welcome to the Black Parade. She had plugged her iphone into the aux port, and started playing it. And of course, with that first single key from the piano in the song, we both started singing. It was always that first note that anyone who knew the song would be able to recognize it. And anyone who knew the song, hearing that first note would start singing it.
She danced around flipping her hair here and there as I drove. I didn't mind it because of how I knew that she was just crazy fun. But it didn't last long as I made it into the mall parking lot before the song was even halfway through. I turned the music volume down to the single digits as I pulled in too. I didn't like blaring music for the world to hear it unless I was driving on the road.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I found a spot easily, seeing as how there were hardly any cars around aside from those of the workers. Not many people were in the mall this early in the morning, and not many were even in the city, as I had stated before.
As I turned the car off and the music died, Sakura glared at me with a huff of her breath. "Geez, can't you even let me finish the song?" She asked before yanking her phone off the port. "Well, let's go lazy bones!" She hollered as she already seemed to be out of the car and half way to the door.
"It's simply amazing how she can move that quickly for something like this, but be such a lazy ass when it comes to things I want to do." I huffed as I could see the breath I just let out fill the cold air around me. I loved that. I could see my breath; and people say you can't see the words you say unless you write them down? As if.
I followed her in, taking a little longer to get to the doors as my body didn't want to even be moving in the cold like this. I was more the type that loved the cold, because it helped me sleep. If I were an animal, it'd be a bear, because they sleep so much in the winter. Or maybe a fox, I couldn't choose really.
As I finally made my way through the doors into the warmth of the building, I smiled at the feeling. I just loved being cold, then coming into a warm place. It felt right.
Sakura was standing by the large Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the food court; where there was usually a wishing fountain. She was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She held her arms behind her, and was staring up at the tree. She seemed to be admiring it.
Walking up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders in a hug and leaned down a little so I could place my head on her shoulder. "Hun?" I asked, looking out of the corner of my eye to see her.
"Hmm?" She asked, she leaned her head to the side a little and turned toward me.
"Let's hurry this up." I said as I got off her and pulled her along deeper into the mall. I didn't like big scenic areas where people were. I didn't like big crowds, even if they weren't there just yet.
She followed along with my pull, and we went straight for one of the stores that I figured we'd have avoided. She pulled me right into the RadioShack that sat in the front of the mall. I didn't really know much about tech aside from how to work it, and maybe the occasional knowledge of smart phones, game consoles, and computers. But only the basic stuff, otherwise I'd be at a loss.
She went right up to the counter as I turned and started to look around. I heard Sakura talking with the man at the counter who sounded rather bored with the day already. She spoke about a getting a laptop for her boyfriend. I thought of how stupid it was, the guy already had one, but he was too stupid to know how to use it properly so he broke it by overheating the motherboard.
I shook my head and looked at the cameras. I should do some Christmas shopping as well. Sakura liked photography, and had a nice camera. But she didn't have that many lenses. So maybe I should get her a telescopic lens. I pondered the topic as I heard the two speak over there.
Turning, I glanced to her as she was giggling and flirting with the cashier. It was common of her, to flirt with hot guys despite having a boyfriend. I grumbled and started toward her. As I got up to her, I poked her cheek and raised a brow, "Seriously, we need to hurry this up. I don't want to be here when the crowds start to come in." I explained as I turned and started to move back toward the entrance as if an attempt to leave.
"Naruto?" I heard. It wasn't Sakura's voice, it was male.
I turned and looked over to the cashier. He had light olive tan skin with brown hair. But what stood out the most were the red tattoos that displayed on his face. I raised a brow as if I should know who it was. "Can I help you?" I asked.
I heard him chuckle softly before smiling at me slightly, "I figured you wouldn't remember me. I wasn't even sure it was you; I just thought it was because of the jacket. I'm surprised you still have that."
As he said this, my eyes began to widen. This hot guy... "No, it can't be." I whispered as I turned away. I didn't move from my spot, I just let everything sink in for a moment.
"Wait, the jacket..?" I heard Sakura whisper, then she gasped and pointed a finger at the guy behind the counter, then to me then back to him. "You're the friend from preliminary school that gave him that ratty jacket?!" She questioned in a high pitched tone.
"Hey now, that used to be my favorite jacket, don't call it ratty." He demanded. I couldn't believe this. The same friend that I had during school was here now. I hadn't seen him in nearly ten years, and he was here now. Of course I'd be shocked, but most people would try to catch up with their old friends.
I huffed in annoyance and walked out of the store. In all reality, I didn't want to just leave like that. I wanted to stick around and try to catch up with him. But when I'd seen him, he was happy right there. He was happy to see me, and I didn't understand why. It confused me, and I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach. It felt as if I was going to lose all contents of my stomach, but at the same time, there was a fluttering feeling in my chest that I didn't understand. It felt like someone had just hit me in the stomach after I'd just eaten a large meal, and then apologized.
I walked off to a small couch that sat in the middle of the large halls. The halls always seemed to be divided between oncoming and going people. Actually, it was very similar to the roads outside. Those who were walking into the mall always stuck to the right side, while those leaving were always walking on the left. It always made things easy.
As I sat there I tried to control my breathing. I felt as though I was at a loss of breath. My chest hurt and shook as I tried to calm myself and keep a cool head. There was also the icy feeling; it felt as though my blood itself was turning cold as it ran through me.
How could he act so happy after not having seen me for years, even though he was the one that left without a word to his best friend? How could he just sit there and smile like that? He looked like he was happy to see me, but if that were true that'd mean that I meant something to him back then, but if I meant something to him then wouldn't he had said something before leaving? He would right, I mean that is the polite thing to do wasn't it?
I closed my eyes and sighed. Focusing on nothing other than my breathing, I focused. My heart seemed to steady from the racing organ that it was only moments ago. My lungs took in air naturally now, and my body had ceased it's shaking. Sighing slowly, I breathed through my mouth as I shook myself off before getting back up. As I turned I was about to walk toward the food court, but stopped mid-stride. Sakura was standing there with a worried look on her face.
"What?" I asked with a hiss before grumbling under my breath as I walked passed her toward a vending machine. I put my dollar in and pressed the button for a bottle of water. As I put the mouth of the bottle to my lips, I gulped down the water as though it were the last on Earth. Once I was done with it, I crumpled the bottle and tossed it away before seeing that same pink haired friend of mine looking at me with the same worried expression.
"Are you okay Naruto?" She asked as she walked over to me, "I know it must feel weird to see him again, but you kind of just blew him off as if you didn't know him. Don't you at least want to say hi to him properly and maybe catch up?" She asked as she now followed my angrily placed footsteps.
"I don't. He left without even saying goodbye, and then he thinks I'll forgive him just because he recognized me a few years later?" I growled at thinking that that male had thought it were even okay.
"Is that what you're so mad at me about?" I heard his voice and yelped quietly. Both Sakura and I turned around to see him standing there behind us. There was no one else really around, so I figured that he'd taken that chance to step out of the store he was working in to see what was going on.
"Is that what I'm so mad about?" I repeated angrily. This man didn't know what he'd unleashed just by asking that. "How could you possibly ask that? You were the best friend I'd ever had before you left. I was always looking forward to going to school just because I got to hang out with you and have fun. I was always so happy to see you and I liked hanging out with you. But then you just went and disappeared on me without even so much as a goodbye? Yeah, I'm mad." I explained all of this to him before I saw his reaction. Pure guilt. I was actually surprised to see that expression, almost as though he was actually sorry.
Turning away for a moment, I glanced over at him. I couldn't look directly at him with him holding that expression. "I know I hurt you." He whispered, it was barely audible for me to hear, "But I promise you that I wanted to contact you so badly. I tried to actually. I wrote a few letters, but was never really familiar with the mailing systems back then. But then of course after a while I had forgotten your address, then I eventually forgot your last name. I just remember your first name and that fox boy face of yours." He said through what looked like a childishly cocky grin.
"Fox face?" I asked with retaliation, "Hey now, you're the one that always smelled like dogs. And what's with those tattoos?" I asked as I looked at him pointing an accusing finger at his face. And with that question, those lips of his turned around into the widest grin ever.
"Well actually it's a family thing; it's been around for ages. When an Inuzuka becomes of age, we get these tattoos as to signify becoming an adult. Of course that means that we go out and live on our own, and that we're S-O-L when it comes to problems and need help from family." He said all this, and I couldn't help but shake my head.
"Shit outta luck huh?" I asked before turning around with my back to him. "Well I guess you really are." I said before taking a few steps away from him toward where Sakura was. She apparently moved to the same couch where I sat earlier without my noticing.
"Hey, if you want to catch up or anything, come back before you leave. I'll give you my number okay?" He said with a wave. I didn't bother to turn around, or even say anything. I just waved a hand in the air with only a finger extended as to say 'see-ya.'
"Let's go." I said with a sigh. I didn't want to talk to that man like that, I was supposed to be upset with him, and I was supposed to be angry. I wasn't supposed to be thinking how I'd like to see how he has been doing, or why he moved back, or even what his life had been like without me. I was supposed to not give a shit, and I was supposed to not want to know, but there was just something there that told me it'd be nice to talk with him again. "No way am I coming back to get his number."
"He offered you his number? Come on now, Naruto." Sakura said with a wink toward me and a nudge to my side. "By the way..."
I turned to her with a raised brow.
"That was Kiba Inuzuka right? The kid from preliminary school that used to be your friend?" I nodded. "You magic 8-ball was right. You did meet a hot guy today." She said with a giggle. The realization of her words struck me. I couldn't help but laugh with her.
I would not deny that. He was a cute kid when we were in school together, but now. Now he was just straight up hot!